Walking Together, Walking Far: How a U.S. and African Medical School Partnership Is Winning the Fight against HIV/AIDS
Walking Together, Walking Far: How a U.S. and African Medical School Partnership Is Winning the Fight against HIV/AIDS
A remarkable partnership between the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya has built one of the most comprehensive and successful programs in the world to control HIV/AIDS. Calling upon the resources of the Americans, the ingenuity of the Kenyans, and their shared determination to care for patients who had been given up for dead, the program has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and described as a miracle by the U.S. ambassador to Kenya. Doctors from Kenya and the United States—employing methods once considered unfeasible, such as successfully administered antiretroviral regimes—have created a model program for saving lives and empowering the sick and impoverished. Against formidable odds, these partners demonstrate how medicine and caring can overturn preconceived notions about Africa and help wipe out the world's most devastating pandemic.
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Leave a commentFight Cancer With Cantaloupe, Carrots, Celery And Currants
Foods that fight cancer include cantaloupe, carrots, celery and currants, which fight especially cancer of the prostate gland, lungs, bladder and stomach. These foods are abundant in vitamins C and A and lycopene, which are prime antioxidants. They are also rich sources of phthalides, polyacetylenes, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, which are known to fight cancer.
Definition of Cancer
The National Cancer Institute (U.S. National Institutes of Health) defines cancer as a term “used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.”
According to the same article, Defining Cancer, from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, “Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start – for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells of the skin is called basal cell carcinoma.”
Foods that Fight Cancer
The following is a list of foods that fight cancer:
Cantaloupe Against Cancer
Cantaloupes are very rich in vitamins C and A, which are two powerful antioxidants in the fight against cancer. One-half of the fruit already contains 186 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C, and nearly 90 percent of vitamin A.
In an article entitled Superfoods: Protect your Body by Eating Right, Dr. Kim Mulvihill writes, “ Cantaloupes, mangos, and carrots contain cancer-fighting carotenoids.”
Carrots to Fight Cancer
Carrots are super sources of vitamin A, a major antioxidant. In fact, just a medium-sized carrot packs more than 200 percent of the RDA for vitamin A. Vitamin A as an antioxidant is touted to fight against cancers of the esophagus, bladder, larynx, lung, prostate, cervix, neck, head and stomach.
Carrots also contain p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, which are cancer fighters. Carrots are also rich in lycopene, another anti-cancer antioxidant.
Celery Against Cancer
Celery contains two major cancer-fighting agents, namely phthalides and polyacetylenes. These substances take away the harmless effects of carcinogens, before they cause cellular damage. Studies have found that celery is especially effective in fighting stomach cancer.
Polyacetylenes in celery also help eradicate benzopyrene, a carcinogen found in foods cooked at high temperatures. Polyacetylenes are found to limit the production of certain prostaglandins, which play a major role in the formation of inflammations.
Leaves are the most nutritious part of the celery plant, containing more calcium, iron, potassium, beta-carotene, and the important antioxidant vitamin C than the stalks.
Currants to Fight Cancer
Black currants are an abundant source of vitamin C, which is a major antioxidant. It contains more than 300 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Red and white currants contain almost 80 percent RDA for vitamin C.
Black currants are found to be very effective protectors against cancers of the stomach, cervix, pancreas, breast, rectum, lungs and esophagus. All currant varieties are rich in flavonoids, which assist the immune system resist carcinogens.
A word of caution: Currants are not advisable for individuals with kidney stones, as they contain oxalic acid.
With the right nutrients from selected cancer-fighting foods, cancer can be prevented with knowledge and diet. Even if cancer has become a medical condition, the foods mentioned above have the power to delay or reverse the onslaught of cancerous cells. Other foods that fight cancer are: Tea, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Spinach, Soy, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Asparagus and Avocados, Garlic, Onions, Grapes, Guava, Mango and Papaya, Eggplants, Figs, Flaxseed Oil.
Sources:
Defining Cancer. National Cancer Institute (website). U.S. National Institutes of Health. (Accessed 11/02/2010).
Dr. Kim Mulvihill. Article: “Superfoods: Protect your Body by Eating Right”. Literacyworks.org. (Accessed 11/02/2010)
Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal: An A to Z Guide to Safe and Healthy Eating. The Reader’s Digest. 2004, Montreal, Canada. 416 pages. Hardbound.
Deborah Mitchell. “The Broccoli Sprouts Breakthrough: Nature’s Delicious Cancer Fighting Food”. St. Martin’s Press. New York (USA). 1998. Paperback. 162 pages.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
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Fight Aids or Hiv Infections And Boost Immune System
AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) that causes the disease, or its symptoms and infections, can be fought with diet and good nutrition with high-calorie and high-protein foods, hygiene and food safety, supplements and other measures that help prevent or delay weight loss and other complications, and boost the immune system. Asymptomatic HIV patients should follow a tailored dietary practice with more precautions.
AIDS and HIV Infections and the Immune System
Because the HIV virus attacks the immune system, the patient is exposed to infections, like food poisoning from salmonella, shigella, campylobacter and other bacteria. Food-borne infections are more severe in individuals with a less-functioning immune system.
AIDS of HIV and the Digestive System
AIDS or HIV affects the digestive system in drastic ways. It reduces absorption of nutrients, particularly folate, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamins B6 and B12. AIDS or HIV almost always causes intractable diarrhea, which is one main causes of nutrition loss. AIDS or HIV increases the risks of intestinal infections. Patients suffer bouts from nausea and vomiting, either from the disease itself or from medications. Loss of appetite is one of the major symptoms.
Fight AIDS and HIV Infections with Diet and Foods
AIDS or HIV is a disease that wastes the body away, that’s why it is crucial for an AIDS or an HIV patient to keep up food intake. Unless a patient is already obese, he should not worry about gaining weight, as the extra weight can be useful through episodes when he couldn’t take food in.
Consume plenty of:
Meat, poultry, liver, eggs, milk, nuts, and foods high in calorie and protein to prevent or counter weight and muscle loss
Pasta, rice and other starchy foods
Cooked vegetables, juices, canned or stewed fruits for essential vitamins and minerals
Eat small meals or snacks throughout the day.
Limit the consumption of:
Fatty foods and whole grain products if they cause diarrhea
Coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks, because they reduce the absorption of some nutrients
Avoid:
Raw or undercooked foods like shellfish, eggs and meats
Sushi, steak tartare, rare hamburgers, homemade mayonnaise, ice cream made with raw eggs
Alcohol, because it worsens diarrhea. Alcohol also interacts with AIDS or HIV medications
Food Safety and Hygiene to Fight AIDS or HIV Infections
The person preparing the food for an AIDS or HIV patient should take extra care in ensuring a hygienic approach and atmosphere.
Wash hands before, during and after handling food
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold
Keep raw foods from contact with cooked foods, as raw foods are sure hosts of microorganisms.
Eggs should be boiled for at least seven minutes
Meat and fish should be well-cooked to kill microorganisms
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before cooking or eating
When travelling eat only cooked vegetables; only fruits that are peeled, stewed or canned
Dietary Supplements to Fight AIDS or HIV Infections and Boost Immune System
Nutritionists and medical doctors recommend that AIDS or HIV patients take a multivitamin and mineral pill to prevent nutritional deficiencies or make up for lost nutrients, and help boost the immune system. A word of caution: Supplements with more than 100 percent of the Daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) should be approved by a doctor.
Although AIDS or HIV sounds like a death sentence, a knowledgeable patient can prolong and still enjoy life with disciplinary approaches like diet and good nutrition, food safety, supplements and avoiding fatty foods, alcohol and caffeine, in order to boost the immune system or assist an immune system under attack. Weight loss can be delayed or prevented altogether. After all, there is always hope, and life is still worth living even for an AIDS or HIV patient.
Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal: An A to Z Guide to Safe and Healthy Eating. The Reader’s Digest. 2004, Montreal, Canada. 416 pages. Hardbound.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Foods That Fight Cancer Like Parsley, Pasta, Peppers, Potatoes And Pumpkin
A Diet that fights cancer include foods like parsley, pasta, peppers, potatoes and pumpkin. These foods are rich in fiber, antioxidants like vitamin C, Vitamin D, lycopene, bioflavonoids and beta-carotene, which are effective in the fight against cancer, or its prevention. These foods can fight or prevent prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer.
According to Gary Stoner, professor of preventive medicine at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, “Cancer is the accumulation of genetic alterations. It requires constant exposure to carcinogens. It can take more than a decade for those mutated cells to become cancer cells.”
Thus the best time to start preventing cancer is now, today, while cancer is not yet a medical condition, by acquiring an ideal diet, since diet is a major approach in fighting cancer.
Foods that Fight Cancer
The following is a list of foods that pack the nutrients that assist the body in the fight against cancer:
Fight Cancer with Parsley
Parsley has more vitamin C, the major antioxidant vitamin, than carrots or sweet potatoes, and more beta-carotene, another antioxidant, than broccoli or spinach. Parsley contains other anticancer nutrients, like flavonoids, polyacetylenes, coumarins, chlorophyll, and monoterpenes.
In an article entitled Myristicin: A Potential Cancer Chemopreventive Agent from Parsley Leaf Oil, Guo-qiang Zheng, Patrick M. Kenney, and Luke K.T. Lam write, “Since the ability to induce an increase in the detoxifying enzyme activity in the inhibition of tumorigenesis, myristicin may be considered a potential chemopreventive agent.” Myristicin is a compound found in parsley leaf oil.
Fighting Cancer with Pasta
The fiber in pasta is the prime anticancer component. Whole wheat varieties have the maximum fiber content. In fact, pasta made from whole grain have more than double the fiber from other pasta varieties. When served with tomato sauce, the cancer fighting potential of the food is exponentially increased, as tomato paste is a very rich source of lycopene, a major antioxidant in the fight against cancer. To maximize pasta’s anticancer potentials, enjoy it several times a week, as replacement for other forms of carbohydrates.
Peppers Against Cancer
Both hot chili peppers and sweet peppers are abundant sources of antioxidants. One chili pepper alone packs 200 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the antioxidant vitamin C, and 100 percent of the RDA for beta-carotene, another cancer fighter. Sweet green peppers also contain p-coumaric and chlorogenic acids, which are cancer fighting nutrients. Sweet red peppers are rich in lycopene, the potent cancer fighter abundant in tomatoes.
Deeply colored peppers are rich in bioflavonoids, plant pigments that help in preventing cancer. They are also rich in phenolic acids, which inhibit the formation of nitrosamines, which cause cancer. These deeply colored peppers are also high in plant sterols, precursors of vitamin D, which is believed to be preventive of cancer (“Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention” National Cancer Institute).
Higher vitamin D levels have shown promising results in reducing the risks for colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers. According to the same National Cancer Institute article, “Some geographical correlation studies have suggested that men exposed to higher levels of sunlight may have a lower risk of prostate cancer.” As we all know, sunlight is the best source for vitamin D3.
Potatoes Help the Body Fight Cancer
White potatoes and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of the antioxidant vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin A, another major antioxidant. Potatoes also pack enough amounts of polyphenols and protease inhibitors, which stunt the growth of cancer cells.
Pumpkin Fights Cancer
Pumpkins are very rich in beta-carotene and fiber, both proven cancer fighters. The body converts beta-carotene into the major antioxidant vitamin A. Just ½ cup serving of pumpkin already contain 250 percent of the RDA for beta-carotene. The same serving contains 3.4 grams of fiber.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E (which symbiotically works with selenium to fight prostate cancer), and fiber.
Certain foods pack the right nutrients that assist the body in fighting cancer. These nutrients help prevent, delay, or reverse the ravages brought by the most devastating and feared human disease, which is cancer. Other foods that fight cancer are:Spinach, Soy, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Asparagus and Avocados, Eggplants, Figs, Flaxseed Oil, Spinach, Soy, Strawberries, Tea, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Nuts, Oats, Oranges and Citrus Fruits, Kiwi Fruit, lentils and Mushrooms, Parsley, Pasta, Peppers, Potatoes and Pumpkin.
Sources:
Defining Cancer. National Cancer Institute (website). U.S. National Institutes of Health. (Accessed 11/02/2010).
Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention. National Cancer Institute (website). U.S. National Institutes of Health. (Accessed 11/04/2010).
Guo-qiang Zheng, Patrick M. Kenney, and Luke K.T. Lam. “Myristicin: A Potential Cancer Chemopreventive Agent from Parsley Leaf Oil”. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1992, 40, 107-110. American Chemical Society. (Accessed 11/04/2010)
Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal: An A to Z Guide to Safe and Healthy Eating. The Reader’s Digest. 2004, Montreal, Canada. 416 pages. Hardbound.
Deborah Mitchell. “The Broccoli Sprouts Breakthrough: Nature’s Delicious Cancer Fighting Food”. St. Martin’s Press. New York (USA). 1998. Paperback. 162 pages.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Could the cure for cancer be as simple as sipping baking soda and molasses? It took a lot for me to change my views on the curability of cancer, but after looking into this for along time, I realized that many of the alternative treatments worked by alkalizing the body, which facilitates oxygenation. www.abovetopsecret.com Man recovers from cancer with baking soda cure: phkillscancer.com Woman recovers from ‘incurable cancer’ with ozone and juicing after doctors give up on her: curezone.com Connection between Ph. oxygenation and cancer. www.advancedhealthplan.com
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