Why are vitamins necessary for our health?

Why are vitamins essential for our health? Why does the AMA now join with leading nutritional scientists and recommend taking nutritional supplements?

Vitamins are organic substances that are necessary for normal health and growth in both animals and humans. If a vitamin is absent from the diet, or we don't properly absorb it, a specific deficiency disease may develop.

Even worse, our entire body may start a decline that, over a period of years, may develop into a very serious disease such as, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc.

That there is a relationship between what we eat and specific disease was first noted by the Englishman William Fletcher in 1905 while researching the causes of the disease beriberi. He observed that the disease was prevented by eating unpolished rather than polished rice. He concluded that the husk of rice must have special nutrients, which we know today as vitamins.

Even before this discovery, fruits and vegetables were known to prevent and cure many diseases. Even though what we now know as "vitamins" were unknown, many of their benefits were well recognized.

Even today English sailors are known as "Limeys" because, when limes were added to their diets, they no longer suffered from scurvy.

While vitamins prevent and cure some specific diseases, they also are necessary for virtually every function within our bodies.

Because of heavy advertising, we associate Vitamin C with preventing/fighting colds. In truth, Vitamin C does not prevent or fight a cold. It bolsters and strengthens our immune system which attacks the cold germs.

Vitamin C performs many other important functions within the body. A major function is synthesis of hydroxyproline, an important component of collagen and, thereby, all connective tissues.

Vitamin C is essential for growth of cartilage, bone and teeth, and for wound healing. It contributes to the structure of bones, muscles, and blood vessels.

Vitamin C helps support the immune system, aids amino acid metabolism and iron absorption.

Another vitamin - B6 - does not have a reputation as grand as Vitamin C yet it is as essential to good health. Vitamin B6 cannot claim dramatic and immediate "cures" for diseases like scurvy, beriberi, or colds like other vitamins, but it is known as the master vitamin in processing amino acids.

It is estimated that 50% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin B6.

The same is true for virtually every vitamin. Without a proper supply of vitamins, the body develops disease.

Some diseases, such as beriberi and scurvy, show up quickly and dramatically.

Other diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, take years to develop. They go undetected for many years until it may be too late.

Because the body is a "closed system", vitamins, like every other nutrient, must come from the food we consume. The principal sources of vitamins are the fruits and vegetables we consume.

In 1936 the US Government released a report that clearly and emphatically stated that the soils used to grow our food products are so depleted of minerals that: "We know that vitamins are complex chemical substances which are indispensable to nutrition, and that each of them is of importance for normal function of some special structure in the body. Disorder and disease result from any vitamin deficiency. It is not commonly realized, however, that vitamins control the body's appropriation of minerals, and in the absence of minerals they have no function to perform. Lacking vitamins, the system can make some use of minerals, but lacking minerals, vitamins are useless."

Things have not improved in 70 years. In fact, they have gotten much worse.

An entire industry has come into existence because of this fact. Vitamins are consumed by 43% of Americans, yet we continue to suffer and die from preventable diseases that were unknown 50 years ago.

Research scientists have long recommended that nutritional supplements are absolutely essential to our health and wellbeing. This is especially true when we consider our long term health.

And now the American Medical Association, in a significant break from its earlier position that vitamins only produce colored urine, agrees that every American needs to take nutritional supplements.

Not only are vitamins missing from the fruits and vegetables we consume, but antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and fiber are also missing.

Nutritional supplements that provide only one, or a limited number of components, can provide a false feeling of wellbeing.

It is unrealistic to believe that the food we eat is lacking only one element needed by our body.

When the body lacks one component it probably lacks many, even most, simply because the source of the components is deficient. Adding only one component to the diet not only ignores the fact that the basic diet is deficient but gives a false sense of security that we are correcting a health problem.

Mesothelioma, your health and legal right

This story-article will open your eyes to the danger you might presently be living with and not know plus, the legal option open to you as a redress.

John has been sick for months, he has finally been diagnosed to have a rare cancer disease medically know as mesothelioma. He is about being hospitalised for a possible cure of the disease on his lungs, heart and abdominal cavities.

If you come down with mesothelioma, chemotherapy, usually the first option open to doctors as part of cancer analysis will be your first treatment experience, after which you might be subjected to radiation therapy, immuno-augmentative therapy or surgery as the last resort. You sure don’t want John’s condition, do you?

Most victims do not know that they had contracted this very rare cancer. Mesothelioma may silently damage cells of the affected organs for as long as 40 years before health problem symptoms become noticeable. Worse is that symptoms usually happen in retirement when your income, most likely, would have dropped below your expenditure.

From all indications, John is very sick and obviously his well being has been greatly impaired, which must have shortened his life span. His income now barely meets his basic needs due to lost work-hours as a result of mesothelioma. He is in a dilemma regarding how to handle his condition.

But unknown to John, he has a legal right to file for compensation against his former employers. Majority of the articles on mesothelioma, victims and compensation on the internet are unequivocal that anyone who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma having been exposed to asbestos, the chief cause of this rare cancer, is entitled to compensation.

Aside from the inconveniences of illness, their life span has been shortened considerably by the disease contracted in circumstances that did not make the inherent danger of asbestos known to the victim. Using this argument experienced mesothelioma lawyers win claims for their clients, basically pleading the invariable loss of health and active life associated with the rare cancer.

Companies that produced or whose raw material were or still asbestos cannot hoodwink the law on the fact that they knew how dangerous asbestos was to health, but deliberately did not inform their employees as a policy.

Since it takes too long before mesothelioma symptoms begin to appear, tens of thousands of people in the United States may have died of this disease without being recorded as mesothelioma victims. Recorded deaths associated with mesothelioma are also in tens of thousands too.

Asbestos factories, Building and Construction works are among the frequently mentioned culprits for this scenario. And most victims never even know that they were or are mesothelioma positive till it is too late.

The symptoms that John came down with are; shortness of breath, chest pain, abdominal pain, coughing and exhaustion . And I have also read that soon his immune system will become overworked and weakened fighting mesothelioma.

Now, if like John, you or anyone you know had worked or works with asbestos, then inform them, and hurry up to a medical check up. If you test positive, look for a mesothelioma lawyer who can defend your claim.

A competent mesothelioma lawyer must be abreast of the symptoms of the disease to be able to win your claim for you, so ask him questions about the disease to test his knowledge before hiring him.

Clinical Manifestations of Appendicitis in Children

Appendicitis has been labeled as a very difficult to diagnose internal disorder. The symptoms of appendicitis are often vague and unspecific, thus rendering the process of diagnosis very difficult. Appendicitis rarely generates outwardly visible clinical manifestations and doctors often require additional tests in the process of diagnosing the disorder. In order to confirm the presumptive diagnoses of appendicitis, doctors rely on blood analysis, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound tests. However, even modern medical procedures have a certain degree of imprecision and doctors are faced with a real challenge when it comes to diagnosing unspecific cases of appendicitis.

Although it can occur at any age, appendicitis is common in very young children and teenagers. At early ages, children experience serious difficulties in coping with appendicitis and in many cases they present with complications by the time they receive an appropriate medical treatment. Children perceive more intense symptoms of appendicitis and they often experience a wide range of uncharacteristic clinical manifestations. While older children are able to communicate their distress, very young children and babies are unable to express themselves and thus they are more difficult to diagnose with internal disorders such as appendicitis.

While the most common clinical manifestations of appendicitis in adults are intense abdominal pain and discomfort (at first in the umbilical region, later spreading to the right lower side of the abdomen), nausea and fatigue, children may experience additional symptoms such as irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Considering the fact that appendicitis often involves bacterial infection of the vermiform appendix, children commonly experience high fever, intense sweating and chills. Infants and very young children may experience exacerbated appendicitis symptoms.

Although children often experience intense, visible symptoms of appendicitis, such clinical manifestations mimic those of various other internal disorders and thus they aren’t reliable in the process of diagnosis. Considering the fact that some medical techniques such as computerized tomography (CT) and ultrasound tests aren’t always appropriate for diagnosing very young children and infants, doctors usually perform more elaborate physical examinations (abdominal and rectal examinations) along with blood analyses instead. If all clinical manifestations and blood tests results point to appendicitis, doctors usually recommend medical intervention.

The medical treatment for appendicitis requires surgical intervention. The medical procedure for removing the diseased appendix is called appendectomy and nowadays it can be performed safely and with minimal scarring. Timely performed, appendectomy can prevent the occurrence of serious complications (rupturing of the appendix, sepsis, abcess) and doctors recommend this surgical intervention to most young patients diagnosed with appendicitis.

It is very important to ask for medical guidance as soon as you spot any signs of abdominal pain and discomfort in your child. Abdominal pain, vomiting and fever are common signs of childhood appendicitis and you should quickly inform a doctor of the presence of such manifestations in your child.

Your Guide To Healthy Weight Loss

Your Guide To Healthy Weight Loss

Every second American is overweight. Indeed 1 out of every four Americans is obese. And it is universally known that obesity is a direct invitation to various diseases including hypertension, diabetes, stress and depression.

According to one study at least 65 % of these obese people have tried one or the other methods of weight loss in a single year. Wherein, about 23 % of these people succeeded in their weight loss endeavor.

Reading these mis-adventurous statistics of the Americans, it can well be said that most of these people are disillusioned with the available over the counter medications, prescription medications and the so called instant weight loss programs. People, in their search for weight loss pills, methods and product usually forgo the basics underlying this whole concept of weight loss. They look for quick weight loss methods, wherein they should primarily hunt for healthy and safe weight loss methods.

Let’s peep into the various aspects of healthy and safe weight loss and find out what an ideal weight loss program should be like.

Well, adopting any weight loss technique is like setting up of the process of internal combustion of the additional luggage that you are carrying within in the form of toxic materials and additional flesh. It is initiating the private revolution to become a normal human being from the over sized one. It is atoning for your past eating sins. It is a careful understanding of your internal mechanism and the process of its regular maintenance.

You can adopt various methods to reduce weight. But what is most important for you is to adopt the one that is safe and conducive to your body mechanism. A successful weight loss method may include low crab diet, weight loss pills, weight loss supplements and many other weight loss programs.

But health and wellness should assume the prime slot in any of the techniques employed for the weight loss. What you eat makes your body, therefore for the cause of weight loss switch over to healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and those items containing lots of fiber. Make it a rule: Unhealthy eating is an ugly habit!

You have to understand the state of your health in the proper perspective and make a suitable program depending upon your own circumstances. Remember what is good for your friend may not be as good for you in this weight loss spree. So always consult a professional dietician or a doctor before you start your weight loss program. For, your agenda is not quick weight loss, but the healthy weight loss!

Here is a list of things you can adopt for healthy weight loss.

Take two spoonfuls of honey in lukewarm water mixed with 1 spoon of lemon juice on the empty stomach. You will be surprised to experience the beneficial results of this discipline, within a fortnight.
Not only weight loss, several other health benefits are bound to accrue.

As for the breakfast, give up all junk food and take the juice of any seasonal vegetable like carrot or cucumber. Fruits and vegetables are nothing but the herbs provided to you by the nature.

Next, regular use of the fresh, tender coconut water is definitely going to help you in your weight loss vow. This again, you need to take on the empty stomach, in the morning. You can take this leaving half an hours gap, after you take your honey dose.

Diet pills and food supplements which are depended upon the herbal extracts and natural ingredients have decided advantage in the weight loss program. This is a step in the right direction. But you need not endlessly depend upon these products.

All in all, healthy living, the good food habits should evolve in a way that would help the weight loss program in the long run.

Let Food Be Your Medicine

A few years ago, around 400BC, Hippocrates gave the advice that our diet, all that we eat and drink, was the most important part of being and staying healthy. Here I outline some of the ways that food can be used to help with anxiety issues.

If you want to de-stress without buying any medication, yet more books, or anything else, the first place you have to look at is your diet. There are many foods which will help to make you calmer. And quite a few foods which can make even the calmest cucumber agitated.

THE TWO MAIN FOOD GROUPS
The two main food group types can be summarised into Acid and Alkaline foods. They can also be characterised as Good and Bad. Unfortunately, in the Bad Food camp are all the foods we’ve been trained in the last thirty years or so to looooove…. cakes, biscuits, ice-creams, white bread, pasta….- the list is endless.

BUILDING A HEALTHY BODY IS BUILDING A CALM BODY.
The alkaline foods are the ones that build healthy calm bodies and minds. They're the foods your parents nagged you into eating when you were growing up.

Guess you figured it out: the foods and drinks under the heading of Acid food group are definitely anti-calming. That’s not open to debate any more. As well as being anti-calming, acid foods actually cause restlessness.

AND THE NUMBER ONE ANTI-CALMING FOOD IS?
What’s right up there at the top of the list of acidic foods? That’s right: Caffeine.

By now, you know that one of the reasons you feel you “need” your coffee, is that the substance is highly addictive. If you can’t kick your caffeine addiction, please make a personal commitment, from this moment on, to control it.

I can’t be hypocritical. I drink one cup of coffee per day. Never more than one. At one stage, I kicked the habit completely and may do that again. For the moment, it’s one coffee a day. No teas except caffeine-free herbal teas. Soft drinks including colas have quite high amounts of caffeine, so they’re off my diet. There are some newer non-alcoholic beverages with guarana in them and once again, they're highly stimulating, therefore de-calming. That’s how they’re marketed – as substances that can drive you to a frenzy.

FOODS WITH A HIGH GLYCAEMIC INDEX (GI)
The other major villains in the acidic camp are the foods which have a high Glycaemic Index (GI). They are preservatives, sugar and refined carbohydrates

That means that all preserved meats, particularly salami, ham and bacon are bad for you. Let’s not radically alter your eating patterns overnight. If you like a salami (or ham or bacon) sandwich, and you have two sandwiches with ham/salami/or bacon each week, cut it back to one a week.

After about a month, cut back to one sandwich with preserved meats a fortnight. Then cut back to one a month, one a quarter. After a few months, see how you feel.

HIGH GI = TOO MUCH INSULIN
Go to any Diabetes Institute and read their (usually) no-cost information about GI. That advice can be summarised as High GI = too much insulin

Foods with a high GI cause our bodies to secrete insulin to balance our sugar levels. The more our bodies have to secrete insulin, the less effectively our bodies metabolise all foods. That’s one reason why losing weight is very difficult if you continue to eat refined carbohydrates, sugar and preserved foods. Even if you reduce the number of calories, if those calories are coming from refined carbohydrates, sugar and preserved foods, your metabolism is still under threat because your body has to secrete too much insulin.

SUGAR IS STRESS-INDUCING
Sugar is one of the many substances we eat and drink that make us even more jumpy than normal. You can see its immediate effects on very young children. Even people who are not particularly interested in healthy eating will say about their little child : “Oh look at him! He’s always so hyper (active) after he’s had those lollies (that candy, those sweets).” Most of us can see that eating candy with particular colours make us very agitated: blue and green artificial colourings are the worst.

Monitor your own reaction to sweet things. Do you love eating an ice cream at the movies but feel quite tired most days? That general low level fatigue could very well be due to over indulgence in refined sugar.

NOW FOR THE GOOD FOODS AND THE GOOD NEWS
The calming foods are the ones in the low glycaemic index (GI) groups – proteins (fish, meat, eggs, tofu, soya), good fats, the whole grained breads, whole meal pastas, brown or basmati rice, fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

THE #1 NUTRITIONAL ANGEL, THE BEST FAST FOOD: SPROUTS.
Apart from eating them raw, the very best way to eat a number of vegetables and grains is to sprout them.

For example, the vitamin B content of oats soars by 200% when sprouted. I provide more information about the nutritional value of sprouts in Anxiety and Panic Attacks - the Ultimate Solution (www.calmingwords.com ). Here I just want to alert you to their amazing health benefits.

Alfalfa sprouts have more chlorophyll than spinach, kale, cabbage or parsley. Soybean sprouts have 28% protein – twice that in eggs and only 10% of the fat. Lentils comprise 26% protein when sprouted.

That's it for now, but do please look out for my article on vitamins and minerals that keep you calm.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. There is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

• chest wall pain
• pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
• shortness of breath
• wheezing, hoarseness, or cough

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

• abdominal pain
• ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
• a mass in the abdomen
• problems with bowel function
• weight loss

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

• blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
• disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
• low blood sugar level
• pleural effusion
• pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• severe ascites

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).

If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a histopathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.

If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

Typical immunohistochemistry results

Positive	Negative
EMA (epithelial membrane antigen)	CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)
WT1 (Wilms' tumour 1)	B72.3
Calretinin	MOC-3 1
Mesothelin-1	CD15
Cytokeratin 5/6	Ber-EP4
HBME-1 (human mesothelial cell 1)	TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor-1)

Screening

There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.

Staging

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor may need to assess the stage to help plan treatment.

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Pathophysiology

The mesothelium consists of a single layer of flattened to cuboidal cells forming the epithelial lining of the serous cavities of the body including the peritoneal, pericardial and pleural cavities. Deposition of asbestos fibres in the parenchyma of the lung may result in the penetration of the visceral pleura from where the fibre can then be carried to the pleural surface, thus leading to the development of malignant mesothelial plaques. The processes leading to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma remain unresolved, although it has been proposed that asbestos fibres from the lung are transported to the abdomen and associated organs via the lymphatic system. Additionally, asbestos fibres may be deposited in the gut after ingestion of sputum contaminated with asbestos fibres.

Pleural contamination with asbestos or other mineral fibres has been shown to cause cancer. Long thin asbestos fibers (blue asbestos, amphibole fibers) are more potent carcinogens than "feathery fibers" (chrysotile or white asbestos fibers). However, there is now evidence that smaller particles may be more dangerous than the larger fibers. They remain suspended in the air where they can be inhaled, and may penetrate more easily and deeper into the lungs. "We probably will find out a lot more about the health aspects of asbestos from [the World Trade Center attack], unfortunately," said Dr. Alan Fein, chief of pulmonary and critical-care medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. Dr. Fein has treated several patients for "World Trade Center syndrome" or respiratory ailments from brief exposures of only a day or two near the collapsed buildings.

Mesothelioma development in rats has been demonstrated following intra-pleural inoculation of phosphorylated chrysotile fibres. It has been suggested that in humans, transport of fibres to the pleura is critical to the pathogenesis of mesothelioma. This is supported by the observed recruitment of significant numbers of macrophages and other cells of the immune system to localised lesions of accumulated asbestos fibres in the pleural and peritoneal cavities of rats. These lesions continued to attract and accumulate macrophages as the disease progressed, and cellular changes within the lesion culminated in a morphologically malignant tumour.

Experimental evidence suggests that asbestos acts as a complete carcinogen with the development of mesothelioma occurring in sequential stages of initiation and promotion. The molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of normal mesothelial cells by asbestos fibres remain unclear despite the demonstration of its oncogenic capabilities. However, complete in vitro transformation of normal human mesothelial cells to malignant phenotype following exposure to asbestos fibres has not yet been achieved. In general, asbestos fibres are thought to act through direct physical interactions with the cells of the mesothelium in conjunction with indirect effects following interaction with inflammatory cells such as macrophages.

Analysis of the interactions between asbestos fibres and DNA has shown that phagocytosed fibres are able to make contact with chromosomes, often adhering to the chromatin fibres or becoming entangled within the chromosome. This contact between the asbestos fibre and the chromosomes or structural proteins of the spindle apparatus can induce complex abnormalities. The most common abnormality is monosomy of chromosome 22. Other frequent abnormalities include structural rearrangement of 1p, 3p, 9p and 6q chromosome arms.

Common gene abnormalities in mesothelioma cell lines include deletion of the tumor suppressor genes:

• Neurofibromatosis type 2 at 22q12
• P16^INK4A
• P14^ARF

Asbestos has also been shown to mediate the entry of foreign DNA into target cells. Incorporation of this foreign DNA may lead to mutations and oncogenesis by several possible mechanisms:

• Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes
• Activation of oncogenes
• Activation of proto-oncogenes due to incorporation of foreign DNA containing a promoter region
• Activation of DNA repair enzymes, which may be prone to error
• Activation of telomerase
• Prevention of apoptosis

Asbestos fibres have been shown to alter the function and secretory properties of macrophages, ultimately creating conditions which favour the development of mesothelioma. Following asbestos phagocytosis, macrophages generate increased amounts of hydroxyl radicals, which are normal by-products of cellular anaerobic metabolism. However, these free radicals are also known clastogenic and membrane-active agents thought to promote asbestos carcinogenicity. These oxidants can participate in the oncogenic process by directly and indirectly interacting with DNA, modifying membrane-associated cellular events, including oncogene activation and perturbation of cellular antioxidant defences.

Asbestos may also possess immunosuppressive properties. For example, chrysotile fibres have been shown to depress the in vitro proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes, suppress natural killer cell lysis and significantly reduce lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell viability and recovery. Furthermore, genetic alterations in asbestos-activated macrophages may result in the release of potent mesothelial cell mitogens such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) which in turn, may induce the chronic stimulation and proliferation of mesothelial cells after injury by asbestos fibres.

Aromatherapy an Alternative Answer For Stress Management

Copyright © 2006 Douglas Alp

Although we may be under stress at times one may not know that there are alternative solutions for stress other than sex, exercise or alcohol. Finding the right solution can be made as easy as looking no further than your nose If you are searching for an easy and pleasant ways to help get your mind off of an unpleasant or stressful situation, consider aromatherapy as an alternative solution to your stressed life.

The sense of smell is strongly tied to memories. As with all our senses the sense of smell can trigger chemical reactions within your body that can actually help your body feel relief from the stress you are experiencing. Just as stress releases chemicals into your body creating an uneasy feeling so can your sense of smell create a release of chemicals to help you feel better. Your powerful sense of smell can help you feel calm and relaxed. After tense hours at work or just experiencing tension in general you can administer aromatherapy simply by lighting a candle. This is an easy way of helping yourself through a tough situation by encouraging you to take a few minutes to unwind, breathe in a pleasant scent and release any thoughts that may be causing you stress.

One of the most popular fragrances for relaxation is lavender. The lavender fragrance is often combined with vanilla for an extra-special effect. The vanilla is a traditional scent that is closely related to memories of growing up. There is a homey feel about vanilla which will stimulate memories and release chemicals into your body to help you feel a sense of comfort. . This scent mixed with lavender is a new classic among aromatherapy and is an easy way to administer stress relief at an un-conscious level.

The lavender is one of my favorite and I started using it years ago. I noticed that just by burning a lavender soy candle in my house helped to make me feel calm, relaxed and have a feeling of well being. I have also noticed that the bubble bath that I prepare for my girlfriend also has natural lavender and she always tells me how relaxed she feels after she takes her bubble bath and how she just loves the smell.

So if you are feeling stress and are looking for alternative ways to relax and release the stress Look no further than your nose and explore aromatherapy as a safe easy way to alternative for stress release.

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This article has been brought to you by Douglas Alp from MyCompletelife.com. Douglas is in pursuit of the complete life which beings with optimal health at the core and is the foundation for a great abundant life. You can visit his site at http://www.mycompletelife.com to find other great resources and sign up for your free newsletter to assist you to building a healthy and vibrant body and mind in pursuit of your complete life.

Medical education

Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor or further training thereafter.

Medical education and training varies considerably across the world. Various teaching methodologies have been utilised in medical education, which is an active area of educational research.

Entry-level education

Main article: Medical school

Entry-level medical education programs are tertiary-level courses undertaken at a medical school. Depending on jurisdiction and university, these may be either undergraduate-entry or graduate-entry programs.

Generally, initial training is taken at medical school. Traditionally initial medical education is divided between preclinical and clinical studies. The former consisting of the basic sciences such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology. The latter consists of teaching in the various areas of clinical medicine such as internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, surgery. Increasingly, however, medical programs are using systems-based curricula in which learning is integrated, and several institutions do this using problem-based learning models.

Post-graduate education

Following completion of entry-level training, newly graduated doctors are often required to undertake a period of supervised practice before full registration is granted; this is most often of one year duration and may be referred to as "internship" or "provisional registration".

Further training in a particular field of medicine may be undertaken. In some jurisdictions this is commenced immediately following completion of entry-level training, whilst other jurisdictions require junior doctors to undertake generalist (unstreamed) training for a number of years before commencing specialisation.

HOSPITAL

A hospital is an institution for health care provided by physicians, surgeons, nurses, and other professionals.

Terminology
During the Middle Ages the hospital could serve other functions, such as almshouse for the poor, or hostel for pilgrims. The name comes from Latin hospes (host), which is also the root for the English words hotel, hostel, and hospitality. The modern word hotel derives from the French word hostel, which featured a silent s, which was eventually removed from the word; French for hospital is hôpital.
Some patients just come for diagnosis and/or therapy and then leave (outpatients); while others are admitted and stay overnight or for several weeks or months (inpatients). Hospitals are usually distinguished from other types of medical facilities by their ability to admit and care for inpatients.
Grammar of the word differs slightly depending on the dialect. In the U.S., hospital usually requires an article; in Britain and elsewhere, the word is normally used without an article when it is the object of a preposition and when referring to a patient ("in/to the hospital" vs. "in/to hospital"); in Canada, both usages are found.

Types

General hospitals
The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, (in the UK known as a District General Hospital) which is set up to deal with many kinds of disease and injury, and typically has an emergency ward/A&E department to deal with immediate threats to health and the capacity to dispatch emergency medical services. A general hospital is typically the major health care facility in its region, with large numbers of beds for intensive care and long-term care; and specialized facilities for surgery, plastic surgery, childbirth, bioassay laboratories, and so forth. Larger cities may have many different hospitals of varying sizes and facilities.

Very large hospitals are often called Medical Centers in the US and usually conduct operations in virtually every field of modern medicine.

Most hospitals in the UK are run by the National Health Service.

Specialized hospitals
Types of specialized hospitals include trauma centers, children's hospitals, seniors' (geriatric) hospitals, and hospitals for dealing with specific medical needs such as psychiatric problems (see psychiatric hospital), pulmonary diseases, and so forth.

A hospital may be a single building or a campus. Some hospitals are affiliated with universities for medical research and the training of medical personnel. Within the United States, many hospitals are for-profit, while elsewhere in the world most are non-profit.

Clinics
A medical facility smaller than a hospital is called a clinic, and is often run by a government agency for health services or a private partnership of physicians (in nations where private�practice is aled).Clinics generally provide only outpatient services.

Other facilities
Many hospitals have hospital volunteer programs where people (usually students and senior citizens) can volunteer and provide various ancillary services.

Most cities (especially in the U.S.) have laws that make hospitals have alternative backup power generators, in case of a blackout. Additionally they may be placed on special high priority segments of the public works (utilities) infrastructure to insure continuity of care during a state of emergency.

History
In ancient cultures religion and medicine were linked. The earliest known institutions aiming to provide cure were Egyptian temples. Greek temples dedicated to the healer-god Asclepius might admit the sick, who would wait for guidance from the god in a dream. The Romans adopted his worship. Under his Roman name Æsculapius, he was provided with a temple (291 BC) on an island in the Tiber in Rome, where similar rites were performed.

Sinhalese (Sri Lankans) are perhaps responsible for introducing the concept of dedicated Hospitals to the world. According to the Mahavamsa, the ancient chronicle of Sinhalese royalty written in the 6th century AC, King Pandukabhaya (4th century BC) had lying-in-homes and hospitals (Sivikasotthi-Sala) built in various parts of the country after having fortified his capital at Anuradhapura. This is the earliest literary evidence we have of the concept of dedicated hospitals anywhere in the world.

Prof. Arjuna Aluvihare ("Rohal Kramaya Lovata Dhayadha Kale Sri Lankikayo" Vidhusara Science Magazine, Nov. 1993) contends that there is no evidence, literary or otherwise, to show that hospitals were known elsewhere before and during the time of King Pandukabhaya. Heinz E Muller-Dietz (Historia Hospitalium 1975) describes Mihintale Hospital as being perhaps the oldest in the world.

Some institutions created specifically to care for the sick appeared in India. Brahmanic institutions were established in India, King Ashoka founded 18 such institutions c. 230 BC. The care was not full and only the rich were treated, though they are notable for being the earliest hospiials to treat animals.

The first teaching hospital, however, where students were authorized to methodically practice on patients under the supervision of physicians as part of their education, was the Academy of Gundishapur in the Persian Empire. Some experts even claim that "to a very large extent, the credit for the whole hospital system must be given to Persia". (A medical history of Persia, C. Elgood, Cambridge Univ. Press, p. 173.)

The Romans created valetudinaria for the care of sick slaves, gladiators and soldiers around 100 BC. The adoption of Christianity as the state religion of the empire drove an expansion of the provision of care, but not just for the sick. The First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. urged the Church to provide for the poor, sick, widows and strangers. It ordered the construction of a hospital in every cathedral town. Among the earliest were those built by the physician Saint Sampson in Constantinople and by Basil, bishop of Caesarea. The latter was attached to a monastery and provided lodgings for poor and travelers, as well as treating the sick and infirm. There was a separate section for lepers.

Medieval hospitals in Europe followed a similar pattern. They were religious communities, with care provided by monks and nuns. (An old French term for hospital is hôtel-Dieu, "hostel of God.") Some were attached to monasteries. Others were independent and had their own endowments, usually of property, which provided income for their support. Some were multi-function. Others were founded specifically as leper hospitals, or as refuges for the poor or for pilgrims. Not all cared for the sick.

Meanwhile Muslim hospitals developed a high standard of care between the eighth and twelfth centuries A.D. Hospitals built in Baghdad in the ninth and tenth centuries employed up to twenty-five staff physicians and had separate wards for different conditions and lead to the modern hospital. State-supported hospitals also appeared in China later during the first millennium A.D.

EXERCISE

Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. It is often directed toward also honing athletic ability or skill. Frequent and regular physical exercise is an important component in the prevention of some of the diseases of affluence such as cancer, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:

* Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.
* Aerobic exercises such as walking and running focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance.
* Anaerobic exercises such as weight training or sprinting increase short-term muscle strength.

Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining physical fitness including healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.

Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, this is to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.

Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as exercise, otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.

The above two factors can be compromised by psychological compulsions (eating disorders such as exercise bulimia, anorexia, and other bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack of motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can occur after any kind of exercise, particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative to that exercise.

Hygiene

Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. In modern terminology, this is usually regarded as a particular reference to cleanliness. The term Hygiene originates as a reference to Hygieia, who was a daughter of Asclepius and the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. The related term personal grooming/grooming means to enhance one's physical appearance or appeal for others, by removing obvious imperfections in one's appearance or improving one's hygiene.

Outward signs of good hygiene include the absence of visible dirt (including dust and stains on clothing) or of bad odor/smells. Since the development of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has come to mean any practice leading to the absence of harmful levels of bacteria.

Good hygiene is an aid to health, beauty, comfort, and social interactions. It directly aids in disease prevention and/or disease isolation. (That is, good hygiene will help keep one healthy and thus avoid illness. If one is ill, good hygiene can reduce one's contagiousness to others.)

Washing (with water) is the most common example of hygienic behavior. Washing is often done with soap or detergent which helps to remove oils and to break up dirt particles so they may be washed away.

Hygienic practices—such as frequent hand washing or the use of boiled (and thus sterilized) water in surgery/medical operations—have a profound impact on reducing the spread of disease. This is because they kill or remove disease-causing microbes (germs) in the immediate surroundings. For instance, washing one's hands after using the toilet and before handling food reduces the chance of spreading E. coli bacteria and Hepatitis A, both of which are spread from fecal contamination of food.

Adequate hygiene requires an adequate and convenient supply of clean water. In much of the developing world maintaining an acceptable level of cleanliness is difficult or impossible for much of the population due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. This results in the rapid spread and extent of diseases such as trachoma which are rare in the developed world.

Nutrition

Nutrition is a science which studies the relationship between diet and states of health and disease. Dieticians are Health professionals who are specialized in this area of expertise. They are also the only highly trained health professionals able to provide safe, evidence-based and accurate dietary advice and interventions.

Between the extremes of optimal health and death from starvation or malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases such as scurvy, obesity or osteoporosis, as well as psychological and behavioral problems. Moreover, excessive ingestion of elements that have no apparent role in health, (e.g. lead, mercury, PCBs, dioxins), may incur toxic and potentially lethal effects, depending on the dose. The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific dietary aspects influence health.


Mental health

Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual's emotional and psychological well-being. Merriam-Webster defines mental health as "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental health" is defined. In general, most experts agree that "mental health" and "mental illness" are not opposites. In other words, the absence of a recognized mental disorder is not necessarily an indicator of mental health.

One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health.

MEDICINE

Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury. It is both an area of knowledge – a science of body systems, their diseases and treatment – and the applied practice of that knowledge.

Medical care is shared between the medical profession (physicians or doctors) and other professionals such as nurses and pharmacists, sometimes known as allied health professionals. Historically, only those with a medical doctorate have been considered to practice medicine. Clinicians (licensed professionals who deal with patients) can be physicians, nurses, therapists or others. The medical profession is the social and occupational structure of the group of people formally trained and authorized to apply medical knowledge. Many countries and legal jurisdictions have legal limitations on who may practice medicine.

Medicine comprises various specialized sub-branches, such as cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, or other fields such as sports medicine, research or public health.

Human societies have had various different systems of health care practice since at least the beginning of recorded history. Medicine, in the modern period, is the mainstream scientific tradition which developed in the Western world since the early Renaissance (around 1450). Many other traditions of health care are still practiced throughout the world; most of these are separate from Western medicine, which is also called biomedicine, allopathic medicine or the Hippocratic tradition. The most highly developed of these are traditional Chinese medicine and the Ayurvedic traditions of India and Sri Lanka. Various non-mainstream traditions of health care have also developed in the Western world. These systems are sometimes considered companions to Hippocratic medicine, and sometimes are seen as competition to the Western tradition. Few of them have any scientific confirmation of their tenets, because if they did they would be brought into the fold of Western medicine.

"Medicine" is also often used amongst medical professionals as shorthand for internal medicine. Veterinary medicine is the practice of health care in animal species other than human beings.

History of medicine

Physician treating a patient. Louvre Museum, Paris, France.Main article: History of medicine
The earliest type of medicine in most cultures was the use of plants (Herbalism) and animal parts. This was usually in concert with 'magic' of various kinds in which: animism (the notion of inanimate objects having spirits); spiritualism (here meaning an appeal to gods or communion with ancestor spirits); shamanism (the vesting of an individual with mystic powers); and divination (the supposed obtaining of truth by magic means), played a major role.

The practice of medicine developed gradually, and separately, in ancient Egypt, ancient China, ancient India, ancient Greece, Persia and elsewhere. Medicine as it is practiced now developed largely in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century in England (William Harvey, seventeenth century), Germany (Rudolf Virchow) and France (Jean-Martin Charcot, Claude Bernard and others). The new, "scientific" medicine (where results are testable and repeatable) replaced early Western traditions of medicine, based on herbalism, the Greek "four humours" and other pre-modern theories.[citation needed] The focal points of development of clinical medicine shifted to the United Kingdom and the USA by the early 1900s (Canadian-born)Sir William Osler, Harvey Cushing). Possibly the major shift in medical thinking was the gradual rejection in the 1400's of what may be called the 'traditional authority' approach to science and medicine. This was the notion that because some prominent person in the past said something must be so, then that was the way it was, and anything one observed to the contrary was an anomaly (which was paralleled by a similar shift in European society in general - see Copernicus's rejection of Ptolemy's theories on astronomy). People like Vesalius led the way in improving upon or indeed rejecting the theories of great authorities from the past such as Galen, Hippocrates, and Avicenna/Ibn Sina, all of whose theories were in time almost totally discredited. Such new attitudes were also only made possible by the weakening of the Roman Catholic church's power in society, especially in the Republic of Venice.

Evidence-based medicine is a recent movement to establish the most effective algorithms of practice (ways of doing things) through the use of the scientific method and modern global information science by collating all the evidence and developing standard protocols which are then disseminated to doctors. One problem with this 'best practice' approach is that it could be seen to stifle novel approaches to treatment.

Genomics and knowledge of human genetics is already having some influence on medicine, as the causative genes of most monogenic genetic disorders have now been identified, and the development of techniques in molecular biology and genetics are influencing medical practice and decision-making.

Pharmacology has developed from herbalism. The modern era really began with Koch's discoveries around 1880 of the transmission of disease by bacteria, and then the discovery of antibiotics shortly thereafter around 1900. The first major class of antibiotics was the sulfa drugs, derived originally from azo dyes. Throughout the twentieth century, major advances in the treatment of infectious diseases were observable in (Western) societies. The medical establishment is now developing drugs that are targeted towards one particular disease process. Thus drugs are being developed to minimise the side effects of prescribed drugs, to treat cancer, geriatric problems, long-term problems (such as high cholesterol), chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes), lifestyle and degenerative diseases such as (arthritis) and Alzheimer's disease.