Alzheimer's gene and poor diet increase the risk of developing the disease

Alzheimer’s gene and diet rich in fat and sugar can increase the risk of developing the disease.
ApoE4 gene that affects memory is the major cause of Alzheimer's disease.

Genes, diet, environment and lifestyle determine risk of developing any disease including Alzheimer's disease.
ApoE4 and ApoE3 are two variants of a gene that codes for a protein, apolipoprotein E, which combine fat and cholesterol and take them to the body’s lymphatic and circulatory systems and to the brain.

The ApoE4 causes an inflammation, Alzheimer’s diseases and cardiovascular disease while ApoE3 does not increase risk of the disease. ApoE4 is present in about fifteen percent of people. Alzheimer’s affects more women than men.

Fatty acids like palmitic acid can cause inflammation in the brain because they can go into the brain and affect glia. Glia is responsible for immune response in the brain, poor diet can make it less effective in protecting the brain.

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Low blood flow in the brain may be a sign of dementia

High blood pressure and decreased blood flow in the brain may cause the build-up of dangerous amyloid plaque in the brain. Having problems with the blood vessels in the brain may affect thinking, cognition and memory.

Brain's blood vessels work like a plumbing system that distributes oxygen to every parts of brain cells and remove waste materials from the cells.

The brain relaxes its vessels to maintain constant blood flow as it adjusts for changes in blood pressure, but the brain vessels in Alzheimer's patients prevent blood flow and allow amyloid to get to the brain cells.

Alzheimer's patients have lower blood flow in their brains than the people without the disease. They experience cognitive decline and memory loss that leads to dementia.

Taking blood pressure lowering drugs can reduce the effects on memories of affected people because the drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and prevents the toxins from getting to the brain.
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Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

Neurodevelopmental disorder is identified by difficulty in communication, social interactions, behavior and repetitive patterns of behavior.

Measuring some proteins called potential markers in the blood may enable early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

These proteins could help in accurate diagnosis of the disorder in children.
ASD is a heterogeneous disorder, getting the biomaker of the patients can help in early diagnosis and reduce the effects of the disorder in children affected.

Measuring brain growth before the first 500 days can reduce the effects of the disorder and it will enables early diagnosis.

Waiting for the characteristics of the disorder may be too late before diagnosis to correct the effects of neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
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Intelligent children enjoy long lifespan

Intelligent children are likely to survive longer, children who had a high IQ at the age of 11 enjoy long lifespan because their DNA that is linked with high IQ can also make them healthier compared with the average children.

Being intelligent at tender age decreases risk of premature death because intelligent people are aware of lifestyle that is associated with longevity which they embrace as they are getting older.

Their level of understanding get better as they get older; this enables them to eat good diet, engage in regular physical activities, go for regular medical check and avoid activities that can destroy their health.

Average children can learn from the intelligent children, follow their healthy lifestyle to enjoy long lifespan.
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Olive oil is safe for frying food

Olive oil is the best for frying when compared with other vegetable oils available, it has very low content of aldehyde when tested with heat.

 Other vegetable oils produced more aldehydes quickly, heating monounsaturated olive oil produced fewer aldehydes at a very high temperature.

Polyunsaturated oils have more regions ripe for chemical reaction, olive oil is the safest option if you choose to fry your food because of its chemical reaction and composition.

Keep olive oil below its smoke point while frying your food to enjoy all the good chemical it contains and this will reduce any dangerous chemical associated with frying food.
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Effects of training on brain

Skill is an ability developed through training or experience. Behavioral training changes the way attention improve information processing in the brain.

Researchers monitored behavioral performance and brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) for more than one month in some participants performing a task that required visual stimulus.

Participants concentrate absolutely at the beginning of the training but pay less attention after sometime, behavioral performance get better after several training.

This shows that behavioral performance gets better with training, brain concentrates at the beginning of the training but pays less attention after several training on the particular task.
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Dangers of social isolation

Social isolation is associated with different health problems like depression, dementia, insomnia, mental challenges and it can cause premature death.

It causes sleeplessness, which can leads to cellular stress and the activation of an unfolded protein response (UPR)- a stress response.

If UPR is activated for a long period of time it can results into premature aging, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. UPR causes harmful inflammation, prevents healthy cellular activities in the body and kill healthy cells.

Associating with friends, colleagues and friends can prevent social isolation, starting a discussion with strangers when friends are not around can also help. You can seek medical help if you are not getting better after relating with people.
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Signs of severe hypertension

Hypertension does not have any symptom but severe high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke, kidney failure, aortic aneurysm, vascular dementia and heart attacks.

An ideal blood pressure is 120/80, Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60 or lower. High blood pressure is when your readings are consistently equal to or more than 140/90mmHg.

Severe hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is consistently at or above 180mmHg and/or the diastolic is consistently at or above 110mmHg.

Seek medical help if you experience any of these signs of severe high blood pressure- fatigue, chest pain, severe headache, irregular heartbeat, blood in the urine and difficulty in breathing.

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Asthmatic children may develop heart failure

Asthma makes the left ventricle of the heart to become thick which can cause the heart muscle to lose elasticity and fail to pump blood.

Researchers examined patients with heart disease and analyzed their asthma history. After a 10 year follow-up, those with asthma had a higher left ventricular mass compared to those without asthma.

Researchers discovered that the risk of heart failure was stronger in patients with high and raised blood pressure.
Because the left side of the heart has to work harder to pump blood round the body.

The left side of the heart becomes enlarged when blood pressure is too high or when you have a health condition that causes the heart to work harder.

 High blood pressure and an enlarged left side of the heart increase the risk of a heart attack than normal-sized heart.
Change of lifestyle and medical treatment can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in asthmatic patients.

Asthmatic children may have heart problems later in life. Thickening of the
heart's left ventricles can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, and may lead to heart failure.

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Early Antiretroviral therapy linked with bone loss

A new study has discovered that early antiretroviral drugs ART causes bone loss compared with deferring ART.
Researchers examined HIV patients that used ART early and those that delayed treatment.

They discovered that early ART prevents HIV transmission but causes bone loss. Early treatment is also associated with increased bone loss of about 2-4%, this rate of bone loss will slow down after two years of treatment.

Antiretroviral drugs may cause broken bones as you get older, you can reduce the risk by engaging in simple exercise like walking and running.

Presently their is no cure for HIV, if you stop taking your drugs because of side effects of ART, your viral load will be high and the virus may become resistance to drug, you can manage the condition by taking calcium and vitamin D supplement to prevent osteoporosis.

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Drinking of alcohol makes you older

 Alcoholic patients had shortened telomere lengths, placing them at greater risk for age-related diseases, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia and liver disease. The more alcohol people drink, the more their cells age.

Telomeres are parts of human cells that affect how cells age, the protein caps on the ends of human chromosomes are markers of aging and complete health.

Excess drinking of alcohol leads to lost of replication of cell tiny bit of telomere so they get shorter with age. But some people may have shorter telomeres for other reasons.

Alcoholic patients have a shortened telomere length because excess drinking causes biological aging at a cellular level.

Scientists examined patients undergoing alcoholism treatment in hospital, they also examined their habits, DNA samples and drinking histories

They discovered that they have thiamine deficiency TD and it causes neuron impairments such as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome which can leads to braid disorder, coma and death in alcoholic patients.

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Taking photographs can enhance visual memory

According to new research, taking photographs may help us to remember what we see and come across but not helping non visual aspect. People take photographs to remember experiences and events.

Researchers had some participants tour a real-life museum. Some of the participants take photographs with their cameras while some didn't as the participants toured the museum, they listened to an audio guide for the tour.

At the end of the tour, they answered some questions about objects they had seen and the audio guide.

Those who took photographs visually recognized more of the objects compared with those who didn't use a camera, they also remembered less auditory information than those that do not have camera.

This shows that pictures can enhance visual memory, participants who were able to take pictures were better at recognizing what they saw and worse at remembering what they heard.

Researchers discovered that participants who were able to take pictures performed better on visual memory because they looked at the objects very well before taking photographs, they spent more time looking at the objects and this sent signals to their brains to register the structure of the objects

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Plants protein can prevent early menopause

Menopause occurs when ovaries stop producing the hormone known as estrogen that controls the reproductive cycle.

Early menopause is the ending of ovarian function before age 45, it is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and early cognitive decline.

Scientists examined many women for two decades and discovered that those who eat more of plants protein had a 59 per cent lower risk of an early menopause than those that eat less.

They discovered that high consumption of plants protein is linked to a lower risk of early menopause. According to the new research, women can lower their risk of reaching menopause early by eating plants protein

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Secrets of longevity

Healthy lifestyle is the secret of long life. Seven hours of sleep per night, regular exercise, eating healthy foods and avoiding stressful activities can increase your longevity.

Food is medicine, healthy diet is better than drugs, processed foods contributes to diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and many other terminal diseases.

 You can adopt longevity lifestyle by eating more of plant based healthy diet everyday; start with fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, nuts, legumes and drink enough water. Water is better than any other liquid you know.

Moderate consumption of protein, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Cook with extra virgin olive oil and remember to fast after you feast. Fasting makes insulin sensitive and improves metabolic functions. Eat small portion of food; the less you eat the longer you will live.

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Playing video games can change your brain performance

 Playing video games can change the part of brain responsible for attention and visuospatial skills and make them more efficient.

Reserchers examined structural changes in the brain and how video games change the structure of brain.

They discovered that playing video games can change brain's performance and structure. The right hippocampus was enlarged in long-term gamers compared to those that doesn't play game.

The brain regions involved in attention are also more efficient in gamers and require less activation to sustain attention on demanding tasks.

Video games can increase the size and efficiency of brain regions related to visuospatial skills. Action video games enhance flexibility and multitasking; abilities to switch rapidly without error between tasks that have different demands.

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Thrombectomy can prevents stroke complications

Inadequate blood supply to the brain can cause stroke or when blood vessel within the brain ruptures, causing brain tissue to die.

 A stroke is a medical emergency, it requires immediate treatment. During a stroke, the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which can leads to death of brain cells.

A thrombectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove a blood clot -thrombus from the brain. The thrombus obstructs blood flow and may cause tissue death.

Thrombectomy is effective in patients with blood clots up to 24 hours after a stroke. Stroke can occur when brain blood vessel bursts.

Thrombectomy is safer than clot-busting drugs because it has no side effects.

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Smartphone reduces cognitive capacity

Cognitive capacity is the total amount of information the brain is capable of retaining at any particular moment.
Your cognitive capacity is slightly reduced when your smartphone is very close to you.

 Researchers  measured cognitive capacity of different smartphone users and asked them to keep their phones before participating in the assessment.

They discovered that participants with their phones in another room significantly perform better than those with their phones on the desk, and they also slightly performed better than those participants who kept their phones in a pocket or bag.

This shows that presence of one's smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning. It reduces absolute concentration on task at hand.

Having a smartphone very close to you reduces your ability to focus and perform tasks at hand very well because part of your brain is actively connected to the phone whether you receive notifications at that moment or not.

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How to control hyperhidrosis

 Hyperhidrosis may affect every parts of your body or just certain parts like arms, palms of your hands, soles of your feet, face and chest while the remaining parts of the body are sweating normally.

Sweating maintains the body’s temperature and allows the body to cool down when it over heat, the moisture that sweat produces evaporates from the surface of the skin to cool the temperature.

Sweat glands become active during puberty, it is normal to sweat, but excessive sweating is not normal. Overactive glands may be responsible for this and it can affect young children and adults.

 We sweat when we are hot, nervous, anxious and physically exert ourselves Excessive sweat can cause feelings of depression and anxiety. You can reduce
excessive sweat by reducing caffeine and spice intake. Wear loose and breathable clothes.

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Vegetable oils and their health benefits

Extra virgin olive oil
It protects memory, prevents dementia, reduces inflammation in the body and could help with conditions such as psoriasis, arthritis and eczema.

Coconut oil
Caprylic and lauric fatty acids in coconut oil reduce inflammation. It is used for treating viral and bacterial infections and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Flaxseed oil
For treating acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn and rosacea.
The hormone-balancing lignans and plant estrogens in flaxseed stabilise a woman's estrogen-progesterone ratio, they can have beneficial effects on the menstrual cycle, and relieve the hot flashes of perimenopause and menopause.

Sunflower oil
It is rich in oleic-acid. It contains Vitamin E, which prevents dangerous free radicals from oxidizing the body’s cholesterol. It protects against hazardous effects of UV radiation, offers photoprotection and effectively works on wrinkles, blemishes & patchy skin.

Walnut oil
Walnut oil contains high levels of monounsaturated oils such as omega 9 which help to keep arteries supple. The flexibility of the arteries promotes the flow of blood free of any hardening leading to hypertension and heart disease. It reduces inflammation and prevent diseases like arthritis. Walnuts are rich in phytonutrients and are an excellent source of selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, iron, and calcium that stabilize body hormones.

Peanut oil
Peanut oil massage is helpful for relieving arthritic pain in joints. It helps in arthritis because it is anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Peanut oil boosts blood circulation, massage with peanut oil improves the level of prostaglandins in blood. Peanut oil is also a good cooking oil.

Avocado oil
Avocado oil consists of oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. This type of fat has been proven to help lower high blood pressure and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. It reduces arthritis symptoms, boosts nutrients absorption and fights breast and prostate cancer.
Vitamin E and the carotenoid lutein in avocado oil reduces risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Rapeseed oil
Is a good source of vitamin E, high in monounsaturated fats, it has plant sterols, which are very good at lowering cholesterol.

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HIV positive women with cytomegalovirus may infect their babies with the virus

HIV-positive women with cytomegalovirus CMV, in their urine at the time of delivery may pass the virus to their babies.

Women who had gonorrhea when they gave birth may also infect their babies with CMV. Babies infected through their mothers and those with weakened immune systems will experience serious health problems.

CMV can impair fetal growth, cause birth defects and babies born with the virus can have damage to their brain, liver, lung and spleen.

 Researchers examined 260 pairs of mothers and 222 babies from who were enrolled in a perinatal study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

After testing the mothers' and infants' urine for detectable CMV, the researchers discovered that- 2 percent of the women had detectable CMV and 3.8 percent of babies had the virus.

Eight percent of women with detectable CMV had babies with the virus, as opposed to 2.1 percent of women who did not have CMV.

Two percent of women with detectable CMV transmitted the virus to their babies compared with 8.1 of those who did not have CMV.

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High fat diet reduces symptoms of Crohn's disease

High fat diet changes gut bacteria, reduces inflammation and symptoms of Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel syndrome that causes intestinal swelling, cramping and diarrhea.

 Diet of plant-based fats, reduced bacterial diversity in mice with Crohn's-like disease. Researchers fed mice with different fat diet, mice fed fatty diets had up to thirty percent fewer kinds of gut bacteria as those fed a normal diet.

 Crohn's patient can reduce their gut inflammation by adding good fat to their diet in moderation to prevent inflammation bowel syndrome.

All the good fats may have different results in different patients. Patients can start by trying different fat diet to discover the one that is good for their gut bacteria.

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Low carbohydrates diets can imitate effect of ecstasy on your brain

 Low-carb diet changes your metabolic  from burning more carbohydrates to burning of more fat than carbohydrates, this is a process known as ketosis.

When human body uses up carbohydrates glucose reserves, the body stimulates the breakdown of stored fat into fatty acids and releases them into the blood.

When fatty acids reach the liver they are changed into acetoacetate, a metabolic fuel that belongs to a family of ketones.

Acetoacetate decomposes to carbon dioxide and acetone, low-carbohydrates dieters and people who are fasting usually have sweet smelling breath.

A healthy liver minimises the acetone lost through the lungs by converting most of the acetoacetate it produces to beta-hydroxybutyrate BHB. This can cause euphoric feelings.

During ketosis, BHB can reach high levels in the brain, where it can bind to the same anxiety-reducing receptors as recreational drugs with similar effects.
 Side effects of ketosis are loss of calcium from bones, kidney stones and growth retardation.

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Regular sexual activity can boost brain function in older adults

According to the latest research, regular sexual activity could improve verbal fluency and ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them.

Participants filled in a questionnaire on how often, on average, they had engaged in sexual activity over the past 12 months whether monthly or weekly and answering questions about their general health and lifestyle.

The 28 men and 45 women participated in a standardized test, used to measure different patterns of brain function in older adults, focusing on attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial ability.

Older adults who were sexually active scored higher on cognitive tests than those who were not sexually active.
The results suggested that frequency of sexual activity was not linked to attention, memory or language but cognitive. In these tests, the participants performed just as well regardless of  their frequent time of having sex.

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Autoimmunity contributes to Parkinson's disease

 Autoimmunity  is when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. Parkinson's disease is neurodegenerative movement disorder.
Malfunctioning immune system contributes to Parkinson's disease.

Two fragments of alpha-synuclein, a protein that accumulates in the brain cells of Parkinson's disease patients can activate the T cells involved in autoimmune attacks.

Dopamine neurons that are affected by Parkinson's disease are vulnerable because they have proteins on the cell surface that help the immune system recognize foreign substances.

 Researchers examined blood samples from 67 Parkinson's disease patients and 36 healthy controls to fragments of alpha-synuclein and other proteins found in neurons.

 The immune response was associated with a common form of a gene found in the immune system, which may explain why many people with Parkinson's disease carry this gene variant.

 Immunotherapy can be used to increase the immune system's tolerance for alpha-synuclein, which could help to prevent worst condition of Parkinson's disease.

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Hair dye and chemical relaxer can increase risk of developing breast cancer

Common hair treatments like relaxer and dye can increase the risk of breast cancer. There treatments increase the risk of developing breast cancer among white and black women.

Para-phenylenediamine PPD is a chemical found in dark hair dyes concentration, it is easily absorbed through the skin on the scalp and the hands.

Peroxide breaks the melanin in the shaft to lighten the hair and changes its colour, it can cause allergic reactions and irritates the skin and lungs. According to researchers, the chemicals may have negative impact on DNA

Experts asked more than 4,000 black and white women in the New Jersey and New York area their habits of dying, relaxing or using deep conditioning creams.

Researchers then examined the study participants' medical history to see if these products elevated the risk of breast cancer.

Black women who used dark hair dye had an overall 51 percent greater risk of the cancer. They also had a 72  percent increased risk of developing estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, which is the most common type of the disease.

White women who used chemical relaxers/straighteners had a 74 percent increase in risk. Black women have an
11 percent chance of developing the disease and white women have a 13 percent chance.

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Extra-virgin olive oil prevents cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease

Extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.

The oil reduces brain inflammation and activates autophagy. Autophagy is the process of cells breakdown and removing of intracellular toxins like amyloid plaques and tau tangles.

Brain cells from mice fed with diets enriched in extra-virgin olive oil had higher levels of autophagy and reduced levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau. Phosphorylated tau causes neurofibrillary tangles that leads to nerve cell dysfunction in the brain that causes Alzheimer disease.

 Transgenic mouse model was used by researchers to investigate the links between extra-virgin olive oil and dementia, Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers divided the animals into two groups, one that received a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil and one that received the regular diet without the oil.

The olive oil was introduced into the diet when the mice were six months old, before symptoms of Alzheimer's disease begin to emerge in the animal model.

 There was no difference between the two groups of animals. However, at age 9 months and 12 months, mice on the extra virgin olive oil diet performed significantly better on tests designed to evaluate working memory, spatial memory, and learning abilities.

Studies of brain tissue from both groups of mice showed dramatic differences in nerve cell appearance and function.
The integrity of the connections between neurons, known as synapses, were preserved in animals on the extra-virgin olive oil diet.

Brain cells from animals in the olive oil group showed a dramatic increase in nerve cell autophagy activation, which was solely responsible for the reduction in levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau.

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Any gene can influence diseases

Any gene can influence disease because
gene activity of cells is broadly interwoven. Some of the heritability of diseases is due to tiny contributions from some peripheral genes that function outside disease pathways.

Every gene in the genome influences everything about us, it may be little but they are part of the gene.
The researchers call their provocative new understanding of disease genes an "omnigenic model" to show that almost any gene can influence diseases.

In any cell, there might be 50 to 100 core genes with direct effects on a given trait, as well as easily another 10,000 peripheral genes that are expressed in the same cell with indirect effects on that trait.

 But because those thousands of genes outnumber the core genes by orders of magnitude, most of the genetic variation related to diseases and other traits comes from the thousands of peripheral genes.

The genes whose impact on disease is most indirect and small end up being responsible for most of the inheritance patterns of the diseases.

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Fish consumption ease arthritis pain

Regular consumption of fish ease joints pain caused by arthritis and prevents rheumatoid arthritis. Fish rich in Omega 3 oil are tuna, salmon, sardines, sashimi, sushi, trout, sole, halibut, grouper and poke.

Levels of inflammation will be lower with daily consumption of fish rich in omega 3. Researchers discovered that
eating fish at least twice weekly led to a reduction in disease activity among people with rheumatoid arthritis compared with eating fish less than once per month.

 Researchers analyzed data from 176 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, food frequency questionnaire was used to gather information on participants' fish intake.

They were divided into four groups based on the frequency of their fish consumption: never to once per month; once each month to less than once per week; once each week; and more than twice per week.

Compared with participants who never ate fish or ate it less than once every month, the researchers discovered that participants who consumed fish more than twice each week showed significantly lower disease activity.

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Lutein in broccoli can boosts children's IQ

Lutein is a carotenoid vitamin. It is related to beta-carotene and vitamin A.
Foods rich in this substance are broccoli, spinach, kale, egg yolk, corn, orange, pepper, kiwi fruit and grape.

The compound reverse fading memory.
High levels of lutein boosts children performance and improve their IQ.
Researchers asked children to do a cognitive task, those with higher levels of the substance did better on the task and didn't have a brain spike during the activity.

Researchers discovered that children with higher lutein levels are better in academic tests than those with lower levels. Lutein is a key factor in measuring a child's cognitive development.

It concentrates in the brain, prevents brain spike and protects the memory. It can prevents the inception of Alzheimer’s diseases.

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Overdose of vitamin D supplement increases the risk of cancer and kidney stones

Vitamin D is essential for bone metabolism, it maintains proper concentrations of calcium and phosphate in the blood.

Overdose of vitamin D can be harmful because  it can cause too much absorption of calcium. Excess calcium
in the blood can be deposited in the heart and kidneys which is dangerous to health.

Vitamin D helps the body to use calcium to support bone health, 600 IU is recommended for an adults per day. Apart from supplement it can be found in beef, liver, canned salmon, sardines, cheese, egg yolks, fortified milk orange juice and sunlight

Vitamin D is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight. The overdose can cause excess calcium in the blood, which can cause fractures, lethargy, high blood pressure, heart problems, hardening of the arteries, kidney stones and some cancers.

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Belle fat and your health

The size of your belly fat could be used to measure your chances of having heart failure and type 2 diabetes.
Thickness of the fat around the abdomen could be used to detect the likelihood of suffering from obesity.

Abdominal obesity is linked to heart failure and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers said Electrical Impedance Tomography EIT imaging could be used to get more accurate measurements of the thickness of the fat around the abdomen.

Result of the measurement could allow doctors to make more accurate evaluations about the potential risk of conditions linked to abdominal obesity.

High deposition of fat tissue in the abdominal area has been associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

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Dense breast and risk of developing cancer

Women breast can be placed into four categories of breast density.
Mostly fatty: The breasts are made up of mostly fat and contain little fibrous and glandular tissue. This means the mammogram would show anything that is abnormal.

Scattered density: The breasts have quite a bit of fat, but there are a few areas of fibrous and glandular tissue.
Consistent density: The breasts have many areas of fibrous and glandular tissue that are evenly distributed through the breasts. This can make it hard to see small masses in the breast.

Extremely dense: The breasts have a lot of fibrous and glandular tissue. This may make it hard to see a cancer on a mammogram because the cancer can look like normal tissue.

Weight, family history of breast cancer, and having first baby after the age of 30 are some of the risk factors of breast cancer.
Breast density is not based on how your breasts feel during your self examination or your doctor's physical examination.

Mammograms determine the categories of your breasts density. Dense breasts make tumours much harder to detect,
because fat is transparent on a scan, but dense tissue is solid and can make it difficult to see through.

Women who have more dense breast tissue than fat are at risk of developing cancer. Experts said dense tissue makes tumours in the breasts harder to spot on mammograms.

Dense breasts have less fatty tissue and more non-fatty tissue compared to breasts that aren't dense. If you have
dense breasts - maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, limit alcohol intake, eat plant based diet and avoid smoking to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

Monthly self examination and yearly examination by your doctor can also help. Digital mammography  is recommended because film mammography may not be effective.

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Human brain is one of the HIV reservoirs

Scientists have created a model that can monitor the movement and development of an HIV infection in the brain. HIV virus can move to brain of infected macrophage 14 days after infection.

Antiretroviral drugs cannot get into the brain easily, brain is one of the reservoirs of HIV virus. Scientists have confirmed that HIV can survive in another less-explored type of white blood cell.

It can also persist exclusively in macrophages, large white blood cells found in the liver, lung, bone marrow and brain. This is the reason why Antiretroviral drugs can suppress the virus but not being able to kill it.

There were some evidence of brain damage from early HIV infection. The
virus can still affect the brain even if there is undetectable levels of HIV in the blood.

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Fetus DNA and risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy

Pre-eclampsia affects many pregnancies and is suspected when a woman have high blood pressure. It can cause fits, stroke and liver problems.

Researchers studied the genetic make-up of babies born from pre-eclamptic pregnancies and compared their DNA with healthy babies.

Improper formation of placenta is associated with pre-eclampsia. The baby's genes that produces the placenta was examined to see if their is a link between the baby's DNA and pre-eclampsia.

There were some features in a baby's DNA that can increase the risk of pre-eclampsia. Baby's DNA comes from its parent's genes, DNA changes linked with pre-eclampsia are common in people carrying this sequence in their DNA so the inherited changes increase the risk.

Researchers discovered that DNA variations close to the gene that makes a protein called sFlt-1 with significant differences between the babies born from pre-eclamptic pregnancies and normal babies.

At high levels sFlt-1 released from the placenta into the mother's bloodstream can cause damage to her blood vessels, causing high blood pressure, kidneys, liver and brain damage. A baby carrying these genetic variants increases the risk of pre-eclamptic pregnancy.

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Treatment and prevention of cancer

Treatment of cancer depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Age and health status of the patients will also dictate the treatment.

Common cancer treatment are: surgery,
radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or gene therapy.

Cancer can be prevented by eating healthy diet. Eating foods that are low in fat, rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains can reduce risk of having cancer.

Some vaccines have been associated with prevention of some cancers. For example, vaccination for the human papillomavirus prevents cervical cancer. Hepatitis B vaccines prevents
hepatitis B virus, which can cause cancer of the liver.

Breast self-examination, mammograms, testicular self-examination, and Pap smears are common screening methods for different cancers prevention.

You can prevent cancer by, being physically active, eating a healthy diet, controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure, reducing blood sugar and not smoking.

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Female mosquitoes transmit Zika virus to their eggs

Zika virus has been found to cause a form of brain damage- microcephaly in newborns whose mothers were infected during pregnancy.

Researchers injected laboratory-reared A. aegypti with Zika virus. The mosquitoes were fed, and they started laying eggs after some days.

 The researchers collected and incubated the eggs and reared the hatched larvae to adult mosquitoes.

They discovered that the mosquitoes passed viruses on to their offspring, including dengue fever, yellow fever and zika virus.

Keep your environment clean, destroy mosquitoes' eggs to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and spreading of Zika virus.

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Grape seed may prevent colon cancer

The combination of resveratrol and grape seed extract is very effective in preventing and treating colon cancer.

Cancer stem cells are capable of self-renewal, cellular differentiation and maintain their stem cell-like characteristics even after invasion and metastasis.

When taken separately in low doses, resveratrol and grape seed extract are not effective against cancer stem-cell, but effective in suppressing cancer when they were combined.

The combination of grape seed and resveratrol can prevent the recurrence of colon cancer in survivors.
When tested on mice, it suppressed tumours in mice fed with the compound.

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Facts about cancer

Cancer is a condition where cells in a particular part of the body develop and reproduce uncontrollably. Cells can
experience uncontrolled growth if there are mutations to DNA, and it alters genes involved in cell division.

Cancer occurs when a cell's gene mutations make the cell unable to correct DNA damage. Normal cells in the body follow grow, divide and die.
Cancerous cells can destroy other healthy tissue and organs in the body, cancer can grow in any part of the body.
There are over 220 different types of cancer.

It alters normal cells division to form lumps or masses of tissue known as tumors. Tumors interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and release hormones that alter proper body functions. Metastasis is multiplication and spread of cancers to other parts of the body to invade and destroy other healthy tissues.

Cancer is considered to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Carcinogens are tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, radiation such as gamma and x-rays, the sun, and compounds in car exhaust fumes are all examples of carcinogens.

 When our bodies are exposed to carcinogens, free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. Theses free radicals damage cells and affect their ability to function normally.

Cancer can be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one more likely to develop cancer later in life.

African Americans are more likely to die of cancer than people of any other race. Risk of cancer can be reduced by avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol intake, limiting UV ray exposure from the sun and tanning, eating healthy diet, and regular medical check.

There is an increase in the number of possible cancer-causing mutations in our DNA as we get older. Some viruses like human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C and E, Human immunodeficiency virus and any disease that suppresses the immune system increases the risk of developing cancer.

There is an increase in the number of possible cancer-causing mutations in our DNA as we get older. Some viruses like human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C and E, Human immunodeficiency virus and any disease that suppresses the immune system increases the risk of developing cancer.

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Neurocognitive decline and HIV virus

Neurocognitive changes like memory loss, loss of verbal fluency, poor concentration and inability to absorb new information or make complex decisions are associated with aging.

 HIV patients are at the risk of neurocognitive decline, even when they are taking effective antiretroviral therapy and have an undetectable viral load.

 Researchers examined 191 HIV-positive adults, all with a controlled viral load.
They were monitored for three years, at six month intervals for neurocognitive function test.

The result shows different stages of neurocognitive functions
Normal- Normal mental function.
Subclinical- Minimal symptoms of cognitive dysfunction.
Mild- Evidence of functional intellectual.
Moderate- Cannot work or maintain the more demanding aspects of daily life.
Severe- Major intellectual incapacity.
End Stage- Nearly vegetative.

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Links between household chemicals and birth defects

Common household chemicals are air freshener, deodorant, disinfectant, laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Birth defects occur when both parents were exposed, as well as when one parent was exposed.

Exposure to these common household chemicals can affect the embryonic development and cause permanent deformation to the fetus.

A common ingredient of household products, known as quaternary ammonium compounds or 'quats', is responsible for the harmful effects.

It may affect sperm count, ovulation and cause miscarriage in some cases. Couple planning to have children should use these chemicals with caution.

Pregnant women must be very careful while using these chemicals or minimize exposure to avoid having children with neural tube defects.
 
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Benefits of chewing foods

Chewing foods properly before you swallow boosts the mouth's immune system and protects against illness.

Th17 immune cell is triggered by chewing, it protects against bacterial and fungal infections that are on the tongue and teeth.

Those who chewed each mouthful food for 40 times ate less than those who chewed for just 15 times.

Chewing for longer prevents over-eating by giving the brain signals from the stomach that it is full. It also lowers the levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone.

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Coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fats

According to American Heart Association, coconut oil is packed with saturated fat which can raise bad cholesterol.

Saturated fats are not healthy because they can raise bad cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Coconut oil contains 82 per cent of saturated fat which can accumulate in the body, causing blockages within the arteries.

Coconut oil can cause sudden and severe body allergic reaction which can be life threatening.

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Patentiflorin A more effective for HIV treatment than AZT

Patentiflorin A, is a chemical derived from the willow-leaved Justicia, It is a compound in a plant found in Southeast Asia.

AZT is an anti-viral drug that reduces the amount of HIV virus in the body and reduces the risk of developing AIDS.

Pateniflotin A is more effective than
AZT for treating HIV virus at the early stage of the infection and when the
virus enters macrophage cells.

It's also effective against drug resistance strains of HIV virus, it may be useful in future for producing better HIV drug.

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Bigger twins versus smaller twins

 Slower diffusion of oxygen from mother to baby across the placenta may dictates slower fetal growth.

 Identical twins shared a placenta that is divided into two sections, oxygen may diffuse easily to one of the two and the fetus will be healthier and bigger than the other.

MRI showed that dysfunctional placentas have large regions with delayed diffusion of oxygen to the fetus.

Reserchers followed different sets of identical twins from conception to birth, monitoring pregnancies in which one twin was smaller than the other.

Reserchers measured how long it took oxygen to diffuse into the placenta, and duration it takes to pass through the umbilical cord into the fetus and pass through the brain and liver.

They discovered that the longer time it takes for the oxygen to reach the placenta; the smaller the liver, brain and newborn birth weights.

If the oxygen gets to the placenta sections at the same time, the twins will have the same birth weight.

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How an egg changes to embryo

Changing of an egg into a developing embryo is one of life's most remarkable development in human.

As an egg develops, it accumulates large mRNAs from the mother because it will not have time to create new mRNAs during the rapid development into embryo.

Messenger RNA (mRNA ) is a large family of RNA molecules that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where they specify the amino acid sequence of the protein products of gene expression.

The maternal mRNAs are used for a short period of time before the embryo starts synthesizing its own mRNAs. About two to four cell divisions occur before the change.

When fertilized, the egg becomes an embryo, the egg cell becomes active, development starts and it changes into an embryo.

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Mother's weight increases the risk of birth defects

Risk of birth defects increases with the mother's weight. Researchers tracked 1.2 million births, and discovered that baby's risk of having birth defect increases as mother's weight goes up.

Researchers analysed data on births between 2001 and 2014, they discovered that being overweight increased the risk of birth defects including heart problems, defects of the limbs, genital problems, urinary issues, digestive problems and malformed nervous systems.

According to pediatricians, risks of any major congenital malformation and several subgroups of organ specific malformations progressively increased with maternal overweight. Women
of reproductive age should adopt a healthy lifestyle and obtain a normal body weight before conception.

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How bacteria prevents ovulation and embryo implanting

Bacteria that causes gum infections can makes conception difficult. Women with bacteria that causes gum disease P. Gingivalis may not become pregnant within 12 months.

Women with the bug, disease of the gum and underlying bone may not become pregnant within 12 months.
Researchers believe that infection in the gums and jawbone leads to inflammation in the body and the inflammation may prevent ovulation.

 Periodontal bacteria may have a systemic effect on conception even before signs of gum disease. Women
of reproductive age are expected to take care of their oral health and attend periodontal evaluations.

Researchers examined 256 healthy non-pregnant women aged between 19 and 42 who had stopped contraception and were trying to get pregnant. The health of their mouths and gums, as well as their reproductive organs, were examined.

 P Gingivalis was detected in the saliva of women who did not become pregnant during the one-year follow-up period than those who became pregnant.

 Researchers discovered that women who either had P. Gingivalis in their saliva or antibodies indicating they had been infected by P Gingivalis, were three times less likely to get pregnant within 12 months.

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Yoga and meditation reduce the risk of cancer

Yoga and meditation reduce our risk of cancer by changing our DNA,
Practising mind-body interventions (MBI), like as yoga, meditation and Tai Chi, produce lower amounts of molecules that enable inflammation-causing genes.

MBIs enable the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves health.

Inflammation has been linked to cancer, accelerated ageing and poor mental health.

Researchers analysed 18 studies with 846 participants conducted over 11 years. Studies were included in the analysis if they measured gene expression after a MBI.

Reserchers discovered that people who practice MBIs produce lower amounts of molecules that enable inflammation-causing genes.


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