THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW              
      HEALTH EXTRA

                                High heels may improve sex life

Wearing higher heels - although perhaps not stilettos - may improve your pelvic floor muscles and in doing so boost your sex life, a study suggests.

An Italian urologist and self-professed lover of shoe, set out to prove that high heels were not as bad for women's health as some suggest. The shoe has been linked to a range of problems from corns to schizophrenia.

According to Maria Cerruto, doctor, European Urology, said her research showed it was time to stand up.

She said her study of 66 women under 50 found that those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground, the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes, and crucially showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles.

This suggested the muscles were at an optimum position, which could well improve their strength and ability to contract.

The pelvic floor muscles are an essential component of the female body. As well as assisting sexual performance and satisfaction, they provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus.

"Women often have difficulty in carrying out the right exercises for the pelvic zone and wearing heels could be the solution. Like many women, I like high-heeled shoes, It is good to know they have potential health benefits," she said.

Gill Brook, a women's health physiotherapist in Bradford, stressed the findings did not suggest that stilettos were a good thing for those keen on improving their pelvic floor function.

"But for women who like a slightly higher heel, these are reassuring findings - although we haven't yet done away with the need for regular exercises to maintain what is such an important part of the female body," she said.

      

Perforations of Eardrum

A revolutionary surgical technique for treating perforations of the tympanic membrane, eardrum, in children and adults has been developed at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, an affiliate of the Université de Montreal, by Dr. Issam Saliba. The new technique, which is as effective as traditional surgery and far less expensive, can be performed in 20 minutes at an outpatient clinic during a routine visit to an ENT specialist. The result is a therapeutic treatment that will be much easier for patients and parents, making surgery more readily available and substantially reducing clogged waiting lists.

"In the past five years, I've operated on 132 young patients in the outpatient clinic at the Sainte-Justine UHC using this technique, as well as on 286 adults at the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CHUM) outpatient clinic," says Dr. Saliba. "Regardless of the size of the perforation, the results are as good as those obtained using traditional techniques, with the incomparable advantage that parents don't have to lose an entire working day, or 10 days or more off school in the case of children."

The technique, which Dr. Saliba has designated "HAFGM" (Hyaluronic Acid Fat Graft Myringoplasty), requires only basic materials: a scalpel, forceps, a probe, a small container of hyaluronic acid, a small amount of fat taken from behind the ear and a local anesthetic. The operation, which is performed through the ear canal, allows the body by itself to rebuild the entire tympanic membrane after about two months on average, allowing patients to recover their hearing completely and preventing recurring cases of ear infection (otitis). Because it requires no general anesthetic, operating theatre or hospitalization, the technique makes surgery much more readily available, particularly outside large hospital centres, and at considerably lower cost.

"With the traditional techniques, you have to be on the waiting list for up to a year and a half in order to be operated on. Myringoplasty (reconstruction of the eardrum) using the HAFGM technique reduces waiting times, cost of the procedure and time lost by parents and children. What's more, it will help clear the backlogs on waiting lists," Dr. Saliba says.

               Health Benefits of Garden Egg

The garden egg plant with its bitter taste and spongy texture could really make an amazing pot of stew with a nice aroma. When eaten with boiled yam or rice, it becomes a delicacy you don’t want to miss at the slightest opportunity, indeed it is a fruit for all season. However, the benefit of eating garden egg extends far beyond ensuring that one’s desire for a good breakfast is satisfied. It is often consumed during weddings, since it symbolizes fertility and blessing.

Studies revealed that garden egg positively help with heart problems and will make the weight reduction diet more successful. Some of the studies conducted in Africa, have come to the conclusion that garden egg is very effective in blood cholesterol reduction. Experts also encouraged people that wants to loss weight to eat more of its fresh form, they also advised people that wants to protect their heart against cholesterol effects should make it their delight.

In a study undertaken to assess the influence of whole garden egg plant in comparison to apples and oats on serum lipid profile in rats fed a high cholesterol diet that were obtained from the animal unit of Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, the results suggested that eating garden egg is better at reducing blood cholesterol than apple and oat.

Even though garden egg is generally said not to contain huge amount of protein and other nutrients, it is low in sodium, low in calories and very rich in high dietary fibre. It is also high in potassium, a necessary salt that helps in maintaining the function of the heart and regulate blood pressure.

                         

Health Benefits of Watermelon

Watermelon unknown to many has lots of benefits to health that keeps the body system operating at the normal degree. It belongs to the family of cucurbitaceae. It has extremely high water content, approximately 92%, giving its flesh a crumbly and subtly crunchy texture and making it a favourite thirst-quenching food.

Watermelon is not only great on day, this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contribute to the conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, heart attack and arthritis. This rich and multi- health beneficial fruit is also rich in electrolytes sodium and potassium that the body loss through respiration. It possesses special cooling effect and is exceptionally high in citrulline, an amino acid that the body used to produce another amino acid, arginine, which is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body. Studies conducted in 2010 revealed that as an excellent source of several vitamins, it aids maintain eye health, strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gum and as well helps brain function and convert protein to energy.

This sweet juicy watermelon is actually contains antioxidants. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals.  Free radicals are substances that can cause a great deal of damage.

It is however, significant to note that several researches conducted revealed that watermelon has the highest concentrations of lycopene of fresh fruits or vegetable. 

According to number of scientific studies, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which have its source from frequent in-take of watermelon, are very good at getting rid of harmful molecules in the body and therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause. Researchers believe that the present of beta-carotene and vitamin C are capable of preventing heart deceases, cancer, and other chronic conditions.

It has also been noted that watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Food ranking system also qualified watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin B1, magnesium and potassium. Part of this high ranking was due to the higher nutrients richness of watermelon. And because of its higher water content and lower calorie content than many other fruits, a whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories that makes it delivers more nutrients per calorie. This proves its outstanding health benefits.

Owing to rich content of potassium in watermelon, experts also believe that it may help control blood pressure, regulate heart–beat and possibly prevent stroke. According to 2005 Dietary Guidelines, a potassium-rich diet helps keep salt from raising blood pressure and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and possibly aged-related bone loss. It also provides health benefits related to other conditions and diseases such as diabetes, macular degeneration, impotency and kidney disorder. These guidelines encourage adults to consume 4,700 milligrams per day while keeping sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day.