Fight winter blues with Thai curry

Thai curry is known to be one of the healthiest cuisines in the world and is viewed by Thai people as one of the most important dishes in Thai cuisine. It does wonders for your immune-system which is why it is a highly recommended food, particularly in winter.

The reason Thai curry is considered to boost the immune system is because it is made with fresh herbs and spices, allowing you to get maximum goodness out of the ingredients, unlike the dried herbs and spices used in Indian curry.

The following herbs and spices used in Thai curry are known to have immune-boosting, disease-fighting powers for the following reasons:

Lemongrass:
Is preferred by traditional Chinese doctors for treating flues, colds, fevers, headaches, abdominal pain and arthritis.

Turmeric:
Contains an anti-inflammatory agent that helps relieve allergy symptoms and arthritis.

Galangal :
A relative of ginger, is also popular in traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate indigestion, vomiting, and hiccups.

Coconut milk:
The fat derived from this is anti-ageing and lowers bad cholesterol, while promoting good cholesterol.

Chillies:
Chillies are high in vitamin C, keep your heart healthy, and help you sleep better and gets those happy endorphins flowing.

So where to get it?

Brought back by popular demand, Wang Thai is again hosting its increasingly anticipated Curry Festival, only this time Wang Thai has invited her sister restaurant chain, Simply Asia, to participate in the festivities.

Hurry down for the exotic Curry and Cobra Festival at your nearest Wang Thai or Simply Asia, running from 9-22 July 2007.

Wang Thai and Simply Asia, are offering their curries at a 15 percent discount with a free Cobra beer.

This event will introduce you to some of Thailand’s most exotic and flavoursome curry dishes with some special curry dishes prepared by master Thai chefs especially for this occasion.

source:lifestyle.iafrica.com

BOOSTING your levels of good cholesterol might help protect you from Alzheimer's disease, according to a landmark study of older Australians.

Dementia researchers in Perth have found that people with higher levels of the so-called good cholesterol, HDL, tend to have lower levels of a small protein strongly linked to Alzheimer's disease.

The finding, presented at an international neuroscience conference in Melbourne, suggests that raising HDL levels – most effective through exercise, and consuming red wine and dark chocolate – may help protect against dementia.

It is not understood what causes Alzheimer's but research suggests that genetics, environment and lifestyle factors come together to trigger oxidative stress and build up of a protein called beta amyloid, and, ultimately, death of brain cells.

Previous studies have shown a link between cardiovascular disease and dementia and work is underway to explain it.

Scientists at Edith Cowan University enlisted 200 people aged over 50 with normal cognitive function, to find relationships between levels of the protein and cholesterol levels.

“What we found was that the more of the good cholesterol, the lower the levels of the protein were in the blood,” said lead researcher Dr Kristyn Bates.

“It seems from this that these people may be at lower risk of developing the disease in the future.”

Based on these results, the researchers believe that high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which work by clearing cholesterol from the body, may also be able to clear beta amyloid from the brain.

The research also showed that people with higher levels of heart clogging triglycerides were more likely to have raised levels of the Alzheimer's protein.

Dr Bates and her team also conducted learning and memory tests on participants and found other patterns between physical statistics and dementia risk.

“People who had more muscle, higher HDL levels, lower body fat and greater bone density performed better on the cognitive tests which are specific for Alzheimer's disease,” Dr Bates said.

“So the message seems to be – what is good for your heart is also good for your brain.”

The team will now plan to investigate more closely how beta amyloid can be cleared from the brain, and also test the effects of raising HDL levels through physical activity and moderate intake of red wine.

“If we can increase the level we may be able to improve the clearance of beta amyloid from the brain,” she said.

The research, to be published in an international journal, was presented at the World Congress of Neuroscience.

source:www.news.com.au

Vegetables, Fruits May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

In fact, mounting evidence indicates the risk factors for heart disease - high blood pressure, diabetes, excess weight, high cholesterol and lack of exercise - may play a role in Alzheimer's.

New studies presented at an international Alzheimer's conference in Stockholm establish the big picture for the first time, giving scientists a better understanding of how to reduce the likelihood of the disease.

Over the last few years, hints of a connection between Alzheimer's and lifestyle have emerged, but scientists have become increasingly interested in investigating such a link and are just now beginning to realize that what is good for the heart may also be good for the brain.

Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, disorientation, depression and decay of bodily functions. The disease afflicts about 12 million people worldwide, including more than 4 million Americans. It is increasing so fast that more than 22 million people worldwide will be affected by 2025, experts predict.

Scientists do not know what causes the sticky brain deposits that inevitably kill off neural cells until memory disintegrates and ultimately the patient dies. The biggest risk for Alzheimer's is simply age: Alzheimer's cases double with every five years of age between 65 and 85.

"While more research is necessary, especially in the form of prevention trials, we're seeing the strongest evidence yet that there is a relationship between healthy aging and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's," said William Thies, vice president of medical and scientific affairs at the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association.

Several studies to be presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders indicate that people may be able to reduce their chances of developing Alzheimer's by treating high blood pressure.

One 21-year study, by Miia Kivipelto of the University of Kuopio in Finland, examined 1,449 people. It found that the high cholesterol and high blood pressure seemed to be more strongly linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's than was a certain gene variation.



However, it seems that having high blood pressure only in later life is not connected to Alzheimer's.

"Since high blood pressure can be controlled, we may have identified something people can do to lower their chance of developing Alzheimer's," said Thies, who was not connected with the research.

Researchers at Case Western University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio, found that a diet of more fruit and vegetables, and less red meat, offers more protection against the development of Alzheimer's.

Collecting data regarding what foods people ate during adulthood, Grace Petot and her colleagues discovered that low-fat diets containing vitamins such as A, C and E in fruit and vegetables are associated with a reduction in risk for Alzheimer's.

Three other studies to be presented at the conference in Stockholm, the largest gathering ever of Alzheimer's researchers, bolster evidence that taking cholesterol-lowering drugs could reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's.

A study by Dr. Robert Green at Boston University School of Medicine found that people taking cholesterol drugs called statins reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 79 percent.

With 2,378 patients, it is the largest study to investigate the connection and the first to include large numbers of black people, who are disproportionately likely to develop Alzheimer's.

The study also found that types of cholesterol-lowering drugs other than statins were not linked with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's.

High cholesterol can narrow the arteries and raise the risk of heart disease. Some researchers think high cholesterol may also affect brain arteries and promote the clumping of the protein beta-amyloid, which is thought to damage the brain in Alzheimer's.

Beta-amyloid occurs normally in the body, but can accumulate in the spaces between brain cells and create plaques in the brain. These plaques are linked to the death of brain cells, causing a gradual loss of memory and control of body function, and leading eventually to death. By the time a patient has noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer's, substantial amounts of amyloid have built up in the brain, experts say.

A study to be presented at the conference by researchers at St. George's Medical School in London found statins dramatically reduced the production of beta-amyloid.

"The small amounts of beta-amyloid normally found in the blood of healthy people are quickly cleared from the brain," said the study's leader Brian Austen. "In the general population, people taking statins to reduce their blood cholesterol, for whatever reason, have a 70 percent reduction rate for Alzheimer's."

Advances in the understanding of how beta-amyloid acts have prompted researchers to focus much of their effort on trying to block plaque formation.

Other research highlights of the conference involve new ways of seeing what's going on inside the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Until recently, Alzheimer's could only be confirmed by examination of the brain after death.

One study outlines how a new dye could show where plaques are located in the brain. The study, conducted by scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden, found the dye went to areas of the brain where plaques are usually seen in autopsies and that very little of the dye lingered in the brains of people who had no mental impairment.

"Having the ability to quantify amyloid deposition in the brain will have a profound impact on our ability to monitor the progression of Alzheimer's as well as gauge the effectiveness of medical treatments," said Thies of the Alzheimer's Association

source:www.paktribune.com

Cholesterol and cardiovascular problems

What's in it: The book explains cholesterol and how it contributes to cardiovascular problems, and tests that can be done to assess associated health risks. Much of the book focuses on how readers can take charge of their heart health with a healthy diet, exercise and dietary supplements.

Where it works: Devries explains complex medical terms in a way anyone can understand. His approach is to let traditional medical options do what they can without letting patients off the hook from bad choices.

What it's lacking: It's not really about what doctors "may not tell you." Much of this is common sense — and many doctors today are giving this same advice to patients.

Best tips: The book includes specific information about fiber and nutrition.

source:www.chron.com

Check on that cholesterol

Many believe that avoiding non-veg foods is the best way to lower cholesterol levels.
Many believe that avoiding non-veg foods is the best way to lower cholesterol levels. This will certainly help, but if you eat other foods rich in fat instead of non-veg it can be dangerous. For example, if you substitute non-veg with fried papad and pickles at both lunch and dinner, it can be harmful. If your cholesterol level is above 200mg/dl, you simply need to cut the intake of all foods rich in cholesterol, along with all foods rich in fat content . You certainly cannot give up these foods forever, but you must try to give it up completely for at least a period of three months.

In order to reduce cholesterol it is important to know which foods contain high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat. These are: deep fried food, pickles, nuts and chocolate. Once that is done, reduce the intake of such foods and control intake of total fat consumption per day.

Non-veg foods like organ meats, shrimp, egg yolk, mutton, beef, pork, cream of milk (whole milk), ice-cream , butter, ghee, cheese and paneer, contain animal fats and these contain cholesterol. They must be completely avoided till you see the levels drop to at least 170. After this you can eat any of these once in a week, at any one meal.

Saturated fats are identified as fats that solidify at room temperature. They may be of vegetable origin and therefore not contain cholesterol naturally; however, since the type of fat is saturated it is easily converted to cholesterol in your body. Hydrogenated margarines and other solid fats that are used to make bakery items like cookies and cakes, puffs and pastries are also dangerous . Use green chutney, ketchup, jam or honey on bread. The label of the fat substitutes will read as zero cholesterol content. This is true as they are made from vegetable fats which do not contain cholesterol. However this does not mean zero fat. One teaspoon fat substitute and one teaspoon ghee will both give you 45 calories.

In order to get your protein intake, eat two egg whites daily, as they are a good source of high quality, fat-free protein. You can also drink 500 ml of commercially skimmed milk daily. A couple of marie biscuits or crackers can be eaten with tea, but avoid cookies. A slice of wholewheat bread is an option too. Avoid coconut and coconut chutney as it contains solid fat.

Finally, all fried foods and snacks have to be avoided as they will contribute to the total fat intake in the diet going up and the cholesterol level cannot come down. Lastly, nuts are again 50-60 per cent fat content. Even if it is unsaturated fat, 100gm of nuts is approximately 500 calories, even if it is roasted or boiled.

Follow the above rules strictly for 3-4 months till you strike normal levels of cholesterol. A total amount of 2-3 teaspoons oil may be used daily to season your food.

Source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Family doctors don't always feel that they can achieve healthy cholesterol levels in their patients even though they are aware of the dangers of cardi

Researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, and Lund University, Sweden, surveyed 750 doctors from 10 countries - Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea and the UK - during their From the Heart study.

Doctors told them that only 47% of their patients reached their cholesterol goals, but 61% of them felt this was an acceptable statistic.

"Although doctors appear to appreciate the risks associated with cardiovascular disease - which they identified as a greater cause of death than cancer - the importance of lowering cholesterol does not appear to be widely endorsed" says co-author Professor Richard Hobbs from the University of Birmingham.

"Our study also highlighted discrepancies between what family doctors do when a patient has high cholesterol and what they are advised to do by national guidelines."

Key findings included:

* Doctors in South Korea (80%) were most likely to be happy with the 47% patient success rate statistic, while doctors in Finland were least happy (48%).
* Prescribing statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) and recommending lifestyle changes was the most popular overall course of action, recommended by 46% of doctors. This was followed by lifestyle changes alone (43%) and statin therapy alone (10%). Only 1.5% recommended no course of action.
* Doctors in South Korea (66%) and Portugal (61.5%) were most likely to recommend a combination of statins and lifestyle changes, with doctors in Finland (31%) and France (36%) least likely to adopt this approach.
* Lifestyle changes alone were most likely to be recommended by doctors in Finland (62%) and France and Denmark (both 50%), with doctors in South Korea (23%) and Portugal (29%) least likely to recommend these.
* Statins alone were most likely to be prescribed by doctors in Brazil (15%) and the UK, France and Mexico (all 11%) and least likely by doctors in South Korea (2.5 %) and Denmark (6%).
* Doctors in South Korea (9%) and France (2%) were most likely to recommend no course of action and doctors in Brazil (0%) and Portugal and Singapore (both 0.3%) least likely.
* The percentage of doctors using national, European or local guidelines to set cholesterol lowering goals averaged 81% and was highest in South Korea (100%) and Brazil (93%) and lowest in the UK (45%) and Singapore (52%).
* The number of family doctors interviewed in each country were: France (100), Mexico (100), Brazil (100), UK (100), Belgium (60), Denmark (60), Finland (60), Portugal (60) and Singapore (60). 50 South Korean specialists were interviewed as they are responsible for writing prescriptions for statins.

"Six out of ten doctors (61%) said they didn't feel frustrated when they were unable to lower cholesterol in patients with cardiovascular disease, despite the fact that research has shown that lowering cholesterol significantly reduces ill health and death due to cardiovascular disease" concludes co-author Professor Leif Erhardt from Lund University, Sweden.

"Despite the existence of well-defined guidelines and the proven benefits of lowering cholesterol levels, many patients with cardiovascular disease are being under treated and a large proportion fail to achieve cholesterol lowering goals."

The survey also revealed valuable information on what patients tell doctors when it comes to cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Doctors reported that patients feared cancer more than cardiovascular disease and that they were much more likely to see smoking and obesity as high risk factors for cardiovascular disease than high cholesterol.

Country by country statistics

Satisfaction:

* Percentage of doctors satisfied with patients' 47% success rate: All countries (61%), South Korea (80%), Singapore (77%), Brazil (67%), UK (64%), Denmark (60%), Mexico (59%), Portugal (55%), Belgium (53%), France (49%), Finland (48%).

Doctors' preferred approach:

* Lifestyle changes and statins (cholesterol lowering drugs): All countries (46%), South Korea (66%), Portugal (61.5%), Singapore (60%), Belgium (47%), UK (47%), Brazil (45%), Denmark (43%), Mexico (41%), France (36%), Finland (31%).
* Lifestyle changes only: All countries (43%), Finland (62%), France (50%), Denmark (50%), Mexico (47%), Belgium (44.5%), UK (41%), Brazil (40%), Singapore (32%), Portugal (29%) South Korea (23%).
* Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) only: All countries (10%), Brazil (15%), France (11%) UK (11%) Mexico (11%), Portugal (10%), Singapore (8%), Belgium (7%), Finland (7%), Denmark (6%), South Korea (2.5%).
* Neither: All countries (1.5%), South Korea (8.6%), France (2.3%), Belgium (2%), Mexico (1.4%), Denmark (0.8%), Finland (0.8%), UK (0.8%), Portugal (0.3%), Singapore (0.3%), Brazil (0%).

Guidelines:

* Percentage of doctors using national, European or local guidelines to set cholesterol lowering goals: All countries (81%), South Korea (100%), Brazil (93%), Finland (92%), Portugal (88%), Belgium (74%), Denmark (60%), Mexico (60%), France (53%), Singapore (52%) UK (45%).

Figures have been rounded up or down as appropriate.

source:www.news-medical.net

New Role For Protein In Fat Cells May Improve Understanding Of Obesity And Diabetes

Scientists have shown for the first time that a protein involved in the transfer of fat in the blood may also influence how fat cells store fat. Richard E. Morton and Lahoucine Izem, research scientists at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have shown that the protein, called cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), is involved in the cellular storage and regulation of cholesterol and other fats and, as a result, probably has unexpected contributions to obesity and diabetes.

"CETP is known to shuttle different types of fat between lipoproteins -- combinations of fat and protein that transport fats in the blood," Morton says. "In this study, we show that CETP also shuttles fats inside fat cells between two separate areas and that fat cells with reduced levels of CETP are unable to process fats normally."

Research performed during the past decade has shown that CETP affects how a type of fat called cholesteryl ester is moved from the blood plasma into cells. Since fat cells make abundant CETP, Morton and Izem decided to examine what CETP does inside a fat cell and what would happen to fat cells that are deficient in CETP.

The scientists noticed that fat cells lacking CETP could not make and store cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, and another fat called triglyceride like normal fat cells do. In CETP-deficient cells, cholesteryl ester and triglyceride accumulated in a cellular compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), while an abnormally low amount of these fats was seen in "lipid droplets" -- local accumulations of fat in fat cells.

Morton and Izem suggest that, in normal cells, CETP transfers cholesteryl ester and triglyceride from the ER, where they are made, to the lipid droplets, where they are stored. In cells lacking CETP, only a fraction of both fats is carried from the ER to the lipid droplets. Also, since cholesterol is produced by breaking down cholesteryl ester in lipid droplets, lower levels of cholesteryl ester lead to smaller amounts of cholesterol in the droplets.

"CETP-deficient cells have unbalanced amounts of cholesterol and fats," Morton says. "They have too much cholesteryl ester and triglycerides in the ER and not enough of them in the lipid droplets. Also, these cells sense that they have too much cholesterol, although they actually have low amounts of cholesterol. Overall, the cells don't correctly control the amount of fats they make and store anymore."

A consequence of the abnormal distribution of fats between cell compartments is that cholesteryl ester and triglycerides cannot be used easily. In normal cells, when these two fats accumulate in the droplets, they can be removed from the droplets and then used by the cell after the fats are broken down by enzymes called hydrolases. But since hydrolases are in the droplets and not in the ER, cells low in CETP cannot break down the fats they store as effectively, Morton and Izem say.

The scientists conclude that CETP is probably essential for lipid metabolism and storage in fat cells and that fat tissue is not only an energy storage tissue but also a major endocrine organ.

"CETP deficiency disrupts storage of important fats in fat cells, which can lead to insulin resistance -- a major contributor to diabetes -- and the abnormal release of cytokines, proteins that stimulate the immune system," Morton says. "This unexpected contribution of CETP provides a new understanding of how our body stores and regulates fats and of conditions such as obesity and diabetes."

source:www.sciencedaily.com

PPD to Continue Development of Proposed Cholesterol Drug

Pharmaceutical Product Development will proceed with testing of a proposed drug to treat cholesterol, saying it could be safer than current, similar drugs, the company said late Tuesday.

PPD describes the candidate as a “novel statin.” Statins are a class of drug used to treat cholesterol in an attempt to combat heart disease and hardening of the arteries.

The PPD candidate targets dyslipidemia, which affects cholesterol levels and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

The Phase I trial included healthy subjects, and the drug proved to be “safe and well tolerated” at all dosages, according to PPD.

"We are extremely pleased that our statin is advancing in human clinical studies in aggressive development time," said Fred Eshelman, PPD’s chief executive officer. "We have commenced a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-patient clinical trial in high-cholesterol patients and then plan to proceed into a Phase II proof-of-concept study."

source:www.wral.com

Growth Capital Group Introduces Heart Start(TM) Cholesterol-lowering Beer

Heart Start Premium Light Beer is the first imported light beer to contain the heart-healthy ingredients; barley beta glucans and plant sterols. The beer is light, crisp and perfectly balanced to deliver a refreshing taste,” said Gary Nelson Nautilus Mineral Waters of America, Inc., a company engaged in the development and marketing of proprietary, all-natural nutraceutical beverages, announced today the United States launch of it’s new heart-healthy cholesterol reducing Heart Start™ Premium Light Beer. The new imported light beer, is brewed in Canada which is specifically designed to lower cholesterol -- with the addition of 1 gram of barley beta glucan (70% beta-glucan) and 1 gram of plant sterols per 12-ounce serving. Beta glucan is a clinically proven cholesterol reducing ingredient that provides additional heart health benefits in managing blood glucose levels and increasing satiety for weight management. The natural barley beta glucan and plant sterols are “non-GMO;” and there are no genetically enhanced varieties of barley, hops or yeast used in the brewing of the beer.

“Numerous health authorities and independent researchers have reviewed the data of numerous clinical studies and have concluded that dietary intake of plant sterols is effective in lowering LDL cholesterol.” says Richard H. Davis, President of Beverage Marketing USA, Inc., “In consideration of the emerging information on the potential health benefits and possible disease prevention qualities of the beta-glucan rich brew along with the natural plant sterols. We are confident that the Heart Start beer will provide consumers with a truly extraordinarily and beneficial brew that can help promote good cardiovascular health.” said Davis.

Upon review of existing evidence, the FDA concluded that “there is significant scientific agreement that plant sterols/stanols reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels.” The FDA authorized a health claim describing the relationship between dietary intake of plant sterols and reduced risk of heart disease. That health claim states that “Foods containing at least 0.65 grams per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” In a recent study; researchers at the University of California, Davis, gave study subjects 1 gram of plant sterols twice daily for an eight-week period. Subjects included both men and women, with normal and borderline high total cholesterol. Total cholesterol was reduced by approximately 8 percent and LDL-C fell by almost 13 percent.

“Heart Start Premium Light Beer is the first imported light beer to contain the heart-healthy ingredients; barley beta glucans and plant sterols. The beer is light, crisp and perfectly balanced to deliver a refreshing taste,” said Gary Nelson, president and chief executive officer, Growth Capital Group. “We have created a healthier nutraceutical beer for adult consumers, who are looking for a great-tasting, better-for-you brew.” said Nelson.

Plant sterols are clinically shown to lower cholesterol as a part of a heart-healthy diet*

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

* Please consult your physician or registered dietitian for the best overall health plan, and ask how products with plant sterols can reduce your cholesterol.

source:www.mediasyndicate.com

Lower Cholesterol through Ayurvedic Treatments

Cholesterol is quite easily the top of the list of killers among the human race in the world today. An excess of cholesterol can produce extremely fatal cardiovascular conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart aches, heart attacks, high blood pressure, etc. If a person has begun accumulating cholesterol in his or her arteries, then it might well be a way of inviting death.

A common misconception is that all kinds of fats can cause cholesterol buildup. But this is very far from the truth. In fact, only saturated fats and trans-fatty acids are responsible in building up cholesterol in the arteries. Whereas, cholesterol obtained from the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as from nuts and cool water fishes are useful to the body, and they can bring the level of the harmful cholesterol down.

Even if the cholesterol has built up in the body, it can be certainly brought down using proper herbal techniques, as described in Ayurveda. This article is written with the purpose of enlightening you with some of the most potential remedies that Ayurveda describes for treating cholesterol and also some simple home remedies which also achieve the same task.

Treatment with Simple Home Remedies

Remedy # 1

You cannot even dream of reducing cholesterol without first making a determination to stick to a particular regimen. If your cholesterol levels are high, then you must immediately and strictly obey the following guidelines:-

*Stop the consumption of all fattening foods, which contain saturated and trans-fatty acids. These include all the hydrogenated oils, creams and chocolates.

*Increase the consumption of fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel and nuts. Always insist on one bitter dish per meal. It could be fenugreek, bitter gourd or bitter drumstick.

*If you are overweight, enroll in a weight loss program. Keep yourself active and exercise often, according to the capacity of your body.

*If you are an alcoholic, stop! If you are a smoker, desist! Alcoholism and smoking are lethal in people with high cholesterol.

Remedy # 2

Oranges are very beneficial to eliminate cholesterol because of their high vitamin C content. Sticking to a diet of only orange juice for a day is really beneficial.

Remedy # 3

Watermelon is very beneficial in treating high blood pressure that has been caused due to excessive cholesterol levels. Cut a whole watermelon and rub rock salt and black pepper on its slices. Then extract the juice of this watermelon and drink it. Within three or four days, the levels of the cholesterol will go down and the high blood pressure will also become normal.

Remedy # 4

Crush some coriander and then put it in a cup of water. Warm it so that the juices of the coriander exude out into the water properly. Then cool it and drink this coriander water. Doing this everyday for about a month will bring the cholesterol levels back to normal.

Remedy # 5

Every morning when you wake up, eat two to three cloves of garlic. If you cannot bear the sulfurous taste of the garlic, then you can roast them in a little amount of castor oil. Eat these cloves by biting them and chewing upon them fast. Eat them on an empty stomach each day. This seems to be a very simple thing to do (apart from the pungent taste of the garlic cloves, of course!) but it is proven even by western scientists to have amazing effects in the treatment of cholesterol.

Remedy # 6

Every night before retiring, have a cup of warm water with five grams of Triphala choorna in it. Triphala contains the three great herbs ¡V amalaki (Emblica officinalis), bibhitaki (Terminalia belerica) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula). All these three have been individually proved to have powers of dissolving serum cholesterol. Amalaki is very rich in vitamin C, which is the best known nutrient for the natural dissolution of cholesterol in the blood.

Remedy # 7

Mix equal proportions of Bishop¡¦s weed seeds, cumin seeds and sugar. Grind them to a fine powder in a mixer grinder. Take one teaspoonful of this powder twice a day with water. This is a safe remedy even for pregnant women, and it shows good results in them.

Remedy # 8

Put a single clove of garlic in one glass of milk. Bring it to a boil. Drink this garlic milk when it is still a little warm. Drinking this continuously for a week will surely bring the level of the cholesterol down.

Remedy # 9

Take two teaspoons of honey and mix one teaspoon of lemon juice in it. Drinking this juice twice a day helps to dissolve the cholesterol from the arteries.

source:www.americanchronicle.com

Pharmaceuticals Shares Jump

Shares of Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. jumped Thursday after Jefferies & Co. initiated coverage on the company with a "Buy" rating and $17 price target saying the company's drug pipeline holds promise and appears under-appreciated based on the current stock price.

The stock rose 56 cents, or 5.1 percent, to $11.50 in midday trading. Shares have traded between $5.81 and $14 during the last 52 weeks.

The company is developing a high cholesterol treatment, labeled ISIS 301012, and a diabetes drug called ISIS 113715. Jefferies analyst Salveen Kochnover said the cholesterol drug has the potential to be blockbuster, that is, become a billion-dollar drug. The drugs are based on RNAi technology, which aims to silence genes at the root of a condition, therefore shutting down the disease.

She expects Isis to start a late-stage study on the cholesterol drug in the second half of the year, with approval in 2010.

"Isis, an industry leader in antisense technology and drug development, holds a huge patent estate comprised of more than 1,500 patents that have generated over $77M in technology access revenue to date," she said. "The company's long-standing singular focus on antisense technology has yielded improved second-generation compounds with enhanced chemistry, higher potency, less frequent dosing, better tolerability, and possible oral bioavailability."

She also expects the company to find a large pharmaceutical partner for the cholesterol drug candidate by the end of the year or early next year. Isis has already partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb to develop drugs targeting cardiovascular disease.

The company already has one marketed drug, Vitravene, with partner Novartis AG. The drug treats cytomegalovirus retinitis, an infection of the retina. In all, it has 18 drugs in various stages of development.

Source:www.forbes.com

Zocor Vs. Alzheimer's And Parkinson's

Zocor, but not sister cholesterol-lowering drugs Lipitor or Mevacor, may cut the risk of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.

It's not the first time that the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have been linked to Alzheimer's disease. A small clinical trial in 2005 suggested that Lipitor might improve mental function in people with early Alzheimer's disease.

Both Lipitor and Zocor are in clinical trials to see whether they really do help people with Alzheimer's disease. But now there's compelling evidence that Zocor may actually prevent not only Alzheimer's disease, but Parkinson's disease, too.

The provocative new data come from Boston University researcher Benjamin Wolozin, M.D., and colleagues.

"Many people are looking at whether statins might prevent the progression of dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease," Wolozin tells WebMD. "But a lot of people in the field think that if you start statin treatment at the time you already have the disease, it might be the wrong time. It might be nice to talk about how to prevent the disease."

To see whether taking statins had any effect on Alzheimer's disease, Wolozin's team used the immense U.S. Veterans Affairs database, with detailed information on 4.5 million patients. Some 727,000 of these patients took Zocor, about 54,000 took Lipitor, and about 54,000 took Mevacor.

In patients over age 64, those who took Zocor were 54 percent less likely to get Alzheimer's disease and 49 percent less likely to get Parkinson's disease than were matched patients not taking statin drugs.

Those who took Lipitor were 9 percent less likely to get Alzheimer's disease, a finding that was not statistically significant. Lipitor did not affect Parkinson's disease risk. Mevacor had no effect on risk of either Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

D. Larry Sparks, Ph.D., director of the Roberts Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Ariz., is involved in clinical trials of statins for Alzheimer's disease but was not involved in the Wolozin study.

"This study keeps alive the idea that statins may be of benefit in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and maybe even in mild cognitive impairment," Sparks tells WebMD. "But the most important part is that this addresses the role of cholesterol-lowering medications as a way to combat Parkinson's disease."

The study does not offer answers to the question of why Zocor seems to work better than Lipitor in preventing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Is it time to start taking Zocor to prevent neurodegenerative diseases? Wolozin says people should take statins only to lower high cholesterol levels.

"If your parents got Alzheimer's disease and you have high cholesterol, you might want to talk with your doctor about whether you should take Zocor or Lipitor," Wolozin says. "If your parents don't have Alzheimer's disease, but, say, your dad had a heart attack, you should probably take Lipitor, because it is somewhat better at preventing some of the [problems ] associated with heart disease. You have to look at your own personal risk factors."

Proof of whether statins affect risk of Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease can come only from controlled clinical trials. But as such trials would be extremely lengthy and expensive, Wolozin doubts they will be undertaken.

Help may come from ongoing trials looking at whether Lipitor or Zocor can help people who already have Alzheimer's disease. Those trials are nearly over; results are expected next year.

The Wolozin study appears in the July issue of the online journal BioMed Central Medicine.

source:www.cbsnews.com

Cholesterol-Lovers Delight On Brainerd Road

Wayne and I tried a new restaurant located at 5665 Brainerd Road last weekend. It is called Choo Choo Fish & Chicken – and basically that’s the menu.

This place is a cholesterol-lovers delight. Not all, but most everything is deep fried, although they do have a small grilled menu – but even that is served with fries.

The menu consists of Chicken Wings where you can order from three ($3.29) up to one hundred ($48.99). On the Buffalo or Honey BBQ Wings menu, you can order two hundred for $79.99.

Chicken dinners consist of your choice of gizzards, tenders, nuggets, legs or thighs ($3.99 to $8.39). Choo Choo Fish & Chicken offers a large variety of fish including Ocean Perch, Jack Salmon (Whiting), Oysters, Frog Legs, Lake Smelt and Tilapia ($6.99 to $18.99). They certainly have a variety of Catfish styles on the menu – whole, filet, tails and nuggets. I don’t ever remember seeing Catfish Tails on a menu before – maybe it’s just me, but I always leave that part.



All dinners are served with fries, cole slaw and bread (regular loaf bread). You can also order Family Meals of Catfish, Ocean Perch or the two mixed priced from $13.99 for six filets to $57.99 for 50 pieces.

Side Orders include such items as Spaghetti (we thought this was strange as it didn’t “go” with the rest of the menu), okra, hush puppies, cheese sticks, etc. Side items are $.35 for Jalapenos to $3.50 for a family sized box of fries.

Upon entering, you go to the counter, order and pay. Your order is then brought to your table in “to go” boxes, complete with plastic ware. Tartar sauce is served in the little tear-open packets. Our drinks were not delivered until our food was served which meant we were sitting there waiting – no drink, no nuthin’.

I ordered the catfish filet (small has two large filets) and Wayne tried the Lake Perch. We both thought the fish was very tasty – nice, crispy filets that really weren’t very greasy. You get a LOT of fries, which were nice and crisp. They didn’t have that frozen taste, even though they probably were. The cole slaw comes in a very small plastic container with a lid. It had a sweet taste, but you don’t get enough to savor the flavor – it’s maybe a tablespoon-sized serving.


source:www.chattanoogan.com

Low maternal cholesterol may boost blood flow in foetus

Lowering maternal cholesterol levels during pregnancy may improve the blood flow in the foetus and produce noticeable benefits later, says a new study from Norway.

The research, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, randomly assigned 290 pregnant women with no history of pregnancy complications to follow their usual diet or a low-cholesterol low-saturated fat diet, and found benefits in the pressure of blood in the umbilical cord.

"By achieving decreased resistance in the umbilical artery at mid gestation, the intervention diet could have been associated with a less "stressed" foetus, which in turn might have delayed the onset of labour," wrote lead author Janette Khoury from Oslo's Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center.

The women - all white and non-smoking (age range 21-38) - were randomly assigned to the dietary interventions from gestational week 17-20 to birth. The low-cholesterol low-saturated fat diet was rich in fish, low-fat meats, oils, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

Foetal blood flow, measured using Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical artery at gestational weeks 24, 30, and 36, was found a decrease in the intervention group, compared to the control group.

No changes were observed in the uterine arteries however.

"Our main finding is that a low-cholesterol low-saturated fat diet accentuated the physiologic reduction in umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) from gestation weeks 24-30 in the intervention arm of this randomized cohort of low-risk white pregnant women," wrote the researchers.

However, in an accompanying editorial, Anthony Odibo from Washington University School of Medicine questioned whether the changes observed really as a result of the cholesterol-lowering diet.

"The study by Khoury et al raises important issues for future studies," he wrote. "The generalizability of the study findings to other populations is… questionable because a "normal" Norwegian diet that was used by the control group may not be comparable to an average diet in the United States.

"The dietary interventions were started from 17-20 weeks of gestation, and we all know that the secondary wave of trophoblastic invasion may have been completed by then, therefore preventing any potential benefit of the diet.

"It would also have been interesting to evaluate the placentas from the study population," he concluded.

High cholesterol has been linked to many illnesses, in particular cardiovascular disease (CVD) which causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe and is estimated to cost the EU around €169 billion each year.

source:www.nutraingredients.com

Study: Lilly drug helps diabetes patients

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co., which co-markets the diabetes drug Byetta, told an American Diabetes Association convention today that patients lowered their risk of heart disease after taking the injections for 3-1/2 years.

The news is important to diabetes sufferers, who experience heart-lung problems including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death in the nation.

Prescriptions for Byetta were first issued in 2005. The Food and Drug Administration in January expanded the use of Byetta as "an injectable add-on therapy" for type-2 diabetes sufferers who cannot control their blood sugar levels.

The study, presented at an association meeting today in Chicago, involved 151 people with type-2 diabetes over 30 weeks. Some participants took the injected drug and others had a placebo, all while taking other pills that are common diabetes treatments.

Patients taking the drug averaged weight loss of nearly 12 pounds, a 2 to 4 percent drop in blood pressure, a 24 percent increase in the amount of "good" cholesterol levels and a 6 percent decrease in "bad" cholesterol, the study showed.

A previous study had shown the weight-loss effect of the drug, which is comparable to an insulin product. That initial study also said the drug may cause nausea during its early use.

The drug is derived from the saliva of the Gila monster, a lizard of Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Byetta is also marketed by San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., which researches and develops therapies to treat diabetes and obesity.

"These studies document that Byetta may have additional and important effects on cardiovascular-disease risk factors providing interesting areas for further study, including additional metabolic advantages of weight loss in people with diabetes," said David Kendall of Amylin in a statement issued today.

The drug, approved in the United States in April 2005, had $340 million in sales in 2006. Late last year, Byetta was approved for use in 27 European countries.

More than 20 million Americans and 246 million people worldwide have type-2 diabetes, according to information from the International Diabetes Federation and the American Diabetes Association.
source:www.jconline.com

Study finds some pills can be split in two

Can the nearly 12 million Americans who take cholesterol-lowering drugs save money by splitting high-dose pills in half, and get the same results as if they were taking lower-dose pills?

Yes, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers.

The study found that splitting the cholesterol-lowering pills in half is safe and effective and saved patients an average of $5 to $7 in monthly copays.

Although the savings may seem insignificant, most patients want to save a few dollars where they can, said lead author Hae Mi Choe, a clinical assistant professor in the university’s College of Pharmacy and a University of Michigan Health System clinical pharmacist. The research will be published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Susan Blackwell, a University of Michigan employee who participated in the six-month study, pays $8 a month for Simvastatin, the generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor. She was not aware before the study that she could split her tablets; now she plans to start. Pill-splitting would reduce her copay to $4 a month.

“Nowadays, any time you can save money, it helps,” she said. “You have a little more to put in the gas tank.”

The primary objective of the University of Michigan study was to test whether giving patients a financial incentive would affect their decision to split pills, Choe said.

By the end of the study, most participants said they would continue splitting pills if they received a copay reduction of at least 50 percent.

As a result of the 2005 research, last year the University of Michigan started a pill-splitting program that saved the university $195,000 and cut drug costs for 500 employees and retirees by more than $25,000.

Patients have been splitting cholesterol-lowering pills for years to save money. High-dose pills often cost the same as lower-dose pills — or just slightly more. Cutting the pills and taking half doses reduces patients’ out-of-pocket prescription costs. For example, a patient might pay $116 for 30 tablets of 20mg Lipitor, versus $58 for 15 of the 40mg tablets that can be split to double the number of doses. Both supplies last 30 days.

Rebecca Hamm, a spokeswoman for Pfizer Inc., which manufactures Lipitor, said the company does not recommend splitting the tablet because it was not designed to be cut, and patients could end up ingesting a different dosage than what was approved.

“Lipitor tablets are not scored,” she said. “Since splitting means it would be a different dosage than what is approved by the FDA, we just don’t recommend that people do it because you could end up with a different dosage or a crumbled tablet.”

But splitting cholesterol-lowering pills is a safe practice, according to doctors and pharmacists, because small day-to-day dose fluctuations that can occur when cut pills are taken do not make a major difference in cholesterol levels.

Pills can be split as long as they are not coated or time-release tablets, said pharmacist Melinda Zaher, who co-owns Crown Pharmacy in Redford Township, Mich.

Because cholesterol-lowering drugs are not long-acting or coated, they can be split and still have the same effects as taking a whole pill, Zaher said.
source:www.projo.com

Careful pest control important to garden

My landscaping company says it practices IPM. What is this?

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an approach to lawn and garden care that involves assessing a landscape’s microclimate and environment, then recommending methods to solve specific pest problems. These include damage caused by disease, insects and deer. IPM also addresses indoor pests, including termites, and those that plague humans and pets – fleas, ticks and the like. Although

traditional pest-control practices tend to treat any infestation with pesticides, IPM regards chemicals as a last resort. The program is not necessarily organic, but it is always environmentally conscious.

There are many IPM methods that

reflect common sense. Choosing disease resistant plants is one. Another is keeping plants healthy by meeting their nutrient requirements and siting them properly – for example, avoiding planting boxwood in a sunny, dry area. Encouraging a balance of predator and prey is one of the most important principles of IPM.

Plants and insects, along with nuisances such as slugs, have evolved together, so small populations of pests will not harm your landscape. On the contrary, many creatures – ladybugs, lacewings and praying mantises among them – are quite effective at reducing the amount of pests. IPM advocates supplementing populations of these predators by buying them (or in some cases, their eggs), and placing them in the garden.

Those interested in practicing IPM at home can start by taking a close look at their plants, keeping an eye out for pests as well as chewed or tattered leaves. Pay particular attention to plants that have been victims in the past. Try to identify harmful pests using a field guide to insects or by contacting your local cooperative extension office. The latter also can help you decide on a course of action that is in keeping with IPM tenets. This may be as simple as hosing aphids or spider mites off plants or hand-picking Colorado potato beetles from leaves. More severe infestations might be treated with insecticidal soap or, if absolutely necessary, a chemical spray.

Of the many butter alternatives available, which is the most healthful?

When you’re cooking or baking, real butter brings a rich flavor and texture to foods that is unmatched by substitutes made from vegetable oils, such as soybean or canola. However, opting for a butter alternative at the table – on toast, baked potatoes and the like – can be a fine way to cut back on calories and saturated fat.

Margarine (a vegetable oil spread that, like butter, contains at least 80 percent fat) no longer is the sole alternative. Grocery store cases are packed with other oil-based spreads that are lower in fat than margarine and often have added nutritional benefits.

When comparing products, eliminate any that contain trans fat, which raises bad cholesterol, says Lisa Hark, director of nutrition education at the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of “Nutrition for Life” (DK, 2005). Butter substitutes sold in sticks are often solidified using hydrogenated soybean oil, a source of trans fat. Choose a product that contains 2 grams or fewer of saturated fat per tablespoon (butter has 7 grams to 8 grams) and between 50 calories and 75 calories per tablespoon.

Some spreads provide essential nutrients or promote heart health. If you have elevated cholesterol, it may be worth the cost (which can be three or four times as much as other spreads) to buy a product with plant sterols or stanols – indicated on the label – which are derived from plant cells. Studies suggest that eating foods containing these additives on a daily basis may help reduce cholesterol, Hark says.

You’ll also find butter alternatives made with olive, fish or flaxseed oil; these all are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help

reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Other spreads incorporate nonfat yogurt, though generally not enough to count as a calcium source. However, products with yogurt and olive oil usually contain fewer calories and less saturated fat than many of their shelf mates. If you’d like to add a serving of calcium to your diet, some spreads are fortified with this mineral.
source:www.nwherald.com

Cholesterol drugs act against diabetic nerve pain

New evidence suggests the same drugs that help reduce levels of artery-clogging cholesterol might prevent nerve damage brought on by diabetes, Australian researchers said on Friday.
New evidence suggests the same drugs that help reduce levels of artery-clogging cholesterol might prevent nerve damage brought on by diabetes, Australian researchers said on Friday.

They said an eight-year study of statins and fibrates -- two classes of cholesterol medication -- significantly cut the risk of developing peripheral sensory diabetic neuropathy, a condition that affects half of all diabetics.

The condition can cause stinging or burning sensations, tingling, pain, numbness or weakness in the hands and feet and is a major cause of amputations.

"The global impact of diabetic neuropathy is that there is an amputation about every 50 seconds," Dr. Aaron Vinik, director of the Streliz Diabetes Center at Eastern Virginia Medical School, said at the American Diabetes Association's scientific meeting in Chicago.

"It markedly affects people's quality of life," said Vinik, who moderated a press briefing.

Statins, the world's biggest-selling drugs, cut levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Fibrates are drugs that have been shown to raise levels of HDL, the so-called "good" cholesterol, and reduce triglyceride, a form of fat obtained through food.

Both drugs are already highly recommended for people with type 2 diabetes to help prevent heart attacks. Now they appear to help this type of nerve damage, said Dr. Timothy Davis, of the University of Western Australia, who led the study. www.healthnews-stat.com

Heart risk screening plan - report

Millions of Britons are to be screened for the risk of heart disease and offered cholesterol-cutting drugs, according to reports.

The Government's drug watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) will announce recommendations this week to screen people with a view to offering them statins, the Sunday Times said.

Adults aged 40, 50 and 60 would be assessed and those considered to have a 20% risk of developing heart disease over the next decade would be offered the drugs, the report claimed.

A Nice spokeswoman confirmed the organisation is due to publish draft guidelines on modifying blood lipids within days.

Cholesterol is a type of lipid - fats found in the body - which, if present in too high a concentration, can cause deposits to build up on artery walls - increasing the risk of heart disease.

A pre-consultation document published two years ago highlights the fact that cholesterol can be cut by exercise and dietary changes as well as by drugs.

It emphasises that drugs have an important role and highlights how existing Government targets recommend giving statins to people with more than a 30% chance of developing coronary heart disease over 10 years.

But the document says that there are currently variations in how doctors go about preventing cardiovascular disease and "uncertainty" in some quarters about managing cholesterol among those who have not yet developed heart disease.

While statins are already widely used, the Sunday Times reported that Nice would now recommend a mass screening programme which would potentially bring in millions of others not currently in line for statins.

A spokeswoman for Nice confirmed that draft guidelines on strategies for reducing blood lipids was due to be published next week but declined to comment on "speculation" about their contents.
source:www.guardian.co.uk

Cholesterol Center

Despite its bad press, cholesterol is actually necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Cholesterol is a natural lipid that is formed by the liver, and is used by the cells to build membranes, manufacture sex hormones, and is also necessary in the digestive process. Cholesterol is transported from the liver to various other parts of the body via lipoproteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL). LDL is sometimes called "bad cholesterol" because it circulates lots of cholesterol throughout the body, whereas HDL, or "good cholesterol", carries very little.

Elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels leads to fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries that hinders the blood flow to the brain, kidneys, extremities, and heart. High cholesterol level is a primary cause of heart disease including high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. Some cancers, especially prostate and breast cancers have been linked to high serum cholesterol levels.

There are various factors that contribute to high LDL levels. Diets high in fats, especially animal fats and saturated fats, increase LDL levels in our bodies. Sugar, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and stress all result in the overproduction of natural cholesterol, also. A low-fat high-fiber diet, along with a program of regular exercise and stress management, can do much to help lower cholesterol levels. All of the elements of a healthy lifestyle are vital to good cholesterol control.

Our bodies do need some fats on a regular basis to supply energy, make up the cell membranes, give us a sense of fullness, lubricate the intestines, and carry the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in our body. Essential fatty acids (such as omega-3 and omega-6) are "good fats" which do this for us, and they may be consumed in our diets or as supplements. These essential fatty acids are found primarily in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, as well as the unsaturated vegetable oils such as borage oil, grape seed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil. They are also found in deepwater fish, fish oil, as well as certain vegetable oils such as canola oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil.

There are herbs and nutritional supplements which can also help lower our cholesterol level. Garlic, fiber, red rice yeast, niacin, and soy isoflavones may all lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Prevention is the key, but these supplements may be helpful if you see that your cholesterol level is beginning to rise.
source:www.drmamae.com