Opportunities Today : March 2006 Issue

Health Tit-Bits

 

 
Safety First During a Stroke Read and learn the 3 steps!
A stroke occurs when oxygen fails to reach some part of the brain. Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim will suffer brain damage if people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke, and take action. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking the victim three simple questions:

1) Ask the individual to SMILE.
2) Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
3) Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE

SENTENCE coherently. (e.g. "It is sunny out today"). If he or she has trouble with ANY of these tasks, call an ambulance / a doctor / the hospital immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
 

Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is a protector against cancer, cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases. Green tea is made from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis an evergreen shrub, by steaming the crushed leaves. Leaves used for black tea ferment for days before they're heated, so they become black and many changes take place within them. These processing differences make the difference.


Green tea doesn't ferment, so it has much higher levels of a group of flavonoids called catechins. These flavonoids interfere with cancer-related biochemical reactions and cause cancer cells to grow slowly or even self-destruct. Thus green tea protects against cancer of the lung, skin, esophagus, colon, bladder and even the mammary glands.

In general tea is helpful to keep heart-healthy. It relaxes artery walls, lowering the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke. It reduces risk of clogging arteries. It increases levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol.