Placement of the major organs and structures following on from the last two articles on here.
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THE DANGERS OF INEXPERIENCED PSYCHICS/MEDIUMS
Today I am blogging about inexperienced Psychics/Mediums. There are many psychics/mediums around who give the profession a bad name, t...
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ASTRID BROWN
Thursday, 13 September 2012
SIMPLE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY, THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Digestion as I mentioned previously begins in the mouth, food is chewed up assisted by the teeth and tongue and mixed with saliva. Saliva helps moisten the food and helps us swallow it, but the enzymes within Saliva, amylase and pytalin break down carbohydrates, which are complex sugars into disaccharides. This chewed up food is now known as a bolus and is pushed down the oesophagus by the tongue. The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube commonly known as the gullet. that leads to the stomach. The stomach is a muscular hollow organ that produces hydrochloric acid, to help break down food further and kill bacteria, it also produces Pepsin an enzyme to break down proteins. The stomach's muscular action churns up the food and it is now known as chyme as it passes into the first stage of the small intestine, the Duodenum, it is in the small intestine where the vast majority of digestion takes place.
The accessory digestive organs the pancreas and the liver now assist the process of digestion. The liver produces Bile, this is released and stored in the gallbladder and it is from there it is released into the duodenum its function is to emulsify fats and acts as a deodourant and gives faeces their brown colour. At the same time the pancreas produces digestive enzymes to further break down carbohydrates into simple sugars monosaccharides (amylase, lactase, sucrase) and (trypsin and chymotrypsin) break down proteins into polypeptides. Lipase breaks the fats down into fatty acids.
As the broken down food continues along the small intestine the lining is covered in small projections known as Villi, these increase the absorbent area and the nutrients from the food are absorbed through those into the blood stream. Obviously its a lot more complex than this as I'm trying to keep this simple.
The main function of the large intestine is to absorb water from the faeces and any remaining nutrients and the end result faeces is stored in the rectum until voided.
The Liver does have a very important role in the body besides manufacturing Bile as does the Pancreas and that will be explained in another blog.
ANATOMY FOR BEGINNERS (AS A SURVEY REVEALS HALF OF UK POPULATION ARE IGNORANT) BEGINNING WITH THE MOUTH
I saw this in the Daily Mail (below) and I can't believe how ignorant some people can be about their bodies so I thought I had better enlighten them.
Starting with the mouth and keeping this relatively simple.
Beginning with the teeth a full grown adult has 32 teeth, though some people are born without the 4 third molars commonly known as wisdom teeth, they usually erupt around ages 14/15. We also have 20 milk teeth (our first deciduous teeth) which we begin to lose around ages 5 to 6 and are gradually replaced by our permanent teeth.
Diagram of the mouth, digestion begins within the mouth where food is chewed (masticated) and the action of salivary amylase and pytalin (enzymes that break down carbohydrates)
Tonsils are part of our immune system (lymphoid tissue) to help protect us from infection. The tongue as well has helping us to speak aids digestion by helping us move and chew food and is divided up into areas that help us detect flavours such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
Article from the Daily Mail below
Half of Britons are so clueless about their own bodies they are unable to point out where their HEART is
More than half of Britons are so clueless about their bodies that they cannot pinpoint the correct location of their heart, it emerged today.
Not only that, but we do not know how much blood we have, how many teeth are in our mouths or what roles our vital organs perform.
Many of the 2,000 respondents questioned by researchers were unable to say what our correct body temperature should be, while nearly 10 per cent were unsure of the number of kidneys we have.
There it is: Half of Britons are so clueless about their bodies that they cannot pinpoint the correct location of their heart, according to a study
Additionally, the study found 60 per cent could not name their own blood type.
The research was commissioned by the Museum Of London to mark the launch of its October exhibition Doctors, Dissection And Resurrection Men.
Jelena Bekvalac, Curator of Human Osteology at the museum, said: 'It seems we have a depressing lack of anatomical awareness.
'Perhaps we have a tendency to rely on medical authorities to do all they can for us without really understanding the way that we work.
'We are reassured by expertise and don’t take the time to understand the basics of how our own bodies function or are structured.
'The Museum of London’s new exhibition, Doctors, Dissection And Resurrection Men explores the extreme lengths 19th century medical pioneers went to to increase anatomical understanding.
'Surgeons faced a torturous dilemma - learn their skills on stolen corpses or practice on a living patient.
'And so began a gruesome trade. Body-snatchers stalked the city’s graveyards to supply fresh corpses for medical dissection.
OUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR OWN BODIES
- 50% don't know where their heart is (centre-left of the chest)
- 75% don't know how many bones are in an adult body (206)
- Just under 50% don't know how many teeth we have (32)
- 40% don't know where their kidneys are
- Just under 10% don't know how many kidneys we have
- More than 50% don't know where their gall bladder is
- 60% of Britons don’t know their own blood type
- 66% did not know that the average adult has between five and six litres of blood
- 18% think a visor was a type of tooth (it's a surface that protects the eyes)
- 75% do not know that the liver is our biggest internal organ
- 40% think a single lung is of a greater size
'It is therefore sobering to consider our less than exemplary knowledge of basic biology.'
The study found just half of those polled could correctly identify the heart’s location in the left-centre of the chest.
And three-quarters were stumped when it came to guessing how many bones are in the adult human body. There are 206.
Nearly half were unsure as to how many teeth we have - 32 - while 40 per cent haven’t a clue where their kidney is located.
More than half couldn’t tell you where their gall bladder can be found and one in thirteen people didn’t know how many kidneys we have.
Worryingly, six in ten Britons didn’t know their own blood type.
A third of people could correctly state that the average adult has between five and six litres of blood.
Nearly a fifth of Brits, 18 per cent, thought a visor was a type of tooth.
Three-quarters of the respondents did not know that the liver is our biggest internal organ, with four in ten thinking a single lung was of greater size.
And nearly half the study couldn’t get anywhere near to guessing the healthy temperature of the human body, 37C.
Jelena Bekvalac said: 'Doctors, Dissection And Resurrection Men will provide a fascinating insight into a crucial period in our medical and social history.
'It may also help those who are a little confused by their own anatomy.'
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
POPEYE FIGHTS OFF DEMENTIA
Well I've always known the importance of green vegetables in the diet Spinach being one of those and here we see how it's valuable in fighting off dementia. Recently I wrote how Marmite is good at fighting dementia because of Vitamin B complex, Vit B12 injections are given in the early stages of dementia to help delay it, so I believe we should be armed with as much information as possible to help delay this condition.
Article from the Daily Mail below.
Article from the Daily Mail below.
It's the news Popeye's been waiting for: Spinach could help fight off dementia (and carrots and apricots too)
- Researchers have discovered a link between low vitamin C, beta-carotene levels and dementia
- Antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables - such as spinach, carrots and apricots - could help fight dementia
It's welcome news for Popeye.
Spinach could help beat help beat dementia, according to a study.
Researchers have discovered a link between low vitamin C, beta-carotene levels and dementia.
So antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables - such as spinach, carrots and apricots - could help fight the disease’s devastating symptoms, their findings suggest.
Music to Popeye's ears: Antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables - including spinach - could help fight the dementia symptoms
German scientists from the University of Ulm looked at the differences between 74 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 158 healthy subjects.
The participants, aged between 65 and 90, underwent neuropsychological testing, answered questions about their lifestyle and had their blood examined and their body mass index calculated.
The team, led by epidemiologist Professor Gabriele Nagel and neurologist Professor Christine von Arnim, found the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene were significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control group.
There was no such difference between the groups in levels of other antioxidants including vitamin E, lycopene, coenzyme Q10.
Dr Nagel said although more studies were needed to confirm the results, the findings suggested fruits and vegetables could play a role in fighting the disease.
'Longitudinal studies with more participants are necessary to confirm the result that vitamin C and beta-carotene might prevent the onset and development of Alzheimer’s disease,' he said.
'Vitamin C can for example be found in citrus fruits; beta-carotene in carrots, spinach or apricots.'
Beneficial: Apricots and carrots could also prove beneficial in the fight against dementia
Alzheimer’s disease symptoms including forgetfulness, lack of orientation and cognitive decline and are caused by alterations in the brain including amyloid-beta-plaques, degeneration of fibrillae and a loss of synapses.
However, oxidative stress, which constrains the exploitation of oxygen in the human body, is also suspected to promote the development of the disease.
This led scientists to investigate whether antioxidants might protect against neurodegeneration.
The study - supported by the German Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-W|rttemberg and the European Union - was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
THE BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA
This is an interesting piece of research I came across in the Daily Mail about Green Tea, not surprising given that tea is rich in Flavonoids, antioxidants so fight 'Free Radicals'.
Sipping green tea is not just good for you heart - it could boost the memory as well, say researchers.
A study from China found that the chemical properties of the healthy beverage promotes the generation of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning.
Study leader Professor Yun Bai from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, said: 'There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain.'
Professor Bai's team focused on the organic chemical EGCG that is found in green tea.
'We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis,' said Prof Bai.
'We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory.'
The team found that ECGC boosts the production of neural progenitor cells, which like stem cells can adapt into various types of cells. The team then used laboratory mice to discover if this increased cell production gave an advantage to memory or spatial learning.
'We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed ECGC and a control group,' said Prof Bai.
'First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform.'
The team found that the ECGC treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform. Overall the results revealed that EGCG enhances learning and memory by improving object recognition and spatial memory.
'We have shown that the organic chemical EGCG acts directly to increase the production of neural progenitor cells, both in glass tests and in mice,' concluded Prof Bai.
'This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss.'
The research is published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Green tea isn't just good for your heart, it's good for your brain too
- Study found that chemical properties of green tea promotes the generation of brain cells
The green tea chemical ECGC was found to boost the generation of brain cells in mice, which seemed to improve memory and learning in mice
A study from China found that the chemical properties of the healthy beverage promotes the generation of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning.
Study leader Professor Yun Bai from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, said: 'There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain.'
Professor Bai's team focused on the organic chemical EGCG that is found in green tea.
'We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis,' said Prof Bai.
'We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory.'
The team found that ECGC boosts the production of neural progenitor cells, which like stem cells can adapt into various types of cells. The team then used laboratory mice to discover if this increased cell production gave an advantage to memory or spatial learning.
'We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed ECGC and a control group,' said Prof Bai.
'First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform.'
The team found that the ECGC treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform. Overall the results revealed that EGCG enhances learning and memory by improving object recognition and spatial memory.
'We have shown that the organic chemical EGCG acts directly to increase the production of neural progenitor cells, both in glass tests and in mice,' concluded Prof Bai.
'This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss.'
The research is published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO EAT CHOCOLATE
Just to add to the other articles on the benefits to eating chocolate. Previously the benefits were attributed to eating dark chocolate, but it seems there are also benefits to eating milk as well. But lets face it folks any excuse to eat chocolate is a good one as far as I am concerned! Seriously the benefits are from Flavonoids those great antioxidants.
Links to other articles on benefits of Chocolate
14 Aug 2012
The drink contained flavanols – chemicals associated with a decreased dementia risk which are found in a variety of foods, including cocoa products such as dark chocolate. The participants' diet was restricted to eliminate ...
14 Aug 2012
It may taste good but some research shows that washing your chocolate down with a glass of milk could prevent the antioxidants being absorbed or used by your body. Sources: Chocolate Manufacturers Association; Journal ...
Article from the Daily Mail below
Chocolate may protect the brain from stroke (and this time it's the milk variety)
- Most men in the study consumed milk chocolate, which has more sugar and fat than the dark variety
- Scientists believe protective effect comes from antioxidants called flavonoids
For every 50g per week increase in chocolate consumption, stroke risk decreased by about 14 per cent
Men who consumed moderate amounts of chocolate each week were less likely to suffer a stroke over a period of 10 years than those who ate none.
The difference was small, but significant. Study participants who ate the most chocolate, equivalent to about one third of a cup of chocolate chips, reduced their stroke risk by 17 per cent. A total of 37,103 Swedish men aged 49 to 75 took part in the study.
Their diets were assessed with food questionnaires, which asked how often they ate chocolate. The men's progress was then followed for 10 years, during which researchers recorded 1,995 cases of a first stroke.
Previous studies have shown that chocolate may help prevent diabetes, control blood pressure, and protect against heart disease. Healthy antioxidant plant chemicals called flavonoids are thought to explain the health benefits.
Dr Susanna Larsson, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, who led the latest research, reported in the journal Neurology, said: 'The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate.
'Flavonoids appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties. It's also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.
'Interestingly, dark chocolate has previously been associated with heart health benefits, but about 90 per cent of the chocolate intake in Sweden, including what was consumed in our study, is milk chocolate.'
The men who ate the largest quantities consumed a modest 63g of chocolate per week. This is about a third of a cup-full of chocolate chips, or just a little more than a Mars bar which weighs 58 grams.
Put into context, the 17 per cent risk reduction amounted to 12 fewer strokes per 10,000 participants over 10 years, or 100,000 "person years".
The research was followed up by a larger analysis of data from five studies in Europe and the US that included 4,260 stroke cases. This showed that people eating the most chocolate were 19 per cent less likely to have a stroke than those consuming the least.
For every increase in chocolate consumption of about 50 grams per week, stroke risk decreased by about 14 per cent.
In their paper, the scientists said further studies were needed before any recommendations could be given about chocolate consumption. They added: 'Because chocolate is high in sugar, saturated fat, and calories, it should be consumed in moderation.'
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
This Friday 31st August is a Blue Moon
Astrological effects of a Blue Moon
Astrological effects of a Blue Moon
When there are two consecutive Moons in the same sign, the second Full Moon will always be in the last couple of degrees in the sign. This alone is significant, since the last degree of any sign is a critical degree. When any planet is 29 degrees "and change" it is in a process of transition from one sign to the next. It is neither officially in the next sign, nor fully present in the one it's leaving. This can be a frustrating energy, full of anticipation and yearning to get on with it in the new sign, yet held back by unfinished business and the need to do closure in the old sign. It's a bit like walking and being in mid-stride – you haven't landed on your stepping foot yet, and your pushing-off foot is still in mid-push. You're moving, but you're in a kind of suspended motion in between steps.
By the same token, the first of two Full Moons in the same sign will always be in the earliest couple of degrees in that sign. This is also significant, since these early degrees are initiatory energy, especially the first degree of any sign. It`s like a newborn babe – innocent and pure; full of potential and bellowing its arrival at the top of its lungs! So this double Moon phenomenon is like getting the alpha and omega of that sign's energy - the burst of new energy and the closure of that energy.
Some astrologers feel that two Full Moons in the same calendar month (i.e. the popular definition of Blue Moon) make that month extra intense.
Lunar phase on 31 August 2012 Friday is Full Moon.
The moon is in zodiac sign Pisces
. So it would seem Pisceans are going to be affected most.
The moon is in zodiac sign Pisces
. So it would seem Pisceans are going to be affected most.
Article below from the Daily Mail
Like to do things once in a blue moon? Now's your chance, as rare calendar phenomenon occurs on Friday
If you only call your mother or have a drink with people after work once in a blue moon, prepare to clear your schedule.
For 'once in a blue moon' is not just an idiom, but a rare statistical quirk which occurs when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month.
Sadly, the moon is not going to turn blue, and indeed the reason why we call it a 'blue moon' is lost to history, although the Farmers' Almanac would always note an occurrence during the 18th century.
Regardless, this Friday, August 31, will be the first 'blue moon' in a while (the last one was in March 2010) and there will not be another one again until July 2015 - so consider this a two day warning.
Once om a blue moon: Sadly, this is a colour-filtered image and not what we expect to see in the skies overhead on Friday
NEVER ALONE WITH A SONG TO SING
From Elvis to Ella Fitzgerald, one of the classic popular songs for love-lorn people is 'Blue Moon'.
The 1934 song relates the tale of a man who finally found the love of his life - something that was so unexpected for him that it must have happened under a blue moon...
The 1934 song relates the tale of a man who finally found the love of his life - something that was so unexpected for him that it must have happened under a blue moon...
Blue Moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon
You know just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked to the Moon it turned to gold
Blue Moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon
You know just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked to the Moon it turned to gold
Blue Moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
With a full moon occurring once every 29 days, and a month topping out with a maximum of 31 days, the combination is a rare one - occurring around once every two-and-a-half years.
Sadly, we cannot expect the moon to take on a different hue. Barring volcanic eruption, it will remain as white as ever, unless clouds obscure the view.
If a volcano does erupt, then all bets are off, as ash in the sky has been known to play visual tricks with the sun and the moon.
When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1883 - where ash soared right into the upper echelons of the atmosphere, blue moons were reported around the world, for up to two years.
Krakatoa's ash is the reason. Some of the ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron (one millionth of a meter) wide - the right size to strongly scatter red light, while allowing other colors to pass.
White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green.
Blue moons persisted for years after the eruption. People also saw lavender suns and, for the first time, noctilucent clouds.
The ash caused 'such vivid red sunsets that fire engines were called out in New York, Poughkeepsie, and New Haven to quench the apparent conflagration,' according to volcanologist Scott Rowland at the University of Hawaii.
Other less potent volcanos have turned the moon blue, too. People saw blue moons in 1983, for instance, after the eruption of the El Chichon volcano in Mexico. And there are reports of blue moons caused by Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
A minor eruption at Mount Krakatoa: The 1883 explosion effectively blew the volcano to pieces - and caused a blue moon
According to Nasa, The key to a blue moon is having in the air lots of particles slightly wider than the wavelength of red light (0.7 micron) - and no other sizes present. This is rare, but volcanoes sometimes spit out such clouds, as do forest fires.
Physics professor Sue Ann Bowling of the University of Alaska said: 'On September 23, 1950, several muskeg fires that had been quietly smoldering for several years in Alberta suddenly blew up into major - and very smoky - fires.'
'Winds carried the smoke eastward and southward with unusual speed, and the conditions of the fire produced large quantities of oily droplets of just the right size (about 1 micron in diameter) to scatter red and yellow light.
'Wherever the smoke cleared enough so that the sun was visible, it was lavender or blue.
'Ontario and much of the east coast of the U.S. were affected by the following day, but the smoke kept going. Two days later, observers in England reported an indigo sun in smoke-dimmed skies, followed by an equally blue moon that evening.'
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
MARMITE WONDER FOOD RESEARCH HAS SHOWN IT IS USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MRSA
I have been singing the praises of Marmite for years and as well as the benefits, to your nervous system and skin and nails, not to mention B12's involvement in manufacturing red blood cells, it has been shown to help beat MRSA.
I know it can be a bit salty but you are only meant to spread it thinly on toast and sandwiches, a little goes a long way. It can also be added to soups, stews and casseroles as seasoning and it can be added to hot water to make a savoury hot drink.
The article below is from the Daily Mail. This is another good reason to eat this wonderful product
Love it or hate it, Marmite could help doctors beat the MRSA superbug with its high dose of vitamin B3
You either love it or you hate it, according to the slogan.
And if you are a Marmite fan, the good news is that one of its main ingredients may fight superbugs.
A study found that at very high doses, vitamin B3, also known as niacin, drastically increases the body’s ability to fight the MRSA bacterium, which can cause life-threatening infections if it enters the bloodstream via wounds.
Marmite contains niacin. Super doses of the vitamin could kill superbugs including MRSA
Researchers carried out a number of experiments on both rats and human blood, the results of which were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Overall they found that high doses of vitamin B3 increased the number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that kills bacteria.
But the scientists urged caution, as the research used extremely high doses of the vitamin – far more than is in Marmite or vitamin supplements.
Co-author Dr George Liu, also from Oregon State University, said: 'This vitamin is surprisingly effective in fighting off and protecting against one of today's most concerning public health threats.'
Dr Gombart stressed that so far there was no evidence to suggest normal diets or conventional-strength B3 supplements could help prevent or treat bacterial infections.
Ten years ago he discovered a human genetic mutation that makes people more vulnerable to bacterial infections.
Further work showed that niacin has the ability to "turn on" anti-microbial genes that help the immune system fight off bacteria.
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