Studies have shown that aspirin, the age old remedy for pain and fever, also thins the blood. Because of this property, it can also help to lower the chances of a heart attack or a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain. And, although research has found that it only works in certain people (specifically, those with a history of heart attack or stroke) many Americans are inappropriately taking daily, low doses of aspirin as a preventative measure. In fact, researchers have found that about 12 percent of the of nearly 69,000 U.S. adults taking aspirin on a long-term basis should not have received the prescription in the first place. Dr. Ravi Hira, cardiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston as well as the study’s head researcher, said that the group’s odds of suffering a heart attack or stroke were not high enough (6 percent or higher within 10 years) to outweigh the risks of daily aspirin use.

So, while aspirin may seem like a quick-and-easy way to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke, it’s not quite as simple as you might think.

Continue reading…

There has been an enormous growth in sophisticated, plant-based skin care products and a virtual movement by indie skin care formulators that are making magic with nature’s assets, leaving behind cheap lab-produced shortcuts and opting for the realthing. When distilled, pressed and extracted for their essence, these ingredients make powerful friends with your skin.

Here are a few of the latest skin superstars you should be on the lookout for: Continue reading…

Although the most serious causes of food poisoning like Salmonella come largely from animal products (for example, most foodborne-related deaths have been attributed to poultry), millions of Americans are sickened by produce every year, thanks to noroviruses. Noroviruses canspread person-to-person via the fecal-oral route or by the ingestion of aerosolized vomit, which together may explain most norovirus food outbreaks. But a substantial proportion remained unexplained. How else can fecal viruses get on our fruits and veggies?

The pesticide industry may be spraying them on (See Video here).

Continue reading…

A healthy diet, physical activity and brain exercises can help slow mental decline in older people at risk fordementia, a new study suggests.

On the other hand, a high body-mass index (BMI) and poor heart health are significant risk factors for age-related dementia, the researchers said. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.

The study included 1,260 people in Finland, aged 60 to 77, who were considered to be at high risk for dementia. They were randomly selected to receive either regular health advice (the control group) or to be part of an intervention group.

Continue reading…

Living your life with a strong sense of purpose may lower your risk for early death, heart attack or stroke, new research suggests.

The finding is based on a broad review of past research involving more than 137,000 people in all.

“Psychosocial conditions such as depression,anxiety, chronic stress and social isolation have strong associations with heart disease and mortality,” said study lead author Dr. Randy Cohen, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospitals in New York City.

Recently, however, attention has focused on the impact that positive emotions have on overall health and well-being, he said.

“Purpose in life is considered a basic psychological need, and has been defined as a sense of meaning and direction in one’s life, which gives the feeling that life is worth living,” he explained.

The research team reviewed 10 published studies. The average follow-up was 8.5 years.

Compared to people with a low sense of purpose, those possessing a strong sense of purpose had a 23 percent reduced risk of death from any cause, the researchers found.

Continue reading…

Is a world filled with Wi-Fi signals a more dangerous, less healthy world? Yes, it is, according to a number of top experts who have spoken recently about the issue.

In this video, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, one of the nation’s top “integrative” cardiologists, says that “wireless technologies” are “the greatest threat to health in this millennium.”

He goes on to say that, by wireless technologies, he means cell phones, microwave ovens, baby crib monitors and Bluetooth devices, among others. He also notes that the biggest danger being posed by the wireless technology is the near-constant damage done to cell membranes’ receptor sites, which help keep cells healthy and functioning.

Continue reading…

Bisphenol-A (BPA), is a chemical widely used in plastic bottles and cans. It is associated with cancer, infertility, and fetal development issues. Once it enters the body, BPA behaves like estrogen, a human hormone. It disturbs the normal operation of certain genes and is harmful even at very low doses, such as those found in plastic bottles and cans.

Here are some practical tips to reduce your family’s BPA and BPS exposure:

Continue reading…

Chronic stress has become epidemic in our society, where faster seems better and we pack more obligations into our ever-expanding schedules.

Research has confirmed the havoc stress can wreak, with one meta-analysis involving 300 studies finding that chronic stress could damage immunity. Another study foundstressed-out women had significantly higher waist circumference compared to non-stressed women.

Experts have connected stress with blood sugar and belly fat. Chronic stress raises insulin, driving relentless metabolic dysfunction that becomes weight gain, insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes.

Insulin isn’t the only hormone that becomes out of balance with stress. Your adrenal glands release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that flood your system, raising your heart rate, increasing your blood pressure, making your blood more likely to clot, damaging your brain’s memory center, increasing belly fat storage, and generally doing damage to your body.

Continue reading…

Whenever I am making mayonnaise, I prefer to use peanut oil as that always gives the best taste.  However, I recently came across another use for peanut oil, that being effective anti-dandruff treatment!!

A number of clinical tests have shown that traditional peanut oil mixed with lemon juice is a remedy far more effective dandruff treatment than any of the specially formulated shampoos.

How You Use It

Step 1: Rub a small quantity of the peanut oil into your scalp and then leave it resting for two minutes.  (It can help if you warm the peanut oil slightly).

Step 2: Rub in the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon, and then wait again for about another five or six minutes.

Step 3: Shampoo your hair thoroughly with a natural shampoo.

You will need to repeat this treatment each week in order for it to have a lasting effect.

Source material:  New York State University Dermatological Department.