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14 May 2007

Consumption of Green or Black Tea May Positively Effect Cardiovascular Disease

Over the years, researchers have stipulated that green or black tea consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is very important because people from all walks of life inevitably suffer from some form of this potentially deadly disease.

According to the American Heart Association, in 2003, there were 71,300,000 individuals that have this disease and it claimed 910, 614 lives that year alone. This disease does not just affect people in the United States. It also affects international residents. In the U.K alone, cardiovascular disease was responsible for over 23,000 deaths in 2004. In other words, every one (regardless of where they live) is at risk for this potentially deadly disease.

With this in mind, researchers have been working diligently to combat this illness. Numerous epidemiologic studies have indicated that consumption of green or black tea reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, many are left wondering “How?”.

Scientists have made many assumptions about how these eas positively affects cardiovascular disease and research is still pending. One hypothesis states that drinking green or black tea affects lipoproteins. However, researchers have found that drinking green or black tea does not increase the resistance of low-density lipoprotein to oxidation in humans or the serum lipid concentrations in humans either.

Researchers determined this during a four week long parallel study comprising of 45 volunteers. The study involved the subjects drinking 900 ml (6 cups) of mineral water, black tea, or green tea daily. Blood samples were dutifully collected from the fasting subjects, both before and after the study. An in vitro experiment was carried out to record the effect of adding tea extract to plasma and the consequence on the resistance of isolated LDL to oxidation.

Data was carefully evaluated utilizing various research methodologies and researchers concluded that the said 900 ml (6 cups) of the beverage did not have any substantial effect on either serum lipid concentrations or resistance of LDL to oxidation. However, It was determined that the large intake of green tea did increase the total antioxidant activity of the plasma slightly.

Nevertheless, the arresting effect of tea flavonoids on cardiovascular disease is an open proposition and researchers are still evaluating other probable mechanisms. For instance, many researchers stipulate that green or black tea may have a positive effect on the panacea and on cardiovascular disease.

Before we discuss this hypothesis further, let’s take a moment to discuss how cardiovascular disease is triggered. In some cases, cardiovascular disease runs in families, and in other cases it doesn’t. Many of its victims experience such triggers like high cholesterol, raised blood pressure, and obesity. In addition, stress is thought to contribute to this disease.

As such, physicians currently prescribe a preventive diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and Omega 3 fatty acids in order to keep this disease at bay. In addition, physicians also recommend that patients engage in regular exercise, reduce stress and anxiety levels, and quit smoking to help prevent and keep CVD in check. In addition, drinking black or green tea is also an important addition on the list. However, it is still unclear the extent to which tea helps control CVD, but researchers are not giving up.

Animal and in vitro studies have suggested numerous and probable cardiovascular protective mechanisms of tea which include prohibition of oxidized LDL cholesterol, the disintegration of the inflammatory process in atherosclerosis, reducing thrombosis, promotion of normal endothelial function, reduction of total plasma, and LDL cholesterol and adhesion molecules blocking mechanisms.

In addition, the effect of tea consumption on platelet aggression shows mixed results. A study by Duffy, et al. noted an improved endothelial function post consumption of black tea. In addition, researchers believe that green or black tea also positively effect endothelial function and have found that polyphenolic compounds in tea other than catechins are responsible for improved endothelial function in humans.

Blood pressure is another area where the cardio-protective properties of tea are believed to have a positive influence. However, studies have shown that a positive effect is seen among subjects who had been drinking tea for at least a year, if not more. Short-term tea drinking has not made much of a difference.

About The Author
Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit http://www.goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Over Coming Breast Cancer

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most scary things a woman can learn.

We know a great deal about it because information on breast cancer is in just about every woman's magazine, along with awareness articles in papers and a staggering amount on the internet. Yet still it is a gut wrenching moment when you find you are one of the statistics.

There is though life after breast cancer. It does not have to be all doom and gloom, but it might not be life as you knew it! I have the t-shirt “I survived breast cancer” and though my path may not be the right path for you, any survival story gives hope and encouragement, so here is mine.

I felt the painful lump, and rushed off for a mammogram. (Or should that be, I felt the lump, and rushed of for a painful mammogram?) Anyway the diagnosis was that it was probably a cyst. This at least gave me some hope in the time between diagnosis and operation.

It was though a cancer, and small enough that I did not have to loose my breast. The surgeon did remove a Lymph gland as a precaution, something I don't think they now do unless necessary. The surgeon told me he thought that he had removed all the cancer and it should not return. But, yes there is always a “but” as a precaution I should have radiation treatment.

I talked this over with my husband, and we decided that I wasn't prepared to have the treatment. If the surgeon thought he had removed all the cancer, that was good enough for me. I just wanted to get on with my life. We did think though that he would try to talk me, or even bully me into having the radiation treatment. I was very surprised then when the surgeon said, “Well if you don't think it will help, then it won't!” He then went on to explain a little of the power of the mind, and how attitude plays a major part in the recovery process.

Off the hook, not a bit of it. “Even if you don't have the radiation treatment,” the surgeon said, “you must still take the Tamoxifen, especially as your family has a history of cancer.” I had read a little about this drug, and was horrified to think I would be taking it for the rest of my life! Back to discussions with hubby, (This support is invaluable, so if you don't have this sort of support in your life, get a coach) and a great deal of research. The answer for me was a resounding “No” I would try other ways to keep the cancer at bay.

Not long after I returned home, I caught an infection, and ended back in hospital. It was some form of pneumonia and was finally brought under control with heavy doses of antibiotics. I was very weak and felt worse than I had after the cancer operation. The surgeon cheered me up by explaining that an operation often weakens the immune system, which is why I caught the infection. Now having fought it off, my immune system was in good working order, so I should expect to make a full recovery.

During my convalescence I had time to think about the breast cancer, what had caused it, and how to prevent it happening again. I was and still am convinced that it was caused by stress. The surgeon had told me how long the cancer had been growing, and was surprised that it was not bigger.

The early growth of the cancer related to a very stressful period of my life. During that time I had also suffered from blackouts, which only happen to me when I am extremely stressed. However, once this period had passed, I went through a tranquil phase during which time I believe the cancer remained dormant. The medical profession will argue that I have no proof, but I think in the near future we will come to understand a lot more about how stress affects cancer and our life in general.

At this time I had been married about thirty years, and as I have said my husband was extremely supportive, so we sat down together and discussed ways of making our life stress free. Like most couples with a house and 1.5 children, we had decided to go the full Monty and have 2, and the debt that went with it. We were both working and able to service the debt, but it was always something I worried about, so we made becoming debt free our number one priority.

I also looked at my diet, being a non-smoker was a plus, but I figured I could be eating healthier food. I cut out the biscuits and cakes replacing these with fruit and nuts that I could nibble on between meals. I also increased the variety of vegetables at meal times and the number of times we had red meat. Yes I am a believer; if we were meant to be vegetarian then we would have a different digestive system. If you don't eat meat because you don't like killing animals then you should take a closer look at nature, you should also wonder if plants have feelings. Our diet is too important to have fads.

I love walking, but at this stage in my convalescence, I only had the energy to walk to the mail box, so I started a regime of simple floor exercises such as sit ups, to build up my strength. This became a morning routine that I still follow .and of course walking is one of the best exercises you can do.

In my research towards a healthy life, I read loads of books, one of them, “You can Heal your Life” by Louise Hay, made a big impact on me. I followed through with some of the suggestions and looked at life from a different perspective. I took up meditation and was amazed at how much better it made me feel. I was able to relax and let my cares lift away, while my body healed itself.

Happiness and contentment contribute to our peace of mind. My husband and I decided we weren't really happy with our way of life, so we changed it. We had virtually brought our children up on boats that we lived aboard and cruised, but for the last few years of their schooling we had decided to move ashore to give them the best chance. Now they had both left home, to go traveling of course, not to uni as we had thought, we could also go back to a life we had enjoyed and still hankered after. Being settled didn't suit us so we sold up and bought another yacht and are cruising.

We move on when the mood takes us and money allows, we have a very relaxed attitude towards life and keep our stress levels down. I walk a lot, get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet, meditate and enjoy life. Will it keep the cancer at bay? I don't know, but it is now twelve years since my op and I have never felt better.

Breast cancer made me look at life in a different way, and for that I am grateful.

About The Author
Trish Powell
For the full results of Trish's research into a healthy life or to answer your questions on life after cancer visit her web site at http://www.wellbeing-information.com

How To Choose A Good Quality Vitamin Supplement For You And Your Family Without Getting Ripped Off

As you may have already experienced, figuring out how to choose a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement can be a confusing and time consuming task.

The purpose of this article is to look at several important factors that you should consider when looking for a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement and to provide you with resources where you can learn more.

CONSIDERATION #1: ABSORPTION

Here is one of the first questions you should keep in mind:

Will the ingredients in the vitamin and mineral supplement you are considering actually be absorbed by your body?

There are many steps that the ingredients in your vitamin and mineral supplement (referred to as supplement from now on) have to go through in order to make it all the way through your digestive tract, into your blood stream and ultimately to the location where your body can use them.

It's a complex process and there are many opportunities for the process to not go quite right and prevent your supplement ingredients from getting to where they are supposed to. Let's look at some factors that can affect the journey your supplement takes and also affect how well your body can absorb a supplement's ingredients.

WHAT IS BIOAVAILABILITY?

Bioavailability is the degree to which a nutrient is available to the body for use. More specifically, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it must be within physical proximity to the cell so the cell can use it. Also, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it has to be dissolved in some sort of solution so that the nutrient can be transported across the cell membrane.

From a non biochemistry perspective, here's a simple way to picture what needs to happen; the nutrient has to make it all the way from your mouth to the cell and be in a form the cell can use.

For bioavailability to occur, certain things have to happen once you put that supplement into your mouth. Here are two of those processes. One is dissolution which refers to how fast a supplement dissolves. An example to help you picture this process would be taking some sugar, putting it in a glass of water and stirring it with a spoon until the sugar disappears.

Another process is disintegration. This is similar to dissolution only disintegration refers to how fast the capsule or tablet breaks into smaller pieces so that the dissolution process can take place.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SUPPLEMENT WILL DISSOLVE

So how in the world are you going to be able to tell if the supplement you are considering does all this dissolution and disintegration stuff? Fortunately, it's pretty straight forward to figure out. A good way to know that your supplement is meeting these standards is to make sure there is some sort of "USP" designation on the label of the product.

USP refers to U.S. Pharmacopeia, an organization that was established to create state-of-the-art standards to ensure the quality of medicines that humans use. This includes vitamin and mineral supplements.

An example of the kind of USP designation that you want to look for on the label of a product you are considering would be something like, "this product conforms to the USPXXVII requirements for disintegration and dissolution".

WHAT CHELATION DOES

Chelation is very important when it comes to making sure that the minerals in your supplement are bioavailable. Chelation refers to a process that increases the absorption of minerals such as chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.

It can be hard to get minerals all the way to that bioavailable state that was discussed earlier. Chelation involves wrapping the mineral in an amino acid so that the body can more easily absorb it. This can improve the absorption of some minerals from only 10% absorption for a non chelated mineral to 45% and more for a chelated mineral.

So when you are looking at the label of a vitamin supplement and you find a trace mineral such as manganese as one of the ingredients, you want to see something like "Manganese (as Manganese Chelate)" on the label. This indicates that the manganese mineral has been chelated.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU PICK THE WRONG SUPPLEMENT

If the vitamin supplement you are considering doesn't meet the standards discussed above, it can pass right through your body and do you no good at all.

To give you an example of this, I have actually seen a photo of an x-ray taken of a person's colon area with the vertebrae of their backbone off to one side. In this photo I could clearly see two supplement tablets, still intact, looking like they had just come out of the bottle. These supplement tablets were poorly made, never disintegrated and would soon end up in the toilet.

Photos like these are a graphic illustration of the fact that just because you swallow your vitamin supplement doesn't mean your body is going to be able to use it.

ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MONEY?

With this in mind, let's look at this useless, undissolved supplement from a another perspective; a financial one. Let's say you find a great deal on a supplement and start taking it. We'll call it Supplement X. Let's also say this Supplement X costs $20 for a sixty day supply.

You think you've found a great deal, however what if it turns out that your Supplement X has been poorly manufactured and is only 10% bio available. What this means is that your body will be only able to use $2 worth of this supplement ($20 times 10%).

And what happened to the other $18 you paid for the supplement? It went right through your body, that's what. Looking at it another way, you paid $20 for your sixty day supplement supply yet ended up completely wasting 90% of that $20 you spent. You literally flushed $18 right down the toilet.

Just like everything else in life, there is no free lunch. When it comes to choosing a supplement, don't be cheap. Do your homework and find a good quality supplement that your body can actually use.

OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

- Are the health benefit claims being made by the supplement company provable?

Vitamin supplement companies may claim that their product will do certain things or that the way they put their product together or package it will create a particular health benefit. This claim may very well be true but the only thing that matters is have they proven it. Are there proven health benefits from taking their supplement? In other words, have there been clinical trials that prove the health benefit claims?

- Is the supplement you are considering safe to consume?

Just because the supplement is in a bottle, the bottle has a fancy label and it looks like it comes from a big company doesn't mean the ingredients in the supplement are pure and safe. There can be many substances in that capsule that can have an immediate harmful effect as well as a harmful effect over the long term.
http://www.article-finders.com/vitaminsupplement/

About The Author
After years of extreme fatigue, severe digestion problems and frequent sickness, Andy Long now enjoys energy levels that allow him to windsurf in 30 mph winds for 3-4 hours at a time.

He now shares with others what he did to completely regain his health through his health related web sites and newsletter.
Copyright ©2006 http://article-finders.com/vitaminsupplement/

Finding Some Great Baby Girl Dresses

It can be difficult to find just the right outfit for your baby with all the baby girl dresses that are available nowadays. You have to consider the style and attractiveness when it come to choosing a great dress for your little one. Comfort and durability are also part of the process of finding the right outfit. I discovered that comfort was not incorporated into the design of some baby girl dresses. A dress can be appealing to the eye but it may not appealing to a small child’s sensitive skin. Rough, stiff fabrics that do not move with the infant can lead to an unhappy experience. The fabrics on baby girl dresses will definitely feel rough on your infant’s skin if they feel rough to your hands.

Parents can often find markings and indentations on their child’s skin when their daughters wear certain baby girl dresses. Stiff lace and tight elastic can leave tell-tale signs that the outfit is uncomfortable. You should avoid these uncomfortable components when you are shopping for your baby’s dress. It is a good idea to check the arms, neck and waistbands for tight elastic if you are shopping for baby girl dresses.

I was able to learn this lesson the hard way. A month ago, I bought an adorable yellow dress for my daughter’s first professional photography session. I committed the mistake of buying the outfit without really feeling the fabric. I would have kept shopping for a more comfortable infant attire if I had felt the rough taffeta that was going to be next to my baby’s skin. I also made the mistake of waiting until I got to the photography studio to put the dress on my daughter. The expression on the professional photographer’s face gave me the feeling that things were not going to run smoothly.

I answered with a relieved affirmative when she asked if I brought along other baby girl dresses for the session. I also complied when she asked if we could save the dressy dress for last. Let mere tell you that I was so glad that I took her advice. The first group of shots was met with delightful smiles and coy expressions that only an infant possesses. The photographer captured the rare images perfectly.

However, my daughter’s mood changed completely when I put her in the yellow outfit. She struggled and cried and just wouldn’t sit still when wearing the outfit. We quit right then and there after we got one acceptable picture. I kept the stiff baby girl dresses as decoration in my daughter’s room because she likes to look at them but she hates to wear them.

About The Author
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Baby Girl Dresses. Get more information by visiting http://www.thatsbeautifulbaby.com/baby-information/baby-information/finding-some-great-baby-girl-dresses.html

Find the Perfect Picture Frame

Picture Frames

If you have a picture that you love, then it's amazing how much better it can look given the right frame. Pictures can say so much more than words, given the right presentation. A photo or picture frame, as well as being decorative, is meant to protect and highlight its contents. It's possible to take a magnificent work of art and reduce it to nothing by giving it a frame in the wrong materials, but it's also possible to turn the tables and turn an average picture into a masterpiece.

Finding the right frame can be difficult, so it's important that you allow plenty of time to the search. Most standard size photo frames are relatively inexpensive, and they're stocked by a large range of shops. This means it's easy to look at a whole range of possible frames in a fairly short amount of time. As you look around, you'll find there are frames that instantly appeal to you, and that's a good sign. That particular frame probably connects with your personality in some way, and so will give your framed photo an extremely personal feel.

You can buy photo frames made in a whole range of materials, with some of the most popular frames being made from pewter, stainless steel, ceramics, composites and crystal. Look for the best design and material that fits your budget. Examine the decor of your home, and choose a frame that matches. Contemporary homes blend best with dark frames, using strong materials like silver, copper or gold, or plain dark colors like black. If your home has more of a Mediterranean feel, then pale blue or white will go best. Ornate gilded frames match beautifully with antiques, and for a child's room look for plastic frames made with bright colors and fun shapes.

Pictures aren't always made to a standard size, which can make them difficult to frame. It's possible that a professional framer might be necessary to get something custom made. If you've never been to a framer's before, you may find the huge variety of shapes, colors and materials a little daunting. So it's a good idea to have a clear picture of what you want to achieve. What's the style of the room where the picture will be located? Do you want the frame to stand out or the picture? Take care not to overwhelm a special picture with a bright, wide frame.

If you've spent some time thinking about what sort of effect you want to achieve for your picture, then choosing the right frame shouldn’t be too difficult. Take a look at all the options, and choose something that appeals to you. After all, you'll undoubtedly be looking at the picture and its frame for many years to come.

About The Author
Selecting the perfect picture frame can be a challenge. Steve Dolan is an artist and photographer who does all his own framing. Find more articles and details about picture framing at http://www.pictureframesweb.com.

How to Find the Perfect Gifts for Everyone On Your List

With the holidays just around the corner, many people are wracking their brains, trying to think of the perfect gifts for every person on their list. It can be hard to find gifts that convey the right emotional tone and that the recipient will enjoy. Here, then, are tips to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.

Friend, Family or Colleague?

First, write down the name of every person for whom you'd like to (or are obligated to) buy a gift. Next, give each person a rating on a scale of one to five, depending on how close they are to your intimate inner circle. If it helps, draw a series of five concentric circles, with the center circle representing those who know your dreams and aspirations and experience your joys and tribulations as they happen. The outer circle represents those people who may not know the "real" you, such as your boss or a business associate. There may be people on your list, such as your child's teacher, who isn't close to you, but who has made a tremendous difference in your child's life. Even though she may not know you well, you might decide to put her name in the second circle.

The reason for this exercise is to keep things in perspective when choosing gifts. It's all too easy to get swept up in the excitement of shopping, and select an inappropriately intimate gift for someone to whom you're not that close. Rating each person can seem calculating, but it will prevent you from buying lingerie for your pastor's wife!

Practical vs. Whimsical

The next step is deciding which people on your list would enjoy practical gifts, which would appreciate whimsical gifts, and which could go either way. So, put a "P" (for "practical"), a "W" (for "whimsical"), or a "PW" (for "practical or whimsical") next to each name. Women who are practical might enjoy a handbag or a blender, while those who are whimsical would appreciate jewelry and painted glass. Those who straddle the fence might find leather goods appealing, since they're both practical and luxurious.

The man who's whimsical might enjoy any number of personal electronics, such as a gaming system or DVD player. A practical man who's into cars, on the other hand, would appreciate a car alarm or even automotive parts. A man with a foot planted in both camps might enjoy something like a radar detector, a headset, or a telephone.

The Zen of Shopping

When you have many people on your gift list, it's important to keep yourself from getting caught up in shopping mania - going to the mall and grabbing whatever's available. Now that you have a list that has helped you define your relationships and determined the kinds of gifts each person might enjoy, why not take your time and shop online? Online mega malls have tens of thousands of items that would make perfect gifts. Best of all, they're often available at wholesale prices and the online stores can dropship them in a matter of a few days. No hassles, no worries, and your holiday shopping is complete!

About The Author
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://www.majon.com

To learn more about subjects like Gifts please visit the web site at: http://365megamall.eordersonline.com/

For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Gifts and Collectibles directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Gifts_and_Collectibles

Homeschooling: How to Get Started

Homeschooling is becoming a common alternative to traditional classroom teaching. Today, more parents and guardians are opting to teaching their children at home, with an estimated 750,000 to 1,000,000 students learning in a home environment. Many parents believe that homeschooling provides their children with a custom or more complete education than public or private schools. It is easy to get started â€“ you just have to do your homework.

Legality -- Can I Teach my Child from Home?

It is legal to homeschool your child in the U.S. and many other countries. Each state has different laws regarding homeschooling, which can range from simple guidelines to more formal legal requirements. Look for a local, state or regional home education organization to provide basic information on the laws that pertain to your state.

Finding the Support You Need

Some home education departments will also provide a list of support groups in your area. These support groups are usually run by volunteers who also homeschool their children. You can find a support group in your area to get the encouragement and information you need from experienced homeschooling families.

In addition to state and local support groups, private groups can be particularly helpful. Their services range from providing books, materials and other resources to consultation, testing and distance education programs. These groups are designed to serve homeschooling families and not only sell the supplies and services you need, but provide helpful information and referrals.

Additional Resources

There are many resources available to the new homeschooler. Get the information you need to get started on the right foot. Read books on homeschooling. Browse web pages and links and read different articles that are available to you.

Remember that the benefit of homeschooling is that you can customize the education to fit the needs of your children and your family. You can choose the educational methods that work best for you.

http://www.alliedhighschool.com

About The Author
Heather Brunson is a lead marketing writer for Allied Schools. She has a B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis on public relations. She has additional experience in technical writing.