Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Some reports suggest nearly half the world’s population suffers from vitamin D deficiency, which is unsettling news given that a lack of this important vitamin has been associated with a host of serious conditions: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis and even depression, not …
Most of us try to stay away from the inevitable ‘F’ word – FAT. But what we tend to forget is that certain fats are good for us and essentially needed in the body. Healthy fats are needed to support metabolism, cell signaling, the health …
In a new study, 14 million chronic illnesses were linked to cigarette smoking, which is a significantly larger number than previous estimates.
The findings of the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that the disease burden of cigarette smoking in the US “remains immense.” Experts stated that cigarettes are capable of harming every single organ in the human body, and smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the country.
In a previous study conducted in 2000, the CDC found that 8.6 million people suffered from 12.7 million medical conditions due to smoking. After studying new data, though, researchers found that this number has jumped to 14 million – and that’s considered a “generally conservative” estimate. The good news, however, is that teen smoking is at an all-time low, and the number of non-smoking households has doubled over the past 20 years. But with about 1 billion active smokers around the world, the authors of this study maintain that there is still a lot of work to be done on this issue. When you think about it, there are no health benefits to smoking, so it would be in your best interest to give up this habit.
Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.
Nutrients that may help protect the mouth and throat of smokers, drinkers and everyone else to a degree include Lycopene (natural source in a tomato oleoresin base), Green Tea polyphenols, Resveratrol, and Folic Acid, Vitamin E with Tocotrienols, and Aged Garlic.
Extremely Obese Kids can have a Heart Attack
The heart muscle of extremely obese kids can develop a very dangerous change – the muscles of their heart thicken. This can put the children at high risk for developing a heart attack. In a study of 340 kids admitted to the hospital with an average age of 12, and body mass index ranging from normal to extremely obese, ultrasound examination found that with increasing obesity there was an alarming increasing thickness of the heart muscles. The study was presented this week by physicians of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography in San Diego.
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash It’s no secret that stress is part of our lives, but how we manage it is what makes the biggest difference in our health. If we don’t find ways to manage our stress, we run the risk of creating …
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash By early next year, more than 20 chain restaurants will be required to post calorie counts on their menus. Although the goal is to let consumers know exactly how much food they consume in the hopes that customers will …
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that it’s definitely time to get your flu shot! We are just about in the full swing of flu season and taking precautions to prevent the flu is essential. Nearly 60% of the flu cases reported to the CDC during last flu season were people between 18 and 64. That figure proves even the healthiest can come down with the flu! Typically, younger children, the elderly and pregnant women are at a greater risk of getting the flu, but a large percentage of the so called ‘healthy’ population is reporting flu-like symptoms currently.
For those 65 and over, the federal health agency says a “one-two-three punch” is the best way to stay healthy all year long – the CDC recommends this age group be administered a high-dose flu shot, which gives stronger immune response and a greater protection against the flu. The flu can be a deadly illness, so all pregnant women should get the flu shot. The flu shot can be given in any trimester, but the sooner a new mom is vaccinated, the better for the baby.
Usually the flu virus is spread through droplet infection; sneezing and coughing. Breathing in droplets expelled into the air by an infected person’s cough is the most common route. These droplets can land in your eye or get inhaled into your nose; or they get on your face and you touch your face and then touch your mouth, your eyes, or your nose. Consciously avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth during flu season because germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. If you shake hands with a person who is coughing or sneezing, it would be a good idea to wash your hands. You can also get the flu from saliva when sharing cups, glasses, or other household objects used by a person who has the flu.
Flu viruses can last long enough outside of the human body to contribute to spreading infection. Studies have shown that flu viruses generally can survive on surfaces (such as phone receivers and doorknobs) between 2 to 8 hours depending on the environment. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water will help protect you from contracting the flu through touch. Alcohol wipes can help disinfect the hands and surfaces if there are infected people about.
“Combating Cold and Flu Viruses with Green Tea, NAC” by Jerry Hickey, R. Ph – Click here to read!
Once the flu virus is introduced into your body from an infected person the virus multiplies quietly in your body until you get symptoms of the disease which is about two to five days and this is referred to as the incubation period. When the symptoms are active at the peak of the infection is when you generally spread the flu because this is when you are sneezing and coughing.
Usually five to seven days for adults. Young children can be contagious for ten days to two weeks. Kids can also have diarrhea when they get the flu; something you usually don’t see in adults. According to the CDC, people with compromised (lowered) immune systems — such as people with AIDS or people taking drugs to prevent transplant rejection — can shed flu virus for weeks or months after infection.
Yes, research shows that the amino acid NAC, and that consuming Green Tea decrease the risk of developing upper respiratory tract infections including flu (NAC and Green Tea) and cold viruses (Green Tea). Other nutrients support immune system function and may improve resistance; medicinal mushrooms, Astragalus herb, Nucleotides and Olive Leaf.