Grapefruit to Replace Hepatitis C Drugs?

I was reading this article online from What Doctors Don't Tell You and it tickled me into thinking about the research paper I made at University of the Philippines, Open University at Los Baños, Laguna regarding Bitter Gourd as possible cure for a number of communicable diseases such as Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.

The article talks about the medicinal properties of grapefruit that is similar to those of the powerful anti-viral drugs which are used for treatments for hepatitis C. The Journal of the American Medical Association pointed out that a typical grapefruit contains flavonoid and naringenin, which have the ability to inhibit the ability of a hepatitis C virus to replicate and thereby continue destroying tissues. These are also the two main ingredients which gives the fruit its bitter taste.

Well, sounds like a nice idea and it really was nice-to-know information. I always believe that people should start going back to basics since some fruits, vegetables, and herbs contain ingredients that have the potential to cure but cannot serve such function if they are not contained in their natural host (that is, the ingredient is not taken from its original source) since most of substances that have substantial medicinal properties have synergystic properties as well, that is, they cannot function well or its effect will not be as effective as when you take it from the original source.

What do you guys think about herbs? How about starting to cure the person's "mind" before curing the person physically as some of the diseases on the planet are more of psycho-somatic in nature or the so-called "its all in the mind" attitude? What do you think?

Health-Risk for Travellers: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Tyhpoid Fever

Travel is exciting since you get to see places and enjoy the pleasure of meeting new people, and experiencing the joy of making new friends. Well, inspite of the good things that travelling gives people, there are also risk associated with it.

Yes, diseases. As people,from all walks of life travel from place to place, the movement of diseases increases proportionately. A person who appears healthy and was never diagnosed for any diseases before he begins travelling might manifest diseases along the course of his/her stay on a certain place and any contact that that person does will affect, on a larger part, the overall health of the people around him/her. If that person is infected by a communicable disease/s chances are there lies the risk of infecting, the immediate people around him/her (if not all).

Well, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Tyhpoid Fever are just some of the few diseases that are rapidly moving around the planet. But the good thing is, all of these diseases are vaccine-preventable. Health is always our best resource for a good life. One may realize that money is meaningless once we get sick. But then again, we need money to support our hospitalization if in case we fall ill to any of the diseases around. =)

According to my readings, travellers abroad are always advised to take on a vaccine program that would immunize a person from the notorious diseases plaguing humanity, especially if a person is travelling to Asia where all the diseases mentioned above (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tyhpoid Fever) are endemic (prevalent).

I am not sure if the Philippines has it. I mean, if the appropriate government agency in the Philippines is becoming effective of their mandated task to inform people about the health dangers there is in travelling and advise them to undergo appropriate vaccination programs against the diseaess endemic to the place they will visit. I have never been out of the country though. Do all travel agencies here in the Philippines provide health advisories to their clients when they schedule them for a flight and advise them to take on a vaccination program that will protect them against all possible diseases endemic to that place? Well, what say you? :)

Vietnam to Provide 5-in-one Vaccine by 2009

Vietnam is doing a great job in setting up a plan to provide free 5-in-one vaccine that would provide immunization to 5 of the known debilitating diseases namely: polio, whooping cough, tetanus, Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) and Hepatitis B.

Vietnam's National Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) sought the help of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to support the said program by coming up with ways on how to produce the said consolidated vaccine. Vietnam is considering vaccinating 1.5 million children under the said program (EPI).

Canadian Hepa B Treatment Program

The Canadian government has unveiled a health program that benefits individuals suffering from chronic hepatitis b. According to Canada's British Columbian government, there are around 300,000 to 600,000 individuals living with such condition and such numbers continue to rise and that Asian Pacific Islanders covers the highest percentage of the pie.

The provincial governmetn supports two drug treatment programs namely adefovir (marketed under the Brand name Hepsera) and entecavir (marketed as Baraclude). The estimated budget allocation is around $3 Million annually.

Each treatment program has corresponding treatment guide and each drug has its own program that deals with any incidence of virus drug resistance. The Vancouver Sun has more.

No Exercise and Frequent Fast Food Meals Not Good to Liver

If you think that chronic inactivity and eating fast food meals will save you time and money instead of going to a good restaurant or not cooking your own meal at home is healthy, Well, think again. The journal Gut provided the result of one of their experimental researches on the effect of eating too much fast food meals and inactivity to the liver.

The result of the research states that unhealthy lifestyle can take its toll on the liver which is indicative of certain proteins like alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and detected in the blood stream. Damaged liver cells produce specific proteins and secrete them in the blood stream. These molecules are detected through blood chemistry checks. The Hepatitis B Foundation posted the article on its site. Read more at Science Daily.