Posts Tagged ‘Doctors’

The Cholesterol Factor in Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease — which includes heart attacks and stroke — remains the leading cause of mortality in the developed world. However some countries fare far worse than others. Britain has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the European Union, and the rate is higher than in the United States or Australia. According to a recent World Health Organization report, Irishmen and Scotsmen are three times more likely to die of coronary artery disease than their French counterparts. Their partners are even worst off; women in Belfast or Glasgow are nine times more likely to die of a heart attack than their French sisters.

The fact that Aberdonians are so much more at risk than the citizens of Toulouse is known as the French Paradox. French cuisine, in some areas at least, is at least as rich as Scottish fare. A diet replete with full fat (not to mention unpasteurized) cheese, cream and pate de fois gras is not really what the doctor ordered — and yet the French, most unfairly, and even despite those appalling French cigarettes, seem to be able to get away with it.

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The Truth about Candida and Allergy

Candida has received a great deal of attention in recent years, and has earned a rather dubious reputation in the public mind. It is said to be the cause of an untold number of human ills. All manner of symptoms have been attributed to it, from temper outbursts to impotence. In fact, if you read through the nonmedical books on the subject you will find at least fifty different symptoms thus blamed on Candida. The medical community, on the other hand, is not so concerned. It recognises that Candida can cause oral, skin and genital infections, of course, but these respond very rapidly to treatment. It further recognises that patients with compromised immune systems are prone to more serious and widespread Candida infection. Apart from these clearly understood infections, doctors generally consider Candida to be an innocent bystander. Let’s take a closer look at this contentious issue.

What is Candida?
Candida is a family of yeast. In fact, it is a rather large family consisting of at least 200 different species, brothers and sisters, so to speak. The most important of these, from a human point of view, is Candida albicans. This yeast inhabits the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, vagina and skin of healthy humans. There is nothing unusual about this, for many micro-organisms inhabit our bodies in this way. The relationship we have with these, our resident microbes, is a symbiotic one: they scratch our back and we scratch theirs. We provide them with a place to live and nutrients to live on; and they, in return, provide us with several important services, including (i) assistance with digestion, (ii) provision of some vitamins, and (iii) some degree of protection from more harmful microbes. read more »

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