Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Cure For Diabetes From Nature

There are certain substances which could aid in keeping the diabetes under check and also help in retarding diabetic complications that may arise. Calcium, which helps to prevent high blood pressure, is good for diabetics because many diabetics suffer from hypertension. The virtues of chromium in diabetic management have been extolled. Not only does it help in the regulation and production of insulin, but also helps the insulin to perform more efficiently. This implies that in the long run, the amount of insulin required by the body would be less. Herbs have been used to treat diabetes. In fact there are more than 500 herbal remedies to manage diabetes and many tribes still continue to use these plant extracts to treat the disease. Gymnema Sylvestre, a herb derived from a tree found in both India and Africa, has been known to curb the longing for sweetness. It helps to decrease blood fats and reduces blood sugar levels. Gymnema is supposed to increase the beta cells in the pancreas.Cinnamon, which is got from the bark of a tree, has been found to increase the conversion of glucose into energy and also blocks out free radicals.Fenugreek has been used in India for a long time as an anti-diabetic drug.Jambolan, which belongs to the species of cloves, has been used in ayurvedic medicine for a long time Bitter Melon Extract has also been used by Indian ayurvedic doctors to treat type 2 diabetes. It contains a polypeptide, which is similar to the polypeptide present in insulin. Bitter gourd is a vegetable found in the Indian sub continent and its juice is found to have positive effects on elevated blood sugar levels in the body. Lutein is a dietary supplement, which contributes to eye health in general. It is found in yellow and orange fruits, and is also present in dark green leafy vegetables. It protects the eye cells, which are important for vision. As diabetics are prone to retinopathy and early cataract, lutein could help in their retardation. .

Harry Potter-The Magical Spell

Harry Potter is a heptalogy of fantasy novels written by English author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous adolescent wizard Harry Potter, together with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The story is mostly set at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, an academy for young wizards and witches. The central story arc concerns Harry''s conflict against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry''s parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world.The series has spawned films, video games and Potter-themed merchandise.English language versions of the books are published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States, Allen & Unwin in Australia and Raincoast Books in Canada. The story opens with the conspicuous celebration of a normally secretive wizarding world. For many years, it had been terrorised by the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort. The previous night, on 31 October, Voldemort discovers the Potter family''s hidden refuge, killing Lily and James Potter. However, when he attempts to murder their infant son, Harry, the Avada Kedavra killing curse he casts rebounds upon him. Voldemort''s body is destroyed, but his spirit survives: he is neither dead nor alive. Meanwhile, the orphaned Harry is left with a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, the only physical sign of Voldemort''s curse. Harry is the only known survivor of the killing curse, and Voldemort''s mysterious defeat causes the wizarding community to dub Harry "The Boy Who Lived". On November 1, Hagrid, a ''half-giant'', delivers Harry to his only living relatives, the cruel and magic-phobic Dursleys, comprising Uncle Vernon, a bad-tempered uncle with hardly any neck; Aunt Petunia, a long-necked woman who appears to absolutely loathe Harry; and Dudley, their spoiled, overweight son. They attempt in vain to rid him of his magical powers, hide his magical heritage, and severely punish him after any strange occurrences. However, as his eleventh birthday approaches, Harry has his first contact with the magical world when he receives letters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which are delivered by owls. However, his uncle intercepts the letters. On his birthday, Hagrid, Hogwarts'' gamekeeper, appears and informs Harry that he is a wizard and has been invited to attend the school. Each book chronicles one year in Harry''s life, which is mostly spent at Hogwarts. There he learns to use magic and brew potions. Harry also learns to overcome many magical, social, and emotional hurdles as he struggles through his adolescence, Voldemort''s second rise to power, and the Ministry of Magic''s corruption and incompetence. After facing many obstacles, making countless friends, and losing loved ones, Harry Potter confronts the Dark Lord for the last time. Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone (26 June 1997) (titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone in the United States) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 July 1999) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (16 July 2005) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (21 July 2007) Since the publishing of Philosopher''s Stone a number of societal trends have been attributed to the series. The most notable trend attributed to Harry Potter has been an increase in literacy among the young. Anecdotal evidence suggesting such an increase was seemingly confirmed in 2006 when the Kids and Family Reading Report (in conjunction with Scholastic) released a survey finding that 51% of Harry Potter readers ages 5–17 said that while they did not read books for fun before they started reading Harry Potter, they now dthat according to 65% of children and 76% of parents, they or their children''s performance in school improved since they started reading the series.Charlie Griffiths, director of the National Literacy Association, said "Anyone who can persuade children to read should be treasured and what given us in Harry Potter is little short of miraculous." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a long time fan, said, "I think JK Rowling has done more for literacy around the world than any single human being."

Ageing- A Process Or Phenomenon

''And in the end, it''s not the years in your life that count. It''s the life in your years.'' -Abraham Lincoln How long can we live? Why do we age? andHow can we prevent the deleterious effects of aging?Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scientists andphilosophers have been attempting to find answers tothese questions by developing theories about aging.The term "aging" is somewhat ambiguous. Chronological aging, referring to how old a person is the most straightforward definition of aging and may be distinguished from "social aging" and "biological aging".In biology,senescence is the state or process of aging. Cellular senescence is a phenomenon where isolated cells demonstrate a limited ability to divide in culture, while Organismal senescence is the aging of organisms.Some researchers are treating aging as a disease, as genes that have an effect on aging are discovered, aging is increasingly being regarded in a similar fashion to other genetic conditions, potentially "treatable."Although the “fountain of youth” formula has not yet been found, much progress is being made in identifying methods of delaying the onset of disabilities and chronic illnesses.Biologic theories of aging address questions about the basic aging processes that affect all living organisms.These theories answer questions such as How do cellsage? and What triggers the process of aging? In addition,biologic aging theories attempt to identify those physiologic processes that occur independently of external or pathologic influences. Genetic Theories,Wear-and-Tear Theories,Immunity Theories,Cross-Linkage Theory,Lipofuscin and Free Radical Theories,Neuroendocrine Theories,Apoptosis Theory,Longevity and Senescence Theories,Active Life Expectancy and FunctionalHealth Theories,Medical Theories,Sociologic theories of aeging,psychologic theories of aeging .,etc have been formulated.

AIDS-THE KILLER

AIDS-THE KILLER


Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in humans, and similar viruses in other species (SIV, FIV, etc.). The late stage of the condition leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. Although treatments for AIDS and HIV exist to decelerate the virus'' progression, there is currently no known cure. HIV, et al., are transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as , body fluids, and breast milk.This transmission can come in the form of unsafe intercourse, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.Most researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century; it is now a pandemic, with an estimated 33.2 million people now living with the disease worldwide.HIV is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital organs of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells (a subset of T cells), macrophages and dendritic cells.In the absence of antiretroviral therapy, the median time of progression from HIV infection to AIDS is nine to ten years, and the median survival time after developing AIDS is only 9.2 months.There is currently no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS. The only known methods of prevention are based on avoiding exposure to the virus or, failing that, an antiretroviral treatment directly after a highly significant exposure, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).By the end of 2005, 40.3 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, including 17.5 million women and 2.3 million children under the age of 15. 4.9 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2005, including 700,000 children. Of these, 3.2 million new infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2005 alone, a total of 3.1 million people died of HIV/AIDS-related causes.World-wide, only one in ten persons infected with HIV has been tested and knows his/her HIV status. .

CANCER-WHY,WHAT AND HOW?

CANCER-WHY,WHAT AND HOW?

Cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. The main categories of cancer include: Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue. Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood. Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.But sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor.Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells. These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth. Complex interactions between carcinogens and the host genome may explain why only some develop cancer after exposure to a known carcinogen.A cancer may be suspected for a variety of reasons, but the definitive diagnosis of most malignancies must be confirmed by histological examination of the cancerous cells by a pathologist. Tissue can be obtained from a biopsy or surgery.Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient (performance status). A number of experimental cancer treatments are also under development.