Foods to Fight Cancer: Six Superstar Veggies That Can Prevent Any Type of Cancer

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables—especially these six superstars.

  Broccoli

All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey, ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

Health.com: 13 easy pizza recipes

Berries

All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. But black raspberries, in particular, contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins, which slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep new blood vessels from forming (and potentially feeding a cancerous tumor), according to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Helps fight: colon, esophageal, oral, and skin cancers

Your Rx: Stoner uses a concentrated berry powder in his studies but says a half-cup serving of berries a day may help your health, too.

Health.com: Go wild for berries!

Tomatoes
This juicy fruit is the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. And that's good news, because lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in Nutrition and Cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.

Helps fight: endometrial, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: The biggest benefits come from cooked tomatoes (think pasta sauce!), since the heating process increases the amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.

Health.com: 10 tasty tomato recipes

Walnuts
Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells' growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Your Rx: Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, Hardman's research found.

Health.com: 8 super nuts

Garlic
Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative, Béliveau says. In fact, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women with the highest amounts of garlic in their diets had a 50 percent lower risk of certain colon cancers than women who ate the least.

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

Health.com: Surprising health benefits of garlic

Beans
A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

Your Rx: Add a serving—a half-cup—of legumes a few times a week (either from a can or dry beans that've been soaked and cooked) to your usual rotation of greens or other veggies. 

Source: Yahoo

Anti-Anxiety Pens: Built by a Student at The University of Technology Delft, the Netherlands - - Miguel Bruns Alonso's Prototype Pen Reduces Stress

If all gadgets be like this pen, the world would be less stressed (or not). Built by a student at the University of Technology Delft, the Netherlands, this pen makes writing more difficult if used aggressively. This supposedly makes the writer calmer. But only supposedly.

Miguel Bruns Alonso, his creator, devised the pen so that it detects motion rude and too fast, identified with the nervousness. So it puts up resistance to the use and movement, forcing the person who is writing to use quieter movements. Then, the pen also becomes easier to use.

That would reduce by 5% the rhythm of the heartbeat, according to their research. For him, this is one way to interpret the gadget as the user is feeling and help you relieve stress, tend to be followed in future.

Except that Alonso probably missed some details. Most people, when using a gadget that becomes more difficult to use, just when they are nervous, probably going to lose all patience. Just look at YouTube videos of people destroying computers when they give problems. And imagine if you were in that fateful moment to win a video game, and seeing your blood, control it more difficult to use?

As the pen is still a prototype and has to date hit the market, the inventor still has some time to think if his pen or stress will help even more people.

Instant Cold Or Hot Rechargeable Compress - - To Ice Your Bruises or Heat Your Sore With One Touch Button

When you have a bruise that needs ice, or a sore requiring an heating pad, wouldn’t it be great if you had one gadget that could be either one? This Instant Cold Or Hot Rechargeable Compress is exactly that. With the press of a button the aluminum swiveling head can be heated to 110º F or cooled off to 40º F. That might not be quite as cold as a pack of ice, but it’s supposedly the optimum temperature for use, and it only takes about 45 seconds to reach either extreme.

Unfortunately, as cool as this gadget is, the $130 price is going to be the biggest deterrent. I mean, I can buy a nice heating pad and several ice packs for considerably less. Sure, I’ll be tethered to a cord, and need to switch out ice packs, but I’ll save a lot of money too. I’ll probably save a bundle on not providing the 4x AA batteries it needs to run, as well. 

Source: Hammacher

Sex Addicts Affraid of Relationships - - Important Study About Out-of-control Sexual Behaviours (UCSB)

Sex addicts feel endangered by relationship and are more apprehensive about romantic relationships than the rest of the population, a New Zealand study has found.

The survey of more than 600 people found those who indulged in compulsive sexual behaviour felt anxious and insecure about relationships and tried to avoid becoming too emotionally attached to others.

Massey University said the study, conducted by psychology honors student Karen Faislander under the supervision of a practicing clinical psychologist and an academic specialist, was the first of its type in New Zealand.

Faislander said sex addiction, which made headlines this year with revelations about Tiger Woods' love life, was a complex condition that had not been researched as thoroughly as areas such as substance abuse or depression.

She said the term "sex addict" first emerged in the early 1980s and there were 29 other terms in scientific literature that described the condition, including sexual compulsivity, excessive sexual desire disorder and hyper-sexuality.

The preferred contemporary term is out-of-control sexual behaviours (UCSB).

"It's widely misunderstood and stigmatized," Faislander told AFP.

"There's no known effective treatment. We don't know what causes it or how we treat it."

Because of the embarrassment people feel discussing the subject; Faislander's study used an anonymous online survey to quiz 621 people about their sex lives. 407 identified themselves as sex addicts while 214 were not.

The survey asked if they engaged in online sex, prostitution, sex in public or with multiple partners, as well as examining areas such as alcohol use and feelings of self worth.

"The UCSB group reported higher rates of insecure styles of attachment, characterized by a perspective of relationships as threatening, and feelings of either anxiety towards or avoidance of closeness or intimacy," the study found.

In contrast, non-sex addicts found intimacy desirable and rewarding, felt secure in relationships and regarded their partners as trustworthy.

Faislander said studies estimated 3-6% of the population had the condition in the US, where sex addiction clinics have sprung up in recent years treating stars such as Woods, actor David Duchovny and comedian Russell Brand.

She said no such treatment was available in New Zealand, where self-help groups including Sex and Love Addicts and Sexaholics Anonymous use 12-step programs based on those pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous.

While Faislander's study was not peer reviewed, she hopes to gain a doctorate in clinical psychology and conduct further research on treating out-of-control sexual behaviours (UCSB).

“Berlin patient”: Timothy Ray Brown - - A Ray of Hope For HIV/AIDS Patients

Doctors announce that one HIV patient is free from infection due to a complex treatment that included stem cell transplantation resistant to the virus.

The American Timothy Ray Brown, who lives in Germany, is being called the “Berlin patient” after spending three years free of the virus that causes AIDS in his body.

His case is the result of an unusual series of coincidences that led him to be subjected to various procedures. In 2007, Brown, who was HIV positive, was diagnosed with leukemia and received by the team of Dr Gero Hütter, Medical University of Berlin, a bone marrow transplant.

The donated material, however, had one peculiarity: it came from an individual who had a natural resistance to HIV. Genetically, the donor did not have in their cells a receptor called CCR5. It turns out that the most common strain of HIV uses CCR5 as just the “station” to turn on and attack the CD4 white blood cells, a type of cell in the immune system. Like all viruses, HIV cannot replicate itself: it uses the genetic material of an individual (in this case, white blood cell) to replicate. So people with this mutation are virtually safe from infection. Despite being the port of entry, CCR5 is not the only way: over time during infection, there are other viruses that can use other receptors such as CXCR4.

The Brown case was first presented in 2008 in Boston at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. In February 2009, the results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There's No Way to Avoid Cold and Flu Virus Except Few Herbal Supplements

Cold and flu season is in full swing, leading many of us to try anything to avoid getting sick. But according to Dr. Allison McGeer, the head of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital, there's only so much you can do.

"The best evidence is for a particular herbal supplement, which is called Cold FX," McGeer said. "But the truth of the matter is that taking Cold FX is not as effective as getting a flu shot and it's not as effective as washing your hands."

McGeer added that things like Echinacea, vitamin C and other supplements might help ease your symptoms or shorten the illness, but they won't keep you from getting sick. In fact, even if you do everything right in terms of eating properly, getting plenty of rest and exercise, and frequently washing your hands, viruses can still get to you.

"Probably the other thing that makes a big difference to colds and flu is if we all do our bit and stay home when we're sick and stay away from people if we get sick, because that way we don't pass them on," McGeer said.

Few Easy Meditation Steps Before Eating Meals Lead You to Loss of Excess Weight - - New Study at Carnegie Mellon University

A cutback in caloric intake is the primary requirement of weight loss, which is possible to be realized by merely practicing some meditation before eating meals, a new study suggests which was led by Dr. Carey Morewedge from Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.

The study demonstrates people be inclined to eat less of a food if they imagined the eating process frequently before they actually ate the food. And the study found the more food a person "ate" in his imagination, the less food subsequently he would eat.

In the study, according to what Dr. Morewedge told NPR Science Friday radio program, study participants were told to imagine the process of eating M&M, including moving the candies into a bowl, and then asked to eat the real food. Those who imagined eating 30 M&M ate much less real M&M than those who imagined eating only 3 M&M.

Dr. Morewedge further added that simply imagining moving the food did not help.

He said you also need to imagine eating what you are going to eat to reduce the consumption of the food. The study showed when participants imagined they were eating M&M, and then when they were assigned to eat cheese cubes, no matter how many M&M they ate in their imagination, they ate the same amount of cheese.

What works behind this trick is a process called habituation, according to Dr. Morewedge. According to this theory, people are less responsive to what they got habituated to. In the study case, after the participants imagined they ate lots of cheese cubes, they felt less urged to eat the food and they ate less of the food as a result.

But Dr. Morewedge told NPR that this imagination method does not work for other habits like smoking, which involves a more complex mechanism and imagining smoking could actually boost a smoker's craving for smokes and the smoker could actually smoke more.

Dr. Morewedge used cheese and M&M for the study. It is unknown whether this method would help people cut their consumption of a real meal which consists of multiple foods. Should the diners, like people going to have some Chinese buffet, imagine all the foods they are going to eat to reduce the consumption of the variety of real foods? Or would this method work at all in this case?

The study was published in a recent issue of Science, a prestigious scientific journal.

In China, two idioms describe two pitiful situations in which people don't have water to drink to quench their thirst and don't have food to eat to satisfy their hunger. In these situation as the idioms suggest, people may "look at prune to quench your thirst" and "draw a cake to satisfy your hunger".

New Study Found That Low-Dose Aspirin Helps Prevent Many Types of Cancers

According to new research; low dose of aspirin on a regular basis could help to diminish the happening of numerous common cancers.

High doses of aspirin were already known to have a protective effect, but the latest article in the Lancet medical journal shows that even low doses can help to reduce the risk of dying from several forms of the disease.

The discovery could be important, as low doses of aspirin are less likely to cause side-effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding.

Professor Tom Meade, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, commented: "These are very exciting and potentially important findings.

"They are likely to alter clinical and public health advice about low-dose aspirin, because the balance between benefit and bleeding has probably been altered towards using it."

The latest study looked at data contained in eight previous clinical trials, involving 25,570 patients.

It found that taking aspirin was associated with a 21 per cent lower risk of dying from cancer.

When the researchers analysed data collected for 20 years after the trials had ended, they found that patients who had previously taken aspirin had a 20 per cent lower risk of dying from solid cancers than those who had not.

They also had a 35 per cent lower risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancers.

Professor Peter Rothwell, from the John Radcliffe Hospital and the University of Oxford, said: "These results do not mean that all adults should immediately start taking aspirin, but they do demonstrate major new benefits that have not previously been factored into guideline recommendations."

5-Point Increase in BMI Lead You 31% Closer to Death - - Even a Bit Overweight is Riskier Revealed by New Study

Your risk of death rises steadily with every overweight pound you gain, a huge study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirms.

A recent study, funded by National Institutes of Health, confirms that every extra pound of weight, someone gains, is a step towards the risk of his/her death. 

Risk of death rises by threatening 31% with every 5-point increase in BMI, a measure of body mass based on weight and height. Most importantly this conclusion prevails even if one is not used to smoke an apparently enjoying good health.

Data is being presented here; shows clearly that how close an increase in BMI can take you to the death risk! The data below; compares the increase in BMI with the normal BMI i.e. 22.5 to 24.9.

* A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 increased death risk by 13%

* A BMI of 30.0 to 34.9 increased death risk by 44%

* A BMI of 35.0 to 39.9 increased death risk by 88%

* A BMI of 40.0 to 49.9 increased death risk by 251%

The above-mentioned figures are for men and women who do not smoke and who have no underlying disease.

Being underweight may also increase death risk, but it's not clear whether underlying, undetected disease might account for this finding.

Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues stated:

"We conclude that for non-Hispanic whites, both overweight and obesity are associated with increased all-cause mortality," they conclude. "All-cause mortality is generally lowest within the BMI range of 20.0 to 24.9."

MDMouse: USB Optical Mouse Plus Sphygmomanometer - - Allows Users to Check Their Blood Pressure And Have the Data Emailed to Medical Professionals

Boys and girls, what we have here is a simple case of USB optical mouse plus sphygmomanometer equals MDMouse.

It’s perfect for the 70 million odd grown ups and senior citizens in the United States who are suffering from hypertension. Also perfect for anyone else outside the U.S.A. with hypertension. As indicated by the pic above, the MDMouse allows users to check their blood pressure and have the data emailed to medical professionals. The ring beside the mouse accommodates a digit (we believe your thumb goes in there based on how a person grasps a PC mouse) and tightens accordingly for the right amount of pressure, which registers on a corresponding software program on the PC.

Despite its convenience, doctors still suggest using cuff-style upper arm blood pressure monitors over finger sensors become reading a re a lot more accurate with the former. Still, if computing is a part of your daily routine and hypertension keeps you less than healthy, the MDMouse appears quite the impressive accessory.

Alas, mum’s the word on pricing and an official release date. But you might want to check the official site for extra details.

Know Your Secret Enemy - - Depression at a Glance

Depression At A Glance

* A depressive disorder is a syndrome (group of symptoms) that reflects a sad, blue mood exceeding normal sadness or grief.

* Depressive disorders are characterized not only by negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors but also by specific changes in bodily functions (for example, eating, sleeping, and sexual activity).

* One in 10 people will have a depressive disorder in their lifetime, and in one of 10 cases, the depression is a fatal disease as a result of suicide.

* Some types of depression, especially bipolar depression, run in families.

* While there are many social, psychological, and environmental risk factors for developing depression, some are particularly prevalent in one gender or the other, or in particular age or ethnic groups.

* Depression is diagnosed only clinically in that there is no laboratory test or X-ray for depression. Therefore, it is crucial to see a health practitioner as soon as you notice symptoms of depression in yourself, your friends, or family.

* The first step in getting appropriate treatment is a complete physical and psychological evaluation to determine whether the person, in fact, has a depressive disorder.

* Depression is not a weakness but a serious illness with biological, psychological, and social aspects to its cause, symptoms, and treatment. A person cannot will it away. Untreated, it will worsen. Undertreated, it will return.

* There are many safe and effective medications, particularly the SSRIs, that can be of great help in depression.

* For full recovery from a mood disorder, regardless of whether there is a precipitating factor or it seems to come out of the blue, treatments with medications and/or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychotherapy are necessary.

* In the future, through depression research and education, we will continue to improve our treatments, decrease society's burden, and hopefully develop preventive measures.

Follow The Diet Plan That Don't Stop You Eating - - Holiday Season May Hurt Your Weight Loss Plans

Researchers discovered the ideal food consumption promoting weight maintenance involves eating lean meats, low-fat dairy, and beans. Also, consuming less foods with a high glycemic index (GI), usually simple carbohydrates, like white bread or refined starches. Following this diet plan allows individuals to eat until satisfied, without gaining additional weight.

The study found adults who lost a significant amount of their body weight (at least 8 percent) were able to maintain and continue weight loss based on desired goal when following this diet.

Research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM.

Foods with a high glycemic index are digested quickly and essentially spikes blood sugar levels upon consumption. Foods with a lower GI are digested slowly, allowing blood glucose to enter the bloodstream more regularly.

For this study, 938 overweight adults from 772 families completed a weight loss program for eight weeks. Calorie intake was limited to 800 kcals/day and the average weight loss was 24 lbs.

After the eight week weight loss period, adults were randomly assigned a new maintenance diet for the following six months.

Data showed the worst diet for maintaining weight loss to be a low-protein and high glycemic index diet. The best diet for maintaining weight loss was high protein and low glycemic index.

This study shows increasing protein while reducing consumption of foods with a high glycemic index will typically result in successful weight loss and weight maintenance following significant weight loss.

Brooke Greenberg: The Girl Who Doesn’t Age - - Sixteen-year-old Girl Weighs Only 30 Pounds and Only 30 Inches Tall

Medical history—recent and otherwise—is filled with jaw-dropping oddities, miraculous recoveries, and unsolved mysteries. There is more to these cases than shock value, however. What headlines call “miracles” are a testament to human resilience, and so-called medical mysteries remind us just how much we have to learn about the body and mind.

Brooke Greenberg: The Girl Who Doesn’t Age

Brooke Greenberg is 30 inches tall and weighs 30 pounds. She looks like a toddler and has the mind of a toddler—but she is actually 16 years old.

Brooke Greenberg's hair and nails are the only parts of her body that have grown since she was 4. Growth hormone therapy has had no effect, and doctors are baffled by her condition. Researchers have been studying her DNA in search of a genetic mutation that might unlock the fountain of youth that keeps her young. Her family, meanwhile, has accepted that Brooke Greenberg will likely be a baby forever.

Unfelt Pain: Medical Mysteries and Miracle - - Eight-year-old Gabby Gingras Suffering From HSAN Type V

Life Full of Danger for Little Girl, Gabby Gingras, Who Can't Feel Pain

As much as it hurts, pain teaches us important lessons (not to touch a hot stove, for example). People with a rare genetic disorder known as hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) type V feel no pain, however, and may never learn those lessons.

Eight-year-old Gabby Gingras constantly and unwittingly injures herself, sometimes seriously. She has knocked out all but one of her adult teeth (which grew in early after doctors suggested pulling her baby teeth), and as a baby she scratched herself blind in her left eye. She now wears safety glasses and sleeps in swim goggles to protect her right eye. There is no cure for HSAN type V, but as people age and learn how to manage their condition, they can lead relatively normal lives.

Physical Burnout Helps Prevent Cancer - - The Latest Research at Yale School of Public Health, USA

Another good news for those who practice physical activities – or an incentive for those who want to start.

One study noted that women who exercised for at least 150 minutes per week had reduced risk of developing endometrial cancer – most common malignant tumor in the female genitals.

The research, done at Yale School of Public Health, USA.

The lowest risk was observed for both normal-weight women as overweight or obese.

The researchers evaluated 668 women with endometrial cancer, comparing the results with those observed in other 665 without tumors. Those who remained active for 150 minutes or more per week had 34% lower risk of developing this type of cancer than those who remained without physical activity.

The association was most pronounced among active women and body mass index (BMI) below 25, which showed 73% lower risk than those who did not exercise and had a BMI greater than 25.

But the effects of physical activity were important even among overweight women. Those who had a BMI above 25, but committed more than 150 minutes of exercise per week had 52% lower risk of developing the disease.

Weight Loss in a Natural Way - - Five Easy Tips to Lose Belly Fat Faster and Easier

Five Easy Tips to Lose Belly Fat Faster and Easier:


Weight loss is not only about losing pounds but it is also about burning fat. Actually burning fat is sometimes more important than losing weight because fat is a major cause for many other health problems (diabetes, high cholesterol etc). When you manage to burn fat you will certainly look and feel much better since fat burning is not an easy process and the satisfaction you will gain is great. Below you can read the most important tips on how to lose belly fat in a fast and yet healthy manner.

1. Small meals Vs 3 main meals

Whenever you want to lose calories or fat fast it is recommended to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day instead of the classic 3 main meals. This is because by eating small meals every couple of hours you force your body spend more energy to digest the food and thus losing calories. As a result your metabolism is also increased and the whole process becomes easier. In addition frequent meals stabilize the insulin levels which in turn enable faster muscle growth.

2. Regular exercise

When it comes to losing belly fat you should understand that exercise plays a prominent role. It is not exactly the same case as with weight loss. When you want to lose weight you can achieve good results through your diet alone but when it comes to losing belly fat a balanced diet can mainly help you stop the fat problem from becoming worse. The only solid way to actually start losing belly fat (and fat in general) is through exercise. Regular exercise sessions (30 minutes) at least 5 times per week can actually produce good results. If you want not to get bored easily find a form of exercise that you like and enjoy doing. There is no reason to perform difficult exercises that will eventually make you de-motivated. It is better to start slow and gradually than fast and quit.

3. Learn how to drink water

The importance of water in losing weight is very well known. What many people do not understand is how to utilize water to lose weight and fat. When we say drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day we do not mean to drink this amount at once or in a very short amount of time. If you do that the only thing you will achieve is to make regular visits to the toilet. Instead you should try and spread this throughout the day. You can start with one glass of water in the morning, as soon as you wake up. Then one glass after 2-3 hours, one more glass with your launch and the rest 4 glasses before, during and after your dinner. By following this pattern you will keep your stomach busy all the time and hunger away. If you want you can even create reminders in your mobile to alert you when its time for your glass of water.

4. Soft drinks, juices, caffeine is not water

One more point to note about water is the following. Many people believe that by drinking fresh juices, soft drinks and coffee, they drink water. This is far from truth. Some of the drinks described above, like coffee, create the opposite effects than water. In particular caffeine products are diuretic and they help the excretion of water from the body. Too much consumption of these drinks can cause dehydration.

5. Sleep, rest and confidence

Trying to lose belly fat can sometimes make you tired, both mentally and physically. You have to overcome a lot of obstacles and deny a lot of temptations to get the results you want in the time frame you want. For this reason you need to work on 3 areas that may not be directly related to weight loss but they can indirectly help you to meet your goals. These have to do with rest, sleep and confidence. It is important that you rest enough hours per day, sleep at least 8 hours and never give up your optimism. There is no need to say more about this other that you have to consider these factors are part of your weight loss efforts.

Calories Calculating Mobile App developed by NTT Communications, Japan - - Evaluates the Color and Shape of Food and Compares Them to a Database

A new weapon in the fight against fat is under way: a mobile application that makes the calorie count based on picture of the food on their plate.

Although there are applications for this purpose, these programs require users to enter the type of food and caloric information. Since the software developed by NTT Communications, Japan, evaluates the color and shape of food and compares them to a database, calculating the calories.

Information about 100 thousand different foods are stored on a server operated by the company and can be accessed via smart phone. The application is even considering the portion sizes and adjusting the calorie count accordingly.

The company, which believes that the application can be the first of its kind in the world, has been testing the solution internally and will offer a free beta version from January. The criticisms have been favorable, but more is needed to refine the project, said the spokesman.

To expand a bit on the functions, the application will allow customers to exchange information on food and caloric content. Planned resources include suggestions for menus and exercises to reduce and burn calories.

Magnetic Weight Loss Toe Rings - - Based on the Ancient Chinese Art of Toe Watching

Attach these Magnetic Weight Loss Toe Rings to your big toes and watch amazed as the weight drops off. Apparently. Based on the ancient Chinese art of Toe Watching or something. $1.67 a pair.

  Lose weight without exercise 

# Based on ancient Chinese medicine, these rings stimulate the acupressure points on your big toe (and, for extra benefit, the second toe), thus curbing your appetite in a safe and natural way 

# Made from soft & non-allergenic silicone materials 

# Two powerful magnets on each ring provides a magnetic field of 1100 gauss to stimulate acupoints in your feet

Medical Mysteries - Dede Kosawa: The Tree Man Searching for The Cure

Medical history—recent and otherwise—is filled with jaw-dropping oddities, miraculous recoveries, and unsolved mysteries. There is more to these cases than shock value, however. What headlines call “miracles” are a testament to human resilience, and so-called medical mysteries remind us just how much we have to learn about the body and mind.

Two of such medical mysteries are share here; under the tag of "Medical" or "Mystery". Here I'm going to share naother such true; but amazing and unbelievable story with you.


Dede Kosawa: The Tree Man

The bizarre growths covering his body have made Indonesia's Dede Kosawa an international fascination, known to millions as the Treeman.

The arms, legs, and face of Indonesian Dede Kosawa are covered in bark-like warts, which have made him internationally famous and earned him the nickname Tree Man. Doctors believe the growths are caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) that has been exacerbated by a genetic immune defect.

His hands looked like contorted, yellow-brown branches extending 3 feet. Unable to clamp his hands into a fist or pick up a fork, he made his living by performing in carnivals in rural Indonesia. He became known as the Treeman.

"His life was taken away from him," said Dr. Anthony Gaspari, an American dermatologist who traveled twice to Indonesia to treat Kosawa. "He was severely disfigured and was sent into a rural isolated village where he was sheltered from his peers. With good reason, he was a sad man. He wanted to be cured and he wanted hope."

The growths encrusting his arms accounted for nearly 12 pounds of his 100-pound body. Kosawa, 36, often became exhausted after taking a few steps because of the dense warts on his feet. The growths that carpeted his limbs were posing more problems.

In 2007, Kosawa had 12 pounds of warts removed at an Indonesian hospital, and in February he underwent his ninth round of surgery. He now has better use of his hands and feet but will continue to need surgery every few months, as there is no known cure for his condition.

Let's see him in action in the following clip:



I hope my readers like this post and your comments will prove this. Please don't forget to visit my blog by now and then for such mysterious and amazing medical stories.

Tatiana and Krista Hogan: The Twins From Vernon, British Columbia - - Twins Are a Miracle of Modern Medical Science

The world of medicine and healthcare is full of miracles, that sometimes even defy the simple rules of evolution and the same can be said in the case of Tatiana and Krista Hogan, the twins from Vernon, British Columbia, who are only joined from birth and share the same cerebral activities but also have different personalities, despite sharing the same brain. The twins are a miracle of modern medical science, as they not only dodged the odds of their survival at the time of their birth, but now they have celebrated their fourth birthday on October 25th, this year.

One of the most startling factors of this highly unique cerebral sharing process between the twins is the ability to share their thoughts, as both Tatiana and Krista share the same skull structure, along with a bridge between their sensory region of the brain, also known as Thalamus. This enables the twins to carry out one of the rarest functions in evolution, the process of human networking. Dr. Douglas Cochrane, a neurosurgeon at Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital, has been involved with the twin’s condition since they were in the womb and his team has been keeping a close eye on the developments. A scintillating fact that surfaced last year while the twins were undergoing a series of tests was that, their brain was recording signals from the each other’s visual references, thereby creating a rare and incredible networking bond between the twins.

Fashion Hazards - - Killer High Heel Shoes Injured 33% of Ladies Worldwide

The next time you wear those stilettos, better be careful-a new study has suggested that more than three million women have had to seek medical attention for injuries caused by their high heels.

Half either tore a tendon or twisted an ankle, while thousands of others smashed their teeth or broke wrists by falling flat.

But 60% of women said whatever agony a pair of heels caused, they would keep wearing them if they won compliments.

The poll of 3,000 women aged 18 to 65 also found a whopping 89% said uncomfortable shoes have ruined a night out.

More than a third have had to be helped or even carried home because of pain from shoes that are too tight.

And 61% have spent a whole evening sitting down.

But 80% have bought a trendy pair despite knowing they do not fit.

Only 2% of the women polled by Hotter Shoes never wear heels.

"Women tend to buy shoes that look good, and then worry about the pain later," the Sun quoted spokeswoman Lisa McCarten, as saying.

"It's incredible to imagine the pain and discomfort women endure for a pair of killer heels," she added.

Vegetarianism: A Path to Lead a Healthy Life

There are many routes to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. A vegetarian diet is one of those routes.

The most common type is called the Lacto-ovo vegetarian. This type does not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish or animal flesh of any kind. But they do eat eggs and dairy products.

With this type of diet, there is less fat and cholesterol because there is no meat. There is also a higher level of fiber from vegetarian foods such as apples, beans and spinach.

There are many misconceptions about vegetarians. Vegetarians do not only eat vegetables and fruit. They must include all of the parts of a normal balanced diet.

The key to maintaining healthy eating habits is to eat a variety of foods such as fruit, vegetables and a source of protein and iron.

Protein is not found in meat alone. Beans, tofu, milk, lentils, eggs, peanuts and hard cheeses are all good sources of protein.

According to The American Heart Association, reducing fat intake is recommended to lower the risk of chronic disease.

A easy way to stay away from taking in too much fat is to stay away from most fast food chains.

Other benefits of a balanced vegetarian diet include lower blood pressure, lower rates of diabetes and lower obesity rates.

Dementia in Adults Can Be Controlled by Daily Intake of Beetroot Juice - - New Study Revealed Important Facts About Dementia and Its Cure

Dementia is the syndrome in which affects the brain and hence cause serious loss of cognitive ability in aging person. It causes major dysfunction in memory, attention, language, and problem solving abilities, is now said get treated by the daily intake of beet juice, which in turn increase the blood flow in the brain in older adults.


A new study found in this prospect that beet juice can combat the progression of Dementia. As beet root contains high concentrations of nitrates which when comes in contact with the bacteria’s in mouth gets converted into nitrites and nitrites in turn open blood vessels in the body and increase the blood flow in the places in the body where it is required the most.

It has been shown previously also that nitrites found in high concentration in celery, cabbage, and other leafy, green vegetables like spinach, widely blood vessels but this study was first to say that nitrites increase blood flow in the brain as well. "There have been several very high-profile studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, but we wanted to show that drinking beet juice also increases perfusion, or blood flow, to the brain," said Daniel Kim-Shapiro, director of Wake Forest University's Translational Science Center; Fostering Independence in Aging.

The study on Beet root was done on 14 adults age 70 and older over a period of four days, where the researchers looked at the effects of the dietary intake of nitrates, where the subjects reported to the lab after 10 hours fast, for the first two days they consumed either a high and a low nitrate rich diet including 16 ounces of beet juice, where high nitrates is to be given more and recorded the blood flow by MRI and for the third and fourth days of the study, the researchers switched the diets and repeated the process for each subject.

It showed that by eating nitrate rich diet increase the blood flow to the white matter of the frontal lobes he areas of the brain commonly associated with degeneration that leads to dementia and other cognitive conditions.

The findings are published online in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, journal of the Nitric Oxide Society and will be available in print soon.

Wound Dressing That Changes Colour to Indicate Wound Infected - Designed by Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT

Identifying that a covered wound may becoming infected can be very tricky to diagnose without removal for examination. However scientists at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich have been designing a new type of wound dressing that changes colour to indicate that a wound is becoming infected.

The dressings have a pH indicator dye within their material that reacts to different pH values. Healthy skin and healed wounds would usually show a pH of 5 or below. However is the wounds pH changes from the acid into the alkaline range, it indicates complications in the healing of the wound and the dressing with indicate this with a colour change.

“If the pH value is between 6.5 and 8.5 an infection is frequently present and the indicator color strip turns purple, “ says Dr. Sabine Trupp, a scientist at the EMFT.

The new dressings allow wounds to now be regularly checked from the outside of the dressing without any disruption to the healing process underneath.

Perfect Portions Nutrition Scale - - Scale And Nutritional Calculator in One

This Perfect Portions Nutrition Scale measures, calculates, dissects, contemplates, tracks, converts and reports on the contents of your diet in loving detail. The database contains over 2000 foodstuffs (including pizza) and you can add up to 99 more special foods that only you know about. Or something. $49.95 just could save your life.

It’s a scale and nutritional calculator in one. It is the most intuitive, easy-to-read nutritional scale on the market because it integrates the familiar nutrition label. With nearly 2000 foods in the database and room for 99 custom foods, you can track your calories, carbs, salt, cholesterol, and more with just a few clicks…

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of The Day - - Skipping Breakfast Leads to Increase in Heart Diseases

Ever wondered why breakfast is touted as the most important meal of the day?

Starting the day by eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal not only gives your body a kick-start that energizes you mentally and physically but it is also the secret to staying healthy, claims a new study.

According to researchers, skipping the first meal of the day increases the odds of obesity, large fat accumulation around the waist, higher cholesterol levels, developing diabetes, all of which heighten the risk of heart disease.

Experts theorize that people who start the day with the morning meal are less likely to be hungry during the rest of the day while breakfast skippers are more inclined to nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger.

Studies have established that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals.

Link between skipping breakfast and cardiometabolic risk assessed

Researchers from the University of Tasmania carried out a study to assess the link between skipping breakfast in childhood and adulthood and cardiometabolic risk.

The researchers enrolled 2184 Australian children aged 9 to 15 years old in 1985.

As a part of the study, the weight and height of the participants was measured and they were also questioned about what they ate before coming to school.

The team revisited them after 20 years when they were around 36 years old. At that time, their adult breakfast habits were recorded.

In addition, their waist circumference, blood levels of sugar (glucose), insulin, and fats (lipids) were also measured.

Participants also reported their levels of physical activity. In addition, factors such as age, gender, education, occupation, smoking, TV viewing, socioeconomic status as a child, and diet factors were taken into account.

Revelations of the study

It was noted that 1359 ate breakfast as children and adults, 224 skipped the morning meal as kids, 515 failed to eat breakfast as adults and 86 people abstained from the morning meal both as children and as adults.

The findings revealed that people who skipped breakfast as adults had an unhealthy lifestyle.

Those who avoided the morning meal at both ages had a larger waist circumference, higher insulin levels in the blood, elevated levels of total cholesterol as opposed to those who ate breakfast during both childhood and adulthood.

The researchers concluded that “skipping breakfast over a long period may have detrimental effects on cardiometabolic health."

The study was sponsored by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian National Heart Foundation, the Tasmanian Community Fund, Veolia Environmental Services, Sanitarium, ASICS and Target.

The study findings have been published in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.'

Heavy Smoking May Raise The Risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia - - New Study Results

People who are heavy smokers in their midlife years are more than doubling their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia two decades later, a new study shows.

While smoking has long been known to increase the risk of dying from cancer and heart disease, researchers in Finland say they’ve found strong reason to believe that smoking more than two packs of cigarettes daily from age 50 to 60 increases risk of dementia later in life.



Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland and at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, analyzed data from 21,123 members of a health care system who took part in a survey between 1978 and 1985, when they were between ages 50 and 60.

Diagnoses of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia were tracked from Jan. 1, 1994, when participants were 71.6 years old, on average, through July 31, 2008.

Among the key findings:

* 25.4% of the participants, or 5,367 people, were diagnosed with dementia an average of 23 years later.
* Of patients with dementia, 1,136 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and 416 with vascular dementia.

Researchers say that people who smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day in middle age had an elevated risk of dementia overall and also of each subtype, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, compared with nonsmokers.

Former Smokers:

On the other hand, former smokers or people who smoked less than half a pack per day did not appear to be at increased risk of developing dementia. And associations between dementia and smoking did not vary by race or sex.

Smoking is considered a well-established risk factor for stroke and may contribute to the risk of vascular dementia through similar mechanisms, the researchers say.

In addition, they say that smoking contributes to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are believed to be important in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

“It is possible that smoking affects the development of dementia via vascular and neurodegenerative pathways,” the researchers write.

Previously, a link between smoking and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease has been considered controversial, with some studies even suggesting that smoking reduces the risk of cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Although smoking’s ill effect on public health has been well established, the researcher say, this study shows its impact is likely to become even greater as the population ages and dementia prevalence increases.

The study shows heavy smoking was found to be associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia and its forms 20 years after midlife, and that the brain is thus “not immune to long-term consequences of heavy smoking.”

Cure of Asthma Possible With Bitter Taste - - Discovered by A Lung Specialist; Dr. Stephen B. Liggett

The sense of taste is not limited to the mouth, and researchers say this discovery may lead to better treatments for diseases such as asthma.



The bitter taste receptors are also found in smooth muscles of the lungs and airways. These muscles relax when they are exposed to bitter tastes, according to a study by researchers from the Medical College of Maryland in Baltimore, published in an edition of the Nature Medicine journal.

The discovery surprised the doctor Stephen B. Liggett, a lung specialist who identified an association between bitter taste with poisonous plants, leading humans to avoid ingesting bitter foods.

Liggett believed that the bitter taste receptors in the lungs produce a reaction of “rejection or numbness”, causing the hardness of the chest and consequent cough, so that the person leaves the “toxic” environment.

Instead, when scientists tested some non-toxic bitter components in the airways of rats and humans, the airways relaxed and open.

Liggett, who hopes to begin human trials within a year, explained that eating bitter does not help in the treatment of asthma. According to him, it is need to inhale enough doses of aerosol components.

Giving Birth to a Baby Can Brighten You! - - New Study Findings

New mothers often grumble that their brain has turned into mush.

But having a baby may actually make you brighter, a study has found.

Research shows that a woman’s grey matter grows in the weeks and months after she has given birth.

And it’s the most doting mothers who experience the biggest burst of brain cells.

t is thought that the hormonal changes associated with having a baby ‘supercharge’ the brain, helping prepare women for the challenges ahead.

And the memory lapses that plague new mothers may be explained by a simpler cause – sleep deprivation.

The finding, from a small study published by the American Psychological Association, contradicts the long-held notion that motherhood addles a woman’s brain.

Neuroscientists from the respected Yale University in the U.S. scanned the brains of 19 new mothers in the weeks after they had given birth.

The results showed that the amount of grey matter – brain cells that crunch information – had increased by a small but significant amount by the time the women were three to four months into motherhood.

Such changes usually only occur after intense periods of learning or a brain injury or illness.

The areas that grew involve motivation, reasoning, judgement, the processing of emotions and feelings of satisfaction, and are key to the mother-child relationship.

Expansion in the brain’s ‘motivation area’, said the researchers, could lead to more nurturing, which would help babies survive and thrive physically, emotionally and cognitively.

The mothers who gushed most about their newborns tended to experience the biggest amounts of growth, the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reports.

It is unclear to what extent the changes are due to rises in hormones such as oestrogen and oxytocin that occur when a woman gives birth, and how much they are caused by chemical changes brought on by cuddling and playing with their babies.

Studies of adoptive mothers could help separate the two.

Siobhan Freegard, founder of the Netmums website, said that ‘supercharging’ made sense.

She added: ‘Nature has an amazing way of giving us things that we need. Having a baby is a momentous occasion, so it is not surprising the brain gets that little bit extra to equip us for the challenge.’

She suggested that any ‘baby brain’ memory lapses could be due to changing priorities, with the newborn being deemed more important than most other matters.

The results of the study echo research from last year which concluded that, contrary to popular belief, pregnancy does nothing to dim brainpower.

Professor Helen Christensen, of the Australian National University in Canberra, showed that women did as well on tests of memory and logic when pregnant as they had in previous years.

She said: ‘It really leaves the question open as to why women – and often their partners – think they have poor memories, when the best evidence we have is that they don’t.

‘Perhaps women notice minor lapses in mental ability and then attribute it to being pregnant because that is the most significant thing in their mind at the time.

‘Or sleep deprivation could mask the positive cognitive effect.’