statistics

Teen lives 4 months with no heart, leaves hospital

Posted in Daily News, Health, Mostpopular

MIAMI - D’Zhana Simmons says she felt like a “fake person” for 118 days when she had no heart beating in her chest. “But I know that I really was here,” the 14-year-old said, “and I did live without a heart.”

As she was being released Wednesday from a Miami hospital, the shy teen seemed in awe of what she’s endured. Since July, she’s had two heart transplants and survived with artificial heart pumps - but no heart - for four months between the transplants.

Last spring D’Zhana and her parents learned she had an enlarged heart that was too weak to sufficiently pump blood. They traveled from their home in Clinton, S.C. to Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami for a heart transplant.

But her new heart didn’t work properly and could have ruptured so surgeons removed it two days later.

And they did something unusual, especially for a young patient: They replaced the heart with a pair of artificial pumping devices that kept blood flowing through her body until she could have a second transplant.

Dr. Peter Wearden, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh who works with the kind of pumps used in this case, said what the Miami medical team managed to do “is a big deal.”

“For (more than) 100 days, there was no heart in this girl’s body? That is pretty amazing,” Wearden said.

The pumps, ventricular assist devices, are typically used with a heart still in place to help the chambers circulate blood. With D’Zhana’s heart removed, doctors at Holtz Children’s Hospital crafted substitute heart chambers using a fabric and connected these to the two pumps.

Although artificial hearts have been approved for adults, none has been federally approved for use in children. In general, there are fewer options for pediatric patients. That’s because it’s rarer for them to have these life-threatening conditions, so companies don’t invest as much into technology that could help them, said Dr. Marco Ricci, director of pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of Miami.

He said this case demonstrates that doctors now have one more option.

“In the past, this situation could have been lethal,” Ricci said.

And it nearly was. During the almost four months between her two transplants, D’Zhana wasn’t able to breathe on her own half the time. She also had kidney and liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Taking a short stroll - when she felt up for it - required the help of four people, at least one of whom would steer the photocopier-sized machine that was the external part of the pumping devices.

When D’Zhana was stable enough for another operation, doctors did the second transplant on Oct. 29.

“I truly believe it’s a miracle,” said her mother, Twolla Anderson.

D’Zhana said now she’s grateful for small things: She’ll see her five siblings soon, and she can spend time outdoors.

“I’m glad I can walk without the machine,” she said, her turquoise princess top covering most of the scars on her chest. After thanking the surgeons for helping her, D’Zhana began weeping.

Doctors say she’ll be able to do most things that teens do, like attending school and going out with friends. She will be on lifelong medication to keep her body from rejecting the donated heart, and there’s a 50-50 chance she’ll need another transplant before she turns 30.

For now, though, D’Zhana is looking forward to celebrating another milestone. On Saturday, she turns 15 and plans to spend the day riding in a boat off Miami’s coast.

Source:Yahoo

 

No Comments »

EU may cut maximum volume on MP3 players

Posted in Daily News, Health

Volumes on personal stereos are likely to be restricted by regulators because of fears that MP3 players and “in-ear” phones are damaging hearing.

Up to a tenth of users are listening to music at levels that could cause permanent hearing loss after five years, an influential scientific commission has found.

Personal music players are allowed to reach 100 decibels. But with “in-ear” headphones the actual sound at the eardrum can reach 120dB.

A report from the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks said that there was a danger from long-term exposure to music pumped into the ears above 89dB.

The committee said that rising numbers of people were plugging themselves into loud music every day for journeys to and from school or work.

It found that MP3 devices were a greater risk to hearing than cassette players because of their ability to reproduce sounds at very high volumes without loss of quality. Last year MP3 devices accounted for 83 per cent of all personal music players sold, and about a fifth of new mobile telephones also feature a digital music player.

The committee said: “In the last few years, leisure noise has become a significant threat to hearing because it can reach very high volumes and because an increasing proportion of the population is exposed to it, particularly young people.”

A British study found that 6.9 per cent of people aged 18 to 25 played their personal stereos louder than 90dB. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People has calculated that more than two thirds of young people who regularly use MP3 players face premature hearing damage.

As well as hearing loss and tinnitus, loud noise can also affect the memory, attention, school performance and may even lead to higher blood pressure, according to some studies.

Apple, which makes the iPod, the most popular personal music player, has already introduced software that allows users to set volume limits, after being ordered to remove them from sale in France. In 2006 an American legal action claimed that Apple had failed to take adequate steps to prevent hearing loss because the iPod could produce up to 115dB.

Personal music players are used daily by up to 100 million people across Europe. Add up the hours and the decibels, and the number in the EU risking permanent hearing loss is put at between 2.5 million and ten million people.

The scientific committee has concluded that the hearing loss is negligible at sound levels below 80dB - a feasible new maximum limit for portable stereos.

The study did not, however, address the other risk to the personal music generation - a thump from their neighbours on trains and in streets from irritating noise “leakage” from their high-volume music.

The commission simply observed: “Environmental sounds to which the general public is exposed - such as noise from traffic, construction, aircraft or from the neighbourhood - can be very irritating but are in most cases not loud enough to harm hearing.”

Meglena Kuneva, the EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner, said: “I am concerned that so many young people, in particular, who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing irrevocably.

“We need to look again at the controls in place, in the light of this scientific advice, to make sure they are fully effective and keep pace with new technology.”

The European Commission is organising a conference to discuss the findings and is expected to recommend a reduction in the maximum legal volume of portable players.

Source:

No Comments »

5 Cheap Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Posted in Articles, Health

About 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure, but many people don’t do a good job of controlling the problem because medications can be pricey. And doctors may not be doing all they can, either. According to new research, released last week during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association’s Council for High Blood Pressure Research, many doctors fail to follow national guidelines that call for treating people above the 120/80 level. Here, then, is an online calculator from the American Heart Association that will help you calculate your risk, as well as five low-cost ways to lower your blood pressure.

1. Take a diuretic. A major study that examined commonly prescribed medications—including ACE-inhibitors, alpha blockers, and calcium channel blockers—found that diuretics, an older class of drugs, were more effective than the others at treating hypertension. You should talk to your doctor before trying a diuretic; most types require a prescription. Thiazide diuretics are an especially affordable and often effective option.

2. Cut back on salt. Again and again researchers have proved that eating too much salt causes blood pressure to rise. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests that even healthy adults eat no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium—or about a teaspoon of table salt—a day; people with high blood pressure will want to eat about half of that. Try substituting spices such as bay leaf, nutmeg, pepper, basil, curry powder, garlic, ginger, oregano, and rosemary.

3. Use the DASH diet. The name of this diet—Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—says it all. Research has proven that the DASH diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods, can reduce blood pressure in just 14 days. Wondering how it works? An earlier U.S. News article offers more details about exactly what to eat, as well as a sample menu.

4. Drink less alcohol. If you’re a heavy drinker, cutting back to one or two drinks a day can lower systolic blood pressure by 2 to 4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). (Blood pressure readings—110/70, for example—are measured in millimeters of mercury; systolic blood pressure is the top or first number, the maximum pressure exerted when the heart contracts.) In addition, avoiding alcohol can help you avoid unwanted calories and keep your weight down.

5. Exercise. In a recent analysis of more than 50 research trials, regular physical activity reduced blood pressure by an average of 4/3 mm Hg. Other research has shown that every 2.2 pounds of weight loss causes blood pressure to drop by about 1/1 mm Hg. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.

Source:health.usnews

No Comments »

Vitamin E may help reduce diabetes risk

Posted in Articles, Health

ISLAMABAD: - A daily dose of vitamin E may help delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes in people at high risk of the disease, preliminary research suggests.

Researchers in New Zealand found that high-dose vitamin E appeared to temporarily improve insulin resistance — a precursor to Type 2 diabetes — among 41 overweight adults.

Though the improvement was short-lived, another diabetes risk factor — elevations in a liver enzyme called alanine transferase — changed for the better throughout the six-month stud.

“These results suggest that vitamin E could have a role to play in delaying the onset of diabetes in at-risk individuals,” Dr. Patrick J. Manning and colleagues at the University of Otago in Dunedin report in the journal Diabetes Care.

Some past studies have reached similar conclusions. A recent study found that people whose diets had a healthy dose of antioxidants, including vitamin E, had a lower diabetes risk than those with lower antioxidant intakes. And vitamin E has been shown to help some diabetics gain better control over their blood sugar.

The new study included 80 overweight adults ages 31 to 65. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk of developing insulin resistance, in which the body loses sensitivity to the hormone insulin, causing blood sugar levels to soar.

According to Manning’s team, excess fat may speed the production of oxygen free radicals, potentially cell-damaging byproducts of normal metabolism. Compounding this, overweight people tend to have low levels of antioxidants, which counter the effects of free radicals. It’s hypothesized that the resulting oxidative stress may contribute to insulin resistance.

To see whether vitamin E can alter oxidative stress and insulin resistance, Manning and his colleagues randomly assigned study participants to take either vitamin E or a placebo pill every day for six months. For the first three months, the treatment group took 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin E each day, followed by 1,200 IU per day for the next three months — doses many times the recommended dietary allowance of 22 IU.

The researchers found that at both the three- and six-month marks, plasma peroxides, which are markers of oxidative stress, had fallen in the vitamin E group. After three months, blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity had also improved, but the gains did not remain through the sixth month.

On the other hand, the researchers found, there was a lasting decline in blood levels of alanine transferase liver enzymes, elevations of which have been tied to a heightened diabetes risk. The liver, the authors note, plays a key role in sugar and insulin metabolism, and is the main site of insulin clearance from the blood.

According to Manning’s team, vitamin E may boost insulin sensitivity and decrease diabetes risk in a number of ways, including by reducing oxidative stress to cells and by improving liver function.

However, the researchers note, it’s unclear why blood sugar levels and insulin resistance improved only temporarily, when markers of oxidative stress and liver function continued to look better. A larger study, they conclude, is needed to clarify the picture.

Obese women who diet not at risk for binge eating: Obese women who are considering restricting their calorie intake to shed pounds should not be dissuaded by those who believe dieting may increase their risk of developing a binge-eating disorder, new study findings suggest.

read more

No Comments »

Acne Treatment with Diet

Posted in Acne, Health

acne-diet.JPGA lot of acne or sizeable acne may trigger your skin appear remarkably bad. People try to earn a lot of efforts by visiting a dermatologist, applying topical creams and eating pills. However, it becomes essentially disappointing when outcomes are not so obvious.

Experts in the field of skin attention strongly assume who trasformation in one’s diet can in effect substantiate skin home and treat acne. Switching through to a fantastic diet can a good deal inhibit acne of occurring.

What you eat and drink can undergo a sharp impact on your acne condition. Most individuals do not drink sufficient lonely time of water. This leads the person and skin dehydrated. They do not discover this. It is principle to drink at lowest eight glasses of water on a daily basis. This is the finest and easiest system of keeping your skin healthy.

Another fundamental worry is to suffer a low fat diet which includes a lot of vegetables and fruits. Try to remain away based on data from stuff food, chocolate and carbonated drinks. These can result in out-break of acne or much worsen acne conditions.

Poor class food or any brand of allergic reactions to assured food items can result in acne breakouts.

Vitamin supplements can inflate fantastic eating style. You can affix vitamins A, C, B6, E, and B- complex to inflate your skin condition.

Here are select diet recommendation for acne affected skin or stopping the skin for acne:

a) Fruit Acne diet

This diet regulations consists of an all fruit diet for approximately a week. Here, you seek to take 3 meals a day such a may consist of new fruits these kinds of as pears, apples, grapes, pineapples, peaches and grape fruit. As far as liquid is concerned, alone unsweetened lemon or plain water is allowed. Nothing else is planning to be drunk as a fluid.

b) Abstinence out of tea, coffee, soft drinks, and processed foods

Here, one requires to remain away based on data from meats, sugar, stable tea or coffee, condiments, pickles, candies, soft drinks, ice-cream, matured and processed foods.

c) In proportion acne diet

Here, the patient requires to copy a one-week all fruit diet. Gradually, one can create eating newly built vegetables, raw nuts, sprouted seeds, massive grain cereals these kinds of as millet and black rice etc. A very brief cycle of fruit diet shows all-fruit diet for almost 3 days. The skin is apt to go up gradually.

Other superior diet guidelines to treat acne:

- Don’t eat foods this are great on the glycemic index. Some families augment facial hassles when properties eat a lot of potatoes.
Stay away based on what i read in foods the contain zinc antagonists. Including minerals the as copper, calcium and iron may interfere amidst zinc absorption.

- Avoid gorging on a lot of sugary items. This am able to result in a sharp level of breakouts.

- Don’t drink coffee. A lot of caffeine is able to substantiate facial breakouts.

- Eat a lot of fish, fruits and vegetables.

- Try to eat vegetables raw or lightly cooked in form to get even better results.

- Focus on invested in a lot of water. Drink at minimum eight glasses of water a day.

- You can furthermore design a individual diet for acne on the recommendation of your dermatologist.

Practice patience and do not presume overnight results. Don’t be harsh on your pimples.

No Comments »

Skin Care & Wrinkle Removal In Denver

Posted in Acne, Health

acne-fre.JPGThese no motive to condition investing in lines, wrinkles on your have to take care of actually if you are in Denver and own entrance to the city’s professional dermatologists. Denver has the multiple advanced skin service and techniques accessible to compete age and remove wrinkles. Among these kinds of techniques and services in Denver for Denver patients are Botox, Dermal Fillers and Thermage.

But why could you would like these kinds of services in Denver? What sets the city’s services apart? It is the commitment of the finest of the providers, dermatologists and skin attention specialists. Those authorities from what i read in Denver hold erected the opportunity to commit themselves to as long as the better attention accessible for skin treatments and wrinkle removal.

How to Find Great Skin Care In Denver

At primarily glance, patrons wouldn’t find out the change between the services given that in Denver and !no! cities. But the current is at which the commitment of Denver’s skin treatment institutions and dermatologists turn up in. They are focused on noticing the perfect solutions for skin hassles and wrinkles. They undergo invested in the most recent in technological develops in helping in skin service and wrinkle removal. With these types of progresses and the commitment of the doctors, Denver is with the proper regions in the market for care.

If you fancy windfall in these kinds of communities and are seeming for somebody who is knowledgeable, reputable and trustworthy in helping surrounded by skin care, at which is able to you start? First, work to a local Denver dermatologist. Patients serves to discover in folks properties stocked amidst skilled doctors, terrific validation constituents and agreeably trained physicians assistants. The training of all of such households is a godsend to people searching for skin service or wrinkle removal.

Under the dermatologists’ treatment in Denver, you are able to see cutting border fresh supplies for furnishing elective, cosmetic and urgent skin care. Those Denver customers should be able to get attention too lowers the signs of damage, purchase advance technological treatment, care for patient comfort and the effective and safe and sound service that can treat and avert the appreciation of cancer.

Elective Skin Care In Denver: Great Techniques for Denver Patients

If you are becoming to get returning the current youthful seem in your face, next you is able to need to knew nearly these types of 3 crucial forms of wrinkle removal obtainable at Denver dermatologist’s ofices.

•Botox in Denver— By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard throughout the popular use of Botox. Its in the to know whenever there is lingo something like wrinkle removal. It’s a uncomplicated procedure, really, the current in Denver is looking at by certified Botox professionals. Botox in Denver includes the submiting of compact injections that am able to gentle the deep age lines on the have to handle and keep cool the face. For Denver patients, Botox can be beneficial across the eyes, brows and forehead. And, if the quandary exists, Botox can too be used
to harm sweating short of the arms and on the palms.

• Dermal Fillers in Denver— This is a new popular and easy process who Denver clientele get when properties need to flowing out such a skin and rediscover a inherent look. Dermal fillers in Denver ought to come up with patients a possibility to “reverse” skin aging. In the process, fillers (of a variety of types) are injected to lift and diffused away wrinkles, scars, lips, and funny things the public at which particularlly volume of soft tissue has carried on lost. One of the multiple average difficulties aging skin faces is the detriment of soft tissues. But dermal fillers for customers in Denver serves to benefit get through to possible outcome the may be a good deal ideal as opposed to a have to take care of lift.

•Thermage in Denver—This present course aides trigger your skin undergo bigger tone, texture, contour and elasticity. And it’s a non-invasive technology the current alone involves the tool of heat energy. With Thermage, there is no surgery and injections for Denver patients! Also providing Thermage, there are able to be good improvement in the raise of collagen. Collagen aides restore the youthful seem to skin, without collagen, wrinkles develop.With Thermage, patients in Denver will be able to be able to see a transformation and skin tightening in the upper arms, face, jowls, eyelids and abdomen. The Denver patients may be able to provide to the daily activities hastily once the procedure. That leads the Thermage process in Denver offices a great deal better. The tiny bit commitment is minimal. There is no crisis to travel hours.

Every process is obtainable if you are a skin service purchaser in Denver. As a buyer you ought to be associated amid the area’s finest and multiple highly trained dermatologists and skin attention professionals. They are committed to bringing about you wonderful cosmetic techniques for knocking out wrinkles.

No Comments »

Lifestyle Issues That Affect Your Rate Affordable Health Insurance (Pennsylvania)

Posted in Articles, Health

1. Smoking will force you pay really excessive well being protection rates. Smokers are a multitude of liable to die young and are additionally additionally probable to contract the majority of deadly diseases.

If smoking causes to chosen vitality conditions, consequently it leads a body a extreme vitality protection chance and overly attracts bigger rates. If you can quit smoking you will get values the current are dramatically moderated when you reapply following 12 months.

2. Believe it or not, the way you force can impact your vitality coverage price levels negatively. Being convicted of income offences sucker just recently bad for your Automatic protection interest rate it furthermore impact your quality of life indemnity rates.

The easy basis is the if you are this type of a driver, you will various would&wshyp;be make medical consideration for injuries as opposed to a truly cynical driver. You’ll dropped your quality of life coverage price points if you boost a sharper culture behind wheels.

Super-fast automobiles desire sports cars and electricity bikes might make you pay a great deal better vitality protection premium. This is due to the fact that these types of are a larger amount of prospective to basis you injuries due to this even greater gamble of accident.

But do you appreciate you can a great deal get affordable vitality insurance in Pennsylvania notwithstanding your lifestyle? Here’s how and why…

Get and compare Pennsylvania vitality indemnity quotes for two or a good amount of a multitude of protection quotes sites. This runs as various insurance companies suffer many ranges for distinct policies and profiles. And, you can not say to before hand while no insurer permits the most ideal numbers for all profiles throughout a supplied policy.

Now mull over such a there are in 2,000 coverage firms in the US and the truth so a well fee of them try in Pennsylvania and you will know the importance of becoming as multitude of Pennsylvania quality of life protection quotes as you can. This determines how significantly you will save

No Comments »

Why Weight Matters Obesity and Your Health

Posted in Articles, Health

We are a growing nation. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, more than sixty percent of Americans aged twenty years and older are overweight, and one-quarter of American adults are also obese.

What does this mean for the health of our nation? Nothing good. Obesity-related diseases are “implicated” in more than a quarter million deaths every year. Below, Dr Robert Kushner, Director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, discusses the grave consequences of our growing sizes.

How serious is the problem of obesity?
ROBERT KUSHNER, MD: It’s the most serious problem we are facing today. Next to cigarette smoking, overweight is the second leading cause of preventable death in this country. It’s estimated that 300,000 deaths per year is attributable to our diet, physical inactivity and resulting obesity.
 

What are the current statistics on overweight and obesity?
One in four is obese, and about one in three is considered overweight. Combined, over 60% of adult Americans are now overweight or obese. That means that the minority of this population is able to maintain a healthy body weight.
 

We’re now hearing a lot about children being obese. What is the number there?
It’s about 1 in 10, or 10%. The troubling factor there is that children are following in our oversized footsteps. An overweight or obese child is more likely to be an obese adult. So we are looking at an epidemic among our children as they become adults, and are likely to be more obese than we are today.
 

Why has the number of heavy people increased?
That’s still debatable, and a lot of research is being done. But most of us think that it’s due to our society and culture. We really live in an obesogenic society where food is plentiful, physical inactivity is everywhere. Those two factors combined lead to gaining weight.
 

How is obesity defined?
We currently define obesity by using a term called the Body Mass Index (BMI) also known as the BMI. Everyone knows their cholesterol and everyone knows their blood pressure. It’s equally important that everyone knows their BMI. It’s a weight for height relationship that’s fairly easily calculated on tables. A BMI between 25 and 30 is defined as overweight. A BMI of 30 or more is obese.

Roughly speaking, about 30 or more pounds overweight already defines one as obese.
 

Just 30 pounds?
Just 30 pounds. It doesn’t take much to have the health complications that are associated with obesity.
 

Talk about those complications, the health effects of obesity.
Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes in this country. Obesity is the number one reason why diabetes is increasing in this country. It is fueling that disease. In addition to diabetes, obesity is also linked to increased risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, certain cancers, in addition to psychological and emotional problems, as well as quality of life changes. It eventually leads to earlier death.
 

What are the leading causes of obesity?
The most significant factor really is our lifestyle. That’s the only way that we can understand why the numbers of obese patients or individuals has risen so quickly. Again, that’s the food that’s everywhere and the physical inactivity.

But genetics plays a role as well. We currently think that genetics determines a vulnerability to our environment, which then brings out the obesity.

There are other causes, although less common. They include drug-induced obesity, such as people on different corticosteroids or different hormonal agents. Those medications can increase body weight, not to mention things like antidepressants and other drugs used for mental health disorders.

Rarely is an underlying medical condition a cause for obesity. That would be something like Cushing’s syndrome or different kinds of glandular problems. But they are, once again, very uncommon.
 

What is the first step in getting treatment for obesity? Where does a person go for help?
There are several places an individual can go for help. One is, and the first that I would recommend, is to see his or her doctor. A doctor should be an active partner to a patient who is trying to get control of body weight. The doctor can also make sure that you don’t have an underlying problem that is either being caused by obesity or causing the obesity itself. That needs to be ruled out right away.

Once you’ve done that, you can either work with your doctor or work with a registered dietitian or seek help with some of the commercial programs that are available, which can be very helpful.

No Comments »

Calories Burned Per Minute of Exercise By Weight

Posted in Articles, Health

Every activity you do burns calories. The more calories you burn, the faster your body uses up incoming fuel (food) intake. If your requirements exceed the calories provided by incoming fuel, the body dips into its reserves (fat) to supply the energy you need. By lowering your calorie intake and increasing your activity, you are able to lose weight. Men burn calories faster than women. Heavier people burn calories faster than thin people. Exactly how many calories are expended by any individual will vary.

The following chart gives the approximate number of calories burned per minute of a variety of activities.

For each activity, multiply your exact weight by the number in the per pound column to equal the number of calories burned per minute. Multiply this number by the number of minutes in that activity to equal total calories burned.

EXAMPLE:

Calories burned per pound per minute (badminton - .044)  x (times) your exact weight (140 pounds)  = (equals)  total calories burned per minute (6.16 calories burned per minute)  x (times) minutes of activity (30 minutes)  = (equals)  184.80 total calories burned per activity

No Comments »

Tea Drink To Your Health

Posted in Articles, Health

Whether it’s drunk hot or cold, did you know that tea is one of the best things you can drink?

Tea drinking has been claimed to have health benefits for centuries, but only in recent years have doctors conducted studies to see if the claims are justified.

Considering the amount of tea drunk around the world every day, the news that the drink can be good for you is welcome indeed. Recent research has indicated that drinking tea as part of a healthy diet and life style can help maintain a healthy body including a healthy heart.
The value of tea may be due, in part, to its antioxidants. Like fruit and vegetables, tea is rich in antioxidants. (In tea these are known as flavonoids). Antioxidants in the diet may help the body in its management of free radicals – highly reactive substances capable of causing damage to body cells.

If that’s not enough to convince you that tea is worth trying, take a look at some of these fast facts. Green and black teas offer the same health benefits. Many people don’t realize that black and green tea contain virtually the same amount of antioxidants. In fact, whether hot or cold, bottled or using a bag, tea is probably the healthiest drink around.

Drinking four cups of tea is rehydrating – not dehydrating as is often said – unless the amount of tea consumed at one sitting contains more than 250mg of caffeine (the equivalent of five cups of tea).

According to the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, tea provides a few tips to get the most out of tea-drinking:

Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day.
 
Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins.
 
The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds.
 
Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem.
Tea contains fluoride, which has a well-established link to dental health. Studies have shown that tea can provide up to 70% of the fluoride you need. It’s also thought that antioxidants in tea may help inhibit the growth of the bacteria that cause plaque.

Tea without milk and sugar has virtually no calories. And in hot weather, it seems refreshing. This may be because it can raise your body temperature and momentarily cause an increase in perspiration, which cools the skin.

Teas such as Lipton are made from tea leaves rich in natural antioxidants, plus other good stuff your body loves. As for the taste, with a range covering hot and cold teas, and green and black varieties, it boosts your taste buds, as well as your well being.

No Comments »

« Previous Entries