Top Health Tips on Diagnosing Breast Lumps

Impact of drinking water in plastic bottles

We store water in all sorts of plastic bottles, jugs or containers. It can be low grade or high grade, but plastic is plastic! This is a very harmful daily practice as plastic containers carry lot of chemicals and bacteria.

Let s see the harmful effects of drinking water in plastic bottles:

1. Harmful substances: Apart from harmful chemicals in plastic, water when get stored in plastic bottles also produces harmful substances like fluoride, arsenic and aluminium which can be poison for human body. So, drinking water from plastic bottles would mean drinking slow poison that will slowly and steadily deteriorate your health.

2. Dioxin production: Plastic does melt in hot environment. And we, often store water in plastic bottles while driving and so many times leave it in the car where it is in the direct exposure of sun. Such heating releases a toxin called Dioxin which when consumed can accelerate breast cancer.

3. BPA generation: Biphenyl A is an estrogen-mimicking chemical which can lead to lot of health problems like diabetes, obesity, fertility problems, behavioural problems and early puberty in girls. It s better not to store and drink water from a plastic bottle.

4. Liver cancer and reduced sperm count: Because of presence of a chemical called phthalates in plastic, drinking water from plastic bottles can also lead to liver cancer and reduction in sperm count.

5. Vitamin based bottled water: Nowadays, we get water mostly in plastic bottles and to increase its health content, manufacturers make it vitamin-enriched to attract buyers. But this is even more harmful as it carries health-harming additives like food dyes and high fructose corn syrup.

6. Impact on immune system: Our immune system is immensely affected when we drink water in plastic bottles. The chemicals from plastic bottles are ingested and tend to disturb our body s immune system.

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Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin that is soluble in fat. Vitamin D is essential for the growth of your bone and it ensures increased flow of calcium into your bloodstream by promoting the process of its absorption from the consumed food. Poor concentration of vitamin D may result in the development of rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Vitamin D is important in maintaining the immunity of your system; deficiency of vitamin D gives rise to a number of health problems including cardiac disorders, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and even cancer.

Daily exposure to mild sunlight helps to synthesize Vitamin D in body. Dietary sources include milk, cod liver oils, fish, meat, fortified dairy and food products.

The most reliable way to diagnose the deficiency of vitamin D is through blood test; it is the most effective method of measuring the level of vitamin D in your blood. The following are some dominant symptoms of vitamin D deficiency:

Influenza: According to studies, vitamin D acts a guard against the attack of a number of respiratory infections which are widespread in children. Hence, lack of vitamin D in children is responsible for the development of various respiratory tract infections and diseases.
Depression and Schizophrenia: The root cause of depression and various other psychiatric disorders have been linked to deficiency in vitamin D. It is extremely important for expecting mothers to maintain a sufficient level of vitamin D in their body, during the gestation period to reduce the risk of delayed brain development and other mental ailments in the new born babies.
Cardiovascular disease: Cardiovascular ailments are more prevalent among people, who tend to suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Patients who suffer from cardiac discomfort have responded well to vitamin D treatment.
Asthma: Intake of vitamin D supplements reduces the severity and discomforts that are associated with asthma and have also shown considerable reduction in the occurrence of asthma attacks.
Periodontal disorders: Lack of vitamin D may result in the formation of numerous harmful bacteria in your mouth and may give rise to several oral discomforts in form of painful gum inflammation, bleeding and loss of tooth. Vitamin D aids in the formation of cathelicidins and defensins, which are effective in maintaining the overall oral health.
Cancer: Types of cancer including prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer are linked with Vitamin D deficiency. Supplements of vitamin D are helpful in controlling the growth and development of breast cancer, especially the estrogen sensitive breast cancer.

How much alcohol can you safely drink every day? Moderate, say the experts. Alcohol abuse has serious health downsizes, but moderate drinking can actually be good for your heart. Moderate alcohol use has a few other health benefits too. Let s see what these are.

Reduces risk of developing and dying from heart disease
Reduces your risk of ischemic stroke during which the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing reduction of blood flow to your brain
Reduces your risk of diabetes
The link between alcohol and health is tenuous at best and the health benefits of moderate drinking are by no means certain. Also every one may not benefit from alcohol. Moderate alcohol use - Guidelines
One drink a day is considered moderate for healthy women of any age and men older than 65, and up to two drinks a day for men younger than 65. This alcoholic drink can be:

Beer: 12 ounces
Wine: 5 ounces
Distilled spirits : 1.5 ounces
Moderate alcohol use can be counter-productive for you, if you have risk factors for heart disease. It s always better to take care to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a heart-healthy diet to reduce your heart attack risks.

Risks of heavy alcohol use
We know about the definition of moderate drinking, but what s heavy drinking? It is defined as more than three drinks a day for women and men older than 65 (or more than seven drinks a week), and more than four drinks a day for men less than 65 (or more than 14 drinks a week).
Binge drinking is even worse. If you drink four or more drinks within two hours as a woman and five or more drinks within two hours as a man, it is referred to as binge drinking. Heavy drinking, including binge drinking, can increase your risk of serious health problems, like:

Cancer, including breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, throat and esophagus
Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas
Sudden death due to pre-existing cardiovascular disease
Alcoholic myopathy or damage to heart muscle, which causes heart failure
Stroke
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Brain damage in fetuses
It s best to ditch alcohol altogether. It is the healthiest thing you could ever do. The guidelines make it very clear that you shouldn t start drinking alcohol, albeit moderately, to make your heart healthy. The best way to have a healthy heart is to eat and exercise right. However, if you are an occasional drinker, you could make sure that your alcohol intake is within limits and you drink moderately at all times so that you don t attract any health penalties associated with heavy alcohol use.

One ailment that affects a large number of women all over the world is that of breast cysts. Breast cysts are essentially benign abscesses that grow on and around the mammary glands. These cysts primarily develop on account of hormonal changes and are often assumed to develop naturally along with the development of breasts. These cysts are generally filled with fluids which can be traced around the milk ducts.

Cysts are usually reported among women approaching menopause. While some cysts are of temporary kind, there may be others with a more prolonged run. Early diagnosis and prompt medication ensure that their growth gets arrested at the earliest. Although it is necessary to be vigilant about these eruptions, one need not fear any further exacerbation. Most cysts are harmless in nature and do not proceed to breast cancer. The symptoms as well as the causes of the latter are completely disparate.
However some classes of cysts are more threatening than the others. These mostly comprise suspended solid elements besides the regular fluid content. Some might even have thicker walls compared to the others. Accordingly, they are called complicated and complex cysts. In these cases, one must exercise caution and get them treated immediately. Some of the most popular remedies include drainage through needle aspiration. On certain occasions, physicians also recommend biopsy. Wherein a different mode of treatment ensues. Other ways of tackling breast cysts are ultrasound guidance using local anesthesia. In most cases however, depending upon the traits of the cysts, physicians leave them unaltered. One might choose to remove them for cosmetic as well as comfort purposes. Women come to such decision because breast cysts prove to be painful during menstrual cycles and some might even resent its appearance.

One unavoidable repercussion of needle aspiration is that the cysts tend to come back periodically. Dealing with it then becomes a fairly tedious task. This has known to cause anxiety and depression in a lot of women. Counselling and support group can prove beneficial here. But, the most crucial factor in learning to deal with breast cysts would be generating more awareness with regard to the causes and effects of breast cysts.

Cancer is one of the worst diseases, which kills millions of people across the world. While there is a wide range of treatment options available, the best way to deal with it is to ensure a good diet along with a healthy lifestyle.

Here is a list of cancer-fighting food products, which can immensely help to prevent cancer:

Green vegetables: Leafy green vegetables have multiple health benefits. They are not only rich in minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants, but also have very low content of calories, toxins, and sodium. Being antiviral and antibacterial in nature, green vegetables can successfully inactivate carcinogens, halt metastasis and pause the formation of a tumour. Certain vegetables contain isothiocyanates that can detox the cells. Some of the vegetables that are mighty effective in countering cancer cells include kale, romaine, watercress, nutritious spinach, collard greens etc.
Berries: Berries are one of the best antioxidants among all food items, owing to their high ORAC score. Their antiviral and anti-fungal nature of berries is extremely healthy for the body. Moreover, abundant supply of vitamin A and C makes berries a perfect agent for increasing body immunity. Free radicals are one of the top reasons for metastasis. The proanthocyanidin content of berries helps the body to get a hang of free radicals, thereby decreasing the chances of cancer cells to grow rapidly. They can be consumed daily with any meals.
Spices and herbs: There are a lot of herbs and spices, which boost the immune system and prevents cancer cells to grow further. Turmeric, for instance, is scientifically proved to be a great agent for reducing tumor size and effectively countering breast cancer and colon cancer. Some of the other herbs and spices include black pepper, ginger, raw garlic, parsley, oregano, and basil. They can be consumed daily in the form of juice or along with regular meals.
Organic meat: Many scientists are of the view that organic meat does wonder in a cancer diet. Liver of beef and chicken has high B12 content and helps to remove harmful toxins from the digestive tract and liver. They can balance hormone, digest fat and counter the side effects of triglycerides, drugs, and obesity. This can be included in the diet every alternate day.
Seeds and nuts: Flax seeds and chia seeds are few nutrient-power packed foods in the world. They should be included in the diet due to high fiber, mineral, and fatty acid content. Some other healthy seeds that can pay rich dividends in fighting cancer include walnut, sprouted bean, sunflower seeds etc. Nuts and seeds with all their nutritional qualities can successfully stop metastasis, reduce tumor size and increase immunity in the body, if consumed daily.
Hence, start including these food items in your daily diet to keep yourself safe from the deadly disease like cancer.

In the realm of Ayurvedic medicine, ginger is considered as a wonder root. Its medicinal purposes are many and it never fails to heal some of the most common to the more serious diseases. Ginger can be consumed raw, with other foods, or in a paste form. It is regularly used in most of the dishes that you consume on a daily basis because of its medicinal values. Here are some of the most important values that ginger has, due to which it is considered to be one of the most cherished remedy in Ayurveda.

Anti-histamine properties: Often people get allergies to dust, pollens, dirt, and other impurities in the air. These allergies can be prolonged and the person suffers a lot. When you experience a bout of allergy, it is best to consume ginger in any form. Its anti -histamine properties help in reducing the allergic reaction and relieve the patient of the sufferings.
Stimulates digestion: Ginger is a regular herb used in every meal - mostly in the form of paste and at times as chopped pieces. This is because it aids the release of bile juices from the gall bladder, which in turn promotes smooth digestion.
Cancer: According to the researches carried out at Michigan University, it has been concluded that ginger powder has the ability to kill many cancer-causing cells. It is specially recommended to be consumed by medical practitioners if you suffer from lung, prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer.
Morning sickness: At times, you experience morning sickness with a heavy head and a bout of nausea. This mostly occurs when you are pregnant. In such circumstances, consuming ginger provides the necessary vitamin B6 to your body. This helps you to stabilise your condition in the morning and reduce weakness, laziness, and nausea.
Inflammation: Ginger root has anti-inflammatory properties, which help in reducing inflammation of any kind in the body. This means that whenever you have any kind of inflammation, you are asked to consume ginger so that the swelling and pain subsides to a considerable amount.
Menstrual cramps: Cramps are very common in women during their menstruation. To reduce the pain and cramps, ginger tea is often given to them. It is said that consuming ginger regularly during periods helps in reducing the pain and cramps that are associated with it.
In a gist, these are some of the essential qualities of ginger. These are the reasons as to why ginger is often consumed daily and seen as a home remedy as well.

Benign tumors are noncancerous growths in the body. These are not at all like cancerous tumors; they do not spread (metastasize) to different parts of the body. Benign tumors can form in any part of the body. In case you find a lump or a mass in your body that can be felt, all things considered, you may immediately expect it to be cancerous. For example, women who discover lumps in their breasts during self-examinations are frequently frightened. In any case, most breast growths are benign and not dangerous at all. Actually, numerous lumps and growths all through the body are not dangerous.

For benign tumors, homeopathy is considered as the most secure, highly responsive and less costly type of treatment against all other treatments and it is used by a large number of individuals around the world. The medicines that homeopathy uses are made after taking the patient s entire history and body type in mind. It eliminates the disease or condition from its roots. There are a few medications that are accessible in homeopathy to treat these benign tumors. They are as follows:

Calcarea Carb: By and large, the person requiring Calcarea Carb is obese. Different established characteristics and behaviors of that person should be checked before its use. The first among these is the inclination to sweat a lot on the head. The second is his/her reaction to the chilly air. Last comes the unique requests in dietary patterns like a desire for boiled eggs and citric things like lime.
Sulfur: Sulfur is a similarly capable prescription like Calcarea Carb. However, which medicine will suit which person relies on his or her constitution. Much the same as Calcarea Carb, Sulfur has exceptional protected symptoms that a person should have in order to take it. People requiring sulfur feel outrageously hot sensations in their body. The warmth might be felt more in the palms, soles and on the head. For the most part, the skin remains dry and looks filthy.
Belladonna: Homeopathic medication Belladonna is valuable when Lipoma is difficult. The agony may intensify on touching the irregularity. Here, Belladonna will help in giving alleviation from agony, furthermore dissolving the Lipoma.
Thuja: Thuja is a homeopathic medicine that is of great help in treating benign development anyplace in the body. Thuja has an intense capacity to scatter the fatty accumulations in the body. In case a man with these tumors has high cholesterol levels, the utilization of homeopathic medication Thuja is exceptionally advantageous.
The exact reason for a benign tumor is not known. It takes birth when cells in the body start re-generating at an irregular rate. Therefore, homeopathy can help get rid of the same through effective means.

Medical science constantly challenges the boundaries by finding not only the cures to the most dangerous diseases, but finds a way to prevent them even before they occur. With years of research, practice and data available for analysis, scientists are using advanced technology in combination with years of research to create a predicting mechanism for often fatal diseases like cancer.

Breast cancer screening has always been done with mammography. The fact is that this method is only 75% accurate, laden with false positives and misses a whole set of women totally- and that too when cancer has already developed. Part of the problem comes from the dense breast tissue which one in three women have. This tissue masks the lumps, which makes it difficult for mammograms to accurately screen cancer.

Some breakthrough scientific methods are changing this by drawing on years of research to predict this deadly disease, years before it can manifest itself.

A genetic test to predict cancer 10-11 years ahead of time
This test was performed to see how environmental factors could influence cancer, along with habits like smoking, abusing alcohol or hormones, genetic changes that occur and are put a large percentage of the women at a high risk of developing this disease.

A simple blood test is used for the genetic analysis of hereditary cancer. Researchers found a biological marker, methylation of the ATM gene, which has a very high ability to predict the risk of developing cancer, several years before diagnosis. 'Methylation' concluded that when one biological indicator is exposed to carcinogenic substances, or other abusive substances like tobacco and alcohol, it may trigger the development of cancer. On the flip side, this test will take time to reach the commercial market and even then cannot give an exact timeline as to when someone may develop the disease.

A simple blood test to predict breast cancer 5 years before it develops
This is the kind of medical miracle the world is looking for. Last year in April, researches in Denmark identified a simple blood test that can predict breast cancer five years before it actually develops with an accuracy of a whopping 80%.

It works by "measuring all of the compounds in the blood to build a 'metabolic profile' of an individual, in order to detect changes in the way chemicals are processed, during a pre-cancerous stage," says Laura Donnelly, health editor at The Telegraph, which covered this development. Danish researchers observed 57,000 participants over 20 years, gathering blood samples along the way, specifically comparing a set of 800 women who remained healthy or developed breast cancer within 7 years of their first blood sample. The researchers found they were able to predict, with 80 percent accuracy, which patients would be affected by the disease, just by looking at the metabolic profiles they built from the participants' blood samples. The results have been published in Metabolomics.

Are you living with the uncertainty of a lump in your breast? It's time you take the first step and consult a specialist.

Vegetable Oils are the oils that are obtained from various plants and their sources. They comprise of different types of oils which are procured from sources like seeds, herbs, nuts, legumes and fruits. Common examples of vegetable oils are olive oil, soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil and peanut oil.

Mustard oil is also, in fact, a vegetable oil as is extracted from the seeds of the mustard. Mustard oil is used a lot in traditional cooking. However, today, most people like to use new varieties of vegetable oils. But how healthy is this trend?

Mustard oil is a vegetable oil obtained from mustard seeds. It is dark yellow in colour and has a pungent odour. Its main benefits are

Mustard oil contains good unsaturated fats. These fats don't get deposited in your blood vessels.
It contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids that reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Mustard oil also contains Glucosinolate , a substance that has antimicrobial properties. Thus, the oil is effective against infections.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, mustard oil is very good for people with irritable bowel syndrome as it helps reduce inflammation along the lining of your stomach.
Vegetable oils

In comparison to mustard, vegetable oils are tasteless and are known to adapt to the food s natural taste, due to which consumers often pick them up over mustard.
Almost all vegetable oils are cholesterol-free, but they do contain some saturated and unsaturated fats and saturated fats, as we know, do play a role in blood cholesterol level.
Each one of the vegetable oil such as olive, sunflower and groundnut have some benefits and negatives. Let s take a quick look at the oil profiles of these three common vegetable oils before you select the oil for cooking in your kitchen.
Oil profile

Groundnut: It is high in MUFA or monounsaturated fats and PUFA or polyunsaturated fats, and both of these help in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. Groundnut is also a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant with anti-cancer properties and skin benefits.
Sunflower: What s perhaps the best thing about this oil is its light flavor that doesn t overpower other ingredients. It also contains a protein that helps regulate blood glucose levels.
Olive: It s high in MUFA, so it s linked to lower risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Extra virgin oil is rich in natural plant antioxidants and these can protect against damaging free radicals. The oil is reasonably high in saturated fats, so it should be used sparingly.
You can choose the oil for yourself keeping the above guidelines in mind, as no oil is best for all. You need to match the oil with your cooking style and health needs to get the best out of it. We recommend that you mix two oils and cook. This way you get the best of the best.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Breast cancer is a form of cancer which develops from the breast tissue. Breast cancer is indicated by signs such as a lump in the breast, changes in breast shape, fluid flowing from the nipple, dimpling of skin, or the development of red scaly patches. Breast cancer is a fatal form of cancer in women and immediate diagnosis is required on observing the symptoms.

Diagnosis of breast cancer
Other than the regular breast screening, the diagnosis of breast cancer involves the following steps and methods:

Seeing your general practitioner (GP): It is very important to visit your GP soon after noticing the symptoms of breast cancer. Your GP will examine you properly and in case your symptoms need more assessment, he/she will refer you to a breast cancer clinic.
Mammogram and breast ultrasound: You will be required to have a mammogram, as recommended by a specialist breast unit. This is an X-ray of the breasts. An ultrasound scan may also be required. Breast ultrasound should be undertaken only if you are less than 35 years of age. This is because, young women have denser breasts and a mammogram is not as effective as ultrasound in the diagnosis of breast cancer. In ultrasound, high frequency sound waves are used for obtaining an image of your breasts. It is observed to notice any abnormality or lumps. A breast ultrasound is also important for determining whether a lump is solid or contains liquid.
Biopsy: In this diagnosis process, a sample of the tissue cells is taken from the breasts and tested under a microscope to find out if it is cancerous. A scan and needle test for the lymph nodes present in your armpit is also done to check whether they have also been affected. A biopsy is undertaken in several ways, depending upon the condition and severity. A needle aspiration biopsy is used for testing a sample of your breast cells without the removal of the tissues. This is the most common form of biopsy and it is also used for draining a small fluid-filled lump or benign cyst. During the process, you will be given a local anesthetic. Usually, a needle biopsy is carried out guided by an X-ray, ultrasound and an MRI scan as well. This helps in distinguishing it from non-invasive changes such as ductal carcinoma in situ.
Another form of biopsy used for the diagnosis of breast cancer is called vacuum assisted biopsy or mammotome biopsy. In this process, a needle gets attached to a suction tube, which helps in obtaining the sample and for clearing the bleeding.