Natural Remedies
Let’s face facts: Without good health, nothing else really matters. And in today’s fast-paced world, sometimes it’s more convenient to get an over-the-counter drug or have a prescription filled. But with so many natural remedies out there, you shouldn’t have to risk your health with potentially dangerous chemicals and drugs. That’s why the Doctors Health Press team is constantly researching new natural remedies to help your various health issues. Every day through our free daily Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, we’ll provide you with the latest natural remedies for virtually any ailment. From minor health issues to major diseases, there are natural remedies out there that can help, and you can count on us to find them for you. So don’t be left in the dark. Let the Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin reveal all of the effective natural remedies out there to help you achieve better health today.
Whether you’re concerned about preventing breast cancer, lung cancer or any other form of the dreaded disease or you want to know how to prevent the onset of diabetes or properly maintain your diabetes or you simply want to maintain your healthy blood pressure, we’ll give you the best natural remedies and alternative cures every day in the Doctors Health Press.
Organic, Local Produce is Best for Fighting Cancer
Adding a variety of vegetables to one’s diet could help lower your risk of lung cancer, according to a new study. It also found that adding a variety of fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of squamous cell lung cancer — especially among smokers.
The results appear in the “Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention” journal.
There is no substitution for quitting smoking. While proactively trying to do so, also focusing on what’s in your diet can be of great advantage. Consuming a mix of different types of fruit and vegetables can further deflate risk of lung cancer all by itself, and that discovery appears to be stronger in smokers than non-smokers.
Using information from the ongoing, multi-centered European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, researchers evaluated more than 452,000 people, about 1,600 of whom were diagnosed with lung cancer.
They then honed in on 14 commonly eaten fruits and 26 commonly eaten vegetables. All the produce consisted of fresh, canned or dried products.
Older studies have shown that the amount of vegetables and fruits you eat could lower your risk of lung cancer, particularly one specific type of lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma. The new study didn’t focus on the amount being consumed, but rather the variety of fruits and vegetables in the diet.
They found that, when this was the case, lung cancer risk went down. Also, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma decreased substantially when a variety of fruits and vegetables was eaten. These foods contain a slew of natural chemicals that have direct biological actions in the human body. Getting the largest mix you can of these “bioactive compounds” is your best bet.
It may be the first study that focused on diversity of produce. The researchers say the results are “very interesting” and show that these extremely healthful foods could protect anyone from lung cancer, even smokers.
Tobacco smoke contains a complex mixture of cancer-causing agents. Therefore, a mixture of protective agents is needed to have any beneficial effect in reducing one’s chance of lung cancer. When shopping in the produce aisles, it’s best to grab a variety of colors: dark greens, bright yellows and oranges, deep reds, and the like.
Optimally, organic and local produce is best for fighting cancer and for your health overall.
Tags: health articles, Health Articles, lower lung cancer, lung cancer, Nutritional Information, nutritional information, veggies, veggies cancer
Dairy Ingredient Could Help Prevent Diabetes
Researchers have found a natural substance in dairy foods that may slash your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That substance is called “trans-palmitoleic acid” and it’s a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, butter and yogurt. It is not made in the human body, thus dairy is the one place to find it.
The news comes from Harvard University and is published in the “Annals of Internal Medicine.” It helps explain that trans-palmitoleic acid may be the reason why recent studies have found that diets rich in dairy foods are linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Health experts generally advise reducing full-fat dairy products — but this runs a bit contrary, as trans-palmitoleic acid is found in dairy fat.
Researchers looked at 3,736 participants in a national study who have been followed for 20 years to evaluate risk factors for heart disease. But they also checked out risk factors such as blood sugar and insulin levels, which are acutely involved in diabetes.
At the start, higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid were linked with less blood cholesterol, less inflammation, and healthier insulin levels. Following up, they found further proof that levels of trans-palmitoleic acid led to a much lower risk of developing diabetes. It was about a 60% lower risk among people in the highest one-fifth of trans-palmitoleic acid levels.
The researchers call that number “striking.”
It is an almost three-fold difference in risk of developing diabetes among individuals with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid. This type of acid is nearly exclusive to naturally-occurring dairy and meat fats, which in prior studies have not been linked to higher heart disease risk.
This is the first time that trans-palmitoleic acid has been evaluated with respect to type 2 diabetes. Why it helps protect us from the disease is not known. Still, the researchers write: “This is an extremely strong protective effect, stronger than other things we know can be beneficial against diabetes.”
While they move forward with further research, know that dairy is not just brimming with calcium, but also with hidden agents that may combat diabetes.
Tags: Dairy, diabetes, Milk, Type 2 Diabetes
Treat High Blood Pressure and Save Yourself
High blood pressure often goes untreated. It doesn’t really cause any symptoms until something serious happens. High blood pressure can lead to a stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.
Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is something you can and should do for yourself. You can book an appointment with your doctor, or you can monitor your blood pressure at self-serve stations located in most pharmacies. Your blood pressure reading should fall between the normal range listed — usually at or below 120/80 (systolic/diastolic).
If you are over the age of 35, or if you or your family have a history of high blood pressure or heart or kidney
problems, you should monitor your blood pressure.
Anyone can develop high blood pressure. There are many things that can raise your blood pressure. Just being over the age of 55 increases your risk for this condition. Men are more likely to develop high blood pressure, as are African Americans. Smoking increases your risk, as does an inactive lifestyle with little or no exercise. Being overweight can lead to blood pressure readings that are higher than normal.
There is also a number of dietary risk factors that lead to high blood pressure levels, such as salt intake. Certain drugs and medications can increase your blood pressure.
And finally, medical conditions that affect your kidneys, such as diabetes, can raise blood pressure levels. This is because the kidneys are regulators of long-term blood pressure.
If you find that you do have high blood pressure, make sure you take the diagnosis seriously. A recent study suggests that, for those who are over the age of 80, treating high blood pressure means directly reducing the chance for having a stroke or heart failure, and/or dying from cardiovascular disease.
A team of researchers treated 3,845 people with high blood pressure with either a diuretic or a placebo. After two years of therapy, blood pressure among the patients taking the diuretic was significantly lower than among those receiving the placebo.
The rate of stroke was reduced 30% in the diuretic group compared to the placebo group. There was also a whopping 64% drop in the rate of heart failure among patients receiving the diuretic.
Make sure you visit your doctor if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked recently. It’s a painless test and could save you from suffering through some pretty serious complications.
Tags: blood pressure, free medical advice, solution
