Natural Ways to Cure Coughs

There are ways to cure coughs without taking medications. The use of dark chocolate, honey, and vitamin C are a few natural ways to cure coughs.

Dark chocolate can help coughs. It has a compound called theobromine that is better than codeine at suppressing coughs without the side effects of drowsiness and constipation. Theobromine has an affect on the vagus nerve, which is responsible for coughing.

Honey can help coughs and works better than cough suppressants for relieving night time coughs and helping to fall asleep. It is assumed that honey works by soothing the throat and stimulating saliva, which calms the coughing reflex. It is found that darker honeys are preferred because they have more antioxidants in them than lighter color honeys. It is not recommended to give honey to children younger than one year old due to the risk of botulism spores.

Vitamin C can help coughs by boosting the immune system at the early stages of a cough. It also reduces inflammation and controls histamines to help stop coughs.

Fight Cancer with Fruits

Citrus fruits, such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruit, contain flavonoids, which are anti inflammatory compounds that stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver. There are certain flavonoids in the skin of tangerines that promote the death of brain cancer cells. In some fruits there are compounds that give them their dark color and contain powerful cancer fighting properties. Citrus fruits have been shown in studies to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer in the digestive system, such as the esophagus, mouth, and stomach. They also have anticancer molecules that affect the growth of cancer cells.

Same-Sex Heart Transplants Found to be Better

A new research has found that heart transplant patients have better chances of survival and lower risk of the body rejecting the organ if they get organs from donors of the same sex as them. This may be due to the fact that men's hearts are usually bigger than a woman's heart and have a greater pumping capacity. Differences in hormones and immune systems between men and women could also play a part.

Scientists Developing Foods To Help You Lose Weight

At the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, foods are being developed that would help a person lose weight by slowing down the digestive system and triggering a signal to the brain to suppress appetite. It would control appetite by tricking the brain into thinking that you have eaten too much when you actually haven’t. The products could possibly be sold on the market in a few years.

Scientists at the University of Newcastle are testing a seaweed extract called alginate that would reduce fat absorption by cutting the level of glucose that is digested by the body before it is broken down in the large intestine. In taste testings done with several dozen people, it is found that most people felt that the foods enhanced by alginate tasted as good or even better.

Scientists in North America and Europe are developing products to control appetite, such as chemical injections and implantable devices that would interfere with the digestive system. It is not certain if appetite controlling foods could cure all cases of obesity.

Anger is Connected to Healing

It is found that anger problems and the inability to control anger can slow down the recovery period of an injury. This is caused because of increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can suppress the immune system, when a person is angry. It is best to try to have a good control over these feelings if a person is going through a healing period.

HPV Test Better Than Pap Test in Detecting Cancer

It is found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) test can be up to 40 percent more accurate than a Pap Smear test in detecting the risk for HPV. HPV is the leading cause of cancer. A Pap Smear can find existing precancerous cells in the cervix, but the HPV test can detect the infection that could possibly progress to precancer in the future.

Most HPV infections don’t turn into cervical caner, especially the ones contracted before 30 years old because the immune system is more likely to fight the disease by itself. For women over 30 years old, it is recommended to ask a doctor about getting both a Pap Smear and an HPV test. Cervical cancer is usually curable if it is caught early.

The Good and Bad of Probiotics

Probiotic supplements can make you healthier if you are already healthy and if you are sick they can be threatening to your life. Probiotics have been found to strengthen the immune systems of healthy people and to double the risk of death in people with pancreatitis.

Probiotics work by providing good bacteria in the stomach to keep a healthy balance between good and bad bacteria in the stomach. When a person has an illness, they can put a dangerous strain on the immune system.

New Device Helps Stroke Victims

There are some stroke victims and people that have neurological impairments that have to wear a leg brace due to having a condition where they can’t step heel first and have trouble walking without stumbling. A new system called the NESS L300 uses a sensor in the shoe to tell a wireless device, which is worn below the knee, when the heel is on or off the ground. The device would send electrical pulses to the leg nerve that controls lifting the foot so that some people could walk more naturally.

Stress Weakens Teeth

In Brazil, 14 tests were done that showed that stressed-out people have a higher risk of periodontal disease. Also, increased levels of the stress hormone, called cortisol, might have a negative effect on the immune system and allow bacteria to invade the gums. You can lower stress levels by exercising and sleeping more.

Pollution Can Shut Down the Immune System

A study has show that air pollution can cause heart problems and shut down the immune system. This is caused due to pollutants in the ozone that can affect the lungs and the rest of the body and make it easier for the entry of bacteria and viruses. The pollution also causes the immune system to overreact and kill its own cells that it needs to fight bacteria and illnesses.

Pollution Can Shut Down the Immune System

A study has show that air pollution can cause heart problems and shut down the immune system. This is caused due to pollutants in the ozone that can affect the lungs and the rest of the body and make it easier for the entry of bacteria and viruses. The pollution also causes the immune system to overreact and kill its own cells that it needs to fight bacteria and illnesses.