Daily Health News Blog

You may have caught recent news reports that fried fish can cause heart problems. But that's no reason to hang up the fishing reel. A large study in the journal  Circulation: Heart Failure  found that eating fried fish at least once a week was associated with a 48 percent higher risk of heart failure.  This wasn't the first study to raise red flags about fried fish. A 2005 Harvard study, for instance, linked frequent consumption of fried fish to a 44 percent increased risk of stroke. And findings from a study in  Neurology  suggested that one reason why people in the "stroke belt" states of the South have higher rates of stroke is that Southerners eat more fried fish than other Americans. Still, you shouldn't stop eating fish. After all, the latest study, which included only women, also reaffirmed that fish is good for your heart--if you broil or bake it. Those who ate five or more servings a week of baked/broiled fish over a 10-year period had a 30 perc

Garlic is a key part of the Mediterranean diet and many cuisines around the world. But do supplements really lower cholesterol, fight cancer, reduce arthritis, and have other health benefits, as touted? There have been thousands of studies on garlic, but its health effects remain something of a mystery. Garlic contains interesting compounds that have been linked to many proposed health benefits. One is allicin, a sulfur compound formed in raw garlic after a clove is cut or crushed. Allicin is a major source of garlic’s taste and smell. But not all scientists agree that allicin is the key ingredient, since it breaks down quickly into other compounds. And the enzyme that forms allicin can be destroyed if the whole clove is cooked before being cut (that’s why cooked cloves taste less garlicky). In fact, no one knows which, if any, component is most important. Lab and animal studies suggest that garlic (or compounds from it) has a range of benefits. For example, it keeps blood plat

"Is there anything I can do to relieve the chronic dry mouth that my medications cause?" Chronic dry mouth, or xerostomia, can be a major problem: Dry mouth can affect your ability to eat and enjoy food and can cause cracked lips, bad breath and sores in your mouth. Dry mouth can also lead to cavities, periodontal disease and tooth loss. Be sure your doctor knows about your dry mouth; sometimes medications can be changed or dosages reduced. Or, if a drug is causing dry mouth at night, you may be able to combat it by spacing doses throughout the day when it's also possible to brush your teeth often and drink plenty of fluids. Otherwise, see your dentist for frequent checkups and perhaps topical fluoride treatments and prescription oral rinses to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis. You can also try these self-help measures for dry mouth: Follow a low-sugar diet. Hard candies can help ease dry mouth, but use the sugarless kind. Include plenty of fruits, soup

Eating to Lose! Your body need nutrition each and every day so you can perform at your best. You need to consume calories or your body can’t function at its best. We gain weight because we take in too many calories that don’t have the nutrition that our body needs so we store this as fat. Eating the Right Foods Our diet needs to be high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, and seeds so we get the nutrition that we need. The main problem is that we have gone away from wholesome eating and instead rely on a diet of heavily processed and unnatural foods. These foods cause us to gain weight as we don’t get too many calories that lack nutrition. When we consume foods that are nutrient dense they give us the energy we need to get through the day and they also tend to be lower in calories. You actually east more food but still lose weight because you’re eating good nutritious food and not garbage processed food that is high in calories but very low in nutrition.

It happens every holiday season. You have to buy a present for someone who’s fussy or has everything. It’s never easy, but it can be manageable, if you follow some simple steps. For example: 1. Psyche out your friend. Is the friend practical or flighty? Is eclectic your friend’s middle name? Buy for the personality. 2. Figure out in advance what you are prepared to spend. This focuses you and helps prevent last-minute panic buying, which can be expensive. 3. What’s changed? Has your friend moved or signed up for an exciting trip? A travel diary or a housecleaning service gift certificate might be appreciated. 4. Give the gift of you. Offer to sew curtains or cook a special dinner. A photo album with pictures of the two of you or a special event or trip is thoughtful. 5. Don’t overlook donations. Many people with everything would appreciate a donation in their name to a favorite charity.

Brushing your teeth, buttoning your shirt, opening a jar -- these are routine daily activities that most people take for granted. But if you have arthritis and it affects your hands, performing these and other basic tasks can be challenging. Fortunately, "exercising" your hands can help reduce the pain, improve your range of motion and, ultimately, enable you to perform more easily the various tasks of daily living.   Where does it hurt?  Arthritis of the hands manifests differently depending on what kind of arthritis you have.  Osteoarthritis.  The most common cause of hand arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA). In osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage that covers the ends of your bones gradually deteriorates due to wear and tear or, in some cases, to injury. If your hand pain is caused by osteoarthritis, the affected joints are painful and may swell or develop hard bony nodules. The joints most likely to be affected in hand osteoarthritis are the trapezio-metacarpal (ba

We all know that fashion changes with the seasons, but did you know that you should also change your beauty regime based on the month of the year? The cold, dry winter air can be bad news for your skin and hair, so here's 9 tips for making sure you stay looking just as beautiful in December as you do in June. 1. Moisturise Frequently The winter air can quickly dry out your skin, so it is important to moisturise reguarly throughout the day. For an extra moisture boost you might also want to use a body lotion in the shower in the morning, which will help to lock extra moisture into your skin. 2. Cut Down On The Alcohol Don't worry, we don't mean the kind you drink! Hair and skin products with high alcohol content can strip away moisture, so they should be avoided where possible in the winter. 3. Turn Down The Water Temperature When you wake up on a winter morning and it's freezing cold while you wait for the heating to kick in it can be tempting to turn the wate