Electromagnetic radiation (or EMF pollution) is a term given to all the man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF) of various frequencies, which fill our homes, workplace and public spaces. When we call something in our environment a pollutant, we are implying that it is somehow harmful to nature and to ourselves.

The source of electromagnetic pollution in our environment has been growing exponentially for the past 30 years or so. From desktop computers to mobile phones, we have a potential crisis of sorts with the “pollutants” that come from these and other similar technologies. It’s called electromagnetic pollution.

You can’t see them, taste them, touch them, hear them (most of the time), smell them, or even know how much and to what degree you are being affected by electromagnetic pollutants. This is another reason that we continue to emphasise the need for good nutrition and more antioxidant and vitamin support in the form of supplementation, considering most of us don’t get enough in our diet.

According to Camille Rees, an expert on the subject of electromagnetic pollution, “This is a species issue … There is early evidence to link EMF (electromagnetic fields) exposures to autism … We know radiation is affecting our DNA and jeopardising the health of future generations. There is research from many countries now showing dramatic decline in sperm count from exposure to such radiation …”

And that is just the beginning of what we are starting to learn about what could be a very widespread problem as we continue to utilise modern technologies, which translates into greater amounts of EMF around us.

There is also a report that suggests the need for increasing awareness about the negative impact of electromagnetic pollution among children because it effects their normal, physical and mental growth. The report goes on to point out that electromagnetic pollution likely hampers proper growth of children, as well as the developing child in pregnant women.

While it is important to be aware of these things, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to do anything to change how we are being affected. That is, unless we come up with better technology that will help us avoid so much exposure. But individually, there doesn’t seem to be an easy solution, especially if you’re using a mobile phone frequently, barring a move to a rural area where there is much less EMF exposure.

That may not be practical for most people.

Dr Andrew Weil, a well known US physician, author, professor and wellness advocate states, “Electromagnetic pollution may be the most significant form of pollution human activity has produced in this century!”

How can we protect ourselves from this electromagnetic pollution? Well, the most important thing you can do is feed your body the proper nutrition that it demands for fighting the free radicals that come from any type of pollutant, from radiation to exposure to sun (UV rays) and cigarette smoke.

While it may seem like using a slingshot on an elephant, the fact is that good nutrition and plenty of antioxidants from food sources (fruits, vegetables, grapes, and berries) are going to be the best way to take action and give your body the best chance for preventing sickness and disease.

If you do not eat enough of those plant-based foods or if you have a poor diet, then it is highly recommended that you take a complete antioxidant supplement which includes standardised grape seed extract and alpha lipoic acid. Other important antioxidants and support nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, selenium, zinc and manganese.

Together, these synergistic nutrients work collectively to safeguard the body from the daily bombardment of free radicals generated from various sources, ie electromagnetic radiation, exercise and even stress.

The active ingredients found in standardized extracts of grape seed are oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). Research indicates that OPCs may be 20 to 50 times more potent as an antioxidant than vitamin C and E.

This simply means that OPCs from grape seed extract are many times more efficient in fighting free radicals than either vitamin C or E.

Alpha lipoic acid helps regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione (an important antioxidant produced in the body). Alpha lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that can boost the level of intracellular glutathione. Besides being the body’s primary water-soluble antioxidant and a major detoxification agent, glutathione is absolutely essential for the functioning of the immune system. The Star

Typical amounts are at least 50 per cent more than the recommended daily maximum but some consume almost double.

Health experts warn that the processed foods and sauces at the heart of the nation’s diet are fuelling a dangerous daily overdose.

Children’s natural enjoyment of food can mean they fall prey to the dangers of processed food

Diet watch: Children’s natural enjoyment of food can mean they fall prey to the dangers of processed food

High salt consumption pushes up blood pressure, which in the long term can lead to strokes and heart attacks. These are the country’s biggest causes of death and disability.

Health campaigners took two typical daily menus enjoyed by many children and calculated the salt content to be 9.3g to 9.6g.

However, for a child aged seven to ten, the recommended maximum is just 5g. Eating 9.6g of salt in a day would be 92 per cent above this amount – nearly double.

The menu which contained this much salt started with a bowl of cereal for breakfast, followed by a muffin for a mid-morning snack.

Lunch included a ham and cheese sandwich, a pack of crisps, cheese dip snack and a biscuit, which had a combined salt content of 3.7g. Dinner included potato croquettes, chicken nuggets, baked beans and ketchup.

salt-graphic

Safe daily amounts of salt vary depending on age and size, starting at 1g or less for babies.

If the entire nation cut down to these levels, doctors estimate that 70,000 heart attacks and strokes would be prevented in just one year.

Consensus Action on Salt and Health has been campaigning for food manufacturers and supermarkets to remove hidden salt.

Campaign director Katharine Jenner said: ‘Popular foods like bread, cereal, baked beans, cheese, tomato sauce and processed meats are some of the biggest culprits. So try not to feed your child them every day.

‘Also, throw away the salt cellar. If you eat food which tastes less salty, your taste buds adapt really quickly.’

She warned: ‘The higher the blood pressure in childhood, the higher the blood pressure will be in adulthood.

‘By getting your child used to less salt, you are protecting their health in the long term.’

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has set up a voluntary scheme, the Responsibility Deal, to encourage firms to meet salt reduction targets.

The major supermarkets and leading brands such as Heinz, Kellogg’s, Subway and Mars have signed up.

Miss Jenner said: ‘It is in their best interests if they want to prolong the lives of their customers.’ By Sean Poulter, Daily Mail

The study, which followed older French adults for five years, found that people who regularly used olive oil were 41 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who never used it.

“These results suggest a protective role for high olive oil consumption on the risk of stroke in older subjects,” wrote study leader Cecilia Samieri of the French national research institute INSERM, in Neurology.

The study included 7,625 adults age 65 and older who reported on their diets and other lifestyle factors. People who said they used olive oil for both cooking and as a dressing were considered “intensive users.”

After analysis, with adjustment for other diet habits, exercise levels and major risk factors for stroke, heavy olive oil use was tied to 41 percent reduction in the odds of stroke.

Samieri’s team also took blood samples from another 1,245 older adults, measuring their levels of oleic acid — an acid found in olive oil, as well as oil made from a number of nuts.

The one-third of participants with the highest oleic acid levels were 73 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than the one-third with the lowest levels.

Further research is needed, said Nikolaos Scarmeas, with Columbia University in New York, who wrote an editorial published with the study.

“We need to remember that this is an observational study,” he told Reuters Health, warning that while the research showed a correlation between olive oil and stroke risk, that doesn’t necessarily translate into cause-and-effect.

“People who eat a lot of olive oil may be very different from people who don’t,” he said, adding that they may have higher incomes, eat better overall or exercise more often.

Samieri’s team tried to adjust for those differences. But still, olive oil was still linked to a lower stroke risk.

Scarmeas said that it’s impossible to fully account for all those variables outside of a randomized trial, and called for more study into olive oil’s potential health benefits.

Previous studies have found that a so-called “Mediterranean diet” — one that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, vegetable oils such as olive oil, whole grains, legumes, and fish — can shield people from heart disease and help heart patients stay healthy.

Studies have also said the diet may help people lower their risk of adult onset diabetes. Khaleej Times

The world’s leading researchers in cardiovascular medicine will present their most-recent findings at the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 22nd Annual Scientific Sessions, June 11-14, 2011 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Many of this year’s presentations will significantly impact the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and the utilization of cardiovascular ultrasound.

To view the full text of the press releases, please visit the “ASE Press Room” link on the Society’s Website, asecho.org.

One of this year’s top studies, presented by scientists from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, discovered that echocardiography could improve the success rate of gene therapy and increase growth, function and sustainability of regenerated vessels. The research revealed that echo-guided gene therapy is beneficial for individuals suffering from chronic vascular disease and could potentially translate to improved quality of life for hundreds of thousands of North Americans suffering from peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease.

In another study, childhood obesity was identified as an important factor in the progression to heart failure. Researchers found that new non-invasive heart ultrasound techniques will help to identify changes in the heart muscle function that occurs before a child shows signs of cardiac problems.

“There is a great interest in identifying and studying factors that lead to cardiac dysfunction,” said Dr. Gautam Singh, a pediatric cardiologist and lead researcher of the study at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Our ability to identify specific health risk factors in adults that are a result of childhood obesity will hopefully sound an alarm to the millions of Americans with children.”

Finally, a group of German researchers will show how echocardiography can help predict how the right ventricle will respond to implantation of a mechanical left ventricular support. This study further proves that echo used in pre-operative evaluation gives physicians more information for critical decisions.

Participants from 38 countries are registered to attend this year’s event.  The Scientific Sessions will feature prominent speakers from the European Society of Echocardiography, the Japanese Society of Echocardiography as well as faculty from U.S. major medical institutions including: the Cleveland Clinic, Duke University, the Mayo Clinic, the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Chicago. PR Newswire

Meanwhile, having a perfect and delicious meal is manifested from an unplanned menu and spur-of-the-moment idea. By browsing deep in the pantry and making use of ingredients already sitting in the fridge and a quick trip to the store, perhaps you’ll put together an exquisite meal with a variety of accompaniments from copas. Not only they are well-known for their supply of turkeys to independent farm shops, but also are renowned as the best in the UK. So if you are interested, all you have to do is register online and you can shop faster, and be up to date on order status and keep track of all orders.

“People should take plenty of boiled water to avoid dehydration. Drinking juices and other cool drinks outside is not advisable as the water could be contaminated” said a senior doctor at the Government Hospital at Tirupattur.

Problems such as urinary tract infection and heat stroke can be prevented by taking sufficient water. “The body needs minimum of five litres of fluid per day. Water content fruits such as water melon, ‘vellari pazham’ could be consumed,” he added.

While intake of fruits is equally important during summer, people should be careful in selection of fruits. “Fruits such as mangoes are artificially ripened using chemicals. This premature ripening of fruits could cause difference in taste. Moreover, we do not get the vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants in the fruits due to premature ripening. We do not get the percentage of nutrients we ought to,” a physician pointed out.

But this is not all. Using chemicals such as carbide stones in artificial ripening of fruits could cause gastro intestinal problems, he said, adding, “It could cause indigestion, irritation in the stomach and intestinal tract.”

Doctors insist on the need for municipal authorities to keep a watch on artificial ripening of fruits. Last week, officials of the Ambur Municipality seized three tonnes of mangoes and sapotas which were artificially ripened using carbide powder.

“Using carbide gas in ripening of fruits is prohibited under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955. We are regularly monitoring such activities,” said a health official. Use of edible wax to give a shine for apples also poses risks of health problems such as dysentery.

The official said that public should be aware of such malpractices.

Apart from this, doctors said that spicy food should be avoided during summer. Consuming eatables such as bajji and bonda from roadside shops should be avoided, they said. The Hindu

You can get the same benefits by eating both red grape skins, which contain resveratrol, and red grape seeds, which contain proanthocyanidins, which are also powerful heart medicine.

Red grape juice may offer the same protection against heart disease as red wine but without the alcohol, say researchers.

Both red wine and grape juice contain chemicals called polyphenols which have antioxidant properties.

Research suggests that antioxidants remove molecules called free radicals, which can cause cell damage linked to heart disease and cancer.

In addition, researchers believe that polyphenols block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease, thus keeping you healthy.

You can get the same benefits by eating both red grape skins, which contain resveratrol, and red grape seeds, which contain proanthocyanidins, which are also powerful heart medicine.

Grape seed extract supplements are also good for the heart. The Times of India

Winston Craig, professor of nutrition and wellness at Andrews University, and Reed Mangels, nutrition advisor at the Vegetarian Resource Group , Baltimore, conducted the study on behalf of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages, including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

“Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fibre, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids,” the study said.

These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet, said an ADA release.

The study draws on results from ADA’s evidence analysis process to show vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes.

Besides, an evidence-based review showed a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

A section in ADA’s paper on vegetarian diets and cancer has been significantly expanded to provide details on cancer-protective factors in vegetarian diets.

An expanded section on osteoporosis includes roles of fruits, vegetables, soy products, protein, calcium, vitamins D and K and potassium in bone health. Zeenews

But before you allow Fido or Fluffy to climb into bed with you at night, as an increasing number of Americans are doing, know that they can also give you something else: zoonoses.

A University of California-Davis veterinary professor has penned an article for a scientific journal showing that people who allow their pets to lick them, give them “kisses” or sleep with them are at risk for a variety of diseases known as zoonoses. The conditions can range from the mundane to the life-threatening.

Bruno Chomel and his co-author, Ben Sun, emphasize that pets provide many health benefits, including stress relief, and they stop short of recommending that people abstain from smooching their pooches. But in reviewing reports from several countries, they argue that such interactions carry some risk, particularly among infants and people whose immune systems have been weakened by disease, chemotherapy or other medicines.

“The risk is not huge. But the trend is that more and more people are sharing their environments with pets, allowing them in their beds, kissing them like crazy,” Chomel said in an interview. “They need to know that a risk does exist” from bacteria that live in the mouths of felines and canines.

In their article, to be published in this month’s edition of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Chomel and Sun note that pets are becoming increasingly popular in urban households and “have conquered our bedrooms.”

According to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association, nearly half of pet dogs and 62 percent of cats sleep with their human companions.

Among the bacterial, parasitic and viral conditions they may be bringing with them are plague, cat-scratch disease and staphylococcus infections, Chomel and Sun report.

The researchers reviewed literature about diseases transmitted from animals to humans. In Japan, a study found evidence of zoonoses in pet owners who kissed their animals regularly but not in those who abstained, according to the paper. Some of these bugs cause mild symptoms, but others can morph into daunting illnesses, such as meningitis.

In the United States, the most common parasitic zoonoses associated with dogs are caused by hookworms and roundworms, which in humans can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, anemia and other conditions. Pasteurella multocida, an infection commonly caused by pet licks, can cause mild respiratory symptoms and serious conditions including endocarditis.

None of those issues is scary enough to keep Lesley and David Kirrene from doting on their pets.

The Kirrenes, who live in east Sacramento, Calif., share their bed every night with Austin, a 60-pound Australian shepherd, and a portly tabby, Sammy. Their other pooch, Reba, has no interest in joining them.

Until recently, David Kirrene had adamantly opposed the sleeping arrangements.

“To me, it just seemed like a sanitary thing. Animals in the bed? Would you start smelling like an animal?”

But Kirrene has changed his tune. Austin is his running partner, after all, and helps keep everyone warm on cold winter nights, he reasoned. “Now I call him up on the bed,” he said.

The Realtor and his spouse are less keen on engaging in full-on smooches with their pets.

“I’ll allow a little kiss on the face,” Lesley Kirrene said, but she knows where to draw the line.

Those who do choose to share bed and lip space with animals can avoid disease transmission by hand washing, tooth brushing, regular veterinary care and good overall hygiene, Chomel said.

“Certainly I am a pet lover, but my pets have never been in my bed,” Chomel said. As for doggie and kitty licks and kisses, he said, “You could do it, but I’m not sure your husband will want to kiss you after that.” By Cynthia Hubert, Kansas City Star

A new study has revealed that drinking a cup of hot coffee in the morning, along with an aspirin, can help one get over a hangover and the traditional morning-after boost is better than modern alternatives like organic honey or raw egg.

In fact, according to the scientists, the caffeine in coffee and anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin combat the alcohol, the ‘Daily Express’ reported.

For the study, a team, led by Philadelphia researcher Michael Oshinsky, induced headaches in laboratory rats using small amounts of ethanol or pure alcohol. The animals then had doses of caffeine and anti-inflammatories which cleared pain.

“None of the commonly cited cures for hangovers could have caused this response,” Oshinsky was quoted as telling the ‘New Scientist’.

The laboratory rats were not dehydrated either, going against an argument that coffee should not be used as a hangover cure because it just causes further dehydration, say the scientists.

A research by Norwegian University of Science and Technology had, however, claimed that people who consume high amounts of caffeine each day are more likely to suffer occasional headaches than those with low caffeine consumption.

The results of the 2009 study, published in the ‘Journal of Headache Pain’, were drawn from a large study of 50,483 people who answered a questionnaire about caffeine consumption and headache. Zeenews