Dead Sea Herbs

New research suggests a link between women’s exposure to household insecticides — including roach and mosquito killers — and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

The scientist did not find a direct cause-and-effect relationship between insecticide exposure and the illnesses, and it’s possible that the women have something else in common that accounts for their higher risk. But epidemiologist Christine Parks, lead investigator of the study, said the findings do raise a red flag.
“It’s hard to envision what other factors might explain this association,” said Parks, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who was to present the study over the weekend at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Previous research has linked agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, two diseases in which the immune system goes haywire and begins to attack the body. Farmers, among others, appear to be vulnerable.

Parks and her colleagues wanted to find out whether smaller doses of insecticides, such as those people might encounter at home from either personal or commercial residential use, might have a similar effect.
The researchers examined data from a previous study of almost 77,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79.

Women who reported applying insecticides or mixing them — about half — had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use. This was the case whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used or mixed the insecticides the most — judged by frequency or duration — had double the risk.
Even so, the risk of developing the diseases remained very low. Overall, Parks said, about 2 percent of older adults develop the conditions.
Parks said the insecticides that the women used included insect killers, such as those designed to eradicate ants, wasps, termites, mosquitoes and roaches. They didn’t include insect repellents.It is hard to avoid the chemicals in our lives. But we should be aware of risks.

Also I would suggest the product we are taking for two years now.

The carbonation in all soft drinks causes calcium loss in the bones through a three-stage process:The carbonation irritates the stomach.The stomach “cures” the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.But, the story doesn’t end there. Another problem with most soft drinks is they also contain phosphoric acid (not the same as the carbonation, which is carbon dioxide mixed with the water). This substance also causes a drawdown on the store of calcium.So, soft drinks soften your bones (actually, they make them weak and brittle) in three ways:Carbonation reduces the calcium in the bones.Phosphoric acid reduces the calcium in the bones.The beverage replaces a calcium-containing alternative, such as milk or water. Milk and water are not excellent calcium sources, but they are sources.Diabetes in a canThe picture gets worse when you add sugar to the soft drink. The sugar, dissolved in liquid, is quickly carried to the bloodstream, where its presence in overload quantities signals the pancreas to go into overdrive. The pancreas has no way of knowing if this sugar inrush is a single dose or the front-end of a sustained dose. The assumption in the body’s chemical controls is the worst-case scenario. To prevent nerve damage from oxidation, the pancreas pumps out as much insulin as it can. Even so, it may not prevent nerve damage.
But, this heroic effort of the pancreas has a hefty downside. The jolt of insulin causes the body to reduce the testosterone in the bloodstream, and to depress further production of it. In both men and women, testosterone is the hormone that controls the depositing of calcium in the bones. You can raise testosterone through weight-bearing exercise, but if you are chemically depressing it via massive sugar intake (it takes very small quantities of sugar to constitute a massive intake, because refined sugar is not something the human body is equipped to handle), then your body won’t add calcium to the bones.
Add this to what we discussed above, and you can see that drinking sweetened colas is a suicidal endeavor. And now you know why bone damage formerly apparent only in the very old is now showing up in teenagers.

I know that some people use calcium supplements and drink carbonated beverages.

Sounds a little counterproductive to you?

A nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Vitamin D helps the body use calcium and phosphorus to make strong bones and teeth. It is fat-soluble (can dissolve in fats and oils) and is found in fatty fish, egg yolks, and dairy products. Skin exposed to sunshine can also make vitamin D. Not enough vitamin D can cause a bone disease called rickets. It is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer. Also called cholecalciferol.
1. What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin. It is the name given to a group of fat-soluble prohormones (substances that are precursors to hormones that usually have little hormonal activity by themselves). Two major forms of vitamin D that are important to humans are vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. Vitamin D2 is made naturally by plants, and vitamin D3 is made naturally by the body when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation (in particular, UVB radiation) in sunlight. Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 can also be manufactured.
The active form of vitamin D in the body is 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, or calcitriol, which can be made from either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. To make the active form, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are modified in the liver to produce 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which travels through the blood to the kidneys, where it is modified further to make 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
Vitamin D is involved in a number of processes that are essential for good health, including the following:
· It helps improve muscle strength and immune function.
· It helps reduce inflammation.
· It promotes the absorption of calcium from the small intestine.
· It helps maintain adequate blood levels of the calcium and phosphate needed for bone formation, mineralization (incorporating minerals to increase strength and density), growth, and repair (1–3).
Most people get the vitamin D they need through sunlight exposure. It can also be obtained through the diet, but very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. These foods include fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs. Smaller amounts are found in meat and cheese. Most dietary vitamin D comes from fortified foods, such as milk, juices, yogurt, bread, and breakfast cereals. Vitamin D can also be obtained through dietary supplements. Fortified foods and dietary supplements usually contain either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3.

Time January 18 2010

 It was a heretical idea. After all, we have had a long-standing deal with biology: whatever choices we make during our lives might ruin our short-term memory or make us fat or hasten death, but they won’t change our genes — our actual DNA. Which meant that when we had kids of our own, the genetic slate would be wiped clean. Bygren and other scientists have now amassed historical evidence suggesting that powerful environmental conditions (near death from starvation, for instance) can somehow leave an imprint on the genetic material in eggs and sperm. These genetic imprints can short-circuit evolution and pass along new traits in a single generation.
Meet the Epigenome
The answer lies beyond both nature and nurture. Bygren’s data — along with those of many other scientists working separately over the past 20 years — have given birth to a new science called epigenetics. At its most basic, epigenetics is the study of changes in gene activity that do not involve alterations to the genetic code but still get passed down to at least one successive generation Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1951968,00.html#ixzz0ciX46QXt

Guess what?You actually may be able to prolong your life or to have a better quality life by using Anti-Aging products.

Take Vitamin D
Vitamin D is produced in the body during exposure to sunlight. During the winter we tend to get less exposure so vitamin D supplements are recommended. People who take vitamin D supplements have better luck avoiding the seasonal flu; there is no reason to think that it won’t do the same for H1N1 virus.
Flu outbreaks tend to occur in places where solar radiation is low.
Stay hydrated
During the winter months we have a tendency to lose fluids when our heated homes and dry air rob us of moisture. You’ll know if you are hydrated if your urine is a clear pale yellow. Dark yellow is a sign that your urine is concentrated and you need to drink more.
Get out in open space
Cold weather usually brings us indoors, sometimes in close proximity to a crowd of people who may be unknowingly infected. Spend some time outdoors and get some fresh air.
Keep fit
Aerobic activity improves the exchange of oxygen to keep the immune system strong and lungs clear.
Just remember to wipe down equipment at the gym before and after using.
Eat your greens … and blues and oranges …
Dark and colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with immune boosting phytochemicals. Plant a rainbow on your plate and dig in!
Eat probiotics
Probiotics are the good live bacteria found in fermented food products such as yogurt and soy products like miso and tempeh Eating these foods not only promotes the natural balance of healthy bacteria important for digestive health, it can stimulate the production of immune fighting chemicals from cells
found in the gut.

Osteoporosis: A debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation offers this list of risk factors for osteoporosis:
Being older or female. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.
Having osteoporosis in the family.
Having a small stature or thin frame.
Being white, Asian or Hispanic.
Having a prior bone fracture.
Having low sex hormones.
Getting insufficient exercise.
Getting insufficient dietary Calcium and Vitamin D.
Eating a diet that’s high in caffeine, sodium and protein.
Using alcohol or tobacco.
Having eating disorders or rheumatoid arthritis.
Using certain drugs, such as steroids.