Health

(UPDATED) Planned Parenthood Raises $650,000 in Donations After Susan G. Komen Kills Grants

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:50:08 GMT

(UPDATE, Feb. 3: The Susan G. Koman group reversed their decision to defund Planned Parenthood, bowing to a tide of negative critisism from supporters and local chapters. -CNN)

Thousands of donors have contributed $650,000 to Planned Parenthood within 24 hours in reaction to the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut off funding to the group.

The immediate spike in

Continue...

Top 10 Reasons Coconut Oil is a Miracle of Nature

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:44:37 GMT

Coconut oil has a surprising number of health benefits, from relieving stress to bolstering your immune system. It’s rich in the lauric, capric and caprylic acids. These omega three fatty acids give it its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti fungal properties.

It can be used to cook food, moisturize skin, and treat infections. With all of these benefits, it’s hard

Continue...

Carter Center Gets $40M to Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:11:31 GMT

The Guinea worm disease soon will be relegated to the history books, thanks to The Carter Center's ongoing eradication program and new donations from Bill and Melinda Gates and the president of the United Arab Emirates announced today.

When The Carter Center began spearheading an international campaign to eradicate the horrific disease in 1986 there were
Continue...

World's First Airport Yoga Room Opens at San Francisco Intl Airport (LINK FIXED)

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:11:36 GMT

Stressed-out travelers willing and able to be flexible now have a new way to relax and refresh at San Francisco International Airport.

On Thursday, the airport officially opens what it claims is the world’s first dedicated yoga room at an airport.

Continue...

Illinois Abortions at Record Low

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:09:55 GMT

Abortions reported in Illinois reached a 37-year low in 2010, the lowest total since 1973, the year the procedure was legalized in the United States.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois said the organization was pleased to learn about the decrease. Between 2009 and 2010, the organization doubled its distribution of contraceptives such as intrauterine devices and saw a large increase in the number of
Continue...

First Hints That Stem Cells Can Help Patients Get Better

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:06:38 GMT

Two women losing their sight to progressive forms of blindness may have regained some vision while participating in an experiment testing a treatment made from human embryonic stem cells, researchers reported today.

The report marks the first time that scientists have produced direct evidence that human embryonic stem cells may have helped a patient. The cells had only previously been
Continue...

As Smartphones Get Smarter, We Get Healthier and Health Care Gets Cheaper

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:41:14 GMT

The use of mobile technology to distribute health care, especially in rural areas perfectly exploits the wonders of a device that's fast becoming ubiquitous, with two in three people owning one worldwide.

Smartphones can already track calories burned and miles run, and measure sleep patterns. By 2013, they'll be detecting erratic heartbeats and monitoring tremors from Parkinson's
Continue...

India Hailed for its First Polio-Free Year

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:21:12 GMT

Today marks a milestone in the fight against polio as India celebrates one year since the last recorded case of new polio infection in that country.

This success is the result of decades of work by Rotary International, and tens of millions of dollars donated to the cause by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.

The Bill
Continue...

Great Natural Remedies: 16 Herbs for Your Medicine Cabinet

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:23:52 GMT

Scientific studies come and go. But there is evidence that accumulates slowly over many years that support often ancient claims that herbs can provide medicinal help for ailments such as stomach upset, hot flashes, depression, nausea and indigestion.

The weight of the evidence clearly shows that these 16 herbs, some of which are already
Continue...

Online Yoga a Good Alternative to Expensive Classes

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:28:37 GMT

Trying to keep a New Year's resolution to practice yoga? It might benefit you to schedule classes in a local studio, but for others, like blogger, Starre Vartan, the answer is a collection of online yoga classes from a website called YogaGlo.

Vartan pays just $18 per month to access more than 1,000 different yoga
Continue...

Cancer Rates in U.S. Keep Falling: American Cancer Society

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:07:52 GMT

Cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.8 percent per year in men and 1.6 percent per year in women, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer statistics released on Wednesday.

The drop is significant, even though it is small, because it has continued falling each year for the past 10 years.
Continue...

Wasabi Gives Health Boost as a Fiery Condiment

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:40 GMT

Wasabi lovers may want to add more than a small pinch to their soy sauce the next time they go to their local sushi bar. The green paste, made from a fiery root called Wasabia Japonica, it is not only the perfect accompaniment to raw fish it has also been found to possess numerous
Continue...

Kick-starting Your Healthy 2012 Habits (One Way To Succeed, Keep Quiet About It)

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:51:40 GMT

Telling everyone about your New Year's diet or exercise plan or whatever your big 2012 goal may be may hurt your chances of actually doing whatever it is you intend to achieve, say a slew of psychology studies, some dating as far back as the 1920s.

The pats on the back that you receive when announcing your
Continue...

6 Big HealthTech Ideas That Will Change Medicine In 2012

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:15:29 GMT

“In the future we might not prescribe drugs all the time, we might prescribe apps,” said executive director of FutureMed Dr. Daniel Kraft.

In the near future, Artificial Intelligence, big data, 3D printing, social health networks and other new technologies will help you get better medical care.

For example, an X-ray gun in remote Africa could send shots
Continue...

Singing Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Speak Again

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:24:54 GMT

Debra Meyerson was hiking 15 months ago when a stroke destroyed part of the left side of her brain, leaving her literally speechless. It happens to more than 150,000 Americans a year.

But now she is learning to talk again through an approach that trains the undamaged right side of the brain where even those who can't speak can access
Continue...

Miracle Boy With Heart Outside his Body Defies All Odds

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:03:04 GMT

From the moment they detected heart abnormalities during the mother's 12-week sonogram, they told her and her husband, the baby had no chance. Ryan's deformed heart was growing outside his body, they said. The baby would suffer heart failure and die in the womb within weeks.

At 22 weeks into the pregnancy, the baby had lived longer than anyone expected. Now, at age
Continue...

Off His Meds by Christmas After Only 6 Weeks of Veg Diet

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:54:22 GMT

"He is living proof that chronic heart disease can be reversed in weeks."

56 year-old Mark had a history of heart problems and eventually had to have stents implanted and tubing in his legs. Until recently, he was on ten different medications.

After waking up with blood coming from his ears, nose and eyes, "He had had it," said his
Continue...

Human Trials for HIV Vaccines Approved by FDA

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:55:00 GMT

A vaccine that may prevent HIV has been given the green light by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials in humans, according to Canadian researchers.

The announcement was made on the campus of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.

The vaccine stimulated a strong immune response in early testing and appears to have no adverse effects, according to
Continue...

2.5 Million Young Americans Have New Health Insurance Coverage

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:47:37 GMT

About 2.5 million young people have received health insurance coverage as a result of health care reform measures that President Barack Obama signed into law last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

About 2.5 million more people, aged 19 to 25, have health insurance than had it before the law took effect because of a provision
Continue...

Facebook Aims to Help Prevent Suicides with Instant 'Chat' Service

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:12:56 GMT

Facebook is making it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on the social networking site to get help.

A program launched Tuesday enables users to instantly connect with a crisis counselor through Facebook's "chat" messaging system.

In the past Facebook directed users to a hotline number through an email, but the new service goes a step further
Continue...