Valentine's Day Is Good for Your Health

Excerpt from Faith and Family Live! and Featured Articles

Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Friday, February 12, 2010 12:00 PM

Here’s a bit of good news, just in time for the holiday this weekend:

Chocolate Lowers Risk of Stroke

A new review of recent research on chocolate and stroke risk found at least two large studies are suggestive of the health benefits of chocolate in lowering the risk of stroke. The results will be presented in April at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto. The first study found 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke than people who didn’t eat chocolate.

When you share the good stuff with your sweetie, be sure to share some physical affection as well:

Hugs Warm the Heart, and May Protect It

This is the latest of many studies suggesting humans are “hard-wired” to thrive as social animals, says Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School. Field’s research shows touch lowers output of cortisol, a stress hormone. When cortisol dips, there’s a surge of two “feel good” brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine.

So, during this Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day, as Jesus said, "do not be afraid" to eat as much chocolate as you can.- Linudus.

To my readers, Kong Hee Fatt Choy and Happy Valentine's Day. Linundus Kinabalu

Should Govt continue to subsidise sugar price?

Malaysians can adopt the habit of consuming less sugar if there is a strong will on their part, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

Citing himself as an example, Najib said he no longer uses any sugar in his teh tarik.

“To me, it is illogical for the Government to fork out almost RM1bil yearly in subsidy for a commodity which is detrimental to public health,” he told reporters after presenting incentives to pupils in the Pekan constituency who excelled in the UPSR examinations last year.

Najib, who is also Pekan MP, said Malaysia had one of the highest number of diabetes cases in the world due to high intake of sugar.

He said the decision to raise the prices of sugar by 20 sen per kg was implemented for the good of the people.

Najib said the people should also view the sugar price increase positively, that is, by changing their dietary habit for their own good health.

LINUNDUS SAYS ...

I certainly agree with the Prime Minister to discontinue the Government subsidy on sugar price which amounts to a staggering RM1bil a year. By continuing the subsidy, it is tantamount to encouraging the rakyat to get into a habit of excessive sugar intake that is detrimental to one's health if not controlled.

The Prime Minister said that to him, "it is illogical for the Government to fork out almost RM1bil yearly in subsidy for a commodity which is detrimental to public health.”

I applaud the PM's concern about the health of his Rakyat, and I personally support his decision to discontinue the subsidy so that, by discontinuing the subsidy, the Government's noble intention to reduce the intake of sugar by the public is achieved.

Wait a minute. The Government gains from the subsidy (almost RM1billion per annum) while the Rakyat has to bear the cost of the price increase. Is it fair? Why cant the Government transfer a portion of the subsidy to subsidise the cost of rice which is more important to public health and for the good of the people? I believe the Rakyat is more appreciative to the Government if the cost of rice is being lowered further.

Killer Lung Cancer: You Don't Have to be a Smoker

by Margo Varadi Jul 28th 2009 2:45AM Of all the cancers, lung cancer is considered the number one killer in terms of mortality, says Dr. Stephen Lam, a Vancouver respirologist and chair of the Lung Tumour Group at the BC Cancer Agency.

According to him, some 23,500 new cases are projected for Canada in 2009. The reason lung cancer is so devastating is because it is often caught too late. That's why the survival rate is currently an abysmal 16%. There are few survivors able to lobby for the cause.

Here Dr. Lam talks about lung cancer, how to identify it and what causes it:

Q: Why aren't we catching lung cancer early enough?

A: When lung cancer is small, it doesn't produce any symptoms. By the time the patient shows symptoms, goes to see their family doctor and gets an x-ray usually the cancer is quite big. That means it's usually spread outside the lung and it's not curable.

More after the jump.

Q: We use mammograms to screen for breast cancer and pap smears to screen for cervical cancer, why aren't we screening earlier for lung cancer?

A: The technology is very good; we can pick up very small cancers. Because the lung is an internal organ, the detection is more extensive in terms of the cost of the CT scan or the bronchoscopy. Also the CT scan is very sensitive so not every nodule or shadow that we see on the CT scan is cancerous. In fact, the majority are not cancerous. So then we have to do a follow up investigation. That's where the time and the cost come into play.

Q: Is there a specific profile for someone who is most likely to get lung cancer?

A: It's usually people in their fifties who have smoked thirty years or more. In Canada about 90% of people with lung cancer are smokers and about 10% have never smoked. Other factors include a family history of lung cancer.

Q: Is there a genetic marker for lung cancer?

A: There are a couple of genes that have been identified. There's a region in chromosomes 6q and 15q that are related to lung cancer. If you have immediate family members who've had lung cancer, the risk of lung cancer is higher.

Q: We know that smoking causes lung cancer but what else causes it?

A: There are other occupational and environmental factors that could cause lung cancer. For example, in Asian women we suspect things like cooking oil particularly grape seed and soybean can result in higher incidence of lung cancer. When you burn them at high temperatures by, say, frying food in a wok, they become carcinogenic. In Asia, 30 to 50 percent of lung cancer cases have never smoked and the majority are women.

Some exposure to minerals like arsenic, cadmium or nickel can also induce cancer. People working in a copper or nickel refinery are at higher risk of lung cancer. Indoor radon gas is known to be a carcinogen. Depending on the geography of where we live, the environmental radon level can be higher or lower. In BC, the interior has a higher radon levels compared to Vancouver.

Q: What things can we can do to protect ourselves from lung cancer?

A: Other than avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke, there's nothing you can do. Second hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by about 20%.

Q: What are the first signs of lung Cancer that people can look for?

A: Usually a cough is the commonest symptom. Some people who have had a smoker's cough for a long time might not even notice. Coughing up blood, breathing problems and/or chest pain are also possible early signs.

Q: What should people do if they have these symptoms?

A: They should go and see their family doctor to get it checked out. If they have symptoms, they should undergo routine clinical diagnosis.

*This interview has been condensed and edited.

A cup of tea wards off heart disease

Besides giving you a kick start in the morning, your favourite cup of tea has the potential to keep heart attacks at bay, a dietician 

A cup of tea ward off heart disease, boosts brain (Getty Images)

has claimed. 

What’s more, a daily cup of tea also boosts the brain, according to a major review of research into the potential health benefits of the beverage.  The survey, commissioned by the Tea Advisory Panel and published in the journal Nutrition and Food Science, revealed that four cups a day significantly cuts the risk of a heart attack, keeps hydration at a healthy, optimal level and even improves alertness and mood.  Clinical studies reveal that natural plant antioxidants found in tea - called polyphenols - have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body.  This happens through a range of mechanisms, including anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, reports The Daily Express.  The study, by dietician and Tea Advisory Panel member Dr Carrie Ruxton, found that drinking tea could reduce the risk of having a heart attack.  Ruxton said: “Tea is a national favourite but, as well as being a delicious and refreshing drink, it also has some good health benefits, thanks to its high flavonoid content. My research showed that there’s a very solid, and growing body of evidence that indicates tea can play a good role in helping to combat cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and strokes.  “We’re not sure of the exact mechanism, but it’s thought that tea flavonoids could be involved in controlling inflammation, reducing thrombosis (excess blood clotting), promoting blood vessel function and helping to limit furring-up of the arteries.  “There’s no doubt that the natural ingredients in tea offer good health benefits.  “My research shows that you don’t need to drink gallons of tea to get real improvements - just three or four cups a day are enough.” 

Lower Your Blood Pressure With Hibiscus Tea

We’ve had super-fruits, now it’s power-flowers – scientists believe a flower-based drink can prevent high blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart.

Their research shows just two cups a day of hibiscus juice provides the best natural remedy yet for high blood pressure sufferers.

The drink contains extracts from the hibiscus sabdariffa flower, also known as Indian sorrel or Florida cranberry. The extracts contain powerful antioxidants which are believed to have significant health benefits.

Antioxidants can help to mop up chemicals in the body known as free radicals, which are associated with cancer and heart disease.

The Daily Express quotes Andrew Weill, alternative health guru: "Hibiscus is now the most promising herb for treating blood pressure. Studies have found that people who drank two cups of hibiscus daily for four weeks lowered their diastolic blood pressure by 12 percent - results similar to those for common blood pressure medication."

People who drank two cups of hibiscus daily for four weeks lowered their diastolic blood pressure by 12 %

Dr Andrew Weil

Hibiscus tea has been found to be extremely effective at reducing high blood pressure. Nutrition

scientist Diane McKay presented the results of her study to the annual conference of the American Heart Association, which found that, after six weeks, those drinking hibiscus three times per day showed an average of 7.2 percent decrease in blood pressure, with some showing as much as a 13.2 per cent drop. The control group, given a placebo, only showed a 1.3 percent drop in blood pressure.