Daily Aspirin Use Linked to 5 Times Increased Risk of Crohn’s Disease

A number of healthy people are taking a low dose aspirin on a daily basis as a preventive for heart disease, though it’s value has been disproven as recently was reported on the NHS website. Previous research work on tissue samples has shown that aspirin can have a harmful effect on the bowel and there is a reported risk of dangerous internal bleeding, though no beneficial effect on reducing the incidence of heart attacks or strokes, on doses of 100mg aspirin daily.

These are healthy people taking what they believe is valuable preventive action but it almost doubles the risk of dangerous internal bleeding compared to dummy pills (placebo), and if you are taking daily aspirin for a higher vascular risk then consult your doctor before stopping taking it, but there is now also a new risk associated with it, particularly if you have been doing so for over a year.

According to a new study led by Dr Andrew Hart at the University of East Anglia, in conjunction with 200,000 volunteers from the UK Sweden Denmark Germany and Italy, and are are they found that those taking aspirin regularly for a year or more were around five times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease. Further, the study also showed that aspirin use had no effect on the risk of developing ulcerative colitis — a condition similar to Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is a serious condition affecting 60,000 people in the UK that is characterized by inflammation and swelling of any part of the digestive system. This can lead to debilitating symptoms and requires patients to take life-long medication. Some patients need surgery and some sufferers have an increased risk of bowel cancer.

Although this may seem a rather frightening link, the actual numbers of people contracting Crohn’s disease remains very low — only one in every 2000 users and further research is being carried out, particularly in relation to other potential causal factors including diet.

Snoring, Sleep and Natural Solutions

Potential Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Liver Disease and Strokes

Now you know I never pass up an opportunity to extol the benefits of chocolate whether emotional or physical and here is some diverting news of two potential new medical benefits that could see your doctor reaching for the prescription pad and sending you off to the sweetshop rather than the pharmacy.

First, this is good news for anyone suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen, according to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Vienna, Austria. Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver as a result of long-term, continuous damage to the liver. In cirrhosis, circulation in the liver is damaged by oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant systems. After eating, blood pressure in the abdominal veins usually increases due to increased blood flow to the liver. This is particularly dangerous and damaging to cirrhotic patients as they already have increased blood pressure in the liver and elsewhere which, if severe, can cause blood vessel rupture.

According to new Spanish research, eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver. This can help to minimise the onset and impact of end stage liver disease and its associated mortality risks. Milk or white chocolate won’t do the trick as it is only dark chocolate that contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the after-eating blood pressure in the liver that is associated with damaged liver blood vessels. Other forms of chocolate do not contain any of the beneficial phytochemicals and so can’t give you the same result.

I also applaud Professor Mark Thursz, MD FRCP, Professor of Hepatology, at Imperial College London who said when commenting on the new research: “As well as advanced technologies and high science, it is important to explore the potential of alternative sources which can contribute to the overall wellbeing of a patient.” A sentence that is music to the ears of all those who want to marry orthodox and alternative methods and you get to eat chocolate too.

Secondly, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that epicatechin, a compound in dark chocolate, may protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage. The study suggests that epicatechin stimulates two previously well-established pathways known to shield nerve cells in the brain from damage. When the stroke hits, the brain is ready to protect itself because these pathways — Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 — are activated.

This research was carried out on mice, not humans, and while most treatments against stroke in humans have to be given within a two- to three-hour time window to be effective, epicatechin appeared to limit further neuronal damage when given to the animals 3.5 hours after a stroke.

I don’t have liver problems, or had a stroke, but have always believed in prevention rather than cure so will add a daily supplement of 85% minimum cocoa content chocolate to my current regime – just to be on the safe side – and you may want to do the same!

Fighting Acne with Coconut Milk and Gold

Acne can be a curse, whatever your age, and many a menopausal woman has found herself suddenly the victim of this everyday teenage problem. Research comes in many guises, but I don’t usually associate engineering students with devising health solutions, so full marks to Dissaya “Nu” Pornpattananangkul who has devised an effective delivery system for a natural solution to acne.

She is a bioengineering graduate student from the University of California at San Diego in the Jacobs School of Engineering. There is a natural product found in both coconut oil and human breast milk — lauric acid – that looks set to be a possible new acne treatment thanks to Pornpattananangkul’s work. She has developed a “smart delivery system that is capable of delivering lauric-acid-filled nano-scale bombs directly to the skin-dwelling bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) that cause common acne.

Many common current treatments for acne have undesirable side effects including redness and burning. Lauric-acid-based treatments could avoid these side effects and the new smart delivery system includes gold nanoparticles attached to surfaces of lauric-acid-filled nano-bombs. The gold nanoparticles keep the nano-bombs (liposomes) from fusing together and also help the liposomes locate acne-causing bacteria based on the skin. Rather like a heat seeking missile, it would seem, and once the nano-bombs reach the bacterial membranes, the acidic microenvironment of the skin causes the gold nanoparticles to drop off. This frees the liposomes carrying lauric acid payloads to fuse with bacterial membranes and kill the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria.

Why they need this ‘Dr Strangelove’ language of bombs and payloads I am not quite sure, but if nuking the acne is what is needed then this sounds like a promising solution and minimises any side effects. Pornpattananangkul, who is originally from Thailand, said that it’s just a coincidence that her research involves a natural product produced by coconuts – a staple of Thai cuisine – but no doubt it will be a welcome boost to that economy.

The good news for acne sufferers is that all building blocks of the nano-bombs are either natural products or have been approved for clinical use, which means they are likely to be tested on humans in the near future and then rolled out to the rest of us. Think of the kudos in telling your friends that your acne responded to being treated with gold!

The Health Risks of That Fizzy Drink

In warm weather we turn to a nice cold drink, and often we want one with a bit of fizz to it. But there is mounting research that links carbonated drinks to serious health problems such as cancer and less serious, but debilitating conditions like gout.

US researchers at Georgetown University Medical Centre examined evidence gathered from the Singapore Chinese Health Study where more than 60,000 subjects were followed for as much as 14 years. They came to a startling conclusion: carbonated drinks increase a man’s pancreatic cancer risk.

The really worrying part is that this is not massive consumption, but even drinking just two such beverages a week increased their risk of pancreatic cancer by nearly 90 per cent. Most fizzy drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and that in itself has raised some health concerns in the US recently where they are big consumers of it.

If you are looking for a healthy addition to the diet to lower the risk of prostate cancer then add in some walnuts. They are a rich plant source of omega-3s, the fatty acids also found in cold water fish like salmon and new research reported in April 2010 reported that they should be part of a prostate-healthy diet.

The other problem with carbonated drinks was discovered by the well respected Framingham Heart researchers in the USA who found that subjects who drank one or more fizzy drinks each day were nearly 45 per cent more likely to develop symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, increased waist circumference, impaired fasting glucose, higher blood pressure, high triglycerides, and higher LDL cholesterol. These drinks also expose the gastrointestinal tract to a high level of acid and that can lead to gastric distension and acid reflux with a possible potential link to oesophageal cancer.

Men in particular should be careful before popping the top off a can of fizzy drink, as researchers at the University of British Columbia found that men who drank one fizzy drink a day increased their risk of developing gout by 45 per cent and two or more a day nearly doubled the risk.

Why Curry Is Good For Your Liver

The Brits are addicted to their curry, and very tasty it is too, but it can also be a very healthy choice if you want to protect your liver. A new study has suggested that Curcumin, one of the principal components of the spice turmeric, may delay the liver damage that eventually causes cirrhosis.

It is the Curcumin, which gives turmeric its bright yellow colour – and presumably it’s fabulous ability to stain your clothing if you spill it – and it is a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for treating a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders. Curry is recommended as a health aid because various of it’s spices have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may be helpful in combating disease.

The current research focused on whether curcumin could delay the damage caused by progressive inflammatory conditions of the liver that can be sparked by genetic faults or autoimmune disease. These cause the bile ducts in the liver to become inflamed, scarred, and blocked which leads to extensive tissue damage and irreversible and ultimately fatal liver cirrhosis.

The experiment was carried out on mice who had curcumin added to their diet for a period of four and a period of eight weeks and the findings showed that it significantly reduced bile duct blockage and curbed liver cell damage and scarring. It did this by interfering with several chemical signalling pathways involved in the inflammatory process.

I know you are not a mouse, but it’s a healthy reason to add curry to your menu regularly – but stay away from the creamy korma dishes if you are also trying to lose weight!

Shifts Can Harm, But Artichokes Can Help With IBS

As recent figures show that 22% of the population in the UK suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, anything that can help is to be welcomed, especially if it is natural – but more of that later.

What certainly won’t help is if you are a shift worker, as new research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology shows that it has a significantly increased risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and abdominal pain. “We know that people participating in shift work often complain of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping, constipation and diarrhoea,” says Sandra Hoogerwerf, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School where the research was carried out.

These are also the same symptoms of IBS and so the study followed three groups of nurses who were either working on permanent day shifts, permanent night shifts or rotating shifts between day and night. Your colon has its own biological clock and that’s what increases the likelihood of having a bowel movement in the first six hours of the day and shift work can cause chronic disruption of that biological rhythm. This can result in that clock to be constantly thrown off and needing to adjust, creating symptoms of IBS.

The researchers say their study suggests that sleep disturbances do not completely explain the existence of IBS or abdominal pain associated with shift work but their findings suggest that nurses on shift work, particularly those who participate in rotating shift work, have a higher prevalence of IBS and abdominal pain than others.

Natural Help

IBs can be particularly difficult to treat medically and there are a number of self help options available that most sufferers turn to. Studies and clinical trials have shown that extracts of artichoke were able to relieve the symptoms for those suffering a constant upset stomach or indigestion. This led to the idea that artichoke could also have benefit sufferers of IBS and a UK study showed that an amazing 96% of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) rated artichoke leaf extract as better than or equal to previous therapies administered for their symptoms.

If the idea of artichokes for breakfast, lunch and dinner doesn’t appeal you could take the easy way out and get the same benefit from a herbal tea from Natur Boutique that has the same benefit. If you can’t find it in your health store, go to www.drinkherbaltea.co.uk

Please be aware that pregnant and breast feeding women should seek advice from their doctors before using artichoke extracts and it should not be taken in the presence of gallstones or other bile duct occlusion, due to its bile stimulating effects.

Research Proves High Blood Pressure Reduced With Celery

Simple self-help measures go a long way to reducing blood pressure and if you have already undertaken daily walking and stress reduction then it might be an idea to adding celery to your diet.

The health-giving benefits of celery are not new: the original Father of Medicine was Hippocrates who prescribed drinking celery juice to patients suffering from nervous tension and Chinese medicine has long recognized celery juice as able to reduce high blood pressure. However, now science has got in on the act to ‘prove’ whether it works, and I am happy to report that all those millions of people who have tried it over the centuries were absolutely right.

Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood pushing against the walls of the arteries and if the pressure rises significantly and remains there for an extended period of time, it can cause serious damage to the body. A blood pressure reading is measured by two numbers. The systolic (higher) number is the measure of pressure the blood exerts while the heart is beating and the diastolic (lower) number is the measure of pressure the blood exerts while the heart is relaxed. The ‘norm’ if there is such a thing is to aim for an optimal blood pressure of 120/80.

The University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) is credited with carrying out one of the first scientific studies of celery’s effects on blood pressure. In one of the reported results, the father of a scientist at UCMC experienced a drop in his blood pressure from 158/96 to 118/82 after just one week of eating about four stalks of celery a day. It has this effect because it contains active compounds named phthalides which naturally relax the muscles in and around the walls of the arteries. This causes those vessels to dilate, creating more space inside the arteries that permits the blood to flow at a lower pressure.

Phthalides also have been reported to lower blood pressure and promote a healthy circulatory system by reducing the level of stress hormones in the body by their high content of the minerals magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These all have calming effects on the nervous system, and that naturally helps balance stress levels.

If you want to try it then please juice or eat around four sticks a day – wonderful though baked celery in cheese sauce is, it just won’t give you the same benefits.

The World’s Healthiest Airline?

Flying these days can present some challenges: risk of DVT, food poisoning from inadequately heated food, and all those airborne viruses so a round of applause for Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in Abu Dhabi. No, I have never heard of them either, but they fly from both London Heathrow and Manchester with 60 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Asia.

What’s so great about them? Well they are installing new state-of-the-art technology on their long and ultra long haul aircraft which can monitor the condition of passengers who display signs of sickness that might require immediate medical attention. Apparently the “Tempus IC” system allows cabin crew to take photo imagery and gather vital information about a passenger’s health and vital signs, including blood pressure and an electrocardiogram.

That information is then transmitted to a medical team of global experts who specialise in assistance in in-flight medical contingencies. Following their advice the crew will take a decision about what to do next for the passenger and the flight and hopefully you will be treated much more efficiently and swiftly than previously.

RDT is a British company who specialise in the development of leading-edge diagnostic device technology for use by non-experts in remote locations and have installed this technology for commercial shipping fleets, luxury yachts and with the US Military.

As someone who suffered a burst blood vessel in my eye on a Delta Airline flight and was pretty much ignored, I think this is good news and if you want more information go to www.etihadairways.com

The Sound Asleep MP3/ipod Comfort Pillow- and how it can Help Tinnitus

I love technology that makes life better, and reminds me that most of the things I read about in 1930’s sci fi books have now mostly come true – how we laughed at the idea of a complete meal cooked in minutes from a box in the wall – hello microwaves and M&S ready meals! Now we have listening devices that are so small they are almost invisible and this means they can be used in places you might never have imagined – like your pillow.

Have you ever used music to help you drift off, or one of those subliminal tapes to learn a language or help you lose weight or stop smoking while you sleep? If you have you may have used headphones, or had to keep the volume low so your partner wasn’t disturbed by it, and you will know how annoying it is to start to drift off and hear the click as the music ends or you have to stretch to your bedside table and switch it off. Now there is a revolutionary new concept which marries a very comfortable memory foam pillow with a tiny built in speaker that you can plug your mp3, cassette player and most radios so you can drift off to sleep without uncomfortable headphones, or disturbing your partner. .

I asked a poor sleeper to test it out and they reported that the pillow was very comfortable as it moulded to their head shape and the tiny lead to their mp3 player could not be felt at all. They used a relaxing background track on their mp3 and found that a plus was that the pillow ‘switches off’ the sound at the end of your selected tracks. So no annoying click and, although you can hear your music or language cd clearly, it’s not audible to anyone else.

What particularly interested me about this whole concept is how it can use by those suffering from tinnitus. The continuous ringing or clicking sounds in the ear they experience seem more pronounced in quiet settings, such as in the bedroom before going to sleep. Sound therapy is often suggested and it works by reducing the difference, or contrast, between tinnitus sounds and a background sound which makes the tinnitus seem less intrusive. You can get ‘masking’ tracks to help muffle the tinnitus or just choose your favourite soft relaxing music to help you drift off.

The Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow will not emit any sound until it is connected to your device of choice such as a cd player or mp3/ipod and the cable is removable to keep the pillow tidy and safe when it’s not in use. Ideal if you like lying down and listening to music or audio books and don’t want to disturb anyone else.

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