How to use Almonds to Increase Brainpower

by Kavit Haria

As amazing as it may seem, your favorite little nut, the almond, can help boost your brainpower, stabilize your mood and even relieve the aging process. It may seem that the little miracle nut has so much to offer you will want to incorporate it into your diet as often as possible.

The almond contains phenylalanine, this is little chemical is shown to work in conjunction with our cognitive processes and supports healthy neurological function. This chemical very easily passes through our blood-brain barrier and makes our brain produce our natural mood stabilizing hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. These same hormones also help reduce pain in the body. While studies are still on going, it is believed that almonds may also help treat some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Almonds contain another brain boosting element called nutrientriboflavin as well as L-carnitine. This little chemical is important for the brain because it helps make it possible for our brain to metabolize acetyl-L-carnitinetransferase which supports choline metabolism. Our brain utilizes choline to prevent any neuronal degeneration. The L-carnitine that is found in almonds and other nuts also helps in the release of acetylcholine, which is essential for good memory.

Along with the brain boosting power of the almond it offers other benefits as well. Studies show that by adding almonds to your diet can help with satiety and prevent weight gain. No dangerous diet pill needed, just a handful of almonds a day. Purdue University researchers have found that two servings a day did not cause weight gain or decrease our body’s efficiency.

The almond can do wonders for your heart health as well. Almonds have been shown to lower LDL. The bad cholesterol that we really don’t want and is at times hard to lower can be handled with addition of a hand full of almonds a day.

Obviously, too much of anything is never a good thing, and eating to many nuts can lead to problems such as obesity. But incorporating a handful of almonds a day into your diet can prove to be beneficial to healthy mind function.

Adrenaline Rush

By Jaime N. Soriano

There is a common notion that human beings often survive life or death and even emergency situations because of the so-called adrenaline rush. It is a situation where the processes in the human anatomy automatically react or respond to a given situation which the mind perceives to be critical.

In science, adrenaline, or epinephrine, is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland found directly above the kidney of the human body. They say that when adrenaline is secreted into the bloodstream, the hormone prepares the body for action by boosting the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles while reducing considerably nonemergency processes in the body like that of digestion. Short bursts of physical prowess results from dilated blood vessels and air passages that makes the body pass more blood to the muscles as more oxygen are put in into the lungs in a timely and precise manner.

They say that the discovery of the adrenaline as a substance was first reported in May 1886 by American physician William Bates in the New York Medical Journal. It was Napoleon Cybulski, a Polish physiologist and a pioneer of endocrinology, who isolated and identified the substance in 1895. German chemist Friedrich Stolz, however, was the first person to synthesize the hormone artificially in 1904.

Since the hormone causes an increase in heart rate and stroke volume, constricts the small blood vessels in the skin but dilates the arterioles in skeletal muscles, the pupils and air passages, starts the breakdown of lipids in fat cells, elevates blood sugar and suppresses the immune system, they say that it is important to douse the adrenaline released in the human system after a stressful situation. Before, this is done naturally because man is habitually engaged in a lot of physical activity. But in today’s world where human exertion is less, the amount of adrenaline left in the body results in insomnia, palpitations, high blood pressure, and restive nerves.

In 1915 American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon theorized the so-called fight-or-flight response by holding that animals react to threats through a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system that prepares the animals either to flee or to fight. And they say that this response system was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome which regulates stress reaction among vertebrates and other organisms. Thus, the fight-or-flight response is often used to characterize the situation known as adrenaline rush.

To be sure there is always the adrenaline that serves as a lifeline in every severe and extemporaneous situation man is confronted with. But summoning the aid and comfort of this hormone in normal times would only mean stress, a condition that produces unneeded bodily strain and causes much of the physical maladies and human ailments known in today’s world. Unfortunately, this is how nature works.

If human beings would only heed this law of nature, they would realize that life is all about perfecting or working for that state of constant peace and tranquility in this hectic, fast-paced and crazier world. And it is all because everyone has this adrenaline that rushes automatically in times of great need.

Reality dictates that putting the adrenaline to work unnecessarily could spell the end of life.

www.soriano-ph.com

What is Thumbs.db file and How to get Rid of it?

Thumbs.db is a system file generated automatically by Windows XP when you view the contents of a folder in “Thumbnail” or “Filmstrip” view. Thumbs.db contains a copy of each of the tiny preview images generated for image files in that folder so that they load up quickly the next time you browse that folder. Thumbs.db also stores your settings with regard to thumbnail and filmstrip view.

Despite the fact that Thumbs.db is a hidden system file, it annoys people because it tends to show up in places where it’s not wanted. Many times you’ll try to zip up a folder full of images and e-mail them to a friend or upload them to an FTP site, and Thumbs.db goes along for the ride.

To stop your computer from generating and regenerating future Thumbs.db files, do the following:

1. Right click Start
2. Select Explore
3. Select Tools
4. Select Folder Options
5. Select View and check "Do not cache Thumbnails" and Apply

Once you click the Ok button, your computer will cease to generate Thumbs.db files. If you delete any of the existing Thumbs.db files, they will not return. Be forewarned though, if you browse a folder that contains a large quantity of image files (or extremely large image files), it will take a long time for that folder to load even if you have previously browsed it because the thumbnail images will not have been cached in Thumbs.db.

AMD Athlon 64 2000+ At 8 Watts

Today's development of the Atom processor, Intel introduced a totally new chip design that consumes very little energy. AMD had to strike back, and did so by clocking down its Athlon 64 , employing the K8 micro architecture, down to the lowest possible frequency of 1 GHz. The Athlon 64 2000+ runs with a core voltage of 0.90 volts and uses just 8 watts. As a result, the CPU easily operates without a fan. If you drop the 8 W Athlon 64 into a motherboard based on the 780G chipset, then the system hits power consumption numbers that, in our measurements, are below Intel’s Atom desktop solution. We were even able to lower the core voltage by 11%, without stability problems, and the power analyzer read lower numbers. Interestingly, AMD’s Athlon 64 2000+ processor, unlike Intel‘s Atom CPU, is not embedded in the motherboard. It can be run on any board with an AM2 or AM2+ socket.

Compared to Intel’s Atom, which runs at 1.6 GHz, the Athlon 64 2000+ is clocked at 1 GHz—60% lower. Despite this, the Athlon 64 outperforms the Atom in several benchmark tests as a result of its more efficient K8 architecture. In addition, the energy consumption of the entire system is lower, and that’s what really matters most.

How To Restore Windows XP Power Schemes

Symptoms
You open the Power Options item in Control Panel on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer. However, the power scheme options that appear on the Power Schemes tab are unavailable.

Cause
This issue may occur if some or all the registry entries that are related to the power scheme options have been deleted.

Resolution
To resolve this issue, restore the registry entries that are related to the power scheme options. To do this, use one of the following methods.

Use the Powercfg.exe utility to restore the default power scheme

You can use the Powercfg.exe utility to copy the power scheme from the Default Userprofile to the user who is currently logged on. You can do this because power schemes are uniquely associated with individual user accounts. To copy the power scheme from the default user by using the Powercfg.exe utility, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   powercfg /RestoreDefaultPolicies

Negative Ions Help us to Sleep Better

In 1969, French researcher found that the overproduction of the neurohormone serotonin caused sleeplessness and nightmares. In using a negative ion electronic air cleaner to treat a group of people experiencing sleeping problems as a result of serotonin overproduction, he found that most of them were able to sleep better.

Benefits of Negative Ions

Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.

You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window, Howard says. "Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove.

Negative ions are created in nature with air molecules broken apart from sunlight, radiation, and moving air or water. In

The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

In a study conducted by Columbia University, 25 people with SAD (Seasonal Affective Depression) sat in front of a negative ion air purifier for a half hour every morning for a month. Half the subjects were given a low level of negative ions, and the other half a high level. The higher level of negative ion treatment proved to be as effective against SAD as antidepressants, such as Prozac and Zolof, and without the side effects of these drugs.

Negative ions are odorless tasteless molecules that are breathed into our respiratory system. High concentrations of negative ions can be found in nature in mountain forests, waterfalls, and beaches where people feel energized and invigorated, which helps relieve stress, alleviate depression, boost energy.

Did You Know Negative Ion ?

Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions - Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods, says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York. At the turn of the 20th century Terman, confirmed that negative ions are found in very high density in the basin of waterfalls where we feel especially refreshed and re-energized.

USB Cable Length Limitations

USB Cable Length Limitations:

The USB specification limits the length of a cable between full speed (or high speed) devices to 5 meters (16 feet 5 inches) and for low speed devices the limit is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches). This means you can't just connect a bunch of extension cable together and run them 30 feet to another room but you can say connect a 6 foot and 10 foot cable for a total of 16 feet.

Most USB products are full speed (or high speed USB 2.0) and have the 5 meter limit. Low speed devices are generally keyboards and mice. If you would like more information on the technical side of USB you can search the internet for information on the USB specification (sorry eBay does not allow links in guides otherwise I would include one).

In order to go beyond these limits you need to use USB hubs, USB active extension cables or USB over Ethernet products.

USB Hubs:

You can use extension cables and up to 5 USB hubs connected together to extend USB's range up to 30 meters (up to 27 meters for low speed devices). The distance between each hub can be no more than 5 meters.

Active Extension Cables:

USB active extension cables contain electronics which regenerate the USB signal. These cables are essentially 1 port USB hubs and will allow you to go up to 30 meters (up to 27 meters for low speed devices) buy connecting up to five active extension cables together (4 cables if you are connected to a USB hub).

USB Over Ethernet:

There are USB Over Ethernet hubs but I was to find very little documentation or other information on them that was useful. What did stand out about these devices is that they are hard to find, expensive and you are still generally limited to a maximum of 30 meters.

What Is Negative Ion?

Negative Ion is an atomic or molecular system with an excess of negative charge due to the capture of additional electrons. Negative Ions are also called anions.

Did Your Know the Eye Parts?

Eye Parts?

The eye has many parts. Some of the main parts are listed and described below.

Lens

• The transparent crystalline lens of the eye is located immediately behind the iris.

Cornea

• The cornea is a transparent dome which serves as the outer window of the eye. The cornea is the most powerful structure focusing light entering the eye.
  

Retina

• The retina is the innermost layer of the eye. It is composed of nerve tissue which senses the light entering the eye.
• The retina sends impulses through the optic nerve back to the brain, which translates the impulses into images that we see.
• There are 4 types of light-sensitive receptors found in the retina
  

rods

cones that absorb long-wavelength light (red)

cones that absorb middle-wavelength light (green)

cones that absorb short-wavelength light (blue)

Pupil

• The pupil is the hole in the center of the eye where light passes through.

Iris

• The iris is the colored part of the eye. It is a thin diaphragm composed mostly of connective tissue and smooth muscle fibers. The iris lies between the cornea and the crystalline lens.

Optic nerve

• The optic nerve is a continuation of the axons of the ganglion cells in the retina. It acts acts like a cable connecting the eye with the brain.
• The optic nerve is also called the cranial nerve II.
  

Sclera

• The sclera is the white, opaque portion of the eye. It provides protection and serves as an attachment for the extraocular muscles which move the eye.

The Banana Secrets

The banana is an important source for energy, health and nutrition. New research shows that the banana also can prevent and help cure some of the medical conditions we deal with.

One large banana, about 9 inches in length, packs 602 mg of potassium and has only 140 calories. That same banana also has 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

The banana provides energy that can help us keep fit. Bananas can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions. Don't overlook bananas in your diet.

Energy
Because it contains three natural sugars, sucrose, fructose and glucose, combined with fibre, a banana gives us an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has shown that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

Depression
According to a recent survey of people suffering from depression undertaken by MIND, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin. Serotonin is known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)
The vitamin B6 bananas contain regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Forget the pills -- eat a banana.

Anemia
Because bananas are high in iron, they can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and help prevent anemia.

Blood Pressure
The banana has the ability to ward off high blood pressure and stroke. This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it useful in lowering blood pressure.

Brain Power
Researchers working with 200 students at a Middlesex school showed that students did better on their exams by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch to boost their brain power. The potassium-packed banana can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation
Because they are high in fiber, bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action without the use of laxatives.

Hangovers
A quick cure for a hangover is a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Morning Sickness
Snacking on bananas between meals allays morning sickness and helps to keep blood sugar levels up.

Overweight and stress
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers
Bananas neutralize over-acidity and reduce irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control
Some cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Smoking
If you are trying to give up smoking, the vitamins B6 and B12 in bananas, as well as the potassium and magnesium, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress
Potassium is a vital mineral which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, and our potassium levels fall. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes
Research published in "The New England Journal of Medicine," concluded that eating bananas as part of a regular diet reduced the risk of death by strokes as much as 40%.

Early life of Pope John Paul II

The early life of Pope John Paul II covers the period in his life from his birth in 1920 to his ordination to the priesthood in 1946.

Karol Wojtyla at 12 years old Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born on 18 May 1920 in Wadowice near the city of Krakow in southern Poland, son of a former officer in the Austrian Habsburg army whose name was also Karol Wojtyla, and Emilia Kaczorowska. According to popular Wadowice legend, Emilia used to tell fellow townsfolk that her Karol would be "a great man one day." As a child Karol was called Lolek by friends and family.

His mother died during childbirth in 1929. On hearing about her death, he composed himself and said, "It was God's will." After Emilia's death, his father, an intensely religious man who did most of the housework, brought up Karol so that he could study. His youth was marked by intensive contacts with the then-thriving Jewish community of Wadowice.

His brother Edmund, also known as Mundek, died of scarlet fever contracted from a patient at the age of 26 in 1932. His only other sibling, a sister, died in infancy before Karol was born.

He practiced sports during his youth, being particularly athletic. He often played football (soccer), as a goalkeeper, and was a supporter of Polish club Cracovia Krakow.

Papal biographer George Weigel recalls that when Karol was around fifteen a young person playfully pointed a gun at him not realizing that it was loaded. On pressing the trigger the gun fired and narrowly missed the target. He would escape from other near death incidents as a young seminarian and later as Pope.

University
In the summer of 1938, Karol Wojtyla and his father left Wadowice and moved to Krakow, the former capital of Poland, where he enrolled at the Jagiellonian University in the autumn semester. In his freshman year, Wojtyla studied Philology, Polish language and literature, introductory Russian, and Old Church Slavonic. He also took private lessons in French. He worked as a volunteer librarian and did compulsory military training in the Academic Legion. At the end of the 1938-39 academic year, he played Sagittarius in a fantasy-fable, The Moonlight Cavalier, produced by an experimental theatre troupe.

In his youth he was an active person, and learned as many as twelve languages. By the time he was Pope he spoke ten languages fluently: Polish, Slovak, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Ukrainian and English, beside his good knowledge of Ecclesiastical Latin.

The Second World War
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and the country was subsequently occupied by German and Soviet forces. At the outbreak of War, Karol and his father fled eastwards from Krakow with thousands of other Poles. They sometimes found themselves in ditches, taking cover from strafing Luftwaffe aircraft. After walking 120 miles, they learned of the Russian invasion of Poland and were obliged to return to Krakow. In November, 184 academics of the Jagiellonian University were arrested and the university suppressed. All able-bodied males had to have a job.

In the first year of the war Karol worked as a messenger for a restaurant. This light work enabled him to continue his education and theatrical career and in acts of cultural resistance. He also intensified his study of French. From the autumn of 1940 Karol worked for almost four years as a manual labourer in a limestone quarry, and was well paid. His father died in 1941 because of a heart attack. In 1942, he entered the underground seminary run by Cardinal Sapieha, the archbishop of Krakow. B'nai B'rith and other authorities have testified that he helped Jews find refuge from the Nazis.

On 29 February 1944, Karol was walking home from work at the quarry when he was knocked down by a German truck. The German officers tending the injured Wojtyla, and the decision to commandeer a passing truck for use as an ambulance for the unconscious patient, is in sharp contrast to the harshness normally expected from the occupying forces during this period. He spent two weeks in hospital and suffered severe concussion, numerous cuts and a shoulder injury. This accident and his survival seemed to Wojtyla a confirmation of his priestly vocation. In August 1944, the Warsaw uprising began, and the Gestapo swept the city of Krakow on 6 August, "Black Sunday", rounding up young men to avoid a similar uprising there. Wojtyla escaped by hiding behind a door as the Gestapo searched the house he lived in, and escaped to the Archbishop's residence, where he stayed until after the war.

On the night of 17 January 1945, the Germans quit the city. The seminarians reclaimed the old seminary, which was in ruins. Wojtyla and another seminarian volunteered for the odious task of chopping up and carting away piles of frozen excrement from the lavatories. In the same month of that year, Wojtyla personally helped a 14 year old Jewish refugee girl named Edith Zierer who had run away from a Nazi labor camp in Częstochowa. Zierer was attempting to reach her family in Krakow but had collapsed from cold and exhaustion on a train platform in Jędrzejw. No one helped but Wojtyla who approached her. Wojtyla gave Zierer some hot tea caca and food, personally carried her to a train and accompanied her to Krakow. Zierer credits Wojtyla for saving her life that day. In the chaos of post-war Poland they became separated and Zierer would not hear of her benefactor again until she read that he was elected as the Pope in 1978.

Pope John Paul II

John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Pawel II) Karol Jozef Wojtyla. born: (18 May 1920 - 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City from 16 October 1978, until his death, almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate after Pius IX's 32-year reign. He has been the only Polish pope, and was the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s.

John Paul II was Pope during a period in which the Catholic Church's influence declined in developed countries but expanded in the Third World. During his reign, the pope traveled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his predecessors. He remains one of the most-traveled world leaders in history. He was fluent in numerous languages: his native Polish and also Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he canonized a great number of people.

He beatified 1,340 people (some listed here), more people than any previous pope. The Vatican asserts he canonized more people than the combined tally of his predecessors during the last five centuries, and from a far greater variety of cultures. Whether he had canonized more saints than all previous popes put together, as is sometimes also claimed, is difficult to prove, as the records of many early canonizations are incomplete, missing, or inaccurate. However, it is known that his abolition of the office of Promotor Fidei ("Promoter of the Faith") streamlined the process.

Common Cooking Spice shows Promise in Combating Diabetes and Obesity

Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice.

Dr. Tortoriello, working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, M.D., fellow endocrinologist and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.

Their findings are the subject of a soon-to-be published paper in Endocrinology and were presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco this week.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has no known dose-limiting toxicities in doses of up to at least 12 grams daily in humans. The researchers tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes: high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that were fed low-fat diets used as controls.

The inflammation associated with obesity was shown several years ago by researchers in the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to be due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce "cytokine" molecules that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and liver. Researchers hypothesized that by suppressing the number and activity of these cells, with turmeric or a drug with similar actions, it may be possible to reduce some of the adverse consequences of obesity.

Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.

"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."

For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric – and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin – reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.

In addition to exploring novel methods of curcumin administration to increase its absorption, they are also interested in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.

[source]

The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Coffee might soon be considered a health drink following a study showing it is a surprisingly rich source of anti-cancer agents.

A study has found that coffee contributes more antioxidants - which have been linked with fighting heart disease and cancer - to the diet than cranberries, apples or tomatoes.

Fruit and vegetables have long been known to be a good source of antioxidants, but the new findings are surprising because it is the first time that coffee has been shown to be such a rich source of the agents.

Professor Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania warned, however, that the study did not prove that coffee was good for you because high levels of antioxidants in food did not necessarily translate into higher levels absorbed by the body.

Nevertheless, the research - which was funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute - indicates that at least where coffee is consumed in high amounts, the beverage could be responsible for relatively high levels of antioxidants in the diet.

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close," said Professor Vinson, whose study was described at the weekend to the American Chemical Society in Washington.

The study found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee appeared to provide similar levels of antioxidants.

The American findings are probably reflected in Britain, where people drink about 70 million cups of coffee each day despite the country's reputation as a tea-drinking nation. More than half of the American population are daily coffee drinkers. Although coffee consumption may be lower in the United Kingdom, nearly half of the British population regularly drinks instant or ground coffee, the market analysts Mintel say.

Antioxidants help to rid the body of harmful free radicals, destructive molecules that damage cells and DNA. They have been linked to a number of health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer. Studies have associated coffee drinking with a reduced risk of liver and colon cancer, type two diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.

But Professor Vinson urged moderation, recommending that people should drink only one or two cups of coffee per day. He added that it was important not to ignore the benefits offered by fresh fruit and vegetables. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fibre," he said.

The research showed that, compared with other foods, dates were the richest source of antioxidants. But since so few dates are eaten by Americans, they only contributed a small amount of antioxidants to the average person's diet. Cranberries and red grapes also contain high levels of antioxidants.

A spokesman for the British Coffee Association said: "This study reconfirms the fact that moderate coffee consumption of four to five cups a day not only is perfectly safe but may confer health benefits."

The pros and cons of coffee

BENEFITS

• Can increase alertness and improve short-term recall.
• May reduce the risk of cirrhosis of the liver among heavy drinkers.
• May postpone muscle fatigue.
• Contains caffeine-related compounds (theophylline) that can alleviate the symptoms of asthma in some cases.
  

RISKS

• Increases blood pressure among people who already suffer from high blood pressure.
• Causes insomnia, anxiety, and irritability.
• May worsen symptoms of PMS in some women.
• Can reduce fertility in women trying to conceive.
• Can cause heartburn and indigestion.

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Coffee As Disease Figther

Some exciting work is showing how coffee may help reduce the risk of a number of diseases and ailments, including type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's, colon cancer, cirrhosis, gall stones, depression and more. Major medical centers and universities are contributing to our knowledge about what components in coffee help in the disease-fighting process. The Independent which would seem to indicate that coffee has numerous health benefits, and could be construed to be a 'health drink

What is Vitamins ?

A vitamin is an organic compound required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in a living organism. The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but that are not essential for life.

Vitamins are bio-molecules that act as catalysts and substrates in chemical reactions. When acting as a catalyst, vitamins are bound to enzymes and are called cofactors. For example, vitamin K is part of the proteases involved in blood clotting. Vitamins also act as coenzymes to carry chemical groups between enzymes. For example, folic acid carries various forms of carbon group – methyl, formyl and methylene - in the cell.

Until the 1900s, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake, and changes in diet (which, for example, could occur during a particular growing season) can alter the types and amounts of vitamins ingested. Vitamins have been produced as commodity chemicals and made widely available as inexpensive pills for several decades, allowing supplementation of the dietary intake.

Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Macular degeneration is a disease of the central retina (called the macula) that affects central vision. It is the leading cause of vision loss among people over age 65.

Because it affects only central vision, macular degeneration does not cause total blindness. But it can make most daily activities like driving and reading difficult or impossible.

What causes it?

The exact cause of macular degeneration is still not understood, but it is thought to be associated with atherosclerotic changes in the tiny blood vessels that nourish the macula, compromising the blood flow to this part of the retina.

Age clearly plays a role in the disease. For this reason, it is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Macular degeneration has two forms

There are two forms of AMD:

• Dry AMD is the more common form, affecting approximately 90 percent of those who have macular degeneration. It typically develops slowly and causes mild visual distortion to moderate central vision loss.
• Wet AMD affects only 10 percent of people with macular degeneration, but causes more severe vision loss. In wet AMD, new blood vessels that form under the macula leak fluid and can cause a rapid and severe loss of central vision.

How common is AMD?

Macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss among individuals over age 65. It's estimated that over 11 million people in the United States have AMD. It affects about 9 percent of the population over age 40, and causes vision loss of 20/200 or worse (legal blindness) in 15 to 20 percent of those with the condition.

Age is the greatest risk factor. People in their forties have only about a two percent. Those over age 75 have a 30 percent risk.

Other risk factors include:

• Smoking
• A family history of AMD
• High cholesterol
• A poor ability to tan when young
• Excessive exposure to sunlight
• High dietary intake of saturated fat and cholesterol
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• A high body mass index in men
• Race - AMD affects Caucasians more frequently than people of other races
• Gender - Women are twice as likely to develop AMD

What are the symptoms of AMD?

Macular degeneration is painless. Visual symptoms are constant and limited to the central area of a person's visual field. They include:

• Distorted vision
• Blurred vision
• A central darkened spot or empty area

Can macular degeneration be treated?

Though there is currently no widely accepted treatment for macular degeneration, promising new medications are currently being developed. If you or a family member has AMD, ask your eye doctor about new treatment options that may be available.

Can macular degeneration be prevented?

Recent research suggests certain antioxidant vitamins and other nutritional supplements may slow or prevent the development of macular degeneration in some individuals. Vitamins A, C and E; zinc; Carotenoids; and lutein may be beneficial in maintaining a healthy retina. (These substances, however, have not been shown to reverse existing damage to the retina from AMD.)

Actions you can take to lower your risk of AMD include:

• Get plenty of exercise
• Maintain a proper weight
• Eat a healthy diet
• Avoiding smoking
• Take a multiple antioxidant vitamin supplement daily

Because excessive exposure to sunlight is a risk factor for AMD, it's also a good idea to wear sunglasses outdoors that provide 100 percent UV protection. A wide-brimmed hat also helps limit the amount of UV radiation reaching your eyes.

Low vision aids

People who have lost vision due to AMD can often benefit from low vision aids. These specialized optical devices provide high magnification and help a person with AMD use their remaining central vision as effectively as possible.