Here's What You Need To Know About The New Blood Pressure Medication Guidelines

If you have high blood pressure, your treatment may soon change.
New medication guidelines published Dec. 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggest that not everyone with high blood pressure needs to be on drugs for it.
Here's the bottom line: If you are 60 or older and the first number of your blood pressure is less than 150, you don't necessarily need to be on medication for it.
Keep in mind that this choice is up to your doctor — blood pressure is just one risk factor for heart disease, and people using medication to maintain a number in the 140s without serious side effects should not suddenly stop and let that number drift up.
The new guideline will decrease the number of people medicated for their high blood pressure, but not everyone's happy about it.
Blood pressure and heart disease
People with naturally low blood pressure (BP) have a lower risk of cardiovascular problems and live longer. High blood pressure, when left uncontrolled, can lead to heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm. Smoking, obesity, and inactivity are all risk factors for high blood pressure, which also has a genetic component that's passed down in families.
Lifestyle changes like exercise and healthy eating are our first line of defense against heart disease and are especially encouraged if BP creeps above the "normal" level of 120/80.
But not everyone gets their blood pressure low enough with just lifestyle changes, and if that first number climbs above 140 — a condition affecting about two-thirds of people 60 and older — you officially have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Until now, that's when doctors suggest medication to help lower BP. About 50 million Americans are on blood pressure drugs of all different kinds, including diuretics ("water pills"), beta blockers (which slow your heartbeat), and ACE inhibitors (which help stop blood vessels from narrowing).
Why change the guidelines?
"Over the last ten years, doctors have had the notion that the lower blood pressure is, the better," study researcher Paul A. James, of the University of Iowa, told Business Insider.
The problem? While there's no question that medication is crucial for people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, the researchers concluded that there's not enough evidence that driving that number all the way to 140 — rather than simply to 150 — provides much additional benefit.
The panel arrived at the new guidelines after reviewing previous studies that looked at how patients fared on a variety of approaches to lowering BP — different drugs and exercise regimens, for example.
Blood pressure drugs, like any medications, have some side effects (such as dizziness), which can be especially serious in older adults. So, the new guidelines may come as a relief for some.
Still, says James, "I'm absolutely sure there will be controversy."
Not everyone's happy
James is right. Some people are wary that the new guidelines aren't officially endorsed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
The NHLBI initially assembled the panel but has since stopped being involved in making guidelines, so in the end they weren't certified by any official organization. Eric D. Peterson of the Duke Clinical Research Institute told Business Insider that this lack of official endorsement may leave some practicing doctors scratching their heads about how to proceed.
Most experts point out that more research needs to be done. "We have very limited data to tell us what the right thresholds are," said Peterson.
While he agrees that no study says 140 is the magic BP number for beginning treatment in older adults, he notes that one major study showed a notable benefit when older patients brought their number from the mid-150s to the mid-140s — so 150 isn't necessarily right either.
Though Peterson agrees that too-aggressive treatment to lower a patient's blood pressure down to a specific number can harm overall health, he compared the target numbers to speed limits: If you tell people the maximum speed is 65, they may drive at 75. Similarly, leaving the target at 140 may mean more Americans actually bring their number below 150.
"There is always some slippage between targets set for clinicians and [those] actually achieved in routine practice," he writes in an editorial in the same issue of JAMA.

CARBOPLATIN USEFUL ADDITION IN NEOADJUVANT TREATMENT OF TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

The addition of carboplatin to a neoadjuvant regimen significantly increased the rate of pathologic complete response in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The results from the CALGB/Alliance 40603 study were reported at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Abstract S5-01).
Bevacizumab (Avastin) was also evaluated in the study and had some effect when added to chemotherapy, but, due to its toxicity, was felt to be a less promising candidate for this approach.
“Based on these results, and those of theGeparSixto trial, if you decide that a patient with triple-negative breast cancer should receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, then it makes sense to add carboplatin to your neoadjuvant regimen. You can comfortably do so with acceptable additional toxicities,” saidWilliam M. Sikov, MD, FACP, of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, who presented the findings.
The rationale for the study was the achievement of pathologic complete responses in about one-third of patients with triple-negative disease after taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the likelihood that patients with pathologic complete responses will have improved recurrence-free and overall survival, the activity of platinum analogues in advanced triple-negative disease, and the finding that bevacizumab can increase response rates and time to progression, he said.
Study Details
The phase II CALGB 40603 study enrolled 454 patients with stage II/III triple-negative breast cancer, randomly assigning participants to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus either carboplatin, bevacizumab, or the combination of carboplatin/bevacizumab. 
Patients were randomly assigned in a 2×2 schema to receive weekly paclitaxel for 12 courses plus dose-dense anthracycline/cyclophosphamide with or without either the addition of bevacizumab every 2 weeks for nine cycles or the addition of carboplatin AUC 6 every 3 weeks for four cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response in the breast, and a secondary endpoint was pathologic complete response in the breast and the axillae.
Highest Rate Achieved With Combination
The investigators evaluated the effect of carboplatin on all patients receiving it (alone or in combination) and the same for bevacizumab.
“The addition of carboplatin to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly increased the pathologic complete response in the breast and also in the breast plus axillae,” Dr. Sikov reported.
For patients receiving carboplatin, 60% achieved a pathologic complete response, compared to 46% of those not receiving carboplatin, an increase of 76% (P = .0018). Defined by no disease in the breast or axillae, rates were 54% with carboplatin vs 41% without carboplatin, a 71% increase (P = .0029), Dr. Sikov reported.
Bevacizumab was active as well, yielding a statistically significant difference in the breast but not the axillae. Among patients receiving bevacizumab, 59% achieved a pathologic complete response in the breast, while 48% achieved this without bevacizumab, a 58% increase (P = .0089). Absence of residual disease in both breast and axilla was observed in 52% of patients receiving bevacizumab, and in 44% of those not receiving this drug, a 36% nonsignificant increase (P = .0570). 
When carboplatin and bevacizumab were used in combination in addition to chemotherapy, 67% of patients achieved a pathologic complete response, however, a significant treatment interaction between the two drugs was not shown.
Bevacizumab More Toxic
Bevacizumab was considered more toxic, as was the combination. The total number of patients with a serious adverse event was 15 in the chemotherapy-alone arm, 39 with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab, 39 with chemotherapy plus carboplatin, and 46 with chemotherapy plus carboplatin/bevacizumab. Bevacizumab was associated with more grade 3 hypertension, infections, and postsurgical complications, with a slight increase in thrombosis and bleeding problems. Patients receiving carboplatin were more likely to experience neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, Dr. Sikov said.
Bevacizumab was discontinued in 23% of assigned patients, vs 6% to 13% for other agents.
“Bevacizumab did increase pathologic complete responses but at the cost of significant toxicities, and we don’t think it should be routinely added,” Dr. Sikov said at a press briefing.
Other Studies Support Carboplatin Use
Dr. Sikov noted that several studies now show that the addition of carboplatin increases pathological complete responses in patients with triple-negative disease, although recurrence-free and overall survival benefits have not yet been observed, largely due to short follow-up and lack of statistical power. He said that the general assumption is that achievement of pathologic complete response will, indeed, improve long-term outcomes, and he said that he incorporates carboplatin in the neoadjuvant setting in his patients. 
Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil, of Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, the formal discussant of the paper, said there is mounting evidence for using carboplatin, but less support for bevacizumab. He and his own research team have estimated that carboplatin plus chemotherapy will result in a 15% reduction in the risk for recurrence, “but this will most likely not reach statistical significance,” largely attributed to small sample size and limited statistical power.
“This provides a valuable new treatment option for patients with high-risk triple-negative disease,” Dr. Pusztai concluded. “The impact on survival may be modest, but real, I believe. Patient-level benefits, other than survival, exist that can be derived from more effective neoadjuvant chemotherapies.”
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Genentech, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Sikov reported no potential conflicts of interest.

AGE NOT A BARRIER TO HSCT

Age is no longer a barrier to hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but ageism still exists, and many older patients are not being referred for a transplant, even though transplantation offers the only chance of a cure for hematologic malignancies.
Advances in transplant technology have greatly improved success rates, so that the outcomes in older patients are now similar to those seen in younger patients, as shown here in several presentations at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 55th Annual Meeting.
"However, these advances have not penetrated through to the general oncology community and are not widely appreciated, so the idea persists that transplants are only feasible for younger patients (under 55 years of age)," commented Mary Horowitz, MD, scientific director of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Resercah (CIBMTR) and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee.
"There are many 55- to 65-year-olds who could benefit from a transplant, but these patients are not being referred by their primary oncologist," she commented in an interview with Medscape Medical News. "A 60-year-old now would be expected to live to 85 or so, and if they suddenly develop a life-threatening disease that is curable, well it is worth trying to cure it," she said.
Age Not a Barrier
That chronologic age need no longer be a barrier was illustrated in a study reported at the meeting by Yvette Kasamon, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and highlighted today in a conference press briefing.
Dr. Kasamon discussed data on 273 patients who underwent a haploidentical, or "half-matched," bone marrow transplant (BMT) without prior myeloablative therapy but with high-dose post- trasplantation cyclophosphamide. These patients had poor-risk hematologic malignancies (56% lymphoma, 35% acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome, 9% other disorders), and 15% of patients had undergone autologous bone marrow transplantation.
"The similarly positive outcomes we observed among patients in their 50s, 60s, and 70s clearly illustrate that advanced age need no longer be a significant barrier to successful outcomes after half-matched BMT," Dr. Kasamon said.
All 3 age groups showed similar 2-year probability of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and there was also no statistically significant difference in the risk for nonrelapse death or severe graft-vs-host disease.
Patients' Age (years)Est 2-Year PFSEst 2-Year OS
50 - 5939%51%
60 - 6936%56%
70 - 7539%44%

"These results underscore that a reduced-intensity, related haploidentical transplant should be considered a very reasonable treatment option for suitable patients up to at least age 75 who require a transplant," Dr. Kasamon said. In fact, she added, her clinic has recently raised the age limit to 75 years for a transplant.
However, she also noted that there are not many treatment centers that carry out haploidentical transplantations on a regular basis, and that, age aside, the successful outcomes in this study using this approach represent an advance in their own right.
Until recently, haploidentical transplants carried excessive risk, she pointed out. The use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide for prophylaxis of graft-vs-host disease has been a major advance, she said, and with the use of this treatment, haploidentical transplantation has become a safe and effective treatment in the outpatient setting.
The outcomes with haploidentical transplants with post-transplant cyclophosphamide are now similar to those seen with matched BMT, Dr. Kasamon added.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor-CAR LYMPHOCYTES A NEW PROMISING TREATMENT

There is palpable excitement here at American Society of Hematology (ASH) 55th Annual Meeting over results that are being reported with a new approach to treatment, engineered T cells. Although the results come from pilot clinical trials conducted in a small number of patients with leukemia and lymphoma, these are patients with very aggressive and refractory disease, and yet some of them have shown dramatic responses to the therapy, going into complete remission and no longer showing visible signs of tumor on computed tomography (CT) scans.
"It looks like the disease has disappeared after a single infusion of these engineered T cells," commented James Kochenderfer, MD, from the Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland.
However, he cautioned that there is a significant patient variation in both efficacy and toxicity with this approach.
Several groups in the United States are working on this approach to treatment, and some have teamed up with pharmaceutical companies. The T cells developed at NCI have been licensed to Kite Pharmaceuticals, and a similar approach developed at the University of Pennsylvania, which has the most clinical data so far, has been licensed to Novartis.
Some observers say that this pharmaceutical company involvement, as well as accelerated approval for an urgent medical need, could result in these therapies becoming available as early as 2016, but others forecast a longer development time and suggest the therapies will not be available for clinical use until 2020.
Like a Smart Bomb
The novel approach to therapy involves extracting T cells from the patient, subjecting the cells to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell engineering, and then infusing the engineered T cells back into the patient.
The engineering, which takes about 10 days, changes the T cell in 2 ways. First, it adds a receptor that targets the CD19 antigen that is found on most leukemic cells; when the cells are inserted back into the patient’s body, they home in on this antigen, latch on and destroy the leukemic cell. Second, the process inserts a viral vector mechanism into the cells which – once the cells have latched on to the leukemia – triggers these T cells to expand and proliferate, so that they seek out and destroy all the remaining leukemic cells.
There is tremendous excitement over this approach, because it acts like a smart bomb, said Mary Horowitz, MD, scientific director at the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. Whereas bone marrow transplantation is like carpet bombing of a city in order to destroy a specific building, these CAR cells are like smart bombs that seek out and destroy just the building, she commented to Medscape Medical News.
The clinical results have been dramatic and unprecedented in such advanced disease.
Results in Lymphoma
Dr. Kochenderfer presented results from 15 adult patients with advanced B cell lymphomas (abstract 168), including 9 patients with chemotherapy-refractory large cell lymphoma such as primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma and diffuse B cell lymphoma. They received reduced-intensity conditioning with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine and then an infusion of their own T cells that had been CAR engineered.
Thirteen of the 15 patients treated were evaluable for response, and 12 of those 13 responded: 7 patients had complete remissions, and 5 had partial remissions, Dr. Kochenderfer said. The remaining patients had stable disease.
Dr. Kochenderfer gave details of one of the patients who had a complete remission, showing CT scans with visible tumor in the liver and abdomen prior to the treatment, and none visible after treatment. This was a patient who had undergone 10 prior therapies, including many different combinations of rituximab plus chemotherapy regimens, and the disease progressed a month after chemotherapy finished, so she was "clearly refractory," he said.
"Our data provide the first true glimpse of the potential of this approach in patients with aggressive lymphomas that, until this point, were virtually untreatable," Dr. Kochenderfer told journalists at an ASH press briefing at which these novel therapies were highlighted.
"We are particularly encouraged by the partial and complete responses that we observed in a number of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphomas who had exhausted all other treatment options…and who are not generally thought to be good candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation," he added.
However, he tempered his enthusiasm by adding that "this approach is still an early-stage experimental therapy."

ORAL ARSENIC AS GOOD AS IV FOR APL

After a median follow-up time of 39 months the results show DFS at two years was 98.1% (106 of 108) in the RIF group and 95.5% (107 of 112) in the ATO group. The DFS difference was 2.6%, and the lower limit of the 95% CI of DFS difference was greater than the 10% noninferiority margin, confirming noninferiority (p<0 .001="" p="">
No significant differences were noted between the RIF and ATO groups in complete remission rate (99.1% vs 97.2%; p=0.62) or in overall survival at 3 years (99.1% vs 96.6%; p<0 .18="" p="">
The early death rate (death during induction therapy) did not differ significantly between the RIF and ATO groups (0.9% v 2.6%; p<0 .60="" achieve="" also="" an="" authors="" cr.="" death="" early="" low="" more="" note="" opportunity="" p="" patients="" provided="" rates="" that="" the="" to="" with="">

NO EVIDENCE FOR ORAL CANCER SCREENING

Health Benefits of Red Palm Oil

Health Benefits of Red Palm Oil


The health benefits of olive oil have been touted for many hundreds of years. More recently, coconut oil has become all the rage and hailed by many as the king of oils. But, whatever oil you choose - whether it’s olive, coconut, almond, canola, peanut, safflower, walnut, or even avocado oil - none compare to the powerful nutritional virtues of virgin organic red palm fruit oil.

The health benefits of red palm fruit oil can be achieved by incorporating only 1-2 tablespoons into your daily diet.

Red Palm Fruit Oil vs. Palm Kernel Oil
Regarded as a sacred healing food by many civilizations, including the ancient Egyptians, crude or virgin red palm fruit oil should be regarded as one of the most nutritious edible oils in the world. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil .

It is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and is referred to as "red palm oil" because of its rich dark red color in its unprocessed natural  state. Palm kernel oil is derived from the seed or the kernel.

Power-Packed Contents  

Red palm oil’s health promoting properties are largely attributed to its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory contents. Red palm oil is a rich source of tocotrienol, a powerful form of vitamin E,  lycopene and carotenoids, the latter being responsible for the oil’s distinctive red color in its unprocessed state.

Red palm oil has great science behind it for its beneficial role in fighting heart disease and high cholesterol.

Red palm oil has repeatedly stunned researchers with its heart-protective and cholesterol-lowering properties.  Studies have shown that adding palm oil in the diet can reduce plaque build-up in arteries and, therefore, reverse the process of plaque and prevent blockages formation within blood vessel walls. Science now understands that inflammation in the artery lining is what causes cholesterol to deposit in the first place. So, it makes sense that the protective effects come from the high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory content of the red palm oil which works to quench free radicals and keep inflammation under control.  Apart from helping tear away plaque from blood vessel walls, red palm oil also helps maintain healthy blood pressure and
cholesterol levels.

Brain Health
One of the natural vitamin E forms found in high amounts in red palm oil is known for its neuro-protective properties. When it comes to your brain,  the special form of vitamin-E (tocotrienol) in red palm oil stops destructive damage and improves blood flow to brain cells, which can also help to prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Anti-Cancer Food 
The high antioxidant content of red palm oil makes it a potent anti-cancer food. Though  tocotrienols can be found in rice bran, barley and wheat, red palm oil is the richest source of  tocotrienol. Research suggests that this form of vitamin E may help fight skin, stomach, pancreas, liver, lung, colon, prostate, breast, and other
cancers.

The  antioxidant power of red palm oil can be of help in protecting against a variety of health  problems, including osteoporosis, asthma, cataracts, macular degeneration, arthritis, and liver disease. It can even slow down the premature aging processes by protecting the skin against damaging UV rays.

Additionally, research has shown that red palm oil promotes  nutrient utilization, improves liver detoxification pathways and improves immune function. 

TUBERCULOSIS - HOME REMEDIES

TUBERCULOSIS - HOME REMEDIES

This is a contagious and an infectious disease caused by the tubercle bacillus, which enters the body through the nose, mouth and windpipe and then settles down usually  in the lungs (called as the primary tuberculosis) or may settle in the tonsils, bones, intestines, glands, lymphatic system, joints and urinary tract. It multiplies very fast and produces small raised spots called as tubercles. The usual symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis are fatigue, lethargy, decreased appetite, weight loss, low grade fever (especially in the evening), persistent coughing, difficulty in breathing, indigestion and occasionally in later stages blood in the sputum.  


HOME REMEDIES 

1. Taking a glass full of fresh orange and lemon juice daily also helps since it contains a lot of vitamins useful for quicker healing. 

2. Onion soup should be taken daily. Milk and rice diet is given to the patient. 

3. Garlic  is a wonderful herb for tuberculosis since it contains many vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine and even a few trace minerals. Thus two to three cloves of garlic  or  one to two teaspoonfuls of garlic juice are given to the patient daily. 

4. Boil a few dates in some milk and then after cooling it for some time take this as a nutritive tonic especially for children. 

5. Holy basil (tulsi) leaf juice is also very useful, since it has a few antibiotic properties and is a useful expectorant. 

6. The juice of bananas or banana milkshake is useful for patients with frequent cough, abundant expectoration and high fever.  

7. A teaspoonful of fresh mint juice mixed with two teaspoonfuls of pure malt vinegar and an equal quantity of honey should be stirred in 120 ml of carrot juice and given to the patient thrice daily. 

8. Pineapple juice is found useful to dissolve the mucus and aid faster recovery for tuberculosis patients. 

9. A soup prepared from drumstick leaves (saijan ki phalli) is found useful in this disease. 

10. A mixture of Indian gooseberry (amla) and sesame seeds taken with honey is very effective.

WHOOPING COUGH - HOME REMEDIES

WHOOPING COUGH - HOME REMEDIES

"Whooping cough " is an infectious disease , that commonly affects the young children (commonly from 0-5 years of age) and results in bouts or paroxysms of short, sharp coughs gathering in speed and duration and ending in a deep inspiration during which the characteristic "whoop" is heard. There is extreme exhaustion in the patient and can be life threatening in small babies. Vomiting, which is frequent, may lead to the bursting of the small capillaries in the nose or the conjunctiva. The disease may lasts for several weeks if left untreated. 

HOME REMEDIES

1. Boil the peel of pomegranate (anar) in 250 ml of milk and drink it.

2. The leaf juice of holy basil (tulsi) mixed with honey and ginger is very useful.

3. Peach tea or an infusion made from the bark and leaves of the Peach tree are useful for whooping cough when taken atleast thrice daily.

4. A teaspoonful of fresh ginger, mixed with a cup of fenugreek (methi) decoction and honey to taste is an excellent diaphoretic.

5. A teaspoonful of fresh radish juice with an equal quantity of honey and a little rock salt should be given thrice daily.

6. Juice of garlic is sniffed from time to time. Also a mixture of macerated garlic and ghee is rubbed on the chest and between the shoulder blades to give relief in the cough.

7. Linseed is a good remedy for whooping cough.

8. Paste of pecacuan (hing) when applied to the chest, acts as a good stimulant.

9. Five drops of almond oil should be mixed with ten drops each of fresh white onion juice and ginger juice and taken thrice daily for a few weeks.

Acidity and Heartburns

Acidity and Heartburns

Sometimes the gastric glands in the stomach are over productive in secreting the hydrochloric acid which is necessary to break down the food that is eaten. When this happens, acidity and heartburn often develop. This can cause a painful burning sensation which may be the result of chronic acid reflux. The pain can be very disturbing because people often confuse it for a heart attack.

Natural Home Remedies
Many home remedies work well to neutralize stomach acid and prevent damage to the esophagus and intestinal tract. The following suggestions may prevent acidity and heartburn from becoming disruptive:

1. Combine equal parts apple cider vinegar and honey with a cup of water and drink just prior to each meal to control acidity.

2. Eliminate spices and fruits that have not yet ripened from the diet.

3. Drink a glass of milk with each meal.

4. Eat a cup of yogurt as a snack between meals.

5. Chew food longer and slow the eating process by putting down the fork between bites.

6. Add watermelon, bananas, and cucumber to the diet to cool heartburn.

7. Try a cup of chamomile tea for heart burn.

8. Try to reduce events that cause a stressful reaction and use meditation or deep breathing to relax.

8. Always sleep with the head much higher than the rest of the body to relieve the pressure that causes acid reflux to be more severe.

9. Drink a glass of green tea sweetened with molasses to neutralize acids.

10. Eat six small meals, rather than three large one, because a overeating aggravates acid reflux.

11. Chew gum until the heartburn disappears.

12. Eat a stick of raw celery to end heartburn quickly.

Some of these remedies will work better for one person than another depending on the cause of the acidity or heartburn.
Pregnant women seem to have excellent results from chewing gum while cider vinegar sometimes works better for those under stress.

Hair Care Tips For Any Length and Style

Hair Care Tips For Any Length and Style
Regardless of its length or style, we all want one thing: a healthy, great looking head of hair. But the first step to having healthy, luxurious hair is to know its exact type. Is it oily, dry or normal? It your hair naturally curly or straight? Are you troubled by dandruff? Has your hair been processed in some way? Is it brittle or strong? Knowing your true starting point will allow you to better care for your hair and keep it looking its absolute best.

With short hairstyles, it’s important to protect your hair and your scalp every time you are in the sun. Look for protective styling products, and be sure to wear a hat to avoid sunburn. If your hair is short and curly, you should know that curly hair tends to break easier and needs more moisture than other types of hair.The key to keeping medium-length to long hair beautiful and healthy looking is to protect it from split ends and becoming brittle. The longer hair is, the heavier it is, and as a result, more prone to breakage. If you have long or medium-length hair, never use a rubber band to pull your hair back into a ponytail as they can pull and damage hair. Instead, use a something elastic that is covered in a soft cloth to avoid breaking the delicate hair shafts.

Here are a few simple do’s and don’ts to remember for every length and style of hair :


6 Essential Hair Care Do’s :

- Do gently brush your hair each night before going to bed as it will stimulate blood flow to your scalp and promote healthy hair growth.

- Do be sure to hold the hair dryer at least six to eight inches away from your hair and keep it moving at all times to avoid scorching the hair.

- Do gently wash your hair using a mild shampoo suitable for your type of hair with lukewarm water.

- Do use a conditioner to keep your hair manageable, healthy, and free of tangles.

- Do be sure to drink plenty of water and follow a balanced diet. Many people aren’t aware of the important role that proper nutrition plays regarding healthy hair care. Water is essential to keep your body and hair properly hydrated.

- Do try to avoid touching your hair unnecessarily as the oils from your hands can cause your hair to lose its luster and become dirtier faster.

6 Essential Hair Care Don’ts :

- Don’t brush wet hair, use a comb instead to avoid pulling and risking breakage.

- Don’t blow-dry your hair every day, the constant heat will cause it to become brittle and prone to breakage. Likewise, use your curling iron on the lowest possible setting.

- Don’t over process your hair using strong dyes and chemicals. If you do relax your hair or have it permanently waved, be sure to wait as long as possible in between treatments to avoid over processing and damage.

- Don’t change your hair color to more than three shades, in either direction, lighter or darker, to avoid excessive damage.

- Don’t wash your hair in extra hot water, instead use warm, and use cool water for the final rinse.
- Don’t allow stress to adversely affect your health, including your hair.

Fascinating Facts About Human Body

Fascinating Facts About Human Body

1. The Skeletal System 
-  The largest bone is the pelvis, or hip bone. In fact it is made of six bones joined firmly together.
-  The longest bone is the 'femur', in the thigh. It makes up almost one quarter of the body's total height.
-  The smallest bone is the 'stirrup', deep in the ear. It is hardly larger than a grain of rice.
-  The ears and end of the nose do not have bones inside them. Their inner supports are cartilage or 'gristle', which is lighter and more flexible than bone. This is why the nose and ears can be bent.
-  After death, cartilage rots faster than bone. This is why the skulls of skeletons have no nose or ears.


2. The Muscular System
-  There are about 60 muscles in the face. Smiling is easier than frowning. It takes 20 muscles to smile and over 40 to frown.
-  The longest muscle in the body is the sartorius, from the outside of the hip, down and across to the inside of the knee. It rotates the thigh outwards and bends the knee.
-  The smallest muscle in the body is the stapedius, deep in the ear. It is only 5mm long and thinner than cotton thread. It is involved in hearing.
-  The biggest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus, in the buttock. It pulls the leg backwards powerfully for walking, running and climbing steps.


3. The Circulatory System 
-  The heart beats around 3 billion times in the average person's life.
-  About 2 million blood cells die in the human body every second, and the same number are born each second.
-  Within a tiny droplet of blood, there are some 5 million red blood cells, 300,000 platelets and 10,000 white cells.
-  It takes about 1 minute for a red blood cell to circle the whole body.
-  Red blood cells make approximately 250,000 round trips of the body before returning to the bone marrow, where they were born, to die.
-  Red blood cells may live for about 4 months circulating throughout the body, feeding the 60 trillion other body cells.


4. The Nervous System 
-  The brain looks like a giant, wrinkled walnut.
-  Unlike other body cells, brain cells can not regenerate. Once brain cells are damaged they are not replaced.
-  The brain and spinal cord are surrounded and protected by cerebrospinal fluid.


5. The Immune System
-  The skin secretes antibacterial substances. These substances explain why you don't wake up in the morning with a layer of mold growing on your skin - most bacteria and spores that land on the skin die quickly.
-  Tears and mucus contain an enzyme (lysozyme) that breaks down the cell wall of many bacteria.
-  Lymph nodes contain filtering tissue and a large number of lymph cells. When fighting certain bacterial infections, the lymph nodes swell with bacteria and the cells fighting the bacteria, to the point where you can actually feel them. Swollen lymph nodes may therefore be a good indication that you have an infection of some sort.


6. The Digestive System 
-  Adults eat about 500 kg of food per year.
-  1.5 litres of saliva are produced each day.
-  The oesophagus is approximately 25cm long.
-  Muscles contract in waves to move the food down the oesophagus. This means that food would get to a person's stomach, even if they were standing on their head.
-  An adult’s stomach can hold approximately 1.5 litres of material.
-  Every day 11.5 litres of digested food, liquids and digestive juices flow through the digestive system, but only 100 mls of fluid are lost in faeces.
-  In the mouth, food is either cooled or warmed to a more suitable temperature.
-  We get two sets of teeth. Our 20 'Baby Teeth’ are replaced starting at around 6-7 years of age with our 32 ‘Adult Teeth’.


7. The Respiratory System
-  At rest, the adult body takes in and breathes out about 6 litres of air each minute.
-  The right lung is slightly larger than the left.
-  Hairs in the nose help to clean the air we breathe as well as warming it.
-  The highest recorded "sneeze speed" is 165 km per hour.
-  The surface area of the lungs is roughly the same size as a tennis court.
-  The capillaries in the lungs would extend 1,600 kilometres if placed end to end.
-  We lose half a litre of water a day through breathing. This is the water vapour we see when we breathe onto glass.
-  A person at rest usually breathes between 12 and 15 times a minute.
-  The breathing rate is faster in children and women than in men.

Amazing Power of Amino Acids

Amazing Power of Amino Acids
In 1838, a Dutch chemist, G.J. Mulder, described a certain organic material as "unqestionably the most important of all known substances in the organic kingdom. Without it, no life appears possible on our planet. Through its means the chief phenomena of life are produced. " This complex nitrogen-bearing substance was called protein from the Greek word meaning " take the first place." Protein in now a group name signifying the principal nitrogenous constituents of the protoplasm of all plant and animal tissues.

Proteins are extremely complex organic compounds of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and,with some exceptions, sulphur. Most proteins also contain phosphorous, and some specialised proteins contain iron, iodine, copper and other inorganic elements. The presence of nitrogen distinguishes proteins from carbohydrates and fats.

Proteins are thus vital substances, which form important constituent of muscles, tissues, and the blood. Proteins supply the building material for the body and make good the wear and tear of tissues. Several substances concerned with vital life processes such as enzymes, which help in digestion of food, are chiefly protein in nature. 

There are several varieties of protein. Each type contains a specific number of "building blocks " known as amino-acids. Before they can be absorbed by the body, all proteins must first be broken down into amino-acids. When food stuffs are ingested, the nutrients and amino-acids do not immediately diffuse into all the different tissues. There are a series of biochemical reactions in the digestive tract which collect these proteins, break them down and then utilise them as needed. Any interference with the normal digestive process causes in-complete protein digestion resulting in gas, bloating etc.

There are about 22 amino acids needed for the normal functioning of the body. The body can manufacture many amino acids if it has no adequate nitrogen source, but it cannot produce certain others in sufficient amounts to meet its needs. The amino acids that the body cannot synthesis is in adequate amounts are called essential or indispensable because they must be supplied by the diet in proper proportions and amounts to meet the requirements for maintenance of growth of Non-essential or dispensable amino acids are those thatissue. the body can synthesize in sufficient amounts to meet its needs if the total amount of nitrogen supplied by protein is adequate. 

Nutritional Benefits of Milk

Nutritional Benefits of Milk
Milk is an essential part of everyone’s diet. As a primary source for calcium and other nutrients, consuming milk is important for essential growth and development. Encourage children to consume adequate amounts of milk on a daily basis.Infants up to 12 months of age need only breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula.

Children ages one to two years old should be served whole milk. Children ages two and older may only be served fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Nutrition Facts
Fluid milk provides the body with various nutrients essential to growth and development including
1.  calcium,
2.  phosphorus,
3. potassium,
4.  magnesium,
5.  vitamins A, B, and D, and protein.
Low fat (1%) and fat-free (skim) milk provide all of the nutrients above with about one third of the saturated fat found in whole milk.


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