New HuffPost Health
The reason we all should build up our health knowledge with purpose and drive is that it might allow us to prevent disease, especially as we age. What this does is to help us develop judgement of what is good information and what is not. Here are some websites you might look a regularly to develop your knowledge as time allows.
Using google to look up specific health stuff depends on how much you trust the most popular stuff on the first page. I have already seen tricks pulled by commercial interests such as High Fructose Corn Syrup users and producers www.sweetsurprise.com an enterprise by Berman who has a number of websites for different commercial interests who pay him to get their message across. The same goes for trying to find the best treatment of diseases.
When I read, I try to minimize distractions which has bode well for my remembering many things I think important and too much that is not, but interesting. I found that my brain worked ten times better after my kidney transplant. It is more than a filter to get out toxins from our blood. For example, it is necessary to convert the vitamin D3 metabolite in our blood, 25-hydroxy vitamin D to the active dihydroxyl form in the kidneys among others. That is why you want to avoid things that cause heart disease because the same disease can plug up the vessels in the kidney and brain.
My theory which is not widely accepted is this. With all the talk about Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia, it is rarely mentioned that it is related heart disease and stroke. Those with a strong early onset AD have the inability to keep the very low density lipoproteins penetrating our brain and overwhelming the ability of the brain to get rid of excess proteins, especially the bad amyloids. Excess proteins block the synapses so memory functions poorly and when neurons are not working they degrade. Use it or lose it. Most of the initial damage occurs in the Hippocampus, our short and medium memory bank.
Mice studies about ten years ago showed that when mice are given an enzyme to get rid of excess proteins in the brain, Alzheimer’s Disease mice start acting in a similar manner to young mice and learn the maze as easily. That is why I have long been an advocate that excess proteins in the brain is the primary cause of Alzheimer’s with some proteins being worse than others.
Also note that more than a few drugs can cause dementia by blocking the enzyme needed to degrade excess protein. About 66 drugs can cause dry mouth. I use a toothpaste that helps considerably to keep my saliva going at night. I saw an ad about a mouth rinse that does the same thing. It starts with a B.
So neglecting eating a good diet, watching your blood pressure and not eating salty and sugar containing foods, eating non-processed foods to get both fibers and nutrients. Most packaged foods contain either or both corn and soybeans stripped of fiber and nutrients and flavoring such as High Fructose Corn Syrup and salt put in to make them palatable. No one would eat them without these additives.
Once the additives are more than five according the Pollan “Omnivore’s Dilemma”,we should not eat the food. I sparingly eat organic prepared foods when I can’t make time to cook which contain no additives. Fresh vegetables steamed to get rid of toxic bugs really taste good without any additives including dressing. Farmer markets are wonderful and perhaps expensive but buy things in season because they are cheaper.
The approach I take is to go to websites which has already filtered the good from the bad stuff. Google works well if you already know a lot about the subject so you can use some judgement on what to read and believe. Some of the websites I recommend is www.mayoclinic.com www.webmd.com and www.medscape.com which is for doctors. I am sure there are many other good websites, but I have interests other than health so I have to parcel my time. Below is a link to the new HuffPost Health section. It looks good.
Jim Kawakami, Oct 25, 2010, http://jimboguy.blogspot.com
Arianna: I'm delighted to announce the launch of our newest section, HuffPost Health -- a one-stop shop for the latest news and opinion on what we can do to live healthier lives. Our approach to matters of sickness and health has changed radically over the past few decades. We no longer approach our health as a passive experience, one where we sit back, allow ourselves to be poked, prodded, examined, receive the verdict, and compliantly go along with whatever the High Priests of Medicine say. We've become partners in our medical care. Because of this, making sure we have the latest information and the fullest understanding of ourselves and our health is vital. HuffPost Health's goal is to inform, enlighten, challenge, inspire, and help you make educated decisions about your health and well-being. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/health/
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