Soya bean cuts breast cancer risk among Chinese women

Soya bean, a perennial Asian staple, reduces the risk of breast cancer among Chinese women, a published study said on Tuesday.

Conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUH), the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota, the study tracked more than 34,000 Chinese women in Singapore aged 45 to 74 for a decade.

Women who consumed soya proteins in amounts more than in a serving of soya bean curd or a glass of soya bean milk were 18 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate less, said the findings in The Straits Times.

Eating a serving of soya bean curd or drinking a glass of the milk every day reduces the risk, the study said.

"Our study shows that the amount of soya needed is not high, and is easily achievable in a typical Asian diet," NUH associate professor Koh Woon Puay was quoted as saying.

Post-menopausal women, those with a higher body mass index and those who had consumed soya for longer, experienced the greatest reductions in risk, the study found.

The results are similar to those of eight other studies conducted on Asians. One in Japan showed an average 12 per cent reduction in breast cancer risk for those who eat the soya bean.

Studies on Caucasian women have been inconclusive, possibly because of the low levels of soya involved, the report said.

Koh cautioned against consuming too much soya, which could lead to conditions such as gout.

Separately, NUS' Centre for Molecular Epidemiology is planning a 10-year study of 12,000 Chinese, Malay and Indian women, with and without breast cancer, to find out how genetic and lifestyle factors interact to determine breast cancer risks. (dpa)

Diabetes - Part 1

Gooseberries churna-Amla Powder or amla churna-Usurikaya in Telugu and Nellikai in Tamil.The fruit pieces are dried well the pieces are powdered --This churna is available in ayurvedic stores but making it at home is recommended .
Turmeric powder -Pasupu in Telugu -Manjal in Tamil,Haldi in Hindi
Both the ingredients should be pure.
Mix both the powders in equal quantities and store in a dry glass jar.

Eat half a spoon of this with water twice a day.In the mornings it is taken on an empty stomach.The dosage may be increased to 1 spoon if the problem is severe.
This will definitely normalise blood sugar levels in a month.

Courtesy: simple Ayurvedic Health tips

Diabetes - Part 2

Soak 2 spoons of fenugreek seeds * in water overnite.Drinking this water in the morning definitely brings down the blood sugar levels after 2 months.

* menthulu in Telugu
Methi in Hindi
Vendhayam in Tamil.

Courtesy: simple Ayurvedic Health tips

URINARY TRACT INFECTION

# Parsley makes you pour

Parsley is an excellent diuretic which contains myristicin and apiol, compounds that are thought to help increase the output of urine by increasing the flow of blood to the kidneys. To make an infusion, pour boiling water over a few sprigs of crushed fresh parsley or 1 tsp. of dried parsley. Let the herb steep for ten minutes, then strain and drink

TOOTHACHE

# Clove oils well

Dab some clove oil (an analgesic anaesthetic) on a cotton bud and apply directly on the aching tooth. Or just wiggle a whole clove, pointed end down, next to the tooth.

# Close with sesame
Sesame contains at least 7 pain relieving compounds. Boil 1 part sesame seeds with 3 parts water until the liquid is reduced by half. Cool the resulting decoction and apply directly to the tooth.

Nausea & vomitting

# Mate cinnamon and ginger The ginger will stop your nausea, while cinnamon (a natural astringent) dries up your bowels. Mix 1 tsp. dried cinnamon with 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger and add to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and drink.

# Saunf settles
Soak 1 tbsp aniseed in 1 cup of water till it becomes a rich golden yellow. Strain and drink.

MOTION SICKNESS

# Ride on Ginger which has demonstrated to be far superior to dimenhydrinate, the active ingredient in anti nausea medications such as Dramamine and Gravol -- without the side effects of drowsiness, dry mouth or blurry vision. The ginger works by dampening impulses to the brain that deliver messages about equilibrium. You need to give it time to kick in. So one hour before your trip grate 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. fresh ginger steep in one cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes, strain and drink. Or eat some candied ginger.

MENOPAUSAL WOES

#Sage is wise
Garden sage can eliminate or reduce night sweats. To make a sage infusion place 4 heaping tablespoons dried sage in one cup of hot water. Cover tightly and steep for four hours or more. Then strain and drink at bedtime.

# Soy saves
English studies confirm ancient Chinese wisdom: Photoestrogens, found in soya beans produce a 40 % reduction in hot flashes. So add them to soups and casseroles in any form. Or combine soya flour to atta on your chapattis

INSECT BITES AND STINGS

# Tenderizer tenderizes
Make a paste of 1/4 tsp meat tenderizer and 1 to 2 tsp water. Rub the paste into the sting area as soon as possible after the sting. Repeat in an hour if it still stings. The tenderizer contains papain, an enzyme derived from the papaya fruit that can break down venoms, making them harmless. ( Don't try this with a scorpion sting which requires immediate medical attention ).

# Centre with vinegar
A drop of vinegar rubbed into the centre of the bite can bring quick, long lasting relief. And more, you don't feel like scratching. Simultaneously, it increases the blood flow to the area which helps to quickly carry off the spot of venom the insect has deposited under the surface as well as the chemicals your body has produced in reaction to the venom.

# Try baking soda
A paste of sodium bicarbonate and water applied on a mosquito bite will work like an antihistamine, relieving the itch without the risk of the drug's side effects.

# Pass the hot pepper
Red pepper won't draw out the venom, but will take your mind off the itch by counter irritation. The result ? Less itch.

# Chop an onion
Onions contain enzymes that help break down prostaglandins - chemicals that your body releases in response to pain. They also contain quercetin, an anti-allergic chemical good for relieving inflammation.

HICCUPS

# Pamper your sweet tooth
No one exactly knows why sugar may help hiccups. Some doctors speculate that the granules stimulate the vagus nerve, a long nerve in the back of the throat that sends branches to many muscle groups, including those in the diaphragm.

# Take a deep breath
Holding your breath for a count of 30 may also work for some. It increases carbon dioxide levels in the blood and apparently decreases the sensitivity of the vagus nerve centre in the brain.

HEADACHE

#Rosemary makes it wary Because it keeps blood vessels dilated, rosemary is an effective preventive for vasoconstrictive migraines. Use 1 tsp rosemary per cup and drink.

#Ginger up
The root helps prevent the release of substances that make blood vessels dilate, and keep the blood flowing at an even keel, which is essential in migraine prevention. Grate fresh ginger into juice. Use fresh or powdered ginger when you cook, nibble on a piece or two of crystallized ginger daily.

GUM PROBLEMS

# Yummy Gummy
For gums that are temporarily irritated and swollen treat yourself to a pineapple juice ice pack. Freeze some juice solid in an ice tray. The cold reduces the swelling, the pineapple sweetens the therapy.

# Soda pop
Treat a gum boil with a paste of baking soda and water. Baking soda reduces the swelling.

GIDDINESS

# Know your onion
Slice one. The stinging smell helps clear the head and prevents fainting.

GAS AND INDIGESTION

# Calm 'n' Cool
Stress can trigger gas. Mint can calm your nerves as its active ingredient flows through the gastrointestinal tract. Have a cup of mint tea in the morning and one at night. Sip slowlu and inhale the aroma as you relax.

# Acid Attack
A pinch of ajwain with another pinch of rock salt and a dash of lime makes a good meal go down better. So does dried amla on aniseed (saunf)

# Curry flavor Methi and Turmeric stop acid buildup, and stimulate the flow of digestive juices. So add some more to your meals.

# The old standby
Mix 1 tbsp ginger in a cup of hot water. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain. Drink after meals.

FATIGUE

# Spice Rise
Sprinkle fresh ground cinnamon on your porridge, cereal, toast or whatever you have for breakfast. It triples the ability of insulin to metabolize glucose.

# Minty Mental
Mint tea is a great pick-me-up (see recipe Bad Breath). The peppermint oil boosts beta wave activity in the formal lobe of the brain, increasing alertness and the ability to focus, according to studies.

Throat & Tonsillitis:

Make a paste 2-3 cloves of garlic, then mix with one cup of honey. Take one teaspoon three times per day.
Warm a cup of milk, then add a pinch of turmeric, and take before bed each night.
Boil water, then add a teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of lemon, and a teaspoon of black pepper to soothe a sore throat or cough (this is my dad’s remedy).
Make a cup of milky chai, with ginger, black pepper, cloves, and honey.
gargle with salt and warm water twice a day (another family favorite).

Fever:

Mix half a glass of grapefruit juice with half a glass of water to help take away the burning sensation of fever
Eat or suck on oranges, or drink orange juice
Make basil tea by boiling 12 grams of basil leaves in half a litre of water and drink once daily.
Make saffron tea with 30ml boiling water and half a teaspoon of saffron. Drink just a teaspoon every half hour.
Soak raisins in half a cup of water, then grind up and strain. Add half a teaspoon of lime juice, then take twice a day. Add ginger for an extra kick.
Drink a glass of fresh-squeezed apricot juice with a teaspoon of honey.
Make a tea out of a teaspoon of turmeric and black pepper, ginger, diced onion, lemongrass, and a few basil leaves and drink three times a day.
mix the juice from tamarind leaves with a pinch of turmeric and cold water to taste.

DIARRHOEA

# Add some fluid
To prevent dehydration make a mixture of 1 liter boiled and cooled water with 4 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and drink as much as you can, specially after a watery stool.

# Stem the runs with cinnamon
Mix 1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon bark with one cup of hot water. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Cinnamon, a natural astringent, dries up your bowel.

# Bulk out with banana
Strangely enough, banana is good therapy for constipation as well as the runs. Boil a raw banana, mash, add a pinch of salt and butter, eat.

# Blend with spice
Blend 1 teaspoon cumin-seeds, 1/4 tsp methi seeds, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp dil (suwa) seeds, 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds. Roast on a low flame Add a pinch of heeng and salt and stir for a minute. Make a course powder when cool and store in an air tight jar. Mix 1/2 tsp of powder with 1 tsp of curd. Eat twice a day for quick relief.
** This mixture is also good for chronic flatulence and dyspepsia. The fenugreek (methi) alone stimulates the digestive process as well as the metabolism in general. The other spices have properties that have still not been scientifically evaluated.

# Yahoo yoghurt
The friendly bacteria in yoghurt (dahi) helps vanquish the baddies and keep your gastrointestinal tract working properly. Eat a cup daily, not just when you have diarrhoea.

CUTS

Press antiseptic turmeric powder straight into the wound to stop bleeding and promote healing

CONSTIPATION

# Currants make you go

Soak 200 grams fiber rich dry black currants in water. Let them puff out all day and eat as an after dinner dessert. Don't forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

# Eat a banana tree

The banana stem, flower and fruit are chockful of fiber that helps bind stools and ease them out

COUGH

# Try some thyme

It not only acts as an expectorant and antiseptic but relieves bronchial spasms and dries up secretions. Make a thyme tea by steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink upto 3 times a day

# Steep some honey and Onions
Doesn't sound too appetizing, but this cough remedy has thrived for generations in the Spanish Basque folk tradition. Overnight, soak a sliced onion in enough honey to cover it. The next day strain and discard the onion. Then dilute the honey with enough lime juice to reach the consistency of cough syrup. Take a tablespoonful at two hour intervals all day until your symptoms subside. The onions allicin, a powerful antibacterial chemical, may seep into the honey, which ahs mild antibacterial effects in the throat.

# Sweet 'n' Sour
1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon lime juice in a glass of warm water can help dissolve mucous in the throat.

# Yellow says Stop
Add a pinch of turmeric to a cup of hot milk with sugar candy to taste.

# Leafy relief
2 tablespoon tulsi leaf juice and a teaspoon of honey soothes a sore throat.

CONGESTION

# Hack it with Horse Radish

Grate a piece of radish, add a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt and sugar, stir, swallow. The pungent vapours will clear up your chest. So try not to hold your breath while you swallow.

# Make a spice bag
Tie 1 tablespoon ajwain in muslin into a sort of bean bag as large as your palm. Run against a hot iron and then place against the chest or on the sinuses.

# Drop some salt
To clear a stuffy nose mix 1/4 teaspoon table salt in 1 cup of boiled and cooled water. With a dropper, place 2 or 3 drops in each nostril half an hour before meals and at bedtime.

COLDS

# Herbs 'n' Spice is warm 'n' nice
Combine 28 grams sliced fresh ginger, 1 broken up cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 3 cloves, 1slice of lime, 1/2 liter water. Simmer for 15 minutes, strain. Drink a hot cupful every 2 hours. The lime has plenty of vitamin C (a recommended cold fighter) while the ginger and spices provide the antibacterial effect

# OR
Add 1/2" ginger, 6 tulsi leaves, 1 bay leaf, 3 peppercorns, and 1 clove to 1/2 liter water with palm sugar to taste. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain and drink hot, as often as you please. The pepper dilates blood vessels in the nose and stimulates secretions which help drain sinuses. Chilli powder or red pepper also has the same effect and, in addition, possesses anti inflammatory properties.

# Juice a Ginger
Take an inch of ginger and wash thoroughly. Scrape the skin and chop into 3 to 4 pieces. Add a tablespoon of water. Churn thoroughly in a mixer and strain out the juice in a gauzy cloth. Discard the pulp. Add a teaspoon of honey (a mild antibacterial), a pinch of turmeric (today a proven antiseptic), stir well. Drink half in the morning and half in the evening. The mixture keeps well under refrigeration.

# Chug some chicken soup
It attacks a cold or flu in at least three ways: The fluids and minerals help rehydrate and energise your body; the spices provide decongestant benefits; and if you huddle over your bowl as you eat, your mucous membranes will get a soothing steam bath.
Bring a liter of chicken broth to a boil. Add a teaspoon of chilli powder and a thumb sized piece of ginger, grated. Simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish each bowl with a raw, minced garlic clove and chopped scallions. Have four bowls a day when you are at your sickest.

# Go for a Garlic
Its pungent active ingredient, allicin (the same one in onions), works especially well against infections such as bronchitis and sinusitis, which often result from colds and flu. Some experts believe allicin destroys the cold and flu viruses themselves, though this theory hasn't been scientifically proven.
Eat one or two cloves a day of raw or lightly sauteed garlic, all at once or in small doses.

BRUISES

Press a pack 'o' peas
Tap a pack of frozen peas on a hard surface to loosen, then lay the bag on where you are black 'n' blue. The bag fits the contours of your body and the cold melts away the inflammation caused by the bruise.

BLISTERS

Soothe with milk
Applying a cool milk compress to a blister within first 24 hours reduces the inflammation that's causing the pain. Plus the protein may actually promote healing.

BAD BREATH

# Chew some cardamom
Spices fight bad breath because of their antifungal and antibacterial properties, say experts. Cardamom is rich in cineole, a potent antiseptic that zaps the bacteria responsible for foul mouth odour.

# Have a spice tea
Boil one litre of water and add 4 whole cloves and 2 tablespoons broken cinnamon sticks. Let it steep for 20 minutes, strain and drink a cup for long lasting fresh breath.

# Sip a cup of mint tea
What gives mint (pudina) its distinctive flavour and smell is a potent antiseptic that kills the Bad Breath Baddies. Use one tablespoon whole dried leaves or two tablespoon fresh leaves per cup of hot water for 10 minutes and drink when needed.

ATHLETE'S FOOT

Both are supposed to be good anti-fungals. Soak feet in a basin of warm water containing several crushed garlic cloves and a little alcohol for several minutes. Repeat 2 to 3 times a day

ARTHRITIS

Fill small plastic bags with ice and seal them. Hold or secure one over and one under each painful knee. Do this several times a day for 15 to 20 minutes. The cold constricts blood vessels, reduces inflammation and eases pain and swelling

ANXIETY

Raw carrot or lettuce juice has calming properties and helps when you are stressed out, says Granny. Science has now given weight to this theory. Apparently it is the magnesium ( present in moderate amounts in these veggies ) that helps by regulating serotonin balance. The antioxidants are a bonus. Drink 2 to 3 cups a day if you are a worrisome character.

ALLERGIES

Neem is cool. Boil antiseptic neem in water, sieve, cool in the refrigerator and use to wash itchy parts of your body without using soaps.