Anti snoring pillows are available to help stop snoring and to provide comfort while on your sleep. These are designed in such a way that the central pillow area is thinner than the portions around the edges. With anti snoring pillows, the user’s head is aligned with the spinal column regardless of the sleeping position. This provides for no obstruction on the breathing airway.

Anti snoring pillows come in standard sizes and are usually white in color. The fillings may vary, and mainly covered with anti-allergy material. Below are samples of such pillows that are available in the market today.

The Snore-No-More Pillow

This keeps the airway open by keeping the jaw forward, and the chin on an appropriate distance away from the chest. This anti snoring pillow keeps your head, neck and spinal column in good alignment. This can be bought at www.medical-supplies-equipment-company.com at around 45 dollars each.

Side-Sleeper thigh cushion and knee pillow

This is angled at 29 degrees to fit the thighs just right and to accommodate the natural forms of the legs, ensuring that your sleeping on the side will be as comfortable as ever. This anti snoring pillow will also keep the normal and desired alignment of the back part of the body. Definitely this will aid in sleeping on your sides. Its dimension is 34 cm x 23 cm x 6.5 cm x 20 cm wide. This costs around 39 dollars at www.the-pillow.com.au.

Obus Forme-Anti snore Pillow

This anti snoring pillow helps in your personal anti snore campaign by encouraging a side sleeping position. This promotes proper sleeping posture and reduces chances for stiff necks and the like. It has a dimension of 14” x 19” x 5”. This weighs around 3 pounds and ideal for your comfortable anti snoring pillow needs. Price range is around 62 to 68 dollars. Visit www.amazon.com for more information, or www.comforthouse.com.

There are a lot more of these anti snoring pillow in the Internet. You can browse for more and see which one you feel you can sleep with comfortably. Prices vary according to the type of material used. Consider as well the shipping charges on top of the item price set by the website selling the anti snoring pillows. If you can, ask friends who might have tried some of these products, in order to have a good idea on what specific anti snoring pillow you would want to have in your bedroom.

Snoring has its social and health impacts. Over the years, excessive snoring and sleep apnea were related with some illnesses like hypertension, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases. Snoring also creates some tension in relationships. Snoring is considered a major nuisance for so long that the first anti-snoring oral device patented dates back to the 1930's. Up until now, there hasn't been a so-called "panacea" for snoring although this information on home remedy for snoring might be beneficial in the treatment of milder cases.

Any obstruction to air passage causes the soft tissues to flap as air tries to rush in to meet the body's required oxygen intake – thereby causing the vibratory sound or snoring. In some instances, anatomical irregularities of the air passages (beginning in the nose down to the throat) also cause snoring. Some people have enlarged tonsils and adenoids (the glands at the far back of the mouth) that obstruct the airway as the neck muscles relax when a person is asleep – this also causes the snoring sound. The uvula also plays a role in producing a vibratory sound.

Depending on what's causing you to snore, the following information on home remedy for snoring may be tried. Information on home remedy for snoring is just a first step in treating snoring and would provide an idea on what type of snoring you already have.

Usually, mild snoring can be corrected by lying on one side but if you're most comfortable with lying on your back, attach something on your back to create a bulk. This should compel you to sleep on your side.

Mucus that doesn't drain forms an obstruction on your airway so that avoiding creamy dairy products before going to bed may also help. A full stomach and some alcohol three hours before bedtime relax the neck muscles making the soft tissues flabby, which initiates snoring. Sleeping pills and some sedatives contain substances that are known to relax certain muscles around the neck area.

Obese people tend to snore because the fats accumulated on the neck area narrows the air passage. Losing weight gives both the benefits of lessening the intensity of snoring and reducing your risk of developing some illnesses related to obesity.

If all else fails, and you still snore profusely, you might want to visit a physician who knows how to cure snoring and give you other information on home remedy for snoring; for your condition has probably complicated to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder wherein a person would pause his breathing for 10 seconds or longer, and several times in one night. This is a life-threatening condition and can cause premature death. Information on home remedy for snoring is quite important before going into the invasive treatments.

Let's admit it, every one of us has snored even once in our lives. Even babies snore but it’s most frequent in men (about 45% of the world's population) while 30% of women are also snorers. However, there has to be a demarcation line between mild snoring to habitual or excessive snoring. Little babies may tend to snore because their nasal passages aren't mature enough yet; they also haven't learned to swallow excessive secretions in their throat that makes them produce the snoring sound. It is also normal for pregnant women to snore especially at the later stages of pregnancy. Snoring at a certain position is also normal. Drunken individuals also tend to snore in their sleeps.

However, if snoring occurs every night, and becomes so loud (up to 80-90 decibels) that the person in the other room, or even the person snoring, can hear the sound, it might already be excessive snoring. Excessive snoring is generally caused by an obstruction in the air passage and various reasons initiate this. Heredity may be one cause of snoring by inheriting a narrow throat. Obesity is another cause of snoring as obese people have fats accumulated around their necks narrowing their air passage.

Also, when people age the tongue and throat muscles tend to become flabby. This causes the tongue to fall backwards during sleep or the throat muscles to narrow in. Snoring is a common occurrence for men because they have narrower air passages than women. Medications, alcohol, and smoking are also some of the culprits in snoring.

Excessive snoring leads to, or could be a symptom of, some serious health problems. Excessive snoring in most cases has been associated with more serious health problems such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and sleep apnea. Apnea means "want of breath" and a person in this condition actually stops breathing for 10-30 seconds and at several times over the night.

Sleep apnea is a life threatening condition. A person suffering from sleep apnea becomes less productive during the day due to sleep deprivation. Being deprived from a sound sleep results to fatigue, irritability, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, obesity, poor mental and emotional health, poor short-term memory, lack of concentration, severe mood swings, and a slower reaction time.

Furthermore, if sleep apnea progresses, the person in this condition may suffer chest pains, high blood pressure, hypertension, stroke, type II diabetes, and choking or premature death.

Others may consider excessive snoring as harmless and may tend to make a joke out of it. However, it is always best to find a cure for it early on before it becomes a life-threatening condition.

Snoring can be classified into two: mild snoring and excessive snoring. The former is easily curable. A change in sleeping position or avoiding some substances before going to bed usually does the trick. However, if your snoring has created an anti-social impact to the people around you, then it may already have complicated to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which a person stops breathing for about 10 seconds resulting in oxygen deprivation. Oxygen and sleep deprivation can lead to high blood pressure, hypertension, other cardiovascular diseases, or stroke. Sleep apnea makes a person unproductive during the day and is irritable most of the time due to being sleep deprived.

How would you know if you need surgery?

Snoring should never be tolerated. If implants, anti-snoring appliances, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) have not worked for you, it might well be time to get some surgical tips to cure snoring. There are many surgical tips to cure snoring and physicians usually perform a thorough examination to evaluate your nose, mouth, and pharynx to determine what is causing the sleep apnea.

Surgical tips to cure snoring include septoplasty. This operation aims to straighten the cartilage between the interior of the nose. Septoplasty may need to come with a pharyngeal surgery. Somnoplasty is a minor surgery that involves reduction of the soft tissue in the upper air passage. In cases wherein the tonsils and adenoids are enlarged, the surgical tips to cure snoring or sleep apnea are tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, respectively. Both procedures involve removing the tonsils and the adenoids (the gland behind the throat). However, recent studies noted that the tonsils play some role in defending the body against illnesses so that you might want to think it over before having them amputated.

Your physician might recommend a palate surgery to remove some parts of the soft palate to eliminate any obstruction to your breathing. As snoring is mostly caused by the vibrations made by the uvula (the tissue hanging down on the far end your palate), doctors may also consider removing it if they find it as the cause of the snoring.

A maxillomandibular advancement, is the last among the surgical tips to cure snoring or sleep apnea that your doctor might want to perform if all the other treatments were unsuccessful. This involves a complex procedure of surgically cutting the bones holding the upper jaw and the lower jaw and the latter is moved forward to about 12 millimeters.

There are always pros and cons to everything. Undergoing surgery to cure sleep apnea may have its discomforts but the long-term effects could be beneficial to you and your loved ones.

It is a known fact that some foods are obviously better for you that others. For example, between a handful of potato chips and an orange, we can all assume the orange is the better of the two. However, can you tell me between the orange and an apple which one is the better choice? In today’s society, the majority of the population listen to just the simple facts. “As long as you eat your fruits and vegetables you’ll stay healthy.” Though this statement is true, there are specific fruits and vegetables that not only help you maintain in a healthy state, but also reduce the risk of such diseases as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type II diabetes, hypertension, and dementia. The 14 super foods are foods that not only extend your health span, but also your life span. These are the foods that have proven to prevent/ reverse the well known curses of aging. This includes what I have mentioned earlier; cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, etc.

You may be thinking that what may be considered a super food will be gross, hard to add to your regular diet, or even just too expensive. Honestly, you probably already eat a couple of the super foods on a regular basis. I mean, many people enjoy eating broccoli, oranges, tomatoes, spinach, and yogurt. Blueberries and other berries are many peoples favorite fruits, which are a super food. Some of your favorite seasonal foods are included in the super foods list, such as turkey and pumpkin. Others you may just hear about, like the wild salmon and tea. However, soy, oats and walnuts are three of the super foods that surprise many people.

These 14 super foods were chosen by the consideration of which food, within a given category, is at the top of its class in promoting health. Also, the consideration of the most known beneficial nutrients and the least negative properties, such as saturated fat and sodium.

The good thing about incorporating as many of the super foods you can in your diet is that there is room for a bit of any kind of food you desire, like chocolate or bacon. The nutrients that the super foods provide counteract any damage done by the bad stuff.

Knowing the kinds of foods you should eat and the ones you really should eat are a determining factor in your general health and well being. Remember, what you put in to your body is generally what you are made up of, so make sure your eating the right foods for the best of your health and also remember to always eat your fourteen superfoods.

Heart disease and high cholesterol are some of the most prevalent health concerns in our country today. One of the things that all of us should be concerned with in our quest to live long and healthy lives is our cholesterol levels. Out of control cholesterol is a leading contributor to heart disease, blood clots and stroke.

Cholesterol comes in two forms. HDL cholesterol or (high density lipoproteins) is what we refer to as “good cholesterol”. HDL cholesterol actually carries bad cholesterol away from the heart and deposits it to the liver so that it can pass from the body. High levels of this type of cholesterol protect you from heart disease. If your levels of this type of cholesterol are too low, the bad cholesterol is allowed to take over.

LDL cholesterol (low density lipoproteins) is the “bad cholesterol”. When too much LDL circulates in the blood, it can build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. It forms plaque, a hard substance that clogs the arteries. This is what we call atherosclerosis. These narrowed arteries make it for a clot to cause a blockage. When an artery is blocked, this can cause heart attack or stroke. Part of the “hardening” process in LDL is what is known as peroxidation. It is this process that turns the LDL into plaque.

It’s critical for all of us to know our cholesterol levels and make sure that we have high levels of HDL and low levels of LDL. You can significantly affect your cholesterol levels by with lifestyle choices; though some people are just genetically inclined to have high LDL levels. If you fall into this category, you may need medication along with lifestyle changes to get your cholesterol under control. See your doctor for a blood test to determine your cholesterol levels.

How Can I Improve My Cholesterol Levels?

If you know that your cholesterol numbers could use some improvement, there are many things you can do to improve those numbers. Here are the basics

Exercise – Just 30 minutes of walking, 3-5 times a week can help bring your cholesterol numbers in line.

Lose weight if you’re overweight – Overweight people tend to have higher LDL levels. Taking the weight off can improve these numbers.

Don’t smoke – Smoking contributes to high LDL levels and to low HDL levels.

Managing Your Diet

Diet is the most important factor in controlling your cholesterol levels. Whether or not you need to lose weight, a healthy diet is critical to maintaining good cholesterol levels. Here are the diet basics you should follow.

Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. Opt for chicken, fish and turkey more often; beef and pork just once or twice a week. Use egg substitutes or egg whites rather than egg yolks.

Choose low fat options – Drink skim or 1% milk. Choose low fat cheese, yogurt and sour cream.

Increase your whole grains – Replace simple, white flower based products with whole grains. Oatmeal and whole wheat are great options.

Increase your fruits and vegetables – Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and fiber. They fill you up on fewer calories, so you can eat less and lose weight. They are also filled with anti-oxidants, which can prevent disease by combating our body’s free radicals. For the highest levels of anti-oxidants, be sure to eat your share of blueberries, red beans, artichokes and tomatoes.

Use good fats – We all need fat in our diets, but the types of fat we choose are important. Stay away from anything that says “hydrogenated”. Don’t use lard, butter or hard shortenings. Stay away from anything that contains “trans fats”. Use olive oil, flaxseed oil and canola oil as your primary fats. These good fats can help raise your HDL levels, without elevating your LDL levels in the process.

Add Green Tea to your diet – Green tea is one of the most under-recognized health protectors. Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants, just like fruits and vegetables. There have been many studies that have concluded that green tea’s anti-oxidants have a powerful influence in preventing heart disease.

One study, in particular is worth noting. The University of Shizuoka in Japan conducted a study on green tea and its ability to prevent atherosclerosis. In this study, some mice were fed green tea extract in their drinking water, while other mice were fed water without green tea added. All of the mice were fed a diet high in saturated fats and other products known to raise bad cholesterol.

After about eight weeks, the mice who were fed green tea showed significantly less propensity to have atherosclerosis.* While the high level of LDL could still be spotted in the blood, it was not being converted to plaque.

The study concluded that green tea has the ability, likely because of its high anti-oxidant level, to prevent the peroxidation of the LDLs. So, even when the diet was higher than normal in “bad cholesterol” foods, the green tea seemed to prevent this cholesterol in the blood from turning into artery blocking plaque.

Now, this doesn’t mean that it’s ok to eat a diet high in fat and cholesterol and rely on green tea to take care of the problem. However, it does indicate that green tea may be highly effective at preventing the bad cholesterol that we do ingest from turning into arterial plaque.

So, for the best plan for preventing heart disease and stroke, it’s wise to follow a low cholesterol diet, maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise. But, it’s also wise to add green tea to your diet. It may give you an extra edge to winning the cholesterol battle!

We have all heard of herbal remedies, passed on from generation to generation, lending healthful cures and preventative health maintenance from the ancient East to our American cowboy. Now through science, medicine is testing and researching the power of herbs and finding that there just might be something to the notion that herbs do more than look pretty, smell good, or make tasty spices and teas.

For as long as man has been getting sick, old, or even imbibed too much, we have been looking for a cure for our ills. Frequently, before formal medicine as we know it today, herbs played a major role in aiding our ills and soothing our pains. Herbs have played a prominent role in nearly every culture to prolong life, heal the sick, or even prevent sickness. During The Middle Ages, numerous herbs, including garlic, were used to ward off demons, vampires, and The Plague. Science can provide some evidence demonstrating the use of garlic to potentially ward off The Plague.

Recently, herbs have enjoyed resurgence in popularity. As most of us have become more health conscious, we have realized the drawbacks to relying solely on anti-biotic remedies to cure the flu, common colds, and most basic illnesses. We have started to look more seriously at older remedies that have been around for centuries for cures for everything from the common cold to arthritis. Modern science and medicine are now putting many of those supposed cures to the test, examining everything from wound healing poultices to depression remedies.

At the Division of Basic Research at the South Carolina Cancer Center in Columbia, South Carolina, this research has been taken to a new level. Not only are they examining whether herbal remedies might work, they are also looking at issues related to safety, dosages, and the possible interactions herbs might have with traditional medicine prescriptions.

In addition to their effectiveness, researchers are looking to see if herbs possess some benefit over and above allopathic medicine. They also are looking to see if herbal “remedies” allow individuals to control their medicinal decisions and thus possess more control over their choices of treatment and remedy. The use of herbs, both in remedies and in dietary supplements, has raised many questions.

Are herbal remedies safe? Can an herbal remedy be abused to the point of addiction or ineffectiveness? Most importantly, do they interact with pharmaceutical medications, and if they do, is the interaction positive or negative?

The best example of why research is needed has to do with the efficacy and interaction resulting from the regular use of St. John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort is a mild herbal antidepressant which is well-tolerated by many patients. While effective, it has been proven to have an effect on some common medications.

For instance, St. John's Wort can induce the CYP3A family of activation enzymes through which approximately 50% of drugs are metabolized. This type of interaction can create a risk by reducing the half life of such drugs as Indinavir, Cyclosporin and Cyclophosphamide, thus causing these drugs to less effective Interactions such as this, however, are not all negative.

In some cases, herbal products might create a pathway that replicates pharmaceuticals, but do not possess any negative side effects. As an example, several natural anti-inflammatory compounds found in herbs like green tea, turmeric, rosemary, feverfew, and others do not possess the risk that some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are supposed to possess. Natural remedies might alleviate the reliance on these types of pharmaceuticals, and thus reduce the potential of causing several types of cancers.

Additional study into these facts and findings is needed. The Division of Basic Research is dedicated to examining both sides of the issue. More research might, in fact, prove to us that what the ancients have known all along.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that makes it attack the myelin, a substance that protects the nerve endings that are spread throughout the entire body. The central nervous system is responsible for sending the white blood cells and the antibodies attack the viruses and bacteria that threaten to cause infections. When the nervous system is affected by multiple sclerosis it sends these guardian cells against the myelin. The cause of this behavior is not known yet but the scientist believe that it is sometimes genetically-based.

Multiple sclerosis affects more than a million people throughout the world and unfortunately there is no known treatment that can cure it. The only thing that multiple sclerosis therapy can do is to relive its symptoms and modify the way the illness advances and develops.

Multiple sclerosis therapy is done with the help of drugs. The type of drug administered depends on how multiple sclerosis manifests and on the patient. The two main types of medication that are generally prescribed to multiple sclerosis patients are methylprednisolon and methotrexate.

Methylprednisolone can reduce the intensity of the attacks that occur when many antibodies are sent against the nerve endings and lighten the inflammation of the attacked areas. This drug can be in the form of pills and injections.

Methotrexate is a drug that is still in the test phase. It was initially designed to fight arthritis but some tests have found that it's effective against multiple sclerosis too. The future will tell us how good it is. Some doctors have started prescribing it.

There are some drugs that are administered only when certain symptoms occur. For example if the multiple sclerosis attacks the nerve endings of muscles the patient should take muscle pain relieving medication and do some physiotherapy.

Unfortunately many of the drugs used in multiple sclerosis therapy also have side-effects. The side-effects can be fever, indigestion, irritations of the skin, and drowsiness. Some people prefer alternative therapies because the do not want to experience the side effects of the illness. The most popular alternative therapies are massage, acupuncture, yoga and relaxation tehniquies.

There are a lot of institutions that have the role of helping multiple sclerosis patients get in touch with the latest methods of treating this illness and to help them deal with the condition they have. Seeking help from one of these institutions is highly recommended.

With the increase in the number of people who are switching to a vegetarian lifestyle the propaganda from the animal products industry is bringing a lot of misinformation into the public eye. We are told that you can't get enough protein from vegetables. We are told that you can't get enough vitamin B12. The list goes on and on.

Bottom line; If a vegetarian eats enough calories to meet their need for energy, they will have everything they need except for perhaps B12 and the verdict is pending on that as well.

Did you ever wonder how a cow or horse can get enough protein on a diet of grass?

The fact is that you cannot use protein as protein. You cannot meet your protein needs by eating protein whether it comes from an animal or from a plant. We are not equipped to use any complete protein in it protein form... Our protein has to come in the form of amino acids. If it is not in that form our bodies have to break it down into amino acids before we can use it.

Each protein is made up of amino acids. Each different tissue has its own set of amino acids. So if you eat, say a chuck roast, you will not have a complete set of amino acids. The truth is that you get more complete protein in the form of amino acids from lettuce than you do from beef stake.

All other vitamins, with the possible exception of B12 are abundantly met with a varied diet of fruit and vegetables.

Let us look at B12

We produce no B12 ourselves. If we eat a healthy diet, without toxic chemicals that kill friendly bacteria, the bacteria living in our digestive track produce more B12 than we need on our behalf. If you drink chlorinated water or cook too much of your food, or do too much to clean the food it is possible to destroy the friendly bacteria. That is the only way you can become deficient in B12.

The truth is that those who say we vegetarians are risking our health by not eating animal products, either don't know what they are saying, or they are lying.

We are supposed to be weaned by the time we are three years old so we have no need for milk products after that age. We need less than 5% protein in our diet, Fruit has over 5% protein. Vegetables have over 5% protein, Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein. All these sources of protein have it in the form of Amino acids, so it is ready to use without breaking it down.

Beans like soy are a plant source of protein that is hard for humans to digest and use. There are predigested soy products like tofu that use bacteria and enzymes to break the protein down and make it usable.

Health insurance today can be divided into two broad categories – traditional indemnity plans and managed care plans and, while both provide health insurance cover, they are very different in terms of both the cover that they provide and the manner in which they are administered.

Indemnity plans are designed to provide cover for unexpected medical bills arising mainly through accident or illness, whereas managed care plans are based upon the principle of supporting care that is designed prevent illness from developing in the first instant, or upon detecting and treating it at an early stage when treatment is often relatively simple and costs are low.

Indemnity plans are also designed to provide the policyholder with immediate care of his or her own choosing and place much of the responsibility for administration (the initial payment of bills and completion of claims paperwork) on the policyholder.

Because indemnity plans give the policyholder choice and access to immediate treatment and are designed to cover medical events that are often in themselves very expensive, the cost of indemnity insurance is generally high. Accordingly, indemnity insurance should only be purchased when you consider that it will best suit your own personal needs, based upon your medical history and current state of health, and when you are happy that you will be able to afford the policy, not only today but in the years to come.

Indemnity plans will normally be issued as basic health insurance, major medical insurance or comprehensive insurance, which is a combination of both basic and major medical insurance.

Basic medical insurance can normally be expected to cover such things as visits to the doctor (other than for routine check-ups and preventative care), hospital care (including room and board and some services such as x-ray and medication) and surgery performed either in hospital or at a surgical center or doctor's office.

Major medical insurance is designed to cover treatment for extended periods of high-cost illness or major injury and will normally cover all hospital costs, as well as subsequent out-patient bills.

In both cases this is of course nothing more than a general overview as cover will vary between insurance companies and indeed across different plans within the same company. It goes without saying of course that these three different plans will all have different costs with a basic insurance plan being the cheapest and a comprehensive plan the most expensive.

On any day around the globe, nearly two thirds of the population drinks tea, of one kind or another. 20% of daily global tea consumption is green tea. Used for various purposes in Asian countries for centuries; green tea is now a very popular North American beverage also.

New research is emerging that suggests that green tea plays a significant role in prohibiting and in some cases, reversing common mutations that are considered carcinogens (cancer causing agents). Furthermore, the studies are also uncovering facts that indicate that green tea holds healing properties that slow the aging process and other age related illness and ailments.

Western culture has adopted a love for green tea in recent history, and as such, its pharmacological active compounds benefits have fallen under intense scrutiny as researchers seek to identify what, if any, benefit this beverage possesses in eradicating or avoiding cancers and other diseases usually associated with the promotion of free radicals. Recently, a research team from the Department of Dermatology at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, conducted a study to see if green tea possessed antimutagenic qualities.

The results, while hardly conclusive and more study is likely needed, indicate that green tea does, in fact, possess some qualities that seem to thwart the creation or spread of certain mutations that are thought to contribute to the creation and spread of cancer, contribute to aging, and lead to other diseases associated with aging.

Interestingly, this research carefully studied water extracts from green tea, known also as WEGT, and their significant attributes, including green tea polyphenols (GTP). The study attempted to identify antimutagenic activity that was a direct result of interaction with WEGT, and subsequently, GTP. The results of the study found that WEGT and GTP significantly inhibited the reverse mutation induced by benzo [alpha] pyrene (BP), 2-aminofluorene, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), as well as methanol extracted from coal tar in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and/or TA98 in the presence of a rat-liver microsomal activation system.

GTP was also found to inhibit gene forward mutation in V79 cells treated with AFB1 and BP. Another benefit that was identified was that the WEGT appeared to decrease the frequency of sister-chromatid interactions and chromosomal abnormalities in V79 cells when treated with AFB1. When GTP was added, during and after nitrosation of methylurea, the results in a dose dependent fashion were the inhibition of mutagenicity.

The study also found that the antimutagenic activity of GTP implies that it may affect carcinogen metabolism, DNA adduct structure, the interaction of ultimate carcinogen, or the scavenging of free radicals. Free radical inhibition is terrifically difficult and the results of this study could be an indication that green tea is a very effective natural source of accomplishing this restriction. This perhaps could hold significance as new studies are formulated to ascertain the healthful benefits of GTP.

Green tea has fallen under much scrutiny as its alleged benefits have been touted for centuries, but it popularity in regions of the West have increased dramatically in recent years. Many ancient cultures believed it possessed healing powers and even the ability to ward off disease and mutations, but this is still relatively new to countries in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

The study noted as 223(3):273-85 is yet one more confirmation that green tea in solid or beverage form possesses restorative and healthful powers that are just now being discovered. Green tea likely holds a potential that is relatively untapped.

With further study, researchers are becoming increasingly confident that consumption of green tea in any form might be an easy and inexpensive method of giving the body another weapon in its life long fight against diseases such as cancer. Additional studies also are beginning to examine whether or not green tea possess other qualities that can inhibit the mutation of certain compounds that contribute to disease and aging. The benefits of green tea are beginning to be unlocked and additional discoveries seem to be on the horizon.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about one in three Americans, with the percentage higher among certain groups. People over 40 are increasingly likely to develop hypertension, as are people who are overweight. As the number of overweight Americans increases every year, so does the number of Americans with high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can be treated with medication, but lifestyle changes may be necessary, too, with modifications in a person’s diet and exercise. Yet paradoxically, sometimes these lifestyle changes can make hypertension WORSE.

So, what’s safe for people with high blood pressure to do? What should you avoid?

First of all, generally speaking, getting a reasonable amount of daily exercise is almost always a good idea, especially for people with high blood pressure. In fact, not getting enough exercise is often a CAUSE of hypertension.

But the exception is that if your blood pressure is particularly high -- above 180/110 mmHg -- you shouldn’t do any intensive exercise until you’ve lowered it with medication. In addition, if you have heart disease or diabetes in addition to hypertension, your doctor may need to prescribe a different sort of exercise program for you.

For everyone else, including people with common hypertension, exercise can help you reduce your blood pressure. The basic program is 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. “Moderate” means you want to work up a light sweat and be somewhat out of breath, but not gasping or unable to talk. Extremely vigorous sports like racquetball or basketball may be risky for people with hypertension, so talk to your doctor first.

It might take several weeks for this regimen to lower your blood pressure, so be patient. And if you haven’t exercised regularly in a while (or ever), you may have to work up to the 30 minutes a day. Try taking three brisk 10-minute walks for several days, then two 15-minute walks, then one 30-minute walk. Be sure to warm up before any exercise and cool down afterward.

Exercise will also help you lose weight, and losing weight is good for your blood pressure, too. So it’s doubly useful.

Remember, aerobic exercise is what will help your heart and your blood pressure. Weight training has health benefits too, of course, but it won’t be as helpful for hypertension. It can sometimes make the problem worse, particularly if you’re holding your breath when you contract your muscles.

From a dietary standpoint, it is always smart to eat healthy foods that are low in sodium, whether you have high blood pressure or not. Your doctor can tell you if the hypertension medication you’re on will react badly with any particular foods, but those cases are rare. Assuming you have no food allergies, a diet rich in grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and modest amounts of meat and fish is healthy and will lower your blood pressure over time. Avoiding sodium and boosting your potassium intake is also helpful.

Most everyone has suffered from a headache at least once and many of us fall victim to them on a regular basis. They can range from a dull throb to severe pain. Some headache causes and triggers are unknown but some can be prevented by avoiding the triggers. Here are some common headaches, their causes and some things you can do to lessen the pain.

Cluster Headaches

The cause of cluster headaches is largely unknown but you may find that they are triggered by alcohol consumption or bright sunlight. Try cutting out drinking and wearing sunglasses during the day especially when driving. If one or both of these cuts down on your headaches then you may be able to avoid them altogether by keeping up these practices.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are usually caused by stress so one way to relieve them is to de-stress yourself. Get out the soft music and candles and take a nice warm bath and avoid any loud stressful situations.

Temple Headaches

The temple headache is a dull or sharp pain in the temples and is thought to be caused by trigger points particularly in the trapezius muscle. This area which is located where the shoulder meets the neck, on the side of the neck and along the collarbone may trigger a headache due to motion. Sometimes these headaches can be relieved by massaging this muscle.

Migraine Headaches

This is perhaps the worst of all headaches with sharp pain and other unpleasant symptoms including sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, dizziness and, sometimes, vomiting. These types of headaches can be debilitating. Laying quietly in the dark quiet room has been shown to reduce the length of a migraine headache.

Sinus Headaches

A sinus headache often comes along with cold and flu season and consists of pain and pressure in the sinus area. If you are experiencing pain or pressure in the backs of your eyeballs or your cheeks and have a stuffy or runny nose then you might be experiencing a sinus headache. Other symptoms include aches in the upper teeth in pain all the way up in your forehead. There are some over the counter medicines that can be effective with sinus headaches.

Cervicogenic Headaches

A Cervicogenic headache comes from the neck and upper back pain can result from many things including a whiplash injury, weak neck muscles, progressive facet joint arthritis, too much tension on the spine and neck strain. this type of headache feels like a tight band around the forehead and eyes. Relief may include physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture and surgery.

Like other hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids also bring you pain and discomfort. There is hardly any difference between sufferings you get from other hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids. Though there is no difference in pains external hemorrhoids can be easily distinguished from other hemorrhoids due to place of its appearance. These hemorrhoids occur around anus and can be noticed with the fleshy growth. Inspect the infected area/flashy growth. You may get confused about the strangulating lumps-which are symptom of internal hemorrhoid- as that of external hemorrhoid. The basic cause behind external hemorrhoid is said to be straining of veins of anal opening.

Following remedies are suggested to gain temporary relief from external hemorrhoids. However, it is always better to consult your doctor who will guide you the right remedy according to condition of your hemorrhoid.

• Lukewarm bath procedure: This is a self-method and you can perform it yourself at home. No medicines are involved in this method. You just need a tub to perform this. Pour lukewarm water in the tub, dip affected area in the water and sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Continue this procedure regularly for some days. This will surely give your some relief. Never forget to dry the area dipped in the water, after completing sitting. Wetness of area may lead to itching and irritation and subsequently result in worsening of hemorrhoids.
• Ice-packs may also provide your some relief. Just take few ice blocks, wrap it in the cloth and use on affected area –apply and withdrawal cycle.
• If you are office worker requiring prolonged sitting in chairs – you must use cushions. Softness of cushions will decrease pressure on veins and give you some relief.
• Clothing plays important role in reducing your discomfort caused by hemorrhoids. Always use loose undergarments. Skin-fitting clothes may increase pressure on external hemorrhoids and add to the pains.
• Dietary control like increasing quantity of fluids and more in take of fibrous food may also help you in getting relief.

You can use allopathic medicines as well as herbal medicines to get relief from external hemorrhoids. If required –if your hemorrhoids are considerably larger in shape and more painful- you may opt for hemorrhoid surgery. There are other remedies like herbal medicines and homeopathic medicines available for treating hemorrhoids.

When external hemorrhoid becomes larger in shape it is called as Thromboses external hemorrhoid. You can distinguish thromboses hemorrhoid by lump formation or swelling around anus. Further thromboses hemorrhoid gives you severe pains. You may face problems like bleeding around rectal region, itching and irritation.

Major factors attributing external hemorrhoids are heredity, bowel disorders, pregnancy and obesity. Your doctor will be the right man to decide type of hemorrhoid and prescribe you correct line of treatment.