BBC News Flash: Mona Lisa had High Cholesterol!

Recently in London, England, an Italian professor at the Palermo University has suggested that perhaps the reason for Mona Lisa’s grim outlook is ill health, specifically high cholesterol.

Professor Vito Franco has indicated that the colors and physical body of the women, Mona Lisa, do indeed suggest that she may have suffered from several illnesses. It is the distinct yellowish tint that Leonardo Da Vinci gave the woman around her left eye that is suggestive of a condition known as xanthelasma, which is a yellowish gathering of fatty acids beneath the skin. The build up of fatty acids under the skin to the point of being externally visible is one of the strongest indicators of high cholesterol, says Professor Franco.

His claim stems from his belief that the artist captures the subject as she sits before him. Therefore an ill subject will be rendered such in the portrait whether or not the artist intended it to. Skeptics are very quick to point out that it is a painting not a photograph and the colors choices may have simply been just that: color choices – indicating mood instead of a physical state.

But professor Franco cannot be written of just like that. What he said is also quite possible. Xanthoma is a condition where fatty acids settle under the skin and shows out as a bump or bruise. It is an indicator of high content of fat in the body.

Digital cameras are not available earlier, so portraits are the only option to know about our ancestor’s lifestyle and even diseases. Apart from professor Franco many people have spoken about this. Paintings are the only source through which physicians and historians look at the past.

The ancient Egyptian religious leader, Akhenaten, has been the subject of such debate because of a portrait of him that depicts him as having very abnormal body features. There has been speculation that he may have suffered from one of many ailments, including diabetes. Edvard Munch’s painting, “The Sick Child,” is a clear depiction of his sister who was seriously ill with tuberculosis and died at the age of fifteen. One cannot ignore here that the art does inform us about the health of those during that time. Johanne Sophie, Munch’s sister, is a clear image of how tuberculosis manifested itself on the exterior of the body.

The peculiar thing is that the professor used the painting to diagnose a condition that is mostly inside the body. It can also not believed that Mona Lisa had high cholesterol. She could have had that grin due to bad health too.

In olden days there hardly any improvement in technology to diagnose diseases. The same method used by Franco is the regular method of diagnosing medical conditions in olden days.

You can have a look at our lower cholesterol naturally program to lower your cholesterol in a natural way.

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Blue Heron Health News is a leading publishing in the industry of natural health. The firm has just released it’s latest detailed note to help lower cholesterol naturally.

Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure – How are the Two Related?

For most people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure they will also be told their cholesterol is too high (over 88 percent, in fact). Traditional Western medicine dictates that we are prescribed pills by our doctor to treat both conditions.

In addition to this we most often told to change our exercise and eating habits. For many, this means adopting some sort of exercise routine after years of inactivity.

Exercise and diet helps to improve health, but even a healthy new habit is very hard to adopt. All the people do this correctly and without questioning. Medicines taken for cholesterol and high blood pressure mostly work.

Medicines are considered to be an easy option, as it involves very little effort. It is just following the prescription of taking medicines every day. Only when we get the side effects of that medication we think about it.

Let me ask a very basic question? Why blood pressure and cholesterol should in control? Because high blood pressure can lead to damages of tissues in kidney, heart and eyes. And this may lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness if not treated.

Normally higher blood pressure do not come with any symptoms, so even it has the name of silent killer. The systolic reading of high blood pressure is 140 and diastolic reading is 90.

Cholesterol is found in cell walls and tissues all over the body. It is even found in heart, liver, brain, intestines etc. Body needs cholesterol to produce certain hormones and to breakdown fats. A fatty and waxy substance is called cholesterol.

Only a very small amount of cholesterol is needed to do this, however. Too much cholesterol in the body can lead to deposits and buildup in the arteries. One area this causes concern is in the coronary arteries. This can lead to coronary heart disease (CHD).

When not treated this sediment will narrow the artery walls and this will limit the flow of blood to the heart. And this may lead to chest pain and heart attack.

A simple blood test will reveal the level of cholesterol in our body. Low-density lipoprotein or LDL (bad cholesterol), high- density lipoprotein, or HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides (other fatty substances in the blood) are measured.

Many of the studies based on cholesterol shows that diets that contain high saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol. Other factors that can lead to cholesterol are heredity, obesity, age, stress and usage of alcohol.

While moderate drinking actually shows an increase in HDL levels, it doesn\’t lower LDL levels and excessive drinking can lead to liver disease and high blood pressure.

Studies say that high blood pressure does not lead to high cholesterol, but these are the two factors that lead to heart disease and these two are controllable factors. The study also reveals that there is only 10% chance for a person to have high cholesterol and low blood pressure or vice versa.

This shouldn\’t be surprising as they share many of the same risk factors (age, weight, diet). Added to this, it takes different drugs to treat each condition. This often leads to multiple medications and a greatly increased chance for dangers of drug interactions.

What can you do to lower your cholesterol? I highly encourage you to try my Beat Cholesterol in Thirty Days program. It is an all natural, easy to follow program. If high blood pressure is also your concern, my High Blood Pressure program has helped thousands of people find relief. I highly encourage you to try it today!

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Christian Goodman offers numerous Alternative health solutions to many chronic conditions. The newest is the all natural Beat Cholesterol program now available. Check out his natural health alternativesblog today.

Reduce Dementia Risk by Brushing and Flossing

According to a research from Columbia university brushing and flossing does not only keep you mouth and heart clean and healthy it also keep your mind sharp. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are found to be developed by people who have bad oral hygiene and bleeding gums. Memory problems increased with the severity of the increase in gingivitis.

The researcher researched over 2,300 men and women to find out the bacteria that cause periodontitis, or periodontal disease. It is actually a severe form of gum disease, which makes the teeth loose by receding the gum. The participants of the study are aged above 60 and they were put up to many different memory testes. The study was recently published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The participants with the highest levels of gum disease-causing bacteria were three times as likely to have trouble recalling a three-word sequence, compared to participants with the lowest levels of gum disease bacteria. Those with high levels of bacteria were also twice as likely to fail on a memory test based on mental arithmetic.

From the study it is also founded that people with gum disease are likely to suffer from the narrowing of arteries and this will in turn cause high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. The researcher also concluded that “A growing body of evidence supports exploration of a possible association between poor oral health and dementia” . At this time, they are not sure why gum disease is linked to dementia. However, the bacteria that lurk in our oral cavities can damage arteries – and arterial damage has been linked to dementia. Incidentally, other studies show that poor oral hygiene can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and low sperm counts!

The bacteria associated with periodontal disease not only damage arteries but also cause inflammation, which has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Some scientists speculate that the bacteria enter the bloodstream in the mouth. From there, they activate the immune system. Immune cells attack the foreign invaders, causing inflammation. Over time, this inflammation can damage arterial walls. This type of damage could account for problems with the cardiovascular system as well as dementia. Blood carries nutrients to our organs and carries toxic substances away. When the flow of blood is impeded to a certain organ, then problems begin to arise with that organ. In the case of the brain, these problems may include memory problems or other forms of dementia.

There also dental irrigation devices, these devices can reach pockets that cannot be reached by brushing or flossing. By following a regular routine of dementia prevention process you can one can reduce the risk of dementia. These easy exercises increase the blood flow to the brain and improves the cardiovascular fitness too. A sharp mind can be achieved by a healthy flow of blood to the brain. The point that is made here is do not forget to brush and floss your teeth regularly and especially at night.

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Blue Heron Health News is a leading publishing firm in the field of natural health. Their best latest publication is a guide to natural dementia prevention.

The Main Reason For Acid Reflux Is Immune System Reaction

The damage recurring due to the acid digestive juices that burn esophagus is believed to be the major reason for Acid reflux, or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). From the research made by Utah Southwestern Medical Center has concluded that GERD may not as simple as we think. Inflammation is created by cytokines immune system cells and these same are believed to be the major cause of the damage done to the esophageal that causes heart burn.

“Currently we treat GERD by giving medications to prevent the stomach from making acid,” said Dr. Rhonda Souza, lead author of the study which appears in this month’s issue of the journal Gastroenterology. “But if GERD is really an immune-mediated injury, maybe we should create medications that would prevent these cytokines from attracting inflammatory cells to the esophagus and starting the injury in the first place.”

In the published research, scientists studied GERD in rats. They created GERD in the rats through an operation which connected the duodenum to the esophagus, allowing stomach acid to freely enter the esophagus. The researchers expected esophagi is (inflammation of the esophagus) to develop immediately, but it actually took weeks to develop.

Dr. Souza explained this as “That doesn’t make sense if GERD is really the result of an acid burn, as we all were taught in medical school,”. He further elaborated this by saying “Chemical injuries develop immediately. If you spill battery acid on your hand, you don’t have to wait a month to see the damage.”

Three days after the operation, there was absolutely no damage to surface cells of the esophagus. However, when scientists looked more closely, they found inflammatory cells in deeper layers of the esophagus. The inflammatory cells took three weeks to rise to the surface layer of the esophagus – and that’s when the surface damage began to appear.

This will happen once the disease starts to progress. The excess acid will cause damage further to the tissue which has been already damaged by chronic inflammation. Actually it does seems that the tissue damage associated with GERD could not have been happened due to acid. But it could have caused through an inflammatory reaction that is started by the acid.

This study may very well explain why acid reflux symptoms have been linked to stress. Surveys show that most people who suffer from acid reflux say that stress is their main trigger. Previous research shows that stress levels affect the function immune system. For example, people are more prone to allergy and asthma attacks when they are experiencing high stress.

his has been very well explained in the study. Natural health solution are better options than modern medical treatment for acid reflux. Diet and reducing stress level are the major focus of natural health programs. Same as stress most foods do affect the function of the immune system and reduces inflammation.

Cure Acid Reflux Naturally to learn more about dietary choices and other lifestyle factors that can make GERD disappear. By focusing on diet, stress reduction, and other lifestyle choices, one former GERD sufferer was able to completely heal his acid reflux. His symptoms are gone for good.

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Blue Heron Health News is a most known publishing company in the field of natural health. The latest publication from Blue Heron Health tackles the pervasive problem of acid reflux with a natural acid reflux cure.

Weight Gain During the Holidays – Is This a Certainty?

I answer myself “It can feed 30 people” When my wife questions “Is this going to be enough to feed 10 people?”. It happens at the grocery shop when we host a family event on a holiday.

While humorous, I doubt anyone reading this would be surprised by the above story. Thanksgiving seems to be the holiday in which we begin to overindulge. No end is generally in sight until after New Year’s Day.

The stress of accommodating all friends and family as it is time consuming and brings extra burden financially can lead to extra eating. Is there a reason to overeat in holidays? The major reason is even though we enjoy our holidays it is also stressful to many people.

With all the food involved and the need, oftentimes, not to offend anyone, we ingest 3 or 4 times what we should. Even if things go seamlessly, the idea of watching one’s calories can just go out the door any time anyone introduces more than 3 courses to a meal.

The person who eats normally in a group is the odd man. It is the power eating in group you will tend to eat more by seeing others.

“I don’t know if I want another helping or if I’m going to be sick.” I actually had a relative half-jokingly say to me.

Is there a way to avoid the temptation of over eating during holidays? You overeat just because you want to taste all the available food. The first thing you should do is try to find out why you are overeating.

If there are more than 10 courses available don’t dump all the food on to your plate. Just serve ourselves a spoon of each food to your plate. This is the best way to limit the portions you eat.

While we’re on the topic, if it is within your control, eat off of a smaller plate and with a smaller fork. I know it may seem nonsensical but it does actually help a lot.

Additionally, limit the amount of food you take home with you. It’s a lot easier to not overeat when the food isn’t around. Keep in mind that yes, it’s wasteful to throw out food but is it worse than abusing your body by eating it?

If the person is very much offended when you decline the over served food then those the persons who have problem it’s not you. You can decline the extra portions politely if the food was pushed to your plate by your loved one.

When you start feeling you are over eaten then don’t wait for your new year resolution to come in. Take a resolution not to over eat immediately. Otherwise you can take a walk after dinner and can add some extra minutes to your workout. Start exercising immediately if you do not exercise.

The alternative way is to use my weight loss breeze program to lose weight in a natural way. It easy to do with guaranteed results. You can try this now as the holiday over eating madness is nearing.

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Being too much weight is known to cause many dangerous conditions. After helping thousands of people all over the world with snoring and sleep apnea using his Stop Snoring Exercise Program, he designed a solution that doubled the effort with a unique best weight loss program. You can check outt Christian Goodman’s natural health blog.

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