Species protection - Pledge to set up deep sea nature reserve

(Photo credit: www.marinebio.org)

At the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Bonn nearly 200 countries agreed on measures to protect the world’s most threatened wildlife. They pledged:

1. To set up a deep-sea nature reserve and increase by tens of millions of hectares the area of land protected (the resulting protected area would be twice the size of Germany).

2. To ban experiments to boost plankton growth to reverse climate change, because of the potential risks to other animals.

3. To set global standards for developing biofuels, a renewable energy that has been blamed for deforestation.

But environmentalists said the progress achieved at the conference was still failing the UN Millennium Development Goal, which aims to “substantially reduce” biodiversity loss by 2010.

Elaine Warburton www.geneticsandhealth.com

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Kissing bug used to collect zoo blood samples

Kissing bug blood sample being taken from a giraffe

(Photo courtesy www.bbc.co.uk)

Wildlife continues to make a revival in medical diagnostics and treatment - leeches are back in favor for blood letting and wound management along with maggots for cleaning wounds. Now we have blood sucking bugs being used for blood collection.

Kissing bugs are being used to collect blood from zoo animals in a pilot project underway at two London zoos. This method has been used to successfully collect blood samples from a hippo, cheetah, giraffe, elephant and white rhino. The Kissing bug gets its label from silently and painlessly collecting blood from a human victim’s lips and eyelids.

The Kissing bug crawls onto the animal and releases a pain-reducing enzyme as they bite and suck the blood from veins. The “stress-free” method simplifies collecting blood from animals, who do not have to be sedated.

London Zoo’s veterinary officer Tim Bouts said:

“This pioneering procedure means we can take a stress-free blood sample from an animal that we would otherwise need to sedate or anesthetize. The process is non-invasive and painless for the animal. It might take somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes to get a decent sample dependent on how hungry the bug is, how quickly it finds a blood capillary and how thick the skin of its host is.”

The bugs are humanely killed after the blood samples are collected.

Elaine Warburton www.geneticsandhealth.com

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Sequencing genome of celebrities - causing alarm

(Image credit: medicineworld.org)

This week b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel is focusing on celebrities health. Our focus is not on ‘tittle tattle’ and hot gossip about Angelina, Brad or ’Tomkat’ but rather a serious look at health issues that high profile individuals share with all of us.

In the genetics world, our ‘celebrities’ are the likes of Craig Venter and James Watson - pioneering geneticists but basking in the eye of the media.

The race to sequence genomes has resulted in some major PR, particularly for Craig and James. 454 is sequencing James Watson’s genome and Craig has announced some of his results in PLoS. TV star Larry King, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, Google co-founder Larry Page, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and junk bond trader Michael Milken have all paid a vast sum of money to have their genomes sequenced.

However, this is causing a degree of discomfort within the scientific community. They are worried that only the rich will benefit and it’s sending out the wrong messages to the public.

I have a different perspective. Research has to start somewhere. The very rich have always been the first to buy pioneering technology whether it’s a car, the latest computer or mobile phone. Their money will assist in further driving down the cost of the technology to such a price that will be affordable to us mere mortals.

Elaine Warburton www.geneticsandhealth.com

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TERAPI ALAM

Mengobati Jerawat dengan Cara Alami

JAKARTA – Jerawat merupakan jenis penyakit kulit yang biasa ditemukan di semua kalangan, terutama remaja. Penyebabnya antara lain faktor keturunan, ketidakseimbangan hormon, bakteri, tekanan psikologis, dan cuaca.
Umumnya jerawat muncul pada masa remaja, tapi tidak jarang orang dewasa yang mengalaminya. Bagi kaum perempuan jerawat bisa muncul apabila datang haid atau hamil dan bisa muncul di bagian tubuh mana saja, tidak hanya di wajah. Selain itu alergi terhadap obat tertentu juga dapat merangsang tumbuhnya jerawat.
Munculnya jerawat juga sering dikaitkan dengan konsumsi makanan tertentu seperti kacang-kacangan, cokelat, atau goreng-gorengan. Meski demikian belum ada hasil penelitian yang menguatkan dugaan ini.
Semua tipe jerawat —baik komedo, jerawat biasa, maupun jerawat batu— memang sangat mengganggu. Namun cara-cara berikut ini dapat dilakukan sendiri guna mencegah maupun mengobati jerawat. Bahan-bahan berasal dari sekitar kita dengan cara yang tidak sulit dan menyita waktu.

Cuci Muka
Kulit wajah yang berminyak atau wajah yang mempunyai kecenderungan muncul jerawat harus dibersihkan dua kali sehari. Sangat dianjurkan mencuci muka dengan pembersih yang PH-nya sedikit asam untuk menjaga kebersihan wajah yang berjerawat.
Air seduhan 7-10 lembar daun sirih (Piper betle) mujarab untuk mematikan bakteri yang menyebabkan jerawat sehingga dapat digunakan untuk mencuci muka sebanyak dua atau tiga kali sehari.
Menurut pengalaman beberapa orang, membasuh wajah dengan air es juga dapat mengurangi timbulnya jerawat. Hal ini dipercaya dapat mengurangi minyak pada wajah.
Belimbing wuluh (Averrhoa bilimbi), yang ditumbuk halus dan dicampur dengan sedikit air garam juga dapat digunakan untuk membersihkan wajah berjerawat. Menurut beberapa ahli kulit, belimbing wuluh bersifat sejuk, dan berkhasiat sebagai antiradang dan astrigen (memperkecil pori-pori kulit wajah).
Wajah berjerawat juga lebih segar jika diuapi dengan seduhan satu bungkus daun teh. Sebungkus kecil daun teh yang diseduh dengan air panas baru mendidih, lalu uapkan pada wajah yang berjerawat.

Masker
Sementara buah mengkudu dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai masker pemulus wajah. Masker mengkudu tidak hanya mengatasi jerawat, panu, kulit yang keriput dan kering pun hilang lenyap, otot-otot muka menjadi lebih relaks.
Jeruk nipis (Citrus aurantium) yang dioleskan pada wajah malam hari sebelum tidur dan baru dibersihkan pada pagi harinya, dapat digunakan untuk menghilangkan jerawat. Hal yang sama juga dapat dilakukan dengan buah tomat (Solanum lycopersicum).
Masker lain yang dapat digunakan mengatasi jerawat adalah masker temulawak (Curcuma xanthorizza). Kompres wajah dengan air es setelah menggunakan masker akan membantu meningkatkan hasilnya.
Daun dewa dan mahkota dewa juga berkhasiat sebagai obat jerawat. Tanaman lain yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai masker antijerawat adalah tumbukan pucuk daun jambu batu (Psidium guajava). Lidah buaya (Aloe vera) yang terkenal dapat menghaluskan kulit juga dapat digunakan sebagai masker penghilang jerawat.
Kentang (Potato solanum tuberosum) juga dapat dikompreskan pada jerawat. Potongan kentang yang diiris tipis-tipis ditempelkan pada kulit yang meradang karena jerawat hingga warna kentang keabu-abuan dan kering.
Sedangkan flek-flek hitam di wajah bekas jerawat dapat dihilangkan dengan masker jagung (Zea mays) muda atau bengkoang. Parutan jagung muda atau bengkoang dioleskan ke bagian-bagian yang hitam lalu diamkan sampai mengering.
Jerawat jenis komedo dapat dihilangkan dengan masker peel off dari gelatin buatan sendiri. Bahan-bahannya: satu sendok makan bubuk gelatin yang bisa dibeli di pasar swalayan, dua sendok makan susu cair dingin, dan satu butir putih telur. Susu cair dingin dan gelatin dicampur lalu dipanaskan, jaga jangan sampai menggumpal. Setelah leleh, dinginkan sampai hangat, lalu campurkan dengan putih telur. Oleskan adonan tadi ke wajah, kecuali seputar mata dan bibir. (nat)

JANICE HEALTH TIPS

Herbal Remedies for Diabetes Mellitus

by Gabriell Lateyf

I have scoured the ancient Ayurveda and folk writing of India to look for some herbal cures for mild cases of Diabetes Mellitus. It seems a shame to be on drugs for the whole of ones life, for any problem of the body. At times there may be no recourse but to be on insulin and drugs to control this problem. However there is no harm in trying these herbs. There are many positive cases and at times the patient’s response to these herbs is excellent. However not all humans respond in the same way. So experiment a bit, check your blood sugar levels regularly and try to keep a track of the benefits of these herbs as applicable to your body. If you can find a continuous positive response, you may, after consultation with your physician or doctor start to reduce your allopathic medicines.
Three very effective measures against Diabetes Mellitus are:
Light Daily Exercise: A brisk walk twice a day for a couple of Kilometers each time is very useful in control of blood sugar levels. This is a must for all patients of Diabetes.
Reduce Obesity: If you are overweight for your height and age, you need to reduce your weight. However for patients of diabetes, it is important to reduce the body weight slowly under doctor supervision. The benefits are immense.
Diet Control : Stop over eating and follow a doctors recommended diet strictly.

Some Herbs are found to be effective against Diabetes. I am giving their local name / Latin names and also the method by which the same have to prepared and ingested.

One well known and ancient remedy is Bitter Gourd. This vegetable is an effective cure against diabetes and has been used for time immemorial against this problem. However it may not be effective in all cases but is worth a try. Squeeze and crush the vegetable in a juicer or by hand to collect one ounce (approximately 6 – 7 tea spoons) in a glass. The juice will be very bitter. Drink this juice on empty stomach in the morning and also once in the evening. Try this therapy for at least 30 days to find improvement in blood sugar levels. This therapy is practiced in many households for effective control of diabetes and has been found to be curative also in some cases. So try it.

Fenugreek is also an effective curative herb for this problem. A tablespoonful of fenugreek leaf juice taken early in the morning for about three months has been found to cure early stages of Diabetes Mellitus. The powder of Fenugreek seeds is also effective in this condition. Crush the seeds in a blender and take 5 grams of this powder twice a day with curds to find positive results.

One teaspoon of cinnamon powder taken twice a day , morning and evening with water has also been found to be effective against Diabetes. This is an easy remedy so all patients of this problem , must try it for two to three weeks to find, if it is effective for them or not.

Some other common herbs found useful in treating Diabetes Mellitus are Jamun and its seeds, Gulair (Ficus Glomerata), Coriander seeds, Lettuce, Red rose flower & Fennel seeds. a mixture of the powders from these herbs taken twice a day , is also found to be effective for this problem.

There are a few herbal powders available in the market, which use a combination of two or more of the above herbs. They may be also tried for treatment of this disease. At times for some body types, they can be very effective.

In conclusion, diabetes patient needs to exercise regularly, cut down on white sugar, reduce weight if obese and try some natural herbs. A combination of the above treatment and lifestyle change can work wonders. Take your pick and experiment to find the best solution to your problem.


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Disclaimer: The article and tips are for guidance only. Use them at your own risk and discretion. We take no responsibility for any suggestion given above. We strongly urge you consult a qualified professional doctor to find a lasting cure for any problem. The views expressed are the personal views of the author. We take no responsibility for same. Please consult a professional, before using any information on this site. No liability of any kind is accepted by us.

Manfaat green tea

Green Tea Report

How do you fit a miracle in a cup?

Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese diet green tea has been long revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve one’s well-being. Since its first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the link between Chinese diet green tea and good health has never been severed. It’s been used as treatment for everything from headaches to depression. Today, various health benefits of green tea are constantly being reported and many scientists are now focusing their attention on the simple, yet elegantly profound beverage that is green tea.

Where It Comes From

Like all three of the major Asian teas in the market, green tea comes from the plant called Carmellia sinensis. Much of the health benefits of green tea diets owe to the steaming method of making it. As opposed to black and oolong tea which undergoes full oxidization, green tea diet is only gently steamed, preserving the natural antioxidants in its original form.

The antioxidants in green tea helps fight away free radicals. These free radicals are the major contributing factors to aging as well as the ensuing degeneration of cells as a result of it. Scientists have reason to believe that free radicals also play a role in various degenerative diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.

A Drink Steeped With Tradition

According to tradition, Chinese diet green tea could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, further more health claims are made on account of Chinese diet green tea.

Chinese diet green tea is said to increase the blood flow throughout the body. Because Chinese diet green tea contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that Chinese diet green tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.

Chinese diet green tea detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in Chinese diet green tea, the beverage is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this regard, Chinese diet green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. Antioxidants in Chinese diet green tea can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.

Chinese diet green tea aids in digestion and banishes fatigue. Chinese diet green tea is also said to prolong the lifespan.

For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by Chinese diet green tea enthusiasts. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved the disease-preventing attributes of Chinese diet green tea and confirmed most of the health claims.

The Secret to Longevity?

That just might be.

The role of Chinese diet green tea in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing that Japanese women who are greater-than-average Chinese diet green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that Chinese diet green tea has “a protective factor against premature death.”

The polyphenols found in Chinese diet green tea may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, Chinese diet green tea seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. Stronger immune system as a result of drinking Chinese diet green tea helps reduce risks of acquiring any illnesses.