Health Benefits Of Wine

Author: kristianphllps

A glass of wine a day is not only a pleasant relaxing drink to end the day with but it could also be good for you. There have been many studies about the benefits of wine and health and they have in general concluded that red wine is something that can be seen as good for you,

In face in the early 1990s there was a programme broadcast on television called the French Paradox which started all the discussion about wine and the health benefits of it. This programme concluded that red wine consumed on a regular basis may decrease the chance of coronary heart disease. This programme used the French as an example of a nation who despite their consumption of fats, rich foods and alcohol they have a lower rate of heart disease than their American equivalents. The programme although it did have some scientific research behind it was a very successful marketing vehicle for the wine industry and since its release has been a contentious issue that is rolled out by scientists time after time. In fact over the two decades since the programme was aired it has been proved that red wine and to a lesser extent white wine and beer do offer some health benefits when drunken in moderation. This is the key that is often forgotten by the public at large – drinking huge quantities of wine is not good for you.

So what is it in the wine that makes it healthy? It is in fact the skins of the grapes that are the bit that provide this health giving compound. Grape skins contain a compound called Resvaratol. This is a phenolic compound and it is this that reduces bad cholesterol in the human body making it a good thing to have ingested. Red wine is better than white wine at this because grape skins are left for longer in the fermenting grape juice in the production of red wine . This compound is also an antioxidant. Everyone knows that antioxidants have cancer prevention properties. So all in all this adds up to a pretty strong reason to have a glass of red wine. It also adds up to a great piece of good press for the wine industry in general and gives us an excuse to have that glass of wine after a hard days work.
Of course all these health benefits are cancelled out if you drink too much wine. In fact binge drinking can lead to high blood pressure, liver damage and increased weight.

Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years, especially the health benefits of wine. For a great range of wines including tasting notes and idea of what they go well with visit- laithwaites.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_920160_26.html

Can Hand Washing Be Dangerous?

By Andrei Laskatelev

Hand washing is all the rage nowadays. In light of the recent pandemic “oinking” it way around the Globe, we are grabbing the soap bar like our predecessors grabbed stones to kill wooly mammoths.

People start to ask doctors if excessive (as recommended lately by epidemiologists) soap-involving hygienic procedures might somehow affect their health? My friend told me that a gentleman in his office building spends hours each day washing his hands. The guy looked a little… odd. But can we fight germs without developing a compulsive disorder?

People started to use soap in the second century A.D. The first literary reference to soap was made by the Greek physician Galen. By 1700, there were 63 soap companies in England’s capital, even though soap was more of a curiosity than a standard household item.

An ancient guide details the soap-making process, “Slaughter the animal, strip the fat off and render into the tallow. Then boil it with lye-water, leached from the wood ashes.” The vintage soap certainly didn’t smell like roses and was so harsh that was used mostly for washing floors!

In 1832, the French chemist Eugene-Michel Chevreul demystified the bubbling thing by showing that “saponification” was a chemical process splitting fat and lye into soap and glycerin. Soon some smart hygiene followers discovered that adding palm kernel oil produced a soap that lathered more easily. They got exited and started that endless marketing and advertising dance around the soap which is still making bubbles.

By 1890 many variations of soap were offered by five major companies: Colgate, Morse Taylor, Albert, Pears, and Bailey. Colgate offered its “Cashmere Bouquet Bar” for 25 cents…the same price as five quarts of milk!

Today you can buy five wonderfully smelling bars for the price of one milk-gallon, but check what’s wrapped inside – today’s popular commercial soaps contain synthetic compounds that, according to healthsearch.com, are loaded with risk!

While there are a number of chemical concerns, there are three synthetic components in commercial soaps you need to be most concerned with:

- Fragrance: 95% of the chemicals used in soap fragrances are petroleum-based synthetic compounds. Most of these chemicals are not tested for safety and could be harmful!
- Triclosan: Today, 75% of liquid soaps and over 30% of bar soaps in the U.S. are antibacterial, which means they contain the synthetic chemical triclosan to prevent bacteria from reproducing on your skin. Current research is showing that if the widespread use of anti-bacterial soap continues in such an overused frenzy, we could be faced with super germs.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): is an anionic surfactant and one of the most dangerous chemicals being added to soap. It may be harmful for the brain, heart, spleen and liver.

To wash or not to wash? To be effective as a virus-preventive hygiene method, your hand washing should be very frequent and longer than normal. Means… you have to give named above chemicals more time to penetrate your skin.
The practice of hand washing with soap tops the international hygiene agenda this year with Global Hand washing Day, slated for Thursday 15 October 2009 with 73 participating countries on the list! Along with the embracing of the well known benefits of a healthy behavior it also might make millions of hand washers to get closer to:
• Sinus Problems
• Exacerbated Asthma Conditions
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Migraine Headaches
• “Unexplained” Sore Throats & Cough
• Rashes, Hives, Dermatitis, Eczema
• irritations to mouth, eyes, skin, lungs
• Chest Tightness
• Shortness of Breath

“To wash or not to wash?” is not the question – people will and should wash their hands clean. Just make sure your bubbly friend in the bathroom isn’t a dangerous enemy!

Best Fish Oil And Why You NEED Omega 3 Fatty Acids?

by Geoff Hadley

So just what is omega 3 exactly? Well, it is a special type of fat that is essential to the human body and has a very wide range of health benefits.

We consume half of what we were taking in at the beginning of the nineteenth century. This is generally because most of us are eating less fish and seeds, which just happen to be two of the main omega 3 sources.

The government has not yet set any recommended daily intake however, 1000mg a day is suggested. If you don’t eat fish or seeds on a regular basis, you should take a purified fish oil suppliment.  I personally claim to use the best fish oil on the market and my wife and I take  2000mg a day.  Fish oil is very closely controlled and the best fish oil should contain more DHA (Docasa Hexanenoic Acid) than EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) fatty acids. There are numerous reasons for this but I don’t want to start getting scientific.

How do you use the best fish oil and how can you be sure that you are getting the recommended amount of omega 3 fats? You can increase your levels of omega 3 fatty acids by eating more oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout or tuna. But please, no tinned tuna. For the Veggies out there, you can find your omega 3 in flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Marine algae is also a good source that can be bought as a suppliment.
If you eat eggs from chickens that have been fed with flaxseeds, then obviously your breakfast egg contains omega 3.
Whenever I tell anyone that they should eat more fish or increase their intake of omega 3 fatty acids, the reactions or excuses are  almost always the same. To expensive, I can’t eat so much fish, I don’t like fish, or I don’t want to smell fishy! There are a thousand other excuses but these are the main ones. If they would only stop and consider one fact, “the human brain is comprised of 60% fats, and approximately half of those fats are DHA omega 3″.
For less than $20 for a months supply of the best fish oil, for anyone that cares about his or her health, it’s a no brainer.

How do you know whether you are lacking omega 3 fatty acids? If you have dry skin, if your hair is dry and you have dandruff. Is your memory getting worse? If you are studying and have learning difficulties or always get excessively thirsty. Do you have eczema or arthritis? Have you got high blood pressure or high levels of cholesterol? If you are suffering with any of the mentioned, you could be missing omega-3 fats in your diet.

Facts are, that omega-3 fats combat heart disease, lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. A studie on the topic of depression, proved patients taking omega-3 suppliments could count an improvement of 51%. This is more than double the results achieved by anti-depressants.
In 2007 the journal Pain gave out a review of 17 trials assessing the pain relieving effects of omega-3. It had reduced the pain by an average of 29 per cent, morning stiffness by 43 per cent and painkiller dependance by 40 per cent.
There are studies that support the mental benefits of omega-3 for all ages. Brain development and IQ can be enhanced by babies; hyper activity reduced in children and the supplimentation can also protect against cognitive decline in older people.

To summarize here. We should all be receiving our recommended daily ammount of these very essential omega-3 fatty acids. Apart from that, we should also make sure that our loved ones realise just how important it is to have a regular intake of the  best fish oil we can get our hands on.
Do yourself and your family a great favour and read the free report offered here from xtend-life natural products. I promise, you won’t regret having the knowledge you have on this topic after doing so.

The author studied natural medicine in the German Paracelsus School in Lower Saxony. His main subject was the use of natural medicine in the fight against illness, disease and sport injuries.
For more sizzling hot info on omega-3 and just how vital these essential fats are for you, visit:
Best Omega 3 Fish Oil.  Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1053962_17.html