when it comes to your health, is it better to drink or not to drink?
It’s becoming an even more complicated question, especially in the wake of several recent studies linking even a little drinking of alcohol to a higher risk of cancers.
In one of them, researchers found that women who had as little as one drink a day boosted their risk of cancer of the breast, liver, rectum, throat, mouth, and esophagus. Meanwhile, numerous studies dating back decades show that alcohol and heart health have a positive relationship.
So what’s a health-conscious person to do? WebMD asked experts in cardiology, oncology, epidemiology, and internal medicine who are familiar with the latest research to clarify the risks and benefits of alcohol intake.
While the experts disagree on some answers, they do agree that no one who has or had a problem with alcohol dependency should drink, nor should any woman who is pregnant. Here is what else they had to say about alcohol and health:
article from : http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/faq-alcohol-and-your-health
Posted in Cancer by .
Nov 10
10
The Food and Your Teeth
Eating sweets is bad for your teeth, but do you know why? Do you know that even eating ‘good’ foods can be bad for your teeth or that eating at certain times during the day is better than others? If you don’t understand that when and what you eat can affect your teeth, then read on.
The problems all revolve around plaque, that sticky, whitish substance that covers your teeth after you eat. As you probably already know, carbohydrates break down into sugars, the fructose, maltose, glucose and lactose that fuel our bodies. We think this process happens after food leaves our mouths, while en route to our digestive tracts.
That’s true for many foods, but some foods begin breaking down right in our mouths. These foods are referred to as fermentable carbohydrates. Bacteria living on your teeth use the sugars found in fermentable carbohydrates like cookies, crackers, cake, soft drinks, cereal, even bananas to produce very strong acids.
These acids can cause demineralization, a process by which the minerals inside a tooth’s enamel begin to dissolve. Damaging acids are continually produced as long as these foods remain in contact with the tooth bacteria.
That’s why sipping soda all afternoon is more damaging than drinking an entire can during your meal and why sticky foods (potato chips, raisins) and foods that get stuck in the crevices of molars can do more damage than foods that don’t stick. Those who snack on sugary foods throughout the day also have a higher incidence of tooth decay.
Posted in Dental Care by .
Oct 10
26
How to get whiter and brighter teeth
If you want to smile confidently and without any embarrassment, then take these tips for whiter teeth. These tips for whiter teeth will help you remove stains from your teeth and will help them to become whiter.
If you wish to keep your teeth white then there are various tips that you should follow tips on dental care. These tips will help you to keep your teeth clean and glittering. A tooth has three stratums– the hard outer layer enamel, the dentin tissue below and the pulp which contains the nerves and blood supply. Two types of staining happen to the teeth: extrinsic stain on the enamel and intrinsic stain in the dentin that is visible through the enamel. The following are factors which are responsible for staining of teeth. Addressing them may help you in removing these stains.
The common factors of contamination and discoloration are:
- Food, smoking and drinking. Red wine and coffee stains the enamel. So avoid them.
- Tetracycline antibiotics and excessive intake of fluoride during childhood makes teeth discolored.
- Poor brushing habits cause the decay of teeth. Use toothpaste that has the American Dental Association seal.
- Aging is also responsible for darkening of enamel.
Tips for whiter teeth:
- Rubbing strawberry on your teeth.
- Mix baking soda and water and brush your teeth with the mixture.
- Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda and apply it on your teeth. The mixture can also help in the removal of stains.
- Put a pinch of salt on your toothbrush and brush for three minutes.
Other than these methods, you can use a mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide to clean the stains. You can also visit a dentist for professional cleaning treatments. Flossing of teeth helps to remove stubborn food particles and plaque.
article source : http://www.dental-tips.com/basics/care/how-to-get-whiter-and-brighter-teeth.html
Posted in Dental Care by .
Oct 10
10
6 Foods That Fight Heart Disease
Keeping your heart in tiptop shape doesn’t necessarily mean popping a cholesterol-lowering statin tablet each day. One strategy, like eating foods that have been proven to fight heart disease, is prescription-free and delicious, and can keep your heart healthy without risky side effects
Chocolate. One study found that heart attack survivors who ate chocolate two or more times a week slashed their risk of dying from heart disease by threefold. German researchers found that eating only one square of dark chocolate a week lowered the risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. Other studies have also found that chocolate lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow. The high levels of antioxidants in chocolate seem to be the most likely candidates for chocolate’s heart-healthy benefits.
Alcohol. Evidence is mounting that moderate drinking helps reduce the risk of heart disease. (Moderate drinking is defined as three to seven drinks each week for women and three to 14 drinks weekly for men.) A recent study found that moderate drinking lowered the risk of cardiovascular death by 38 percent. Light drinkers (men or women who had three or fewer drinks a week) lowered their risk by 31 percent.
Fish. Fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown decrease the risk of abnormal heartbeats. They also lower blood pressure, decrease triglyceride levels, and slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque. A recent study from the University of Athens in Greece found that eating fish once or twice a week helps preserve heart function in those patients who suffer from heart failure. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish each week.
Posted in Heart Disease by .
Healthy Ways to Cleanse Your Colon
If you’re wondering how to cleanse your colon, you may be looking for information on popular methods such as taking supplements, using laxatives, or visiting a colon cleansing clinic. However, these are potentially harmful to your health.
If you like the idea of “cleansing” your body, and of course, doing so safely, you need look no further than the produce and bulk food aisles of your local grocery store. Part of why so many people are plagued with a bloated, constipated feeling, the very feeling that leads them to consider colon cleansing, is poor diet. Without proper nutrients, natural whole foods, and plenty of fiber and water, the digestive tract doesn’t function so well. Ditto for exercise.
If you want to improve your colon health, give the following a try:
- Increase the servings of vegetables and fruit you eat each day. Aim for 8 to 10 servings daily. This may sound like a lot, but it’s doable. Add fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries to your morning cereal. Snack on vegetables dipped in hummus, or fruit plus a handful of nuts.
- Make all your grains whole grains. Don’t be fooled by color – just because bread is brown, does not mean it’s whole grain. Look for the word “enriched” in the ingredient list. If you see this word, it’s not whole grain.
- Focus on adding non-bread sources of whole grains to your diet, too, such as brown rice, barley, quinoa, oats, millet, rye, spelt, buckwheat, amaranth, or other new-to-you foods.
- Try “flipping” the food pyramid. You may be familiar with the food pyramid, which shows grains as the foundation. Instead, make fruits and vegetables the foundation of your diet, followed by grains, then protein foods (beans, fish, eggs, poultry, meat). Make sweets just an occasional treat.
Posted in Colon Problem by .
Many of us frequently use sugar-free products with the aim to protect our teeth from harmful effects of sugar. Especially, parents like giving sugar-free bars and products to their children in order to lower the risks of damaging children’s teeth. However, the specialists ring the bells saying that such products are very often overfilled with acidic and other types of additives, which can be not less but even more harmful to our teeth than sugar. The same can be said about sugar-free drinks.
When choosing a product in the markets or shops, modern consumers usually look ate sugar content. But they do not realize that other ingredients can also be as bad. The specialists tested more than 85 popular sugar-free snacks, including the ones of such popular brands as Kellogg‘s and Nestle. It turned our that all of those products have harmful acidic elements, and the same can be said about commercial orange juice. Brad Schmitt, a nutritionist, comments on the study: “Kids love their muesli bars and fruit snacks but parents should limit them to be a once-a-week treat.”
Acid damage is sometimes more dangerous than sugar damage, because it not only weakens the enamel and erodes the minerals in it. It also extremely increases teeth sensitivity and makes tooth enamel more vulnerable for harmful activity of sugars. Many specialists consider acid erosion even more dangerous than damage from sugar as the former causes enamel demineralization, and the latter is more likely linked to cavities and tooth decay. That is why we all should be careful of consuming sugar-free foods thinking that the risks of damaging teeth are minimized.
article source : http://tips4dentalcare.com/2010/07/19/sugar-free-foods-harmful-teeth/
Posted in Kid's Health by .
Oct 10
5
What Your Mouth Is Telling You ?
When it comes to your gums, teeth and tongue, good and bad hygiene may be indications of existing or future health complications. What’s going on inside your mouth could affect your overall health.
If You Have..
Bad Breath
The obvious culprits to blame for bad or changed breath are eating certain kinds of food like garlic and onions, not drinking enough fluids and/or not brushing your teeth often enough. But your malodor could mean a range of mouth problems including an abscessed tooth, gum disease, tooth decay, a complication with a tooth extraction and/or throat or mouth cancer. Outside of your mouth, bad breath could be associated with sinus troubles, diabetes, digestive disorders, HIV, liver disease, kidney disorders and lung problems. Learn about home treatment for bad breath.
Mouth Sores
Not getting enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B-12 could be to blame for your canker or cold sores. The same holds true for hormonal changes, food allergies and viral infections. These mouth irritations have also been found to occur in people diagnosed with skin infections or diseases, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, chickenpox and oral cancer. Piercings, injury or medicines may also be to blame. Learn more about mouth sore complications.
Clean Teeth
Dental hygiene, combined with overall good health, may help prevent heart valve infection, according a June 2008 American Heart Association (AHA) study. Not brushing or skipping out on other good dental care habits puts you at risk for oral health problems like cavities, abscesses and gum disease, which in turn can expose you to frequent bacterium that may lead to heart valve infection, according to the AHA report.
Missing Teeth
Tooth loss may predict dementia later on in life, according to a study published in the October 2007 of the ‘Journal of the American Dental Association.’ The study’s authors point out that it is unclear whether the relationship is causal and that further studies are needed. Missing teeth may also be linked to head, neck, esophageal and lung cancers, according to an extensive Japanese study published in the May 2008 issue of ‘Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.’
Posted in Dental Care by .
Oct 10
5
10 Health Benefits of Apples
We’re told that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what exactly are the health benefits of apples? Here are ten reasons to heed the advice of that old proverb.
Bone Protection
French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.
Asthma Help
One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.
Alzheimer’s Prevention
A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Lower Cholesterol
The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.
Posted in Be Healthy Tips by .