Your liver is one of the most important organs in digestion and metabolism. Among its many other invaluable roles, the liver acts to maintain stable blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels start to fall, your liver counteracts the change...
Although low-carbohydrate diets can be effective -- a study from the July 2008 edition of "The New England Journal of Medicine" found low-carb diets promoted more weight loss than low-fat diets -- you can still lose weight while eating...
One of the first things that you may notice about a new exercise routine is that your body must slowly adapt to the strain placed upon it. Muscles, nerves, bones and blood vessels all conspire to create a more efficient and functional physiology...
Leukemia is a form of cancer that causes the body to produce large numbers of abnormal white blood cells. There are several different types of leukemia, but the most common is acute lymphocytic leukemia, which accounts for 90 percent of all cases....
Tamoxifen is a member of the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) class of drugs. Tamoxifen binds to tissues that use estrogen. This binding blocks the action of estrogen in the breast but mimics the action of estrogen in the bones and...
In 2008, over two-thirds of American adults were overweight or obese, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20 percent of children above the age of six were frankly obese. As the obesity epidemic takes its toll...
Caffeine is a bitter-tasting compound classified as a stimulant drug. It is psychoactive, meaning that is has the ability to cross the selectively penetrable blood-brain barrier and affect chemical reactions in your brain. Caffeine is present in a...
Fat burning supplements are a great addition to a proper nutrition plan and exercise regimen. They stimulate the metabolism to burn more calories and decrease unwanted body fat. There are several supplements on the market that are scientifically...
Corosolic acid, or glucosol, is a natural triterpenoid glycoside known chemically as 2 alpha-hydroxy ursolic acid. Triterpenoid glycosides have a wide range of medical effects, including antitumor, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antioxidant,...
Alpha-lipoic acid, found in yeast and and liver, may allow you to lose body fat, control your sugar levels and eliminate toxins. Alpha-lipoic acid functions primarily as an antioxidant, which means it eliminates waste products from your system....
Ceylon cinnamon is a spice made from the ground inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka, which once was known as Ceylon. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and modern research confirms its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant...
Tamoxifen is known for its therapeutic effects against breast cancer. It can be either used to treat early stage and metastatic breast cancer or to reduce breast cancer risk in high-risk patients. However, tamoxifen has also been used to treat...
Glucose is too large to travel on its own from the blood to the insides of cells. This means that cells need to use special proteins that transport glucose from the blood to the inside of the cell. Some tissues, such as the liver and the brain,...
In the 1970s, the popular fad diet was the grapefruit diet, which consisted of a low-calorie diet with grapefruit or grapefruit juice consumed at each meal. Although little scientific evidence at that time suggested it was useful for increasing...
The coffee bean used to make coffee grows inside a red fruit known as coffee berry. Traditional coffee production does not use the berry because, as any other fruit, it's perishable and requires more effort to process than just using the coffee...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 million people in the United States are currently infected with the sexually transmitted disease human papillomavirus (HPV). The immune system normally clears the HPV virus in...
Your skin, the largest organ of your body, is a remarkable instrument. It’s your first line of defense against invasion from foreign bacteria, and it eliminates waste and regulates your body temperature. With all those tasks going on around...
Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. As we get older, our metabolism starts to slow down, mainly thanks to the loss of lean muscle tissue. Along with increasing physical activity, research indicates that adding specific...
In today's world, people often look for the quickest way to lose fat, so they take diet pills or follow the latest diet craze. Not only can this route be dangerous and unhealthy, but it can also lead to subpar weight loss in the long run. Eating a...
Breast cancer occurs when cells within the breast begin growing in a rapid and unregulated way. These cells may still respond to hormones, so part of treating these types of cancers requires doctors to monitor hormone levels. Some foods, including...
The history of using goldenseal root, or Hydrastis canadensis, for medicinal reasons stretches back hundreds of years. Native Americans used the plant before settlers arrived on the shores of the Americas. While the herb remains a popular...
Central nervous system fatigue is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that involves peripheral muscle fatigue and the failure to initiate and sustain voluntary drive to the muscles by the central nervous system. Recent studies have found that...
Shingles is the common name for herpes zoster. Herpes zoster is not caused by the herpes simplex virus but by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which also causes chickenpox. Herpes simplex virus and VZV are closely related viruses. VZV is an...
The hormone insulin is necessary for regulating glucose levels in the blood. However, in diabetics the body does not produce enough insulin, or cells become resistant to insulin effects. This results in chronically high blood glucose levels that...
Grapefruit, a citrus fruit, is a rich source of dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C. It also contains antioxidants that have several health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and preventing kidney stones. Research indicates that including...
Depolarization of muscles refers to the muscle when it is in the contracted state. Negative effects can occur if a muscle is depolarized due to an unexplained change in chemical actions. This causes a change to the smooth muscles. Depolarization...
Isoflavones are valuable components of soybean. Daily use of soy isoflavones may help protect against diabetes. They may combat the oxidative stress that lies at the basis of many chronic illnesses in humans, including diabetes. Soy foods such as...
Caffeine is a commonly consumed substance used to stimulate the central nervous system. A dose of caffeine alters neurotransmitter signaling to increase alertness and boost energy. Most people can drink 2 to 4 cups per day of coffee without...
Increasing weight loss requires a combination of aerobic and resistance training as well as a proper diet. Eating the right foods can determine whether or not you achieve a lean physique. Research indicates that specific foods have fat burning...
