Homegrown Herbal Remedies

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Calendula—also known as pot marigold—is a centuries-old antifungal, antiseptic, wound-healing ally according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). It’s the petals of these cheerful yellow and orange daisy-like flowers that lend skin-soothing properties to many natural cosmetics and diaper creams.

A freely reseeding annual that blooms all season long, Calendula makes a lovely addition to gardens with full sun. Harvest the petals fresh, or dry entire blooms—which close in the evening—before they’ve formed seeds.

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
Cilantro boasts a unique flavor you either love or hate. The leaves often garnish Mexican and Thai dishes, and the seeds—known as coriander—are a prime ingredient in Indian curries. Few think of this plant as a medicinal herb, but as noted in Phytotherapy Research, it’s a powerful digestive aid and cleansing agent capable of removing heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body.

Cilantro grows best in a cool, moist garden and will quickly bolt in hot weather. Look for slow bolt varieties from seed companies.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
This calming and uplifting perennial makes a pretty patch of bright green in the garden. The oils, tannins, and bitters in lemon balm’s fragrant leaves and flowers have a relaxing antispasmodic effect on the stomach and nervous system. When used topically, they help fight off viruses like herpes simplex according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). Lemon balm is tasty and gentle enough for children when prepared in teas or tinctures with a glycerin base.

It’s a great plant to grow and use fresh, as the dried herb loses some potency after six months.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Familiar flavors in toothpaste and chewing gum, both spearmint and peppermint pack a powerfully refreshing zing. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports that peppermint makes stronger medicine than its more culinary cousin. It readily relieves digestive discomforts like indigestion and vomiting when brewed as tea and soothes sore muscles in liniment recipes applied topically.

All mints spread rampantly in a moist garden, so consider growing each plant in its own large pot. Harvest leaves just before flowering. After that, they begin to taste bitter.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary is the great reviver. This perennial woody herb stimulates energy and optimism and sharpens memory and concentration by bringing more oxygen to your brain, according to UMMC. It’s a wonderfully stimulating alternative to caffeine when you need that second wind!

A row of these long-lived and drought-tolerant plants makes a beautiful, bee-friendly, evergreen hedge. You may only need one plant in your garden, as a little bit goes a long way.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Give this handsome and stately biennial plenty of space, and stand back in wonder—the sturdy, yellow-flowered stem will emerge from within a rosette of thick, hairy leaves, reaching skyward nearly six feet! The leaves are commonly added to cough formulas, as mullein’s emollient and expectorant properties help heal bronchial respiratory infections. According to UMMC, a well-strained infusion of leaves alone will ease and loosen a stubborn cough.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
This groundcover’s delicate stems and tiny leaves belie the tremendous power attributed to it by Europeans in the Middle Ages. Many believed in the herb’s ability to heighten bravery and ward off nightmares and other detriments. Modern herbalists rely on the antibacterial and antiseptic properties of thyme’s oils to prevent winter colds and flu. Tannins in the plant also help relieve mild diarrhea according to Steven Foster and Rebecca L. Johnson, authors of Desk Reference for Nature’s Medicine. Many cultivars exist beyond the straight species, including sweet-tasting citrus varieties that are perfect tummy remedies for children.

Lavender (Lavandula)
Long recognized for its sweet perfume, lavender also boasts medical benefits as a nervine and mild antidepressant. UMMC suggests adding it to your bath to alleviate stress, tension, and insomnia. It’s also used in creams to treat sunburns and acne.

Woody lavender plants prefer hot, sunny, and dry environments. The fresh flowers are tasty in small doses when added to salads, honey, butter, lemonade, and even shortbread cookies. If you’re crafty, try sewing up an herbal heating pad or eye pillow with the fragrant dried flowers.

German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Delicate, apple-scented chamomile demonstrates that mildness does not mean ineffectiveness. Primarily grown for its small, yellow-bellied flowers, NCCAM reports that chamomile is one of the best children’s herbs for treating colic, nervous stress, infections, and stomach disorders. In fact, it was chamomile tea that Peter Rabbit’s mother fixed for him after his stressful chase in Mr. McGregor’s garden!

Herbal Garden Allies
These easy-to-grow herbs bring health benefits to your garden as well as your family. Many attract beneficial insects, including bees, and help repel harmful pests from more sensitive plants nearby. Be sure to locate plants with their preferred conditions for light, water, and temperature in mind. For example, rosemary, lavender, and mullein thrive in warm, dry spots in full sun, while cilantro and mint prefer rich, moist areas with shade.

Source: health line

Antibiotic Misuse in Hospitals Raises Patient Infection Risk

More than half of hospitalized patients receive antibiotics, but these prescriptions may often be inappropriate — for example, giving patients the wrong medicine or leaving them on a drug for too long, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These prescriptions can put patients at risk for serious complications, including developing the deadly bacterial infection Clostridium difficile, according to the report.

In 2010, nearly 56 percent of hospitalized patients were prescribed antibiotics at some point during their stay, according to the report, which reviewed information from more than 300 U.S. hospitals.

But for about one-third of prescriptions for urinary tract infection (UTI), the researchers found evidence of prescribing errors: antibiotics were given without proper testing or evaluation for a UTI, or given for too long, the report found. (UTI is one of the most common conditions for which antibiotics are prescribed

In addition, an analysis of medical-surgical wards at selected hospitals showed that antibiotic use at some of these hospitals was three times higher than at other hospitals, a finding that suggests hospital prescribing practices can be improved, the CDC said.

The report found that patients who received powerful antibiotics (so-called board spectrum antibiotics) were three times more likely to get the notoriously difficult to treat diarrheal disease Clostridium difficile compared to patients who did not receive antibiotics.

The CDC estimates that reducing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics by 30 percent would lead to a 26 percent decrease in C. difficile infections. There are about 250,000 C. diff infections in hospitalized patients each year, and about 14,000 people in the U.S. die yearly from C. diff infections, CDC statistics show.

Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics also contributes to other antibiotic-resistant infections, a growing problem in U.S. hospitals, the CDC said.

“Antibiotics are often lifesaving; we have to protect them before our medicine chests run empty,” Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, told reporters today (March 4). “The drugs we have today are endangered, and any new drugs we get could be lost just as quickly if we don’t improve the way we prescribe and use them,” Frieden said.

The CDC recommends that every hospital implement a program to help improve antibiotic prescribing.

Such programs would include a way to monitor prescribing practices and antibiotic-resistant infections. The CDC also recommends that physicians who prescribe antibiotics reassess their patients after 48 hours to see whether the dose, duration or type of drug should be changed, Frieden said.

The CDC estimates that implementing these programs could reduce the rate of C. difficile infection by half over a five-year period, Frieden said.

The report will be published on Friday (March 7) in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Source: Live science

 

Male hormones play an important role in female fertility

Several fertility clinics across the country are beginning to administer testosterone, either through a patch or a gel on the skin, to increase the number of eggs produced by certain women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women are also purchasing the over-the-counter supplement DHEA, which is converted by the body into testosterone, to boost their chances of pregnancy with IVF.

A few clinical trials support the use of testosterone given through the skin, while others have shown no benefit of DHEA – also used in attempts to slow aging and enhance muscle mass – in increasing pregnancy and birth rates in women who don’t respond well to IVF therapy. Lacking a large and convincing body of data on the topic, the jury is still out as to whether male hormones such as testosterone improve female fertility.

A new study suggests that male hormones, also called androgens, help drive the development of follicles – structures that contain and ultimately release an egg that can be fertilized by a man’s sperm. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research also details how male hormones boost the production of follicles in mice. Authors believe the study provides potential biological targets to enhance fertility in women with diminished ovarian reserve, who produce few or no follicles in response to IVF drugs designed to boost follicle development.

“There is a raging debate in the reproductive endocrinology field about what male hormones are doing in female fertility,” said Stephen R. Hammes, M.D., Ph.D.,senior study author and professor of Endocrinology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. “Our study doesn’t solve the controversy, but, along with some earlier seminal studies from other groups, it does tell us that we can’t dismiss male hormones. They might actually be doing something useful.”

Using multiple animal models and cell experiments, Hammes and lead study author Aritro Sen, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Endocrinology at the medical school found that male hormones promote follicle development in two ways. First, they prevent follicles from dying at an early stage. They do this by ramping up a molecule that stops cells from self destructing, a process called apoptosis. Hammes and Sen speculate that if a woman doesn’t have enough androgens (male hormones), more of her follicles may be dying and fewer progressing to a mature stage when they produce and release an egg.

Using multiple animal models and cell experiments, Hammes and lead study author Aritro Sen, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Endocrinology at the medical school found that male hormones promote follicle development in two ways.

First, they prevent follicles from dying at an early stage. They do this by ramping up a molecule that stops cells from self destructing, a process called apoptosis. Hammes and Sen speculate that if a woman doesn’t have enough androgens (male hormones), more of her follicles may be dying and fewer progressing to a mature stage when they produce and release an egg.

Second, androgens make ovarian cells more sensitive to follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH, which promotes follicle growth. They do this by creating more FSH receptors – molecules on the surface of ovarian cells that jumpstart the follicle making process in response to the hormone.

When the team administered small doses of androgens to mice that were taking the equivalent of medications given to women undergoing IVF therapy, they developed more mature, egg-containing follicles than mice that didn’t receive androgens.

The androgen-treated female mice also released larger numbers of eggs with ovulation.

The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Medical express

Yoga can help improve well being of women with breast cancer

Yoga may improve the lives of breast cancer patients, a study has found.
Researchers say practising it can control stress and improve the wellbeing of women having radiation treatment.

Simple stretching exercises were able to lessen fatigue, the study showed.
But – when stretching was combined with the breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques used in yoga – breast cancer patients also felt healthier and more relaxed.
Lorenzo Cohen, a professor who led the research at the University of Texas, said that combining mind and body practices had ‘tremendous potential’.

The study, which was reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, split 191 women with breast cancer into three groups: yoga, simple stretching and neither.
Women who practised yoga had the steepest fall in their cortisol levels, suggesting yoga helped regulate the stress hormone.
Dr Cohen said: ‘Combining mind and body practices that are part of yoga clearly have tremendous potential to help patients manage the psycho-social and physical difficulties associated with treatment and life after cancer, beyond the benefits of simple stretching.’

To conduct the study, 191 women with breast cancer were split into three groups – yoga; simple stretching; or no instruction in yoga or stretching.
Participants in the yoga and stretching groups attended sessions specifically tailored to breast cancer patients for one-hour, three days a week throughout their six weeks of radiation treatment.

They were asked to report on their quality of life, including levels of fatigue and depression, their daily functioning and a measure assessing ability to find meaning in the illness experience.  Saliva samples were collected and electrocardiogram tests were also administered throughout and after the course of treatment.

Dr Cohen said the research shows that developing a yoga practice also helps patients after completing cancer treatment.
He added: ‘The transition from active therapy back to everyday life can be very stressful as patients no longer receive the same level of medical care and attention.
‘Teaching patients a mind-body technique like yoga as a coping skill can make the transition less difficult.’
Dr Cohen and his team are now conducting a clinical trial in women with breast cancer to further determine the mechanisms of yoga that lead to improvement in physical functioning, quality of life and biological outcomes during and after radiation treatment.

Source: daily mail

Intake of fish can boost good cholesterol levels

Increasing the intake of fatty fish increases the number of large HDL particles, according to a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. People who increased their intake of fish to a minimum of 3-4 weekly meals had more large HDL particles in their blood than people who are less frequent eaters of fish. Large HDL particles are believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases.

The consumption of fish has long been known to be beneficial for health; however, the mechanisms by which fats and other useful nutrients found in fish work in the human body are not fully known. This new study carried out at the UEF provides new information on how the consumption of fish affects the size and lipid concentrations of lipoproteins which transport lipids in the blood. The study participants increased their intake of fatty fish in particular.

It was observed that a higher intake of fish increased the number of large HDL particles and lipids contained in them. Population-based studies have shown that HDL cholesterol — also known as good cholesterol — and large HDL particles are efficient in sweeping extra cholesterol off artery walls. Large HDL particles have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, whereas small HDL particles may even have opposite effects.
Positive changes in lipid metabolism were observed in persons who increased their intake of fish most, i.e. in persons who ate at least 3-4 fish meals per week.

The study participants ate fatty fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, herring and vendace. No added butter or cream was used in the preparation of fish. The study doesn’t give answers to whether a similar effect would have been observed had the study participants mainly eaten low-fat fish such as zander and perch. Low-fat fish may have other health benefits such as lowering of blood pressure, which was observed in an earlier study carried out at the UEF.

State-of-the-art metabolomics was used in the study, enabling for instance a very detailed analysis of lipoprotein particles. The analyses were carried out by the university’s NMR Metabolomics Laboratory. Traditionally, cholesterol is divided into “bad” LDL cholesterol and “good” HDL cholesterol, but this method allows the investigation of a total of 14 different particle classes. “People shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking that if their standard lipid levels are OK, there’s no need to think about the diet, as things are a lot more complicated than that. Soft vegetable fats and fish are something to prefer in any case,” Postdoctoral Researcher Maria Lankinen says.

However, the researchers emphasize that a dietary approach to the treatment of increased overall and LDL cholesterol levels is important. The findings are well in line with the Finnish nutrition recommendations encouraging people to reduce the consumption of red meat and to increase the consumption of fish and other sea foods. Further information on the health effects of fish will become available in the near future as results from the Alfakala project carried out at the UEF Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition become available. The study takes a more detailed approach into the health effects of fish- and plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids, and it studies the health effects of fatty and low-fat fish.

Source; Science daily

 

Recipe: Low Fat Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups chopped spinach (palak)
  • 1/2 cup fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
  • 25 mm (1”) piece ginger (adrak)
  • 2 1/2 green chillies , finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup sliced low fat paneer
  • 1/2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
  • 3 tsp oil
  • Salt to taste

Procedure:
Wash spinach and fenugreek properly by removing thick stems.Cook them in microwave for 40 seconds, blend the cooked leaves in a blender. Now put the oil in a pan add onion, green chillies,and ginger and fry it for 5 mins. Add paneer , spinach, amchur powder, and salt . cook for 3 to 4 minutes and serve.

Source: Zee news

DMC partners with BMJ to provide online CME programme for doctors

 

Delhi Medical Council has signed an agreement with BMJ to provide an online CME programme, based on learning needs of healthcare professionals independent of pharmaceutical industry for better patient care.

Dr Arun Kumar Agarwal, president, Delhi Medical Council, said, “With this association we aim to develop a custom designed online learning website for our members and jointly contribute towards the clinical as well as academic needs of the DMC doctors.”

With this announcement, a three-month BMJ Learning platform will be available for DMC members at learning.bmj.com/dmc.

The partnership is for two years and both parties will jointly contribute towards the clinical as well as academic needs of the DMC doctors to provide a continuous learning and upgradation of knowledge for the DMC members.

The BMJ Learning online CME (continuous medical education) modules are accredited by DMC for one credit hour/CME point and doctors completing the online modules will be awarded with a joint completion certificate, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

Anand Ekambaram, managing director, BMJ India, said, “We are excited about this association with the Delhi Medical Council and are looking forward to creating specially designed learning modules for the DMC members.”

DMC has also launched online registration services for its members and has decided to waive off the late fees charges, due on renewal of registration, till March 31.

Source: India medical Times

 

Keep up with the changing trends in hair and make up

The trends keep changing but beauty stays in vogue, always. It’s new year and like every time, we need to keep ourselves up to date with the changing trends in hair and beauty. So here’s a guide for you from Bharti Taneja, renowned beauty expert and aesthetician, also the Founder Director of Alps Cosmetic Clinic,to be the trendsetter and the centre of attraction wherever you are.

Eye Effect

Dust the eyes with the halo of citron orange or coral. When you want to look alluring, there is nothing better than classic smoky eyes. You can also get edgy and unforgettable cat eyes with a real turquoise blue or electric navy eyeshadow, extending the inner and outer corner of the eye. For a trendy look, apply a white pencil on the waterline that will also make your eyes appear bigger. Pastel hues like lavenders, baby blues, buttery yellows can dress up your eye in the day.

Perfect Kiss

The red pout seems to be classic and timeless. It is not going anywhere this season. Wear it shine-free keeping your eyes and cheeks completely neutral. A fluorescent pop of orange and hot pink will also make an intense statement. Be sure to adorn your lips in matte candy colours like bubblegum pink, cherry red or tangerine orange.

Hair Story

An unfussy blow-dry, near perfect French braids or tousled romantic waves are going to steal the limelight. While the look is modern, the idea is to keep it really simple. Say bye to flouncy hair and embrace your straightening irons. Invest in simple to dramatic headbands for the different occasions and outfits.

Golden Effect

Concealer is the most important tool from your vanity kit this season. Create a bare minimum makeup look by using your concealer. Play up your cheeks a little with the bronzer to get the tanned glow. Bronze the cheeks, bridge of nose and forehead to achieve glowing skin.

source: Zee news

6 Ways Mushrooms Can Improve Your Health

Button mushrooms provide vitamin D
If dried and grown in the right way, mushrooms are one of the few foods that can provide you with this elusive vitamin, which your body generally makes from sunlight. Consuming dried white button mushroom extract was found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or D3 for increasing vitamin D levels.

Shitake mushrooms protect your liver
Shitake mushrooms contain lentinan, which has been isolated and used to treat stomach and other cancers due to its anti-tumor properties. It has also been found to protect your liver, relieve other stomach ailments (hyperacidity, gallstones, ulcers), anemia, ascites, and pleural effusion

Reishi mushrooms can help treat lung cancer and leukemia
In China, the reishi mushroom has been called the “mushroom of immortality” because of all of its perceived health benefits. One of its more useful compounds is ganoderic acid (a triterpenoid), which is being used to treat lung cancer, leukemia and other cancers.

Turkey tail mushrooms may help treat breast cancer
A seven-year, $2 million NIH-funded clinical study in 2011 found that turkey tail mycelium improves immune function when dosed daily to women with stage I–III breast cancer. PSP, a polysaccharide complex in turkey tail, has been shown to significantly enhance immune status in 70 to 97 percent of cancer patients. Turkey tail may also be useful in treating chronic fatigue syndrome.

Himematsutake mushrooms

Himematsutake mushrooms may help decrease insulin resistance Also called the Royal Sun Agaricus, the Himematsutake mushroom is a relative of the common button mushroom. This mushroom is very popular in Japan because of its medicinal properties of decreasing insulin resistance in diabetics, normalizing cholesterol and improving skin and hair. –

How do you get all the health benefits of mushrooms?
Eat them raw or take a whole food mushroom (powdered pill) product if you’re reasonably healthy and just looking to maintain good health. If you eat them raw, it’s best to make sure they’re certified organic, since the flesh of mushrooms easily absorbs air and soil contaminants.

Source: Health Central

Food Allergies Have Doubled Among Black Children

Over the past two decades, reports of food allergies have nearly doubled among black children, a new study reveals.

Although childhood food allergies are on the rise overall, the spike in these allergies among black children is alarming, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. It remains unclear if this sharp increase is the result of better detection or some trigger in the environment.

The study, published in the March issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, involved more than 450,000 children. The researchers found that between 1988 and 2011, food allergies increased among black children at a rate of 2.1 percent every 10 years. Meanwhile, food allergies increased at a rate of just 1.2 percent each decade among Hispanics and 1 percent every 10 years among white children, the findings showed.

“Our research found a striking food allergy trend that needs to be further evaluated to discover the cause,” study author Dr. Corinne Keet, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, said in a journal news release.
“Although African Americans generally have higher levels of IgE — the antibody the immune system creates more of when one has an allergy — it is only recently that they have reported food allergy more frequently than white children,” Keet explained.

“It is important to note this increase was in self-reported allergy,” added Keet. “Many of these children did not receive a proper food allergy diagnosis from an allergist. Other conditions such as food intolerance can often be mistaken for an allergy, because not all symptoms associated with foods are caused by food allergy.”

A separate study also published in the same journal pointed out that many doctors who specialize in allergies can predict whether a child will be more likely to outgrow their food allergy or if it will remain a lifelong condition.

“Those allergic to milk, egg, soy and wheat are more likely to tolerate these allergens over time than those allergic to peanuts and tree nuts,” study author Dr. Wesley Burks, an allergist and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology fellow, said in the news release. “No single test alone can predict eventual food tolerance, but when patients are under the regular care of a board-certified allergist they can be re-evaluated and tested in different ways.”

Source: web md