Category: Medical Issues for Men (Page 25 of 38)

Stress and Cancer

July 23, 2009 / Mike Furci

Scientists have theorized for decades that stress and cancer are directly linked. A new study suggests that the hormones we produce while under stress increase the growth rates of a few very lethal forms of cancer.

The study showed that an increase in norepinephrine, a stress hormone, can stimulate tumor cells to produce two compounds. These compounds can break down the tissue around the tumor cells and allow the cells to more easily move into the bloodstream. From there, they can travel to another location in the body to form additional tumors, a process called metastasis.
The research also suggests the same hormone can also stimulate the tumor cells to release another compound that can aid in the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells, hastening the growth and spread of the disease. The work was reported in the latest issue of the journal Cancer Research.
“This opens up an entirely new way of looking at stress and cancer that’s different from current interpretations,” explained Ronald Glaser, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, and director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University .

A very interesting read, this article in Science Daily, gets one to think about the benefits of reducing stress in ones life.

Anti-Aging, Cancer, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness

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MSG, a toxin in our food supply that causes obesity.

July 22, 2009 / Mike Furci

Dr. John Olney discovered that feeding newborn rats MSG (monosodium glutamate) caused them to become grossly obese in 1969. Studies performed since then have shown that this occurs in most animal species.

The effects of MSG on our bodies are now well established, and scientists have actually found how it produces obesity. For decades scientists have know that when a certain part of the brain, the hypothalamus, is injured, the animal becomes grossly obese. Researchers have discovered the MSG damages the same area of the brain.

A review of MSG toxicity by the federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology concluded that infant formula contains enough MSG to produce the very same brain injury seen in animal experiments. It is the early exposure to MSG that researchers warn about. Humans are 5 times more susceptible to MSG toxicity than any lab animal. Infants are 4 times more sensitive than adults.

Recent research has shown that Glutamate, the toxic ingredient in MSG and other excitotoxins, stimulates insulin production. Insulin is the fat storage hormone in our bodies. Controlling ones insulin levels is essential to getting and staying lean. The higher ones insulin levels, the more the food one consumes will be stored as fat.

And if the above wasn’t enough to keep you away from MSG, this toxin is also what’s called a “fat partitioning agent”. Meaning it causes more glucose to be stored as fat. This prevents muscles from using it as fuel, in-turn causing fat accumulation.

The side effects of MSG consumption are detrimental to our health. And as research points out, infants and children are most susceptible. Add to this, the toxic effects of other substances like; fructose, hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils and you have a recipe for disaster. Before these products were forced on us over the past five decades the U.S. did not have the health problems we see today.

NewsMax.com Health Alert

Foods products, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition

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Socialized medicine not the answer

July 16, 2009 / Mike Furci

There is no doubt the health care system is in a state of crisis in the U.S.. Health care is no longer an important issue, it’s an urgent issue. Health care costs are spiraling out of control and because our government is not willing to do what’s right, there is no end in sight.

In my opinion, litigation reform would be a good starting point. Law suits have more to do with spiraling health care than any other reason. Next, would be getting the pharmaceutical companies out of the pockets of government officials. According to Mercola.com Pharmaceutical Research and Manufaturers of America (PhRMA) will spend 72.7 million to lobby at the federal level, mainly congress, our law makers. It will spend 4.9 million to lobby the FDA, the very organization that regulates pharmaceuticals. PhRMA also plans on spending close to 50 million to loby the state level. Are you starting to get the point. With the fox guarding the hen house is it any wonder our health care costs are out of control?

Yes it’s obvious we need to reform our health care system. But one thing we should never do is socialize medicine. if you are wondering if the U.S. should become a single payer system like Canada, which is the system many use as their argument for socialized medicine, watch this video.

Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness

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Recognize and prevent kidney stones

July 5, 2009 / Mike Furci

The function of your kidneys is to remove excess fluid from your body and filtering out unneeded electrolytes and wastes from your blood, resulting in the production of urine.

Kidney stones form when the minerals and acid salts in your urine crystallize, stick together, and solidify into a mass. This happens when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as calcium and uric acid, than the available fluid can dilute. This can happen when urine is highly acid or highly alkaline. Certain drugs can also promote kidney stones, such as Lasix (furosemide), Topomax (topiramate), and Xenical, among others. Many times, it is a combination of factors that create an environment favorable to stone formation.

The conditions allowing kidney stones to form are created by problems in the way your body absorbs and eliminates calcium and other substances. Sometimes the underlying cause is a metabolic disorder or kidney disease.

You will not experience symptoms until the stone moves into the ureter; a urine carrying tube from your kidney to your bladder. Common symptoms include:

Pain in your side and back, below your ribs
Episodes of pain lasting 20 to 60 minutes, of varying intensity
Pain ?waves? radiating from your side and back, to your lower abdomen and groin
Bloody, cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Pain with urination
Nausea and vomiting
persistent urge to urinate
Fever and chills (indicates an infection is also present)

Lifestyle modifications go a long way to help prevent this painful condition. Staying hydrated is perhaps the most important thing one can do. You should also get adequate exercise while avoiding products like sugar, soy, and processed foods.

Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition

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Dandruff, how to get rid of this embarrassing condition

July 2, 2009 / Mike Furci

By the time people reach their 20’s, 50% have had dandruff. Believed to be caused by a fungus, the fungi live on your scalp and feed on skin oils. The following is an answer from mercola.com to this embarrassing condition.

First of all, it?s important to keep in mind that everything you slather on your skin or put on your scalp goes into your bloodstream, and can affect your overall health and internal balance. Virtually all of your regular shampoos and conditioners contain harmful chemicals that can create skin irritation, contributing to dry scalp and excessive dandruff.
I recommend buying organic personal-care products that do not contain parabens, sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate. The latter two are known eye and skin irritants, which could worsen your dandruff.
There are many solutions for this condition, but the typical strategy will be some type of medicated shampoo. However, there are safer and more effective ways of using them that do not require repetitive use.
Two shampoos that work well are Selsun Blue and Head & Shoulders. I?ve used both in the past with good results. Selsun Blue contains a form of selenium sulfide, whereas Head & Shoulders has zinc as the active ingredient. Both are toxic to the fungus.
The most effective way to use them is to lather your scalp with the shampoo at night before you go to bed, and keep it on overnight. Wear a shower cap so you don?t ruin your pillow case. Then wash it off in the morning. If needed you can repeat this treatment once a week, but typically you?ll only need one or two treatments to permanently eliminate the fungus. This seems to be a much safer alternative to using the shampoo daily for many years.

Hygiene, Medical Issues for Men

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