Alzheimer’s disease is one of the main reason people die in the United States. With no official treatment to cure the disease, we have to find ways to prevent it. One of the best solutions to pay attention to your diet. There are some fruits and vegetables that improve our memory and help us fight against this disease.

If you did not by now, dark berries and olive oil are really good in protecting the brain’s glial cells. They are more than the nerve cells and they have a lot of neurological functions that help us think clear and have a normal life. Pay attention to them and try to use olive oil instead of the normal one because it is healthier.

Spinach and asparagus are also really helping with our cognitive ability. We know that not many people enjoy eating them, but they have a high vitamin K content. This vitamin helps older people to not develop Alzheimer’s. Spinach is recommended to seniors and they should have at least one meal in a day that contains this vegetable.

For those of you who are not enjoying vegetables, you could try the green tea. Researchers discovered that it has benefits for older people. The green tea is able to protect your brain from cognitive disorders. Moreover, it is good for your health and it gives you a good feeling.

Fish is also one of the best options for your diet if you want to prevent Alzheimer’s. The omega-3 acids that can be found in salmon or fish oil will help you with your memory. Do not forget that the human body is not able to produce omega-3 acids, so you have to take them from your food.

Another important advice is to eat small meals. This way your blood sugar level will be balanced. Researchers found there is a connection between the high blood sugar and mental issues. Moreover, having small meals more times in a day is also better for your weight.

Diet can’t cure Alzheimer’s, but it can prevent it. Eating healthy food will also protect you from many other diseases and you will feel better. What you eat can improve or damage your health.

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Stop using the five-second rule as an excuse for eating off the floor. A new study shows that bacteria can contaminate the food that you just dropped in less than a second.

“The five-second rule is a significant oversimplification of what actually happens when bacteria transfer from a surface to food,” said study lead researcher Donald Schaffner, a professor and extension specialist in food science.

The doctor also mentioned that the food could be contaminated by bacteria instantaneously.

The experiment consisted in dropping different types of aliments on a variety of surfaces. They used watermelon, gummy candy, and bread. Ceramic tile, wood, carpeting and stainless steel are the types of surfaces used in the experiment, and they were contaminated with a salmonella-like bacteria

After the surfaces had been dry, they started the research and evaluated the transfer of bacteria from the surfaces to each food. They let the food stay on the ground for 1 second, five seconds and up to 300 seconds. Overall they had a total of 2,560 measurements after completing 128 scenarios 20 times.

They discovered that a longer exposure to the bacteria made the germs spread worse, but it can also get contaminated in just one second.

Another factor that influenced the germs spread was moisture. So if the food is wetter, then the risk of being contaminated with bacteria grows.

“Bacteria don’t have legs, they move with the moisture, and the wetter the food, the higher the risk of transfer. Also, longer food contact times usually result in the transfer of more bacteria from each surface to food,” said the doctor

For instance, watermelon was affected more by the bacteria compared to the gummy bears that had the less amount of bacteria after the study.

The type of surface was an important factor as well. For example, if you drop food on the carpet it has less chances of developing germs than the food dropped on the stainless steel. The most variable levels of contamination were found on the wood surface.

So the type of food and the kind of surface that is dropped on are important factors in the way the bacteria develops on the food. Overall the scientist dunked the five-second rule.

Did you apply the five-second rule?

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Federal health officials announced that nearly 10 million adults in the United States thought about committing suicide last year. SAMHSA which represents the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that the rates of suicide had increased 27 percent since the year 2000.

According to the survey, 1.4 million adults tried to kill themselves but were unsuccessful while more than 3 million adults reflected on death. However, over the past eight years, the rates of people trying to take their own lives have remained constant.

According to a recent SAMHSA survey, the rates of suicidal thoughts have increased in young people aged 18 to 25. The rates enhanced to 8.3 percent from 7.5 percent in 2014.

Moreover, in 2015 there has been a 2 percent rise in young women who have failed to commit suicide.

More than 42,000 Americans die from suicide each year. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the 10th cause of death in the United States. Being the National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, SAMHSA asks for $88 million in funding to further prevent suicides amongst Americans of all demographics and age groups.

Kana Enomoto, the Principal Deputy Director of the agency, said that more effort should be made in raising awareness of the fact that suicide is preventable. Everyone in need should be provided science-based, efficient services. All these programs during the National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month are designed to assure people that there is a brighter future for them and to save lives.

Everyone including friends, family, co-workers, teachers, faith community leaders and healthcare providers could reach someone in need and assist them in getting the help they require.

The report noted that individuals who are heavy drinkers or consume drugs are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than in people who do not drink alcohol or take drugs. Only 4 percent of individuals who do not abuse such substances had suicidal thoughts in comparison to more than 10 percent of the other adults.

According to the statement, more than 30 percent of people who experienced depression considered suicide, while 10 percent of them made an actual plan of how to do it and 4 percent failed to commit suicide.

Another troubling result of the report was that of all these individuals who considered taking away their lives, only 50 percent of them received counseling or mental health treatment.

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We have already known that pregnant women are exposed to a lot of dangers. Moreover, most of the threats can affect their babies too. Doctors are advising pregnant women to pay attention because gestational diabetes can lead to complications and many consequences for the newborns.

Researchers wanted to find out how dangerous diabetes can be for a pregnant woman. According to them,  this disease is not the only factor that can cause problems for the babies. If the mother has a high level of glucose, this could be enough to cause complications during pregnancy. There are a lot of health issues the baby can have, including fetal macrosomia. This means that is very likely that the baby will be  overweight. This disease is making babies larger than average, no matter how old they are.

Gestational diabetes is a condition that develops during pregnancy. Even if you have no health problems before, you could discover that you suffer from this disease.  It affects the mother and the child. Doctors gave women treatment for high glucose level, but it does not seem to lower the risks.

If you want to prevent gestational diabetes, there are some studies who prove that this disease is most likely to strike during summer. Researchers used ten thousand of pregnant women and discovered that their glucose level was lower in spring months. Moreover, the level increased during summer, so there is a bigger chance to get the disease in that period of time.

Researchers are still trying to find a solution for gestational diabetes. The problem is not so easy to solve, having in mind that there are more lives in danger. Pregnant women should see a doctor every month to see if there is any problem.

The American Diabetes Association discovered that 9.2 percent of pregnant women can have gestational diabetes.  Women should pay attention to their sugar level no matter what season is or if they had health issues in the past.  Avoid too many sugary drinks during pregnancy,  eat as healthy as you can and be aware of the dangers that can happen during this period of time. Your child is vulnerable to many threats and gestational diabetes is just one of them. There will be more research in the future to discover if the this type of diabetes is a bigger problem during summer.

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At the 9/11 remembrance ceremony in New York City, Hillary Clinton was seen stumbling into a car after appeared to be struggling to stand upright and her public statement blamed her pneumonia diagnosis, but it seems that dehydration caused her experience.

Bill Clinton, her husband, mentioned that on more than one occasion but not very often, this kind of situation happened to her when she got dangerously dehydrated.

A close contact with the Democratic nominee says that her reluctance to regularly drink water has converted into a cause of tension between Hillary and her staff. The same source mentioned that a rehydration mission is advised in this case because she won’t listen when everybody tells her she needs to drink water.

More than 75 percent of American individuals are dehydrated according to recent studies, and they continue to mistake their symptoms with the ones of other diseases.

If Hillary Clinton is among the people suffering from chronic dehydration as she recently stated, a condition which was highlighted by pneumonia she was diagnosed with several days earlier, the next time a staff member approaches her with a glass of water, she is advised to drink it.

When a person is suffering from dehydration, the amount of water that goes in the body is less than the one the body loses and this process influences the functionality of the individual by reversing the balance of sugar and salt. The levels of water must be kept stable because they affect the body’s temperature, urination and bowel movement, and they enable waste elimination by sweating.

If the levels of water are not stable, they can control the increase in kidney stone risk or can lead to constipation or muscle damage. Treatment is highly advised for this kind of dehydration, and it involves the sufferer being connected to a drip that will renew fluids. However, 50 percent of the patients treated for kidney stones are known to encounter recurrence in less than ten years.

Chronic dehydration has some early signs that could easily be detected like dry mouth, tiredness, feeling lightheaded and thirsty. If suffering from extreme thirst, lack of tears when crying, little or no urination, rapid breathing and heartbeat and dizziness when standing for several seconds, doctor’s opinion is needed urgently because these are all signs of chronic dehydration.

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Research suggests that the individual’s perception highly motivates a smoker’s addiction. The study wanted to show that the smoker’s brain could influence his belief about nicotine content.

24 nicotine-addicted people participated in the investigation and researchers noted that the smokers had to believe that the cigarette they smoke contained nicotine to satisfy their cravings.

The participant’s brains were analyzed with an fMRI machine immediately after they smoked.

The ones that were told they smoked a nicotine-free cigarette although they just enjoyed a regular one got no satisfaction from smoking. Moreover, people who were informed they smoked regular cigarettes although smoking nicotine-free smokes felt the pleasure of smoking.

The research participants were twice given a regular cigarette and twice a nicotine-free cigarette or a placebo. Moreover, they were once told the truth about the nicotine content and the other time, researchers lied about the content.

The fMRI scans proved that there was an enhanced action in the insula which is the region of the brain that manages a human’s desires for addictive substances, so, smokers had only satisfied their cravings when they were told their cigarette contained nicotine.

However, the individuals did not get the same satisfaction when smoking the placebo cigarette no matter what they were told.

The smoker’s rush of dopamine when nicotine enters the organism usually is what produces the good feeling which leads to satisfying the craving. This points us to the conclusion that when an individual is addicted, he craves the rush psychologically and physically. However, this satisfactions seems not to come when the smoker believes he is not getting any nicotine.

The findings of the study can change the way we look at quitting smoking. If we can counteract nicotine’s effect just by not believing, scientists think that there could be easier ways to stop than the patch or medicine. CDC stated that approximately 70 percent of the total smoker are considering quitting the habit, but only 6 percent of them will actually succeed to do so.

Symptoms of withdrawal will usually be encountered by people who stop smoking because their brain has rewired itself when dependent on nicotine. The symptoms which can range from fatigue, irritability, insomnia and depression to dizziness, stomach pains, tightness in the chest and difficulty concentrating represent the brain’s adjustment to not having nicotine in the organism anymore.

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A new study found that cardiologists do not usually prescribe statins for diabetes patients although the medicine is known to lower cholesterol levels which is highly advised when encountering this disease.

Almost two out of five patients are not prescribed the drug which was proved during previous research that could reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.

By analyzing data in the United States from 204 cardiology practices, the findings showed that 38 percent of middle-aged diabetes patients have not been advised to take statins.

The American Heart Association along with the American College of Cardiology have recommended that any 40 years or older diabetic should be prescribed statins.

Dr. Robert Eckel, the director of atherosclerosis for the Academy of Colorado School of Medicine and former chairperson of the American Heart Association, said that he was expecting at most 15 to 20 percent of diabetes patients would not be on statins treatment. He believes that the current rate of almost 40 percent is unacceptable.

Even after considering the individual patient factors such as gender, race, age, high blood pressure,  tobacco use, insurance coverage and high cholesterol, the fluctuations in the prescription medicine methods was still 57 percent. It could mean that out of two similar patients being treated at two different cardiology practices, one would be 57 percent more inclined to be guided to take statins than the other.

For the research 215,193 records of patients aged 40 to 75 were analyzed. The patients visited physicians between May 2008 and October 2013. The study showed that the 62 percent of individuals that were prescribed statins were usually the ones with more risk factors that threatened their heart health.

Some patients weren’t prescribed the medicine because of its side-effects like muscle pains. Researchers removed 5,722 patients from their study because of documented statin intolerance and they also considered that some of the patients were not given the drug because of undocumented intolerance to the medicine.

However, the lead author of the research said that an individual must not be entirely taken off the drug if showing signs of intolerance. He also mentioned that doctors should focus more on how to reduce future risks like stroke and heart attack and not just try to solve the current problem that brought them face to face with their patient.

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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that only the flu shots should be used on individuals in the United States because the FluMist vaccine does not have equivalent benefits.

The painless version of the vaccine that represented a third of the pediatric influenza treatment in current years will not be offered for this fall.

The American Academy of Pediatrics agreed to CDC’s recommendation and advised parents to choose for their children aged six months and older the regular flu shot.

A family physician with Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, Dr. David Begert, agreed that the nasal spray was not as efficient as flu shots but also mentioned that scientists do not know exactly why the FluMist does not defend against several flu strains.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the nasal spray was only three percent efficient during the influenza season which usually starts in October and stops in May. The flu vaccine was known to be 63 percent effective in kids aged between two and 17 years old.

Flu usually kills more than  24,000 Americans every year including approximately 100 children. It is the reason why CDC advises parents to vaccinate their six months and older children with the regular flu vaccine which is known to decrease the risk of influenza by 50 to 60 percent.

Kaiser Permanente declared canceling an order of approximately 120,000 doses of FluMist in the Southern and Northern California operations. The canceled orders represent around eight percent of the total 1.5 million doses of influenza vaccine that the corporation provides its members across the nation.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention thinks that notwithstanding the FluMist issues, there will be enough doses of vaccine to be supplied to U.S customers, usually around 157 million and 168 million shot doses.

Assistant health administrator in Sonoma County, Karen Holbrook, warned that children under the age of two and senior over 65 years old ar the categories with the highest risk. Other divisions included in the maximum risk group are individuals with chronic heart, lung, liver, kidney, and nervous system conditions. Moreover, people suffering from diabetes, cancer, obesity and pregnant women are also at a greater risk.

A family physician who operates in the Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation building on Stony Circle mentioned that the vaccine benefits individuals who are most likely to suffer from disease from the flu virus.

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Everybody is convinced that exercising more has many health benefits, but scientists have now revealed another cause which will give us reasons be more active, like a reduced medical bill.

A Recent study proves that individuals who exercise more tend to spend less money on medical charges than their sedentary equivalents. The reason for the decreased medical bill appears to be the actual consequences of exercising regularly on cardiovascular illness.

The manager of the Center for Healthcare Advancement and Outcomes, Khurram Nasir, said that although the benefits of working out for our health have already been analyzed, he and his colleagues have centered on the economic result that this activity could have.

The research utilized information from the 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which analyzed 26,239 subjects over the age of 18. The scientist studied individuals with heart diseases including heart failure, coronary or peripheral artery condition, stroke or dysrhythmia.

They also paid close attention to people who encountered risks for heart illness like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or obesity. One of the findings of the research showed that although more individuals understand the benefits of working out, not many decide to take action. Less than 50 percent of the participants without heart disease achieved the advised the weekly exercise goals.

The suggestion of the American Heart Association is that individuals should either engage in an intense exercise for three days a week for at least 25 minutes or reasonably exercise five days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

It also wasn’t a surprise that the participants with heart disease had increased health care expenses than their equivalents who had no cardiovascular illness. The notable difference was considered by the researchers between people with heart disease who exercised weekly and those who did not frequently involve in physical activities.

The findings of the study showed that people suffering from heart disease who worked out at the suggested levels spent more than $2,500 less on medical bills than the individuals with cardiovascular problems which did not work out. It was also showed that the people with at most one heart risk who exercised regularly, spent a standard $500 less on preventive expenses per year in contrast to their companions who did not engage in physical activities.

While there are some health issues that individuals cannot dodge, the risk of cardiovascular illness is highly decreased by exercise. Probably the new research will convince patients to be more active by highlighting that exercise could also save them money.

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Stem cell or bone marrow transplants are known to save the lives of leukemia sufferers but finding an ideal donor could be a difficult task for most of the patients. When this is the case, alternative methods or umbilical cord blood could provide good results.

Recently, Dr. Filippo Milano, the lead author of the new research mentioned that cord-blood transplant should not be viewed as the last resort, as it is now. He states it must not be treated only as an alternative donor source.

Milano which is also the associate member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center believes that the cord-blood transplant could have significant outcomes.

The current treatment for leukemia replaces through transplant the patient’s bone marrow. The complicated process firstly involves finding a family member who can donate stem cells or bone marrow and whose blood needs to suit the patient’s blood. Unfortunately, the study author says that more than 70 percent of leukemia sufferers do not find a compatible family member donor. The next recommendation from doctors is to find a compatible unrelated donor who will not be entirely compatible according to the physicians.

The study recommends the transplant of cord blood from the umbilical cord or placenta of newborns. Similar to stem cell or bone marrow transplants, a cord-blood transplant can provide stem cells that generate new blood. The best thing about this method is that recipients and cord-blood donors do not have to be entirely compatible.

Specialists analyzed 582 patients suffering from leukemia. Milano highlighted that if the patient did not have a compatible stem cell or bone marrow transplant available, his other choice was either an incompatible transplant from an unrelated donor or a cord blood transplant.

The findings showed that the survival rate after a cord blood transplant was similar to the ones after compatible transplants from unrelated donors. Moreover, patients who underwent a cord-blood transplant were proved to live longer that those who experienced stem cell or bone marrow transplants from unmatched, unrelated donors.

Milano admitted that the prices for the cord blood transplant could be higher because of the amount of blood required. However, he is confident that due to new technology that will decrease the amount of blood needed, the prices will significantly drop.

Although this method seems to surpass the other transplant therapies, researchers believe that more studies are needed to confirm the benefits of cord blood transplants.

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