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Here are nine surprising things which effects our memory:

1> Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates adds negative impact on memory. Extra carbohydrates or only carbs in the diet increases the risk of Alzheimer. Dr Vincent Fortanasce, author of The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription suggests cutting back on the carbs to avoid this disease. Excess carbohydrates causes your insulin to spike which results over activation of the insulin-degrading enzyme that exists in the brain. This activity make the enzyme busy in degrading insulin rather than getting rid of beta-amyloid proteins, the toxic protein that produces Alzheimer’s disease. Hence take a proper balanced diet for a good memory.

2> Statins: A recent study revealed that statins helps in preventing dementia. A research out of the University Of Michigan School Of Public Health shows that people at high risk of dementia who took cholesterol-lowering statins were half as likely to develop dementia as those who did not take the prescription medications. It is said that statins help lower the high insulin levels in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s. But it is not known exactly which statins help in this activity hence it is not recommended to take statins by its own without doctor’s prescription.

3> Depression, Anxiety: People who remain in depression and experience more negative emotions are more likely to experience an early memory loss. A study published in the journal Neurology in 2007 shows that those kind of people were 40% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who were least prone. A transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, mild cognitive impairment is associated with mild memory or cognitive problems.

4> Fish: Fish is a protein rich diet and it is found that people who ate tuna and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids three times or more per week had a nearly 26% lower risk of having the silent brain lesions that can cause dementia and stroke, compared to those who avoided fish. According to research appearing in the latest issue of journal Neurology studied on more than 2,300 people age 65 and older has found this fact.

5> Thyroid Disorder: According to the May issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter states that memory loss and thyroid activity are linked together. Under active thyroid give rise to memory loss. Thyroid hormones control many bodily functions, ranging from heart rate to mood and memory. Older people with this treatable condition may exhibit only one symptom, such as memory loss or decreasing mental function. Hence a low thyroid activity disrupts these functions.

6> Hot Flashes: Women in mid life can have a poor memory according to new research out of the University of Illinois at Chicago which confirms a link between hot flashes and memory among women. A surge in the stress hormone cortisol, which usually accompanies a hot flash, is believed to be the cause. More the hot flashes worse will be the ability to remember names and stories etc.

7> Smoking: Smoking increases risk of memory loss. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in June, middle-aged adults who smoke appear to be at an increased risk of having poor memory. The research also shows that long-term ex-smokers were less likely to have cognitive deficits in memory and vocabulary then others.

8> Chronic Pain: Chronic pains also have a negative impact on memory. According to University of Alberta study of 24 patients the pain along with affecting a person’s ability to work, sleep and function on a daily basis also impairs memory. The study says that among people with chronic pain lasting six months or longer showed that two-thirds have significant disruption of attention and memory when tested.

9> Marital Status: Mid-life marital status is related to late-life cognitive function. A Finnish study of more than 1,400 people in mid life and then an average of 21 years later showed that those who were living with a life partner in mid life were significantly less likely to show cognitive impairment compared to those living without their spouse. Singles, separated, divorced or widowed are at more risk of memory loss.

Tags: Alzheimer, Anxiety, beta-amyloid, Carbohydrates, carbs, Chronic Pain, Depression, Diet, Disease, Fish, Hot Flashes, Marital Status, Memory, proteins, Smoking, Statins, Thyroid Disorder, toxic protein

There are lots of companies providing various medical equipments. The quality of products should be ensured before purchase. Also the service should be proper. Dr. Medical Equipment which is a Colorado based company specializes in sales of various medical-related products with main emphasis on portable oxygen concentrators equipment.

Dr. Medical Equipment is a direct dealer of new and used medical equipment. An excellent customer service support staff is necessary from every company. Dr. Medical Equipment strive hard to make the customers happy and offer new and used machines to suit everyone’s choice.

The company works with manufacturers and hospitals across the country to provide the customers with the best oxygen machines at the lowest prices. Dr. Medical Equipment Specialize in oxygen machines and concentrators including home and portable oxygen machines.  With a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty, the portable oxygen concentrator is virtually silent and lightweight.

The company has a wide selection of home oxygen concentrators to suit your needs.  Dr. Medical Equipment has the biggest selection of new and used oxygen concentrators on the market.  The Inogen One, The Ever Go, The Sequal Eclipse, new, used and consigned oxygen machines. In addition to oxygen machines, pulse oximeters and hyperbaric oxygen chambers are also provided.

The cost is made reasonable as far as possible. E.g. an Inogen One Complete Package Price is only $4,995 which includes:

- 1 Unit
- Custom Carry Case/Bag
- 1 Easy Use Travel Cart
- AC/DC Adapters
- 4 Batteries

Dr. Medical Equipment is the number one distributor of the Inogen One. The equipments are silent, portable durable, reliable and guaranteed.

Dr. Medical Equipment wants the customers to be happy with their products and the overall service.  If your item arrives damaged or in poor condition, there is replacing policy available which replace the item within 30 days of the purchase date. Customer’s satisfaction is main motto of every company. Dr. Medical Equipment avails return policy if you are dissatisfied with the products. The return of any product within 3 business days is acceptable. Between the 3rd and 30th business day, Dr. Medical Equipment will take the returns.  All returns are subject to a 25% restocking fee and less actual shipping, handling, charges and credit card fees. A purchase made with the rental towards purchase start date of the purchase is the original date of the rental.

So explore the site and find the medical equipment that fits your needs.

Tags: Colorado, concentrators, consigned oxygen machines, Equipments, Ever Go, home oxygen concentrators, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, Inogen One, lightweight machine, Medical, Medical Equipments, Medical Products, new machines, new medical equipment, oxygen machines, portable oxygen concentrator, portable oxygen concentrators, portable oxygen machines, Products, pulse oximeters, Quality, Sequal Eclipse, silent machine, used machines, used medical equipment

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Tea Estate - Green Tea

“Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one”- reads an ancient Chinese proverb.

A cup of Green Tea can do a magic for your body. It gives lots of benefit for our health. Green tea is used since ancient time. Ancient Chinese people are aware of the benefits of green tea for health and have always used it for medical purposes. Produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis by some special processes, it was used especially against the headaches and depression. But there are many other benefits also. Green tea has a special importance in China medical history.

A few of the benefits are listed here:

1. Cancer Treatment: Green tea is used for treating the deadly disease cancer.  It helps cancer patients in prevention of cancer by reducing cancerous growth. It reduces the risk of esophageal cancer also. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

2. Reduce Heart Risks: It helps in reduction of heart diseases and heart attacks by reducing the risk of thrombosis. It inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots.

3. Treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases: It is also used to stop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

4. Treat Sclerosis: It is used to treat multiple sclerosis.

5. Increases Metabolism: Green tea raises body metabolism and increases fat oxidation.

6. Treats Immune System: It is used to treat impaired immune function. .

7. Reduce Cholesterol: Green tea inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells and reduces the level of cholesterol in blood. It improves the ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL). Thus it helps in reduction of cardiovascular problems.

8. Prevent Tooth Decay: Drinking green tea keeps the teeth healthy. It may help prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria which causes the dental plaque.

9. Treat Arthritis: Drinking green tea can help in treating rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases.

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine.  However, unlike black tea, it has little amount of caffeine which causes to insomnia, nausea and frequent urination. Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

Tags: Arthritis, Benefits of Tea, Body, Cancer Treatment, China, Cholesterol, Green Tea, Health, Heart Risks, Immune System, Medical, Metabolism, Sclerosis, Tooth Decay

The Bombay high Court on Monday dismissed Niketa Mehta and Harish Mehta’s plea to abort their unborn 24-week-old fetus which may have a congenital heart defect.

The couple appealed in the court after they discovered that the unborn child had blockages in heart. They appealed that they won’t be able to afford to care for the baby or endure the trauma. But the court did not find the case convincing and dismissed the appeal. The court ordered a special committee from JJ Hospital to “give an additional confirmed opinion”.

“Can a life be killed once you have it,” the court asked.

The couple are pleading the case on the basis that the child is suffering from a congenital heart block that would require a permanent pace-maker, meaning that the child would have a disabled life and would also hurt them financially which they would not be able to afford in the long run.

Different specialists gave different views on the matter. According to report of JJ Hospital, there are very less chances of having a congenital handicap at birth.

While the couple, who had love marriage and the unborn baby is their first child, cited doctor’s report that asserts that the child will suffer critical problems even with a pace-maker some experts said that there might not needed any operation while pregnancy or immediately after birth to cure the baby. The baby can survive normally with a pacemaker

The issue became debatable and it is still on. The couple is confused whether they should appeal in Supreme Court or should they leave the case. Some lawyers said that it is like a case of mercy killing.

This is not the issue of mere choice. Its not a thing one can choose with his/her wish. It is a matter of life- a human life. No one has any right to destroy a life but this case is a bit different. Choice is to terminate the life before birth or to provide a life time pain to the child as well as the parents. Is it justified to terminate the life?

The case also gave rise to a debate whether there should be amendments in the abortion law. The case had given a challenge to the country’s 37-year-old abortion law that does not allow termination of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks unless it harms mother’s life or health. But the government ruled out on Monday amending the abortion laws in consideration of similar cases.

“As it is today going by just one case, I do not think the law can be amended,” Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told the media.

Tags: Abort, Abort Child, Abortion, Child, congenital heart, Court, Harrish Mehta, Niketa Mehta, Parents

Experts believe that refrigerator is responsible for most of the food poisoning cases. Pathogens in refrigerators at home may partly be responsible for food-related sicknesses.

This proposition came from experts who met to address home-based food safety issues at the Institute of Food Technologists’ Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans recently.

Experts say that people usually do not clean the refrigerators for a week which leads to increase in number of pathogens. Referring to one study that calculated the percentage of consumers who clean their refrigerators once a month at 50, they said that the figure was likely exaggerated because people failed to clean thoroughly.

Dr Fur-Chin Chen, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, said that a quarter of the refrigerators he inspected during a recent study contained a variety of pathogens which are responsible for food poisoning. Along with this, vegetable bins were the most contaminated.

“You don’t have to go to a restaurant or to a party to get sick,” said Dr Chen.

Experts’ advice that refrigerators should be cleaned inside and outside properly with soap once a week and it shouldn’t be more than 10 years old.

Dr Sandria Godwin with Tennessee State University’s Family and Consumer Sciences suggested that consumers allow the shelves and drawers to air dry.

The meeting also saw panelists discussing the fact that risky food-handling practices increased with education and income, a phenomenon that none of them could explain. Godwin said that most people whether well educated or not, thought that they knew more than they did.

Tags: food, Food Expo, Food Poisoning, Fridge, Refrigerator

In today’s fast paced world, where technology is racing ahead of times, don’t we feel we are so bound by the electrical and electronic facilities that we have to a large extent long forgotten the needs of a healthy and fit body which comes naturally when one is active throughout the day and doing his daily tasks without getting dependent on science and its products.

Although, thanks to the media, there is , somewhat a realization of the need of fitness and a regular exercise in our lives, but still, majority of us have been accustomed to such a leisurely and comfortable life, that it is very difficult to come out of this part of our living and start working towards a healthier body. One must realize that health is the mightiest wealth anyone can earn.

Although, I am quiet impressed of the newer and funkier ways to keep fit, I am doubtful of their effects, be them positive or negative. The other day, one of my friends joined a belly dance course to shed those extra kilos explaining that the vigorous one class helps one keep some amount of activity in the day.

Another very in thing is power yoga, which is quiet thankfully popularized by Kareena Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty. Becoming a fad with the youngsters, the new name for a more vigorous yoga, power yoga is luring a lot of people.

With these ways, our old ways of aerobics and dance sessions also hold good with the middle class people who cannot afford the hefty amounts of the more sophisticated belly dance, tap dance, jazz etc. but the more hi- tech gyms being opened up throughout the country are nowhere behind in pinching your pockets.

For me, I still owe my health and fitness to the morning family jogs and the series of exercises that are decided by my mum. It sure is a good way to keep yourself fit, healthy and for a fresher day and a younger heart, skin and body. What do you people say? What is your opinion in this? Do you have anything more interesting and funkier that links your health and fun…..do comment to help me find some better ways…

Tags: Body, Family, Fit, Fitness, Health, Health and Fitness, Heart Skin, Jogging, Technology

We have seen lots of myths in the mind of people about their health, so we called up a nutrition expert and asked her about a few myths. Here are the list of twelve common myths and fact about those.

#1 Myth: Nuts are strict NO-NO if you want to lose weight.

Fact: Nuts are an excellent source of proteins they usually contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Hence nuts can definitely be a part of a healthy weight loss program provided they are taken in the right proportion (as they say excess of anything is bad).

#2 Myths: Medical tests are useful for the human body.

Fact: The medical community strongly advocates that regular tests of patients suffering from a particular illness is beneficial but contradictory to this they may actually pose a threat to a person’s health. This stands true for almost all kinds of prevalent tests these days that are done for cancer or various other diseases. Some of these tests use radiations that may prove harmful for the human body and hence may damage various cell in the body including the cancerous cells. These days the treatment of a disease is focused more rather than the prevention, hence it is the money which talks and not the disease.

#3 Myths: Lifting weights may bulk up your body and is not recommended if u want to lose weight.

Fact: Only intense weight training combined with genetic background is responsible for making the body bulky. Lifting light weights and doing activities like push ups or crunches do not necessarily add bulk to one’s body instead the help in losing and maintaining weight.

#4 Myths: Skipping meals helps in reducing weight.

Fact: One of the biggest myths regarding weight loss is that skipping of meals helps in reducing weight however it is highly untrue since a person who skips meals initially feels hungry later on, and hence tends to eat more as compared to person who takes his meals regularly. It has been seen that people who skip breakfast have heavy bodies as compared to those who have breakfast. One should not skip meals instead small quantities of food should be eaten at regular intervals in order to lose weight.

#5 Myths: Sunscreen protects you from the sun’s harmful rays.

Fact: Advertising industry is constantly promoting the use of sunscreen lotions amongst people these days saying that they prevent skin cancer, however the converse is true sunscreen lotions rather promote skin cancers. The sunscreen industry makes money a share of which is donated to the cancer industry. The sunscreen lotions contain harmful chemicals which may aggravate skin diseases. These products block the body’s absorption of ultraviolet radiation which produces vitamin-D which is the major vitamin that reduces cancer in woman. The sunscreen products contain harmful chemicals that enter the human bloodstream through the skin (porous) and hence prove harmful.

#6 Myths: A fat free diet contains “NO” calories.

Fact: A low fat or fat free diet is one which contains calories but in lower proportion as compared to the full fat product. Generally these products contain lower or same amount of fat or calories. Sometimes some low fat products contain added sugars or extra ingredients which rather increase or add calories. These extra ingredients are actually added to improve or add taste to the product.

#7 Myths: Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.

Fact: The natural or herbal products available in the market for the purpose of weight reduction are not necessarily safe. Most of the times these products are not tested and sold without any laboratory tests. The popularity of these products has increased over the years because they claim that they are made of herbs which do not harm the human body. However this is not true as some herbal products contain ephedra which caused serious health problems in the U.S.A. it is now banned.

#8 Myths: Vaccines prevent diseases and increase immunity.

Fact: The term immunity refers to the resistance of a person’s body against diseases. Similarly immunization refers to the injection of foreign proteins to the human body of a particular kind in order to increase the immunity. Medical research has however proved that direct injection of such proteins makes the recipient more susceptible or affected to the diseases in future. Hence vaccines actually do exactly the opposite of what they should do.

#9 Myths: Mild exercise and active living improves your fitness

Fact: The advances in the field of technology and the population correlate with the decline of the human health. It is due to the advancement in technology that life has become easier and everything seems to be so convenient .due to this factor mild exercises don’t’ really leave an impact on our bodies anymore like they did on our ancestors. Only moderate to vigorous forms of exercise can show fruitful results in today’s times in order to remain fit. Mild exercise such as walking, gardening or other leisure activities do not help in keeping our bodies fit, heart healthy and bones strong. This is mainly due to reduction in the physical activities these days. Hence it can be concluded that to be fit in today’s world one cannot afford to rely on mild exercises.

#10 Myths: Fluoride Prevents Tooth Decay.

Fact: The highest selling tooth pastes these days seem to promote their product by saying that they contain fluoride which is useful in the prevention of tooth decay. However it is the biggest scientific fraud ever promoted by the government in order to sell products, as fluoride does not prevent tooth decay. Consuming fluoride is actually harmful for the health and human body. Consumption of large quantities of fluoride may be the cause of osteoporosis, cancer, auto immune diseases and also may cause disruption of DNA repair enzymes by 50%.

#11 Myths: Fast foods are always an unhealthy choice and you should not eat them when dieting.

Fact: One of the myths that concern the human health is that fast foods are an unhealthy choice and hence should be avoided while on dieting. Actually fast foods if taken in proper quantity at proper time can prove useful during a weight loss program.

#12 Myths: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.

Fact: Dairy products that are low-fat or fat-free like skim milk, cheese etc. are equally nutritious as whole milk dairy products since they contain lesser no. of calories they are not actually fattening. Our body needs nutrients that are provided by dairy products for its growth and various other processes such as strengthening of bones building of muscles and for proper functioning of organs of our body.

Hope these are beneficial to you, please leave a comment about this article.

Tags: Dairy, Fat, Health, Health Myths, Human Health, Human Myths, Milk, Myths, Nutrition, Protein, Rumors

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the government to reinstate eminent cardiologist P. Venugopal as director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) rejecting the law seeking his removal as AIIMS director after a raging row with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

“I am happy that the Supreme Court has upheld the truth,” Venugopal said.

The bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and H.S. Bedi also declared as “malafide and unconstitutional” the union government’s law that fixed the retirement age of the AIIMS director at 65 years.

This amendment was passed in November 2007 after which Venugopal was removed. Against this decision Venugopal challenged the law in SC. It was today when SC strikes down AIIMS amendments and reinstates him to take over as the Director later in the day.

While Venugopal did not talk to the reporters directly, he conveyed his reaction to them through senior resident doctor Anil Sharma.

“The decision has thwarted the game-plan carried out in parliament,” Sharma said quoting Venugopal, who made no direct reference to Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss with whom he had a bitter row.

The resident doctors association of the hospital, which has been backing Venugopal in his tussle with Ramadoss, maintained that he would back in office as soon as possible.

“This is a victory of truth. It is a victory of the people of the country. Ramadoss is responsible for the entire fiasco and he should resign,” said Kaushal Kant Mishra, spokesperson for the Resident Doctors Association.

“This judgment of the Supreme Court has clearly sent a message that please don’t interfere with the functioning of the autonomous institutions and don’t tinker with the intellectuals who have given their life to build up these institutions,” said Mahendra Singh, Venugopal`s lawyer.

AIIMS Faculty Association president Dr Vinod Khaitan said Venugopal has become the symbol of the dignity of the medical fraternity and demanded the resignation of Ramadoss.

“It is very rarely that a parliament act is struck down by the Supreme Court. And he (Ramadoss) wanted to remove one person who became the symbol of autonomy of AIIMS, Dr Venugopal,” Khaitan said.

“It is not becoming of the Health Minister, so he must resign,” he said.

Former union health minister Sushma Swaraj is also asking Ramadoss to resign from his post following the verdict.

On the other side Ramadoss was shocked with the unexpected verdict. He said that there is no question of his resigning over the SC verdict.

Tags: AIIMS, Minister, Ramadoss, SC, Supremem Court, Venugopal

Former Union health minister Sushma Swaraj demanded that Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss should resign from his post after the apex court’s observations against the minister. Sushma Swaraj was upset with the manner Ramadoss used Parliament to get rid of Dr P Venugopal as director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

“This is not just a defeat for Dr Ramadoss, but also for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government. We demand that Ramadoss resign as health minister, but in case he does not do that then Dr Singh should drop him from the Cabinet,” Swaraj told journalists at a hurriedly organized press conference in New Delhi.

Dr Venugopal today reinstating his position in AIIMS after SC gave its verdict in his favour. Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice H S Bedi upheld the appeal of Dr Venugopal against the new law seeking his removal.

“The court has struck down only this proviso, while bringing down the age of the director to 65 has not been touched,” she said.

Moreover Swaraj critised that Ramadoss picked on Dr Venugopal and made it his prestige issue to see his exit from AIIMS.

Swaraj charged that Ramadoss would have spent his time as the Union health minister in a better manner had he done something positive to take forward the scheme announced by her to have six more AIIMS in different parts of the country.

Tags: Manmohan Singh, Minister, Ramadoss, Sushma Swaraj, Venugopal

Medical Colleges have decided to fix two years timeline to implement the recent judgment of SC of reservation of 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) while all the IITs and the IIMs will take three years deadline.

A meeting was held among the minister for Health and Family Welfare, Anbumani Ramadoss, top officials of the health ministry and officials of leading medical institutes, who discussed the issue and decided that all the medical colleges aided by the centre’s exchequer will set aside 18 per cent of total seats for OBC candidates from the next academic session and the complete implementation of 27 per cent quota for the OBC candidates will be done in two years time frame.

AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College (all in New Delhi), the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), Chandigarh, and Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry are the institutes which will implement the quota.

“It was decided to implement the quota by 18 percent of the total 27 percent prescribed in the reservation law. There is no infrastructure problem on our part. The minister is happy and we will go head with quota in a phased manner,” N.K. Chaturvedi, the medical superintendent of RML said.

It was in 2006 when the Parliament had passed a bill granting for 27 per cent reservation to the OBC candidates in government aided institutes of higher learning which was challenged in the Supreme Court.

Last week SC gave its grant to the approval excluding the ‘creamy layer’ from the reservation quota.

Tags: Health, Ramadoss, SC