Category: Blog

The “Sunshine Vitamin”

Feelings of happiness are not the only things your body produces when sunshine hits your face on a bright summer day. Vitamin D, sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin”, is produced in your skin in response to sunlight, and is a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D1, D2, and D3.

Vitamin D has a host of important functions for your body but the most vital ones are the facilitation of your immune system functions and the effective absorption of phosphorus and calcium. A lack of vitamin D may possibly put you at risk of developing bone abnormalities like osteoporosis, or more commonly known as fragile bones.

What is Cancer?

When you think of the word cancer, it brings to mind all sorts of images that are unpleasant to imagine (think cigarette boxes which prominently display a gnarly photo of throat cancer).

This evocative word refers to a group of related diseases, caused by uncontrolled division of cells which spread into surrounding tissues and lead to a malignant growth or tumour. Such disorganised division makes it difficult for the body to function the way it normally would.

World Cancer Day: What Happens on Feb 4

With every worthy cause, a day is usually set aside to remind the world to focus on its importance. World Cancer Day is no exception. Every year on February 4, this global event seeks to bring people all over the world in the fight against cancer.

The movement seeks to prevent millions of deaths yearly by educating the public and raising awareness about the disease, and getting world governments and individuals to act. It was started by the Union for International Cancer Control, with the ultimate goal of reducing death and illness from cancer by 2020.

Cancer by Numbers

Everyone knows cancer is a big killer but how many lives does it douse?

World Statistics

It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, Globally, the number of deaths from cancer increased from 7.6 million in 2008 to 8.2 million in 2012 and is projected to hit 11.5 million in 2025. Meanwhile, new cases worldwide went up from 12.7 million in 2008 to 14.1 million in 2012. It is expected to rise to 19.3 million in 2025.

What is an Allergy?

Have you ever experienced teary, red eyes, sneezing and breathlessness whenever there’s a cat or dog nearby? If this happens all the time, you may have an allergy to such animals.

Allergies occur when foreign substances trigger a reaction from your immune system when they don’t normally cause discomfort to other people. One in every three people in the United Arab Emirates has allergies. Some allergies are more common than others, such as allergies to pollen and pet dander.

Allergy Testing for your Child

As a parent, you are constantly worried about your child’s health and well-being. Allergies developed in infancy or childhood can be a big concern as it can affect your child’s sleep patterns and his ability to play and function in school.

The United States’ centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the number of skin and food allergies in children jumped between 1997 and 2011. But the rate of respiratory allergies stayed constant during the same period.

What is the link between enzymes and laundry?

When you’re at the laundry detergent aisle in the supermarket, packagings will likely scream slogans like CLEANEST WASH or FRESH SMELLING or WHITENS WHITES but some may also have lines such as WITH THE BOOSTING POWER OF ENZYMES emblazoned on their bright exteriors.

Wait… enzymes? What do they have to do with laundry? Quite a fair bit, actually. In most developed countries, over half of detergents on the market include enzymes in their components.

Do stomach rumblings mean you’re hungry?

Stomach rumblings can be a cause of embarrassment, especially if they happen in front of a stranger or someone you’re trying to impress. You’ll most likely sheepishly laugh it off as hunger pangs. But do these stomach noises really arise from hunger?

When your stomach makes growling noises, hunger can be a cause, but it is not the only reason. These noises can occur at any time, even after you’d just eaten.

Drama therapy: unlocking the door to change

What if one key could unlock expression in a child with autism, turn a young woman away from substance abuse, or stop a hardened criminal from reoffending? There is perhaps not one key, but there may be one set of keys: drama therapy.

In the 1920s, a Romanian psychologist, Jacob Moreno, observed how role play and experimental theater freed people to reveal their thoughts and feelings. He began to incorporate drama into psychotherapy. Read More

Uncertainty is more stressful than pain, say neurologists

Sorrow is better than fear. Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is, at least, an arriving.” So says Father Vincent in “Cry, the Beloved Country,” Alan Paton’s celebrated novel about South Africa. Read More