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Top 5 Health Benefits of Olive Oil

This extraordinary fruit extract and its effects are still not fully understood, yet some of the ways in which olive oil can preserve and improve human health have been firmly established. Here are the five most scientifically proven health benefits of olive oil today.

1)   It Can Help Lower Your “Bad” Cholesterol

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), also known as the “bad cholesterol” transports and deposits cholesterol in the tissues and arteries, which can eventually cause plaque and block the artery. Monounsaturated fats can lower LDL thus protecting against atherosclerosis. Plus, this type of fat does not affect the levels of High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) known as the “good cholesterol,” which carries all cholesterol away from the arteries, and high levels of which are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Olive oil is one of the best sources of monounsaturated fats and has the advantage of being less susceptible to oxidation. In addition, oleic acid, a fatty acid abundant in olive oil, appears to protect from oxidation of LDL.

It is important to note that to achieve this reduction in bad cholesterol you must replace the unhealthy fats with olive oil in combination with a healthy diet routine.

2)   Olive Oil Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

Several studies for different age groups, and with a large number of participants, have found that the consumption of olive oil is associated with a decrease in blood pressure.

The SUN (Seguimiento University of Navarra) study with over 6,000 participants found that olive oil intake reduced the incidence of hypertension in men, while another Spanish study published this month in the American Journal of Hypertension found that a diet containing polyphenol rich olive oil reduced blood pressure in young women with mild hypertension.

Results from the Greek component of the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) which included over 28,500 volunteers concluded that olive oil intake is inversely proportionate to both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. While it appears that the polyphenols in the olive oil may be responsible for this action, researchers have demonstrated that oleic acid; a fatty acid in olive oil may also induce this lowering effect.

3) Olive Oil prevents formation of cancer cells

Olive oil consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer.

A review conducted by Greek researchers from the University of Athens published last year of 19 observational studies, with over 36,000 participants, found that higher rates of olive oil consumption were associated with lower odds of having any type of cancer. Another review of 25 epidemiological studies concluded that “preferring olive oil to other added lipids, particularly those rich in saturated fats, can decrease the risk of upper digestive and respiratory tract neoplasm, breast and, possibly, colorectal and other cancer sites.

4) It protects the body from oxidative damage

Olive oil contains certain polyphenols that, along with oleic acid, appear to protect the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the body.

Researchers for the Eurolive Study Group found that consumption of olive oil at real-life doses of about 2 tablespoons per day improved the fatty acid profile in LDL, associated with a reduction of the oxidative damage to lipids. It appears that oxidized LDL is an important contributor to atherogenesis; the process of plaque buildup in the arteries that eventually can lead to atherosclerosis (blocking of the arteries).

It is important to note that only polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oils may have this effect, not refined olive oil, which does not contain these substances.

5)   Olive Oil Can Help Cognitive Function

Although olive oil is better known for its protection against heart diseases and cancer, there is an emerging amount of research regarding the effect of olive oil on cognitive function/brain activity, specifically, on cognitive decline associated with aging.

Generally, the type of fat consumed can affect cognitive function. A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, analyzed data from 6,000 women over the age of 65, a subset of the Women’s Health Study. They found that women who consumed the highest amount of monounsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

But it appears that olive oil specifically has a protective effect. Results from the Three City Study, an ongoing multicenter study of vascular risk factors for dementia using information from almost 7,000 participants, showed that individuals who had moderate to intensive use of olive oil had lower odds of cognitive deficit for verbal fluency and visual memory compared to individuals who had never used olive oil.

February 11, 2015
Clairvius is a real ‘Dead Man Walking’

We have often heard stories of people claiming to come alive again after their death, stories of people turning to zombies, but this is one story which you can’t just call fiction.

A Haitian man Clairvius Narcisse claimed that he was alive all these years even while he was being buried alive.

The story goes that in 1962, Clairvius Narcisse went to the hospital to get a checkup after feeling extremely sick. Doctors diagnosed him with disorders including hypo-tension and pulmonary edema.

Clairvius later said that he had a high fever and was feeling like something was crawling over his skin just like bugs. Sometime later he was declared dead by the two physicians of the hospital and his sister signed his death certificate.

Clairvius was buried, though he later said that he could hear everything from closing of the casket to his sister weeping besides him. A voodoo priest came to his grave, took him out of the coffin, beat him up and took him away.

He was taken to work on a sugar plantation, where he saw people just like him working and laboring. He was also given some kind of concoction everyday so that he never regained his memory.

After 2 (two) years the owner of the plantation died and Clairvius walked away to his freedom but he learned that his brother was the one who had gotten him poisoned over a property dispute. Fearing his brother, he avoided his village and returned only after knowing his brother has died.

Lamarque Douyon, a Haitian psychiatrist confirmed that Clairivius is the same Clairivius that had been buried. He also got many friends and relatives that claimed his identity.

The Canadian Ethno-botanist, Wade Davis, explained that Clairvius was injected with a toxin made from toad, some poisonous plants and Sapo fish ( a poisonous fish found in Haiti) which has a hallucinogenic effect and can cause memory loss.
And by frequently drugging him he had lost his memory but once the drugs stopped he started regaining his memory.

Courtesy: Unbelievable Facts

January 14, 2015
Homo or Flo: Hobbits were real

Did you know that there was a subspecies a human known as homo florsiensis which went extinct only 12,000 years ago.

They grew no larger than 4 feet tall and have been nicknamed “hobbits” by scientists.

(“Flores Man”, nicknamed “hobbit” and “Flo”) is a possible species, now extinct, in the genus Homo. The remains of an individual were discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Partial skeletons of nine individuals have been recovered, including one complete cranium (skull).

These remains have been the subject of intense research to determine whether they represent a species distinct from modern humans, and the progress of this scientific controversy has been closely followed by the news media at large.

This hominin is remarkable for its small body and brain and for its survival until relatively recent times (possibly as recently as 12,000 years ago).

Recovered alongside the skeletal remains were stone tools from archaeological horizons ranging from 94,000 to 13,000 years ago.

Courtesy: Alearned

January 10, 2015
Five Interesting Facts about Moon

Here on planet earth, the moon is something of a superstar. After all, some planets have more than one moon, like Jupiter, which has at least 16 moons! Imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing four or five moons.

Our moon certainly gets its share of attention considering that songs have been written about it, it’s been used in countless movie and book titles, and some people even believe there are magical powers associated with it.

There may be no real way to prove whether the moon has anything to do with magical powers, but here are 5 facts we can be reasonably certain about.

Moon Walkers

A total of 12 human beings have walked on the moon, the most famous being Neil Armstrong who took that “giant leap for mankind” way back in 1969. Whether or not anyone else will ever step foot on the lunar surface again is uncertain, but there are countries that are reportedly working on space missions to the moon again.

Floating

Sometimes people believe that you can simply float around or fly as you please on the moon. The moon doesn’t have quite the gravitational pull that the much-larger earth does, but it still has enough to keep things well-grounded. Due to this size difference, things on the moon will weigh about one-sixth of what they weigh here on planet earth.

Moon is Punctual

Like most things floating up there in space, the moon is pretty punctual. Most people know that the moon takes a month to complete an orbit around the earth, but that’s playing a bit loose with the numbers. It actually takes the moon 27 days to complete one full orbit of the earth.

Unfriendly atmosphere

Other than the fact that there is no oxygen on the moon for us to breathe, the moon is rather inhospitable in other ways as well. The temperature swings are pretty extreme compared to what we are accustomed to. The temperature on the moon can get as hot as 260 degrees Fahrenheit and as cold as -280 degrees Fahrenheit.

One size fits all

People often notice that the moon looks much larger when it is first coming up, but the only reason for that is an optical illusion. The moon is always the same size, and it’s just our eyes playing tricks on us that makes it look larger when it is close to the horizon.

Source: Daily Entertainment

January 8, 2015
Why they say ‘An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor Away’

The saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” probably gives you the impression that apples are the healthiest fruits.

This proverb was first mentioned more than a century ago, and it is still widely used today. Other than the fact that it is easy to remember and fun to say, it may also be true to a certain extent; otherwise, it would not have enjoyed such popularity for such a long time.

Basic Nutrition of Apples

Similar to other fruits, apples do benefit your health in many ways. First of all, an apple contains zero cholesterol, fat and sodium, and it is not harmful to your health in any way. It has a low calorie count of 80, and it is the perfect choice of food for you if you are trying to lose weight. Also, it provides 22 grams of carbohydrates, which make up 7% of recommended daily value, and some of these carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates that can give you a sustained energy boost.

It is a good source of dietary fiber as well. An apple also has many great nutrients that perform various tasks to keep your body healthy, and these include vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Phytonutrients

Apples contain a number of phytonutrients in high amounts, and these include vitamin A, vitamin E and beta carotene. These substances function to suppress the activities of free radicals that can cause serious damage to your body, and they can contribute to the prevention of serious illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.

Vitamin C

The vitamin C that is present in apples is an essential nutrient that offers numerous health benefits. Its most important function is protecting the immune system, and it can make your body more resistant to a wide variety of diseases, which can range from eye disease to cancer. It is also effective in preventing skin wrinkling.

Pectin

Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that works to maintain a healthy digestive system. It can also reduce “bad” cholesterol and glucose levels as well as blood pressure. Apples are known to have high pectin content.

Boron

Apples also provide a nutrient called boron. This nutrient can promote bone strength and brain health.

Quercetin

Quercetin in another beneficial nutrient that is present in apples. This flavonoid has the potential to prevent many different types of cancer, ranging from breast cancer to lung cancer. It may also be effective in combating free radicals that can cause age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

If taken literally, the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” probably means that you will never fall ill if you consume an apple a day.

While apples bring lots of health benefits, they cannot prevent all health problems from occurring. However, they can certainly reduce your visits to the doctor in the long run.

Courtesy: FIT DAY

January 6, 2015
Amazing Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Drinking coffee may be one of the things you do every day in winter. But did you know that aside from its delectable taste and aroma, it can also help your body in some ways?

Read on to find out the benefits that your body is getting just by drinking your daily dose of coffee.

Brain

Aside from keeping you awake, coffee also helps to improve brain function. The active ingredient in coffee, caffeine, is a known stimulant.

Caffeine blocks the effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine and therefore increases neuronal firing in the brain. This will lead to the release of other neurotransmitters like Dopamine and Norepinephrine.

In effect, it helps to improve mood, reaction time, memory, vigilance and general cognitive function.

Burn Fat

This explains why most fat-burning supplements that you will see in stores contain caffeine. Caffeine as an stimulant has an effect on the central nervous system of the body.

It helps in increasing metabolism and the oxidation of fatty acids in the body.
Aside from this, it also helps with appetite suppression but the effects are not permanent. When it comes to weight loss, caffeine should be considered only as a supplement, and not a miracle fat-be-gone.

Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Disease

Aside from improving brain function, coffee also helps to keep your brain sharp as you age. Caffeine can do this by slowing the onset of neurodegenerative disease.

Multiple studies have suggested that coffee drinkers have up to a 60 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the beverage may help reduce a person’s risk of Parkinson’s by 32 to 60 percent.

Liver

One of the vital organs of the body is the liver. It carries out hundreds of functions including production of bile, regulation of blood levels of amino acids, and resisting infections by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream.

Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of cirrhosis, the end stage of liver damage, by as much as 80%. Similarly, coffee may also lower the risk of liver cancer by around 40%.

Type II Diabetes

According to research, if you drink three to four cups of coffee a day, it may lower risks of developing type II diabetes by 25%.
But researchers weren’t able to conclude a causal effect between coffee and the lifestyle-related diabetes definitely.

They speculated, though, that the decreased risk may have something to do with the ability of chlorogenic acid and the alkaloid trigonelline to lessen early glucose and insulin responses.

Courtesy: Uncover Discover

January 3, 2015
Round up 2014

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January 2, 2015
Ayeza Khan among ‘most searched’ people on Google

KARACHI: Pakistani drama actress Ayeza Khan is the most searched lady on web in Pakistan according to Google top trends for 2014, ARY News reported.

The model-cum-actress was second among the most searched ‘People’ on Google search engine in Pakistan while Hollywood late comedian Robin Williams topped the list.

Ayeza Khan who made her debut in drama industry with ‘Tum Jo Miley’ also starred in the popular ARY Digital drama ‘Pyarey Afzal’.

Ayeza married co-actor Danish Taimoor in August 2014 after a seven to eight years long relationship.

It must be noted that amongst the trending ‘Topics’ on Google, ARY News topped the list.

January 2, 2015
Pakistan Army leads world forces with zero-percent suicide rate

KARACHI: Battling the scourge of terrorism for over a decade, the Pakistan Army has remarkably maintained zero-percent suicide rate within its ranks and files, ARY News reported.

Suicide rate among the forces engaged in armed confrontation is increasing all over the world. According to a leading Indian daily, 597 Indian troops committed suicide from 2009 to 2013, which takes the annual tally to 120 soldiers a year in India.

A British newspaper reports that 247 U.S. troops self-murdered themselves in the year 2012 alone, while this year only 222 American troops were killed in the battlefield.

The United States and India have been taking serious measures to prevent suicide cases in their forces.

Another British daily reported that in 2012, 50 serving or ex-army men self-destructed themselves.

An Israeli newspaper reported that 10 Jew soldiers committed suicide in 2014, out of which 4 troops remained a part of the fifty-days-long Israeli aggression on Palestine, which started in the month of July last year.

The Israeli army comprises of a total of 187,000 regular troops.

Apart from this, Pakistan Army, engaged in the worst fight against terrorism, has remarkably maintained zero-percent suicide rate.

When asked, Colonel Shafique of the ISPR – military’s public relations wing – confirmed that not even a single Jawan of the Pakistan Army has ever committed suicide.

January 1, 2015
People around the World welcome New Year

Red and green fireworks lit up the sky over St Basil’s Cathedral in the Russian capital after Dubai had laid on a similarly impressive show.

From New Delhi to Dubai, Johannesburg, New York and Rio, millions around the world celebrated as the clock ticked past midnight, ringing in 2015 with fireworks displays, concerts and light shows.

But in China, celebrations in the Bund area of Shanghai went awry as state media reported a “stampede” that saw people taken to hospital.

Official news agency Xinhua offered no further details on the size of the stampede or the extent of the injuries.

Dubai celebrated the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.

The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015.

In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands of people crowded the city’s promenades to watch the eight-minute pyrotechnic display after a year which had seen busy thoroughfares paralysed by pro-democracy protests in the final months of 2014.

“I think a more peaceful year would be good for everybody,” said Louis Ho, 65. Students on one promenade handed out free hugs.

Earlier, Australia’s biggest city kicked off the global New Year celebrations with a massive fireworks display that lit up Sydney Harbour, defying terrorist fears days after a deadly siege.

Tonnes of fireworks exploded over the harbour, watched by a crowd estimated at over one million.

“We are celebrating that we are a multicultural, harmonious community but we will be thinking about what happened,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in reference to the drama when an Iranian-born gunman took 17 hostages in a cafe. Two hostages and the gunman died.

Russia enters 2015 locked in its bitterest standoff with the West since the Cold War, sparked by Moscow’s annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

President Vladimir Putin, who first came to power on New Year’s Eve 1999, sent a greeting to US counterpart Barack Obama, saying the two countries share mutual responsibility to ensure world peace.

But in a separate message to Russians, he defiantly said the people of Crimea had “firmly decided to go back home”.

– Remembrance for lost AirAsia flight –

In Taiwan the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 was at the centre of celebrations, with performances by pop singers and a firework display at midnight expected to attract hundreds of thousands.

And in Japan, the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo brought out stocks of lucky charms and set up large offertory boxes as it prepared to welcome a huge wave of worshippers overnight.

Hundreds of revellers were due to gather around a popular British-colonial era shopping arcade in central Delhi to greet the New Year, braving unusually chilly weather. Pubs and eateries were festooned with fairy lights and brightly coloured balloons.

But in Malaysia, a sombre mood prevailed after the crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 carrying 162 people in Indonesia and flooding in the country’s northeast which has displaced almost 250,000 people.

Year-end countdown celebrations have been cancelled, with many companies instead launching fundraising campaigns for flood victims.

In Indonesia, Surabaya was holding a candlelight vigil in the hours leading up till midnight to remember the people on the plane which departed that city on Sunday.

In Afghanistan, the last French troops in the country held a ceremony in Kabul to mark the end of their deployment after NATO combat operations closed down as a new “train and support” mission takes over.

– Hasselhoff in Berlin –

The end of another era was to be remembered in Berlin with “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff joining a huge open air concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where he famously sang for freedom after the Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago.

Dubai has promised to dazzle again with a pyrotechnic and lights show at Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.

In Paris, the Champs-Elysees will be reserved for pedestrians to let them watch a visual spectacle projected onto the Arc de Triomphe 15 minutes before the start of the new year.

The ticking of the clock past midnight will be significant for Lithuania as it adopts the euro. Another Baltic state, Latvia, takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union, putting it on the front line of negotiations with neighbouring Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

In Spain, millions of revellers will descend on Madrid’s Puerta del Sol while in Barcelona a massive fireworks display will be held.

London stages New Year’s Eve fireworks along the Thames and Edinburgh will be holding its traditional Hogmanay street party.

Marking 2015 on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, more than two million people are expected to attend a huge fireworks show that will open celebrations marking 450 years since the founding of the city.

And in New York about one million revellers were expected to descend on Times Square to watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop- AFP

January 1, 2015