The stomach normally secretes acid that is essential in the digestive process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. When there is excess production of acid by the gastric glands of the stomach, it results in the condition known as acidity. Dyspepsia, heartburn and the formation of ulcers are some of the symptoms. It is more common in highly emotional and nervous individuals.
- Consumption of Alcohol
- Highly spicy foodstuffs
- Non-vegetarian diets
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s)
Most acidity problems occur
- After meals
- When lifting weight or straining and applying pressure in the intra-abdominal area.
- At night when lying down.
Ulcers also occur as a result of over secretion of acid.
You kidneys may be a window into your health. In fact, measures of kidney health may predict premature death.
A person’s level of kidney function often indicates how likely they are to develop kidney failure and other conditions. Kidney function is most accurately represented by the kidneys’ filtration rate, but this is difficult to measure. Therefore, blood levels of a protein called creatinine are commonly used to assess kidney function, but levels of two other blood components—cystatin C and beta trace protein—are newly proposed markers that may be better predictors of individuals’ future health. It’s thought that these markers may go beyond indicating kidney health to include other aspects of an individual’s wellbeing.
To see how well these markers predict people’s future health, Navdeep Tangri, MD, Mark Sarnak, MD MS (Tufts Medical Center), and their colleagues analyzed data from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study, which provided levels of these markers for 816 kidney disease patients who were then followed for an average of 16.6 years.
The researchers found that, independent of the kidneys’ filtration rate, participants with higher creatinine had a higher risk of developing kidney failure, but a lower risk of dying. Those with higher cystatin C and beta trace protein had a higher risk of both kidney failure and death.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2011) — Physicians use inhalation anesthetics in a way that is incredibly safe for patients, but very little is known about the intricacies of how these drugs actually work in children and adults. Now, researchers have uncovered what cells respond to anesthesia in an organism known as the C. elegans, according to a new study from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. C. elegans is a transparent roundworm used often in research. The study, “Optical reversal of halothane-induced immobility in C. elegans,” is published in the December 20, 2011 issue ofCurrent Biology.
“Our findings tell us what cells and channels are important in making the anesthetic work,” said lead author Phil Morgan, MD, researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and University of Washington professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine. “The scientific community has attempted to uncover the secrets of how anesthetics work since the 1860s, and we now have at least part of the answer.” Margaret Sedensky, MD, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and a UW professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine, and Vinod Singaram, graduate student, Case Western Reserve University, are co-lead authors of the study.
The team studied the roundworm after inserting a pigment or protein typically found in the retina of a human eye — called a retinal-dependent rhodopsin channel — into its cells. The proteins in cell membranes act as channels to help movement. Researchers then used a blue light, activating channels in the roundworm that allowed the immediate reversal of anesthetics, and resulting in the roundworm waking up and seemingly swimming off the slide.
A video of a roundworm reacting to the blue light, waking up from anesthesia can be found here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhtFvKlnwxU
Yale researchers have uncovered the molecular tricks used by bacteria to fight the effects of fluoride, which is commonly used in toothpaste and mouthwash to combat tooth decay.
In the Dec. 22 online issue of the journal Science Express, the researchers report that sections of RNA messages called riboswitches — which control the expression of genes — detect the build-up of fluoride and activate the defenses of bacteria, including those that contribute to tooth decay.
“These riboswitches are detectors made specifically to see fluoride,” said Ronald Breaker, the Henry Ford II Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and senior author of the study.
Fluoride in over-the-counter and prescription toothpastes is widely credited with the large reduction in dental cavities seen since these products were made available beginning in the 1950s. This effect is largely caused by fluoride bonding to the enamel of our teeth, which hardens them against the acids produced by bacteria in our mouths. However, it has been known for many decades that fluoride at high concentrations also is toxic to bacteria, causing some researchers to propose that this antibacterial activity also may help prevent cavities.
In today’s world we are under more pressure than ever to be the perfect weight. These days alot of focus is put on how we look. Everywhere we turn we are faced with images of models and celebrities with the ‘perfect’ body shape. People think that they are more likely to be accepted and popular if they slim down. Some others want to shed pounds to become more appealing to the opposite sex. Then there are a number of people who think once they are slimmer it will be easier to do more exercise and be generally healthier .
So how should we begin shedding those extra pounds? The most obvious solution is strict management of the food we eat and regular exercise but this is not always realistic when we are very busy or uninspired. Furthermore, diet plans often end in frustration with little tangible results and inconsistant opinions. The only other option that most people are aware of is using weight loss drugs. Many weight reduction drugs contain chemicals that con your system into not feeling hunger or to feel full, whilst consuming less food. Once you start putting chemicals into your body, undoubtedly there will be risks and possible side effects. Is there an alternative?
A respected international panel of scientists says cellphones are possible cancer-causing agents, putting them in the same category as the pesticide DDT, gasoline engine exhaust and coffee.
The classification was issued Tuesday in Lyon, France, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer after a review of dozens of published studies. The agency is an arm of the World Health Organization and its assessment now goes to WHO and national health agencies for possible guidance on cellphone use.
Classifying agents as “possibly carcinogenic” doesn’t mean they automatically cause cancer and some experts said the ruling shouldn’t change people’s cellphone habits.
“Anything is a possible carcinogen,” said Donald Berry, a professor of biostatistics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. He was not involved in the WHO cancer group’s assessment. “This is not something I worry about and it will not in any way change how I use my cellphone,” he said — speaking from his cellphone.
The same cancer research agency lists alcoholic drinks as a known carcinogen and night shift work as a probable carcinogen. Anyone’s risk for cancer depends on many factors, from genetic makeup to the amount and length of time of an exposure.
After a weeklong meeting on the type of electromagnetic radiation found in cellphones, microwaves and radar, the expert panel said there was limited evidence cellphone use was linked to two types of brain tumors and inadequate evidence to draw conclusions for other cancers.
“We found some threads of evidence telling us how cancers might occur, but there were acknowledged gaps and uncertainties,” said Jonathan Samet of the University of Southern California, the panel’s chairman.
“The WHO’s verdict means there is some evidence linking mobile phones to cancer but it is too weak to draw strong conclusions from,” said Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research U.K. “If such a link exists, it is unlikely to be a large one.”
Last year, results of a large study found no clear link between cellphones and cancer. But some advocacy groups contend the study raised serious concerns because it showed a hint of a possible connection between very heavy phone use and glioma, a rare but often deadly form of brain tumor. However, the numbers in that subgroup weren’t sufficient to make the case.
Forget about working crossword puzzles and listening to Mozart. If you want to improve your ability to reason and solve new problems, just take a few minutes every day to do a maddening little exercise called n-back training.
In an award address on May 28 at the annual meeting of the Association forPsychological Science in Washington, D.C., University of Michigan psychologist John Jonides presented new findings showing that practicing this kind of task for about 20 minutes each day for 20 days significantly improves performance on a standard test of fluid intelligence—the ability to reason and solve new problems, which is a crucial element of general intelligence. And this improvement lasted for up to three months.
Jonides, who is the Daniel J. Weintraub Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, collaborated with colleagues at U-M, the University of Bern and the University of Tapei on a series of studies with more than 200 young adults and children, demonstrating the effects of various kinds of n-back mental trainingexercises. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and by the Office of Naval Research.
Since the 1980s, physicians and cancer groups have regularly warned the public against the potential health dangers of direct sunlight on skin. As a result, many people have stayed out of the sunlight completely, covered their limbs even in warm weather or slathered themselves with UV protection products, all in the interest of lowering their risk of melanomas.
However, more recent findings indicate that this kind of nearly vampiric avoidance of the sun may not benefit your cancer odds after all.
A 2009 study by a group of Leeds University researchers found that higher levels of Vitamin D were linked to improved skin cancer survival odds. Other studies have found that Vitamin D has a connection to a strong immune response in the body. In fact, Vitamin D may hasten the death of tumor cells.
Unfortunately, most people have low levels of Vitamin D, leaving them at higher risk for a host of diseases including breast cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, cervical cancer, rickets and osteoporosis.
