About Mesothelioma

Writen by Greg Fabry

Please see notice and disclaimer below.

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, often associated with exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is when malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most internal organs. It most often involves the pleura, which is the outer lining of the lungs, but can also be found in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart). Most people who develop mesothelioma worked on jobs where they are exposed to asbestos, or have gotten exposed to asbestos in some other way. A history of exposure to asbestos exists in almost all cases.

Mesothelioma may not appear till 30-50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and a pain in the chest may be symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss, cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may also be caused by other, less serious conditions. In either case, it is always best to check with a physician.

Diagnosing mesothelioma can be difficult. More information can be found at http://www.mesotheliomaresourceonline.com/treatments.html. Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Although mesothelioma incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, the incidence is still low. Currently, incidence of malignant mesothelioma can range from 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in developed Western countries. In comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer frequency of 1,000 per 1,000,000. The incidence of mesothelioma depends on the asbestos exposure of that area over the past few decades.

If you are anyone you know may have mesothelioma or any medical condition, it is best to consult a doctor. The internet or any text is not an alternative to visiting a qualified physician.

Disclaimer: this article is for informational purposes only. This article is not intended to give any advice, and is not to be liable for any errors in the text on this page.

Original article can be found at http://mesotheliomaguide.atspace.com/

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure and Finally Get Results From a Diet

Writen by Ryan Tenney

Here’s a really simple way to lower your blood pressure. Change your diet. That might sound easy. Well, here’s an insider’s tip. It is actually fairly easy to change your diet without too much of a difference in your lifestyle. You’ve heard it before, but fruits and vegetables can make a difference in helping you to look and feel better. Who wouldn’t like that? We aren’t talking about changing everything you eat to fruits and vegetables (though you’d probably be really healthy afterwards). We are talking about changing your diet slowly. All good things happen slowly, so there is no need to rush. Unless you are way overweight in which case you might want to see a Doctor and have him advise you on the best quick way to rapid weight loss (if there is such a thing).

Here is a three part checklist on how to get that blood pressure down gradually.

1) Eat breakfast. We’ve tried this. Between eating and not eating breakfast, we’ve found that keeping our weight off is easiest done by eating breakfast. While this might sound counterintuitive to you, eating breakfast is one of the best things you can do to keep the pounds off. Think about it. You’ve just woke up from 8 hours of no food, most like proceeded by two hours of not eating before bed. If you wait 4 hours until lunch, you’ve effectively starved your body for 14 hours. That’s the majority of a day! When you finally do eat lunch, you are much likely to overeat and you might confuse your metabolism.

2) Eat the right foods when you do eat. Unfortunately, the US is the land of salt and sugar in our foods. While these may really taste great (we like them as much as you do), we’ve found that these delicious ingredients can really pack on the pounds and keep our blood pressure higher than it needs to be. According to some health experts, calcium and potassium rich foods are the best for lowering your blood pressure over time. Off the top of our heads, we can think of several foods in each category. A couple of the foods rich in calcium are tofu and cottage cheese. Try eating some of these types of foods, they might affect your diet in a nice way. A couple foods rich in potassium are carrots and broccoli. It seems like no matter how you slice it, fruits and vegetables are good for you. And come one, while they are definitely good for your diet, they don’t taste that bad!

3) Monitoring. Without monitoring your blood pressure, numbers 1 and 2 above are almost not worth pursuing. You might as well stay on your current diet. Watch for the signs in your blood pressure. Some health experts (and Doctors) have signs they look for in blood pressure. Know them. According to some health experts, they can make a world of difference.

Body Building Supplements

Writen by Bryan Green

Introduction:

Bodybuilding supplements consists of various substances including proteins and amino acids, metal replacement products, prohormones, testosterone boosters and are taken by boy builders and sports persons to help building muscle or supplement fat loss. These bodybuilding supplements are also suitable for improving sports performance.

Amino acids, Branched chain amino acids, glutamine and protein:

Protein consumed by our body metabolizes into amino acids. The bodybuilders prefer most commonly three branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. Muscles metabolize these branched chain amino acids. Additionally these branched chain amino acids are assumed to have resistance towards muscle breakdown.

Although soy protein, a naturally occurring complete protein may sometime exhibit estrogenic activity and is therefore avoided by many of the bodybuilders, however egg protein is preferred as it is also a complete protein. Casein, another richest protein source of amino acid glutamine is preferred as it contains casomorphine additionally, which releases amino acids at regular intervals.

Bodybuilders prefer to take protein just after exercise or as a replacement of meal. Protein powders are available in the market and right quantity of these at recommended helps in making muscles, as muscles are primarily made of protein and protein also helps us in repairing and growth of muscles.

Whenever you purchase a protein packet, you must look for total serving in the pocket and gram protein, gram carbs, gram sugar and gram fat per servings. If you are lactose intolerant, you should select a protein packet, which does not contain lactose. On the basis of all these information you must select the right product suitable for you.

Metal Replacement Products:

The metal replacement products are either available in powder form or in bar form. Powder form can be mixed with water, milk or juice and can be taken thereafter, however bars can be consumed straight away.

These are made available for complete meal replacement and contains high amount of proteins, moderate amount of carbohydrates and also contains various vitamins and minerals.

Various manufacturers of metal replacement products claim to have added soy protein, egg albumin, whey protein or micellar casein as source of protein. For replacement of carbohydrates ingredients derived from oat fiber, wheat flour or maltodextrin have been added. Some may contain essential fatty acids substitute and other mineral substitutes. Some other products such as glutamine peptide and additional amino acids are also added by some of the manufacturers.

Creatine Monohydrate:

Creatine monohydrate is one of the essential organic acids. It is one of the few products suitable for making healthy muscles. Creatine monohydrate is useful for sports persons engaged in weight lifting and short-range sprinters. Creatine monohydrate works in our body and plays a vital role in making and replenishing of ATP. It is also occurs naturally in beef, pork, and salmon.

If you are on creatine, you may notice a weight gain as creatine has a volumizing effect and draws water and various other nutrients to muscle cells.

Some of the common and minor side effects associated with intake of creatine include stomach upset and gastrointestinal distress. Although, some of the recent studies on creatine shows that it has a positive influence on our heart health and it lowers our lipid profile.

Prohormone Supplements:

Prohormones are precursors to both male and female hormones. Body builders are only interested in the supplements capable to increase male hormone testosterone as at elevated level testosterone will lead to improved muscle growth. Studies carried out on various prohormone have not given the desired results. Some of the horhormone are not significant and effective and may have side effects.

Bryan Green, owner of http://www.powerhouse-supplements.net – Get discount bodybuilding & nutritional supplements here.

How I Came Back From Ten Years Of Anxiety And Panic To Fully Recover

Writen by Paul Bywater

The most common question I have been asked over the years is why do I feel so strange and detached from the outside world. Here is a chatper on this particualr symptom from a book I wrote on the whole Anxiety/Panic subject.

Depersonalisation

In the process of writing this book I covered the feeling of detachment from oneself, otherwise known as depersonalisation: an emotional disorder in which there is loss of contact with your own personal reality accompanied by feelings of unreality and strangeness, also a sensation of ones environment looking or feeling ’strange’ and unusual.

This one question kept coming up more and more as I was writing this book, so I decided to add an extra chapter on this annoying, yet harmless, symptom.

D.P., as I will refer to it, is a common and understandable offshoot of the anxiety condition. I can also tell you that it is in no way a mental illness. It is not serious or harmful in any way and has a totally logical explanation. It is temporary and, with patience and understanding, eventually passes like any other symptom.

The key to recovering from this feeling of detachment is to surrender to this strange feeling, to pay it no respect and realise it is just the product of an over-tired mind, fatigued by your constant worrying thoughts and the constant checking in to how you feel. This symptom relies on your fear of it to keep it alive.

When people are caught up in the worry cycle, they begin to think deeply and constantly. They study themselves from deep within, checking in and focusing on their symptoms. They may even wake in the morning only to continue this habit, “How do I feel this morning? “I wonder if I will be able to get through today”. What’s this new sensation I feel?” This may go on all day, exhausting their already tired mind further. This constant checking in and constant assessing of their symptoms then becomes a habit, but like all other habits this one can also be changed.

All this worry is bound to make your mind feel dull and unresponsive. Is it any wonder you have come to feel so distanced from your surroundings? Is it any wonder you find it so hard to concentrate? Some people, when studying for exams for hours on end, get to the point where they can no longer take information in, so they take a break and carry on the day after. For you, there are no breaks and no time outs.

As I have already mentioned earlier, your body has a safety mechanism that protects it from all this worry and slows the mind down to safeguard itself. It takes a step back from this onslaught, which can then produce your feelings of detachment and the world around you may become hazy or out of focus.

Once you understand this symptom as being caused by an over-tired mind, exhausted through worry, that you are not going mad and these feelings can’t harm you in any way, it makes sense. With the fear factor taken out of this symptom, it can start to hold less power over you and affect you less than it did before. Although still annoying, you now know why you feel these feelings. Once you learn to accept them and stop adding worrying thoughts to the mix, this is another symptom that you will be able to overcome in time. Taking a step back and giving up the worrying thoughts, gives your mind the chance to rest, rejuvenate and refresh.

When it happened to me, I recognised and understood what was causing it. I realised that I was checking in and worrying about it and I did fear this sensation, so I just stopped doing it. I also learnt to get busier and stop brooding on this and other symptoms. Being active gives you another focus. Having too much time on your hands can open the door to too much needless thinking. With less worry and fear of this harmless but upsetting symptom, I was eventually able to overcome it. It merely became a nuisance and because I knew the reason for its existence, it no longer held any power over me. When a worry or fear loses its importance, it loses its power and that is why it is essential to realise these symptoms are neither harmful nor serious. Gradually, without all the checking in and worrying, this symptom that so dominated my life began to diminish and eventually disappeared completely.

This symptom is like any other all symptoms are still being fuelled by your fear of them. As long as the fear continues, so will the symptoms. When we start to understand why we feel like we do, we automatically fear them less and they start to lose their edge and importance, this is when symptoms gradually start to fade.

For more information and a fuller understanding of your condition please visit my website below.

http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk

Get Fit From Home – Part 5: The Ultimate Fat Loss Program

Writen by Wesley Norris

Welcome to the 5th and final part of Get Fit From Home!!

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The Ultimate Lose-Fat Program
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You have heard for years and years that the most effective way to lose fat is to spend long, tedious hours walking on a treadmill or riding a bike.

I am here to tell you that it’s not true!

It is a fact that during any exercise activity, the body is “burning” both carbohydrates and fat for energy. It is also a fact that the higher the intensity of an exercise, you burn more carbohydrates and less fat.

So, the obvious answer looks like you should exercise at a lower intensity to burn more fat.

Here is the problem with that: Although you will burn more fat per calorie with lower intensity exercise, you will burn a greater total number of calories with higher intensity exercise which will, in turn, create more total fat being burned for the entire exercise session.

Studies have also shown that “interval training” is the most effective program for fat loss. The reason for this, simply stated, is that you will burn calories for a longer period of time after the interval workout (some studies show up to 12 hours), compared to about 15 minutes following a long, slow duration exercise session.

What is interval training?

Interval training is doing a portion of an exercise at a high intensity, followed by a longer period of a very low intensity, or the “rest period”. To use running as an example: an interval program with would start off with a 5 minute warm-up, followed by a very fast run/sprint for 5-10 seconds (depending on your current level of conditioning). You would then slow down to a very slow jog to get the heart rate down for about 1-4 minutes (depending on what you feel you need).

This would be repeated anywhere from 5 rounds, to a 30 minutes total workout!

The object is to, over a period of time, increase the amount of high intensity work, and decrease the amount of rest in between., until you have reached a 1:3 ratio of high intensity to low intensity work. (example: 10 second sprint: 30 second rest)

This method of training is certainly a harder workout, but the benefits will be well worth it! Don’t start your first workout at 100% of your maximal effort for your high intensity portion. Test the waters a little to see where you are best suited to start.

This can also be done on a stationary bike, a treadmill, with a jump rope (jump for 10 seconds, jog for a minute or 2), stairs, however!! Get creative! Find a way that’s fun for you!!

*As with any exercise program, consult a physician before starting an exercise program, or if you have any questions regarding what exercises might be best for you!

I really hope you all enjoyed my 5-Part mini-course!

I hope you were able to take away some useful tips!

Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested.

The website to get this free mini-course is: gymcoch@sendfree.com

Yours in Health,

Wesley Norris, CSCS
www.AllAroundFitness.org
gymcoch@hotmail.com

Hand Care Tips and Recipes

Writen by Oksana Drosd

For those of you who are do-it-yourself fanatics like I am, our hands are always getting rough treatment. Between gardening, cleaning, painting and puttering around they get exposed to a lot. What can we do to make sure they don’t look like they’ve through a boxing match without gloves? Gentle care is the key. Wear gloves whenever possible so your hands aren’t exposed to cleaning products, dirt and paint. Now that I’ve said that, I’ll admit this is a hard one to do 100% of the time, but do try.

Hand cream is another must have for your hands. Keep it in the bathroom, the bedroom and the kitchen. Use it!

Take care of your nails too. This starts with drinking enough water and eating a healthy diet. But here are a few more tips:

NEVER cut your cuticles. Keep them from drying out by using a good hand cream and hand soaks, then push them gently back with a cuticle/orange stick. Once you do this if you notice any white residue you can gently rub the area to remove this, but no cutting.

When you do cut your nails or hang nails make sure the clippers and other tools are very sharp so they don’t tear as you trim. Always trim neat and clean-not too deep. Once you get them cut, try filing weekly instead of cutting. Use the file in one direction to avoid splitting and use a good quality file. If you maintain your nails this way you may not have cut them. Use gentle hand treatments to soften your skin and your cuticles. Here are a few you can make yourself:

Rosewater Hand Massage

You’ll need:

1 tsp. glycerin
1 tsp. lemon juice
5 drops rose water
Mix together and keep in a small bottle. Use to massage your hands for 15-30 minutes. Don’t forget the cuticles!

Nail Soak

You’ll need:

1 cup bottled water
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
10 drops lemon essential oil
Mix all together and use as a finger soak for about ten minutes on each hand.

Nail Manicure Treatment

You’ll need:

1 Tbsp. distilled water, slightly warmed
1 Tbsp. witch hazel
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. alum powder
Mix above in a glass bowl. Soak nails for 10-15 minutes, occasionally massaging cuticles gently. Rinse with cool water. Use for both hands, then discard.

Some more articles about hand and nail care:
Sexy, Beautiful Hands
Women’s Blog – All Women’s Talk Hand & Nail Care

Candida Yeast Infection Diet: An Alternative to Dangerous Drugs Part I

Writen by Dalvin Rumsey

Suffering from vaginal pain, itching or dryness is not easy. And things get worse when these symptoms put a shadow on your sex life, making your relationship difficult. Therefore, you should know there are three types of vaginal irritation. The first kind, the vaginal dryness occurs more often while your body enters menopause as the amount of oestrogen is lower. This is causing a decrease in the production of lubricants; consequently the soreness and the itching during intercourse are not far away from happening.

The second type of vaginal irritation is vestibulitis. This is an inflammation of the area at the entrance of the vagina. This is also caused by a very sensitive area in that region of the body. The exact causes of this irritation haven’t been figured out yet, but it’s been reported that the chemical substances in soaps or deodorants have been causing this type of irritation. So always pay attention to your toiletries and don’t use them if you are suffering from this irritation.

And finally, vaginitis is the third type of vaginal infection. This is an itching, even burning sensation which appears deep inside the vagina. And this ‘blessing’ doesn’t come alone: it brings a heavy, ugly discharge. A Candida yeast infection is the cause for these symptoms. And another cause is the infection with the Trichomonas organism.

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, keep your calm and get treated. But before rushing to the drug store, you should know that there is an alternative Candida treatment: the Candida diet. Some of the uncomfortable symptoms will fade away if you pay attention to what you are eating and you stick to a low carb diet completed with some nutritional supplements.

But, before starting any Candida diet or any Candida treatment, you have to see a doctor to thoroughly identify the exact cause of your vaginal problems.

Candida yeast infection is the most common vaginal infection and it is usually treated with anaesthetic gels which are numbing the sore area and stops the brain from feeling the pain. Steroid cream is another common Candida treatment which has an inhibiting effect on the amount of histamine produced by the body. This histamine is the chemical responsible for the soreness and the inflammation of the area. Antibiotics, antifungal or anti-protozoal drugs represent other cures for Candida yeast infection as they go straight to the source and kill the parasite. Antidepressant amitryptiline can also be a part of your Candida treatment as it is mild painkiller which will soothe your pain during night time.

This type of treatment for your Candida yeast infection may seem a good solution, but all drugs have unpleasant and unwanted side effects. The anaesthetic gel may cause irritation and the steroid creams may cause the thinning of the vaginal walls. Antibiotics are usually weakening your immune system and antifungal drugs may cause a burning feeling to the affected area. But the anti-protozoal medicines can make you lose your appetite and even have nausea sensation. Another Candida treatment, the amityptiline may make you experience dry mouth, blurred vision and even fainting.

Therefore, you should be aware of the fact that there is another way of treating a Candida yeast infection: the so-called Candida diet. This alternative Candida treatment is working is a very simple manner. By eating mostly low carb foods you will create an environment hostile to the Candida yeast which will eventually cause its death.

But you must pay attention not to provide the yeast with the sugars and carbohydrates it needs to multiply. This is the reason why the Candida diet consists only of low carb food. So you must give up consuming sweet food like honey, fruit juices or any kind of fruits. Be careful at not having too much milk or dairy products as they contain a high amount of sugar lactose and antibiotic residues which will create the perfect environment for the multiplication of the Candida yeast.

Benefits of Carotene (Beta Carotene) as a Dietary Supplement

Writen by Joyce Dietzel

The beta-carotene is in fact famous for the help it gives to human’s body. One of the most known claims for beta-carotene is that it prevents cancer and heart disease and can boost our immune system.

Beta Carotene is plentiful in vegetables and fruits. The 600 carotenoids are important for our health and is found in yellow, red, and deep green vegetables and fruits.

Studies shows however that taking supplements for a long duration may in fact cause harm, such as the damage to our liver or increased risk of cancer which can determined only by long, large, well-designed studies.

Large amount of Beta Carotene however can turn your skin slightly yellow or orange-, which is in fact harmless.

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help deactivate free radicals, unstable molecules that are by products of cells “burning” oxygen for energy. Free radicals can in fact damage the basic structure of cells and therefore leading to chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart diseases. In addition, it can accelerate the aging process.

However, smokers should not take this the pill of beta-carotene because studies show that smokers have an increase of the risk of lung cancer when they take beta-carotene pills. According to studies, taking Beta Carotene even not on high dose actually has a higher rate of developing lung cancer and higher mortality rate than those taking a placebo. However, the risk is only for smokers who smoked more than a pack per day and who drank more than the average amount of alcohol.

Therefore, the moral lesson here is:

Do not think that any supplements “can’t hurt, might help” or that antioxidants are always beneficial. There is a delicate balance of antioxidants and free radicals in our body. Smoking was a complicating factor with beta carotene but who knows what factor such as sun exposure, alcohol, medication, intense exercise might make supplement X< Y and Z dangerous?

Don’t Smoke

Don’t take Beta Carotene Pills if you smoke or if you are a former smoker, or if you are a heavy drinker.

Eat a lot of fruits and vitamins- Even if you do not smoke, it is much better to obtain beta-carotene from foods not from the pills. There are no any evidence that beta carotene in foods can cause any danger

Beta Carotene is one of the orange dyes that are found in most green leaves and in carrots. Beta Carotene is a member of family of molecules called carotenoides. Beta Carotene is made up of eight isoprene units, which are cyclised at each end.

Beta Carotene is the pigment that gives carrots, sweet potatoes and other yellow vegetables their yellow coloring. Beta Carotene is also used as a colorant in margarine because the absence of it would only make margarine white.

Almost all beta-carotene in supplements are synthetic consisting of only one molecule that is called all Trans beta-carotene. Natural beta-carotene found in foods is made up of two molecules – all Tran’s beta-carotene and 9-cis-beta-carotene.

Beta Carotene s the most potent precursor to vitamin A, but its conversion to vitamin A in the body is limited by a feedback system.

Beta-carotene has two roles in our body. It can indeed be converted into vitamin A if the body needs more of the vitamin. In addition, beta-carotene acts as antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by harmful free radicals.

The richest sources of beta carotene are yellow, orange, and green leafy fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and winter squash to name a few. The more intense the green, yellow or orange color is, the more beta-carotene it possess.

Cooking makes it easier for beta-carotene to be fully too absorbed by the body does not destroy beta Carotene.

Research shows that diets that are low in beta-carotene and carotenoids can increase the body vulnerability to damage from free radicals. As a result, long-term diets with low in beta-carotene may increase tissue damage from free radical activity and increase risk of chronic disease and cancer. Low in beta-carotene may also lead to the reduction of the effectiveness of the immune system.

http://www.for-your-vitamins.com/

Canadian Pharmacy Prescriptions

Writen by Alison Cole

Canadian pharmacies are doling out prescriptions like never before. While they are serving a huge domestic market, they are also catering to customers in the US. These pharmacies operating out of Canada are filling out prescriptions for everything from common cold to controlling blood pressure.

It is understood that they can read prescriptions given out by Canadian doctors for Canadian patients but what about the patients across the border residing in the USA? In many cases, a Canadian doctor rewrites the prescription given out by his US counterpart so as to make the whole process of filing out process legal. In case of unlicensed pharmacies, no one bothers as, prescriptions are not needed just name the drug and they will ship it across to you. Negligence of some of the basic business ethics by certain firms has led to these pharmacies coming under the scanner of authorities both in the US and Canada.

In the US, fears have been raised over the risk to patients from sale of counterfeit drugs. These drugs may contain inert components, which can cause significant harm to the body of the consumer. In some cases it has been found legitimate drugs well past their expiry date were diverted to illegitimate retailers for sale across the internet. Cases of improperly manufactured drugs have also come to light.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, physicians should necessarily conduct a physical exam and discuss the merits and risks associated with consumption of a particular drug before it is prescribed. However, in case of many Canadian pharmacies this was not found to be the case. This was also facilitated by desperate patients in the United States who were willing to buy anything offered cheap for various ailments without being bothered about its side effects.

Some Canadian pharmacies have however, implemented many measures to gain trust of the customer based in US. Most notable among them is arranging for a visit by a Canada based physician to the patient in US for examining him before filling out a prescription. All this is happening while the business for Canadian firms is growing by leaps and bounds. Canadian firms are now filling out prescriptions like never before. Some firms have claimed to have filled as much as 3000 prescriptions a day indicating the volume of business catered to by these pharmacies.

So irrespective of the some of the measures being planned to regulate these pharmacies, it only seems that these firms will continue witness healthy growth rates.

Canadian Pharmacy provides detailed information about Canadian pharmacy, Canadian discount pharmacy, Canadian mail order pharmacy, Canadian online pharmacies and more. Canadian Pharmacy is the sister site of Side Effects Of Antidepressants.

Flatulence

Writen by Subodh Jain

Although flatulence – or ‘wind’ as it’s known – can sometimes be a sign of a serious bowel problem or a food allergy, it’s usually nothing more than an embarrassment. But there are ways to deal with this ’social problem’.

A study conducted at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California shows that activated charcoal cuts down the amount of gas formed after eating beans and-other ‘gas-producing’ foods.

For the study, Raymond Hall, associate professor of physiology at Loma Linda, selected 30 men and women, aged 18 to 40, who were in good health and had never had digestive problems. ‘We fed them a bland, non gas-producing meal and measured intestinal gas generated over an eight-hour period’, Dr Hall told us. ‘The next day we fed them a meal high in gas-producing foods beans, whole wheat toast, peaches and fruit juice. For this meal, however, we divided them into two groups and gave one group activated charcoal. capsules and the other placebos [identical-looking but medically inactive pills].

The group receiving placebos, says Dr Hall, produced large amounts of gas, but the group receiving activated charcoal produced much less – no more, in ! fact, than after the bland meal. And when the two groups ate another gassy meal, this time with the placebo group receiving the activated charcoal and vice versa, the results repeated themselves: placebo group, lots of wind; activated charcoal goup, gas levels same as the bland meal.

Activated charcoal reduces the amount of gas either by absorbing the gas itself or by absorbing the intestinal bacteria that produce the gas, explains Dr Hall. But no matter how it works, he believes that activated charcoal is ‘a good cure for wind. If a person has a gas problem, it’s well worth trying.’ For the best results, Dr Hall suggests taking activated charcoal shortly after a meal, but, he emphasizes, this won’t quickly clear up a case of wind that’s already developed. ‘It takes several hours for activated charcoal to reach the lower intestinal tract where the gas is being produced,’ he says.

Beans seem to be the worst offenders when it comes to gas-producing foods. Flatulence is caused by the absence of enzymes in our systems to break ,down the trisaccharides (complex sugars) in beans into simple sugar. The undigested trisaccharides are acted upon in the lower intestine by the bacteria that reside there, producing carbon dioxide gas, or flatulence. How