Breast Implant Dangers

3% suffer leakage within three years causing a deflated implant.

Occasionally, breast implants may break or leak. The saline fill is salt water and will be absorbed by the body without ill effects. Older implants with silicone gel can leak also. If this occurs, one of two things may occur. If breakage of the implant shell that has a contracture scar around it, then it may not feel like anything has happed. If the shell breaks and there is not a contracture scar, then leakage into the surrounding tissue results in a sensation that the implant is deflating. The leaking gel may collect in the breast and a new scar may form around it. In other cases gel can migrate through the lymphatic system to another area of the body. Breaks may require a second operation and replacement of the leaking implant. If the gel has migrated it may not be possible to remove all of the silicone gel. This silicone gel is the what some say is related to the initiation of connective tissue disorders.

For silicone gel and saline-filled implants, some causes of rupture or deflation include : damage by surgical instruments during surgery, overfilling or underfilling of the implant with saline solution (specific only to saline-filled breast implants), capsular contracture ,closed capsulotomy , stresses such as trauma or intense physical manipulation ,excessive compression during mammographic imaging, placement through umbilical incision ,site injury to the breast, normal aging of the implant ,unknown/unexplained reasons.

A woman happy without implants. Photo by Anthony Cain.

FDA completed a retrospective study on rupture of silicone gel-filled breast implants. This study was performed in Birmingham, Alabama and included women who had their first breast implant before 1988. Women with silicone gel-filled breast implants had a MRI examination of their breasts to determine the status of their current breast implants. The 344 women who received a MRI examination had a total of 687 implants. Of the 687 implants in the study, at least two of the three study radiologists agreed that 378 implants were ruptured (55%). This means that 69% of the 344 women had at least one ruptured breast implant. Of the 344 women, 73 (21%) had extracapsular silicone gel in one or both breasts. Factors that were associated with rupture included increasing age of the implant, the implant manufacturer, and submuscular rather than subglandular location of the implant.



The most common complication of breast implants is capsular contracture, a tightening of the scar tissue that the body produces around the implant as a natural part of healing. Additional surgery may be required either to remove the scar tissue or to remove—and perhaps replace—the implant. In a prospective clinical study of saline-filled breast implants conducted by Mentor, the cumulative, 3-year, by patient rates of a first occurrence of capsular contracture Grades III and IV were 9% for the 1264 augmentation patients and 30% for the 416 reconstruction patients. In a prospective clinical study of saline-filled breast implants conducted by McGhan, the cumulative, 3-year, by patient rates of a first occurrence of capsular contracture Grades III and IV were 9% for the 901 augmentation patients and 25% for the 237 reconstruction patients.

For more information visit: www.breastactives.com

New Zealand Athletes Taking Deer Velvet at Olympics

When Hamish Carter, lines up on Sunday to represent New Zealand in the triathlon event at the Sydney Olympics, 4 500 New Zealand deer farmers will be cheering extra loudly.

Carter, number 1 ranked triathlete in the world, has been taking New Zealand deer velvet for about two years now. He is convinced this dietary supplement adds to his own huge training efforts by assisting with his strength and endurance, and providing him faster recovery after training.

Photo by pingnews.com

"Since taking New Zealand deer velvet I have found that my recovery from training, competition and even travel has been greatly enhanced" Hamish comments.

A completely natural substance, deer velvet provides many important benefits in traditional Chinese medicine and has been used consistently for over 2000 years. More recently Russian athletes have taken an extract of deer velvet to improve their athletic performances.

A joint venture between the New Zealand deer industry and AgResearch directs investment of over one million dollars per year into research on deer velvet to understand what makes it special.

The latest round of human clinical trials conducted by the Otago University Human Performance Centre has produced statistically significant results. The trials indicate a possible link between New Zealand deer velvet and improved athletic performance on two fronts; improved strength and endurance in response to training, and improved recovery from muscle tissue damage associated with exercise.



"In fact we have seven athletes at the Sydney Olympics who are taking New Zealand deer velvet," says MJ Loza, General Manager Marketing at the New Zealand Game Industry Board, "including 1998 Commonwealth Games champion cyclist Glen Thomson, and Olympic bronze medalist Gary Anderson.

The athletes take New Zealand deer velvet because their experience has shown them that it helps them recover faster after training, so they are back on the road, in the water, on the track or in the gym faster" Loza explains.

In addition to its potential to enhance athletic performance, deer antler velvet may also have anti-inflammatory effects and may help prevent illness such as cold and flu by supporting the immune system. Both of these uses are important to athletes who often have weakened immune systems and joint-related ailments due to their heavy training schedules.

For more information visit: www.deerantlerplus.com

Aloe Vera Extract Heals Skin

Aloe vera has been shown in clinical studies to have a positive effect on wound healing and holds anti-inflammatory properties.

As stretch marks start out as microscopic tears in skin layers due to overstretching of the dermis, aloe vera helps heal these small wounds without causing scar tissue to form, effectively preventing the appearance of stretch marks. Aloe vera has been used for thousands of years by the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Indians and Chinese to decrease the appearance of scars and to moisturize and heal skin.

Photo by AZAdam

This extract from the aloe leaf protects skin from environmental factors and promotes skin regeneration.

From Wikipedia we know also that Aloe Vera, known as the Medicinal Aloe, is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in northern Africa. The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related Aloes do occur in northern Africa. The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since the beginning of the first century AD, because it is mentioned in the New Testament (John 19:39–40 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes... ). However, it is unclear whether the aloes described in the bible are derived from Aloe Vera.

Extracts from Aloe Vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative medicine industries, being marketed as variously having rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties. There is some preliminary evidence that Aloe Vera extracts may be useful in the treatment of diabetes and elevated blood lipids in humans. These positive effects are thought to be due to the presence of compounds such as mannans, anthraquinones and lectins.

Aloe Vera has a long association with herbal medicine, although it is not known when its medical applications were first discovered. Early records of Aloe Vera use appear in the Ebers Papyrus from 16th century BC, in both Dioscorides' De Materia Medica and Pliny the Elder's Natural History written in the mid-first century AD along with the Juliana Anicia Codex produced in 512 AD. Contrary to the widespread belief that Alone Vera is non-toxic, excess ingestion of Aloe Vera has been associated with a range of symptoms and conditions including diarrhoea, hepatitis, kidney dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance and reduced CNS activity. However, the species is used widely in the traditional herbal medicine of China, Japan and India.



Aloe Vera leaves contain a range of biologically active compounds, the best studied being acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones and anthraquinones and various lectins.

Aloe Vera has been widely grown as an ornamental plant. The species is popular with modern gardeners as a putatively medicinal plant and due to its interesting flowers, form and succulence. This succulence enables the species to survive in areas of low natural rainfall, making it ideal for rockeries and other low-water use gardens.

Large scale agricultural production of Aloe Vera is undertaken in Australia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Kenya and South Africa, along with the USA to supply the cosmetics industry.

And there's a beautiful photo gallery of that extraordinary plant Aloe Vera in pictures.

For more information how the Aloe Vera extract heals the skin, please visit: www.revitol.com

Natural Viagra from Peru

Maca is Peru's Natural Viagra

The South American country of Peru is home to numerous beneficial plants, including maca, a legendary sex-enhancing root passed down from the Inca. I'd heard about maca for years. It has been dubbed "Peruvian ginseng," even though it bears no relation to ginseng. But like ginseng, the plant is employed to increase strength, energy, stamina, libido and sexual function, a winning combination of health benefits if there ever was one.

Photo by matito

To investigate maca's health benefits and understand the role that maca plays in Peruvian culture, my wife and I headed down to Peru to explore the maca trail. In the process we met with maca traders, growers and scientists, and came back tremendously impressed by this plant, which is now available as a supplement in U.S. health food stores.

What is Maca?
Maca, Lepidium meyenii, is an annual plant which produces a radish-like root. The root of maca is typically dried and stored, and will easily keep for seven years. The plant is cultivated in the Junin plateau of Peru's Central Highlands, and was highly revered by the Inca.

During the height of the Incan empire, legend has it that Incan warriors would consume maca before entering into battle. This would make them fiercely strong. But after conquering a city the Incan soldiers were prohibited from using maca, to protect the conquered women from their powerful sexual impulses. Thus as far back as 500 years ago, maca's reputation for enhancing strength, libido and fertility was already well established in Peru.



Today, maca's popularity is very much on the increase, as people discover that the plant really does boost libido, sexual function and overall energy. Acreage in Peru dedicated to Maca cultivation is increasing every year to meet demand, and a number of scientists have turned their attention to the properties of the root. In Peru, maca is used by men and by women who want to put more fire into their sex lives. And in the U.S., Europe and Japan, dietary supplements containing maca are gaining ardent devotees.

Photo by g a br u s

Maca Nutrition: What natural ingredients in maca promote its reputed sex-enhancing effects? In-depth analysis of maca conducted in 1998 by Dr. Qun Yi Zheng and his colleagues at PureWorld Botanicals shows that maca contains about 10 percent protein, almost 60 percent carbohydrate, and an assortment of fatty acids. These ingredients are common and nothing special. But the investigators also discovered two groups of novel compounds, the macamides and the macaenes. These agents are believed to be directly responsible for maca's sex-boosting powers.

For more information visit: www.naturalgainplus.com

Estrogen and Our Health

What Is Estrogen?

What is estrogen and how does it affect your health?:
If you're interested in lowering your risk of breast cancer,or if you want to understand how to prevent recurrence after treatment, it's important to understand the role that estrogen, and other hormones, play in your health. Get started by reading about estrogen.

Estrogen Definition and Functions

Estrogen Replacement Therapy or HRT:
Low levels of estrogen can be caused by natural, surgical, or chemical menopause, and by estrogen suppression medications. Some side effects of low estrogen may include: hot flashes, headaches, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Some women may be able to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to help counteract these effects.



Long-term Use of Estrogen is Safe Within Limits

Estrogen and Breast Cancer:
Some kinds of breast cancer are fueled by high amounts of estrogen. That's the reason that estrogen suppression medications are an important part of treatment that prevents recurrence. Here is an overview of the main types of breast cancer: ductal, lobular, inflammatory, and Paget's disease.

Photo by brndnprkns

Signs Of Low Estrogen:
Hot flashes
Memory loss
Dizziness
Vaginal dryness/atrophy
Night sweats
Crying spells
Stiff neck/shoulders
Bladder infections
Sleep disturbances
Anger or rage
Heart palpitations
Rapid aging/drying of skin
Unusual fatigue, apathy
Depression, mild to suicidal
Joint pains, aching deep in the bones
"Crawling" sensation on skin and scalp

For more information visit: www.breastactives.com

The Miracle of Green Tea

The Benefits Of Green Tea:

Green Tea Contains The Following:

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds. Produced by plants, all of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.

What Does This Do For Us?

Having a cup of green tea after a meal can aid in digestion. Green tea has been used for thousand of years in Asia as a digestive.

Photo by Ikhlasul Amal

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins - with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

What Does This Do For Our Body?

Well having a powerful anti-oxidant coursing through your system after a heavy workout is just what you need to curb free radical damage.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids are plant pigments, and are the brightly colored chemical constituents found in most fresh fruits and vegetables.

What Does This Do For Our Organizm?

Obviously your workouts will suffer if you are sick.

Theanine - An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves sencha. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed.

What Does This Do For All Of Us?

I can personally attest to the good feelings you get after a couple cups of green tea. It leaves you with a peaceful feeling without compromising motivation and mental activity.

Bodybuilding & Fitness Uses

Pre-workout - Green tea is a great alternative to the ECA stack. Yeah I know nothing beats the ECA stack but hear me out. A number of people, including myself do not like how the ECA stack makes us feel.

I get jittery and easily angered for some reason. The green tea is great because it does have some caffeine and the Theanine really relaxes you mentally but lets you perform physically.

Cutting - Research suggests that supplementing with green tea can raise your resting metabolic rate by 3%. In order to get this benefit you must have about about 3 glasses a day. If you have a bmr of 2000 or so that means 60 extra calories a day. Why do you see so few obese Asians. Its not the kung-fu. It's the green tea!



All About Tea

All teas come from the same source. The tea plant is a member of the Camellia family (Camellia sinensis). Black tea, oolong tea, and green tea are all derivatives of this one plant.

It is the way the tea is prepared that determines its color. After the tea plant is picked, it is fermented, and then heated to stop the fermentation process. This fermentation process is responsible for the caffine content of the tea. The longer it is fermented the more caffine the tea will have. Green tea has the least amount of caffine of all the teas because it is the least fermented. The reason why green tea has the most health benefits is because a longer fermentation process destroys many of the beneficial substances in the tea plant. That is why chugging your Lipton tea is not even remotely comparable to having a cup of green tea (Lipton is made from black tea).

Photo by Ayelie

For more information for the effect of the green tean visit: www.avatrim.com

Edelweiss Flower Extract Helps Anti Aging

Edelweiss extract comes from Edelweiss flowers, which are short lived perennials. Edelweiss is a German word which means noble and white. The Edelweiss flower is found at altitudes which range from around 2 kilometers, general in areas with light soil, good drainage and southern exposure.

From Wikipedia we know that Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is one of the best-known European mountain flowers, which belongs to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The name comes from German edel (meaning noble) and weiß (meaning white). The scientific name, Leontopodium means "lion's paw", being derived from Greek words leon (lion) and podion (diminutive of pous, foot).

Flowering stalks of edelweiss can grow to a size of 3–20 cm (in cultivation, up to 40 cm). The leaves appear woolly because of the covering of white hairs. The flowers are felted and woolly with white hairs, with characteristic bloom consisting of five to six small yellow flower heads (5 mm) surrounded by leaflets in star form. The flowers are in bloom between July and September. It is unequally distributed and prefers rocky limestone places at 2000–2900 m altitude. It is not toxic, and has been used traditionally in folk medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases.

Photo by Garrulus

Edelweiss is a protected plant in many countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain (Ordesa National Park), Slovakia (Tatra National Park), Slovenia (in Gorizia and Gradisca since 1896, in Carniola since 1898), Austria (since 1886) and Romania (since 1933).

It usually grows in inaccessible places, which is why it is associated in many countries of the alpine region with mountaineering. Its white colour is considered a symbol of purity, and holds a Latin as well as Greek name, floarea reginei (Queen's flower).

In ancient times the Edelweiss flower was sought after by men who wished to prove their bravery. Because the flower grew at such heights and was often on cliff sides and in dangerous areas many people were known to have been injured, or even killed in pursuit of this flower, which led many men to wear it in the lapel as sort of a badge of honor. Of course, the fact that the Edelweiss flower was the favorite of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife, the Empress Elizabeth also gave it prestige. The flower became so popular among hikers that the governments of Austria, Germany and Switzerland took steps to protect it in certain parts of the Alps. Today Edelweiss is grown on many continents and is no longer in the danger it once was. It became even more popular however the 1960's when a song called Edelweiss in the popular stage play and film The Sound of Music sang its virtues and beauty.



For centuries Edelweiss extract has been believed to have positive health effects. Edelweiss teas have been popular as well as use of Edelweiss extract in hot milk, often sweetened with honey. Diarrhea and dysentery were two ailments that it was believed Edelweiss extract could cure. People also believed that it could help fight ailments such as diphtheria and tuberculosis. Today research by the pharmaceutical industry indicates that there was something to these ancient beliefs. Used in high quality anti aging and anti wrinkle cosmetics.

Edelweiss extract is an ancient folk lore remedy that modern science is making popular once again. They have also discovered that the ultra violet light absorbing chemicals this plant has developed from high altitude growth makes it a good additive to sun blocks. Pharmaceutical researchers also are interested in the way some chemicals in the plant prevent amplification of oxides, which are tied to the aging process.

And there's a story from the mythology:
The story goes that once, long, long ago, the Alps were far taller than they are these days. In those days, atop one of the snowcapped, precipice filled mountains lived an Ice Queen. She was said to be fair as snow and hauntingly beautiful. She was served by faithful gnomes, who lived with her on those slopes.
The Queen would sing melodiously and her sound would lure many a shepherd to lose his way in the mountains and come upon her abode. However beautiful she was, she had a flaw; her heart was frozen cold as if it were made of pure ice.
She would play with these hapless shepherds who sought her voice for a while. When she got tired of this play, the gnomes would toss the men off the cliffs to their death.
So she lived, through long ages alone except for poor companionship of her slaves.
It so happened that one of these shepherds, following her voice, entered into her abode. There was nothing different about him, this Man, nothing special, nothing noteworthy. But the Ice Queen steadily grew to love this man.
She would sing and he would sit awed beside her throne for hours and days to end. They had their love.
But the gnomes grew jealous, fearing that one day the Ice Queen may marry this mortal. Thus they conspired and threw him headlong into the valley below, where his heart burst asunder.
Seeing this, for the first and last time, the eyes of the Ice Queen warmed. Her heart melted a little and a single teardrop fell off her eternally beautiful sad cheeks.
It is this tear that has become the edelweiss , the most beautiful flower of the Alps.
Possibly the etymology of the word too is derived from this fable.

The Indonesian Jakarta Post reports:
For a mountaineer, edelweiss is proof that he or she has tackled a high mountain. Meanwhile, for a person in love, edelweiss is symbolic of the heights one would climb and the distances one would travel to prove their love for another.
"Edelweiss can remain on the stem for 25 years. The color changes but the flower remains beautiful," said Karso, 30, a mountaineer from Baturaden, Banyumas, Central Java.
In several locations, he added, edelweiss is a protected species, and freely picking the flower is prohibited.
"However, in certain places, it is not forbidden to pick edelweiss. In fact, this flower is freely sold (in those places)," said Karso, who claimed to have picked the flower from the top of Mount Slamet.
Edelweiss is quite expensive if you buy it far from where it is usually found.
However, in the Sikidang and Sinila Crater tourist sites of Banjarnegara, for example, edelweiss is sold at a very low price.
"Yes, we have a large supply of edelweiss here and can always meet an order no matter how big it is," Siti, one of the vendors selling flowers at the tourist site, told The Jakarta Post recently.
"Indeed, most people seek edelweiss. I don't know why. Perhaps edelweiss is considered the most beautiful.
"For me, however, it is just the same as other flowers," she said.

The future of research into Edelweiss extract looks as bright as the high Alpine sun, and the popularity of Edelweiss extract as an ingredient in high quality cosmetics means the plant will remain popular for many years to come.

For more information visit: www.revitol.com