November 2018 – News by Nature

Letter: The Real Reason To Be Worried About cs

30Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Letter: The Real Reason To Be Worried About cs

We live in an age where access to knowledge on virtually any topic is at our fingertips. Yet, we are bombarded by misinformation on a daily basis. Modern advancements in scientific research are often sensationalized or disputed, with findings rarely reported to the public with the appropriate contexts and caveats. The term “GMO food” usually refers to an organism that has been modified in a laboratory setting or has had a direct transfer of genes into its DNA. Unfortunately, these foods are misunderstood. Due to the complexity of genetic research and the speed at which advancements are being made, there is an alarming lack of accessible, comprehensible resources by which to evaluate this topic from a public perspective. As a result, the general public is directed toward sources masqu...

What Is The Best Remedy For Sinus Drainage?

29Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Remedies

What Is The Best Remedy For Sinus Drainage?

The sinuses are always draining mucus down the back of the throat and into the stomach. Some health issues can make this drainage more noticeable, and even painful or annoying. There are many home remedies, including essential oils, steam therapy, and nasal irrigation. Natural remedies for sinus drainage If sinus drainage is irritating, but not severe, home remedies can usually relieve the discomfort. Treating underlying causes, by eliminating contact with allergens, for example, can also improve symptoms and prevent them from returning. Essential oils Aromatherapy can offer temporary relief when sinus drainage causes congestion and pressure. Steam therapy Thickened mucus often causes irritating sinus drainage. Steam can thin the mucus, allowing it to flow more easily...

Is There One True Diet That Guarantees Better Performance?

22Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Diet

Is There One True Diet That Guarantees Better Performance?

During the 1972 Olympics in Munich, as Frank Shorter prepared to race, he had a secret ingredient up his sleeve: flat Coca-Cola. The US athlete caffeinated his way over 42 kilometers to win gold in the marathon. Bizarre as it may sound, decades later researchers discovered that consuming caffeine during endurance exercise could give an athlete the edge. In a new review published in Science, Australian Institute of Sport’s head of sports nutrition Professor Louise Burke and the director of The Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Professor John Hawley, explore nutritional approaches to performance in elite athletes. They argue there is no “single, superior ‘athletic diet’”. Rather, different tactics benefit different people, forms of exercise and phases of training. The...

Kratom: The leafy green plant that could help with opiate withdrawals

15Nov

By adminNo Comments

Botanicals

Kratom: The leafy green plant that could help with opiate withdrawals

There has recently been plenty of buzz over a plant-based drug that users take for recreational and medicinal reasons and it’s not marijuana - it’s Kratom. Kratom is a leafy green plant that grows in Southeast Asia. Users grind it into a fine powder and then mix it into liquids to drink or sometimes capsules for convenience. It has received notoriety because of its reported aid for those suffering from opiate withdrawals. According to the American Kratom Association, the herbal supplement can also be used to treat pain and depression. It is sold in parts of the United States and parts of San Diego County, but it remains illegal in the City of San Diego. One of the many individuals using Kratom is Barbara Rago. Before she was constrained to hospitalization, Barbara was a nurse who...

Experts Recommend Natural Remedies to Curb Diabetes

14Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Remedies

Experts Recommend Natural Remedies to Curb Diabetes

Medical practitioners have recommended some natural remedies that could curb the increasing rate of diabetes in the country. The practitioners offered the remedies in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. They spoke against the backdrop of this year’s World Diabetes Day, which is celebrated globally on November 14. “Diabetes usually is prevalent in middle-aged and older adults but now becoming common in children. Adults are still at the highest risk than children,’’ Dr. Iorwuese Charles said on phone. Charles, a medical practitioner at Police Hospital Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, said that diabetes is a group of diseases that usually end up in too much amount of sugar in the blood. Another medical practitioner, Dr. Egbete Chimaobi, said that some of ...

Africa Doesn’t Need Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

13Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Genetically Modified Foods

Africa Doesn’t Need Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

Some scientists have proposed genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes as a solution to controlling malaria, a scourge that has been around for centuries and is spread by mosquitoes. I am skeptical that this is the answer. Through CRISPR technology, a gene that prevents procreation is inserted in the lab and is passed on to mosquitoes in the wild. In essence, it rapidly transmits a sterilizing mutation through other members of the mosquito’s species, eventually wiping out the insects. Creating GM mosquitoes is a contentious topic. Supporters of the technology consider it a huge step forward in the war against mosquitoes and by extension, vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. Critics of the idea, however, say it is dangerous to manipulate the DNA of any an...

Can A Diet Rich In Fish Help Fight Childhood Asthma?

6Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Diet

Can A Diet Rich In Fish Help Fight Childhood Asthma?

New research from La Trobe University in Australia suggests a diet rich in fish may help reduce asthma symptoms in children, a disease affecting one in 12 kids in the United States, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the study, scientists conducted a trial involving 64 children from Athens, Greece, all of whom had mild asthma. The children, aged 5 to 12 years, were divided into two groups: the Greek Mediterranean diet group and the group that followed their healthy diet. Those in the Greek Mediterranean group ate two meals of cooked fatty fish (at least 150 grams) every week for six months. Researchers found that at the end of the trial, the Mediterranean diet group experienced a significant reduction in bronchial inflammation. According...

How to Treat and Prevent Cold Sores on Your Lips

5Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Remedies

How to Treat and Prevent Cold Sores on Your Lips

If you've ever looked in the mirror and saw a pimple-looking dot on your mouth that hurts a lot, you're not alone — but it's not always something as simple as a blemish. The inflamed bump may be a cold sore, which is super familiar. (Right now, about 50 to 80 percent of Americans have been exposed to the virus.) And because there is currently no cure for the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), once you are infected the virus remains in your system for life, says Sonia Batra, a board-certified dermatologist and co-host of the show The Doctors. We tapped the experts to find out how to soothe, treat, and prevent cold sore flare-ups. How to Spot Them Cold sores might get confused with pimples, ingrown hairs, and canker sores, but they’re easy to spot once you realize what the symptoms are and ...

How To Manage Menopause Wth A Plant-Based Diet

1Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Genetically Modified Foods

How To Manage Menopause Wth A Plant-Based Diet

"If you’re a healthy adult woman, by the time you’re in your 40s or 50s, you’ve already spent decades learning how to tackle the ups and downs of your menstruation cycle, mastering the fine art of period management. The bad news is once menopause hits and your fertility game totally changes, you may have to start learning about your body and food-related needs all over again. Dr Jillian Forer, GP at Bondi Road Women’s Health Centre, tells SBS that the year leading up to your last period (also known as ‘perimenopause’) can be fraught with physical and often confusing changes. Dr Forer, who has specialised in the area of women’s health for over 30 years, explains that during menopause, the female body slowly produces less oestrogen. This is just one reason why many women will experi...

It May Be Carcinogenic, But Thank Goodness It’s Non-GMO

1Nov

By CatherineNo Comments

Genetically Modified Foods

It May Be Carcinogenic, But Thank Goodness It’s Non-GMO

"Perhaps nowhere is that more apropos than the ongoing stampede of marketers to proclaim their products as non-GMO. We now have GMO-free salt, water, and literally thousands of products from foods to household cleaners, none of which contain ingredients derived from GMO crops. But scare sells. A recent publicity barrage by Smirnoff, includes a slickly produced (and expensive, given the talent costs) TV commercial featuring actors Ted Danson, he of the in-forever-reruns “Cheers” series in which he played the jovial, but somewhat out to lunch bartender, and actress-author Jenna Fischer. They proudly announce that Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka is now made with non-GMO corn. A press release notes that the commercial uses two “American treasures” to get the word out about No. 21’s new GMO-free st...