The Safety of Fish Oil Products

“Corrode Styrofoam Board. Fish Oil May Cause Cancer” - Sin Chew Jit Poh, 3 April 2010

“ Fish Oil Capsule May Result in Cancer Because It Corrodes the Surface of Polystyrene Pack” - Nan Yang Siang Pau, 4 April 2010

These sensationalisms prompted an apt response from the Ministry of Health.

"Products containing fish oil have been widely used as dietary supplement for many years. These products contain omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

In Malaysia, 196 products containing fish oil have been registered as dietary supplement. Products in pharmaceutical dosage form (such as capsule and emulsion) have been formulated with other excipients to stabilize the product.

Products containing fish oil that are registered by the Drug Control Authority (DCA) have been evaluated for their safety and quality, and are manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). These products also need to undergo ‘dioxin test’ to ensure the dioxin level as they may be polluted with enviromental pollutants.

The Ministry of Health has a monitoring programme to ensure the safety and quality of registered products available in the market. From year 2002 to 2010, there are only 4 adverse reports such as diarrhoea, bloating, lethargy and lost of appetite received by the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB) concerning products containing fish oil.

We are aware that there are articles in the internet claiming fish oil can corrode polystyrene. However, the reports are very technical and cannot be implied directly related to causing harm due to the consumption of fish oil. Meanwhile, the NPCB will monitor these products to ensure safety and acquire relevant information through regulatory network.

Consumers are encouraged and advised to contact NPCB at 03-78835400 or via fax at 03-79581312 when there is any doubt regarding fish oil products or if they encounter any side effects or adverse effects with these products by providing full product name for further investigation. Consumers may also report adverse drug reactions (ADR) by filling the ADR forms available from the NPCB website at www.bpfk.gov.my."

EISAH BINTI A RAHMAN

Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Services

Ministry of Health Malaysia

7 April 2010

FREE Skin Analysis - Monday, 2 Aug, 10am - 6pm

An Afternoon With The Children At The Good Samaritan Home

Jonathan, Jay, Rachel, William, Brian, Joy, John, Angel, Lianne, Timothy, Mary, Samuel, James, Hannah, Thomas, Chris, Michelle, Jackson, and Mrs Ong (in black) of the Good Samaritan Home with The Zestzfulness Team last Sunday afternoon after games, ice cream, doughnuts and wadai.

We also brought along valuable donations in kind from, in alphabetical order, Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, CCM Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Kotra Pharma, Merck, and Y.S.P Industries. We are grateful to Brian of Boehringer, in the photo carrying his namesake, who came in his personal capacity. And we are grateful to the Good Samaritan Home for allowing us this learning experience.

The children receive primary education in Chinese, which explains the bald heads, and then follow on to national secondary schools. Established in 1999, the home now has a number of their charges in local universities.

We learnt from Mrs Ong that it costs almost RM80,000 a month to operate the home. They don’t beg but help is most welcome and we were happy to make a small donation.

You can get more info on the Good Samaritan Home on this website or from their infrequent blog

Really, you should just get into the car, call on them HERE and find out for yourself what they need!

Coping With Cold Sores

Canker Sores Aren’t The Same

Cold sores usually appear on the lip; canker sores affect the inside of the mouth. Canker sores don’t involve the herpes virus and aren’t contagious. No one knows what causes them. Cold sores generally herald their arrival with a warning period of red, irritated skin. Blisters form, rupture, then crust over before healing.

CLICK HERE for the other 16 slides on how to manage cold sores by WebMD

Declovir Cream contains Acyclovir 5.0%w/w to kill the Herpes Simplex virus. Tea Tree Oil and Menthol provide immediate cooling pain relief

Dosage: Apply 3 – 4 hourly or 5 times daily for 5 – 10 days. Therapy should start as soon as possible after the start of an infection.

Merokok dan Penuaan Pramatang Kulit

Bukti epidemiologis menunjukkan bahawa merokok merupakan faktor yang menyumbang kepada beberapa penyakit kulit termasuk systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, hidradenitis suppurativa, dan genital warts.

Sejak tahun 1970-an kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa merokok mempercepat proses penuaan kulit.

Penuaan kulit bererti kulit kendur, membentuk kedutan dan garis-garis halus, menjadi kering dan kasar dengan warna kulit yang tidak rata dan pembuluh darah yang rosak (telangiectasia).

Perokok kelihatan kurus dan kulit seperti buah oren atau berwarna kelabu.

Garis di sekitar mata disebut “crow's feet” boleh terbentuk pada usia lebih awal.

Beberapa garis menegak di sekitar mulut juga boleh terjadi dan disebut “smokers-lines”.

Kesan ini berterusan sehingga usia lanjut. Pada usia 70 tahun, merokok 30 batang sehari boleh bersamaan dengan 14 tahun tambahan penuaan kulit.

Bagaimana merokok menyebabkan penuaan kulit?

Tidak jelas bagaimana merokok menyebabkan penuaan awal pada kulit wajah. Teori meliputi:

• Panas dari rokok secara langsung membakar kulit
• Perubahan dalam serat elastis kulit
• Mempersempit pembuluh darah (mengecut dan mengendur), yang mengurangkan bekalan darah ke kulit dan boleh menyebabkan perubahan dalam serat kulit elastis dan kehilangan kolagen
• Mengurangkan paras Vitamin A dan kelembapan kulit
  

Asap rokok mengandungi campuran kompleks dari komponen-komponen gas dan zarah selain nikotin. Beberapa komponen dari campuran ini mungkin mempunyai potensi untuk mengerahkan fisiologi dan kesan farmakologis yang melambatkan penyembuhan luka dan menyumbang kepada gangguan yang berkaitan dengan merokok.

Merokok menghasilkan kesan imunomodulator sistemik yang mengubahsuai sistem kekebalan tubuh anda melalui pelepasan spesies oksigen reaktif (ROS) dari asap tembakau. Hal ini dipercayai menyebabkan kesan berbahaya kepada fungsi sel normal inflamasi (dengan melemahkan mekanisme fagositosis dan bakterisida, serta dengan meningkatkan pelepasan enzim proteolitik).

Selain itu, merokok mengurangkan sintesis kolagen * dan pemendapan kolagen matang dalam matriks ekstraseluler.

Warna kulit kelihatan kekuningan yang tidak sihat, sangat berkedut, kulit kasar ... ..

Tanda-tanda ini dapat dikurangkan, dan dalam beberapa kes dapat dielakkan, iaitu dengan berhenti merokok.

Bahkan orang-orang yang telah merokok selama bertahun-tahun, atau perokok tegar pada usia muda, menunjukkan kurang kedutan pada wajah dan warna kulit bertambah baik ketika mereka berhenti merokok.

Rujukan

1.Thomsen S, Sørensen L. Smoking and Skin Disease. Skin Therapy Letter. 2010 Jun;15(6):4-7.

2. DermNet NZ

Gambar 1 Penuaan Pramatang

Lakukan Penyelidikan Sendiri

1. Klik pada perkataan yang bergarisbawah berwarna hijau untuk keterangan bergambar bagi penyakit kulit.
2. Jika anda ingin tahu lebih lanjut tentang kesan merugikan dari merokok dan berhenti merokok, pergi ke 'LABELS' dalam bahagian seterusnya dari laman ini dan klik pada SMOKING CESSATION.
3. Pergi ke "SEARCH THIS BLOG" dan anda boleh mencari topik tertentu seperti misalnya, COLD TURKEY, di mana anda akan diarahkan ke 4 paparan yang telah kita dilakukan pada kaedah berhenti merokok.

* Kolagen adalah protein (polimer biologi yang terdiri daripada asid amino) yang berfungsi sebagai komponen struktur utama dari jaringan penghubung seperti kulit, tulang, ligamen, dll. Dermis, lapisan kulit dalam, mengandung sejumlah besar kolagen dimana serat membentuk jaringan penyokong yang bertanggung jawab untuk karakteristik mekanik kulit seperti kekuatan, tekstur dan ketahanan.

Seperti bahan lain, kolagen boleh menjadi haus: perlahan-lahan menjadi rosak dari masa ke semasa. Sel-sel kulit yang disebut fibroblast mampu menghasilkan kolagen. Jika perlu, fibroblast menukar serat kolagen yang rosak dengan yang baru. Malangnya, semakin kita berusia kemampuan kulit untuk menggantikan kolagen yang rosak menyusut dan jurang menjadi lebih besar dan ketidakteraturan jaringan kolagen terbentuk. Proses ini akhirnya menyebabkan kedutan.

Banyak faktor yang menyumbang kepada kepantasan kerosakan kolagen dimana boleh sepenuhnya atau sebahagian dineutralkan. Ia termasuk kerosakan akibat sinar matahari, radikal bebas, beberapa perubahan hormonal yang berkaitan dengan usia, dan merokok.

Jadi, satu sasaran penting dari pencegahan kedutan dan regimen eliminasi adalah untuk mengurangkan kerosakan kolagen dan meningkatkan bekalannya. Tugas ini boleh dicapai, tetapi anda perlu lakukannya dengan cara yang betul.

Lactulose versus Polyethylene Glycol for Chronic Constipation

When ordinary over-the-counter laxatives fail to work, doctors usually turn to one of two osmotic laxatives to treat people with constipation.

Osmotic laxatives are nonabsorbable and nonmetabolized. Their mechanism of action is to increase the amount of water in the colon.

Lactulose and Polyethylene Glycol (Macrogol) have been shown to be effective and safe treatments for chronic constipation. The former is a semisynthetic disaccharide resulting in osmotic diarrhea with low fecal pH while the latter is an inert polymer that sequesters fluid in the bowel.

However, there is no definitive data as to which provides the best treatment.

Now, according to the results of a systematic review reported online July 7 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, polyethylene glycol "works a bit better" than lactulose at helping patients who are desperate to get things moving.

The researchers found that polyethylene glycol was better than lactulose in several areas, including the number of stools per week and the form of the stool. Those who took polyethylene glycol also had less need for other medications to treat their constipation.

Children who took polyethylene glycol had less abdominal pain, but there was not a difference in adults between the two drugs.

The two drugs are "supposed to have no side effects," Dr. Richard L. Nelson, the review co-author said, and indeed, they do not harm the colon over the long term like some other laxatives. However, the review points out that both drugs can cause diarrhea, while polyethylene glycol can cause nausea and pain while lactulose can lead to bloating and flatulence.

Reference:

Lee-Robichaud H, Thomas K, Morgan J, Nelson RL. Lactulose versus Polyethylene Glycol for Chronic Constipation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jul 7;7:CD007570.

Lactulose is available as Duphalac. Polyethylene glycol is found in Forlax.

We will talk about prevention of constipation tomorrow.

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Don't Forget You Are Special

Many times in our lives we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased you are still priceless to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by who we are.

You are special. Don’t ever forget it!

This Wedneday TV9 at 9.30pm!

Smoking and Premature Skin Ageing

Epidemiological evidence suggest that tobacco smoking is a contributing factor in several skin diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, hidradenitis suppurativa, and genital warts.

The evidence is certainly mounting up that smoking is not good for your skin.

Since the 1970's studies have shown that smoking accelerates the skin ageing process in the skin.

Ageing of the skin means that it droops, develops wrinkles and lines and can become dry and coarse with uneven skin colouring and broken blood vessels (telangiectasia).

Smokers can appear gaunt and develop an orange or grey complexion.

Lines around the eyes called “crow's feet” can develop at an earlier age.

Multiple vertical lines around the mouth also occur and are called “smokers-lines”.

These effects continue into old age. By the age of 70 years, smoking 30 cigarettes a day could lead to the equivalent of an extra 14 years of skin ageing.

How does smoking cause ageing of the skin?

It is not certain exactly how smoking causes early ageing of the facial skin. Theories include:

• Heat from the cigarette directly burning the skin
• Changes in the elastic fibres of the skin
• Narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), which reduces blood supply to the skin and can cause changes in skin elastic fibres and loss of collagen
• Reducing Vitamin A levels and moisture of the skin

Tobacco smoke contains a complex mixture of gaseous and particulate compounds besides nicotine. Several of these may have the potential to exert physiologic and pharmacologic effects that impair wound healing and contribute to smoking-related disorders.

Smoking produces systemic immunomodulatory effects modifies your body’s immune system through the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from tobacco smoke. This is believed to cause a cascade of detrimental effects on normal inflammatory cell function (by attenuating phagocytosis and bactericidal mechanisms, as well as by increasing the release of proteolytic enzymes).

In addition, collagen* synthesis and the deposition of mature collagen in the extracellular matrix are reduced through smoking.

Unhealthy yellowish hue to your complexion, deeply wrinkled, leathery skin …..

These signs can be greatly diminished, and in some cases avoided, by stopping smoking.

Even people who have smoked for many years, or smoked heavily at a younger age, show less facial wrinkling and improved skin tone when they quit smoking.

References

1. Thomsen S, Sørensen L. Smoking and Skin Disease. Skin Therapy Letter. 2010 Jun;15(6):4-7.
2. DermNet NZ

Picture 1 Premature Ageing

Conduct Your Own Research

1. Click on those words underlined in green for a pictorial description of the skin disease.
2. If you want to know more on the Adverse Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation go to LABELS on the next column of this page and click on SMOKING CESSATION.
   
3. Go to “SEARCH THIS BLOG” and you can search for specific subject like for example, COLD TURKEY, where you will be directed to 4 postings we had made on this method of smoking cessation.

*Collagen is a protein (a biological polymer consisting of amino acids) that serves as a key structural component of connective tissue such as skin, bones, ligaments, etc. Dermis, the inner layer of the skin, contains large amounts of collagen whose fibers form a supporting mesh responsible for skin's mechanical characteristics such as strength, texture and resilience.

As any material, collagen is subject to wear and tear: it slowly breaks down over time. Skin cells called fibroblasts are capable of producing collagen. When needed, fibroblasts replace broken collagen fibers with new ones. Unfortunately, as we age the skin's ability to replace damaged collagen diminishes and more gaps and irregularities develop in the collagen mesh. This process eventually leads to wrinkles.

Many factors contributing to accelerated collagen breakdown can be fully or partially neutralized. They include sun damage, free radicals, some age-related hormonal changes, and smoking.

Thus, one important target of wrinkle prevention and elimination regimen is to reduce collagen breakdown and increase its supply. This task is achievable but you have to go about it in the right way.

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L-Arginine– helps repair damaged tissue, reduce body fat, generate muscle mass.

L-Lysine– an essential amino acid, helps in collagen formation and assists calcium absorption.

Soy Extract / Soya (Isoflavones)– eases menopause symptoms and helps prevent osteoporosis.

Oligo– encourages growth of friendly bacteria, help prevent constipation.

Aerobic Fitness and Biological Ageing

Maintaining Aerobic Fitness Could Delay Biological Ageing By Up To 12 Years

Regular exercise reduces the risk for obesity, maturity onset diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, several forms of cancer and osteoporosis not only in middle age but also in the retirement years.

The maintenance of aerobic fitness through middle age and beyond can also delay biological ageing by up to 12 years and prolong independence during old age, according to Roy Shephard, Professor Emeritus of Applied Physiology, University of Toronto, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (1).

Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, improves oxygen consumption in the body as well as its use in generating energy.

But maximal aerobic power starts to fall predictably beginning in middle age, decreasing about 5mL/kg/min every decade of life.

In a typical sedentary man, by the age of 60 years, the maximal aerobic power will have fallen to about 25 mL/kg/min -- this is almost half what it was at age 20. If such losses continue into old age, a point is reached when the ordinary activities of ordinary independent daily life become intolerably fatiguing.

Dr. Shephard combines data from many different sources to conclude that regular aerobic exercise can inhibit or even reverse this continuous decline, even later in life.

A regular exercise programme can slow or reverse the loss of aerobic fitness, prolonging the elderly individual's independence and reducing risks of serious disease, faster recovery after injury or illness, and risks of falls because of the maintenance of muscle power, balance, and coordination.

So You May Ask: Is Tai Chi Beneficial For Improving Aerobic Capacity?

Dr M Soo Lee (2) from the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine working with colleagues from the Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, UK and Dong-A University, South Korea evaluated evidence from 5 randomised clinical trials (RCTs) testing the effectiveness of tai chi for increasing aerobic capacity. Three RCTs compared the effects of tai chi with no treatment. The meta-analysis failed to show an effect of tai chi on aerobic capacity compared with sedentary control. Two RCTs compared tai chi with conventional physical exercise including brisk, low intensity and moderate intensity walking, and aerobic exercise.

Their results show that tai chi was not statistically significantly superior to physical exercise suggesting that regular tai chi is not an effective way of increasing aerobic capacity.

So What’s So Good About Tai Chi?

Despite its long history, tai chi has been studied scientifically only in recent years. And although more research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that tai chi may offer numerous benefits beyond stress reduction, including:

• Reducing anxiety and depression
• Improving balance, flexibility and muscle strength
• Reducing falls in older adults
• Improving sleep quality
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving cardiovascular fitness in older adult
• Relieving chronic pain
• Increasing energy, endurance and agility
• Improving overall feelings of well-being

Source: Mayo Clinic

We Recommend Tai Chi and Brisk Walking

Brisk walk training in previously sedentary men and women can result in a substantial increase in aerobic capacity and a reduction in body weight and fat stores, particularly when the walking duration exceeds 30 minutes (3).

The Zestzfulness Team recommends combining tai chi with brisk walking because of the lesser physical stress on muscle and bone of the leg, knees and feet than jogging or running.

Journal Reference

1. R J Shephard. Maximal oxygen intake and independence in old age. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;43:342-346
2. Lee MS, Lee E-N, Ernst E. Is tai chi beneficial for improving aerobic capacity? A systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;43:569-573
3. Franklin BA. Walking: the undervalued prescription. Preventive Cardiology. 2006 Winter;9(1):56-9.

Aerobic power is dependent on the ability of the respiratory and circulatory systems to transport oxygen from the air to the respiring tissues, and the ability of the tissues to use the oxygen to break down metabolic fuels. Aerobic power is usually measured in terms of oxygen consumption per unit of time.

Aerobic power, aerobic capacity, functional capacity, functional aerobic capacity, maximal functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular fitness, maximal oxygen intake, and maximal oxygen uptake are terms that are often used interchangeably.

Picture Source

Diet Tinggi Lemak dan Kanser Prostat

Diet dianggap salah satu faktor yang paling penting dalam mengawal risiko peradangan dan penyakit prostat termasuk benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, dan kanser prostat (KP).

Robert Ma dan Kathy Chapman di Sydney, Australia melakukan penelaahan berdasarkan bukti mengenai diet yang dicadangkan dalam pencegahan kanser prostat serta dalam pengurusan pesakit dengan KP.

Para penyelidik mendapati bahawa diet rendah lemak, tinggi dalam sayuran dan buah-buahan, dan mengelak pengambilan makanan bertenaga tinggi, daging berlebihan, dan produk susu yang berlebihan dan pengambilan kalsium mungkin dapat membantu dalam mencegah KP, dan untuk pesakit didiagnosis dengan KP.

Secara khusus, pengambilan tomato, kubis bunga, brokoli, teh hijau, dan vitamin termasuk Vitamin E dan selenium nampaknya dicadangkan dapat menurunkan risiko KP. Pengambilan daging yang diproses atau dipanggang, produk susu, dan lemak nampaknya berkaitan dengan KP.

KLIK DI SINI - Bagaimana Anda Boleh Meningkatkan Diet anda *

Faktor Nuklear kappa B (NF-κB) adalah kompleks protein yang mengawal transkripsi DNA. Dalam kajian terkini oleh Dr Sanjay Gupta dan pasukannya dari rakan post-kedoktoran memberi keterangan bahawa diet tinggi lemak meningkatkan pengaktifan NF-κB dan mengikatnya kepada DNA yang mempengaruhi perkembangan tumor.

Tikus pelapor NF-κB yang tidak gemuk diberi makanan berlemak tinggi selama empat, lapan, dan 12 minggu. Dibandingkan dengan tikus yang diberi makanan biasa, kumpulan diet tinggi lemak mengalami peningkatan yang signifikan dalam berat prostat, dan dalam ekspresi prostat dengan tanda stres oksidatif (seperti NADPH), dan peradangan (seperti target hilir NF-κB: nitrik oksida synthase, dan siklooksigenase [COX-2]) mengalami peningkatan.

Penelitian ini memberi bukti langsung bahawa diet tinggi lemak menyebabkan proliferasi, peradangan, dan stres oksidatif yang boleh menyebabkan benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, dan kanser prostat, serta beberapa kelainan yang paling umum yang mempengaruhi lelaki dewasa.

Jurnal Rujukan:

R. W.-L. Ma, K. Chapman. A systematic review of the effect of diet in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2009; 22 (3): 187-199

Vykhovanets EV, Shankar E, Vykhovanets OV, Shukla S, Gupta S. High-fat diet increases NF-κB signaling in the prostate of reporter mice. The Prostate, 2010.

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Tai Chi for Stress Relief

If you’ve ever seen a group of people in the park slowly moving in synch, you’ve probably witnessed tai chi.

Tai chi is a self-paced, non-competitive series of slow, flowing body movements. These movements emphasize concentration, relaxation, and the conscious circulation of vital energy throughout the body.

Though tai chi has its roots in martial arts, today it is primarily practiced as a way of calming the mind, conditioning the body, and reducing stress. As in meditation, tai chi practitioners focus on their breathing and keeping their attention in the present moment.

Tai chi is a safe, low-impact option for people of all ages and levels of fitness, including older adults and those recovering from injuries. Once you’ve learned the moves, you can practice it anywhere, at any time, by yourself, or with others.

Making Tai Chi Work For You

• As with yoga, tai chi is best learned in a class or from a private instructor.
• Although tai chi is normally very safe and gentle, be sure to discuss any health or mobility concerns with your instructor.
• Tai chi classes are often offered in community centers, senior centers, or local community colleges.
• Looking for a qualified instructor? CLICK HERE
  

Adapted from HELPGUIDE
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Supplements Make Sense

You know that taking a multivitamin every day is a good way to fill your nutritional gaps.

Now learn why as we look at some of the major ways vitamins and minerals can benefit your health.

Think of your multivitamin as low-cost nutrition insurance. Try as you may to get all your nutrients from a balanced diet, you probably fall short some days. In fact, as many as 80 percent of Americans don't eat the recommended minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That's why some nutrition experts now recommend that all adults take a daily multivitamin(1).

Vitamins and minerals work together to keep the body growing and functioning normally. They help convert food into energy, keep cells healthy, and support the immune system. Vitamins and minerals also help your body use the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in your diet.

Here are some of the ways that multivitamins may help:

Support immunity. Poor nutrition is an open invitation to poor health. Research suggests that getting the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals your body needs daily is a factor in the maintenance of good health. Studies also suggest taking a daily multivitamin may help maintain your immune function.

Neutralize Free Radical Damage: Antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and Vitamins C and E, which are also found in many daily multivitamins, are substances that help protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.

Maintain strong bones. You probably already know that Calcium is critical for healthy bones. But did you know that recent studies confirm that Vitamin D is just as important for maintaining strong bones? Yet it's difficult to get this nutrient through diet alone. Vitamin D is produced in the skin following direct exposure to sunlight. But necessary use of sunscreen, weak winter sunlight, and poor skin absorption all work against this vital nutrient. And while Vitamin D is added to milk, many people don't drink enough dairy products to benefit. Taking a multivitamin with 400 international units (IU) of Vitamin D may help.

Journal Reference:

(1) Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002;287:3127-3129.

This article was sourced from the Centrum Website

Picture of apple: A good example of oxygen free-radical damage can be seen when an apple is sliced in half and left exposed to air. Within a short time, the apple begins to turn brown. This browning is caused by free-radical damage and will eventually destroy the fruit.

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it's cheaper than your glass of teh tarik!

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We recommend 1 Centrum SILVER with 2 BiO-LiFE Salmon Oil 1000mg Vegicap® every morning. CLICK HERE to find out why.

An Afternoon With The Children At GSH

Come, join The Zestzfulness Team this Sunday afternoon, 25^th July 2010 and celebrate with the disadvantaged children at the Good Samaritan Home in Klang.

This charitable home was established in 1999 by Albert Ong, to provide shelter to 27 poor and needy children whose age ranges from 1 to 19 years.

Please phone, email or fax us for details.

Tips Kesihatan: Mencegah Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis adalah penyakit di mana tulang menjadi tipis, lemah dan rapuh, dan mungkin mudah retak.

Wanita dan orang tua lebih terdedah kepada pembentukan osteoporosis, walaupun ia boleh mempengaruhi sesiapa sahaja dari pelbagai peringkat usia atau jenis kelamin.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Amerika menyarankan langkah-langkah pencegahan untuk osteoporosis:

- Kerap melakukan latihan yang direka untuk membantu menguatkan tulang. Latihan angkat berat adalah yang terbaik untuk tulang kerana memaksa anda untuk bekerja melawan graviti. Contohnya berjalan, mendaki, berjogging, naik tangga, latihan beban, bermain tenis, dan menari.

- Menggunakan ubat yang direka untuk mencegah keroposan tulang atau meningkatkan jisim tulang. Berbicaralah dengan doktor anda

- Mengambil langkah-langkah untuk mencegah dari terjatuh, yang mana meningkatkan peluang keretakan tulang anda, terutama bahagian pinggul, pergelangan tangan atau tulang belakang. Langkah-langkah tersebut termasuk mengemas barang-barang yang bersepah di dalam rumah, memakai kasut bertumit rendah, menggunakan karpet yang selamat di lantai (tidak licin), dan memasang palang tempat berpaut di bilik mandi.

- Makan diet yang sihat dan seimbang yang kaya vitamin D dan kalsium.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D memainkan peranan penting dalam penyerapan kalsium dan kesihatan tulang. Ini dihasilkan dalam kulit melalui pendedahan kepada sinar matahari. Makanan sumber vitamin D termasuk kuning telur, ikan laut, dan hati. Kebanyakan orang mendapat cukup vitamin D secara semulajadi, dengan berada sekitar 15 minit di bawah sinar matahari setiap hari, walaubagaimanapun kajian menunjukkan bahawa penurunan pengeluaran vitamin D pada orang tua, pada orang yang tinggal di rumah, dan bagi mereka yang umumnya berada pada musim sejuk. Mereka mungkin memerlukan suplemen vitamin D untuk mencapai keperluan yang disarankan iaitu 400 hingga 600 IU (International Unit) setiap hari.

Kalsium: Pengambilan kalsium yang tidak mencukupi sepanjang hayat memberikan sumbangan bagi pembentukan osteoporosis. Banyak kajian yang diterbitkan menunjukkan bahawa pengambilan kalsium yang rendah nampaknya berkaitan dengan kepadatan tulang yang rendah, kehilangan tulang yang cepat, dan kadar keretakan tulang yang tinggi. Kajiselidik nutrisi kebangsaan menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan individu mengkonsumsi kurang dari setengah jumlah kalsium yang disarankan untuk membina dan mengekalkan tulang yang sihat. Makanan sumber kalsium termasuk produk susu rendah lemak, seperti susu, yogurt, keju, dan ais krim, sayuran berwarna hijau, seperti brokoli, collard hijau, bok choy, dan bayam, sarden dan salmon dengan tulang; tahu; almond, dan makanan yang diperkaya dengan kalsium, seperti jus oren, bijirin, dan roti. Bergantung pada seberapa banyak kalsium yang anda ambil setiap hari dari makanan, anda mungkin memerlukan suplemen kalsium.

Keperluan kalsium berubah selama hidup seseorang. Permintaan untuk kalsium tubuh lebih besar selama masa kanak-kanak dan remaja, ketika ini tulang rangka berkembang pesat, dan selama kehamilan dan menyusui. Wanita menopaus dan lelaki-lelaki yang lebih tua juga perlu mengkonsumsi kalsium lebih banyak. Selain itu, pada usia anda kini, tubuh anda menjadi kurang efisien dalam menyerap kalsium dan nutrisi lain. Orang dewasa yang lebih tua juga lebih cenderung mempunyai masalah perubatan yang kronik dan menggunakan ubat yang boleh mengganggu penyerapan kalsium
.

PERCUMA: Ujian Kepadatan Tulang
di farmasi kami di Pelabuhan Klang
pada hari Selasa 17hb Ogos
dari pukul 4 petang hingga 7 malam

Sumber gambar

What Was He Doing At Our Pharmacy

Yesterday, we called FUMIPEST, our regular pest control contractor but guess who turned up instead?

Inspektor Reza, of course!

What was he looking for?

Contraband?
Drugs?
Terrorists?
Cockroaches?

To find out, tune in to DRAMA GERAK PGM, Wednesdays TV9 at 9.30pm!

Obesity and Sexuality

Obesity is emerging as one of the fastest growing pandemics in modern times.

The adverse effects of obesity on health are, for the most part, well documented.

The consequences for sexual health, however, are less well understood.

Obesity is associated with erectile dysfunction in men, but the evidence in relation to other sexual health outcomes has been equivocal. Some surveys have reported a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among obese people.

To date, there have been no comprehensive population based studies of the impact of overweight and obesity on sexual activity and sexual health outcomes such as sexual satisfaction, unintended pregnancy, and abortion.

French investigators, led by Nathalie Bajos of the CSF Group, analyzed results of a national survey of sexual behaviors in 4635 men and 5535 women (age range, 18–69).

In all, 9% of men and women were obese (body-mass index equal to or greater than 30.0 kg/m²); 21% of women and 35% of men were overweight (BMI, 25.0–29.9).

Among younger women (age range, 18–29), those who were obese were threefold more likely to have met a partner on the Internet and were more likely to have obese partners than were normal-weight women.

Whereas obese men experienced erectile dysfunction at twice the rate reported by normal-weight men, obese women were no more likely than normal-weight women to report sexual dysfunction (e.g., lack of arousal, painful intercourse).

Obese women of all ages were less likely to have seen a clinician for contraception during the past year despite being sexually active; younger obese women were less likely to have used oral contraception at last intercourse, more likely to use withdrawal as a birth control method, and more likely to report unintended pregnancies.

These data confirm prior findings about obesity's effects on erectile dysfunction; interestingly, women's likelihood of sexual dysfunction was unaffected.

The high rate of unintended pregnancy in obese women is most concerning, particularly in light of the complications that obesity brings to pregnancy.

Journal Reference

Bajos N, Wellings K, Laborde C, Moreau C; CSF Group. Sexuality and obesity, a gender perspective: results from French national random probability survey of sexual behaviours. British Medical Journal. 2010 Jun 15;340:c2573.

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High Fat Diet and Prostate Cancer

Diet is considered one of the most important controllable risk factors for inflammation and prostate diseases including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer (PC).

Robert Ma and Kathy Chapman in Sydney, Australia conducted an evidence-based review of dietary recommendations in the prevention of prostate cancer as well as in the management of patients with PC.

The researchers found that a diet low in fat, high in vegetables and fruit, and avoiding high energy intake, excessive meat, and excessive dairy products and calcium intake may be helpful in preventing PC, and for patients diagnosed with PC.

Specifically, consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea, and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium seemed to propose a decreased risk of PC. Consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with PC.

CLICK HERE - How You Can Improve Your Diet*

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a protein complex that controls DNA transcription. In a recent study Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his team of post-doctoral fellows provide evidence that a high-fat diet increases the activation of NF-κB and its binding to DNA influence influence tumor progression.

Non-obese NF-κB reporter mice were fed a high fat diet for four, eight, and 12 weeks. Compared with mice fed a regular diet, the high fat diet group had significant increases in prostate weight, and in the prostate expression of markers of oxidative stress (such as NADPH), and inflammation (such as the downstream targets of NF-κB: nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase [COX-2]) were increased.

These studies provide direct evidence that a high fat diet causes proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress that can lead to benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and cancer of the prostate, some of the most common disorders affecting adult men.

Journal Reference:

R. W.-L. Ma, K. Chapman. A systematic review of the effect of diet in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2009; 22 (3): 187-199

Vykhovanets EV, Shankar E, Vykhovanets OV, Shukla S, Gupta S. High-fat diet increases NF-κB signaling in the prostate of reporter mice. The Prostate, 2010, published ahead of print.

* A healthy diet that may benefit men who want to help prevent prostate cancer or who have already been diagnosed. From The Prostate Cancer Charity, UK.

See our other postings on Prostate Cancer

• Lycopene and Prostate Cancer
• Exercise and Prostate Cancer
• Broccoli and Prostate Cancer
• Saw Palmetto and Prostate Cancer

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Health Tip: Preventing Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become thin, frail and brittle, and may break easily.

Women and older people are more prone to developing osteoporosis, although it can affect people of any age or gender.

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases suggests these preventive measures for osteoporosis:

• Getting frequent exercise that's designed to help strengthen bones. Weight-bearing exercise is the best for your bones because it forces you to work against gravity. Examples include walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, weight training, tennis, and dancing.
• Taking medications designed to prevent bone loss or increase bone mass. Talk to your doctor
• Taking steps to prevent falls, which increase your chances of breaking a bone, such as the hip, wrist or spine. Such steps include removing clutter inside the home, wearing low-heeled shoes, securing rugs to the floor, and installing grab bars in the bathroom.
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet that's rich in vitamin D and calcium.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption and bone health. It is synthesized in the skin through exposure to sunlight. Food sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver. Many people obtain enough vitamin D naturally, by getting about 15 minutes of sunlight each day; however, studies show that vitamin D production decreases in the elderly, in people who are housebound, and for people in general during the winter. They may need vitamin D supplements to achieve the recommended intake of 400 to 600 IU (International Units) daily.

Calcium: An inadequate supply of calcium over a lifetime contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Many published studies show that low calcium intake appears to be associated with low bone mass, rapid bone loss, and high fracture rates. National nutrition surveys show that many people consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to build and maintain healthy bones. Food sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream; dark green, leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collard greens, bok choy, and spinach; sardines and salmon with bones; tofu; almonds; and foods fortified with calcium, such as orange juice, cereals, and breads. Depending upon how much calcium you get each day from food, you may need to take a calcium supplement.

Calcium needs change during one’s lifetime. The body’s demand for calcium is greater during childhood and adolescence, when the skeleton is growing rapidly, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Postmenopausal women and older men also need to consume more calcium. Also, as you age, your body becomes less efficient at absorbing calcium and other nutrients. Older adults also are more likely to have chronic medical problems and to use medications that may impair calcium absorption.

Read our other posts on osteoporosis:

Men do suffer from Osteoporosis

Calcium intakes of Malaysian Women

Incidence of Hip Fracture in Malaysia

Caclium Supplements – A Waster of Your Money?

Experts from MediCare will conducting

FREE Bone Density Tests

at our pharmacy in Port Klang on Tuesday,

August 17^th 2010 from 4.00pm to 7.00pm

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