Drinking tea 'cuts ovarian cancer risk'

Drinking tea can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study.

"Our results indicate that drinking more than four cups a day of black, green or herbal tea may reduce ovarian cancer risk by almost 30 percent," said lead researcher Dr Christina Nagle from Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

Nagle said that despite previous animal studies suggesting that tea can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells, the results of human studies have been inconsistent.

"However, our findings support the idea that the antioxidants in tea may be beneficial against cancer in humans," Nagle said the study surveyed approximately 2,700 Australian women (half with ovarian cancer, and half without). Each woman was questioned about her diet and lifestyle, including tea-drinking habits.

"Green tea is thought to be the healthiest kind of tea. Although the results of our study did not show a stronger effect for green tea, combining all of the evidence worldwide suggests that drinking one or more cups green tea per day may reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer by 40 percent. However this needs to be confirmed through further research," Nagle said.

The study is published in Cancer Causes Control. (ANI)

The Garbage Truck Rule

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’ He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.

Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

"I love this type of philosophy and my thanks to Michael of  How to Forward for providing this online." James

Secret of natural beauty revealed

Forget cosmetic surgery. The ancient treatment of acupuncture is gaining new popularity as a beauty secret in Japan about 1,500 years after it first came there from China.

As aesthetic sessions increasingly go organic or employ traditional remedies, women at the "Beauty World Japan" exhibition this week lined up to try acupuncture, long known for its health advantages. Read original Reuters article here

Green Tea benefits patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Study on green tea's effects on intestinal enzymes. The researchers from University of Toyama in Japan concluded it could protect against or improve type 2 diabetes.
The study set out to determine if green tea would inhibit the carbohydrate-degrading capacity of alpha-glucosidase and glycogen phosphorylase, naturally occurring enzymes in the intestinal tract.

The team looked at cell cultures and found that green tea's gallated catechins (catechin 3-gallate, gallocatechin 3-gallate, epicatechin 3-gallate and epigallocatechin 3-gallate) effectively inhibited the enzymes. Thus, they concluded, "Dietary supplementation with these galated catechins or the green tea extract containing them... would contribute to the protection or improvement of type 2 diabetes," according to an abstract of the findings. Read original article here

Wisdom, What is it ?

Like pornography and art, wisdom can be difficult to clearly define, but usually when we encounter it, we recognise it. Thinking people pretty much agree it involves an integration of knowledge, experience, and deep understanding that incorporates tolerance for the uncertainties of life as well as its ups and downs. There's an awareness of how things play out over time, and it confers a sense of balance. People wth developed wisedom generally share an optimism that life's problems can be solved and experience a certain amount of calm in facing difficult decisions. Intelligence; if we could only figure out exactly what it is, may be necessary for wisdom, but it definitely isn't enough; an ability to see the big picture, a sense of proportion, and considerable introspection also contribute to the development of wisdom.

Can tea help high blood pressure?

Few foods have a reputation for soothing stress quite like a hot cup of tea.
Green tea, in particular, has been linked to reduced stress and anxiety, and it contains compounds that are said to relax blood vessels. But when scientists have looked at whether it lowers blood pressure, even by a little, the evidence is fairly weak. Some small studies have found that a few cups a day can shave some points from blood pressure levels, but others have found that it provides no help at all, and may even be counterproductive.

Still, the news is not all bad for tea drinkers.

In a recent randomized study financed in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists at Tufts University in Massachusetts recruited 65 men and women with modestly high blood pressure who were not taking medication. Some were randomly assigned to drink a cup of hibiscus tea three times a day, while others received a tea-flavored placebo.

After six weeks, the tea group saw a respectable drop in systolic pressure — the top number in the reading — compared with the placebo group, suggesting that the tea made a small impact.

Of course, replication is the cornerstone of good science, and one study is nothing to base conclusions on. Experts say more study is needed.
Green tea doesn’t seem to have much effect on blood pressure; hibiscus tea may have potential.

Thank you to: Anahad O’Connor, The New York Times

Acupuncture for Animals

Some might think that acupuncture is exclusively for the treatment of us humans, but it is also a very effective treatment for animals. This technique has been used in veterinary practice in China, in a limited form, to treat certain ailments. The Chinese also use acupuncture as preventive medicine against such problems as founder and colic in horses.

I found this article and thought you may be interested. Read original article here