Zestz JAZZ

Tan Soo Suan is the resident soprano of Dama Orchestra. She was awarded the title of national grand champion of classical singing in Malaysia in 1998 after winning the competition for three consecutive years.

Her debut solo concert series The Songs in Me with Dama Orchestra in 2000-2001 were sold out throughout the country. Since then, she has been invited to perform in Hongkong, China, Taiwan and Canada.

Tan's stage performances with Dama includes Liu Yun: Portrait of a Songstress, In the Imperial Garden, Fragrance of the Night, Spring Kisses Lover's Tears, A Musical Sojourn, Unforgettable, Love without End, Memories and Le Cabaret Shanghai

CLICK HERE to listen to her rendition of 欢乐今宵 Enjoy the Night (LE CABARET SHANGHAI ) with the Dama Orchestra.

She had studied with well-known Malaysian soprano Madam Tung and later with soprano Rosemary Barnes in Auckland, New Zealand. Besides performing, Tan gives vocal lessons.

A recipient of the 2004 Boh Cameronian Arts Award for Best Solo Performance (Voice), she has two recordings to her credit - Memories DVD and Fragrance of the Night CD.

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Bitter melon extract attacks breast cancer cells

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia, Peria, 苦瓜) is widely cultivated and eaten as a vegetable in Asia, Africa, and South America.

It is known to contain additional glycosides such as mormordin, vitamin C, carotenoids, flavanoids and polyphenols. In fact, bitter melon extract has been used by traditional healers in China and India for centuries as a natural treatment for diabetes

Preparations of bitter melon extract have been shown in previous studies to have a beneficial effect on glucose metabolism, plasma, and hepatic lipids.

It turns out that's not all the health benefits bitter melon offers.

A new study by Saint Louis University scientists provides evidence the vegetable triggers a chain of events on a cellular level that stops breast cancer cells from multiplying and also kills them.

For the study, Ratna B. Ray of the Department of Pathology at Saint Louis University and colleagues treated human cells, both cancerous and healthy ones, in vitro with bitter melon extract, which is sold in health food stores and over the Internet.

The researchers found the mechanism of bitter melon extract significantly decreased proliferation, that is, cell growth and division, and induced death in breast cancer cells but not the healthy breast cells

These early results offer an encouraging path for research into breast cancer. The authors stressed that their work was done in a laboratory, not in humans , these results are not proof that bitter melon extract prevents or cures breast cancer. Additional studies are needed to further understand the molecular targets of bitter melon extract in cancer cells, as well as for establishing its in vivo efficacy.

Current recommendations to prevent breast cancer include maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, exercising and eating a healthful diet that includes a variety of vegetables and fruits. Bitter melon has ingredients which are good for health.

Ref: Ratna B. Ray, Amit Raychoudhuri, Robert Steele, and Pratibha Nerurkar. Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Extract Inhibits Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation by Modulating Cell Cycle Regulatory Genes and Promotes Apoptosis. Cancer Res; 70(5); 1925–31

In vivo - work in a laboratory vessel or other controlled experimental environment rather than within a living organism or natural setting (in vivo)

Picture: http://4.bp.blogspot.com

Ginseng and Sexual Potency

Drs Lee and Kim administered Ginsana G115 (Insam, Korean Ginseng extract) orally to 20 patients with erectile impotence (Insam group) for 2.8 months (l-10 months).

Placebo was administered orally to 20 patients with erectile impotence (Control group) for 2.3 months (l-10 months).

The researchers found sexual intercourse was possible in 55% of patients of Insam group and not changed significantly after the treatment on the 11 improved patients of Insam group.

CLICK HERE to know more about Ginsana G115

Lee HY, Kim CS. Clinical Investigation of Insam (Korean Ginseng) on Sexual Potency. Korean J Urol. 1986 Apr;27(2):235-240.

Obesity and Physical Inactivity Poses Arthritis Risk

Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, and one of the most frequently reported chronic conditions in the U.S. and Canada, with more women then men affected. Those in mid to late life are particularly vulnerable to this disabling condition, which is expected to increase in both countries due to the aging baby boomer population.

Based on data obtained during 2002-2003 for 3,505 Canadians and 5,183 Americans.

Drs Badley and Ansari found that arthritis prevalence was higher in American women at 23.3% compared with 19.6% of Canadian women. Women in the U.S. also had a higher prevalence of AAL than Canadian women at 13.0% versus 9.2%. The overall occurrence of arthritis and AAL in men was similar in both countries at roughly 14% and 6%, respectively.

The authors suggested that the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL in the U.S. may be a consequence of greater obesity and physical inactivity in that country, particularly in women.

Physical activity and dietary intake patterns over your lifespan will impact on health and functional status in later years and old age.

Act now to address these lifestyle and behavioral factors that play a role in the etiology and prevention of many chronic diseases including ses cancer and coronary heart disease.

Elizabeth Badley and Hina Ansari. Arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations in the United States and Canada: A cross-border comparison. Arthritis Care & Research, Volume 62 Issue 3, Pages 308 - 315

Picture : http://static.guim.co.uk

FREE Fat Analysis this Friday at our Port Klang pharmacy. Call 3168 8469 for details

Apple-shaped women at double risk of dementia

Most men and post-menopausal women tend to build up fat in the abdominal region, the classic apple shape. Some of this fat resides just under the skin and is called subcutaneous fat. But much of it lies between and around the organs in the abdominal cavity—the liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines—and is called visceral fat.

Studies have shown that having fat around your middle increases the risk of heart disease by 70 per cent and your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 80 per cent.

Furthermore, women who are apple-shaped are at greater risk of dying prematurely due to a heart attack or stroke.

However, if they manage to live beyond 70, they run a greater risk of dementia.

The grim news for those women who carry fat around their waist was revealed by scientists yesterday after extensive tests.

Deborah Gustafson and colleagues at the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden studied the health of 1,500 women and found that those with broader waists than hips were twice as likely to develop dementia when they got older.

The research was started at the end of the 1960s when almost 1,500 women between the ages of 38 and 60 underwent comprehensive examinations and answered questions about their health and lifestyle.

A follow-up survey around 32 years later showed that 161 women had developed dementia, with the average age of diagnosis being 75.

It revealed that women who were broader round the waist than the hips in middle age ran slightly more than twice the risk of developing dementia when they got old.

About one in 20 people over 65 will develop dementia, which causes forgetfulness, impaired speech and problems with recognition and orientation.

The estimated levels of prevalence of dementia in Malaysia in 2005 is 63,000 and this number is expected to double over the next 15 years.

D. R. Gustafson, K. Bäckman, M. Waern, S. Östling, X. Guo, P. Zandi, M. M. Mielke, C. Bengtsson and I. Skoog. Adiposity indicators and dementia over 32 years in Sweden. Neurology 2009;73:1559-1566

Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia, March 26, 2009

Photo: http://assets.nydailynews.com

FREE Fat Analysis this Friday at our Port Klang pharmacy. Call 3168 8469 for details

Coffee Drinking and Sexual Desire

Q: Perhaps my question is ridiculous, but is it possible that drinking a cup of coffee a day stimulates sexual desire? I am a 60-year-old female.

A: The consumption of at least one cup of coffee per day was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of sexual activity in women and with a higher potency rate in men. Ananias C. Diokno, Morton B. Brown and A. Regula Herzog showed that of 185 women who drank coffee, 62% reported that they engaged in sexual activity, while only 37.5% of 40 women who did not drink coffee engaged in sexual activity. It is believed the coffee raised the blood pressure going to the penile arteries.

Sex is important to elderly. Even among the 70–80-year-olds, an intact sexual desire, erection and orgasm are common and it is considered important to preserve them.

Diokno AC, Brown MB, Herzog AR. Sexual Function in the Elderly. Arch Intern Med. 1990;150(1):197-200.
Photo: http://all-about-malaysia.blogspot.com/

Zestz : Celebrating the PRESENT

The Secret of Health

For both Mind and Body

Is not to

Mourn for the Past,

Worry about the Future, or

Anticipate Troubles,

But to

Live in the Present Moment

Wisely and Earnestly

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), 563-483 B.C

Picture: http://www.gapingvoid.com