Turmeric Extract Kills Highly Lethal Pancreatic Tumors, Preclinical Study Reveals

Turmeric Extract Kills Highly Lethal Pancreatic Tumors, Preclinical Study Reveals

Another great study on the benefits of Turmeric.

What Happens in Your Body When You Exercise?

What Happens in Your Body When You Exercise?

Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Drugs

Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today.  Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies.  In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585 ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our Downloadable Turmeric Document page, and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of you who are already are members and receive them automatically each month.

Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:

• Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [i]  [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research – 8 abstracts]
• Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii]  A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.[iv]  [for additional curcumin and inflammation research – 52 abstracts]
• Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine  (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journalActa Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research – 5 abstracts]
• Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journalArzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi]  [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]
• Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii][for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative research – 15 abstracts]
• Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer research – 52 abstracts]
• Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression  (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). [ix]

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirms-turmeric-effective-14-drugs

Asthma - What You Need To Know

Even today, asthma remains an issue that is poorly understood Often thought to be a childhood problem, the truth is that it can be triggered at any age. Statistically, the majority of people who suffer from asthma are adults. 

Some think it's no worse than a cold or the flu. For those who have experienced asthma, though, it can be a frightening and very uncomfortable occurrence. 

Simply put, asthma is a condition that affects the airways and breathing of the person who has it. It is triggered when the airway comes into contact with something that irritates the lining, causing it to become inflamed and begin to swell. The airways narrow even more due to the eventual build up of mucus. 

This narrowing has a constrictive effect on the airways causing the difficulty in breathing that we know as asthma. The wheezing, shortness of breath and feelings of tightness in the chest so common in asthma can easily fill the person with a sense of real fear, making them feel as if they are being asphyxiated. 

The triggers for asthma vary from person to person, depending on individual sensitivity. What might irritate one asthmatic sufferer may be completely harmless to another. An important element in asthma control is learning about your individual triggers and then avoiding them as much as possible.

Sometimes the asthma trigger may be obvious - pet dander, cat or dog hair, for example - After exposure to such things, the asthma symptoms will soon follow. But often the trigger may not be at all obvious, only producing symptoms much later, in what is know as a delayed reaction. 

The very first thing to do when experiencing any kind of difficulty with breathing is to consult a medical doctor. Nowadays, advanced treatments can offer the asthmatic person the opportunity to live a normal and full life. Following a diagnosis of asthma, an inhaler or nebulizer is often prescribed which can be used in order to calm inflammation and lessen the severity of the reaction to the trigger. Sometimes preventer medication and or steroids are advised in order to deal with acute symptoms.

Studies have shown that physical activity plays and important part in asthma prevention, but it is believed that fully 80% of asthma sufferers do not get sufficient exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight, combined with physical exercise helps to improve lung function, easing breathing. 

Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet, including a variety of different fresh fruit and vegetables can help enormously in controlling asthma. In addition, specific foods have been proven to protect against asthma and to help with lung function. 

Research has shown that eating foods rich in vitamin C such as strawberries, kiwis and citrus fruit may have a significant, protective effect on asthma's respiratory symptoms. 

An Italian study that followed 18,000 children discovered that those consuming the greatest amount of vitamin C-containing fruit had an enormous 44% fewer experiences of respiratory difficulty than children eating less of this kind of fruit. Further, breath shortness was lessened by 32%, and chronic cough by 25%. 

The study found that children who had already been diagnosed with asthma when the study began benefitted the most. Even amongst those children who ate fruit only once or twice a week fruit's protective effects were evident. 

Dutch research has confirmed these findings, demonstrating that people who ate the most fruit and vegetables had the healthiest lung function. 

Foods rich in vitamin E and C are believed to help reduce the inflammatory response in the lungs of those who suffer from asthma. 

Stress management can also be vital in asthma attacks prevention. Learning relaxation techniques and knowing how to de-stress can be of enormous help. A really effective way of letting go of stress is by listening to therapeutic self-hypnosis recordings specifically designed for the purpose. 

If you have been diagnosed with asthma, then follow your doctor's instructions, learn your particular triggers, combine this understanding with exercise, healthy eating and stress management and you can lead a fully active, normal and healthy life. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided for general information purposes only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Asthma---What-You-Need-To-Know&id=7536550

The seven-minute workout: does it really work?

Only five minutes into my workout and already I'm puffed and a little shaky. I might have a good general level of fitness, but this quick-fire routine is certainly getting the heartrate pumping - and exposing my pitiful ability when it comes to push ups.

A growing body of research shows that a snappy seven-minute workout can have similar, if not better, benefits than extended exercise sessions.

Earlier this week, the short workout was back in the spotlight following an article in the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal.

"There's very good evidence that high-intensity interval training provides many of the fitness benefits of prolonged endurance training but in much less time," said co-author Chris Jordan, the director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida.

In response to the research, the article's authors devised the seven-minute set of 12 exercises, designed to work the entire body. The set, which they suggest repeating two to three times, is possible to be performed anywhere, without special equipment.

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So I decided to test-drive the workout to see how effective it was and how achievable it is for your average person.

As someone who has a reasonable level of general fitness, but does absolutely no interval training, it was an interesting challenge.

By the seven-minute mark (well, it's actually not quite seven minutes if you do the maths) I was puffed and a little shaky - in a good way.

Working at about 80 per cent capacity and with 10 second breaks between each exercise, I felt well worked. And, given how pitiful my push-ups were, I figured I could definitely integrate the seven-minute workout into my standard, more hedonistic, exercise routine.

For those who don't enjoy spending too much time on exercise, such a short workout is no doubt appealing.

Indeed, while high-intensity circuit training might not be a new concept, Jordan and his fellow author wrote that it is growing in popularity because of its efficiency and practicality for a time-constrained society.

But is it just a heart attack waiting to happen?

"I don't doubt the science," says Fairfax fitness blogger and personal trainer Michael Jarosky. "However I doubt that this seven-minute circuit is the 100 per cent foolproof answer for the masses.

"Everybody and every body is different. I agree high-intensity, varied workouts yield results, but not everybody is ready for high intensity."

The risk here is too much too soon, even in short bursts, he says.

"What if a client is stressed at work, lacking sleep, in a bad relationship, and hasn't exercised before? They may want this circuit, but if you prescribe it and they are not ready, you can do some serious physical and mental harm. "

Heart Foundation NSW Chief Executive Kerry Doyle agrees.

“The seven-minute workout is a vigorous program suitable for people with an established level of fitness and who already exercise daily. Unfortunately that's not the vast majority of Australians," she says.

"In 2007 to 2008, around 62 per cent of adults did not meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, with a higher proportion of women not meeting the guidelines than men (64 per cent and 60 per cent respectively).

"The Heart Foundation would recommend anyone thinking of starting this program to seek medical advice first.”

In addition to seeking appropriate advice before trying to slam the seven minutes, you can also scale your workout down.

"If you can't do normal push-ups, perform them on your knees," Jarosky suggests. "If 10 seconds isn't enough rest, make it 20 or 30 seconds. And if intensity at an 8/10 level is too high, go at your own pace and intensity that is safe for your heart, mind and body."

And it's worth remembering that interval training may be effective for fat loss and toning, but it's good to use mixed and matched with other exercise.

"If you're training for a specific event, you'll still need to do the kilometres," Jarosky says. "Endurance training is still a useful tool. Mix it up, do what you enjoy, and be safe."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-sevenminute-workout-does-it-really-work-20130905-2t66i.html