You may have ask this questions many time whenever you were given a prescription medication by your doctor. Should I take this with food or before food or on empty stomach and so on.

Not all medicines are affected by food, but many medicines can be affected by what you eat and when you eat it. For example, taking some medicines at the same time that you eat may interfere with the way your stomach and intestines absorb the medicine. The food may delay or decrease the absorption of the drug. This is why some medicines should be taken on an empty stomach (1 hour before eating or 2 hours after eating). On the other hand, some medicines are easier to tolerate when taken with food. (more…)

Moderate alcohol use – upto 2 drink/day for men and upto 1 drink per/day for women and older people – is not harmful for most adults. The problem arises when people abuse alcohol. The abuse of alcohol is a major cause of preventable deaths associated with violence, and motor vehicle crashes. Heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and larynx (voice box). Heavy drinking can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems, brain damage, and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period: (more…)

FACTS

• Number of deaths from prostate cancer: 30,446 (2002). Source: CDC.gov
• Number of current patients with prostate cancer as primary diagnosis: 8,100 (2000). Source: Deaths: Final data for 2002
• Percent of current patients with prostate cancer as primary diagnosis: 7.7 (2000). Source: Deaths: Final data for 2002 
• An enlarged prostate (called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH) eventually develops in approximately 80 percent of all men.
• Prostate cancer occurs in 1 out of 10 men.
• Prostate diseases usually occur in men over age 50 (or at age 45 for African American men or men with a family history of prostate troubles). (more…)

There have been many claims for benefits of fish oil (which contains omega-3 fatty acids) in multiple disease conditions. Todate, the strongest evidence of benefit is in the area of cardiovascular health, particularly the two longchain omega-3 fatty acids - Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The American Heart Association recently issued guidelines for the intake of omega-3 oils.

What are Good Dietary sources?

EPA and DHA are found almost exclusively in seafood.Fish do not produce EPA and DHA. Rather, these oils are synthesized by single-celled marine organisms that fish eat. These fatty acids are essential for fish as well as for humans. (more…)