What We’re Reading 11/02/09

Photo by Gibson Claire McGuire Regester.

What are we reading about over at WellWire this week? The flu, dementia, the environment and food. Okay, to be a bit more specific:

With this year’s new flu strain, we have seen that viruses can be tenacious and virulent for humans. Yet there are some viruses that may be beneficial and help ward off bacterial infections. These special class of viruses are called bacteriophages and actually infect individual bacteria. In the short term it may difficult to determine the adaptive advantage of certain infectious agents, but in the long-term they all serve some role in the ecosystem we call life.

Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging. In fact, an autopsy of a 115 year old woman’s brain showed no signs of dementia often associated with the older people. So keep your brain young by staying active in mind and body.

Does the health of the environment really effect human health? Yes, most definitely. In this photo essay, it is all-too-apparent the direct effect environmental pollution has on health. For me, these amazing pictures, are just another reminder that to be truly healthy we need to take care of our planet as well. Holistic health extends beyond the confines of our skin and into the world around us.

Eat to celebrate the last few days of breast cancer awareness month. A recent BBC article reports that scientists have found that the key ingredient in curry powder, turmeric, kills cancer cells in the lab. That’s good news for all those curry lovers out there. Food really is the first medicine. Yum!

Gibran Ramos, L.Ac. completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Mr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at Northwest Natural Medicine in Milwaukie, Oregon.