Senomyx is an American biotechnology company who claims to have engineered human taste receptors with tissues collected from human fetal cells. In their drive to create chemicals that will enhance flavours and smells in foods to make them more appealing to people, Senomyx’s research is based on the use of cells obtained from electively aborted human embryos, specifically Human Embryonic Kidney Cells 293 which are listed in ingredients as HEK 293.
Companies such as Campbell’s Soup, Kraft Foods, Nestle and PepsiCo have entered into partnership with Senomyx.
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation:
"Senomyx's salt taste, savory flavor, and sweet flavors -- as well as all their other flavor enhancers -- are purposefully developed so that they stimulate your taste buds without them actually tasting anything ... Much like MSG, these flavor enhancers operate on the neurological level to produce these reactions ...”
Will you find these listed on labels as a product ingredient? Not likely. They are technically considered enhancers and the only requirement is that they be listed as artificial flavours. They are present in minute quantities (parts per million) and have apparently bypassed several usual processes for regulatory safety approval.
Public attention was drawn to the use of HEK 203 when a group of pro-life protestors began a campaign to boycott PepsiCo products once their April of 2010, $32 million contract with Senomyx became public knowledge. In an initial announcement released by PepsiCo they disclosed the following:
"This relationship with Senomyx reflects our increasingly long-term approach to research and development as well as our belief that global food and beverage companies can play an important role in identifying new ingredients that can lead to healthier products," said Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo's chief scientific officer. "The real challenge is to create products that not only are healthier but also taste great, and Senomyx has unique technologies that will allow us to improve the nutritional profile of our products without sacrificing taste. We're very optimistic that this collaboration will help us achieve our commitment to reduce added sugar per serving by 25% in key brands in key markets over the next decade and ultimately help people around the world live healthier lives."
After more than a year of vigorous campaigning by special interest groups, including one of their own shareholders, PepsiCo bowed to pressures to publicly discontinue their involvement with any use of or research related to the use of human cells and released the following statement to Debi Vinnedge of the pro-life group Children of God for Life, according to LifeNews.
“PepsiCo’s VP of Global Public Policy, Paul Boykas stated that “Senomyx will not use HEK cells or any other tissues or cell lines derived from human embryos or fetuses for research performed on behalf of PepsiCo.”
“We took the matter very seriously,” stated Mr. Boykas. “We have an official Statement on Responsible Research and we intend to live by that policy.”

Arthritis prevention among the elderly

Arthritis is the major cause of disability among older adults, affecting approximately 60 percent of all older people. The most common type of arthritis, which disables older people is osteoarthritis. This is a painful swelling of the joints. During movement, the ends of bones are normally protected from wear by cartilage, and by small sacs of fluid that lubricate the joint. With age, the cartilage sometimes disintegrates, and the joints become malformed and painful to move. Osteoarthritis afflicts millions of people around the world, especially the elderly.

The major connection between nutrition and osteoarthritis is overweight. In overweight people, the joints affected are often weight-bearing joints that are irritated and stressed by having to carry too much body mass. Weight loss often relieves the worst pain of osteoarthritis in the hands as well, even though they are not weight-bearing joints. Jogging and other weight-bearing activities do not worsen osteoarthritis. In fact, both aerobic activity and weight training offer modest improvements in physical performance and pain relief. Another type of arthritis, known as rheumatoid arthritis, has a link to diet through the immune system. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the bone coverings mistakenly as though they were foreign tissues.

Nutrition quackery to treat arthritis is abundant, but no one universally effective diet for arthritis relief is known. Traditional medical intervention for arthritis includes surgery and medication. Two popular supplements for treating osteoarthritis include chondroitin glucosamine. They alleviate pain and improve mobility. Certain foods like vegetables and olive oil may reduce the inflammatory responses and provide some relief. Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil is essential in rheumatoid arthritis, since it reduces the inflammation the joints, which causes much pain. Eicosapentaenoic acid is also essential in reducing effects of rheumatoid arthritis by interfering with the action of prostaglandins, which induce inflammation.

Ayurveda, a Sanskrit term meaning knowledge (or science) of life, is one of the oldest healing traditions, dating back some 5,000 years. It is India's original system of medicine and remains the foundation of medical care in that country. In contrast to the approaches of mainstream medicine in this country, Ayurveda is not only a science but an art and a philosophy of healthy living. Integral to it is an understanding of nature and the individual is seen as a microcosm of the greater environment. And while allopathic medicine focuses on using pharmaceuticals to alleviate symptoms and eradicate disease once it has taken hold, Ayurveda seeks first to establish a healthy body-mind through specific daily practices, then treating illnesses through an individualized prescription of foods, herbs, aromatic oils, bodywork, and meditative practices.
The sages of India observed interactions among nature, food, and health, and noted that people had diverse reactions to the same foods and living conditions. This led them to classify a host of cause-and-effect relationships between individuals and their intake of substances in the environment. It also led to the concept of the doshas or constitutions , which form the basis of developing healthcare regimens and diagnostic criteria.

Treating Depression through Diet

Major Depressive Disorder is a serious mental illness that can have debilitating effects on the patient. The psychiatric community has spent years researching this and related illnesses that can leave a person disabled from the myriad of physical and mental symptoms that accompany it. While medications can help relieve and control the condition, no drugs have been able to provide a cure.

Treating depression through diet, however, can provide a long-term solution without a daily medication regimen. Patients who discover ways to relieve their illness through the foods they eat can find greater satisfaction in their results without having to be concerned with the possibilities of drug addiction.

Many foods can help fight depression. Fish oils with Omega-3 fatty acids fight against anxiety and sleep disorders. Brown rice provides B vitamins and folic acid while helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Brewer’s yeast is a super food with a variety of vitamins and minerals that maintain a healthy nervous system. Most whole foods help maintain stress levels while highly processed foods like white bread and instant rice only provide empty calories and little nutrition.

As with all illnesses, those who suffer from depression should consult their doctor before discontinuing any prescribed medications. It is also recommended to include physicians to monitor any diet change. When fighting against depression, the right diet can make the difference and help win the war.

One of the biggest challenges for those who have insurance and file a claim is understanding what is and is not covered. There is a misnomer, especially amongst seniors, that because they've paid premiums over the years and have filed few, if any claims, that when they do eventually file the service (or product) should be covered. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"But my doctor says I need this!" is often heard when a claim is partially allowed or denied altogether. It's the job of the agent to carefully review the patient's contract to determine what is and is not covered and explain it, in a compassionate manner, to the patient.

Important to stress that insurance contracts are the creation of the employer. The role of the insurance company is merely as administrator; so, when a claim is denied, it is imperative to explain where, how and when the patient obtained services outside the parameters set forth by the employer. Not always an easy task. And in the case of chronic illness it is that much more difficult.

In most cases three elements dominate and result in the final status of a claim. They are: medical indication, medical necessity and contract compliance. Patients often get confused when, for example, their physician recommends a particular treatment which falls outside contract guidelines.

If a claim is submitted for a non covered service it will deny and an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) will be issued to the subscriber--who may or not be the patient. In order to educate the subscriber or the patient it is important to recite "the letter of the law" as it pertains to contract exclusions. In some cases it is necessary to assist the subscriber in arriving at a settlement or a payment schedule acceptable to all parties. In other cases, the provider is unwilling to negotiate and the full balance then becomes subscriber/patient liability.

It is advisable, therefore, to review insurance coverages and exclusions prior to incurring charges for services which may be only partially allowed or completely disallowed. In cases of medical emergency (not convenience) certain mitigating factors are considered on a case-by-case (Exception) basis. However, getting to that point in the review process usually does not occur until an appeal has been filed and can be lengthy.

Mental Health is an area of medicine that has received a lot of attention lately as the country grapples with the issue of gun violence. The recent events of mass murders, especially at Sandy Hook , a small town in Connecticut where 20 small children and 7 adults were mercilessly gunned down by a deranged young man less than two months ago, are the sparks that ignite the public’s interest in this once neglected – if not purposely forgotten – field of medicine.
Despite the advances in medicine and the technological breakthroughs that lead to the discovery and treatment of many physical health problems, society has not yet fully erased the stigma associated with mental illness. While a physical ailment immediately receives attention and medical care once discovered, there is no urgency placed for symptom evaluation when mental illness is suspected or assumed. Rather, the symptoms are usually attributed to other factors and therefore early treatment becomes difficult if not totally impossible. The reluctance to embrace or accept that somebody, especially a loved one, is mentally ill can be traced to one’s feeling of humiliation associated with the diagnosis.
We, as a society, still need a lot of education to learn to accept those individuals whose sense of reality has been altered because they remain within our social milieu. Realizing that some mental illness are as treatable as those physical problems that ail us is a starting point in erasing the stigma of the disease that will lead to early detection and therapeutic management. Hopefully, when we reach that milestone, public safety will be more established and the mentally ill in our society will receive the care that they humanly deserve.

Without a doubt, the general public believes obesity is the most pressing public health issue we face.
Unfortunately, a more insidious health problem lurks around every corner in every low-income community. That problem is food insecurity. The USDA defines food insecurity as “reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” In this verdant, capitalistic society, public discourse surrounding hunger should be non-existent. But each night, families go to bed hungry with no guarantee that tomorrow won’t bring more of the same.

As our political leaders continue to wrangle over the Farm Bill, more families continue to suffer. The Farm Bill, enacted in 1973, is the bible of food policy. Within the layers of the bill's dense verbiage, lay stipulations of SNAP funding (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The Washington politicos want to slash funding to this critical safety net by $134B over 10 years. If this were to happen, it could devastate this country’s future in terms of poor educational outcomes for our children.

SNAP benefits are based on family size and income level. With higher food costs, the monthly supplement does not go far. The USDA’s website states for fiscal year 2012, the average monthly benefit per person in Illinois was $139.45. This does not amount to much but, for a family struggling to put food on the table and pay rent, it means the difference between eating or not.

It is time we stop jeopardizing our children’s future to fatten the government coffers today.

For many people, when the term sonography is used, the immediate thought process tends to be pregnancy. It is a useful tool in the evaluation of a fetus, but it is also very helpful in other areas of medicine.
According to the Food and Drug Administration "Ultrasound imaging (sonography) uses high-frequency sound waves to view soft tissues such as muscles and internal organs. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show movement of the body's internal organs as well as blood flowing through blood vessels."
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Different Types of Sonography or Sonograms
There are many types of sonograms to aid your physician in detecting abnormalities:
• Obstetric/Gynecologic: Assesses the development of the fetus and female reproductive organs.
• Breast: Frequently utilized to assess for lumps, fibrocystic disease and other breast abnormalities
• Cardiac: Evaluates the function and anatomy of the heart and related structures.
• Vascular: Assesses the flow of blood through blood vessels.
• Abdominal: Evaluates all of the organs, soft tissues, and blood vessels within the abdomen.

It is important to note that the terms sonography and ultrasound can be used interchangeably. Sonography and sonograms are also known as ultrasonography and Doppler studies.
A sonogram can be used as a screening or diagnostic aide in verifying medical abnormalities. It is also useful in performing medical procedures such as breast needle localization biopsies, liver biopsies, and procedures that require the removal or drainage of fluid. It is very useful and is frequently being used to detect and treat heart attacks, strokes, and vascular diseases that may lead to stroke.
Sonography is a procedure that is performed in a hospital's radiology department, also known as diagnostic imaging, or it can be performed at a free-standing radiology clinic. The test itself, many times, is performed by a sonographer. A sonographer is a trained medical professional who has received education training specific to performing sonograms. The sonographer works under the guidance of the radiologist, a physician who specializes in imaging technology. The radiologist then reviews the sonographic images and renders a diagnosis based on the images provided by the sonographer.

How Does Sonography Work?
A small device, a transducer, is placed your skin in close proximity to the area to being imaged. The transducer acts as both a microphone and speaker in that it has the ability to receive and transmit sounds. It transmits a stream of high-frequency sound waves into the body. These sound waves bounce off the organs inside, and the transducer detects them. An analysis of the sound waves is made by a computer that makes an image of a structure on a computer screen. It is possible to record these images onto a CD or DVD. It is important to note that sonography differs from radiation in that it does not utilize ionizing radiation.

Ultrasounds may be used as a screening or diagnostic tool to make a medical diagnosis. It can also be used as an aide in treating disorders like gallstones, kidney stones, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Screening and Diagnostic Uses
As stated earlier, obstetrical ultrasound is used to evaluate the progression of a fetus. However, transvaginal ultrasound, is a procedure that is used to diagnose tumors or growths on or in the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.
Breast ultrasound is frequently used in conjunction with mammography to evaluate for breast cancer, as well as other non-malignant breast conditions.
Heart ultrasound, also known as echocardiography, is used to determine the overall functionality of the heart and its related structures. It can assess the flow of blood through chambers and valves, as well evaluate the strength of the heart. Echocardiography can be used for congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion (an abnormal fluid collection around the heart), and heart valve problems.
Sonography is a valuable tool in the detection of problems with most of the larger blood vessels of the body. Using Doppler technology, the blood flow through vessels can be watched and measured. Stenosis (narrowing of the vessels) and dilations or widening of the vessels (also known as an aneurysm) can be seen. Doppler technology is useful for evaluating and diagnosing problems such as blood clots, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and carotid stenosis.
Abdominal ultrasound is used to assess solid organs within the abdomen. These structures include the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys, and bladder. A renal or kidney ultrasound is able to detect swelling and blockage of the urinary tract. This is very helpful in diagnosing kidney stones. An appendix ultrasound is used in pregnant women and children in order to avoid radiation.
Procedure Uses
In some cases ultrasound-guided needle procedures are indicated. This procedure necessitates the use of placing a needle under ultrasound guidance into a specific body location. This allows the physician to extract cells for microscopic evaluation in a laboratory. An ultrasound-guided needle aspiration involves a needle being placed into a fluid accumulation within the body that needs to be drained. Ultrasound-assisted venous access is performed for difficult to access veins. This procedure allows medical professionals to find larger veins in the chest, neck, or groin.
What to Expect
Generally speaking, ultrasonography is a noninvasive, painless procedure that takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour. It is typically performed with the transducer placed on top of the skin close to the organ or body part to be examined. The patient is positioned comfortably on an exam table that allows the sonographer to access the area being examined. Prior to placing the transducer, the area being evaluated is covered with a small amount of gel. The purpose of the gel is to eliminate pockets of air between the transducer and skin. The sonographer moves the transducer over the area being examined. This is how the images are obtained. You will feel pressure from the transducer being moved and if the area is sensitive, you may experience pain; however, the waves from the transducer to not create this pain.
It is important to note that while generally ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure, there are times that require the transducer to be attached to a probe and inserted into a natural body cavity. This procedure may cause some pain because sensitive tissue comes into contact with the probe, and not the ultrasound waves.
After the Exam
Once your exam is complete, the gel that was placed will be wiped off your skin. You should be able to immediately resume with your usual activities. If a more invasive type procedure was carried out, you may be advised to wait a few hours before resuming your activities.
Risks
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "Ultrasound carries an excellent record in safety since being put into regular use more than 30 years." By using harmless sound waves to produce images, it avoids the use of radiation. Being that ultrasonography is used to assist in other procedures, risk is reduced while the effectiveness of other procedures is increased.

SOURCES

Federal Drug Association. Taking a Close Look at Ultrasound.
http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/MedicalImaging/ucm115357.htm

Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI)
It is no doubt that medical advances has brought about so many advantages especially to the patients who are in dire need of specialized medical care. Despite, these advantages, Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) remain to be one of the greatest risks that come with such advances and it is still considered as equally devastating as it is deadly.
Such infections constitute of both bacterial and fungal infections and in patients, the infections become serious as their immune system is considered to be weakened by whichever weakness they are suffering from. However, the most vulnerable group of people to such infections is the elderly in comparison to the younger population. This could be attributed to the fact that an individual's immune system has been proven to weaken with age. For that reason, the likelihood of older people having underlying heath complications is increased when compared to the younger population. Among the leading causes of such complications is the hospital acquired diarrhea caused by clostridium difficile. In fact the bacteria has been associated with some of the fatal illnesses among the elderly or patients who are suffering from serious underlying diseases. For this reason, proper care should be taken by hospitals in order to keep such infections at bay.

Low Rates on Health Insurance

Health insurance is one of the most important insurance products but because of the expense, it is one that families often find breaks their budget, particularly if they don't have coverage at work. Try a few strategies for finding lower rates on health insurance. Look at your individual situation and tailor a policy and premium structure for your family.

Managed Care Defined

Managed care policies include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and point of service (POS). The HMO is the strictest and only pays for health care providers in the network, and you pay a copayment each time you visit a provider. HMOs also require a primary care physician's referral if you need to see a specialist. PPOs don't require the referral, and they do pay some money toward out-of-network service providers, but PPOs have a higher deductible and copayment when you use services. POS policies offer a blend between the HMO and the PPO: a POS policy does not require a physician's referral for specialists, but it does offer lower-cost services if you see a network provider.

Traditional Plans

Traditional fee-for-service plans allow you to go to any physician once you pay an out-of-pocket deductible, which means you pay out of pocket up to a certain amount, and then you use coinsurance, which is where you pay part of a bill and the insurance company pays the rest. Once you you reach a maximum out-of-pocket amount, the insurance company pays 100 percent of expenses beyond that amount.

Managed Care Versus Traditional Plans

Traditional plans tend to cost more than managed care plans with similar coverage; sometimes, simply using a managed care plan can save money. Check the list of providers in the network before you buy, however. A plan does you no good if no health care providers are nearby. If you visit health care professionals frequently, a traditional plan may cost less than you'd pay for frequent copayments on managed care plans. Evaluate your situation before you select an option.

Increase Deductibles

Whether you have a traditional plan or managed care, choosing to pay more out of pocket can lower your premiums. On traditional plans, increase the deductible and/or the copayment and maximum out-of-pocket amount. With managed care plans, increase the copay for each visit to a health care provider and you'll lower your premiums.

Health Savings Accounts

When you increase your deductible on a traditional plan, you reduce your premium because the insurance company knows it will process fewer claims. However, not everyone can afford to lower rates by running the risk of having to pay perhaps $10,000 in medical expenses. The solution is to use a high-deductible health policy (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA). Put the money you save on premiums into a tax-deductible savings account that grows tax-free. As long as you use the HSA funds only for health care -- which includes dental expenses and over-the-counter drugs as well -- you pay no tax on the funds from the HSA. If you don't use all the money you put into the HSA, what's left transfers to the next year and continues to grow. If you seldom have a claim, this type of plan can save hundreds of dollars each year.

Short-Term Policies

Short-term health policies offer lower rates if you only need coverage temporarily. These policies are good for people between jobs and/or expect to have health insurance soon. If you belong to an organization such as the Bar Association or the chamber of commerce, you may find a group policy that offers lower rates.

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