Why pomegranates are good for your joints

Pomegranate, biologically called Ponica granatum L. is one of those rare tropical fruits that has been defined as an antioxidant becuase it can prevent the free radicals from causing havoc in our bodies.Pomegranate is high in antioxidants, and there is lots of evidence that inflammation plays an important role in joint problems.

As Vitamin C and Ellagic Acid are antioxidants in Pomegranate research leads to show us that these antioxidants may in fact mop up the molecules that add oxygen to our cells and thus change their biological functions.(Ellagic Acid, a powerful antioxidant, is also found in nuts, seeds and other berries).


What this means is that by mopping up those oxygen molecules, the rightful elements in the joints are being preserved and therefore a healthy joint can rest.Therefore as free radicals are being decreased and thus factors which destroy them are being increased, more healthy joints can become prevalent

Five ways to reduce lower back pain

Without doing a survey, I’d be happy to place a bet on lower back pain being one of the top 3 body problems the majority of people worldwide face. Even I have lower back pains from time to time. Just last week, I struggled with back pain for a few days and although there are many causes for it, there are also many ways to reduce your pain (and in some cases, totally get rid of it) without medication. 

Here are some common causes of back pain when I have been affected:

• Incorrect posture
• Not having your laptop or computer at an appropriate height
• Working long hours sitting at a table without exercise
• Not wrapped up properly when out in the cold

Of course, there are many more. Please share in the comments what you feel causes your lower back pain. In response, here are some ways to reduce (or get rid of) your lower back pain:

• Apply heat to your back. I like to sit or sleep with a hot water bottle when I have back pain.

• Immediately stop any strenuous activity you may be performing. If you’re working strenuously at a job, notify your manager as well so he/she is aware.

• Relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve with correct postures. 

• Use proper back supports. 

• Lower back exercises should be performed daily. 

Using water to freshen up your looks

Can we imagine earth without water or survival without water? In summer and winter, we need water as much as we need fresh air. We need water for a thousand good reasons so much. Do you know that our grandmothers used soap and water…which is a deadly combination because we all know that soap isn’t good for our skin as it doesn’t have sufficient oils to give our skin that radiant glow but water does. Just splash rain water and clean your face.

Your face would glow because water has that power to make you look young, beautiful and so radiant like a young bride. In fact, even you don’t realize the importance of using water to freshen up your looks. You don’t need to be a skin care professional to understand the importance of using water to freshen up your looks.

Suppose you are a man, then your daily routine would be to wash your face with water and then perhaps a gentle foaming cleanser followed by a refreshing shower. But the fact is that water is what really rejuvenates your skin after a long night’s sleep and at the end of a long, tiring day. If you are a woman, the routine becomes even more precious to your skin because your water consumption affects your skin’s quality.

If you don’t drink enough water to keep your skin hydrated, you are bound to have a lot of problems related with your skin most of the time. You should also be aware that water is the only effective way for you to hydrate your skin to look younger, clearer and beautiful.

So your routine to keep a clear, beautiful skin is drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses of water a day. In fact, most people recommend that a glass of warm water with a little dash of sweet honey does wonders to help you lose weight and get your insides cleaned naturally. So again, water is something that does wonders for your skin and for weight as well!

Though you never thought too seriously about water, it is important to know how deeply it means to a host of bodily tasks or functions that we simply think is rightfully and naturally ours for granted. Other great benefits of using water to freshen up your looks are discussed in this article. Water is a terrific regulator because it regulates your body’s thermal condition and helps to flush out toxins from your blood. Water helps your digestion process too because it pulls out all of the nutrients that can be used out of the foods. Water consumption prevents constipation and ensures that you have a great complexion.

When you want to lose weight badly, just go ahead and fill your stomach with one glass of water before you sit down for each meal. Believe it or not, you wont be able to eat as much as you want to no matter how hard you wish to these tips, go ahead and include water as a vital ingredient for all your skin needs.

40 Ways To Lose Weight Fast… And Keep It Off

The majority of people who look at their health usually start off their quest for wellness with losing weight. In this month of February, as people are still working on their goals and resolutions, there are more advertisements and promotions for weight loss and fitness videos, programs and workouts.

I set myself on the quest to compile a list of 40 ways one could lose weight fast and more importantly keep off putting the weight back on. The list is by no means conclusive, but it is a collection of ideas, methods and strategies from all around the world.

1.  Count your calories – the most straightforward method is simply to count up the number of calories you take in and the number of calories you give off and then you simply give off more calories than you take in.

2. Increase your dietary protein by having  a protein shake at least once a day. Protein will help your body facilitate weight loss and can be important to a good plan.

3. Pay attention to what you eat. Document it daily in your journal and consciously create more water-rich healthier meals.

4. Buddy up. Find a friend who is also interested in weight loss and work together, giving each other support in your plans. The support and accountability a friend gives is massive. The Get A Life 2008 system provides a great structure for this.

5.  Decrease your carb intake. Eat less bread and pasta.

6. Avoid junk food altogether. No more McDonalds, Burger Kind, KFC. Junk food gives you “empty calories” and unneeded weight loss.

7. Keep hydrated. Drink lots of water throughout the day. Read about starting your day with a pint of water in the free How to Live Healthy in an Unhealthy World book.

8. Plan your workouts. Your workouts need to be planned – journal exactly what you’re going to do and make sure you follow it strictly for a few weeks.

9. Get some good sleep. Sleep is vital to body rejuvenation and repair so make sure you get some good sleep and keep your timings consistent. Lack of sleep can contribute to lack of weight loss.

10. Go on a juice detox.

11. Listen to subliminal or self-hypnosis weight loss CDs or downloads.

12. A positive attitude. Get your attitude in check and realise the outlook is positive when you get going and sheding the amount of weight you want to lose.

13. Accept how weight loss works. This one is important. Some people don’t want to accept the natural processes of body and are looking for quick rewards. Weight loss takes place over time so be consistent and committed, and you will see big results.

14. Keep hunger quiet. When you feel hungry, opt for fresh fruit or a glass of water. This will help cover the hunger.

15.  Get your free gym trial and see if it’s for you. Meet with a personal trainer and map out your plan for weight loss. These guys are the experts in helping you get a safe plan that meets your time schedules.

16. Follow Honey Kalaria’s Bollywood Workout, also used by Madonna –  a fun way to workout and lose weight.

17. Read Tom Venuto’s “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” and all his extra free bonuses.

18. Increase Metabolism. If you’re having trouble losing weight, try a natural supplement that helps do this.

19. Go on a low fat diet. Low fat is good for your heart too.

20. The Atkins Diet. This seems to work as there are success stories but many people feel nauseated by the high fat content. It also doesn’t seem to keep you healthy for life.

21. Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.

22. Try the Lemonade Diet and Master Cleanse.

23. Form a new weight loss habit in 21 days.

24. Take Suvaril. This is a revolutionary weight loss pill helping people achieve healthy and great looking bodies the natural way.

25. Eat only until satisfied. Too many people eat and eat and eat even if they’ve had enough. Eat only till your satisfied.

26. Jog up a hill. Hills are like lifting weights for runners. Do this only if you have enough endurance built up. It will also help convert useful fat to a little muscle.

27. Follow Leo’s Zen Weight Loss plan.

28. Stay away from sweetened and fizzy drinks.

29.  Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

30.  Stay away from fried foods. Fried foods are fried in oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so stay away from it.

31. Avoid chocolate. Chocolates are not or at least they should not be a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them.

32. Consider going Vegetarian or Vegan. Here’s how.

33. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day instead of three large meals. It is an excellent way of having smaller quantities of food.

34. No more beer. Beer can be fattening if had on a regular basis.

35. Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them, or even better, eat them fresh.

36. Do not be a couch potato.

37. Try out Carol Vorderman’s 28 Day Detox Diet.

38. Attend The Raw Food Party with Peter Pure.

39. Try yoga. Yoga is one of the best ways of losing weight. And it seems to be massive in 2008!

40. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s plans, body and patterns are different. Work at your own pace.

How to use almonds to increase brainpower

As amazing as it may seem, your favorite little nut, the almond, can help boost your brainpower, stabilize your mood and even relieve the aging process. It may seem that the little miracle nut has so much to offer you will want to incorporate it into your diet as often as possible.

The almond contains phenylalanine, this is little chemical is shown to work in conjunction with our cognitive processes and supports healthy neurological function. This chemical very easily passes through our blood-brain barrier and makes our brain produce our natural mood stabilizing hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. These same hormones also help reduce pain in the body. While studies are still on going, it is believed that almonds may also help treat some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Almonds contain another brain boosting element called nutrientriboflavin as well as L-carnitine. This little chemical is important for the brain because it helps make it possible for our brain to metabolize acetyl-L-carnitinetransferase which supports choline metabolism. Our brain utilizes choline to prevent any neuronal degeneration. The L-carnitine that is found in almonds and other nuts also helps in the release of acetylcholine, which is essential for good memory.

Along with the brain boosting power of the almond it offers other benefits as well. Studies show that by adding almonds to your diet can help with satiety and prevent weight gain. No dangerous diet pill needed, just a handful of almonds a day. Purdue University researchers have found that two servings a day did not cause weight gain or decrease our body’s efficiency.

The almond can do wonders for your heart health as well. Almonds have been shown to lower LDL. The bad cholesterol that we really don’t want and is at times hard to lower can be handled with addition of a hand full of almonds a day.

Obviously, too much of anything is never a good thing, and eating to many nuts can lead to problems such as obesity. But incorporating a handful of almonds a day into your diet can prove to be beneficial to healthy mind function.

10 Natural Remedies for Coughs and Sore Throats

If I could show you a natural way to relieve coughing and sore throats, would you be interested? There are remedies that will relieve you of these irritating symptoms. Below is a list of natural remedies that you can use as a guide to help you relieve coughs and sore throats. They are five natural remedies for coughing and five remedies for sore throats. With the information on this list you’ll know exactly what to do.

Cough Remedies

1. Drinking lemon juice with honey and warm water is a quick and reliable method of dealing with a cough.

2. The eucalyptus herb is great for the respiratory system because it not only eliminates the cough, but it also opens the bronchi. It’s best to boil this herb in water for a few minutes until steaming, and then cover your head with a towel to breathe in the fumes.

3. Ginger tea brings quick relief to coughing symptoms. Drink this tea 3 to 4 times daily.

4. A herbal chest rub is very effective for coughing symptoms. You can use a mixture of essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender, thyme, and olive oil. Massage this mixture in the chest area prior to going to bed and first thing in the morning.
5. An herbal onion drink is potent and it’s great for the respiratory system. It acts as an antibacterial and an antiseptic for quick relief of coughing symptoms. This mixture is made from boiling an onion with water and sugar then straining the mixture. Drink this mixture three times a day to see great effects.

Sore Throat Remedies

6.Gargling with warm salt water is well known to reduce the pain associated with sore throats, and it also has healing properties.

7. Pomegranate is highly effective because it contains astringents. Boil water with pomegranate rinds, bring to a boil, and drink it as a tea. This will help to alleviate sore throat symptoms.

8. Ginger is an effective cough remedy because it helps to ease the throat irritation. Consume freshly grated ginger several times a day for sore throat relief.

9. A mixture in equal parts of honey and lemon is a great remedy for sore throats because the honey soothes the throat while the lemon helps to get rid of postnasal drip. Take this mixture a tablespoon at a time and repeat as necessary.

10. A mixture of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and hot water relieves even the most stubborn sore throat. Drink this mixture for times a day for relief.

If you’re suffering due to a sore throat or coughing then you should follow the remedies outlined above. You can feel better and in many cases return to health quicker just by following these suggested remedies.

How to Get Rid of a Cold Quickly

In order to get rid of a cold fast you must take care of your body the moment you first experience cold symptoms. Your body's immune system is attempting to fight off the bacteria or virus that is making you sick. If you ignore your symptoms you will make yourself more sick. If you help your immune system, you might be able to get rid of the cold much faster than if you did nothing.

1. • 1
     Immediately devote yourself to getting rid of your cold fast. If you start feeling sick but spend the rest of the day working, playing, or running around, your body wont have a chance to recover. You must devote all of your energy to your immune system fighting off the cold. Go home and lie down if you want to get rid of your cold fast.
   • 2
     Take a bath. As soon as you get home you want to get yourself clean. This will make you feel better and relax you. The steam of the bathwater will also clear up congestion if you have it.
   • 3
     Wash your hands often. This is probably how you got sick in the first place. Cold germs hide on your hands. When you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes the germs get into your body. You want to avoid reinfecting yourself and exposing others to your cold germs. Also change your toothbrush and keep it away from other peoples' toothbrushes.
   • 4
     Lie down. If you can sleep, you should do as much of it as possible. If you can't, lie down with a book or watch TV. The key is to expend as little energy as possible. Your body will concentrate on getting well.
   • 5
     Eat well. If you are sick you may not feel like eating. You must anyway. Your body is hungry for nutrients to battle the cold. Eat foods that are high in protein but easy to digest. Mom was right. Chicken soup is one of the best food for getting rid of a cold fast. Avoid fried food, sweets, and fatty foods. These are more difficult for the body to digest and hinder your ability to get well.
   • 6
     Drink lots and lots of water. Being sick dehydrates you. Your body needs the water to metabolize your food and fight the cold. Water also cleanses your system. Keep drinking water and keep going to the bathroom. Think of it as washing yourself on the inside. Do not replace water with coffee, soft drinks, or alcohol. These will dehydrate you. Iced tea or lemonade are fine as long as there is not a lot of sugar in them.
   • 7
     Take supplements. This is the controversial part. Many people claim that vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea can get rid of a cold fast. There are conflicting studies on the matter and no conclusive proof that they work. However, they probably wont harm you. The bottom line is that you can take them if you believe they will work. Believing that you will get rid of a cold fast is an important step in achieving the goal.

5 things you can do each morning to have more energy

Energy is a source within us that we can increase or decrease not only using the mind, but based on how we utilize our food and drink. Here are a few things you could do every morning to give you boundless energy.

1. Drink a pint glass of water first thing in the morning. If you don’t like water on its own, squeeze some fresh lime into it. 

2. Have a good breakfast. A good bowl of muesli won’t do you harm and neither will some porridge. Both are much better than a fry up.

3. Start off with at least 10 minutes of exercise. Stretch all your body’s larger muscles. Consider doing a brisk walk around the block each morning too.

4. Take in the sun light. I wake up when I see sun. Its energy, invigorating and excitement is absolutely amazing. Get up and spend a minute outside looking up in the sky taking in the morning light. Wrap up warm if it’s cold, but make sure you do it.

5. Fresh juice. I make myself a great carrot, apple and ginger juice daily. There is power in eating or drinking fruit before a meal and drinking a large glass of fresh juice is the best way to get started each day.

Easy weight loss by counting your calories

 I believe weight loss is about calorie balancing. In order to get serious about your weight, you’ve got to take note of the calories of everything you with commitment. You can lose weight without counting calories but the speed at which you lose weight is nothing compared to you putting in the effort to monitoring your calories.

The idea is simple: consume less calories than you’re working to lose through exercise. Do that consistently for a set period of time and you will see considerable changes in your weight.

Some schools of thought set diets to restrict you from eating certain foods. For example, one magazine I read recently told you to eat a simple banana and milk diet for 2 weeks and was nicknamed “The Skinny Black Dress Diet.” I believe that weight loss should be fun and although you must be committed in counting your calories and making sure you take in less calories than you give off during the day, you won’t need to restrict your eating.

Calorie Counting

I recommend creating a week’s meal plan in advance for as much as possible so that you can balance out your eating and measure your calories to approximation. This will also allow you to use a calorie counter tool to fit up to 2000 calories in your body each day and also working out how many calories you burn every day.

For example, if my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR, or how many calories I burn daily) is about 1900, I should aim to consume about 500 calories less than that so that I give off 500 calories and work on my weight loss. Then with the calorie counter tool I can plan a weeks eating and add up the calories. Using this example above, losing 500 calories a day should get you to lose 1 pound weight a week!

Choosing Your Foods 

Now knowing that you’re going to restrict the amount you eat but not restrict to the type of food, common sense should prevail and guide you to first selecting whole foods, proteins, carbohydrates and lots of water-rich fruits and vegetables. The biggest killer in people focused on weight loss is binging, however you can prevent this by strict motivation to stop eating when you shouldn’t or just eat small amounts in more intervals throughout the day so taking the example above, you would spread about 1500 calories into about 5 times a day for 5 small meals of 300 calories each.

Also, during weeks focused on weight loss, set up some rules.

• No snacking between breakfast and lunch.
• No snacking between lunch and dinner.
• No snacking after dinner.

Snacking (or nibbling) usually starts small but ends up large. Avoid it as much as possible. When you feel hungry, drink a glass of water and as well as getting your energy up, it will help making you feel fuller.

The idea of not restricting some foods I have proposed here is not supported by everyone. But for those on a weight loss plan I think it’s a bit harsh to close out some foods you may like from your life. For that I suggest you take up a 2-bite rule. Any desert you like, any food you like, at only one time in the week, you’re allowed a maximum of two yummy bites. That’s fair, isn’t it?

Exercise

Some say exercise isn’t necessary because your BMR is already going to aid you in giving off calories, however sometimes it’s not the calories you want to give off and ones you should be working to get rid of get stuck in your body. Exercise is extremely important and for at least 30 minutes a day. If you can’t exercise for 30 minutes a day in one go, don’t worry, as Elisa Zied says in her book Feed Your Family Right, you can break it up in 5-10 minute intervals and do it throughout the day at home, at work or during travel. But make sure you do it.

Exercise will help you increase calorie output and thus you may be able to lose weight faster or increase your food consumption a bit more. It’s all about doing your maths right.

Other bits

1. Keep a log. Every day, log down the amount of calories you eat and what you eat. Also log down when you exercise, what exercise you did and for how long for. This will provide useful feedback when you look back on and celebrate your results.

2. Forgive yourself. I don’t think you’ll get it correct right away, so forgive yourself if you do something wrong. Go back, rectify what you’ve done, change course if required and try again. Never say never. 

If you’ve done something like this, let me know how it’s working for you. 

5 ways to get rid of a cold

The common cold, although not lethal can be pretty annoying and it’s not something we really want to have affect us. It makes us tired, groggy, sleepy and demotivated. Here are a few things you can do to get rid of your common cold easily, without drugs and naturally.

1. Get Some Sleep. Let your body get some rest, and ensure the room you’re in has a fresh supply of air. Keep a window open slightly to allow air to recycle otherwise the air you’re exhaling and want to get rid of mixes and is also inhaled.

2. Drink Lots of Warm Water. Water is the best body cleanser in my life. I drink a lot of water daily and can often tell signs of my body needing water on days that I don’t drink as much as I usually should. Warm water when ill is just as good and easier for the body to take. If you don’t like lots of water, squeeze some fresh lime to give it a taste.

3. Eat Water-Rich Content. Lots of fruits and vegetables will do you a lot of good. So too will some hot soup. Keep your intake light and easy on the stomach so that fresh nutrients can help fight off the foreign particles in your body causing the common cold. Steamed vegetables are good and avoid highly cooked, spicy and processed foods.

4. De-stress. Stress can sometimes be attractive to the foreign particles that cause the common cold. Use this time to de-stress by listening to your favourite music, playing a musical instrument, reading and other at-home leisurely activities. Take your mind off things that are currently worrying you and enjoy some time off.

5. Avoid Energy Drainers. Avoid people, foods, music, activities, etc that drain you more. Your goal is to get out of the state of common cold that the viruses have put you in. Allow your body to heal and don’t let others affect that.

'Friend request' on Facebook can be cyber attack

Cyber fraudsters targetted users of social networking site Facebook with a range of 'friend request' emails to draw them into downloading a banking Trojan, says a report by IT company Cyberoam.

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"Malware authors and scammers of today are well acquainted with the behavioural psychology of Facebook users. Many of them are intelligent but won't think twice before accepting a friend request from someone they don’t know," said Abhilash Sonwane, Senior VP, Product Management, Cyberoam, while releasing October 2011 Internet threats trend report. Cyberoam conducted this study in partnership with IT security solution company Commtouch. "Facebook continues to draw the attention of malware authors. An August attack used a range of 'friend request' emails to draw recipients to a download of a banking Trojan," the report said. The company also noticed people getting lured by 'Free' offers on Facebook which led them to spread spam to their friends as well. The study found an ubiquitous Facebook 'like' button harnessed by advertising scammers to lure users into receiving free merchandise like iPhone 4. Those wanting to receive the 'free' merchandise were asked to like several pages, provide their shipping addresses and forward the invite on to 100 or so friends – thus ensuring the spread of the scam. The pages were liked by hundreds of thousands of Facebook users, the report said.

Liver 'kills immune cells'

Scientists claim to have found that liver can kill immune cells, a finding which they claim may pave the way for new approaches to transplant rejection, and fight against hepatitis and other chronic liver diseases.

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An international team, led by the University of Sydney, says it has for the first time seen in mice how the liver goes independent, engulfing and destroying body's defence troops -- T-cells. 'In 2004, we discovered that healthy liver cells can engulf active immune cells, known as T-cells and now we've seen that those T-cells are actually destroyed,' Dr Patrick Bertolino, who led the team, said. He added: 'The liver is an amazing organ. Most people think it just breaks down alcohol, but it's the factory of the body -- breaking down substances we don't want and making  the ones that we do. We now know liver cells also have the ability to subvert the orders of the immune system. Our discovery might explain why liver transplants have lower rejection rates than other organ transplants.' In their research, the scientists proved found healthy mouse liver cells eating T-cells, which was unexpected as this 'cell cannibalism' had only previously been seen in tumour cells. One potential benefit of the research is reducing rejection in organ transplants, say the scientists. In transplantations, the new organ is seen by the body as a foreign object: the spleen or lymph nodes tell naive T-cells to replicate and turn into killer T-cells, which are sent off to invade and kill the 'foreign' cells. What the scientists have discovered is the liver goes around this process -- liver cells signal to naive T-cells and digest them before they have a chance to become killer T-cells. Team member Geoff McCaughan said the cocktail of immunosuppressive drugs that organ transplant patients receive reduce the odds of organ rejection but makes patients' immune systems weak, leaving them open to serious infection from otherwise minor illnesses like cold or flu. These drugs also predispose the patient to long term heart disease and cancer. 'If we can harness the way the liver controls T-cells, then longterm there is a chance that transplant patients won't need these drugs,' he said. The findings have been published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' journal.

Battling knee pain

Knee pain is no longer a disease that afflicts only the aged; it is prevalent among all age groups. As today is World Arthritis Day, orthopaedic consultants in Chennai are trying to new methods to deal with the problem.

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This disease comes owing to loss or damage of cartilage attributed to old age, heredity and obesity; it is now seen that middle-aged people also suffer from the pain of the knee, spine and hip.                                                                  Knee to Know, an educational forum, creating awareness on the management of the knee osteoarthritis. also aims to highlight how the intervention of a specialist in an early stage can help the patients. Over 14 million people in the country are affected by knee osteoarthritis. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), upto 40 per cent of the people over 70 suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee where almost 80 per cent of patients  have some degree of limitation of movement and 25 per cent cannot perform major daily activities. Sometimes, it can be experienced because of trauma (injury to a joint), physical inactivity, overuse of joints ( by athletes) and misalignment. Owing to unsystematic life style, it affects more women in the age group of 40-60. Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, Dr Vijay C Bose, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Apollo Speciality, said one can avail oneself of many treatment options to help the patients manage the knee pain with lesser side-effects. One needs to relieve pain by improving muscle strength, minimising complications of the therapy. Regular exercise, yoga and medication can help one without undergoing any surgery whereas awareness brings about the major solution to all the complications, he said. For patients seeking a long-term solution, viscosupplementation, a one-shot option, can provide a long-term solution, said Dr A B Govindraj,  consultant orthopaedic surgeon, at Guest Hospital. This imported injection from USA costs Rs 15,000 per slot relieving one upto eight months and in special cases two to three years. It has a success rate 90 per cent among the patients and many are able to get back to their routine, he added.

Mobile phones 'don't cause cancer'

Cell phones don't cause cancer, says a new study, published in the 'British Medical Journal', thus putting an end to the debate over whether mobile devices harm people.

In their study, described as the largest on the subject to date, Danish researchers have found there's no link between the long-term use of a mobile phone and getting brain cancer. The researchers at Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen looked at 358,000 people over a period of 18 years and found cancer rates were almost the same in both long-term mobile phone users and people who do not use the handsets. They concluded that using cell phones does not lead to tumours of the brain or nervous system or, indeed, any cancer. In fact, in the study covering the years 1990 to 2007, the researchers looked at users and non-users of cell phones. Overall, 10,729 people suffered tumours of the central nervous system. When they looked at those with the longest mobile use -- 13 years or more -- they found cancer rates were almost the same as among non-users. The researchers observed no overall increased risk for tumours of the central nervous system, or for all cancers combined, in mobile phone users. They said: "The extended follow-up allowed us to investigate effects in people who had used mobile phones for 10 years or more and this long-term use was not associated with higher cancer risks."But, they added: "A small to moderate increase in risk for sub-groups of heavy users or after even longer induction periods than 10-15 years cannot be ruled out." Though some experts have welcomed the findings, a few others are not convinced. Hazel Nunn, head of evidence and health information at Cancer Research UK, was quoted by the 'Daily Express' as saying, "These results are the strongest evidence yet that using a mobile does not seem to increase the risk of cancers of brain or central nervous system in adults." But, Denis Henshaw, emeritus professor of human radiation effects at Bristol University, said: "This seriously flawed study misleads the public and decision makers about the safety of mobile phone use. I consider their claims worthless." Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation warned that mobile phones may cause cancer and urged owners to limit their use. The WHO's Interphone Study Group said that using a mobile for 15 minutes a day could substantially increase the risk of brain cancer -- and the longer people used them the higher the risk.