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  • Could a Chemical in Broccoli Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus?

    Could a Chemical in Broccoli Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus?

    Scientists have isolated a chemical found in broccoli that shows promise in boosting blood glucose control in people suffering from diabetes mellitus.

    What Is Diabetes Mellitus?

    Diabetes mellitus is the medical term for what you may know simply as diabetes. The two common types of diabetes mellitus are type 1 and type 2.

    Diabetes mellitus type 1 is when the pancreas produces insufficient insulin, which your cells need in order to absorb sugar from your blood. If there’s not enough insulin circulating through your bloodstream when you’ve just eaten, your cells will have a hard time taking in the influx of digested carbohydrates. This causes your blood sugar levels to stay elevated, which is toxic to your whole body in the long term. If left untreated, common, but serious, complications that can develop include neuropathy, kidney failure, and necrosis of the lower extremities.

    If the complications are serious enough, the only viable treatment may be complete amputation of the affected lower limbs.

    The most common cause of type 1 diabetes is autoimmune – the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys its insulin-producing cells. The onset of diabetes mellitus type 1 is most common around the early teens and is least common past the age of 40, which means if you’re 40 and up and haven’t developed type 1 diabetes, you’re most likely in the clear.

    It’s important to note that diabetes mellitus type 1 is not the lifestyle disease commonly associated with diabetes. It’s treated with insulin interventions to help offset the body’s low insulin levels. Thankfully, it’s one of the less common types of diabetes mellitus.




    Diabetes mellitus type 2 is when your cells become resistant to insulin, which means they don’t respond by absorbing more sugar when more insulin is pumped into your bloodstream by your pancreas. This causes your blood sugar levels to stay high after eating, which leads to the same dangerous condition as in type 1 diabetes.

    Type 2 diabetes is the infamous disease that’s most caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. Many aspects of your life can increase your risk for insulin resistance, like not sleeping enough, drinking too many sugary sodas, and being too stressed all the time. But being overweight or obese, not exercising enough, and regularly eating a diet high in carbs are among the top causes of diabetes mellitus type 2.

    Diabetes mellitus type 2 can be prevented and treated naturally by keeping your cells sensitive to insulin and controlling your blood sugar levels. Exercising regularly has been found to lower insulin resistance. Adopting a diet low in carbs has also been found to lower insulin resistance.

    But type 2 diabetes is also prevented and treated with prescription medications that can increase insulin sensitivity and insulin production. Some medications can also directly lower blood sugar levels.

    The Newfound Diabetes Mellitus Breakthrough With Broccoli

    Scientists wanted to find a better treatment option for diabetes mellitus type 2 sufferers because most diabetes medications can have undesirable side effects, like weight gain. They decided to explore diabetes mellitus on a genetic level and mapped out the genes affected when someone becomes diabetic. They focused on 50 key genes and their alterations in diabetics.

    They tried to synthesize these genetic alterations artificially, then experimented with almost 4,000 substances to see if they would restore the genes to their pre-diabetic states.

    They discovered that sulforaphane, which is found in broccoli sprouts, exceptionally helped reverse these genetic alterations caused by diabetes mellitus out of all the compounds they tested.

    They were able to create a broccoli sprout extract containing a concentrated amount of sulforaphane and instructed participants diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 to take it once a day for about three months. Although both the participants and the control group diabetics were both on metformin, which is a prescription medication that helps normalize blood sugar levels, those who took the broccoli sprout extract had lower glucose production, fasting blood glucose levels, and other markers linked with diabetes mellitus.

    The broccoli sprout extract also seemed to bestow protective effects against the development of diabetes mellitus complications, like neuropathy and kidney failure.

    If you’re diabetic, you can experience sulforaphane’s blood sugar-lowering effects for yourself by buying a natural broccoli sprout extract and taking one tablet per day. You should consult your doctor beforehand in case your particular situation may not agree with the supplement.

    Other Natural Ways to Help Prevent and Treat Diabetes Mellitus

    Here are other proven ways to help lower blood sugar and prevent developing diabetes mellitus type 2:

    Take vitamin D or go under the sun. Researchers found that patients who regularly took a vitamin D supplement had lower fasting blood sugar levels. You can get your vitamin D by enjoying the summer sun (with sunscreen), eating sunbathed mushrooms, or taking a vitamin D supplement.

    Drink coffee without sugar. Scientists also found that drinking coffee regularly can protect you from developing diabetes mellitus. The trick is not putting sugar in the coffee.

    Eat plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers found that alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid common in plant sources of food, can lower your risk for developing diabetes mellitus type 2. You can eat walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, winter squash, and even beans to get your daily omega-3 fatty acids. These foods are also high in fiber, which helps you control your blood sugar by slowing the absorption of digested carbs in your gastrointestinal tract. The fiber acts like a narrow corridor that funnels a steady stream of sugar into your bloodstream rather than all the sugar entering your bloodstream all at once. This supplies you with energy for a longer period of time without spiking your blood sugar levels.

    If you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus, taking broccoli sprout extract along with your regular diabetes medications can give you better control of your blood sugar levels and help protect you from diabetes mellitus complications. You should also boost your vitamin D intake and eat more plant-based omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods, which also both help you to treat your diabetes.

  • Why You Should Ask Your Doctor to Switch You From These Diabetes Mellitus Medications That May Actually Cause Diabetes in the Long Term

    Why You Should Ask Your Doctor to Switch You From These Diabetes Mellitus Medications That May Actually Cause Diabetes in the Long Term

    Being proactive about your diabetes mellitus treatment is important. Sometimes there are safer alternatives to what your doctor is prescribing. Here are some common diabetes mellitus medications that actually worsen the condition.

    Contrary to popular belief, doctors don’t always know what’s best for your health. They’re trained to be competent, not excellent. They may prescribe you antibiotics for acne without telling you to stay away from dairy products, which have been proven to exacerbate acne. The same is true for diabetes mellitus treatment. Did you know there are some diabetes mellitus medications that can actually exacerbate the disease in the long run?

    If your doctor has you on these diabetes mellitus meds, here’s why and what you should ask him to switch you to:

    1. Rosiglitazone (Avandia)

    Dr. Louise Aronne, M.D. of New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center says that some doctors don’t know that some diabetes mellitus medications have weight gain as a proven side effect. Rosiglitazone, also known by its brand name Avandia, is one such drug. It increases insulin sensitivity. But it’s also known to increase your risk for heart disease and weight gain.

    In fact, the National Institutes of Health say that Avandia can cause rapid weight gain. In one study on mice given rosiglitazone, they gained significantly more weight than the control group of mice fed the same diet.

    Safer alternative: Metformin

    Metformin is also a medication used to treat diabetes mellitus, but it’s been shown to cause weight loss instead of weight gain. It helps lower insulin resistance, but also lowers your appetite. It can also prevent some diabetes mellitus complications, like kidney failure, blindness, and neuropathy.

    2. Pioglitazone (Actos)

    Pioglitazone, which is also known by the brand name Actos, is used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2 by lowering blood sugar levels. But researchers also found that pioglitazone caused significant weight gain in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients even though it lowered their fasting blood sugar levels.

    Safer alternative: Sitagliptin (Januvia)

    Sitagliptin, which is also known by the brand name Januvia, boosts insulin levels by inhibiting the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme. DPP-4 increases blood sugar levels by promoting glucagon production and secretion. With DPP-4 inhibited, insulin release is promoted because the hormones that downregulate it can’t activate.

    Sitagliptin doesn’t cause weight gain, and has actually been found to help prevent diabetes mellitus complications. Researchers found that sitagliptin helps prevent neuropathy and kidney failure by lowering inflammation, cell damage, and cell death in the nervous system and kidneys.

    3. Glibenclamide (Glyburide)

    Glibenclamide, which is also known as glyburide, is another diabetes mellitus medication that can cause weight gain. It boosts your insulin levels by binding to your pancreas’s insulin-producing cells and stimulating them to make more insulin.

    But glibenclamide has been found to cause weight gain. Researchers found that patients on glibenclamide gained about 3.74 more pounds, on average, than diabetes mellitus patients who simply made dietary changes.

    Safer alternative: Exenatide (Byetta)

    Exenatide, which is also known by the brand name Byetta, is an injectable medication that treats diabetes mellitus type 2. It’s injected within an hour before the first and last meals of the day, but there is also a once-a-week only dose. It acts on your pancreas’s cells and boosts insulin production while also lowering its glucagon production. It also slows down the absorption of sugar in your gut, which helps control blood sugar levels by preventing blood sugar spikes.

    Best of all, it also helps suppress your appetite, which leads to weight loss. Researchers found that diabetes mellitus patients on exenatide experience a long-term weight loss effect due to increased satiety.

    Exenatide’s common side effects are usually mild gastrointestinal symptoms, but it can also cause pancreatitis.




    4. Glipizide (Glucotrol)

    Glipizide, which is also known by the brand name Glucotrol, is another diabetes mellitus medication that acts on your pancreas’s insulin-producing cells to promote insulin production. But researchers found that glipizide caused an average weight gain of about 2.65 pounds in diabetes mellitus patients.

    Safer alternative: Pramlintide (Symlin)

    Pramlintide, which is also known by the brand name Symlin, is a medication that can treat diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. It’s a compound that mimics amylin, and is injected to enter directly into the bloodstream. It helps inhibit glucagon production and suppresses your appetite.

    Researchers found that pramlintide caused an average weight loss of 3.75 pounds in diabetes mellitus type 1 patients and 8.16 pounds in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients after a year of treatment.

    If you’re on any of these potentially diabetes mellitus-causing medications that may also increase your risk for diabetes mellitus complications, you should consider asking your doctor about these safer alternatives since they promote weight loss and can even protect you from diabetes mellitus complications.

    How Weight Gain Can Cause and Exacerbate Diabetes Mellitus in the Long Term

    Diabetes mellitus type 2 is an unavoidable condition for only a minority of sufferers, like those with improperly functioning glands that result in obesity. The secret truth is that diabetes mellitus type 2 is a disease that’s mostly caused by a careless lifestyle. It turns out that about 90 percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients are overweight or obese. That means that if you’re not carelessly putting on the pounds, you’re only facing the risk of being in the 10 percent of normal weight diabetes mellitus patients. But if you’re not watching your weight, then you risk becoming one of the 90 percent of high BMI diabetes mellitus patients.

    Researchers also found that losing weight boosts insulin sensitivity even without exercise. They also found that obese diabetes mellitus patients who went on a calorie-restricted diet for only a week experienced a significant decrease in insulin resistance. These findings point to the conclusion that becoming fat can slowly cause the development of diabetes mellitus, while losing weight helps prevent and treat it.

    The theory (which seems to be correct, given all the evidence) is that when you get too fat, your body doesn’t want to store any more energy as fat. Since insulin tells your cells to take in energy, your cells start rejecting the excess energy by not responding to insulin. Then, when you lose weight, your body has the capacity to store energy again and your cells become responsive to insulin again.

    Another way to look at it is like when the milkman comes around the neighborhood delivering milk. If households are out of milk, they’ll welcomingly open their doors. But if they’ve still got a stockpile, their doors remain closed. If everyone has a stockpile of milk, the milkman ends up with a surplus of undelivered milk. The milkman is like sugar in your bloodstream, and the houses are like your cells. When you have a normal weight and have a great insulin response, your cells welcomingly take in the sugar. When you’ve got a stockpile of energy stored and have diabetes mellitus, your cells don’t “open the door” and the sugar builds up to high levels in your bloodstream. But once you get rid of the stockpile (losing weight), then your cells will welcome sugar again.

    But don’t think that you’ll automatically develop diabetes mellitus by becoming overweight or obese – only 30 percent of overweight and obese patients suffer from diabetes mellitus. Just consider that being fat is one of the major risk factors for diabetes mellitus. That’s why these diabetes mellitus medications that cause weight gain actually make your condition worse in the long run. In the short term, the medications lower your blood sugar levels, but if they make you fatter, then you’re only worsening your insulin response in the long term. It’s like they’re putting out the smoke but adding to the fire.

    Natural Supplements That Can Boost Insulin Sensitivity While Helping You Lose Weight

    If you’re now convinced to switch to these safer diabetes mellitus medications that promote weight loss, consider that even they have side effects (albeit less harmful). The good news is that there are natural, holistically healthy supplements that have been proven to lower insulin resistance, help normalize blood sugar levels, and promote weight loss. Of course, these won’t work as fast or efficient as pharmaceuticals, but they’re safer and healthy for your whole body. Here are a few:

    1. Fish Oil

    Researchers found that fish oil supplementation has protective effects against neuropathy arising from diabetes mellitus complications. They also found that diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who supplemented with more fish oil experienced a greater decrease in body mass index, blood sugar levels, and lipid levels. They concluded that taking fish oil supplements can help diabetes mellitus type 2 patients manage their blood sugar levels and protect them from heart disease arising from diabetes mellitus complications.

    But fish oil is also good for your brain and has been found to protect you from neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s. It also has been found to boost your cognition. Supplementing with fish oil has also been proven to lower depression.

    Fish oil also lowers your overall inflammation, and researchers found that fish oil supplements are a good alternative to anti-inflammatory medications. Since diabetes mellitus increases overall inflammation, fish oil supplementation helps counteract that.

    Fish oil also lowers your overall risk for developing cancer. More benefits from fish oil supplementation are still being discovered by scientists. But because of its lowering effects on insulin resistance, blood sugar levels, and weight, as well as its protective effects against diabetes mellitus complications, it’s definitely a supplement you should be taking if you have diabetes mellitus type 2.

    2. Magnesium

    Magnesium is a vital element everyone needs daily whether they have diabetes mellitus or not. But researchers found that most people suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 are deficient in magnesium. They say that magnesium regulates insulin, and a magnesium deficiency can worsen insulin resistance. They even say that not getting enough magnesium is one of the risk factors for diabetes mellitus because there’s evidence that it lowers insulin sensitivity in people who don’t have diabetes mellitus.

    These researchers found that high blood sugar levels cause your body to excrete more magnesium into your urine, which worsens the magnesium deficiency. But they also found that most diabetes mellitus type 2 patients don’t take in enough magnesium through their diet.

    Magnesium deficiency in diabetes mellitus patients has also been linked with increasing the risk for diabetes mellitus complications. They found that very low levels of magnesium is a sign of neuropathy, while also increasing the prevalence of arrhythmias.

    The good news is that taking in higher levels of magnesium (without overdosing) has been shown to boost insulin sensitivity, lower overall inflammation, and delay the development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Although most doctors ignore the magnesium status of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients, researchers found that supplementing with magnesium lowers both their fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels, while also boosting their insulin sensitivity.

    These researchers conclude that supplementing with magnesium is a potentially viable diabetes mellitus type 2 treatment because of its beneficial effects on blood sugar levels and insulin response, and because it lowers the risk of diabetes mellitus complications by lowering inflammation and helping neutralize the elevated levels of free radicals caused by the condition.

    3. Vitamin D

    Vitamin D deficiency also plagues most people suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2. They also found that supplementing with vitamin D boosts insulin sensitivity and insulin production by the pancreas. Some studies have found that supplementing with vitamin D in conjunction with calcium lowers fasting blood sugar levels.

    Researchers also found that diabetes mellitus type 1 patients who were vitamin D deficient experienced better blood sugar level control after supplementing with vitamin D. Researchers also found that vitamin D deficient diabetes mellitus type 2 patients can enjoy the same enhanced blood sugar level control if they supplement with vitamin D.

    They also found that taking vitamin D promotes weight loss and suppresses your appetite by boosting your leptin levels, which is the hormone responsible for making you feel full. If you take vitamin D and it leads to you having a lower BMI, then supplementation helps directly treat your diabetes mellitus in the long run.

    Vitamin D also lowers cortisol levels, which lowers stress and inflammation. All these health benefits make vitamin D a necessary daily supplement if you’re suffering with diabetes mellitus. Given that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among diabetes mellitus sufferers and that supplementing with vitamin D seems to help insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, there is a strong chance that vitamin D deficiency is one of the major risk factors for diabetes mellitus, which makes daily supplementation even important.

    If you’re vitamin D deficient, supplementing with vitamin D can only be good for your body. And even if you’re not deficient, getting higher levels of vitamin D has been shown to lower depression, boost bone health, boost immunity, protect your cardiovascular system, and protect against neurodegenerative disorders.




    But It Doesn’t Always Have to Be About the Pills and Injections. You Can Proactively Boost Your Insulin Sensitivity With These Physical Diabetes Mellitus Treatments

    Although taking diabetes mellitus supplements and medications are probably the quickest ways to boost your insulin sensitivity and lower your blood sugar levels, did you know there are also natural, healthy activities you can do that can improve your insulin response and normalize your blood sugar levels over a longer period of time?

    Here are a few you can try:

    1. Intermittent Fasting

    Simply change your eating habits to include a daily fast. Researchers found that diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who ate two large meals a day experienced weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and increased insulin sensitivity. Specifically, the patients took their calorie-restricted six meals per day and combined them into breakfast and lunch. They didn’t eat dinner or any other meal besides those two.

    This diet regimen falls under intermittent fasting because you’re essentially starving your body between lunch and the next day’s breakfast. Intermittent fasting has been found to protect your cardiovascular health, help you live longer, improve your immunity, lower inflammation, and more.

    But it’s all or nothing – you have to commit to eating only breakfast and lunch. Breaking that arrangement by eating dinner will make you go over your daily calorie restriction and put you in danger for weight gain and high blood sugar levels.

    2. Exercise

    The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says that exercising can help boost insulin sensitivity and lower your blood sugar levels. It makes sense – if your muscles suddenly need more energy because you’re using them more, then they’ll take in more sugar from your bloodstream, which helps lower your overall blood sugar levels.

    Here are the two kinds of exercises they recommend the most for diabetes mellitus patients:

    Three days of aerobic exercise every week. The ADA says that diabetes mellitus patients should do moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise at least three times per week. They actually recommend exercising five times per week for 30 minutes each session, but say that you can also exercise a total of two and a half hours per week as long as you don’t go more than two days without exercising. They say that aerobic exercise boosts insulin sensitivity, while also relieving stress. You can jog, run, dance, play tennis, climb stairs, or even do heavy gardening to get your aerobic exercise in!

    Two days of strength training every week. The ADA says that strength training helps diabetes mellitus patients lower their blood sugar levels for the long term by increasing their muscle mass. Muscle cells passively burn more calories than fat cells, which means having more muscle boosts your resting metabolism. This leads to lower fasting blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance. Strength training also strengthens your bones. Strength training exercises range from carrying canned goods and water bottles to using weights and weight lifting equipment. Doing push-ups and sit-ups are strength training exercises too!




    Watch TV sitting on the floor or an exercise ball. It would be best if you could quit sitting or lying for long periods of time watching TV because sedentary activity lowers your metabolism, which could worsen your insulin resistance. But if you can’t stop, there’s a way for you to burn more calories while watching, which also helps lower your blood sugar levels and boost your insulin sensitivity. Instead of lying on a couch, chair, or your bed, sit on the floor or an exercise ball. These will make your muscles work harder to keep you balanced, which helps tone them and makes them burn a few more calories. Sitting on an exercise ball is the better choice because it helps tone more core muscles.

    What You Should Keep in Mind About Treating Your Diabetes Mellitus

    The key is knowing that not all diabetes mellitus medications are equal – some are bad for your condition in the long run. You should also know that there are natural, healthy supplements you can take that can have the same effects as pharmaceutical diabetes mellitus medications. There are also activities you can do regularly that lower your blood sugar levels and improve your insulin response.

    But the real takeaway is that if you want to permanently cure your diabetes mellitus type 2, you should strive for a normal BMI. All of your doctor’s advice, all these medications, and all these diabetes mellitus treatment activities – they’re all about losing weight. Your long-term goal should be to lose enough weight that your cells are responding normally to insulin again. Don’t lose hope – researchers were able to permanently reverse diabetes mellitus type 2 in patients by having them go on a strict fast, which led to weight loss.

    Remember to ask your doctor before changing your diabetes mellitus treatment – some medications, supplements, and activities are only effective for diabetes mellitus type 2, and can be dangerous for diabetes mellitus type 1.

  • New Wristwatch-like Device for Diabetes Mellitus Patients Can Measure Your Blood Sugar Levels Without Drawing Your Blood

    New Wristwatch-like Device for Diabetes Mellitus Patients Can Measure Your Blood Sugar Levels Without Drawing Your Blood

    If you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus, here’s some great news – researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas have bioengineered a device that goes on your wrist and can monitor your blood sugar levels without taking your blood.

    Diabetes mellitus affects about 29 million U.S. residents, but an estimated 8 million more people in the U.S. have diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed. It’s a disease of serious concern because it can lead to many fatal and debilitating conditions, while also being difficult to manage daily. The good news is that bioengineers from the University of Texas at Dallas have found a way to make life a little bit easier for those suffering from diabetes mellitus. They’ve created a device much like a wristwatch that can measure key vitals without a blood sample.

    The device only needs 1 to 3 microliters of sweat to get readings of your sugar, cortisol, and interleukin-6 levels. The researchers say that the device can also help prediabetic patients and hyperglycemia sufferers to help prevent progression into diabetes mellitus type 2. They say that when these patients experience chronic stress, the increase in their cortisol levels can cause insulin resistance, which can raise their blood sugar levels above the normal range. If left unchecked, this cycle can push their conditions over into full-blown diabetes mellitus type 2, which then increases their systemic inflammation, which can be measured by their interleukin-6 levels.

    By monitoring these levels and understanding what they mean, they can serve as biofeedback for both prediabetic and diabetes mellitus patients. They can see what they’re doing in their lives that are aggravating their condition and can make lifestyle adjustments. This is very helpful since food isn’t the only factor in diabetes mellitus – perhaps their work life is raising their cortisol levels, or something as simple as not waking up earlier, which can lead to a more stressful morning that spikes their blood sugar levels because of the combination of breakfast and high cortisol levels.

    The researchers also say that their device is cheaper in the long run because it lasts for up to a week, whereas most current monitors for diabetes mellitus are only for one-time use.

    This new device can help curb the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in America where it’s caused by high-fat, high-sugar diets and sedentary lifestyles.

    If you’re wondering whether you should buy this device, consider the following:




    Over 70 Percent of People With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Die of Cardiovascular Disease

    Researchers found that over 70 percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients die of cardiovascular-linked events. They’re saying that the diabetes mellitus type 2 epidemic taking America will forseeably lead to an epidemic of cardiovascular disease.

    That’s not a surprise since diabetes mellitus complications can cause atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk for heart disease greatly. When your blood sugar levels are high, it increases the free radical levels in your bloodstream, which damages your blood vessels. This also consumes the nitric oxide that your blood vessels need to relax and dilate, which means they’re more likely to stay constricted. These conditions increase your risk for a cardiovascular event.

    But these cardiovascular complications can be lessened if you use the device to better control your blood sugar levels. If it allows you to better keep your blood sugar levels optimal, you’ll help prevent damage to your blood vessels caused by too much sugar circulating in your bloodstream.

    Soon these week-long diabetes mellitus wristwatch monitors will be available for purchase. Buying one will help you understand how your daily routine affects your blood sugar levels. It will also help keep you protected from cardiovascular disease by giving you better vigilance over your blood sugar levels. And remember – it doesn’t require a needle prick, just a bit of sweat!

  • 3 Natural Remedies You Can Use to Help Prevent Lyme Disease This Summer

    3 Natural Remedies You Can Use to Help Prevent Lyme Disease This Summer

    Summer is in full swing and you should be taking advantage of all nature has to offer. But be mindful of ticks when going outdoors because they can give you Lyme Disease. Recently, their threat is greater due to their increased numbers in certain parts of the United States. Here are some natural ways to help keep ticks away from you.

    The weather’s warm and the sun’s bright rays shine for longer periods throughout the day – not many can resist stepping outside for a nice summer’s walk, jog, or hike. Don’t resist those urges because they’re good for your health. You’ll replenish your vitamin D stores and walking around in nature near trees has been found to lower blood pressure. Walking and running have also been found to add years to your life! But ticks love the summer outdoors too and they become more active and prevalent during these warm and hot days.

    Recently, tick activity in the northeastern regions of the U.S. has increased because white-footed mice have suddenly surged in population. The ticks there have multiplied generously because these hosts have become more plentiful and available. The danger is that these mice often carry the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. When ticks ingest mice’s blood carrying the bacteria, they can pass it along to the next host they feed on – like humans.

    What Is Lyme Disease and Why Is It Dangerous?

    Lyme disease can cause fever, rashes, and even worse symptoms if left untreated. Spotting Lyme disease early hinges on identifying the hallmark rash (erythema migrans) localized around the tick bite. But the rash doesn’t present in up to 50 percent of people infected with Lyme disease, which can let the disease go undiagnosed.

    If the bacteria are allowed to spread from the site of infection, Lyme disease can wreak havoc across the body, causing erythema migrans in many areas. If the bacteria reach the heart and nerves, Lyme disease can entail irregular heartbeat and facial paralysis. Other advanced symptoms include arthritis, memory loss, shooting pains, shortness of breath, and even inflammation of the spinal cord and brain.

    Although these symptoms sound scary, the good news is dying form Lyme disease is rare because even in its later stages, the bacteria succumb to antibiotics like penicillin and amoxicillin. But a small percentage of patients can have symptoms that last for months or years even after a successful course of treatment. This is known as Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome or chronic Lyme disease.

    However, patients with preexisting conditions, like heart problems, are more at risk from dying from untreated Lyme disease due to the strain it puts on the organs.




    3 Natural Tick-repelling Remedies and Their Health Benefits

    You can’t get Lyme disease from food or being bitten by animals, but recent research says that it may be possible for the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria to be passed sexually. But Lyme disease’s main mode of transmission to people remains notoriously with ticks. Fortunately, there are natural, harmless ways to prevent ticks from latching onto you when you’re out enjoying the summer season (some of these are even healthy for you!):

    1. Apply a Vinegar Solution to Your Skin

    The American College of Healthcare Sciences states that vinegar has bug-repelling properties. Mix a teaspoon of vinegar with a cup of water and apply the solution to exposed areas that are most vulnerable to contact with ticks – like your arms and legs. This natural solution’s tick-repelling properties aren’t as strong or long-lasting as toxin-containing commercial bug repellents, so you’ll have to reapply the solution each hour you’re outside.

    Applying the vinegar solution to your skin also helps cleanse and heal it, and your whole body. The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine says that vinegar coaxes toxins through your skin’s pores and helps clear blemishes, warts, and sunburns. It also helps relieve acne and psoriasis.

    If you’re worried ticks might end up in your hair and apply the solution there, the vinegar also clears your hair and its follicles and roots of any chemical buildup from cosmetic products. It also strengthens your hair follicles.

    The only drawback is that you may smell a little sour, but you can easily cover that up with the scent of soothing essential oils, which also have tick-repelling properties.

    2. Apply Natural Essential Oils to Your Skin

    The American College of Healthcare Sciences also states that lavender, basil, thyme, and peppermint essential oils have bug-repelling properties. They also smell wonderful. In fact, their scents smell so wonderful they can heal! Doctors discovered that cancer patients and other study participants who breathed in essential oils felt calmer or energized.

    Their immune systems were also boosted. It’s because when you inhale essential oils, their healing compounds enter your bloodstream through your lungs and act on your central nervous system and other parts of your body.

    But what do essential oils do when you apply them to your skin for tick protection? Studies found that they can sterilize your skin of bacteria and fungi. They may also help treat any herpes sores because they’ve been found to have antiviral activity against the herpes simplex virus.

    Mixing essential oils with your vinegar solution makes for a more powerful tick repellent with even more health benefits for your body. It will also mask vinegar’s sour smell and give your body a soothing fragrance.

    3. Apply Tea Tree Oil to Your Skin

    Tea tree oil is another natural and healthy remedy you can apply to your skin to keep ticks away. It has bug repellent properties, but also helps alleviate acne and can kill MRSA bacteria when applied to your skin. If applied to your hair, tea tree oil has been found to alleviate dandruff. Its healing topical properties make it a popular choice among cosmetic manufacturers as an active or complementary ingredient in shampoos, soaps, lotions, and other personal care products.

    You can buy tea tree oil in its pure form or a pre-made tea tree oil solution specific for skin care use.

    Enjoy the summer weather and all the health benefits being outdoors has to offer. But be aware that ticks are more prevalent in the northeastern states because of the surge in white-footed mice. They’re also more common in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Since ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, apply these natural remedies to keep them away and to keep yourself safe. As a bonus, these remedies also heal your skin and your body!

  • Can Living a Healthier Lifestyle Help Cure Colon Cancer?

    Can Living a Healthier Lifestyle Help Cure Colon Cancer?

    Researchers found that colon cancer patients who lived healthier lifestyles had a higher rate of staying in remission.

    Colon cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. Patient survival rates are between 92 to 11 percent within the first five years after diagnosis, depending on the stage of the cancer. But for patients who do survive and go into remission, researchers have found that living a healthier life can drastically increase the length of their remission.

    The American Cancer Society released lifestyle guidelines for cancer patients that advised maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, not drinking too much alcohol or drinking little alcohol, and eating an ounce of tree nuts twice or more weekly. After studying 1000 colon cancer patients in remission, they found that those who followed these recommended lifestyle guidelines had between a 47 to 51 percent lower risk of their cancer recurring for the next 7 to 10 years. Patients who drank more alcohol ended up near the higher end of the risk spectrum.

    This means that simply living a healthier life can cut your odds of cancer recurrence by half for about a decade if you’re in colon cancer remission. The American Cancer Society’s lifestyle recommendations are:

    • Maintain a healthy body mass index.
    • Exercise for 150 minutes total weekly. Do strength training twice weekly.
    • Eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
    • Eat 1-ounce of tree nuts at least twice a week. Peanuts and peanut butter are not considered tree nuts.
    • Limit alcohol consumption. Drink little to no alcohol.



    Other Factors That May Affect Colon Cancer Remission

    If you’d like to enjoy less risk of any form of colon cancer coming back, limit or remove red meat from your diet. Harvard Medical School says their review of research concludes that eating processed or fresh red meat increases your risk for developing colon cancer by about 33 percent.

    Why does eating red meat contribute to causing colon cancer? Researchers found that your body converts some compounds present in red meat into N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), which are carcinogens. They found that people who ate a diet rich in red meat had higher levels of NOCs in their stool, whereas people on a vegetarian diet had low levels of NOCs in their stools. The researchers then took samples of colon cells from people with high-NOC stools and discovered that the cells’ DNA was damaged. They concluded that eating red meat directly damages colon cells’ DNA. Chronic ongoing damage to DNA is a significant risk factor for developing cancer.

    The good news is that eating fresh chicken didn’t seem to increase colon cancer risk. They also found that eating fish lowers your risk for developing colon cancer by 33 percent. Also, people who ate red meat accompanied by a high amount of fiber had less levels of NOCs in their stools, but still more NOCs than the stools of people on a vegetarian diet.

    Avoid developing colon cancer and colon cancer recurrence by living healthier. Exercise regularly, stay away from red meat, enjoy a vegetarian-like diet with fish, eat more tree nuts, and stay away from alcohol. But you can also have chicken once in a while, which doesn’t seem to affect colon cancer risk unless you eat it burned or charred. If you’re going to eat red meat, then include a high amount of fiber with your meal to help lower the NOC levels in your GI tract.

  • Scientists Discover That Which City You Live in Can Increase Your Risk for Developing Cancer

    Scientists Discover That Which City You Live in Can Increase Your Risk for Developing Cancer

    A review of cancer statistics from extensive sources reveals that places with poorer environmental quality can put you at greater risk for developing cancer.

    The urban life attracts many with prospects of higher incomes, busier lives, cutting-edge technology and fashion, and a more diverse, fun environment. But experts are finding that you may be trading your health for a better lifestyle by moving into busy cities. They found that poor quality environments can increase your risk for cancer.

    Researchers went through numerous statistics from many governmental health agencies, including the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the EPA, and tried to find a correlation between cancer incidence and air quality, transportation and housing safety, water quality, pesticide exposure and contamination, and exposure to crime. They found that places which are lower overall in these environmental qualities have higher incidences of cancer.

    They found that prostate and breast cancer rates were the most sensitive to environmental quality. That means that living in an area that exposes you to a lower quality environment puts you at greater risk for these two cancers.

    Sadly, they also found that the more urbanized a place is, the lower the environmental quality tends to be. Highly urbanized places, like major cities, were found to have the lowest environmental quality. But even almost unpopulated rural areas can have a lower quality environment compared with a more populated suburban area if these rural areas have more pesticide exposure from farming or some other outstanding lower environmental factor.

    How to Protect Yourself From Environmental Cancer Risks

    But often it’s not possible to choose the environment you live in. Financial situations may force you to move to more polluted cities. Also, you shouldn’t give up your life goals for better environmental quality because the increased cancer risks aren’t as significant as something on the level of smoking cigarettes or using a tanning bed. While it isn’t possible to avoid all increased risks of developing cancer coming from your environment, there are many proactive things you can do to lower these risks significantly:




    1. Test Your Water

    Water quality is one of the environmental factors used in the review. Many cities across the U.S. have outdated irrigation systems that leak lead and other pollutants into their tap water. If you remember the Flint, Michigan lead contamination crisis, then you should know that Providence, Rhode Island children recently were found to have levels of lead in their bodies that are 300 percent over dangerous levels. Recent tests also found that some homes’ tap water in Portland contain lead levels that exceed EPA’s health hazard limits.

    Besides increasing your risk for cancer, continuing to introduce contaminated water into your system has been found to lower your cognition and overall brain power. The impact is so significant that children who were exposed to lead in their drinking water ended up with such lower IQ and cognitive abilities that their socioeconomic status was lower than their parents even at age 38!

    Given these findings on lead-contaminated cities and this new review linking environmental quality and cancer risk, it’s not a coincidence that Portland, Flint, and Providence are both highly urbanized places and have notorious lead water levels. If you live in a highly or somewhat urbanized location, there’s a chance your tap water may be contaminated too.

    But no matter where you live, it’s best if you run your own tests on your tap water to see if it’s safe for consumption. Local government agencies only test a few homes’ tap water and assume nearby homes have similar results. That means you shouldn’t assume your home’s tap water has been tested and officially approved as safe for drinking.

    2. Avoid Outdoor Air Pollution and Control Indoor Air Pollution

    It’s difficult to control the air pollution you’re exposed to if you’re living in a major city. But there’s still a few things you can do to lessen your exposure.

    Try to leave before rush hours. Commuting when there’s less traffic means you’ll likely be exposed to less smog. Try to pick routes with less traffic and fewer smoke-spewing buildings (like restaurants or industrial areas). Doing these two things will greatly reduce your exposure to outdoor air pollution.

    When at home, you can minimize indoor air pollution by vacuuming more often to reduce the dust you breathe in. Don’t use scented candles or artificial air fresheners because there’s evidence they vaporize chemicals that can disrupt your endocrine system and cause cancer. Instead, use a doctor-recommended air purifier that cleans the air of odor-causing particles and dust. Remember to change your HVAC filters and air purifier filters regularly to maximize their air filtration.

    You should also cultivate houseplants, which boost your indoor oxygen supply and naturally remove harmful vaporized pollutants (like benzene and formaldehyde) emitted from electronics. These are vital for your home office, which may have higher levels of these cancer-causing pollutants coming from your printer and computers. But formaldehyde and some other dangerous pollutants are also released by a few paints, varnishes, paper products, foam insulation, and other fixtures that came with your urban rental. Thankfully, household plants have been shown to lower formaldehyde levels in the air by about 600 percent. These researchers found that ferns are the best houseplants for removing formaldehyde from indoor air.

    3. Wash or Boil Your Produce

    Pesticide exposure is another environmental factor the review took into consideration. You can lessen pesticide exposure from the air by wearing long-sleeved tops and pants. Wearing clothes that cover more of your body means less pesticides can make contact with your skin and get absorbed into your body.




    But you must also wash your fruits and vegetables to remove more pesticide residues. The National Pesticide Information Center advises to wash and rub your produce by hand under a strainer to get more pesticide residues out. If you’re eating the produce raw, then you should also wash with a diluted solution of vinegar to kill harmful microbes.

    Research shows that boiling your produce ultimately removes the most pesticide residues. They found that boiling fruits and vegetables removes between 50 to 100 percent of pesticide residues, whereas simply washing and rubbing produce only removes between 20 to 89 percent.

    Removing as much pesticides from your food as possible helps lessen your overall pesticide exposure.

    4. Be Vigilant About Your Housing and Transportation

    Not everyone follows the law, and surely you’ve gone over the speed limit at least once when driving. The same applies to landlords and transportation companies. Housing and transportation safety is another environmental factor that can increase your risk for developing cancer. Make sure where you’re staying and what you’re riding are currently following all codes and regulations.

    Also make sure your home isn’t built with asbestos, lead-based paint, and other health hazards. If during your checks you find that your housing or transportation might be exposing you to unnecessary harmful pollutants, then you should choose different providers to avoid these potential increased cancer risks.

    You can’t avoid all the health risks your environment poses. But now that you’re aware of certain aspects of your environmental that can contribute to causing cancer, you can proactively lessen their impact on your body. Although living in an ideal, safe place would be best, you shouldn’t give up on your ambitions by actively avoiding highly urbanized places. Strive for your goals and protect your health along the way!

  • Experts Say Wearing Sunscreen Lowers Your Vitamin D Production: Here’s What You Should Do

    Experts Say Wearing Sunscreen Lowers Your Vitamin D Production: Here’s What You Should Do

    Wearing sunscreen is becoming more important as the ozone layer continues to be depleted and the atmosphere protects you less from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. But now researchers are finding that protecting yourself from the sun’s UV rays with sunscreen also blocks the sunlight’s natural ability to cause vitamin D production in your body. Don’t worry – here’s how you can continue helping to prevent developing skin cancer while getting your daily vitamin D.

    Why Is Vitamin D Important for Your Health?

    Vitamin D is a critical nutrient your body needs for good bone health, mental health, and disease prevention. Your bone cells need vitamin D to build, strengthen, and maintain your bones. Without vitamin D, your bones can become brittle, and you may develop rickets or osteoporosis. Why? Because vitamin D contributes significantly to your gut’s ability to absorb calcium, and it also controls how much phosphate and calcium are circulating in your blood. Without vitamin D, insufficient calcium and phosphate would be accessible to your bone cells.

    Vitamin D has also been linked with lowering inflammation and boosting your immunity. Not getting enough vitamin D has been linked with an increased chance of catching colds and flus. Doctors also found that supplementing with vitamin D can shorten the severity and length of a flu or cold significantly.

    Vitamin D has also been linked with cancer. Researchers found that people with higher concentrations of vitamin D are 50 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer. There is similar evidence for vitamin D intake and prostate and breast cancers.

    Vitamin D also plays a significant role in your cardiovascular health. Researchers found that low concentrations of vitamin D increase your risk for heart disease by 60 percent compared to someone with high vitamin D levels. In fact, you’re 300 percent more likely to develop hypertension if you have chronically low levels of vitamin D compared to if you’ve kept your vitamin D levels high.

    If you’re trying to lose weight or want to stay fit, researchers found that healthy vitamin D levels play a critical role. They found that most obese and overweight people have lower concentrations of vitamin D. What’s even more interesting is that they found that women who lost weight also experienced an increase in their vitamin D levels.




    Vitamin D may also be linked with diabetes. When nondiabetic patients were given 700 IU of vitamin D with calcium for three years, they experienced lower fasting plasma glucose levels.

    Vitamin D has also been found to help treat depression. Clinically depressed patients who supplemented with vitamin D for one year experienced better scores on depression tests. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked with cognitive impairment.

    There are many more diseases that have been linked with low levels of vitamin D, including Parkinson’s disease and autoimmune disorders. In fact, high levels of vitamin D decrease your risk of developing multiple sclerosis by 62 percent compared with if you had chronically low levels. It becomes obvious from the extensive evidence and findings that vitamin D is integral to your holistic health, and having chronic low vitamin D levels can put you in danger.

    How Do You Get Your Daily Vitamin D?

    Vitamin D is mainly made by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. The sun’s UV radiation catalyzes a reaction that lets your skin convert compounds into inactive forms of vitamin D that then get converted to active forms by your tissues, liver, and kidneys.

    You can also get a little vitamin D from eating fish, liver, eggs, and yogurt. Because vitamin D is found in little amounts in Western diets, most commercial products, like cereals, milks, and baby formulas, are fortified with vitamin D.

    But most of these commercially processed foods and dairy products (except yogurt) are high in cholesterol, and not at the healthy end of the spectrum. If you’re a health buff, you’d most likely stay away from foods fortified with vitamin D – which leaves you relying on sun exposure as your main vitamin D source.

    Are You at Risk for low Vitamin D Levels?

    Given vitamin D’s difficult sources, it explains why the overall population’s vitamin D levels have been declining in recent years. With advancing technology, people are staying indoors more. And as people become more health-conscious and start avoiding dairy products, they consume less dietary sources of vitamin D.

    But some groups of people are more at risk for low vitamin D levels. Experts found that vegetarians, vegans, and people with milk allergies or who are lactose intolerant have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency because they’re avoiding diary sources of vitamin D. Breastfed infants have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency because their mothers aren’t supplementing with enough vitamin D for both her child and herself.

    Researchers found that people with darker skin pigmentation are at risk for chronic low levels of vitamin D. Ninety-five percent of African Americans have been found to be vitamin D deficient.

    Doctors also warn those with chronic gastrointestinal disorders that affect absorption of nutrients to increase their vitamin D intake. Irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and other conditions can lower your vitamin D absorption from food. Over time, this can lead to lower levels of vitamin D.

    If you spend most of your time indoors throughout the week (working at the cubicle or at your home computer and only exercising at the gym or your home gym), you also run the risk of chronic low vitamin D levels if you aren’t supplementing with more vitamin D from food.

    As you get older, your body makes less vitamin D. If you’re getting up there in years and aren’t eating more dietary sources of vitamin D or staying in the sun longer, then you risk having chronic lower levels of vitamin D.




    But Now Scientists Discovered That Being in the Sun Isn’t Causing Enough Vitamin D Production

    As if getting vitamin D wasn’t hard enough – new findings suggest that staying out in the sun might give the false sense that you’re giving your skin what it needs to make vitamin D. Dr. Kim Pfotenhauer states in a clinical review published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association that wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater blocks so much of the sun’s UV radiation that it lowers your skin’s sun-catalyzed vitamin D production by 99 percent!

    That means that if you’re being responsible and health-conscious by protecting yourself from skin cancer by wearing sunscreen everytime you plan on exposing yourself to the sun’s harmful UV rays, you’re also practically cutting off a source of vitamin D without even knowing it.

    But does that mean that you should stop wearing sunscreen or wear lower SPF protection? No!

    Here’s What You Must Do to Get Your Daily Vitamin D Without Sacrificing Skin Protection

    Wearing sunscreen is mandatory if you’re going to spend time in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The sun’s harmful UV radiation can cause skin cancer and speed up signs of aging (like wrinkles, lines, and roughness of your skin).

    But what should you do about your sunscreen blocking 99 percent of your skin’s vitamin D production? You can up your dietary intake of vitamin D by incorporating your own vitamin D-infused mushrooms into your daily diet.

    The American College of Healthcare Sciences says that if you place your grocery-bought mushrooms on a sunny windowsill for a couple of hours, they’ll start making vitamin D via similar chemical processes that happen when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

    Any mushroom will do, but different mushrooms produce varying levels of vitamin D. For example, every 100 grams of portabella mushrooms make 835 IU of vitamin D. You should choose mushrooms based on their nutrition and not their vitamin D-producing capacity. Among the top picks are shiitake and chaga mushrooms, which have some of the highest antioxidant activities and are being investigated as potential supplemental cancer therapies.

    Eating your naturally vitamin D-enriched mushrooms as a dietary source of vitamin D is the solution that lets you up your vitamin D levels without resorting to eating more mercury-contaminated fish or unhealthy dairy products, or exposing yourself to more harmful UV radiation.

    Mushrooms are vegan-friendly and a clean source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which do wonders for your brain and heart. They’re also filled with antioxidants and nice sources of some vitamins and minerals.

    Unlike dairy products, these holistically healthy properties are why health buffs encourage you to incorporate mushrooms into your daily diet as a replacement for proteins sourced from meat, which have been found to increase your risk for cancer by 13 percent. (Whereas mushrooms’ antioxidants fight cancer.)

    You can also take a daily vitamin D supplement, but here you run the risk of a vitamin D overdose if you don’t watch your dosage. Vitamin D supplements are also less economically savvy than mushrooms because all you’re getting is pure vitamin D without the additional natural nutrients of mushrooms, which are cheaper than the supplements.

    Now that you’re more aware of vitamin D’s role in your holistic health, you should up your dietary intake by mixing your sunbathed-mushrooms into your daily salads and meals. Continue wearing sunscreen because it protects your skin from cancer and accelerated aging from contact with the sun. If you’re breastfeeding an infant, it’s important to double your vitamin D intake because you’re the main source of your baby’s vitamin D.

  • Can Doctors Finally Perform a Head Transplant?

    Can Doctors Finally Perform a Head Transplant?

    It’s been talked about endlessly in science fiction and horror novels. But now those plots are finding their way into reality as the world is getting ready to see the very first surgical head transplant. If the procedure succeeds, it could open the doors for permanent cures to virtually every disease that doesn’t affect the head.

    The first two neurosurgeons who’ll perform a head transplant says the procedure will be scheduled for within 10 months from now. Drs. Sergio Canavero and Xiaoping Ren are the two leading neurosurgeons who’ve developed the novel procedure and will be leading the surgical team in China. They picked China as the location for the controversial procedure because there are more accessible body donors.

    But the procedure has been widely criticized by experts in their field whose main concern is that Canavero and Ren haven’t revealed any specific convincing evidence showing they can actually successfully perform a head transplant. But that’s because their detailed research is currently being reviewed by various journals, and they aren’t planning on revealing anything until their works are published in these journals.




    Dr. Michael Sarr, editor of the journal Surgery, is one of the few experts reviewing their research papers. He states that from the evidence he’s reviewed, he believes their head transplant procedure has a 98 percent chance of success.

    In China, they’re legally allowed to perform the procedure. The only thing holding it up is the peer review of their research. Once their papers are published in recognized scientific journals, they can move forward and schedule the very first head transplant surgery.

    A Potential Cure-all

    If a head transplant becomes possible, almost every disease becomes 100 percent curable. Any cancer that hasn’t spread to the head area can be cured if you replace everything under your head. War veterans and victims of flesh-eating bacteria can get new bodies without amputated arms. Heart disease, liver and kidney failure, and any other organ system problem can be 100 percent treated when you’re given a new body.

    Any incurable viral, bacterial, and fungal infection that stays isolated within a certain area in the body can also be completely treated.

    It also opens the door for real sex change surgeries. If a male receives the body of a female, he’ll be able to bear children and have natural female processes. The same holds true if a female receives a male body.

    Hopefully these two revolutionary surgeons and their talented surgical team can pull off this highly anticipated head transplant surgical procedure. It’s definitely worth rooting for!

  • Cellphones Have Been Officially Recognized as Causing Brain Cancer: Here Are Some Ways to Keep Yourself Safe

    Cellphones Have Been Officially Recognized as Causing Brain Cancer: Here Are Some Ways to Keep Yourself Safe

    In Italy, a court made a decision that might prove medically noteworthy. They found that a man’s brain tumor was caused by cellphone usage. It’s difficult not to use a cellphone in this modern era, so here are ways to help lower your risks for developing cancer.

    Cellphone Use Legally Linked With Causing Brain Cancer

    Robert Romero was required to use his cellphone for three hours daily for 15 years while working for Telecom Italia. He developed a brain tumor and the court found that it was caused by his cellphone usage.

    He was awarded about $7,500 per year in damages for the rest of his life. It’s a weird monetary award from an American perspective because it could be on the low end of the spectrum or on the very high end, depending on whether he dies of old age or gets hit by a car the very next day.

    The legal decision is a silent opening of a floodgate. One consumer welfare group has already started the flood by initiating a class action suit to force all cellphone companies to add a warning label about the risks of brain cancer and cellphone usage.

    But Does Using Your Cellphone Cause Brain Cancer?

    Everyone uses a cellphone, especially now that smartphones are becoming more common and accessible to all ages. Smartphones are becoming a necessity because of their internet capabilities. Many stores have QR codes placed on their wares, which gives shoppers with smartphones a price advantage over those who don’t. But is all this cellphone usage putting everyone at risk for brain cancer?

    The National Institutes of Health conclude that cellphones don’t cause brain cancer, in general. They say that cellphones emit radiofrequency energy that doesn’t damage or change DNA, but does cause nearby living tissue to heat up. After reviewing numerous studies, they found no statistically significant increased risk of brain cancer with normal cellphone usage.

    But they did mention that in more than one study, brain cancer was more prevalent in heavy cellphone users, like Robert Romero. But they haven’t cited any studies that focused on heavy cellphone usage only.

    In a more recent study with rats, heavy radiofrequency energy exposure has been found to cause higher rates of brain and heart tumors. But the study is small, and further research must be done for experts to make a definite conclusion.




    Cellphones Lower Male Fertility

    What researchers are sure of is that being near cellphones or talking on a cellphone lowers male fertility. They found that men who talked for longer than an hour a day on their cellphone or had their cellphones close to their groins for a significant period of time experienced lower sperm counts and lower semen quality.

    What’s the Takeaway?

    It seems like the human and rat studies point to one unofficial conclusion: Using your cellphone for longer than normal can lead to brain cancer and a decrease in male fertility. The Italian courts state that an hour a day is normal cellphone usage.

    To be safe and lower your risk for cancer and decreased fertility, don’t use or be near your cellphone for longer than an hour a day. If you need to talk on your cellphone for longer than that, use a headset and keep your cellphone a safe distance away, like on the table or a seat next to you.

    To lower your exposure to your cellphone’s radiofrequency energy, don’t keep your cellphone in your pockets, but store them in a carry-on bag. Also never sleep with your cellphone close to your body – keep it on a nearby table.

    How to Naturally Lower Your Risk for Developing Cancer

    It’s highly unpractical for you to avoid your cellphone on a daily basis, especially if you’re a corporate person. But there are healthy ways you can help protect yourself from developing cancer:

    Try to avoid red meat. Harvard finds that one additional serving of unprocessed red meat increases your risk for total mortality, including cancer, by 13 percent. If it’s processed meat, the increased risk is 20 percent!

    Eat vegetables with every meal. Vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables, are high in antioxidants. These protective compounds circulate through your body once absorbed and neutralize toxins, free radicals, and other cancer-causing pollutants in your system. As a bonus, they also help slow signs of aging.

    Exercise more. Researchers found that exercising more than 150 minutes every week lowers your risk for 17 different types of cancer, including lung, breast, and brain cancer, by at least 20 percent. But you need to be exercising at a moderate intensity level – leisurely walks won’t do, but leisurely jogs fit the bill.

    Incorporating these cancer-protective things into your regular regimen can help offset the increased cancer risk from using your cellphone daily.

  • Can This Blood Test Detect Cancer a Year Earlier Than Normal Tests?

    Can This Blood Test Detect Cancer a Year Earlier Than Normal Tests?

    Scientists invented a new blood test that can detect whether a cancer is recurring a whole year before any current mainstream tests can detect. In general, blood tests are non-invasive, cheaper, and easier to get done. This new method could prove to be an ideal first line of defense for cancer patients.

    If you’ve survived a form of cancer, this new research is great news for you! Researchers have invented a new blood test that can detect your cancer from recurring 365 days before X-rays, CT scans, and other current mainstream diagnostics.

    Depending on your form of cancer, recurrence can be a little or a significant worry. These researchers originally developed this new recurrence detection method especially for lung cancer patients in remission because lung cancer has about a 50 percent chance of recurring.

    They took samples from tumors removed from surgery and created a genetic profile from the cancer cells’ mutated DNA. They then drew the patient’s blood each month post-surgery and tested it for any traces of the cancer cells’ genetic profile. They found that if the cancer starts recurring, its genetic profile is present and detectable in the blood one year before the recurring cancer can be detected using current methods.

    If first caught early via this new blood test, the recurring cancer cluster is still tiny at 0.3 cubic millimeters.

    The great news is that they found this new blood test works for all recurring cancers, not just lung cancer – the key is that doctors need a sample of your cancer cells to make a genetic profile they can keep checking your blood for. But the blood test is not error-free – in the study, 13 out of 14 patients’ recurrence were detected with the blood test. That means one patient didn’t luck out and the blood test didn’t catch his starting recurrence.

    It also doesn’t work on people who’ve never had cancer. Its current usage is limited to detecting cancer recurrence in patients in remission.

    Sampling for the Blood Test Also Gives Hints on Risk of Recurrence

    While creating genetic profiles from tumors from many patients, the researchers happened upon another good find. They found that the patients who ended up with a recurrence usually also have cancer cells with more genetic instability. They concluded that recurrence is more likely if a cancer cells’ chromosomes are more favorable toward shuffling or translocating their genes.

    The researchers hope to use this supplementary finding to create drugs that stabilize cancer cells’ genetics in hopes of slowing tumor growth and overall cancer progression.

    In the meantime, patients in remission whose cancer cells’ genetic profiles exhibit genetic instability are more closely monitored for the possibility of recurrence.

    Although this new research can’t currently help diagnose new cancers, it is a significant advancement in overall cancer research. With this new blood test, patients in remission can be diagnosed and treated if a recurrence starts budding before these patients even experience any symptoms. In the grand scheme, it will certainly save many more lives from cancer.