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Healthwise is a regular column written
especially for laterlife.com members and
visitors by Helen Franks, journalist and author.
Welcome to healthwise 83.
For previous articles in the
healthwise series visit
'more
healthwise'
Helen Franks
Helen has specialised in writing about health and
ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has
written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the
Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and
Choice.
Helen has also written several books including
Getting Older Slowly Your Guide to Successful Ageing and
Bone Boosters
co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame.
Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate
talkback
page too.
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The power of honey
An ancient remedy is gaining new respect. Researchers in Manchester are
treating mouth and throat cancer patients with honey, to see if it will
reduce their chances of contracting bacterial infections, especially ones
who are resistant to antibiotics. Honey has been shown to have an
antimicrobial effect against many bacteria and fungi.
A 1992 study also found that honey sped up the healing of wounds caused
by Caesarean sections. And another study found that honey cured the
intractable wounds of 59 patients.
A bounty of medical studies have found that honey can help heal ulcers, as
well as offering relief from diarrhoea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats.
Foot comfort
Do you suffer from corns, calluses or sore spots? For added comfort between
your toes, you could try Profoot’s Soft Gel Toe Separators. The transparent
Toe Separators relieve pain between the toes by providing cushioning.
What’s so different about these toe separators? They contain mineral oil
which can help soften and prevent corns as well as relieving pain between
the toes.
Profoot products are available from most independent pharmacies, and on line
at www.wellbury.co.uk or
directly from Profoot by telephoning 0208 492 1600. Further information can
also be found on the website
www.profoot.co.uk . Priced £1.99.
Facts about kissing
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A good passionate smooch burns up to 28
calories per minute.
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A kissing session will exercise and tone all
of the underlying muscles of your face.
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A kissing session enables you to let down
your defences, release tension and burn off stress
chemicals.
-
Kissing also regulates breathing, as when
our mouths are pressed together, our breathing becomes
slower as we focus on the moment.
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Wonderful endorphins are released into the
brain, making us feel dizzy with excitement!
-
Kissing helps fight tooth decay, as you will
produce more saliva when locking mouths, which in turn
washes bacteria off your teeth.
-
Kissing boosts your internal immune system
as the extra-friendly bacteria help your body fight the
harmful bacteria.
This information comes from Astral Cosmetics
Why chocolate protects the heart
Chocolate has a strange biochemical effect. It
reduces the clumping of platelets, which cause blood to clot.
Platelet clumping can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a
blood vessel, causing a heart attack.
This was discovered when chocolate lovers
were rejected from a Johns Hopkins University study on aspirin
and heart disease. It helped researchers accidentally find an
explanation for why small amounts of chocolate can cut the risk
of heart attack.
Some 139 "chocolate offenders" were volunteers
taking part in a 1200 person study. The subjects were all asked
to stay on a strict regimen of exercise, and to avoid smoking,
caffeinated drinks, wine, grapefruit juice and chocolate, all of
which are known to affect heart disease risks.
Those who cheated on their diet regimen by
eating chocolate were removed from the aspirin study, but the
researchers still looked at their blood. Those who ate chocolate
not only had lower levels of a platelet waste product (thromboxane)
in their urine, but their blood clotted more slowly than samples
taken from the non-chocolate-eating patients.
The Alzheimer’s Society
The Alzheimer’s Society is the leading care and
research charity for people with all forms dementia and their
carers. It provides information and education, support for
carers, and quality day and home care.
It funds medical and scientific research and
campaigns for improved health and social services and greater
public understanding of dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society provides a national help
line on 0845 3000 336 and their website is
www.alzheimers.org.uk.
What laser eye surgery can’t do…
Those who hope that laser eye surgery will
improve their vision if it’s deteriorated with age will be
disappointed.
A new study in the journal Ophthalmology
reveals that laser treatment cannot reverse age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), a common problem that affects many over the
age of 50.
Laser eye surgery was tested on 1,000
participants who were in the early stages of AMD. Each
participant had one eye treated by lasers, and the other was
untreated, yet vision loss was similar in both eyes after five
years.
Remedy for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis?
A pair of studies in the same journal (Arthritis
and Rheumatism) suggests that acupuncture and an extract of
turmeric (a spice found in curry) may both offer significant
pain relief to arthritis patients. A German research team found
that a combination of acupuncture and conventional medicine can
increase the quality of life of osteoarthritis patients.
Meanwhile, American researchers found that a
special turmeric extract, composed largely of chemicals called
curcuminoids, can prevent both acute and chronic rheumatoid
arthritis. In experiments on rats, the turmeric extract appeared
to block inflammatory pathways associated with rheumatoid
arthritis.
As for acupuncture, the study of some 3,500
subjects showed that chronic osteoarthritis patients who
received it in addition to their more traditional care showed
marked improvement, with only 5 percent experiencing minor side
effects.
Osteoarthritis, the most common type of
arthritis, is a progressive degeneration of bone cartilage.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immunological disorder leading to
painful inflammation of the lining of the joints.
It’s all due to the sun
We are destined to live to about 100, and that’s
all, according to research group Psybernetics Inc. They say it’s
not your genes or scientific advances that determine longevity,
but solar cycles.
The theory is that the sun emits more
radiation every decade or so, resulting in DNA damage. These
cycles occur every 8 to 14 years and can release up to 300% more
ultraviolet rays.
Useful websites
www.patient.co.uk :
produced by doctors with an information systems company.
www.bupa.co.uk/health_information: BUPA sells health
insurance but this is an excellent website, full of information
as it says on the tin.
www.mysimpleguide-bloodpressure.com: comprehensive
advice on hypertension.
If in any
doubt about any of the information covered in
healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult
your GP.
IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION
In edition 82:-
Oily fish latest
Good news on Alzheimer's & heart disease
Salt reminder
Around 75% of the salt we eat comes from processed food.
Dirty dozen?
A list of the Fruit & Veg most contaminated with pesticides
Game for healthy living
Game meat shows low level of fat
Pancreatic cancer & Vit D
Taking Vitamin D can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43%
Drinking
overtime
Some over 60s are drinking too much alcohol
New name for cancer centre
Bristol Cancer Help Centre changes its name
Useful
websites
Some useful health websites
The
complete family health guide
 Essential medical reference that's a must for every home. Published
in association with the BMA, it includes comprehensive coverage of
every important aspect of health and medicine, as well as
user-friendly charts for at-a-glance information and easy reference.
Also lists the best medical websites...
 Maximise your memory
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample
exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized
frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand.
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