Nuts instead of carbs may aid diabetes control: Study

NEW YORK - Replacing that daily muffin with a handful or two of nuts may help people with diabetes better control their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, according to a study.

When people with type 2 diabetes replaced some of their usual carbohydrates with about a half-cup of mixed nuts each day, their blood sugar and "bad" cholesterol levels dipped slightly over three months, researchers wrote in the journal Diabetes Care.

By contrast, no such improvements were seen among people who swapped their normal carbs for a daily whole-wheat muffin.

While the findings don't mean that nuts are the key to diabetes control, they can be part of a healthy diet, said Cyril Kendall of the University of Toronto in Canada, one of the researchers involved.

Fewer breast cancer deaths not due to screening: study

Mammogram have played an insignificant role in falling breast cancer death rates in Europe, according to a study published on Friday. -- ST PHOTO: HOW HWEE YOUNG

PARIS - MAMMOGRAMS have played an insignificant role in falling breast cancer death rates in Europe, according to a study published on Friday.

Three pairs of countries with similar access to treatment but varying levels of breast screening showed scant difference in the degree of mortality attributed to the disease, researchers reported. The study, published online by the British Medical Journal, adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that two decades of routine screening has yielded modest results at best.

Dieting does not lead to weight loss

A NEW study suggests the majority of overweight people rarely return to their former shape through dieting, the Daily Mail reported.

The survey of 25,000 people by the Medical Research Council's National Survey of Health and Development further provided evidence of 'yo-yo dieting', a phenomenon in which people are trapped in a cycle of losing weight and regaining it.

According to the research, fewer than 10 percent of the 12 million Britons who go on a diet each year succeed in weight loss and even those who do regain the same amounts of weight within a year. The scientists concluded it is better to avoid getting fat in the first place.

The follow-up study which measured weight, blood pressure and examined lifestyles of 5,362 men and women born in 1946 and 20,000 born in 1958, revealed both groups started gaining weight in the 1980s and continued upward in size ever since.

Marijuana: Signs, Detection and Treatment

Marijuana is perhaps the most widely used drug out there. many drug abusers have admitted to have used marijuana first before trying any other drug, thus it has been known as a “gateway drug,” a term which is heavily contested by medical marijuana advocates.

Signs of Marijuana Use

External signs of marijuana use on a person are quite obvious. It may slow down motor functions and may affect mental functions; usually leading to slowed reaction time, slurred speech with a confused disposition. This is due to the effect of marijuana to a person’s brain. It is not uncommon for a marijuana user to tend to be in a state of altered perception and he would probably have red bloodshot and sunken eyes. Perhaps the most obvious sign is the marijuana’s distinct smell when it is burned or smoked. It easily stays within a room or on one’s clothing.

Self Breast Exam

In honor of my relatives who have battled cancer and Breast Cancer 

Understanding the G spot

THE G Spot seems to go in and out of fashion with sex experts.

It's called G Spot after a German gynaecologist in the 1950s and is back in fashion as a talking point now.

I sometimes wonder whether it's partly because it feels more comfortable (especially for men) to talk about the G Spot rather than the clitoris, which actually is far more important for most women to find sexual pleasure and satisfaction.

The clitoris, as you probably know, is the little mound of ultra-sensitive tissue which lies just in front of a woman's vagina.

In terms of responsiveness, it's the female equivalent of the penis, but is actually far more sensitive.

It usually needs only gentle touching, and perhaps massaging with the flat of the hand, to help a woman feel aroused.

Nearly 350 million diabetics worldwide: Study

LONDON - THE number of adults worldwide with diabetes has more than doubled in three decades, jumping to an estimated 347 million, a new study says.

Much of that increase is due to ageing populations - since diabetes typically hits in middle age - and population growth, but part of it has also been fuelled by rising obesity rates.

With numbers climbing almost everywhere, experts said the disease is no longer limited to rich countries and is now a global problem. Countries in which the numbers rose fastest include Cape Verde, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States.