The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional model inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of some of the countries of the Mediterranean basin, particularly Southern Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Turkey and Spain.

Common to the diets of these regions are a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, bread and other cereals, olive oil and fish; making them low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber.

A main factor in the appeal of the Mediterranean Diet is its rich, full flavored foods.

Margarine and other unhealthy hydrogenated oils are considered bland and lacking the flavor olive oil can impart to foods. » Read the rest of the entry..

A detox diet is a dietary regimen involving a change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body by removal of toxins or other contaminants.

It is claimed to improve health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, as well as aiding in weight loss.

Detox diets usually suggest that fruits and vegetables compose a majority of one’s food intake.

Limiting this to unprocessed (and sometimes also non-GM) foods is often advocated.

Limiting or eliminating alcohol is also a major factor, and drinking more water (which helps curb appetite) is similarly recommended. » Read the rest of the entry..

Nutrition and pregnancy refers to the nutrient intake, and dietary planning that is undertook before, during and after pregnancy.

Not only have physical disorders been linked with ill-nutrition before and during pregnancy, but neurological disorders and handicaps are a risk that is run by mothers who are ill-nourished, a condition which can also lead to the child becoming more susceptible to later degenerative disease(s) .. » Read the rest of the entry..

The South Beach diet, developed by Miami, Florida-area cardiologist Arthur Agatston, emphasizes the consumption of “good carbs” and “good fats.” Dr.

Agatston developed this diet for his cardiac patients. Dr.

Agatston believes that excess consumption of so-called “bad carbohydrates”, such as the rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates found in foods with a high glycemic index, creates an insulin resistance syndrome—an impairment of the hormone insulin’s ability to properly process fat or sugar.

In addition, he believes along with many physicians that excess consumption of “bad fats”, such as saturated fat and trans fat, contributes to an increase in cardiovascular disease.
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Many people spend a lifetime trying to give up smoking, but there is good news for older smokers from research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in South West England.

A study by Dr. Iain Lang and his colleagues has revealed that the point of retirement is one of the most effective times to try to give up smoking. The study followed 1712 smokers aged 50 years and older over a six-year period, taking into account their work status (whether an individual was working or retired) and smoking status (whether a non-smoker or smoker).

The research showed that a total of 42.5 per cent of those who had recently retired had quit smoking, compared with 29.3 per cent of those in employment and 30.2 per cent for those who were already retired. The results indicate those who undergo the transition into retirement are more likely to quit smoking than those who do not. » Read the rest of the entry..

Cells have their own recycling system: Discarded cellular components, from individual proteins through to whole cellular organs, are degraded and the building blocks re-used in a different place. The scientific term for this recycling process is autophagy. In severely damaged cells, autophagy can also be a form of programmed cell death. In this case, the cell uses the mechanism for complete self-decomposition.

Cancer cells, too, make use of autophagy — especially after radiation or chemotherapy. However, why autophagy is activated in this context, is not clear. It is possible that the process contributes to the death of the treated tumor cells. But autophagy might also be an attempt by the cells to survive. “Autophagy is also switched on specifically, for example, when the cell does not have enough nutrients at its disposal,” explains Professor Ingrid Herr, head of the Research Group “Molecular OncoSurgery” of the German Cancer Research Center. » Read the rest of the entry..

Whether you are a habitual list maker, or you prefer to keep your tasks in your head, everyone pursues their goals in this ever changing, chaotic environment. We are often aware of our conscious decisions that bring us closer to reaching our goals, however to what extent can we count on our unconscious processes to pilot us toward our destined future?

People can learn rather complex structures of the environment and do so implicitly, or without intention. Could this unconscious learning be better if we really wanted it to?

Hebrew University psychologists, Baruch Eitam, Ran Hassin and Yaacov Schul, examined the benefit of non-conscious goal pursuit (moving toward a desired goal without being aware of doing so) in new environments. Existing theory suggests that non-conscious goal pursuit only » Read the rest of the entry..

Scientists have identified which variations of a specific gene determine a patient’s initial response to treatment with the blood-thinning (anticoagulant) drug warfarin. Researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pharmacogenetics Research Network found that the gene VKORC1 plays a major role in determining a patient’s initial sensitivity to warfarin treatment — when dosage amounts are most critical to prevent clotting problems in patients.

Researchers assessed CYP2C9 genotypes (CYP2C9 *1, *2, and *3) and VKORC1 haplotypes (designated A and nonA) in 297 patients starting warfarin therapy. They compared the participants’ clinical characteristics and response to therapy, determined by international normalized ratio (INR) and bleeding events. Their findings confirm earlier research that the two genes, VKORC1 and CYP2C9, help predict how well a patient responds to warfarin. The new results take scientists’ understanding a step further and indicate that although both genes significantly influence response to the drug after the first two weeks of therapy, only variations of VKORC1 predict response within the first week of therapy.

The blood clotting variations in VKORC1 help explain why certain patients require a lower or higher dose of warfarin to get its full benefits. The findings could ultimately help doctors determine a patient’s optimal warfarin dose more quickly and precisely through genetic screening for the VKORC1 gene and could result in better warfarin dosing, thereby increasing the safety and effectiveness of treatment.

After the discovery of the two genes that play a role in warfarin responsiveness, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling changes in August 2007 instructing physicians to use genetic testing when determining initial dosage estimates for their patients. However, until now, information on genetic interactions with initial response to therapy was limited.

An estimated 2 million people in the United States take the anticoagulant drug warfarin to prevent harmful clotting after a heart attack, stroke, or major surgery. Despite its wide use, physicians find the drug challenging to prescribe because individuals’ responses vary widely, and too high of a dose can result in excessive bleeding while too low a dose could allow dangerous blood clots to form.

The study was conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University and funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), both part of NIH.

The article, “Genetic Determinants of Initial Warfarin Response,” is published in the March 6, 2008, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. An accompanying editorial written by NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., and NHLBI Deputy Director Susan B. Shurin, M.D., on the role of pharmacogenomics is also in the NEJM./Sciencedaily

Adapted from materials provided by NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

LAS VEGAS_A statewide inspection of outpatient surgery centers like the one believed to have spread hepatitis C to its patients has uncovered dangerous practices at four other clinics, a health official said Friday.

The state swore to quickly inspect all 50 Nevada outpatient surgery centers after it was discovered the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada spread the blood-borne virus to at least six patients by reusing syringes and sharing vials of medication.

Of the 18 clinics inspected by Friday, three in northern Nevada and one in Las Vegas will be cited and fined for improper disease prevention techniques, state health division chief Mike Willden said.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wyeth said Thursday it will appeal verdicts in an Arkansas trial involving its hormone replacement drugs in which the jury ordered the drugmaker to pay more than $20 million in damages.

An Arkansas jury awarded Donna Scroggin, who blamed the hormone drugs for her breast cancer, $2.75 million in compensatory damages against Wyeth and co-defendant Upjohn. It later awarded $19,360,000 in punitive damages against Wyeth and $7,760,000 against Upjohn.

“There is no basis in fact or law for this award or for the earlier compensatory damage award,” Wyeth attorney Lyn Pruitt said. “We are confident in our position on appeal.”

Pruitt said Wyeth would pursue several post-trial motions in an effort to overturn the verdicts “and will ultimately appeal the entire case if necessary.” » Read the rest of the entry..