China's mainland, has reported a second confirmed case, of the H1N1 flu, as its first patient, remains in stable condition. Meanwhile, the virus continues to spread around the world, with Cuba reporting its first confirmed case. Tu Yun reports.

China's health authorities say the latest H1N1 flu case reported in eastern China's Shandong Province is already showing alleviated symptoms.

Li Zhongjun is the spokesman of the provincial health department.

"His temperature had fallen to 36.4 degrees as of midnight Tuesday. His sample has been delivered to the national center for disease control and prevention for further testing. Meanwhile we are trying our best to trace all the passengers who have had close contact with him."

The case, the second of its kind on the Chinese mainland so far, is a Chinese student returning from Canada to China.

[via]

In foods, the most abundant sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils such as palm oil , sunflower , corn , soybean , and olive oil . Nuts , sunflower seeds , seabuckthorn berries, kiwifruit , and wheat germ are also good sources.Other sources of vitamin E are whole grains , fish , peanut butter , goats milk, and green leafy vegetables .Although originally extracted from wheat germ oil, most natural vitamin E supplements are now derived from vegetable oils, usually soybean oil.The content of Vitamin E for rich sources follows:

Wheat germ oil (215.4 mg/100 g)
Sunflower oil (55.8 mg/100 g)
Almond oil (39.2 mg/100 g)
Hazelnut (26.0 mg/100 g)
Walnut oil (20.0 mg/100 g)
Peanut oil (17.2 mg/100 g)
Olive oil (12.0 mg/100 g)
Peanut (9.0 mg/100 g)
Pollard (2.4 mg/100 g)
Corn (2.0 mg/100 g)
Asparagus (1.5 mg/100 g)
Oats (1.5 mg/100 g)
Chestnut (1.2 mg/100 g)
Coconut (1.0 mg/100 g)
Tomatoes (0.9 mg/100 g)
Carrots (0.6 mg/100 g)
Goat's milk (0.1 mg/100ml)

As of 2009 , human trials and surveys that have investigated potential association of vitamin E intake with incidence of cancer remain generally inconclusive. Antioxidants such as vitamin E help protect against the damaging effects of free radicals, which may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer.Vitamin E also may block the formation of nitrosamines , which are carcinogens formed in the stomach from nitrites consumed in the diet.It also may protect against the development of cancers by enhancing immune function.Some evidence associates higher intake of vitamin E with a decreased incidence of prostate cancer (see ATBC study) and breast cancer .Recent studies have found that increased intake of vitamin E, especially among smokers may be responsible for an increase in the incidence of lung cancer, with one study finding an increase in the incidence of lung cancer by 7% for each 100 IU of vitamin E taken daily.

Antioxidants are being studied to determine whether they can help prevent or delay age-related growth of cataracts, a clouding of the tissue of the lens of the eye.Observational studies have found that lens clarity, which is used to diagnose cataracts, was better in regular users of vitamin E supplements and in persons with higher blood levels of vitamin E. A controlled trial of high doses of vitamins C and E and beta carotene found no effect on the risk of developing cataracts.Similarly, a trial using vitamin E alone found that vitamin E supplementation produced no change in the risk of developing cataracts or the rate of progression of existing cataracts.

A 2007 study published in the European Journal of Ophthalmology found that, along with other treatments for glaucoma , adding alpha-tocopherol appeared to help protect the retina from glaucomatous damage.

Preliminary research has led to a widely held belief that vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease , but larger controlled studies have not shown any benefit.Vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease by limiting the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol.Vitamin E also may help prevent the formation of blood clots, which could lead to a heart attack.

Vitamin E is widely used as an inexpensive antioxidant in cosmetics and foods.Vitamin E containing products are commonly used in the belief that vitamin E is good for the skin; many cosmetics include it, often labeled as tocopherol acetate, tocopheryl linoleate or tocopheryl nicotinate.

Vitamin E is often claimed by manufacturers of skin creams and lotions to play a role in encouraging skin healing and reducing scarring after injuries such as burns on the basis of limited research, but the weak evidence of a benefit of silicon gel sheeting with or without added Vitamin E is limited by the poor quality of the research. One study found that it did not improve or worsen the cosmetic appearance in 90% of patients, with a third developing contact dermatitis .

[From wiki]

Do you wanna be a beauty?Is this true?



























[From internet]

Detox: Lymph Drainage Massage

[From chinadaily]

Natural News posted a new cherry study from the University of Michigan. Researchers found that adding tart cherries to your diet may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The study fed mice one of two diets: a high fat, moderate carbs diet (45% calories from fat, 40% calories from carbs) OR a low fat, high carbs diet (10% calories from fat, 75% calories from carbs).

Mice that were given added cherry powder to either diet had an 11% reduction in cholesterol after three months. In addition, the mice who had cherry powder had 54% body fat compared to 63% body fat in the mice that did not eat cherry powder. Most of the fat reduction was around the belly area of the mice.

The mice that ate cherry also had a 40% reduction in the TNF-alpha inflammation marker and 31% reduction in the IL-6 inflammation marker. The researchers found that “the activity of the genes producing these two compounds was reduced in the mice, suggesting that tart cherries may reduce inflammation at a systemic level.”

Chinese calligraphy is an Oriental art.It is very much like painting.as a work of art conveys the moral integrity, character, emotions, esthetic feelings and culture of the artist to readers affecting them by the power of appeal and the joy of beauty.Calligraphy is not only a practical technique for writing Chinese characters, but also a unique Oriental art of expression.

Brush calligraphy is not only loved and practiced by Chinese.Koreans,Vietnam,Singapore and Japanese equally adore calligraphy as an important treasure of their heritage.A biannual gathering commemorating the Lanting Xu by Wang Xi Zhi (The most famous Chinese calligrapher in Jin dynasty, ) is said to be held ceremonially in Japan.Western scholars visiting China develop a keen interest in and love for Chinese calligraphy.

To the artist, calligraphy is a mental exercise that coordinates the mind and the body to choose the best styling in expressing the content of the passage.It is a most relaxing yet highly disciplined exercise indeed for one's physical and spiritual well being.Historically, many calligraphy artists were well-known for their longevity.

GENEVA-Up to 2 billion people could be infected by swine flu if the current outbreak turns into a pandemic lasting two years, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said the historical record of flu pandemics indicates one-third of the world's population gets infected in such outbreaks.Independent experts agreed that the estimate was possible but pointed out that many would not show any symptoms.

"If we do move into a pandemic, then our expectation is that we will see a large number of people infected worldwide," Fukuda said. "If you look at past pandemics, it would be a reasonable estimate to say perhaps a third of the world's population would get infected with this virus."

For more information on the news click here.

The maker of Tamiflu, the weapon at the heart of the fight against the H1N1 flu virus, says it is ramping up production of the drug that has a main ingredient largely supplied by China.

"We have delivered 5 million emergency stocks of Tamiflu to the World Health Organization," Cao Yong, spokesman for pharmaceutical giant Roche (Shanghai), told China Daily yesterday.

Oseltamivir, marketed through Roche as Tamiflu, is the antiviral drug considered by medical experts to be most effective against flu variants such as H5N1 (bird flu) and the ongoing H1N1 outbreak.

Cao said his company is boosting production to ensure a continuous and increasing supply.Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland, can make as many as 400 million doses of Tamiflu a year but increasing production to its maximum "takes some time", Cao said while also ruling out a price hike.He said Roche is also increasing its stocks of the raw materials used in Tamiflu, including the star aniseed spice that produces shikimic acid - the major ingredient in the antiviral drug.

For more information on the news click here.

No. You can only catch swine flu from being around an infected pig -- or, if it's the new swine flu virus, from an infected person.

Swine flu symptoms are similar to regular flu symptoms and include cough,sore throat, fever, chills, headache, and fatigue. Some patients have also reported nausea and diarrhea.There is no easy way to distinguish swine flu from other types of flu or other germs.It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu.

Swine influenza is a disease in pigs.The virus currently transmitting directly among people is now generally referred to as swine flu although the origin of the disease is still under
investigation.

Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.

Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza .This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public.Although the current trivalent influenza vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the new 2009 H1N1 strain,vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus.Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes.Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria.Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor to be tested.

Social distancing is another tactic.It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which social distancing actions to request or require depending on the severity of the outbreak.

As of 6.00 pm on 2 May 2009, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports:

• 16 countries affected worldwide
• 658 confirmed cases of swine flu
• 17 confirmed deaths (Mexico = 16, US = 1)

The Mexico Airlines flight was ordered to park away from the parking apron, after it landed at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 6 am Thursday.

Chinese medical workers boarded the plane to take the temperature of every one on board.The 202 passengers were then allowed to get off and enter the airport through a private channel.No flu symptoms were found, according the medical staff, who explained that anyone whose temperature exceeds 37.5 degree Celsius will be sent to the Shanghai Public Health Center for further examination.

For more information on the news click here.

Women who ate soy regularly as children have a lower risk of breast cancer, American researchers report. And men who eat fish several times a week have a lower risk of colon cancer, a second team of researchers have told the American Association for Cancer Research.

The studies add to a growing body of evidence about the role of diet in cancer. Cancer experts now believe that up to two-thirds of all cancers come from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and lack of exercise.

The US National Cancer Institute and researchers at the University of Hawaii found that women who ate the most soy-based foods, such as tofu and miso, when aged 5 to 11, reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 58 per cent. It was not clear how soy might prevent cancer, though compounds in soy called isoflavones have estrogen- like effects.

A second study showed that men who ate fish at least five times a week had a 40 per cent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with men who ate fish less than once a week.

Many kinds of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which interfere with the cyclooxygenase-2 or COX-2 enzyme. COX-2 affects inflammation, which may play a role in tumour growth.

[From crienglish]

Health Map:

H1N1 Swine Flu:

They are such useful tools.A value-base map may provide some useful description!!!

[From 56.com]

Ah,Kids.Swine flu spreads from pigs to humans,you know!

[From digg.com]

Eating 70 gm of baby broccoli daily for two months may protect against a common stomach bug that is linked to gastritis, ulcers and even stomach cancer, a study in Japan has found.Fresh broccoli sprouts contain plenty of sulforaphane, a natural biochemical that appears to trigger the production of enzymes in the gut that protect against oxygen radicals, DNA-damaging chemicals, and inflammation.In an article published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, scientists said they found that eating 70 gm of baby broccoli daily may help stave off some serious health problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the symptoms and transmission of the swine flu from human to human is much like seasonal flu,commonly fever,lethargy,lack of appetite and coughing.Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose,sore throat, nausea,vomiting and diarrhea.It is believed to be spread between humans through coughing or sneezing of infected people and touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth.The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people,most commonly children,can remain contagious for up to ten days.Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen,collected during the first five days, to the CDC for analysis.

The swine flu is susceptible to four drugs licensed in the United States,amantadine, rimantadine,oseltamivir and zanamivir,however,for the 2009 outbreak it is recommended it be treated with oseltamivir and zanamivir.The vaccine for the human seasonal H1N1 flu does not protect against the swine H1N1 flu,even if the virus strains are the same specific variety,as they are antigenically very different.

[From wikipedia]

Swine influenza virus (referred to as SIV)refers to influenza cases that are caused by Orthomyxoviruses endemic to pig populations.SIV strains isolated to date have been classified either as Influenzavirus C or one of the various subtypes of the genus Influenzavirus A.

Swine flu infects people every year and is found typically in people who have been in contact with pigs,although there have been cases of person-to-person transmission.Symptoms include fever,disorientation,stiffness of the joints,vomiting,and loss of consciousness ending in death.Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1,H1N2,H3N1,H3N2,and H2N3.

In swine, three influenza A virus subtypes(H1N1,H3N2 and H1N2) are circulating throughout the world.In the United States,the H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine populations before 1998;however,since late August 1998,H3N2 subtypes have been isolated from pigs.As of 2004,H3N2 virus isolates in US swine and turkey stocks were triple reassortants,containing genes from human (HA, NA, and PB1),swine (NS, NP, and M),and avian(PB2 and PA) lineages.

[From wikipedia]