Echinacea does not cure the common cold

Although it has long been believed that the herb echinacea cures the common cold, it turned out that it only can shorten the duration of symptoms

It has long been considered that the plant Echinacea can cure colds, but a new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine showed that it can at best only shorten duration of colds.

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin tracked more than 700 patients diagnosed with common colds. They divided them into two groups - one group were given a pill containing echinacea, a second placebo pill, with the proviso that no one knew what drink tablets. At the end of the study, patients who took Echinacea were not cured, only to shorten the period in which they felt symptoms.


While, therefore, there is no evidence that echinacea cures colds, the researchers note that people who believe that it helps them do not need to sacrifice because it still has a placebo effect, and is not dangerous.

You are forgetful? Perhaps you are suffering from some kind of infection!

Forgetfulness is in our blood, according to research that associates 'distraction' with inflammation in the body

High levels of protein in the blood could be the cause of forgetfulness and distraction. Increased concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), in fact, makes us look to the future planning, German scientists discovered the University of Munster.

For this reason, the changes in the density of white matter in the brain, which indirectly leads to forgetfulness, because the man was a substance linked to brain regions responsible for memory.

The study showed forgetfulness associated with protein is not innate, but it depends on the inflammation in the body, because inflammation causes increased production of CRP.

The high stakes of this protein also increases the risk of sclerosis and heart attacks and strokes. However, it is not yet proven whether reducing CRP levels and improve memory.

Measuring CRP in the blood used for diagnostic purposes as an indicator of acute inflammation. Values between 10 and 40 mg / L indicate easier to inflammation, a value above 200 mg / L indicate a serious bacterial infection.

Cigarettes can cause genetic damage instantly

U.S. researchers stated that "the effect is so fast that it is equal to injection of substances directly into the bloodstream, which, as stated in the study, a "clear warning "to smokers. This is the first study in humans to determine how substances in tobacco cause damage to DNA, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, published by the American Chemical Society.

The study included 12 smokers, researchers have explored the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produced during combustion of tobacco, wood or coal, and can be found in meat cooked on the grill.

In particular, they follow a chemical compound phenanthrene in the blood of smokers and they saw that produce toxic substances which are known to "cause mutations in DNA that can cause cancer. "Smokers have developed maximal levels of these substances within the time which surprised the scientists: only 15 to 30 minutes after the study participants smoked a cigarette, " according to the study.

"These results should serve as a clear warning to those who intend to start smoking, " said lead researcher Stephen Hecht. Every day about 3000 people are dying of lung cancer worldwide, and 90 percent of those deaths attributed to smoking.

Lose weight by exposing your body to cold

A former NASA expert says that people spend a lot more calories when they are cold, and he lost 13.5 kg in six weeks 

The laws of thermodynamics, helped former NASA expert and founder of Zero G''''Ray Cronise to lose weight. As Cronise told ABC News, he realized that an important role in weight loss is our environment. In fact, our body temperature remains constant, and it takes a lot of energy.

Because your body is exposed to cold, and the results were visible - for six weeks lost 13.5 pounds. Cronise says people tend to think that you burn calories during exercise because sweat, but he believes that the more calories you burn when we are cold.

The inspiration comes from the swimming champion Michael Phelps, who enters about 12,000 calories a day into the body. Although Phelps physically active than average, Croniseu was illogical why he needs so many calories, and then he realized that the issue of water. Specifically, the cold water forces the Phelps's body to constantly struggling to maintain optimal temperature.

This phenomenon has been studied and the military and those who have studied the possibility of sending a mission to space the fifties and sixties of the 20th century, because they are trying to find ways to keep the same weight in the cold.

Camel milk- the most similar to breast milk and better than cow's

Camel's milk is less fatty and sweet then cow's, and it contains more minerals and vitamins, the only problem is that it is quite expensive

In the Dutch city of Den Bosch is the only European Camel farm. Started by a student of agriculture and marketing, Frank Smits in 2006. which decided to invest in the production of camel milk. Work from year to year increases and the milk from the Netherlands can still be found in Germany, Morocco, Turkey and Somalia and to the high cost of six euros per liter.

"Camel milk is closest to breast milk. The nutritional value is better than cow. No greasy or sweet, and rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains four times more vitamin C than cow's milk, "says Smits for portal Welt. Beside that camel milk is great for individuals who are sensitive to lactose.

Smits has a total of 50 camels, a leading farm with his father who was a doctor by profession and was encouraged at the University of Wageningen, the first scientific studies of long-term impact of drinking camel's milk. "It has been proved that milk is good for diabetics. In Asia, for centuries known that strengthens the body, and the United Nations has confirmed that it is extremely nutritious, " says Smits.

The young farmer when he started a business was dealing with a number of bureaucratic problems, because the EU does not provide for importation of camels as food. The first camel in Den Bosh therefore came over the Netherlands Antilles, and Smits is a device for milking I've developed. It is interesting that camel milk is given only when next to them have their own offspring. From the day a camel can get about six liters of milk, cows for comparison provides up to 30 liters per day.

In addition to milk on the farm products and candies "Kamelka", while the cheese was postponed until further notice because its price is not competitive.

Fiber protects against heart disease, carcinoma and infection

The fibers are essential in the diet and we eat them as much as possible, confirmed by new research 
 
Dietary fiber has preventive effect on the occurrence of many diseases including heart disease, carcinoma, and infections, according to a U.S. study.

Previous studies have established that fiber helps to lose weight and reduce cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease, and scientists have stated that the new discovery that the fibers could also prevent other diseases that can cause premature death.

"The results of this study indicate that the fibers could have wider beneficial effects on health of what was discovered earlier, " said Frank Hu, who is dealing with issues of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and who wrote an editorial to the study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

"The end result is that the fibers are essential in the diet and that they should eat as much as possible"