The respiratory system is responsible for taking oxygen into the body and moving carbon dioxide out. When we exercise, muscles, tissues and other bodily processes require more oxygen to function properly. The respiratory system, along with the...
The health risks associated with smoking have been well-documented. Tobacco smoke contains at least 250 known harmful chemicals, and at least 50 of these have been identified as carcinogens, or substances that cause cancer. It is not surprising...
Garlic, not typically eaten like other vegetables, such as green beans, is mostly used in various dishes for its pungent and distinctive flavor and aroma. Garlic also offers many health benefits. It is nutrient-rich, high in vitamins and minerals....
A healthy diet improves or helps maintain health and is characterized by consuming an adequate amount of all nutrients through a varied diet composed of mostly whole, unprocessed foods. According to the World Health Organization, consuming an...
Fresh juice from foods such as vegetables and fruits contains essential nutrients vital to sustaining health. Juicing provides a quick and easy way to increase consumption of nutrients, compared with eating the raw foods. The Centers for Disease...
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and other substances that promote good health and may reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Cancer is a disease that affects cells, spreads and causes development of malignant tumors in various tissues and organs of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Many foods have cancer-fighting properties, such as antioxidants,...
According to the Centers of Disease Control, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Yet in 2008, 46 million Americans -- about one in every five people -- were smokers. The effects of smoking can cause...
Protein comprises cells, tissues, muscle, skin, hair, enzymes and other parts of your body, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Protein is an essential nutrient in food. During digestion, your body breaks down food protein into amino...
Gastric cancer involves any presence of cancerous cells located throughout the digestive tract originating from the stomach. Several contributing factors can fuel this type of cancer, from hereditary predisposition to the presence of Helicobacter...
Garlic is often used in dishes for its distinctive aroma and pungent flavor. According to the World's Healthiest Foods, garlic offers many health benefits---it contributes to heart health, offers antibacterial and antiviral properties and reduces...
The National Cancer Institute, or NCI, estimates that every year about 443,000 people die because of direct or secondhand smoke. If you think these deaths involve only diseases of the lungs, think again. Although lung cancer is the most common,...
A diet pyramid illustrates food categories and proportions of foods you should eat relative to other foods. The Mediterranean diet pyramid is based on scientific evidence. Research by scientists at the University of Athens Medical School in Greece...
Eating nutritious foods enhances your health and reduces your risk from chronic diseases and premature death. A nutritious diet favors health-promoting nutrients and avoids or limits substances that increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, heart...
Cancer is a major cause of death in the United States today. While the link between diet and cancer remains somewhat elusive, there are specific dietary factors tied to a reduction in cancer development. Foods that are high in fiber,...
Alcohol is among the leading lifestyle-related causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The excessive use of alcohol causes nearly 80,000 deaths every year. Heavy drinking has been...
Digestion is the process of breaking food down both mechanically and chemically so the nutrients it contains can be absorbed and used by your body. Optimal nutrition requires a properly functioning gastrointestinal system. A defect in any of...
Tobacco use is deadly. In fact, smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette smoking causes about 1 out of every 5...
Many muscles in the body affect the breathing process from the nose all the way down to the bottom of the abdomen. The respiration process relies on the upper respiratory system and the lower respiratory system. The upper respiratory system...
A number of contaminants can pollute our air. In the outdoors, these pollutants can manifest themselves as smog in large cities, which can damage the appearance of buildings and even cause discolorations in people's clothing. Air pollution can...
Cigarettes contains nicotine, a drug that makes smoking highly addictive. In addition to nicotine, tobacco and cigarette smoke contain thousands of other chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens. Cigarette smoking is associated not only with...
The respiratory system can be divided into two compartments--the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose, nasal cavity and sinuses, pharynx, larynx and trachea. Infectious processes that cause...
Your respiratory system enables you to breathe. It is divided between the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract includes the structures outside of your chest cavity--the nose, pharynx and larynx or voice box. The lower...
Alcohol abuse causes many long-term problems, including about 35,000 deaths annually in the United States from "chronic disease alcohol-attributable deaths," according to "Healthy People 2010," a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
According to the British Lung Foundation, a healthy individual's average respiratory rate is about 15 breaths per minute. During exercise, your respiratory rate increases. Elite endurance athletes can be expected to have a respiratory rate of 40...
The act of breathing brings fresh air into your body and eliminates the waste carbon dioxide gas produced by your metabolism. Ventilation, the flow of air into and out of your lungs, involves not only the lungs, but your respiratory passageways,...
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is the single most common cause of cancer in the world today. In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates that about 30 percent of all cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use, principally...
Throat cancer refers to cancers that develop in the larynx and pharynx, areas of the throat cavity. The stages of throat cancer are classified according to how far the cancer has spread. Recovery is often dependent upon early detection, meaning...
For weight control, reduced risk of developing chronic disease, good oral health and other reasons, you should consume a healthy diet, one that is characterized by a wide variety of nutrient-rich, whole, unprocessed foods. Choosing an unhealthy...
Respiratory infections are any infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for respiratory infection in this health video.
