Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” – Groucho Marx


Improve Your Eyesight

Research funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging has just demonstrated that elderly adults can quickly improve their vision with perceptual training.

The study, “Perceptual learning, aging, and improved visual performance in early stages of visual processing,” was published in the online November issue of the Journal of Vision. According to the research team from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and Boston University, the ability of elders to improve their sight so quickly has a host of important implications for the health and mobility of older people.

Changes in vision — including contrast sensitivity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception, dark adaptation, visual acuity, and motion perception — have long been associated with aging. However, the new study shows for the first that specific eye “exercises” can improve vision among the elderly in the earliest levels of visual processing.

G. John Andersen, professor of psychology at UCR, and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments to investigate if repeated performance of certain visual tasks that are at the limits of what a person can see would result in improving the vision of elder adults. Specifically, participants (all over the age of 65) were given a texture discrimination exercise.

The research subjects were presented with stimuli consisting of a letter embedded in the center of a field of horizontally oriented lines. Besides the letter, peripherally located lines were placed diagonally to form either a vertical or horizontal object which always appeared in the same quadrant. After the research participants were shown this image, it was quickly followed with the display of a masking pattern. The task for the people in the study was to concentrate on seeing the central letter as well the peripheral object.

“We found that just two days of training in one hour sessions with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects,” chief researcher Andersen said in a media statement.”

The improvement was maintained for up to three months and the results were dependent on the location in the visual field where the stimuli were located — suggesting that the brain changed in early levels of the visual cortex.” The visual cortex is the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information.

“Given the clear impact of age-related declines in vision on driving, mobility, and falls, the present study suggests that perceptual learning may be a useful tool for improving the health and well-being of an older population,” the researchers concluded.

Click here for more information from the Journal of Vision



Heartburn Drugs Linked to Increased Risk of Pneumonia

A recent study shows a startling finding that drugs commonly used to treat heartburn could actually shoot up the likelihood of having pneumonia. This was result of a Korean research conducted after evaluating the 31 studies conducted from 1985-2009.As uttered by Dr. Sang Min Park of the department of family medicine at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea, there must be no recklessness in the use of heartburn drugs such as proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists, be it high-dose or long duration, since it may be linked with risk of pneumonia.

These popular heartburn drugs have varying mechanisms of action in treating heartburn. The proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) act on the stomach by reducing its acid production, thus treating not only heartburn but also Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease(GERD) and gastric ulcers. Examples of PPIs incude omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole (Nexium).

On the other hand, Histamine-2 receptor antagonists or H2 blockers include cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid) and ranitidine (Zantac). A different mechanism is utilized by this class of drug.Further studies, meanwhile, have linked PPIs to a higher risk of fractures and an infection with a bacterium called Clostridium difficile. And while a number of previous studies have linked heartburn drugs to a higher risk of pneumonia, the research results were inconclusive, according to the study’s authors.



Gastroenterologists convey their concern on the various issues that have cropped up regarding the side effects of these drugs, since it has been deemed safe to use for a number of years without having second thought on the possible consequences. This was relayed by Dr. Michael Brown, a gastroenterologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

In  line with the view of hospital-acquired pneumonia, the authors pointed out that acid-suppressing drugs may have caused it since hospital patients are often given these drugs, most of which even up 40 to 70 percent of the hospitalized patients.

The link of heartburn drugs to pneumonia may be answered with the fact that since the drugs curb the production of stomach acids, it likewise results in the increase of pathogens that could travel up to the lungs.

The most plausible reason why suppressing acid in the stomach might raise the risk of pneumonia, Brown said, is that stomach acid acts as a barrier helping to control harmful bacteria and pathogens.

Not enough stomach acid to do the job may allow pathogens to flourish and end up in the lungs. This in turn would lead to infection and pneumonia.

If you’d like to know how to eliminate heartburn, reflux and GERD naturally then read my article here:

–> Click here for more information about Digestion & G.I. Disorders


Avoid the Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Crestor

A report in circulation in the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA) highlights the dangers of Crestor, stating that this drug is more likely than similar drugs in the group to increase the risk of muscle deterioration, kidney failure, and kidney disease.

This most recent study indicates that Crestor could be up to six times more likely to cause adverse health effects over a twelve-month period than other drugs within the class. The report suggests that Crestor only be used as a last-resort measure for patients due to its potential dangers.

The maker of Baycol (cerivastatin), a popular cholesterol-lowering statin drug similar to Crestor, was voluntarily pulled off the market after 31 people died from complications from the medicine.

Worst Pills, Best Pills has this to say about Crestor; visit www.worstpills.org and www.citizen.org/pressroom/release 


The all natural ingredients in Inflammation Support help reduce the causes of inflammation and muscle, joint, nerve pain. 

Turmeric root extract inhibits enzymes associated with arachidonic acid PG2 inflammatory hormones (“The bad guys”). PG2 hormones are a major trigger for allergic reactions.

Rosemary leaf extract helps block synthesis of leukotriens (a cause of allergic inflammation) and PG2 hormones. The prescription medication Singular, works by blocking leukotriens.

Holy basil leaf extract helps boost natural anti-inflammatory chemicals (PG1 and PG3).

• Green tea leaf extract is a potent antioxidant and increases the body’s own anti-inflammatory activity.

• Ginger root extract reduces inflammation.

• Chinese goldenthread root helps regulate prostaglandins; it reduces the inflammatory PG2 hormones and boosts the anti-inflammatory PG1 and PG3 hormones.

• Barberry root extract helps reduce the inflammatory PG2 hormones and increases the anti-inflammatory PG1 and PG3 hormones.

• Baikal skullcap root extract reduces inflammatory chemicals.

• Protykin polygonum cuspidatum extract is a potent antioxidant and reduces inflammatory chemicals including PG2


Eliminate or drastically reduce foods that can cause inflammation

Processed foods: Foods high in sugar, refined grains, and unhealthy fats can trigger inflammation in the body.

Sugar: Consuming excessive amounts of added sugars can lead to inflammation and contribute to various health issues.

Trans fats: Found in fried foods, processed snacks, and baked goods, trans fats can promote inflammation and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

Red meat: High consumption of red meat, especially processed and grilled meats, has been linked to inflammation and increased risk of certain diseases.

Dairy products: Some people may experience inflammation from consuming dairy products, particularly if they have lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy.

Alcohol: Excessive alcohol intake can trigger inflammation in the body and damage tissues, leading to various health problems.

Refined grains: Foods made with refined grains, such as white bread, pasta, and pastries, can cause inflammation and contribute to chronic diseases.

Artificial additives: Additives like artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and food colorings can trigger inflammation and negatively impact overall health.