Author: Hill Castle
Seizures are not only frightening for those who experience them and those who witness them; they can also be extremely dangerous when sufferers lose consciousness or control and fall down. Unfortunately, doctors have yet to find a way to stop them entirely. However, a new study is giving a lot of people hope after finding that taking CBD caused a significant drop in the number of seizures experienced by people who have a severe form of epilepsy. Researchers from the NYU School of Medicine reached this conclusion after carrying out a randomized, double-blind, large-scale study that involved people with Lennox…
Do you struggle with an irrational fear, like acrophobia (fear of heights)? Or does your phobia come from within, like the fear of being imperfect? If you’re always stressed about being perfect or if you’re paralyzed by the constant need to be perfect, you could have atelophobia. Atelophobia is an extreme form of perfectionism that can severely impact quality of life and your overall well-being. The symptoms of atelophobia Like other irrational fears, atelophobia is categorized as an anxiety disorder and individuals with this disorder are called atelophobes. Atelophobes are afraid of not being good enough and they constantly feel that everything they…
Getting enough sleep is crucial for overall health since our bodies recuperate during this time. Understandably though, many of us are involved in different activities – working, taking care of the family, exercising, hanging out with friends – that we always tend to sacrifice a good night’s sleep. However, this type of neglect is costing us our health and if we don’t address it soon, it may lead to irreversible damage. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least a third of our adult population reported getting less than seven hours of sleep. This statistic is…
A new study has found that people who have just had the flu are up to six times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack. In the biggest study to look at stroke and heart attack risk from specific respiratory infections, researchers found that some of the organisms that can cause a respiratory infection also raise a person’s risk of these adverse events. According to the study, which was published in the European Respiratory Journal, a person’s chances of having a heart attack are higher in the week after a flu or pneumonia infection, while their stroke risk…
With close to 1.4 billion inhabitants, China is the country with the single biggest population on the planet. It is also an incredibly industrialized and polluted country, and a recent study has found that the combination of pollutants being pumped into the air by factories, power plants, vehicles and apartment heating systems, is creating a “toxic cocktail” that is literally killing people. It is not just the volume of pollutants but also their variety which is causing grave concern among experts. Chinese smog is like a toxic soup of both heavy particulates of the type that blanketed industrial cities in…
Whether we like it or not, all of us get older. Yet there are people who don’t look their biological age, causing some of us to mutter and wonder why these people should be so lucky. “It’s just not fair,” we say, wondering why our face is filled with wrinkles and crow’s feet. “Maybe it’s because of genetics. Surely, they just won the jackpot in that sense.” But epidemiological evidence suggests that diet has more influence on how we look than we realize. Nutritionists are concluding that a deficiency in vitamin K2 can lead to uneven skin tone and dry, ageing…
Bitter melons may taste unpleasant to some people, but its health benefits cannot be denied. In particular, a study in China suggested that oil extracts from bitter melon seeds have the potential to support weight loss. The results of the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism, also pointed out that consuming bitter melon seed oil could restore the balance between lipid intake and metabolism. The study, led by researchers from the Hefei University of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, built on popular knowledge on the health benefits of bitter melons. Earlier studies have also looked at the correlation…
As antifungal drug resistance grows increasingly common, a number of scientists have turned to plant-derived essential oils for a solution. To that end, researchers from the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) have developed a new screening method to identify the antimicrobial qualities of these volatile substances. They dubbed their method the vapor-phase-mediated susceptibility (VMS) assay, which they based on the vapor?phase?mediated patch assay. Both were intended to assess the vapor-phase-mediated antimicrobial activities of particular substances, or the inhibitory antimicrobial activity of a molecule after its evaporation and migration through the vapor-phase. For their study, the researchers utilized a 96-well microplate. “We…
There have been numerous studies linking gut health to all kinds of diseases, including – but not limited to – diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease. Leaky gut among psoriasis patients can be added to that growing list, courtesy of a study published in Scientific Reports. For their study, the researchers used 52 patients who’d been diagnosed with plaque psoriasis. Of the 52 patients, 13 were identified as positive for bacterial translocation (BT), which is the passage of bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to other parts of the body. Genome sequencing allowed the team to identify and analyze the intestinal…
A married couple from Germany were left paralyzed and fighting for their lives in intensive care for about five months after eating some home-canned green beans. The anonymous husband and wife were diagnosed with botulism, an extremely rare but life-threatening bacterial illness. Botulism is caused by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria which grow on food and produce lethal neurotoxins. When ingested, these toxins can leave the body in a vegetative state. The same deadly toxin can be found in botox injections, but in much smaller doses to paralyze facial muscles. The wife suffered dizziness, double vision, drooping eyelids, and struggled to speak when she was admitted to the hospital.…
You wouldn’t happen to know where that fat you shed goes, would you? If you don’t, you’re not alone. According to an article in The Conversation, 98 percent of health professionals failed to explain the process of weight loss. Out of 150 doctors, dietitians, and personal trainers surveyed, only three gave the right answer. And no, it was not “fat turns into energy,” as most people think. Neither was it “fat turns into muscle.” It’s not “it is expelled through the colon,” either. So what is the answer? The answer is that fat breaks down into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.…
Botox injections are all the rage these days; the pressure to remain “forever young” has only been heightened by the rise of social media – and people are getting age-defying procedures done at younger and younger ages. While you may think of Botox as being for those of us approaching middle age, doctors are now pushing something called “preventative Botox” on young twenty- and thirty-somethings, all in the name of preventing those pesky wrinkles. Scare tactics from experts include suggesting that the earlier millennials start treating their non-existent wrinkles, the “better” their “results” will be long-term. But new research has shown…
Ever had one of those days where by the end of it you’re ready to crawl from the couch onto the bed, and sleep for 12 hours? Or maybe you’re one of those people who feel that way as soon as you wake up, or by mid afternoon (after the caffeine has worn off from the morning coffee), or virtually all day. This certainly makes a day drag on, and cuts into your enjoyment of living your day to day life. Although this kind of scenario is quite common, it doesn’t have to be that way. Eliminating a few energy destructive…
A coalition of 56 legislators led by Representative Vicky Hartzler, a Republican from Missouri, is calling on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to launch an investigation into Planned Parenthood over the abortion group’s alleged ongoing cover-up of sexual abuse cases involving minors who receive services at its clinics. The move comes after a pro-life advocacy group known as Live Action broke the news with an eye-opening report highlighting a number of instances over the years in which Planned Parenthood employees were caught administering abortions to minors who were clearly being sexually abused by family members. As many…
In 2005, the rate of patients with chronic diseases almost doubled from seven percent to 13 percent – this started to happen nine years earlier when genetically modified organisms (GMO) were introduced. While the U.S. government approves of genetically modified food, even they can’t hide that fact that it has a lot of adverse effects on humans, animals, and the environment. Such products have caused numerous health problems which often led to more serious and long-term complications due to their high toxicity levels. What’s worse is how GM products leave traces inside the body which only negatively affects the system – for…
As one gets older and the body becomes frailer, the risk of falls and having fractured hips increases. A randomized trial conducted in France proved that calcium and vitamin D can help older adults develop stronger bones and thus, become more resistant to fractures caused by accidents. The subjects of the trial were older women aged 69 to 106 years old at entry. The study used a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria for uniformity. The subjects had to be living in a nursing home or a similar house for aged people and had to be be capable of walking independently…
If you’ve had trouble sleeping because of stress or other factors, the natural hormone melatonin can help promote “deep, restful sleep” that is crucial to your physical and emotional well-being. Aside from its use in treating sleeping disorders, research has proven that the sleep hormone can also minimize anxiety, soothe heartburn, relieve migraines, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and even improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. The many benefits of melatonin Melatonin is a chemical neurotransmitter synthesized in the body from the amino acid tryptophan. The pineal gland secretes melatonin, and the hormone helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm (biological clock). Melatonin also promotes…
Nutrition is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your health. It’s no secret that the food you eat affects not only how your body functions but how vulnerable you are to a disease. Another clinical trial validates this, with an increased fruit and vegetable consumption found to dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular dysfunction among diabetic patients. Scientists have seen that diabetic patients are more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease. While it is unclear if the heart condition is an effect of diabetes or if the body simply is weaker and therefore more likely to…
Waking up to the sweet smell of roses on your bedside table, and stepping into water with fragrant rose petals strewn all over the bathtub is sheer bliss. Sadly, these days could be a thing of the past, if we don’t stop air pollution in its tracks. The flowers’ fragrant language is in peril, no thanks to air pollution that turns the flowers’ fragrant messages into gibberish. Well-known science writer Marta Zaraska says air pollution is not only making it harder for plants to survive, it’s also making it difficult for pollinating insects to tell the difference between plants by…
Previous studies have shown that the brain is capable of adjusting the frequency of its waves in time with the rhythm of certain sounds. This phenomenon is known as brainwave entrainment, a concept typically associated with altered brain states. Yet, according to an investigative team from the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), brainwave entrainment also has the potential to prevent disorders like dyslexia. To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers carried out two experiments. The first involved 35 volunteers; the second had 37. Participants in the first experiment were made to listen to “amplitude‐modulated white‐noise” for six…
Hailed by the Mesoamerican culture as grains sent by the heavens, chia seeds remain a highly respected alternative remedy for various health conditions. Its use in medicine is varied and its efficacy is further highlighted by the fact that you need not take a lot of it in order to receive its effects. Gram for gram, chia seeds contain more macro and micronutrients than more commonly known beneficial crops. The grain also contains low concentrations of prolamin as compared to other plant protein sources such as chickpeas. This suggests that people suffering from Celiac disease may safely incorporate chia seeds…
There is so much literature on the benefits of becoming a vegan. However, as with anything that has to do with improving and maintaining one’s health, it requires a lot of effort, research, and perseverance. It is the same with deciding – once and for all – that you’re going to exercise. Those pounds are not just going to magically disappear tomorrow. You need to move, and sweating will be an inevitable outcome of all your effort. Nevertheless, you reap the rewards of your actions when you become healthier and feel happier after months of hard work. Becoming a vegan requires the…