HOW TO PREVENT CANCERS

Mangosteen, Queen of The Tropic Fruits. This has many benefits for health, especially for treating cancer. Xanthones function as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Xanthone compounds to counteract free radicals and prevent cell damage that inhibited cell degeneration process even today scientists are also conducting trials as a potential treatment for HIV

Read great benefits of peel mangosteen

How to Make peel Mangosteen Juice material
• 2 pieces of mangosteen
• Honey
• Water 200 ml
• Sugar to taste (better not use sugar)

How to Treat Fruit Mangosteen:
• Choose fruit mangosteen is clean and free of resins and waste mangosteen green petals
• Wash the mangosteen fruit to remove dirt on peel mangosteen
• Open mangosteen so broke.
• Take content and the inside of the peel mangosteen, try not to affected by the black peel mangosteen (outer skin) and not to resin take drawn as it may cause a bitter taste to the juice
• Put the fruit and. mangosteen peel into the blender add the honey, sugar and water.
• Blend until completely smooth

According to Dr. Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic, several lab tests and animal studies show that mangosteen has anti-inflammatory effects. Mangosteens are known to contain xanthones, which is a type of plant chemical that lab tests have shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory capabilities. This has led many users and proponents of mangosteen juice to tout the drug as a cure for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. However, as of October 2009, there haven't been any human studies to verify the effectiveness of mangosteen or mangosteen juice on people.
Fights Cancer and Heart Disease. Anti-Inflammatory
According to the American Cancer Society, in lab studies mangosteen has slowed down the growth of certain cancer cells. One study done on rats found that the rind of the fruit may reduce the risk of cancer cell growth. According to Dr. Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic, mangosteens are a strong source of anti-oxidants, and anti-oxidants have shown to protect against cancer and heart disease. Lab tests have shown that the mangosteen fruit can kill some bacteria and fungi. According to the American Cancer Society, these early lab studies and animal studies show that further research should be done to test whether the fruit can help prevent cancer in humans.

Other Uses

Mangosteen and mangosteen juice have been used for years in Asia to treat a variety of ailments. According to the American Cancer Society, folk healers in Asia make an ointment from mangosteen rind to treat eczema, injuries and infections. Other uses in Asia include boiling the bark or leaves to make a drink to deal with infections or menstrual problems. Mangosteen proponents tout it as being able to stop diarrhea and aid the immune system. One lab study has shown that mangosteen can stop the growth of bacteria that causes acne. It is important to note that no studies have been done on humans to test the effectiveness of the juice or fruit on people.

Benefits of the Acai Berry Good For prevention of cancer, premature aging and to maintain health. Fruit acai berry as one of the fruits that have anti-aging and weight loss. Even some companies use acai berries in cosmetics and beauty products

Acai fruit contains several compounds called anthocyanins and flavonoids. Anthocyanins are responsible for the substance elements of red, purple, and blue as the colors in fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Food that contains anthocyanins - such as blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and acai - it has a very strong color, ranging from dark purple to black.

Anthocyanins and flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against life's stressors days. They also have an important role in pencegahaan system cells. Free radicals are harmful byproducts produced by the body. Eating foods rich in antioxidants associated with aging and disease process by neutralizing free radicals.
By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.

Acai Berry Smoothie recepes
1 cup boiling water
2 Lipton® Purple Acai with Blueberry Green Tea Bags
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup ice cubes (about 5 to 6)
1/2 cup low fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp. honey
Nutrition Facts
Calories 130    
Calories from Fat
Total Fat 1g     2%
Saturated Fat 0.5g     3%
Cholesterol less than 5 mg     2%
Sodium 45mg     2%
Total Carbohydrate 28g     9%
Dietary Fiber 2g     8%
Sugars 24g    
Protein 4g
Vitamin A     2%
Vitamin C     15%
Calcium     10%
Iron     2%

New study found that daily consumption of a certain type of potato -- purple ones, that is --- can help lower blood pressure, without causing weight gain.
The research, conducted by Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, tracked 18 overweight or obese, hypertensive subjects who either ate six to eight small purple potatoes, with skins, at both lunch and dinner (for a daily total of 218 calories), or had no potatoes as part of their "normal" diet for four weeks. Then the participants crossed over to the other regimen.

On average, diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom number in a blood pressure reading -- dropped by a statistically significant 4.3 percent and systolic blood pressure -- the top number in a blood pressure reading -- dropped by 3.5 percent.

While eating potatoes, most of the subjects -- even those on anti-hypertensive medications -- experienced lower blood pressure, and none of the subjects gained weight.

Boast higher levels of polyphenol antioxidants that protect body cells against free radical damage that can increase disease risk. To preserve these powerful plant chemicals, subjects in Vinson’s study were asked to microwave their potatoes instead of using other cooking methods.

While research from larger sample sizes is needed, Vinson says the findings "provide at least some evidence that eating potatoes might be preventative like drinking coffee to reduce blood pressure." He notes that, like coffee, potatoes are high in a specific polyphenol called chlorogenic acid that has been shown to lower blood pressure in mice.

"The high cooking temperatures used to make French fries and potato chips seem to destroy most of the healthy substances in potatoes and leave mainly starch, fat and minerals," according to Vinson. Although the new study didn't include unfried red- and white-skinned potatoes, Vinson believes they will prove to produce similar body weight and blood pressure effects in future, larger human studies.

To maximize possible nutritional and health benefits and minimize calories, lightly sauté, mash, or microwave potatoes instead of frying them and watch how you dress them. My favorite potatoes are red oven-roasted potatoes, cut in quarters, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, and a pinch each of garlic and onion powder. Sweet potatoes cut into French fries and baked with a pinch of paprika and sea salt are also smart options.

Some recommendations for preparing potatoes from Jackie Newgent, R.D., author of "Big Green Cookbook:"

Credit : msnbc.msn.com health diet and nutrition

Nutrition Benefits: Fat free; saturated fat free; low sodium; cholesterol free; good source of dietary fiber; high in vitamin A; high in vitamin C; good source of potassium.

The health benefits for the sweet potato are amazing. High in fiber and Vitamin A and E, potassium and iron, low in fat and sodium – at just 118 calories it’s a great low calorie food too. In fact, recently the sweet potato has been categorized as an anti-diabetic food, because some animal studies have shown that consumption of sweet potatoes stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin resistance.

Pigments: lutein, zeaxanthin

Phytochemicals: eugenol, ferulic acid, isoquercitrin

you get an extra nutritional bonus with this recipe

Ingredients
Water
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup apples, skinless, finely chopped
1 cup fresh sweet potatoes

Nutritional Information
98 Calories
3 g Fat
4 g Protein
18g Carbohydrates

Home» diet ,healthy » Avocado juice recipes healthy good for diet losing weightOn this diet weight loss program, avocado juice should be made without adding sugar and milk into it, because if you add in with sugar and milk are not able to streamline the body but instead it will make the fat, because fat is not bad from avocados but from sugar and milk. Sweet so we can add it with honey, because honey is also good for the health of our bodies. recipes healthy, this is healthy food good for losing weight and for diet program.
Benefits and efficacy of avocado juice. in the 100 grams of avocado fruit contained about 300-400 IU of vitamin An and about 165 micrograms of carotene . Besides vitamin An in the avocado also contained a B vitamin that plays a very important role in the metabolism process, another case with vitamin C as an immune enhancer, vitamin C content of avocados about 14 mg per 100 grams of avocado fruit. While vitamin E may treat the skin such as skin tightening and inhibiting wrinkles.

Mixture of vitamins An and E can be useful to smooth the skin, tighten, making the skin supple, and drop wrinkles on the face so it looks fresh and youthful, while the combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, potassium and manganese make avocados good for maintaining healthy skin and hair. With the presence of folic acid and vitamin B, as well as other B vitamins, avocado ideal to stimulate the formation of collagen tissue.
Avocados can prevent strokes and heart attacks. This is due to the monounsaturated fat in avocado juice. These good fats can lowers bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol is needed by our body. Even a study conducted in Queensland, Australia, found that eating have to one-half of an avocado a day can beat low-fat diet that aims to lower the cholesterol the body. Given these findings we do not have to worry anymore drink avocado juice. Fat in avocados include unsaturated fats that do not make us fat and do not lead to high cholesterol. So that the stroke and heart attack can be avoided.

Opinion that said drink avocado juice can make our body fat is very counter to the study of the journal Diabetes Care, which revealed a person consuming the diet with monounsaturated fats can burn body fat, especially the abdomen. High blood sugar levels can store fat around the belly and hips.

An avocado has 114 micrograms of folic acid. This amount is enough to meet the 30% need of folic acid for pregnant women. Requirement of folic acid recommended for pregnant women every day, about 600 micrograms, 500 micrograms of breastfeeding mothers, as well as adult women 400 micrograms

Avocado juice recipes healthy
1 ripe avocado, peeled
1.5 glasses of fresh milk
2 tbsp of palm sugar melted with 2 tbsp of water
A pinch of salt
Melt 2 tbsp of palm sugar with 2 tbsp of water
Blend all ingredients
Pour the creamy avocado juice into 2 glasses of water.
Enjoy!

juice nutrition facts
Amounts per 1 cup, pureed (230g)
Fats & Fatty Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving
%DV
Total Fat 35.4g 55%
Saturated Fat 4.9g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 22.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.2 g

Total Omega-3 fatty acids 253mg
Total Omega-6 fatty acids 3886mg

nutritiondata. fruit juice benefits
List_of_nutrition_guides

 
Your right to make juice. Juice should not be taken for granted, be swallowed immediately, and into the stomach. Abdominal we do not have the ability to quickly pull the element that is in the juice. Stomach enzymes require a lot of processing to allow the running perfectly and quickly. If not then the juice will continue to be passed into the large intestine along with all of the nutrients that are still left in it. Becomes redundant and it is necessary to know how best to drink juice. The Right how to Drink Fruit Juice

Juice drink slow and steady manner. Enter a sip into your mouth, let it abide in the mouth for 5-15 seconds so that there is an enzyme in the saliva mixed with juice, then swallowed. Thus, to drink a glass of juice, it should be at least 2-3 minutes. This is a good way. This is almost the same as those who drank wine (wine). Juice should also be taken before the main meal, not vice versa. Say half an hour or an hour before lunch or dinner, you can drink the juice, not after. This is necessary so that when you drink juice, enzymes in the mouth and stomach are still widely available, so the juice can be processed well, not mixed with other foods. juice health facts

The Best Weight Loss Tips I’ve been told:

Tips to lose weight. the best:

1. If you really want to see improvements in your life sacrifices must be made.

2. The morning breakfast is important, it will keep you alert, awake and reduces hunger throughout the day.

3. Do not meet your plate to eat anything. Eat comfortably not too full. Stop when you feel 80% full.
4. Reduce your intake of carbohydrates and more protein. because the amount of carbohydrates you eat affects your blood sugar levels that affects the level of hunger. If in your diet more protein, you'll feel full longer.
5. Only eat when you are hungry. If the clock lunch and you are not hungry, do not eat lunch.

Wrong Tips

1. If you chew your food longer burn more calories

2. Take vitamins will make you lose weight

3. In slimming centers that claim to get rid of fat electronic machines is nonsense

4. Fat will be lost with a cream that you rub into your skin. This is also nonsense

5. Many powerful berry juice drink will make you lose 10kgs.

6. Lose 10kg in 3 weeks. You should try to realistically lose 1/2kg - 1kg per week
This fastest diet Fromula Click!

Believe that you can. Because you can.

Choosing your fruit for juice wisely. Basically all fruits and vegetables can be used to make juice, as long as it does not contain fat (fruit advocado) or substances that can cause irritation and allergies (pineapple, strawberries and other berries, but if not allergic can still be consumed). Materials used are raw, not cooked. Use organic and natural ingredients are not contaminated by the toxic substance or pesticide. Especially for people who are sick, try not to give food contaminated by pesticides and harmful chemicals. For example, cancer patients tend to be more sensitive to pesticides than healthy people or other diseased.

The definition of natural is a plant that is planted in the ground, not hidroponic, airophonic, without soil or other growing techniques. The resulting plants do not contain nutrients and minerals complete than that planted in the ground. In circumstances in which organic materials difficult to obtain, non-organic materials can still be used to thoroughly wash this material well and is always immersed for 5 minutes in advance with the water that has been poured with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (2 liters of water mixed with a teaspoon of 3% H2O2, can be purchased at pharmacies and cheap). This is the point that pesticides in food that dissolves skin and cleaned.

If you do a juice therapy, use of native trees, where you can go directly to producers / farmers and ensure that their products are completely organic. Do not stick to the type of fruit imports. Local fruit as well, even relatively fresh. You can make use of watermelon, cantaloupe, guava, guava kelutuk, starfruit, mango, Dutch eggplant, sweet orange, grapefruit, lime, soursop, suri cucumber, cucumbers, and other fruits are always available in the market. continue reading here for other article.

Banana and papaya can be eaten just like that, but in-juice is also quite tasty. For orange, it is easier just milked the masticator orange plates. Similarly, the vegetables, you can use carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, various types of lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, pok choi, beans, bean sprouts, and other vegetables that taste quite okay to eat (vegetables usually slightly unpleasant taste and smell , so sometimes mixed with fruit that tastes better)

What are the benefits of drinking raw fruit and vegetable juices vs eating the whole foods. Actually, in general it is best to take it all in person. Juice is only required for the practical course. Just imagine, for cancer patients, treatment requires taking the GT 13 cups (200 ml size) every day. This is equivalent to drinking about 3 liters of juice. When you have to eat, juice is equivalent to 9 pounds of fruit or vegetables every day. Clearly not possible to do. Because of that material was milked his juice and drink to ease. Read to make Fruit

There is another reason why it makes juice is better than eating right. In this particular case, also made with juice squeezed fruit with high pressure in order that additional enzym2 in the flesh of the fruit out and can be utilized in the body. Usually inserted into the fruit juicer, while the waste is then pressed again to take additional juice using high-powered press tool (1 ton press). When the fruit eaten just like that, a number of enzymes and content of fruits / vegetables was not able to get out just to get into the blood and eventually wasted. Though this enzyme is usually "therapeutic" and is needed by humans. Usefulness juicer is to issue this enzyme.

Truth and WRONG About WAY TO LOSE FAT Typically this is where most articles would stop and send you on your way.

This fastest diet Fromula Click!

Unfortunately that information alone won’t help you. After all, most of our clients “know” all that stuff when they come to us for help.

They know how to lose fat. But they’re still having trouble actually losing it.

Why?

It’s all about your daily practices.

Your behavior. Your habits. What you do every day. The decisions you make — both consciously and unconsciously. But how do you change a habit?

Most people struggle to lose fat because they try to do too much at once. People take an "all or none" approach to their body: They remove all unhealthy foods, go full throttle on exercise, and even try to remove bad habits like not getting enough sleep. After a couple of weeks, those good habits are replaced by withdrawal, frustration, and a belief that you’ll never be able to look the way you want.

It’s heart-breaking because we see it so often. Trying to do too much at once — trying to adopt and change 20+ new habits from the start — never works.

That’s why we feel lucky to be able to help. Our approach consists of doing one habit at a time. Mastering it, and then making progress. And by using that approach, we have shown that you can lose fat faster than ever and get in the best shape of your life.

This fastest diet Fromula Click!

Nature has made it possible to harness the power of fresh natural juice to reduce heart attacks and many diseases.These miraculous healing is possible when the body is given the natural nutrients it needs to do its job. The closer the food is to its natural state, the higher its nutritional value and benefits of the body. The life nutrients in foods are what give life to the body. The trillions of living cells in the body need life-giving foods to survive and maintain good health. Good health means everything in the body is functioning normally, such as heart function, blood pressure, weight, digestive health or hair growth.
When one follows a healthy lifestyle of juicing with a healthful diet rich in vegetables and fruits, coupled with lifestyle changes that include good nutrition, hydration, regular exercise, stress management, relaxation and positive motivation , one can prevent many diseases, and even reverse a degenerative medical conditions such as heart attacks.

The best way to get nutrients from fruits and vegetables is by juicing.

Heart Healthy Juicing Recipes

Why Juicing is healthy heart?

Juices are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are easily assimilated within fifteen minutes of drinking. Juice is rapidly distributed throughout the body to build, heal, repair and restore optimum heart health.

Juices cleanse the blood, which is the lifeline of the body. Clean blood loaded with nutrients will ensure that the heart healthy long life.

Juicing helps to pre-digest food so it can be easily absorbed by the body.

Juicing deposition of insoluble fiber. If a carrot is eaten, one can only get 1% of beta-carotene, but if it is

Juiced, essentially a 100% beta-carotene will be assimilated.

Juicing allows anyone to get over nutrients the body needs, because it is unlikely you can eat several pounds of fruits and vegetables every day.

Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes. Enzymes workforce of the body that facilitates digestion, absorption, conversion of food into body tissues, and production of energy at the cellular level.

Store-brand juice is pasteurized (heated to kill germs). Pasteurization also kills the beneficial enzymes found naturally in fruits and vegetables. In addition, water, corn syrup, sweetener and preservatives are added to the juices, thus diminishing their nutritional value.

Vegetable and fruit juices detoxify by acting like a decongestant that flushes dead cells of the body and dissolves plaque buildup.

Juicing vegetables and fruits helps to reduce cholesterol, dissolves clogged arteries, reduces the risk of heart attack, reduces high blood pressure, dissolves the kidney stones, cleanses liver, prevents cancers, and increase energy.

Eating natural foods by juicing is a beneficial way to get the whole food, pure and fresh, wholesome. The miraculous powers of Miracle Juicing with its combination of selected fruits, vegetables and herbs, provides a "cure all" potent healer to rid the body of toxins, normalize all bodily functions, prevent many diseases and provide more energy, healthier heart, better sleep, normal blood pressure, good digestion and a strong immune system. This change coming from the cellular level deep within the deep and add many years of life.

Benefits. Wuluh star fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) can be used as a syrup, spice or vegetable dishes, clean the stain clothes, polishing brass goods, and as an ingredient of traditional medicine.

Besides fruits, leaves and stems can also be a mixture of drugs. This is because some chemical substances contained in plants such as sponin, tannin, glucoside, calcium oxalate, sulfur, original format, and the peroxidase contained in the stem wuluh starfruit. Also tannins, sulfur, sulfuric origin, peroxidase, potassium citrate and calcium oxalate in the leaves. Meanwhile, star fruit wuluh itself efficacious as an analgesic, and diuretic.

High blood pressure
To cope with high blood pressure do I boiled 3 pieces of sliced ??starfruit with 3 cups of water until half. Then strain and drink in the morning.

Bleeding gums
Consumption of fresh fruit starfruit with sugar on a daily basis. Can also two starfruit eaten every day.

Compress Pain Medication Mumps
The leaves pounded with garlic and kompreskan the mumps part. For mumps, half handheld starfruit leaves with three cloves of crushed garlic.

Cough lozenge
Leaves, flowers, fruits, each of which as many boiled in boiling water for 1/2 hour, then drink the water.
The second way, a handful of starfruit leaves, a handful of flowers and two star fruit, sugar, boiled in two cups of water until the water is staying half. Strain and drink twice a day.

Diabetes
Six fruit starfruit crushed and boiled with a glass of water until the water is staying half. Strain and drink twice a day.

The health benefits of lime include weight loss, skin care, good digestion, relief from constipation, eye care, and treatment of scurvy, piles, peptic ulcer, respiratory disorders, gout, gums, urinary disorders, etc.

Recipes
½ small pineapple
½ stick celery
1in chunk of cucumber
1 small handful of spinach leaves
1 small piece of peeled lime
2 apples
½ ripe avocado
Ice cubes

Juice the pineapple, celery, cucumber, spinach, lime and apples. Place the ripe avocado flesh in a blender along with the ice and juice mixture. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy.
Lime is consumed throughout the world in sorbets, beverages, refreshing drinks, pickles, jams, jellies, snacks, candies, sugar boiled confectionaries and culinary and the oil extracted from its peel or skin is extensively used in soft drink concentrates, body oils, cosmetics, hair oils, tooth pastes, toilet and beauty soaps, disinfectants, mouth washes, deodorants and innumerable other products. There are many varieties of lime found all over the world, particularly in the tropical and the Mediterranean climates.

Let us have a glance over the benefits and medicinal uses of lime.
Scurvy: Lime is so famous as a cure for scurvy, the disease which is caused due to deficiency of vitamin-C and characterized by frequent infections with cough and cold; cracked lips and lip corners; ulcers in tongue and mouth; spongy, swollen and bleeding gums etc. that now a days even a child can tell you that. Since its cause is deficiency of vitamin-C, its remedy is none other than vitamin-C, and lime is blessed with this vitamin. In olden days, soldiers and sailors were given lime to keep safe from scurvy, which was a dreaded disease then. Even now, it is distributed among the workers working in polluting environments like those working in furnaces, painting shops, heat treatments, cement factories, mines etc. to protect them from scurvy.

Skin Care: Lime juice and its oil are very beneficial for skin when consumed orally or applied externally. It rejuvenates the skin, keeps it shining, protects it from infections and reduces body odor due to presence of a large amount of vitamin-C and Flavonoids, both of which are class-1 anti oxidants, anti biotic and disinfectants. When applied externally on skin, its acids scrub out the dead cells, cures dandruff, rashes, bruises etc. and gives you a refreshing bath if its juice or oil is mixed into your bathing water.

Digestion: Lime has an irresistible scent which waters the mouth and thus aid primary digestion (the digestive saliva floods your mouth even before you taste it). Then the acids in it do the rest. While they break down of the macro molecules of the food, the Flavonoids, the compounds found in the fragrant oils extracted from lime, stimulate the digestive system and increase secretion of digestive juices, bile and acids and also stimulate the peristaltic motion. This is the reason behind having lemon pickle with lunch and dinner is an age old practice in India and some of its neighboring countries.

Constipation: Primarily, the ample of acids present in lime helps clear the excretory system by washing and cleaning off the tracts, just like some acids are used to clean floor and toilets. Then the roughage in it is also helpful in easing constipation. But it is mainly due to high acids. An overdose of lime juice with salt also acts as an excellent purgative without any side effects, thereby giving relief in constipation.

Peptic Ulcer: In addition to vitamin-C, lime contains special compounds called Flavonoids (Limonoids such as Limonin Glucoside) which have anti oxidant, anti carcinogenic, anti biotic and detoxifying properties which help healing of peptic and oral ulcers.

Respiratory Disorders: The oil, containing Flavonoids and certain oils, extracted from lime is extensively used in anti congestive medicines such as balms, vaporizers, inhalers etc. due to presence of Kaempferol. Just scratching the peel of a lime and inhaling it gives immediate relief in congestion and nausea.

Eye Care: Vitamin-C again! Its anti oxidant properties protect eyes from aging and macular degeneration. Flavonoids help protect them from infections.

Gout: There are two main causes of Gout. While the first reason is accumulation of free radicals in the body; the second is accumulation of toxins, primarily uric acid. Now, limes can help you with both of these. It is a reservoir of anti oxidants & detoxifiers (vitamin-C & Flavonoids) which free radicals as well as detoxify the body.

Gums: The root causes of gum problems are deficiency of vitamin-C (Scurvy, which gives bleeding and spongy gums) and microbial growth. Sometimes, the ulcers and wounds from bones, hard objects etc. are also the causes. In all of these, limes can help you. Its vitamin-C cures scurvy, Flavonoids inhibit microbial growth and potassium and Flavonoids help heal ulcers and wounds.

Piles: Since lime helps heal up ulcers and wounds in the digestive system and excretory system and gives relief from constipation too, it eradicates all the root causes of piles.

Weight Loss: A glass of warm water with a full-lime juice in it is an excellent weight reducer as well as a brilliant refresher and anti oxidant drink. The citric acid present in lime is an excellent fat burner. Just have two glasses a day and see the remarkable result within a week.

Urinary Disorders: The high potassium content of limes is very effective in removal of the toxic substances and the precipitates deposited in kidneys, urinary bladder and its disinfectant properties help cure infections in the urinary system. It also stops prostrate growth (very common in males above 40) and clears blockage of urine due to deposition of calcium in the urinary tract.

Other Benefits: It is a good appetizer and digestive. It helps cure arthritis, rheumatism, prostrate and colon cancer, cholera, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, fatigue, heart diseases and even very high fever (in contrary to popular belief). The best part of it is that it has no side effects.

Few Words of Caution: The seeds of all citrus fruits (and also apples) are poisonous and if ingested in large quantity (even a small handful) can be fatal. So, avoid chewing or swallowing the seeds when you use limes.

5 Healthy Foods For Healthy Skin

1. Spinach
If eating spinach at least three times a week can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer by 55%. This is because spinach contains several nutrients that are good for the body, especially the skin such as vitamin A, C, and E. Not to forget the two types carotein; lutein and zeaxanthin keep the defense the skin from the sun can damage the skin condition. Besides anti oksidannya also very good for preventing cancer and fiber to aid digestion loh!

2. Tomatoes
A lot of people who do not menmyukai tomatoes, but if you already know will usefulness would immediately infatuated with fruit that taste this fresh acids. Substances contained Lycopene in tomatoes reduce the risk of your skin
fire and also prevent skin cancer. Lycopene is the most plentiful substance in tomatoes that has been thoroughly cooked. Well, if you do not really like the whole tomatoes you can work around this by smearing tomato sauce on pizza that you make. Or mix in a mixed salad with basil.

3. Black Raspberries
All kinds of berries are good for tackling the problems of cancer, but do you know if this is the type of Black Raspberries 'Queen' of all kinds of berries? Black Raspberries Fruit berries in particular are very good at protecting the brain cells. The researchers also made a gel to protect the skin from sunburn. Fresh or frozen fruit efficacy is the same magnitude.

4. Pomegranate
Not only is the fruit that has a property, but also with the red seeds have proven resistance to sunlight. This fruit can also coat the skin cells of inflammation and adverse effects of UVB. Try and give topping grilled salmon with pomegranate-avocado salsa. Try also mix it with lemon, onions, avocado slices and pomegranate seeds last. Place the meat on the grill salmon that has been in before.

5. Dark Chocolate
This is one type of food that tastes good and is healthy. The effects are not only feeling happy because your brain feeling relaxed and comfortable feeling because of the hormone endorphin produced. It is also capable mamacu very good blood flow to the skin. And probably a lot of women really like it when PMS comes over.

Mangosteen peel have content xanthone compounds present many developed and produced in the form of syrup, then the name of xanthone syrup. This syrup is very popular because it contains antioxidants that can fight free radicals Several studies have shown, these compounds have properties as antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiplasmodial, and boost immunity.
there are about 75 benefits that can we get from the peel mangosteen, if you routinely drink. the most out certainly we will get

- Strengthen the immune system.
- Heal inflammation.
- Improving communication between cells.
- DNA damage fail.
- Tool of the lymph system.
- Maintaining optimal thyroid function.
- Reducing insulin resistance.
- Help with weight loss.
- Curing nerve damage.
- Balances the endocrine system.
- Helps prevent heart disease.
- Strengthen blood vessels.
- Lowering LDL cholesterol.
- Lowering high blood pressure.
- Helps heal ulcers / sores.
- Alleviate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Help stop diarrhea.
- Can alleviate inflammatory bowel Crohn `s disease.
- Increase energy and boost stamina.
- Slowing the aging process.
- Help prevent dementia and Alzheimer `s.
- Help prevent kidney stones.
- Help prevent Parkinson's disease.
- Relieves pain due to arthritis.
- Reduce fever.
- Overcoming food poisoning.
- Heal the throat.
- Helps heal ulcers.
- Overcoming shortness of breath.
- Helps reduce migrant

While method is simple xanthone syrup processing are as follows: Wash fruit peel, then cut the fruit grain leather 2. Furthermore, pieces are boiled in 4 cups of water, so the remaining 2 cups. Filtered cooking water that is drunk regularly 2-3 times a day. For other ways you can read How to Make peel Mangosteen Juice.

Just a warning only if the peel Mangosteen also contains high levels of resin, tannin, crude fiber, and other components that can not be digested body at high levels. It may be the case arise from consuming mangosteen rind powder form without good treatment, such as the Healthy Kidney Disorders and intestines as well as in other organs, if such cases appear immediately discontinue use and consult a doctor. You should consume the ready-made syrups xanthone and existing label production permit and approved by health authorities.

Essentially there is no timetable for drinking juice. You can drink juice anytime and as many times as you like. Just try to eat a heavy meal before his time. For those accustomed to only drink one or two glasses a day, preferably taken before meals so that absorption of the enzyme effectively. Especially for doing coffee enema, it is recommended to drink 1-2 glasses of juice immediately after the enema, because there electrolit in the blood is wasted during the enema and need to be replaced by juice. For the treatment of cancer patients with GT, for "full protocol" patients need to drink 13 glasses of water every day, an average glass every hour. For those who did not complete the protocol number can be adjusted, of course, lower. Gerson Therapy for the treatment, the amount of fruits and vegetables (organic) needed very much, and it took extra effort just to make her juice. Strenuous enough. Read for diet

Benefits of Red Fruit to weaken the AIDS virus
Red fruit containing tocopherol and beta-carotene are very high that function as antioxidants and can improve the immune system. With the combination between tocopherol and beta-carotene would destroy the amino acids needed by the virus that causes AIDS, HIV, the virus dies.

Benefits of Red Fruit healing for Cancer and Tumor
Causes of cancer and tumors arise because hormones in the body that causes the growth of meat in the normal tissues. With the content of 11,000 ppm and 7,000 ppm tocopherol beta-carotene functions as an antioxidant and boosts the immune system and prevent the propagation of cancer cells.

Benefits of Red Fruit for healing. Blood Pressure and Stroke
For the cause of stroke is a blood clot and the narrowing of blood vessels. One of the triggers of this disease is high blood pressure. High blood pressure is itself the cause of the heart that pumps the blood too fast, so the lack of oxygen or oxygen blood is too thick. With the tocopherol content of the red fruit can thin the blood as well as improving blood circulation, so that the oxygen content of the blood is normal.
Benefits of Red Fruit for healing Gout
Causes of gout because tergangunya liver function, so that the liver produces excess uric acid. Cause uric acid deposited in the kidneys to stone and brought to the ends of the fingers and toes and collect there. Tokoperol in blood red fruit and improve the work system lever after lever system work better will memperoduksi uric acid levels were normal.

Benefits of Red Fruit for healing diabetes mellitus (diabetes)
The cause of this disease by the pancreas gland is unable to produce insulin in sufficient quantities. consequently increases the sugar content in the blood. Pancreatic tokoperol be repaired if found in red fruit, so it will be back to normal pancreas.

Benefits of Red Fruit for pregnancy
The content of Omega 3 and Omega 6 are contained in red juice will stimulate the brain and improve intelligence. It is therefore very suitable for red fruit consumed by children and pregnant women.

Benefits of Red Fruit to increase fertility. and male urges
Vitamin E in the red fruit will help children improve sperm production, but it red fruits containing high energy, which is 360 calories. red fruit extract red fruit oil red fruit recipe

Guava fruit health benefits. When you have diarrhea, everything that goes in, comes out. When drinking lots of water or coconut juice our body can maintain the water it needs. Also eating rice porridge can help slow the diarrhea down, helping you keep the water and nutrients that your body needs.

RECIPES Materials needed: a cup with a hole, guava leaves, pot, stove, drinking water, spoon, cups to serve.

There are two things you can do to help heal diarrhea. First, drink lots of water or, even better, coconut milk. Second, make medicine from guava leaves.  Take a handful of fresh guava leaves and rinse them in clean water.  Chop the leaves.  Boil them in about two cups of water with a pinch of salt, strain and cool.  You can keep the leaves in the water for hours ahead of drinking.  The medicine is stronger if

the leaves are allowed to soak into the tea for several hours.  Drink half a cup every three hours as needed for diarrhea.  This will slow the diarrhea down and give you more energy.  If the diarrhea continues for more than two days, has blood, has mucus, or occurs over five times in an hour, you should see a doctor
Guava and the guava tree have lots of medicines that can be used to treat sickness.  Do you know of other sicknesses that can be treated with guava or the guava tree?  Ripe guava can be eaten when you are constipated to help you have a bowel movement. When you have a toothache or painful gums, you can place washed leaves in your mouth on the sore spot. Chew the leaf a little bit to release the medicine into the painful tooth or gum. guava fruit juice

Many find it a difficult task to get their kids to eat healthy. Most kids prefer a diet of fruit roll-ups and ice cream, however, it is important to get your kids eating healthy at a young age. Whole grains are very important for your kids to consume. Starting off the day with a bowl of Cheerios is a great way to get started on the recommended six ounces of whole grain your child should consume. If he has a big enough eater, they can get all six ounces at breakfast! Also important is the consumption of calcium. Foods that are rich in calcium build strong bones and may ultimately prevent osteoporosis.

When preparing Food or snacks for your kids, it is often important to prepare meals fast and easy to make. It is also important that these snacks are low in sugar and fat, as well as high in fiber and nurtrients. It can be a challenge if your kids are used to eating candy and hot dogs all the time, so you may need to get creative.

Healthy Recipes For Kids
One option is to turn chicken nuggets into a healthy snack.
To do this you need to skinless, boneless chicken breasts, non-fat buttermilk, flour, corn flakes, salt, and pepper. Fill a bowl with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with buttermilk, and one with crushed corn flakes. Cut the chicken breasts into squares. Dip the chicken breast squares into the flour. Shake all the excess flour and dip the chicken in buttermilk. Next, coat the chicken with crushed up corn flakes. Get as much as you can to stick. Finally, put the "chicken nuggets" on a cookie sheet covered with foil. Back for 14-16 minutes at 375 degrees. You can make extra if you want, because it's still good the next day. Also, children may be included in the preparation, if you do not mind the mess.

Soursop fruit Instead of giving your kid ice cream for dessert, replace it with a smoothie with fruit. You can make a banana smoothie in a matter of minutes. All you need is a frozen banana, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup yogurt, and 1/4 cup of blueberries. If you have bananas that are going bad, put it in the freezer and save them for this occasion. One you get all the ingredients, combine them in a blender, and blend them until smooth. That was not so hard, was it?

It can be a difficult transition when getting your kids to give sweets. You may be surprised by the healthy snacks your child will enjoy. It is important to keep trying new things until you find a variety of healthy foods that your child enjoys. Sure, every child deserves the occasional treat of pizza or ice cream, but try it just that, an occasion.

Both juicing and blending give you a huge shot of dense nutrition that your body will absorb like a sponge. There are some important differences, but the main thing is that it isn’t a contest – both make a valuable contribution to a raw food lifestyle, though in different ways.

“Raw vegetable juices…are digested and assimilated within 10 to 15 minutes after we drink them and they are used almost entirely in the nourishment and regeneration of the cells and tissues, glands and organs of the body. In this case the result is obvious, as the entire process of digestion and assimilation is completed with a maximum degree of speed and efficiency, and with a minimum of effort on the part of the digestive system.”
- Norman Walker, "Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices", pg 9

Juicing is designed to extract as much densely packed nutrition from vegetables as possible by removing all the fiber (pulp). This makes it faster and easier for your body to assimilate all this nutrition without activating your digestive system. When you have fiber in a meal, or even a smoothie, it can take hours to digest and absorb. But with fresh raw juices your body can do the same job in minutes!

Of course, there is nothing wrong with fiber – it is an essential part of a raw food diet. You have to eat food! Juicing is only one tool you need in a raw food lifestyle to assure yourself of getting the high nutritional density a raw food diet needs to b successful. But it isn’t a replacement for eating real food. In addition,  juicing is ideal for cleansing and detoxification as well as for people with very sensitive digestive systems that may be sensitive to a high fiber raw food diet when the first start.
The benefits of zero fiber means juicing is easy on your digestive system, so is often used for juice "feasts" or fasts as a method to gently cleanse and detox the body while giving the digestive system a rest.  Smoothies and drinks made with blenders don't do that. A high powered blender like the Vitamix or Blendtec cracks open the cellular wall of your fruits or veggies, releasing all the nutrients and making them easier to assimilate – but it is much more lick eating a meal since you still have all the fiber and other ingredients in the smoothie.  You get better assimilation, but not the concentrated nutritional density of juice because you couldn't ever get as much food into a Blendtec or Vitamix as you get when you make just one glass of juice.  For example, a typical juice recipe for me includes:

    2 carrots
5 large kale leaves
1/2 a bunch of parsley
1 large cucumber
8 large stalks of celery
1 knob of ginger

You could never eat this much all at once if you had to thoroughly chew it. Blending it would include a lot but still no where near as much. 

I use my Blendtec regularly to make smoothies almost every morning instead of breakfast. This is part of my Fast, Easy 75% Raw Food Strategy. The way that works is based on the fact that (with snacks counting as one meal) we normally eat 4 meals a day. So if you have 2 raw meals plus raw snacks you are automatically a 75% raw foodist! To make that easy I usually have a smoothie every morning, a big salad for lunch or dinner, all raw food snacks and then anything I want for dinner (within reason of course).

I use my juicer to occasionally replace meals when I want to lose a little weight, for a quick pick me up or during a fast – even a one-day fast. Finally, sometimes you want a smoothie with all the fiber to help "chimney sweep" the colon. Juice has no fiber so doesn't cleanse the colon at all. So both are good, ,but if I had to start with one I would start with a Blendtec or Vitamix because it is much easier to start a raw food program with smoothies than juices.

It is important to remember that even fresh, raw juices are highly concentrated, processed foods - only you did the processing yourself. So when you make fresh juice you are concentrating whatever is in the fruits or vegetables, from the vitamins and minerals (good) to the sugar (bad)!  Of course, we all know that fruits are loaded with of sugar, but even fresh raw vegetable juice can be high in sugar – especially non-greens like carrots or beets. 

The reason you have to be careful about making juices too sweet is that they can elevate your blood sugar, which is a problem for anyone with blood-sugar issues like diabetes or hypoglycemia. Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with hypoglycemia or diabetes you could have subtle symptoms that aren’t yet diagnosable from decades of eating processed foods that always have added sugar in them!  If you have known blood sugar issues please talk with your medical professional before you start juicing.

It is easy to forget that both smoothies and juices are processed FOOD and quickly chug them down like water. But you must always remember when enjoying juicers or smoothies to “drink your solids and chew your liquids.” Because digestion actually begins in the mouth, it is best to chew your smoothies and juices to thoroughly mix them with the digestive enzymes in your stomach. Neglecting this can cause imperfect absorption, or even gas and bloating.rawfoodlife juice health facts

Health benefits of grapefruit, which is known as a powerful drug-poison eliminator, are many. It works as a natural antiseptic for external wounds. It works as a liver tonic for the human body. It contains high water content which helps in changing the complexion of the skin along with increasing the metabolism. The pulp of grapefruit supplies healthy bulk to our body which aids bowel action. It also helps to quench the thirst and thus, reduces the burning sensation that arises during fever. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that intake of grapefruit reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Benefits in Assorted Diseases:
Appetite Loss: Grapefruit works as an excellent appetizer as compared to any other drug. It is said that smell of the grapefruit reduces the feeling of hunger. This is the reason why people include grapefruit in their weight loss programs. High fiber contained by this fruit can satisfy hunger and thus, avoids any overeating temptation.

Fever: The pulp or the juice of grapefruit provides assistance to the patient to recover easily from the fever. It reduces burning sensation that occurs during high temperature. It also cures several cases of cold and phenomena. Grapefruit juice, if combined with water, can quench the thirst.

Fatigue: Grapefruit is beneficial in the treatment of fatigue. It helps you to dispel your fatigue and general tiredness caused due to the routine work. It can bring about a refreshing feeling in you when you drink equal amount of grapefruit juice and lemon juice.

Influenza: Grapefruit is a valuable remedy for influenza as it helps to minimize acidity from the system. The bitter properties arising from an essence called 'maringin' in grapefruit tones up the system and the digestive swathe.

Malaria: The juice or the fruit itself consists of valuable and natural 'quinine' which are advantageous for the treatment of malaria. The quinine can be easily extracted from the fruits by boiling a quarter of grapefruit and spraining the pulp.

Acidity: The fresh grapefruit juice has alkaline reaction after digestion. The citric acid of the fruit is tarnished in the human body and thus, increases the effect of the alkalinity reaction after digestion. The juice extracted from the grapefruit is beneficial in preventing the acid formation and many other diseases that arise due to the presence of acidity in the body.

Indigestion: Grapefruit is useful for solving the problem of indigestion. It is very light as compared to other food articles and thus, acts immediately on indigestion by easing the heat and irritation caused in the stomach. It improves the flow of digestive juices, thereby improving the digestive systems.

Insomnia: A simple glass of grapefruit juice, if drunk before going to bed, can promote healthy and sweet sleep and thus, alleviates insomnia.

Diabetes: A diabetic patient can safely eat a grapefruit. The consumption of this fruit can reduce the starches from the body. If a patient is diabetic, intake of grapefruit can facilitate you to fight with this health issue.
Constipation: A glass full of fresh squeezed grapefruit in the morning is the best remedy to control the constipation. They result best in stimulating the colon and other parts of the body.

Flatulence: 10 to 20 drops of grapefruit seeds in the juice, taken before the meals and three times a day, work as an appropriate pro-biotic and digestive enzyme.

Urinary Disorders: Grapefruit juice is quite rich in potassium and vitamin C and thus, works as the best medicine in the case of scanty urination caused due to the liver, kidney or heart problems.

Guava fruit benefits and information
Benefits contained in guava juice include:
- Can reduce cholesterol in the blood and lower blood pressure
- Can prevent thrush
- Be able to lose weight
- Content of vitamin C in guava juice can relieve colds and coughs
- Content astrigent can cure diarrhea
- Can prevent the bone loss
- Red Guava juice reduce dengue fever
Natural Fruit Juices Coconut Mango Peach berry Guava fruit nutrition facts
1 fruit without refuse (90.0 g)   
calories in guava fruit 61
Calories from Fat 8% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.9g 1%
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 12.9g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4.9g 19%
Sugars 8.0g
Protein 2.3g
Vitamin A 11%
Vitamin C 342%
Calcium 2%
Iron 1%

The simplest way is to squeeze out the water earlier material. In order to remove the liquid of this plant may be necessary tool that can push water from the plant to the exit. But it turns out the majority of the tools are said to be a good juicer was not his performance. Juicer is sold in stores is generally high rotating juicer, where the blade spins horizontally at high speed.

Juicer good is wringer with low rotation. Usually these tools are one or two rotating lever that flushed vegetables (single screw or twin screw juicer slow rotation). This tool separates water and waste (pulp). In the grounds there is still water, nutrients, and enzymes that can still be processed in machine milking. Some juicer combining these two tools. Press equipment is not always necessary, but for people with this illness is recommended because the last milking it contains a number of enzymes that are good for sick people.

At high rotating juicer uses centrifugal knife, an enzyme in the liquid will die because of the emergence of electromagnetic juicer on the wall and a knife. Hence juice quality will decline. Vitamins are still there, but the enzyme is much decreased. The result will be much different, especially for a particular treatment or care. Juice the "bad" will not show a "healing reaction" to the wearer.

Juice should not be mixed with water or added to ice. If you want to cool, put it in the fridge. Juice also not be allowed to stay overnight before drinking. Try to drink a maximum of 2 hours after it was created, or a maximum of 4 hours if put in the refrigerator. If longer than the time before, the enzyme is dead and you only consume fruit juice with vitamin alone. Properties less than 50% of it should be. juice health facts

tomato juice

Tomato juice for the health benefits are:
- Powerful antioxidants that are useful for the body's defenses against free radicals.
- Content lyopene in tomatoes can prevent prostate cancer
- To maintain ideal body weight for those who are dieting to lose weight and can increase appetite for a moderate increase in weight as well as the recovery period after illness
- Preventing constipation (difficult bowel movements)
- Glycogen levels can stabilize liver function

Our expert: Professor David Hillman

Most of us have heard that we need less sleep as we age. So when older people spend hours awake in the middle of night or wake before the sun comes up, they tend to accept it as a normal part of ageing.

But do you actually need less sleep as you get older?

No, says Professor David Hillman, chair of the Sleep Health Foundation, older adults need the same amount of sleep as young people.

"Adult sleep requirements are pretty stable from about the age of 20 on. Sleep does change as you get older, but the sleep requirements remain pretty constant once you've established that in your early 20s," he says.

Hillman says it is remarkable how many older people endure feeling sleepy without seeking help, because they think it is a natural part of ageing. But in many cases there is a reason for this poor sleep, and once a sleep disorder is identified and treated, older adults can feel years younger.

"If people notice a change in their sleep requirements as they get older, such as spending longer in bed for less benefit, and waking up unrefreshed despite getting the same amount of sleep that used to refresh them, then that implies there's something wrong with sleep itself," he says.

"It's really a gratifying area to work in because there are actually easy wins in those areas and people just feel younger again," Hillman says.

Your "body clock", which is actually the circadian centres in your brain, dictates your propensity to sleepiness and wakefulness across day and night. These centres are generally influenced by light and darkness, but can also be affected by other aspects of your daily routine, such when you eat and when you exercise.

While some people have quite robust sleep patterns and still get the rest they need despite changing their daily routines, many people's body clocks rely on fairly constant habits.

Your body clock also controls the production of a hormone called melatonin, which promotes sleep. As you grow older you produce less of this hormone, which may make it more difficult for you to sleep.

Older adults are also more likely to experience advanced sleep phase syndrome, which means you get sleepier earlier in the evening so while you may still be sleeping for eight hours, you might find yourself awake before the birds.

Also, while your body is programmed to sleep at night, some of us find ourselves feeling sleepy in the afternoon. Given that older adults are less likely to be at work, they sometimes have an afternoon nap. But napping in the afternoon, especially later in the afternoon, will affect how well you sleep at night.

There are also specific health issues related to ageing that can have a significant impact on sleep, especially your ability to fall asleep, these include:

aches and pains, especially conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis,anxiety and depression, Alzheimer's disease and dementia,reflux, which many older adults experience after a meal, especially if it's exacerbated by lying down,men with prostate problems may need to get up during the night to urinate,sleep apnoea is also common among older adults, and can cause significant sleep disturbances, some medications such as antidepressants, blood pressure tablets, and diuretics, can also hinder the ability to fall asleep. While they might not be the cause of sleep problems, it's best to review your medications with your doctor if you have concerns.

If any of these factors are affecting your sleep then it's important to talk to your doctor about them, as treating an underlying condition that is causing poor sleep often leads to better sleep.

And if you don't have an underlying issue, but still have constant difficulty dropping off to sleep, or going back to sleep after waking during the night – then you may have insomnia. Insomnia is not necessarily linked to ageing, so it's best to speak with your doctor about your options for treating insomnia.

Although older people do face many challenges in achieving a good night's sleep, following a few simple rules can help.

Allow an adequate amount of time for sleep on a daily or near daily basis.Go to sleep at the same time each night.Supplement a lack of sleep with short afternoon naps between 30 minutes and one hour.Eat at regular times and don't eat a big meal late at night.Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon – if you want a warm drink before bed have weak tea or a decaffeinated coffee.Ensure your bedroom environment is conducive to sleep – dark, a comfortable bed, the right temperature and no television.Try not to bring your worries to bed – if needed spend some time just before bed writing down your worries and a plan for the coming day.Speak with your doctor if your sleep changes after starting new medications.

Professor David Hillman is an anesthesiologist and sleep physician and chair of the Sleep Health Foundation. He spoke to Jenny Pogson.

Published 14/11/2013

by Cathy Johnson

Most of us don't think about our joints until they cause us pain. But knowing a bit about your joints and how to look after them will help you keep moving.

ur joints allow us carry out a myriad of everyday activities – so when they play up, it can be devastating.

Here are five important things to remember about keeping joints healthy.

Throbbing knees, aching hips and sore ankles become more common as we age. Very often, worn cartilage is involved.

It's easy to assume a lifetime of activity is to blame; that with every movement our limbs make, we are literally wearing the cartilage in our joints away. But the idea our joints are like light bulbs or car tyres with a limited number of "uses" before their lifetime expires is simply untrue, says rheumatologist Professor Patrick McNeil.

Plenty of older people who've been active all their lives never develop osteoarthritis, he points out. And this misguided view can lead to people avoiding exercise, which has an important role in keeping joints healthy.

"I think it's a myth to make the general statement that exercise is bad for your joints or actually wears your joints out," McNeil says. "There's no evidence for that."

Exercise doesn't just help keep joints healthy; it's one of the best treatments for joints that are already damaged. While it's natural that when joints hurt, you want to avoid moving them, the movement actually performs an important job. Cartilage is living tissue but it has no arteries to deliver blood to it. Instead it relies on movement of the joint to create a pumping action that circulates fluid containing oxygen and nutrients.

Exercise also:

decreases pain.helps maintain the mobility and flexibility of joints.improves muscle strength, which can help hold joints in their correct alignment, taking pressure off sore spots.

Regular exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight, reducing stress on joints. And of course it has enormous general health benefits. The bottom line? It's much better to be physically active than to hold back because of your joints.

Generally speaking, your joints will let you know if your exercise is causing harm. But if you have been diagnosed with joint damage, or have pain that suggests damage, it's possible the wrong sort of exercise could make your arthritis worse. (Some discomfort in an affected joint is normal but substantial increased pain or swelling during or after activity may be a sign you need to modify your program.)

"If you have osteoarthritis in weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees and lower spine for instance, high impact exercise like running can certainly aggravate symptoms and it's probable it might accelerate progression [of the damage to the joints], although I think that's still an open question," says McNeil.

"In those cases, I'd probably recommend a lower impact exercise such as swimming or bike riding that puts less stress on the affected joints."

An exercise physiologist or physiotherapist can help you work out how to change your exercise regime to minimise joint pain.

People with arthritis often take anti-inflammatory medicines, also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), to help relieve pain. However, these medications can cause many side effects – some of which may be serious or life-threatening, such as an increased risk of stroke and internal bleeding.

When you're taking an NSAID, always use it cautiously and for the shortest time possible. If you need to use these medicines for a long time (for example, to manage the symptoms of arthritis when other therapies don't offer relief), make sure you see your doctor regularly.

Pain specialist and rheumatologist Associate Professor Milton Cohen says anti-inflammatories are overused in Australia, especially for osteoarthritis.

Though its name ends in 'itis' (which means inflammation), this is misnomer as osteoarthritis involves only low-grade inflammation, says Cohen.

NSAIDs should be more closely targeted to genuinely inflammatory conditions – the classic signs of which are swelling, redness and warmth of affected tissue.

For people with chronic pain, including pain associated with osteoarthritis, Cohen advocates simpler painkillers (such as paracetamol) combined with non-drug approaches. Non-drug strategies include changing the way the painful body part is used (where possible), and optimising sleep, diet and exercise.

Anti-inflammatories are best kept in reserve to use intermittently, says Cohen, as a "passport to activity" such as a weekly game of golf.

Do your joints pop or snap? Or do they make more of a creaking, rubbing or grinding sound?

Noisy joints might be alarming, but not all noises are signs of a problem requiring medical attention. For instance, any movement that causes a sudden change in joint volume can make a cracking sound, says Deakin University pain specialist Dr Michael Vagg. (The noise you get when you crack your knuckles is one example. Long-term evidence has shown this habit to be harmless.)

It's thought these some noises come from sudden pressure and volume changes in the fluid-filled sac in joints, he says. This pulls some dissolved gases out of the fluid solution to form unstable bubbles that pop to make the snapping sound.

But rubbing or grinding noises, known as "crepitus", can be a sign of damaged cartilage, which can create rough surfaces (and even leave parts of bone exposed). Such surfaces can creak and grind when rubbed against each other. This is osteoarthritis and the noise is most common in the knee and the neck. And it can progress. But there's little you can do to prevent further cartilage deterioration and confusingly, it doesn't always correlate well with the pain a person feels. However, some forms of painful crepitus might be helped by physiotherapy to correct muscle weaknesses affecting the stability of joints.

If in doubt about your noisy joints, ask your doctor or physiotherapist to check them out.

Published 14/11/2013

by Lakshmi Singh

Children need a range of physical activity - and lots of it - to keep them fit strong and healthy.

Do your children play sport on the weekend, regularly swim in the pool or surf, ride their bikes, climb trees, or kick a ball around the backyard?

Children need to be physically active. It helps improve their sleep, posture, concentration, behaviour, and reduces their chances of becoming overweight or obese, which increases their chances of developing a range of serious health issues later in life.

Australia's physically activity guidelines recommend that toddlers (between the ages of 1-3) and pre-schoolers (between the ages of 3-5) spend at least three hours a day being physically active. The level of activity can range from simply standing up and moving around to active play – such as Simon says, hide and seek, or playing chasing – and other vigorous activities, including running or jumping.

Older children, aged five and older, need to do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity for at least 60 minutes a day, but more is better.

However, the 2011-2012 Australian Health Survey suggest many Australian children aren't getting the activity they need, with 72 per cent of children between the ages of two and four are getting the recommended three hours of physical activity every day, only 19 per cent of the five to 17 year olds are physically active for an hour each day.

But what type of physical activity do young children need, and how can you help to make sure they get it?

Tell your kids to do some aerobic activity and they will probably just look at you with a confused look on their face (or possibly do some star jumps). But bike riding, jogging, walking, skipping, swimming, and playing soccer or football are all aerobic activities many kids enjoy.

Any activity that involves large muscle groups is defined as aerobic activity, says Liz Ernst, Exercise Physiologist at Wesley Life Shape Clinic.

"In order to use fat stores as energy, the body and muscles rely on the transportation of oxygen to the working muscles," she says. "It is generally low intensity exercise that increases the heart rate to 65-75 per cent of maximum heart rate." (Maximum heart rate, the number of beats per minute of the heart when working at its maximum, can be esitmated as 220 minus your age.)

Increasing your heart rate in this way means your heart and lungs are working harder, and this helps keep them stay in top shape.

Dr Carolyn Broderick, staff specialist Sport & Exercise Medicine at The Children's Hospital at Westmead says, doing regular aerobic activity at any age, helps to reduce your risk of developing of a range of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Regular areobic activity can also help improve children's behaviour, mental health, academic performance and thinking ability, with studies recently revealing a positive association between the two.

Another good reason to encourage your children to enjoy a range of regular physical activities from an early age is that it sets them up for better exercise habits throughout life.

"Children and adolescents who are physically active are more likely to be physically active as adults," she says.

60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily, 20-60 minute of vigorous-intensity exercise (3 days/week)

On their own: riding bikes, running around outside, dancing , swimming, frisbee, skating

For the whole family: Active trips to the beach, zoo and park. Household activities like walking the dog, washing the car and mowing the lawn.

Weight-bearing exercise places stress on your bones and helps to build bone mass.

As children don't usually achieve peak bone mass until the late teenage years or early 20s, loading of bones through weight-bearing exercise and muscle strengthening is critical for this process, Broderick says.

"Prolonged periods of immobilisation or reduced weight-bearing physical activity during these years (particularly the peri-pubertal years) can result in children not achieving their genetic potential for bone mass/density. This becomes very important later in life when density of bone declines and fracture risk increases," she says.

Simple backyard activities such as skipping star jumps and running contribute to your child being able to maintain strong and healthy bones, she says.

Two to three times a week.

On their own: Games such as hop-scotch, riding bikes, running around outside, dancing, swimming, gymnastics, jump rope, hopping, martial arts training

For the whole family: Playing basketball, netball or tennis at a local court, dancing at a family disco night, jogging or bushwalking (especially up hills).

As the name suggests, muscle strengthening helps make kids' muscles stronger, which can help protect muscles and joints from injury and also help kids to perform better when taking part in sporting activities.

"Placing small stresses on the muscle will generate a feedback loop to build muscle mass and therefore strength," says Ernst.

When you do muscle strengthening exercises, you are making the muscle work against a resistance – be it body weight, water or machines, which will result in micro-tears in the muscle. This then sends a signal to your brain that allows for energy to be delivered to help the muscle repair and grow, she says. It's not recommended that under the age of 16 children do weight training in a gym in the same way that adults do, but there are a range of activities that can help children to build muscle.

"Children should not perform maximal lifts until they have reached skeletalmaturity (which is usually at about 16 years of age). They should use age-appropriate strength equipment and have a gradual progression of loads. In children, weight training generally consists of higher repetitions but lower loads than would be used in adults," Broderick says.

There are muscle strengthening programs – such as Cross Fit – specifically designed for children. You might find such a program at a local gym, PCYC or sports club.

Two to three times a week on non-consecutive days.

On their own: climbing – trees and playground equipment, walking lunges, horse riding, dancing, games such as tug-of-war, modified push-ups (with knees on the floor), sit-ups.

For the whole family: Racquet sports, rock climbing, swimming, bike rides in hilly areas, gardening activities like digging and pruning, aqua aerobics and structured classes that use the body as resistance like Pilates or yoga.

Stretching can help ensure your muscles remain at their optimum length, this ensures your joints can move through their entire range and helps reduce the risk of sprains and strains, says Ernst.

"Kids generally have increased flexibility; being too flexible can also cause injury. So it's best to stretch the muscles which are most tight," she says.

Tight muscles can also affect posture, she adds. To avoid problems caused by bad posture, it's important to encourage children to stretch regularly, especially after they have been sitting and reading or watching a screen for a long period.

Ernst recommends hamstring, shoulder and neck stretches at regular intervals when in front of the computer and/or sitting for prolonged periods.

Also as children grow their bones may outgrow their muscles, which can cause tightness, and sometimes in adolescents this can cause growth-related conditions that cause pain, Broderick says. One such condition is Osgood-Schlatter disease, which causes pain and/or swelling at the front of the knee.

"Stretching exercises are useful to alleviate this condition and may have an important role in the prevention of these conditions," she says.

Two sets of 30 second to one minute stretches, two to three days per week for each muscle group, or for five to ten minutes per muscle group after aerobic exercise.

On their own: Kids can be taught targeted stretches to help stretch tight muscles, especially after sitting for long periods. These include:

Hamstring stretch – sitting on a chair, knees bent at 90 degrees. Straighten one leg out so the heel is on the ground (keep a slight bend in the knee), reach forwards from the hips feeling the stretch behind the upper part of your leg.Chest: Standing in a door frame, place forearm on the frame so your elbow is at shoulder height, take a step forward to feel the stretch in front of the shoulderNeck: Tilting head to one side, hold to feel the stretch on the opposite side to where your head is tilted

For the whole family: Raking the backyard, family yoga, Pilates and stretching classes.

Published 28/11/2013

by Dyani Lewis

Headlines often highlight the perils of getting pregnant over 35. But how much does being an older mum affect a woman's health or her baby's?

In recent decades, Australian women having their first child have been older. The average age for a first child has crept past the age of 30, and women aged 35 to 39 years have been outbreeding their 20 to 24-year-old sisters since 2005.

Fertility concerns aside, even women who naturally fall pregnant in their late 30s or 40s are often plagued with fears over the possible health risks their age poses for themselves and their babies. According to Associate Professor Mary Carolan from Victoria University, these fears are often overstated. "[Older women] get a lot of bad press," she says.

Carolan worked for many years as a midwife before embarking on an academic research career. She says older women's anxieties during pregnancy are often provoked by a barrage of information from healthcare professionals about potential risk factors associated with a mother's age. "I think it's very disheartening for them," she says.

Carolan has looked into what the risks are for women aged 35 years or older – women who are officially classified as being of advanced maternal age – who choose to have a baby.

"I felt that there needed to be some positive information out there for these women," she says.

"As we age – all of us – are more prone to certain things," says Carolan. "It's true, there is a connection between older maternal age and all sorts of adverse outcomes," she concedes, but notes that the data needs to be considered in the right context.

One of the most known risks associated with older motherhood is conceiving a baby with Down syndrome, in which a baby receives one too many chromosomes from their parents. Instead of having a total of 46 chromosomes, they have 47; an extra copy of chromosome 21 results in the child having a distinct appearance and intellectual disability.

Either parent can contribute the extra copy of chromosome 21, but in 90 per cent of cases it comes from the mother and is due to faulty cell division during egg development. The older a woman is, the more likely this is to occur.

The chance of having a baby with Down syndrome at age 30 is around 1 in 1000. By the age of 35, the risk has increased to 1 in 400, and by 40, to 1 in 100.

While the increase in risk might seem alarming, Carolan points out "your risk of having it is still very much smaller than your likelihood of having a normal baby".

Most foetuses with chromosomal anomalies resulting from faulty egg maturation often don't make it past the first few weeks of pregnancy. If this occurs early enough, a woman may not even know that she has been pregnant.

Screening towards the end of the first trimester – at 11 to 13 weeks gestation – is a further check for Down syndrome and other health problems that the foetus might have.

Other chromosomal conditions caused by incorrect cell division in the maturing egg include:

Klinefelter syndrome – an extra copy of the X chromosome in boysPatau Syndrome – an extra copy (trisomy) of chromosome 13Edward Syndrome – an extra copy (trisomy) of chromosome 18

As women age, the hormonal ebbs and flows that occur with clockwork regularity at 20 start to falter.

"The wheels start to come off a bit," explains Dr Mark Green, a reproductive biologist at the University of Melbourne.

One of the results is that the rate of multiple births increases. Women aged 35 or over are twice as likely to have a multiple birth as those under the age of 35.

Hormonal fluctuations are also often behind the "whoops" babies, as Green calls them. These are babies conceived when women make the mistake of thinking they've entered menopause, but instead their cycle has simply become more irregular as menopause approaches.

Older women pregnant with just one baby have slightly higher risk for certain conditions than younger women. These conditions include gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and stillbirth. But this risk is still low.

"As a woman gets older, the very small risk [of stillbirth] increases," says Carolan. But, she notes, the absolute risk is very small. "In places like Australia, it's so low that you can't really get reliable statistics on it."

In good news, a study conducted in Western Australia also shows that stillbirth in older women is decreasing.

While women aged 35 and over are twice as likely to get gestational diabetes, which can affect the baby's health, ethnicity and a mother's weight also influence a woman's risk of developing gestational diabetes.

"Women that are obese or significantly overweight are way more at risk than a woman who is lean and active," says Carolan. Also certain ethnicities are more at risk, including women from Vietnam, South Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean.

As obstetric and midwifery care have improved and complications, such as high blood pressure, are identified and treated early, outcomes for older women and their babies have also improved.

Another positive change is that many older women having babies now are fit and healthy when they go into pregnancy, which often has a greater impact on the pregnancy than age.

"What we can definitively say is that a woman that goes into a pregnancy over the age of 35, who doesn't have any of these pre-existing conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and is within a normal weight range and eats well, you can say that her outcomes are likely to be really good," says Carolan.

A few years down the track, their children may even be doing better than those of younger women. Having waited for financial security, or to establish a career, older mothers can be better equipped to give their children the best start in life.

"Socially, the children of slightly older mothers do well," says Carolan. "They do better than many of the children of younger mothers."

Published 31/10/2013

by ABC Health & Wellbeing

If you have been following the recent debate over the relationship between saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease, you might be wondering what makes a healthy diet.

For decades, doctors have told us saturated fat raises cholesterol which leads to heart disease. For almost as long, some sections of the community – including some medical professionals – have argued that cholesterol is not the villain it's made out to be when it comes to your heart.

The debate reached fever pitch recently after the publication of an editorial in the British Medical Journal, which stated the advice to reduce cholesterol has in fact increased our risk of heart disease.

This was followed by a program on ABC TV's Catalyst examining whether the role of cholesterol in heart disease is one of 'the biggest myths in medical history'.

A second Catalyst program suggested evidence shows the majority of people taking medications to lower cholesterol – known as statins – will receive no benefit; a claim that has drawn strong criticism from many in the medical community, who say this is a dangerous message and fear people could die if they stop taking necessary medication.

So does this mean we ignore the recommendations of doctors, health organisations and the Australian Dietary Guidelines and eat as much saturated fat as we want, so long as we avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates?

Dr Rosemary Stanton is a nutritionist and author who was on the working committee for the latest version of the guidelines. She says we should all be following the guidelines, and there is extensive evidence doing this is likely to benefit your heart – and other aspects of your health. We asked her what the guidelines recommend in terms of saturated fat.

When it comes to making sense of claims and recommendations about diet – or any health related issue – Stanton says you should try and check genuine research papers, rather than just believe what is published on blogs or other health websites.

She also recommends trying to see if the person writing the article has any conflicts of interest. It pays to be sceptical of those trying to sell you modified products, symbols on food packaging, or 'shonky' supplements and powders. (As Stanton says was the case with three of the four US 'experts' on Catalyst.)

The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines are based on a massive review of evidence – more than 55,000 papers were consulted on targeted questions.

In addition, there was extensive modelling of various meal patterns to ensure all nutrients are provided in the recommended foods.

Also the guidelines were checked by a committee of experts, and peer reviewed by internationally recognised experts. Research with consumers also determined they were understandable.

The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines encourage us to focus on the foods we eat rather than specific nutrients that might be in them.

Saturated fats come in a wide range of foods, many of these are unhealthy processed foods but they are also present in some foods that can be valuable to include in our diet.

Rather than focusing only on the fat content, aim to eat a range of foods from five food groups. These include:

vegetables;fruit;grains (predominantly wholegrains);lean meat or poultry, fish or other seafood, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds;milk, cheese or yoghurt, or plant alternatives (such as soy or rice beverages).

To address diet-related health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, you should limit foods containing saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods, potato chips, crisps and other savoury snacks. Many of these foods are also high in sugar or salt – and the guidelines have always recommended limiting both.

The specific advice on fats also suggests replacing those foods high in saturated fat (butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oils) with either liquid oils or spreads made from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (without trans fats), as well as nut butters and pastes, avocado, or nuts and seeds.

While there's no absolute requirement for saturated fat, it would be virtually impossible to choose an adequate diet with no saturated fat – and this has never been recommended.

Only a diet of fruits and vegetables (with no avocado) would be totally free of saturated fat and it would be unlikely to meet nutrient needs. But it is important to pay attention to the types of foods you eat that contain saturated fat and don't consume too much of these.

Foods contain a mixture of fatty acids, usually grouped as saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (further divided into omega 6 and omega 3s). For simplicity, we tend to describe a food on the basis of its major fatty acid. For example:

olive oil is called 'monounsaturated' but has 75 per cent monounsaturated, 16 per cent saturated and 9 per cent polyunsaturated fatty acids.eggs are 50 per cent monounsaturated, 33 per cent saturated and 17 per cent is polyunsaturated.fish doesn't have much fat (even when it's called 'oily'), but fresh salmon has 32 per cent saturated, 34 per cent monounsaturated and 34 per cent polyunsaturated fat, while flathead has 40 per cent saturated, 25 per cent monounsaturated and 35 per cent polyunsaturated fat.

The dietary guidelines recommend foods, not just nutrients, as this will take into account the overall contribution a particular food will make.

For instance all the following foods contain some saturated fats, but can still play a vital role in a healthy diet.

milk is important for its protein, calcium, vitamins (especially B2 and B12);meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins (especially B3 and B12);nuts are excellent sources of protein (and high in the amino acid arginine that has benefits for heart health), minerals (especially calcium in almonds, iron in pine nuts, selenium in Brazil nuts, potassium in pistachios, manganese in cashews) and vitamins (especially vitamin E);extra virgin olive oil has a number of compounds (not fats) that have beneficial effects on blood pressure, blood clotting and inflammatory reactions.

By contrast, foods such as fried chips or crisps, most savoury snacks, crackers, pastries and cakes, many desserts and fats, such as dripping, offer little of nutritional value along with their saturated fat. It makes sense to limit saturated fat by reducing these foods rather than fussing over the small amount of saturated fat in an egg.

The benefits of meat or milk remain when the fat is trimmed or skimmed off and this has the advantage of saving kilojoules – important in a population where the majority of people are overweight or obese.

In considering food choices, Stanton recommends:

Choose appropriate portion sizes to avoid gaining weight. The issue of excess body fat can't ignore exercise which has benefits in decreasing sedentary time, improving fitness and blood flow, and helping to align appetite with energy needs. Being more active also accommodates eating a little more without gaining weight.Avoid the 'all or nothing' approach. It is the quantity of anything that is important. Most extreme diets that forbid foods are not sustainable. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good feast every now and then – just not several times a week!Vary choices. Whether it's vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains or any other food, there is safety and greater chance of adequacy in variety.Note all the messages of the dietary guidelines. They have always included advice to reduce sugar as well as saturated fat, salt and alcohol so reduced-fat foods where sugar or refined starches have replaced fat have never been recommended in official guidelines.Stop eating so much junk! Rather than fussing over whether you should go low carb or low or high fat, go for quality fresh foods instead of the mundane junk foods and drinks that currently contribute 36 per cent of the average Australian adult's diet and over 40 per cent of a child's. Go for quality foods instead.Published 04/11/2013

by Bianca Nogrady

Technically a placebo isn't supposed to have any effect, but a growing body of evidence suggests harnessing the power of placebos could boost the effectiveness of a range of medical treatments.

Over the years, the placebo has earned an unfair reputation as an instrument of medical fakery; a white lie to convince unsuspecting patients they are being treated when in fact their treatment is nothing more than a sugar pill or surgical sleight of hand.

However growing evidence suggests the placebo and its effects are far more significant in modern medical practice than many of us realised. Some are arguing that instead of viewing it with disdain, we should instead be embracing it.

The word 'placebo' has its origins in the Latin for 'to please'. While its meaning has varied over the centuries, it has come to be used as the name for an inert or simulated medical therapy, such as a sugar pill, saline injection or sham procedure, that is used precisely because it is assumed not to do anything.

So if the placebo substance or procedure is truly, medically inert, how can it have an effect? Dr Damian Finniss says it's because we expect it to.

"What we're really doing when we give a placebo is we're simulating normal treatment without actually delivering a particular treatment itself," says Finniss, a clinician and researcher at the Pain Management Research Institute, Sydney Medical School.

What therefore happens is that your brain effectively fills in the gap created by the absent medication or treatment, and does so with remarkable physiological precision.

"In the case of pain, where we've done a lot of research, if you give someone a morphine-like drug repeatedly, and then you switch it over to a placebo, that placebo effect that we see is mediated by morphine-like chemicals in the brain," Finniss says.

"If you do the same thing with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and you give the real drug for several days and switch to a sugar tablet, that mechanism is completely different – in fact that's mediated by our endogenous cannabinoids – even when the patient doesn't know."

Research also shows that, depending on what effect a placebo is expected to have, it influences different parts of the brain. If you are given a sugar tablet and told it will relieve pain, then a certain network in your brain is activated; however, if you are given a sugar tablet and told it will improve the symptoms of a movement disorder then a different network will be activated.

"So what was deemed to be very simple – that some people got better to a sugar tablet – in fact we realise there's a highly selective series of mechanisms that are activated depending on the therapeutic context in which we receive treatment," Finniss says.

This is not to say that a placebo can cure cancer or an infection. Placebos appear to be most effective at relieving the symptoms of disease, such as pain, but not the disease itself.

So while a placebo inhaler won't necessarily change the way the lung works during an asthma attack, it could change the person's perception of breathlessness so that it doesn't affect them as much.

"You're not necessarily targeting disease processing but you're targeting symptoms of disease because that's a much higher level function in the brain," Finniss explains.

This is what makes placebos so valuable in medical research, because they allow researchers to separate out the true biological effect of a drug or intervention from its placebo component. In the case of some drugs, such as anti-depressants, there is a particularly large placebo effect – so much so that when data from a number of placebo-controlled antidepressant trials was analysed it showed the actual clinical benefit from the antidepressant falls below the line of clinical significance.

Similarly, a review of acupuncture studies found only a small to medium difference between acupuncture and 'sham' acupuncture in the treatment of some conditions.

But the placebo effect extends even further. There is growing evidence that the result of just about any medical treatment is partly due to the placebo effect, even if a placebo isn't given, because the ritual and interaction of a medical consultation induces a placebo effect all of its own.

For example, a study was done with patients receiving intravenous morphine. One group of patients were administered the morphine by a doctor, while the other group of patients were hooked up to an intravenous line through which morphine was delivered, by computer, at an unspecified time, without the doctor being present.

Both patients were receiving the same dose of morphine yet it was around half as effective at relieving pain in the patients who weren't given it by a doctor and didn't know when they were receiving it.

The discovery has profound implications for medical practice.

"Modern medicine needs to be aware of this idea that there is biological validity to the therapist-doctor interaction and the ritual of medicine and surgery," Finniss says.

"The outcome is not solely due to the particular therapy itself, but it's due to that therapy plus these other contextual mechanisms which we call placebo because the only way to see them by themselves is to run a placebo simulation, give a sugar tablet or a sham surgery."

It places a therapeutic value on good old-fashioned bedside manner – something Finniss argues should be incorporated into medical training.

"We need to realise that there are very specific biological pathways that are activated in the therapeutic encounter and ritual, and therefore once we start to learn more about them, I think the onus is going to be on clinicians or certainly the next generation of clinicians, to think about the way in which they deliver the treatments they deliver and perhaps not just focus on the technical aspects of the treatment alone."

Placebo-controlled trials are a mainstay of modern medical research, but what if the use of placebo in a trial actually meant the active treatment would have less of an effect?

Researchers recently looked at clinical trials of a type of drug called a dopamine agonist, used to treat Parkinson's disease. They compared the results of trials where patients were randomised to either the active drug or placebo group, and trials where patients received either the active drug or another treatment (called a head-to-head trial).

Patients were blinded to their treatment, meaning they did not know whether they were receiving placebo, active drug or comparison drug. Despite this, researchers found that patients in placebo-controlled trials had less of a response to the dopamine agonist, compared to the patients in the head-to-head trial, even though in both trials, patients were receiving the same dose of the drug.

The explanation? The researchers suggested that patients going into placebo-controlled trials know there's a chance they will get an inactive substance, so that actually reduces their expectation of benefit, whereas patients in the head-to-head trial know they are going to get one of two active drugs. The researchers coined the term 'Lessebo effect' to describe the phenomenon, and suggested it might be a game-changer for the design of clinical trials.

Published 11/11/2013