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Senin, 28 Desember 2009

Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk



High intakes of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea are linked to a reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, according to a pooled review of studies.

Researchers at the George Institute for International Health (Sydney, Australia), the University of Glasgow (United Kingdom), and other institutions conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the association among coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption with the risk of diabetes mellitus. The meta-analysis included data obtained from 18 studies that reported on the association between coffee consumption and diabetes; six studies that reported estimates of the association between decaffeinated coffee and diabetes; and seven studies that reported on the association of tea.

The results of the pooled meta-analysis found that drinking coffee was inversely related to risk of diabetes (more coffee was linked to lower risk). After adjusting for potential confounders, every extra cup of coffee consumed in a day was linked to a 7% reduction in the excess risk of diabetes; drinking 3 to 4 cups per day was linked to a 25% lower risk than drinking none or up to two cups per day. In those studies that assessed decaffeinated coffee consumption, drinking more than 3 to 4 cups a day was linked to about one third lower risk of diabetes, compared to none. Drinking more than 3 to 4 cups of tea per day was linked to a one fifth lower risk of diabetes, compared to non-tea drinking. The authors suggested the effect of tea and coffee consumption on diabetes risk could be due to direct biological effects, since their apparent protective effect appears to be independent of potential confounding variables, and could partly be due to other compounds present in tea and coffee, such as magnesium, or antioxidants such as lignans or chlorogenic acids. The study was published in the December 14, 2009, issue of the Archives on Internal Medicine.



“If such beneficial effects were observed in interventional trials to be real, the implications for the millions of individuals who have diabetes mellitus, or who are at future risk of developing it, would be substantial,” concluded first author Rachel Huxley, M.D., of the George Institute, and colleagues. “It could also be envisaged that we will advise our patients most at risk for diabetes mellitus to increase their consumption of tea and coffee in addition to increasing their levels of physical activity and weight loss.”
Source: Hospimedica

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Rabu, 23 Desember 2009

The Female Body is One of Nature’s most Wonderful


The female body is one of nature’s most wonderful and complex creations. It is the origin of all human life. A woman’s journey in life is punctuated by many milestones; childhood, puberty, matrimony, pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, each milestone special in its own way.

Your reproductive health is just as important as other aspects of your health. A better understanding of reproductive system can help gain a clearer picture of just how sensitive reproductive organs are and how they help you be what you are.

The female reproductive system includes the external genital organs and the internal reproductive organs.

The external reproductive organs

Vulva: This is the external part of the female reproductive organs located between the legs. It covers the opening to the Vagina and other reproductive organs located inside the body.

Located just above the top of the vaginal opening is a fleshy area called the mons pubis. Two pairs of skin flaps called the labia (labia majora and labia minora) surround the vaginal opening, which protect the clitoris and the vaginal opening. When girls become sexually mature, the outer labia and the mons pubis are covered by pubic hair.

Clitoris: A small sensory organ is located toward the front of the vulva where the folds of the labia join. The clitoris is the reproductive organ most involved in sexual pleasure.

The top part of the clitoris is a short protrusion above the vaginal opening. Its tip is very sensitive, so the clitoris is protected by a flap of skin, which is known as the hood. When a woman is sexually aroused, blood rushes to the clitoris, making it the most important organ for female sexual response.

Urethral opening: It is the opening between the clitoris and the Vagina through which a woman urinates.

G-spot: (Grafenberg spot) also known as the urethral sponge is a small area behind the pubic bone and a very sensitive area of the Vagina. It is an erogenous zone that when stimulated leads to high levels of sexual arousal and powerful orgasms.




Internal reproductive organs

Vagina: It is a muscular, hollow tube that extends from the vaginal opening to the Uterus. The vagina's muscular walls are lined with mucous membranes, which protect and keep it moist.
The Vagina has several important functions:

• Helps in sexual intercourse.
• Pathway for the baby to come out of the mother’s womb.
• Acts as the route for the menstrual blood to leave the body from the Uterus.

Hymen: This is a thin sheet of tissue with 1 or more holes in it. The hymen partially covers the opening of the Vagina. The hymen may bleed when it tears. This may tear during sexual intercourse or even during activities like horse riding, cycling or gymnastics. This may accompanied by pain.

Cervix: It is the lower portion of the Uterus that opens into the Vagina. The Cervix is the opening that Sperm must pass through in order to reach the egg. During delivery the baby also goes through the Cervix as it exits the Uterus and enters the Vagina. The Cervix dilates to about 4 inches in diameter during labor.

Uterus: Also known as the womb. The Uterus is shaped like an upside-down pear and has a thick lining and muscular walls. An egg that has been fertilized will implant itself in the Uterus and will continue to develop in the Uterus throughout the pregnancy. These muscles in the uterine walls can expand and contract in order to accommodate a growing baby and then help push the baby out during labor.

Fallopian tubes: There are two fallopian tubes, each attached to a side of the Uterus. There are 20–25 finger-like structures (fimbriae) at the ends that hover just above the ovaries and work to collect the mature egg when it is released

Once the egg is in the fallopian tube, tiny hairs in the tube's lining help push it down the narrow passageway toward the Uterus. It is in the fallopian tubes that fertilization of the egg (egg mating with the sperm) will take place.


Ovaries: Ovaries are two small, almond-shaped glands that produce eggs. The ovaries also make the sex hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. An egg is released from the Ovary roughly every 28 days in a process called Ovulation.


The breast : The female breasts contain the mammary glands, which secrete milk used to feed infants. Although the primary function of the breasts is production of milk for the newborn baby, the female breasts play an important part in female sexual behavior. Stimulation of the female breasts enhances the sexual pleasure of a woman.

Functions of female reproductive system
• Produce and sustain the female sex Cells (egg Cells or ova).
• Transport these Cells to a site where they may be fertilized by sperm, once fertilized by the sperm, implant the fertilized egg in to the walls of the Uterus and initiate pregnancy.
• Provide a favorable environment for the developing baby.
• Move the baby to the outside environment once the baby is completely developed.
• Produce the female sex hormones that maintain the reproductive cycle.
(Source from www.indianwomenhealth.com)

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