HLife | Healthy Living Redefined

Children: Researchers at the World Congress on Osteoporosis presented evidence that vigorous physical activity in young children results in stronger hip bones. Using advanced scanning technology, the scientists measured bone mass and analyzed the structure of the femoral neck (hip) and thigh bone of 200 six year olds, while physical activity was assessed for seven continuous days. The results showed that kids who spent more time in vigorous activity (sports like basketball, singles tennis, hockey, soccer, running, fast bicycling, aerobic dance, martial arts, jump rope, swimming, for example) had stronger femoral necks, both in terms of shape and mineral density, independent of other factors such as diet, lifestyle and physical size. This supports the argument that more physical activity in childhood is likely to improve skeletal bone development, making this a potentially important strategy to prevent osteoporosis later in life.   Read More…

Cancer: The plant kingdom heroes continue to surface. According to research done in St. Louis University, the extract from bitter melon – a vegetable commonly used in Indian and Chinese cuisine and medicine – attacks breast cancer cells. The study, published in the March 1 edition of the journal Cancer Research, found that bitter melon extract significantly induced death in breast cancer cells and decreased their growth and spread in vitro by triggering a chain of events that kills the cells and prevents them from multiplying.  Bitter melon (shown above) is also often used in India and China as medicine for diabetics due to its ability to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Read More…