Daily Health News Blog

Okra: This Creole favorite fights colds, cancer, and heart disease September and October are the best months for choosing fresh okra. Though it's not everyone's favorite, it is a strong player in side dishes and in gumbos. For nutritional power, this Southern favorite takes a back seat to no other vegetable. Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta say it contains glutathione, a powerful compound that plays a role in fighting cancer and heart disease. It also has plenty of vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Glutathione fights cancer in two ways. It's an antioxidant which attacks free radicals that can damage healthy cells. And it prevents carcinogens from damaging DNA. Doctors at Emory say people with high levels of glutathione are half as likely to develop oral and throat cancers than those with low levels. Glutathione is also found in watermelons, avocados, and grapefruit. Okra is a good source of fiber, about the same value as in carrots or appl

Last year 10 million Americans were victims of the fastest-growing crime in the country. The number of identity thefts has been doubling every year since 2000. Sometimes people don't know what happened until they find big charges they didn't make on credit cards, begin getting calls from debt collectors, or get a summons to go to court for crimes they didn't commit. To reduce your chances of being victimized: * Never give your Social Security number or personal information over the telephone unless you initiate the call. * Shred or burn bank and credit card statements, cancelled checks, preapproved credit card offers, and bills with account information. * Don't put checks and bills into the mailbox and put the flag up. It's easy to steal from a mailbox. * Check your credit reports. Look for a change of address or a new account you didn't open. Cancel accounts you don't use or rarely use. Thieves love open credit. * Check your bank acc

Hernia repair is one of the most common surgical procedures in the U.S. But if a person is not very active and the hernia has been present for a long time, it could stay as it is and not cause any problems. Many things can cause a hernia, which is a break in the abdominal wall with a segment of the abdomen pushing through it. It usually occurs in the lower abdomen where weak spots develop with age. Lifting can cause it, but so can a bad cough, hard sneezing, or straining during a bowel movement. People first notice it in the shower or bath when they find a soft lump which disappears when they lie down. In other cases, people feel a dull ache or sensation of heaviness in their groin. There is no rule about who should or shouldn't have surgery to repair a hernia. If it is very large, surgery is recommended. New laparoscopic surgery requires three small incisions and is done under general anesthesia. Recovery time is shorter, but the procedure is expensive. Convent

You probably have a kitchen drawer that holds a lot of small items. Problem is, unless you've organized it, you'll spend a lot of time searching for things that are supposed to be handy. You're a step ahead if your drawer is divided into three or four sections. If it isn't, buy some inexpensive, drawer-length plastic boxes and fit them into the drawer. Here's one way to organize your stuff: * Use one section to hold batteries for your flashlight, remote control, clock, and calculator. Add a flashlight. * The second section can hold tools you need for minor repairs. Include screw drivers, pliers, a wire cutter, a tack hammer, and a tape measure. * Use the third section for a small roll of duct tape, scissors, glue, and a can of WD-40 for squeaky doors. * The last section is the all-important kitchen mailing center. It holds stamps, a few envelopes, pens, and return address labels, maybe a scratch pad.. Many people keep mailing supplies in their desks, but

You take steps to prevent sunburn on your skin, but what about your eyes? The sun can burn your eyes just like your skin. Ophthalmologists at Harvard say it is on the surface of the eyes that most damage occurs. Overexposure to the sun can cause inflammation of the cornea called keratitis. The eyes feel as if you have sand in them for 24 to 48 hours. Repeated bouts of keratitis can lead to serious, chronic inflammation which may have to be surgically treated. Doctors at the University of Alabama say the effect of UV radiation on the eyes is cumulative. Most people get about half their lifetime dose of radiation before they are 25 years old. Obviously, children should wear protective sunglasses. Buy sunglasses with built in UV-blocking sun protection. Check the label to make sure. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat to shade your eyes is also recommended.

When the armies of Alexander the Great went into battle, they subsisted on crude wheat cakes. Ancient Chinese emperors fed their troops a ball of brown rice each day. Centuries later, John Wayne and his group ate "corn dodgers" on the trail in "True Grit" History holds many stories of whole grains sustaining people when they didn't have time to cook. Whole grains can still do the job. Fortunately, they are available in more tasty forms. Edible grains include wheat, barley, corn, millet, oats, rice, rye and many others. Nature constructs them alike. Each particle in an outer bran layer contains nearly all the fiber. The germ layer is richest in nutrients. Today, we know that whole grains give us much more than fiber for sustained energy. The American Cancer Society is urging us to return to an era when the staff of life was more likely to be brown than white. Studies show that those who eat whole grains are less likely to develop colorectal, stomach,

If someone experiences any of these symptoms, don't wait. Call 911! * Sudden weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side. * Sudden confusion, slurring of speech, or difficulty understanding. * Sudden change in vision, particularly in one eye. * Sudden trouble walking, dizziness. * Sudden severe, unexplained headache.

If the nice spring weather doesn't make you want to get out and ride your bike, think of what bicycling can do for you. It's good for your heart, wallet, stress level, waist line, sex life, and muscle tone. It could save your life. Bicycling could reduce the obesity epidemic, which results in 300,000 premature deaths each year. The American Cancer Society says obesity increases the risk of cancer. * It's convenient. Over 22 percent of motor vehicle trips are less than one mile long. Half of the working population commutes five miles or less. * In addition to helping you lose weight, bicycling can reduce stress and increase feelings of well-being. It increases the body's release of endorphins. * Bicycling may be able to reduce the impact of aging on the brain say doctors at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. To feel good and get healthy, ride a bike. Ride a bike to work!