Transfer Window

July 1st is here! It is all about the summer transfer window being swung open.Long before the season was over,many club sides have been eyeing some prospect to add to their respective club sides,with some notable names taking the headlines for quite some time. Paul Pogba has been taking the lead on the list of players most sort after in Europe, with the likes of Barcelona, Man City,PSG and Chelsea all vying for the signature of the youngster. Some few club sides have kick started their transfer dealings early while others are still watching the market.Liverpool has acquired the services of five players and are ready to make it six in the next few days with the signing of Nathaniel Clyne for around 12.5 million. LVG has gotten the services of Memphis Depay for Man United for 25 million and the deal for Morgan Schneiderlin is in the pipeline while waiting to see what will be the future of their No1 (David De Gea). Chelsea are eyeing Begovic of Stoke City as the replacement for the departed Petr Cech. Arsenal have concluded the signing of Petr Cech while negotiating the sale of David Ospina. Man City have been trying to reach an agreement with Liverpool over the signing of Raheem Sterling, who as refused to extend his stay in the club.
Outside England, the coach of FC Barcelona has made known his desire to add a midfielder to his ranks,as a replacement for the departed Xavi, and all fingers are pointing towards one player,Pogba. Real Madrid on the other hand want to replace under performing Casillas with De Gea and also seek a way of keeping their talismatic defender Segio Ramos. Bayern Munich are about completing the signing of Douglas Costa and also boost their midfield. As the transfer market is about to open officially, we can only but expect movement of players.

Metronidazole: what you should know

Metronidazole, popularly known as Flagyl, is a nitroimidazole antibacterial and antiprotozoal medication used mainly in the treatment of  bacteria (organism which does not require oxygen for growth) and protozoa.
Metronidazole is indicated for the treatment of bacterial septicemia, lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia, emphysema and lung abscess), bone and joint infections, skin infections, amebic dysentery, crohn's disease (inflammatory disease of the digestive system), clostridium difficile colitis, ulcerative gingivitis, intra abdominal infections and abscess and Helicobacter Pylori infections (which can cause chronic gastritis and lead to peptic ulcer disease).
Metronidazole can also be used in veterinary medicine to manage chronic inflammatory bowel disease on cats and dogs, treatment of systemic/gastrointestinal clostridial infections in horses and aquarium hobby to treat ornamental fish and as a broad spectrum treatment for bacterial and protozoan infections in reptiles and amphibians.
It is available in form of tablets, caplets, syrup, intravenous, intravaginal and topical.
Metronidazole is cost effective, extremely well absorbed, minimal suppression of normal gut floral, excellent penetration into almost all body tissues and fluids and has relatively mild side effects.
Disadvantage includes unpleasant, metallic taste in the mouth, risk of convulsive seizures and peripheral neuropathy with long term use, active only against anaerobes and cannot be used as a single agent in mixed infections.
Consuming alcohol while taking metronidazole causes a disulfiram-like reaction with effects that can include nausea, vomiting, flushing of the skin, shortness of breath, tachycardia (accelerated heart rate) and even death. Consumption of alcohol should be avoided during systemic metronidazole therapy and for at least 24 hours after completion of treatment.
Pregnant women should avoid taking metronidazole during their first trimester. It may harm a nursing baby because it is excreted into breast milk.
Common side effects are nausea, weight loss, abdominal pain, vomiting and headache.
Don't just consume metronidazole, consult your physician before taking it.

Vitamin D and your health

Vitamin D, also known as sunshine vitamin refers to a group of fat soluble secosteroids. It can be produced in the body with mild sun exposure or consumed in food or supplements. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) which can be ingested from the diet and from supplement.
Although the body has the ability to make vitamin D, there are many reasons deficiency occurs. Darker skin pigments and sunscreen use can significantly decrease the body’s ability to absorb UV rays required to produce vitamin D. The skin has to be directly exposed to sunlight not covering with cloth. It is estimated that sensible sun exposure on bare skin for 5-10mins 2-3times per week allows the body to produce sufficient vitamin D.
Adequate intake is responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.
Vitamin D is also responsible for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D deficiency in children can cause rickets (a disease characterized by a severely bow-legged appearance triggered by impaired mineralization and softening of the bones). In adults, deficiency manifest as osteoporosis (most common bone disease among post-menopausal women and older men) or osteomalacia (which results in poor bone density, muscular weakness and often causes small pseudo fractures of the spine and femur).
Vitamin D is suggested to supply a protective effect against multiple diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis etc. Insufficient vitamin D level may have an adverse effects on insulin secretion and glucose intolerance. Vitamin D  is extremely important for regulating cell growth. Hormonally active form of vitamin D, calcitrol, can reduce cancer progression by slowing the growth and development of new blood vessels in cancerous tissue and increasing cancer cell death. Low level of vitamin D appears to be a risk factor for tuberculosis. Deficiency has also been linked to increased risk of viral infections, including influenza and HIV.
Pregnant women who are deficient in vitamin D seems to be at greater risk of developing preeclampsia and needing a cesarean section, also associated with gestational diabetes mellitus and bacterial vaginosis. High level of vitamin D during pregnancy were associated with increase in food allergy of the child during the first 2 years of life. Infants who are exclusively breastfed are also at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, especially if they are dark-skinned or have minimal sun exposure. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult their physician before taking a vitamin D supplement.
Excessive consumption of vitamin D, hypervitaminosis D, can lead to the over calcification of bone and hardening of blood vessels, kidney, heart and lungs. Most common symptoms are headache, dry mouth, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting etc.
Food sources of vitamin D are cod liver oil, egg, chicken, tuna, sardines and salmon.
Recommended intake:
0-50 years- 5mcg/200iu per day
51-70 years- 10mcg/400iu per day
71 and above-15mcg/600iu per day (1mcg=40iu)
Exclusively breastfed infants- 400iu per day of an oral vitamin D supplement.
Upper level limit for infants (birth-12months)- 25mcg/day (1000iu)
Upper level limit for adult- 4000iu/day
First focus on obtaining your daily vitamin D requirement from sunlight and foods, then use supplements as a backup.
It is the overall eating pattern that is most important in disease prevention and achieving good health. It is better to eat a diet with variety than to concentrate on one individual nutrient as the key to good health.

The cholesterol issue

Cholesterol, a soft fat-like substance, aids vital bodily functions such as building new cells and producing new hormones. Everyone’s body needs cholesterol but too much can spell trouble for some people. The body get cholesterol in 2 ways: 80% of it is produced by the liver and the rest comes from the diet. Cholesterol is found in foods derived from animal products like meat, cheese, poultry or fish. Food that don’t contain animal products may contain another harmful substance called TRANS FATS, which cause the body to produce most cholesterol. Food high in sugar are also associated with developing higher cholesterol levels in the blood. Cholesterol is carried through the blood stream by attaching to certain proteins. The combination is called the LIPOPROTEIN. There are different types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood. They are:
1. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol.
2. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol.
3. Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) or “very bad” cholesterol.
4. Chylomicrons, which carry very little cholesterol but lots of another fat called triglycerides.
Everyone age 20 and above should have his or her own cholesterol measured at least once every year. A blood test called a lipoprotein panel can help show whether one is a risk for coronary heart disease by looking at the substances in the blood that carry cholesterol. The test gives information about the total cholesterol in the blood, the good and bad cholesterol and the triglycerides. This test is done after a 9-12 hours fast.
Desirable total cholesterol is <200mg/Dl
HDL cholesterol level is >60mg/Dl ( the higher, the better)
LDL cholesterol level is <100mg/dL
Major risk factors that affect LDL are smoking cigarette, age, high blood pressure, family history, low HDL, diet and weight.
A variety of things that can help lower LDL cholesterol level and raise HDL includes:
1. Weight management- being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. Losing weight can help lower LDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol and as well as raise HDL.
2. Physical activity- regular activity can help lower LDL and raise HDL by helping to lose weight.
3. Heredity- genes partly affect how much cholesterol the body makes.
4. Age and gender- as men and women get older, their cholesterol level rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol level than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women’s LDL levels tend to rise.
5. Drug treatment- you will need to continue treatment with lifestyle changes, even if you begin drug treatment as this will keep your dose lower. Several types of cholesterol lowering drugs available are; statins(e.g. atorvastatin, rosuvastatin etc – block the liver from making cholesterol), bile acid sequestrants(e.g. cholestyramine – decrease the amount of fat absorbed from food), cholesterol absorption inhibitors( e.g. phytosterols – decrease the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food and lower triglycerides) and vitamins and supplements(niacin, vitamin B3 blocks the liver from removing HDL and omega 3 fatty acids increasesd the level of HDL.
6. Diet- reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet. Food that lower cholesterol level naturally are:
a) Oats, to lower cholesterol, the key may be simply changing your morning meal to oats which can lower LDL by 5.3% in only 6 weeks. Beta-glucan, the key to this cholesterol buster is a substance in oats that absorbs LDL, which the body then excretes.
b) Nuts like almond, cashew and walnuts are good for healthy heart, they are high in calories, so practice portion control.
c)  Chocolate, the sweet side of a heart healthy diet. This powerful antioxidant helps to build HDL cholesterol level. Remember to choose the dark chocolate.
d) Garlic has been found to lower bad cholesterol, Prevent blood clot, reduce blood pressure and protect against infections. It also helps stop artery clogging plaque at its earliest stage by keeping cholesterol particles from sticking to artery Wall.
e) Black Tea is a great defense against LDL cholesterol level asiee been known for cancer-fighting antioxidant. It also help to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
f) Beans, the key to this heart-healthy food is its abundance of fiber which has been shown to slow the rate of absorption of cholesterol in certain foods.
g) Margarine, switching to margarine with plant sterols could help lower cholesterol. Plant sterols are compounds that reduce cholesterol absorption.
h) Avocado are great source of heart healthy monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that may actually help raise HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL. Use in moderation since they are high in calories.
i) Olive oil also contain same as avocado and they have the welcome side effect of trimming belly fat.
If you are already eating plenty of the cholesterol lowering foods, keep up the good work!!! Watch your cholesterol level.

Take healthy chocolate

Chocolate is a sweet, usually brown, food preparation of theobroma cacao seeds. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavour. After fermentation, cocoa mass is being liquefied and the liquor is processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Most of the chocolate consumed today contain cocoa solids, cocoa butter,some other fats and sugar except for white chocolate which contain no cocoa solids.
Cocoa solids are one of the richest sources of flavonol antioxidants and also contain theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine
Dark chocolate contain cocoa solids and are highly beneficial to man. The benefits include:
1. Nutrition- dark chocolate is very nutritious. A 100g of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contain 11g of fiber, 67% of the RDA for iron, 58% for magnesium, 98% for manganese, 89% for copper, plenty potassium, zinc and selenium.
2. Brain function- flavonols in chocolate increase blood flow to the brain, hence, boost cognitive abilities.
3. Reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases- the flavonols in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of the arteries to produce nitric oxide (NO), a gas which one of its function is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.
4. Lower cholesterol level in adults- Polyphenols in chocolate help to raise high density lipoprotein (HDL) and protect low density lipoprotein (LDL) against oxidation. Lowers susceptibility of LDL to oxidative damage while increasing HDL.
5. Protect skin- the flavonols can also protect against sun-induced damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin hydration.
6. Reduces risk of diabetes- flavonoids in chocolate have antioxidants and anti clotting effects that can reduce the risk of diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.
7. Positively affects the circulatory system.
8. Chocolate contain flavonoids which can be used to create natural supplements to ease diarrhoea symptoms.
Dark chocolate is healthy but also has some disadvantages. They includes:
1. It cause heartburn because of the theobromine in it, by relaxing the oesophageal sphincter muscle, hence, permitting stomach acidic contents to enter into the oesophagus.
2. Research on elderly people showed it might cause osteoporosis.
3. Chocolate contain moderate to high amounts of oxalate which can cause health problem especially for individuals at risk of kidney stone.
4. Unconstrained consumption of large quantities increases the risk of obesity.
5. Largely to blame for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children because of high doses of caffeine and sugar.
6. It is toxic to animals, especilly dogs and cats, because they are unable to metabolise theobromine in chocolate. Theobromine can also kill human as well if care is not taking.
There is considerable evidence that chocolate can provide powerful health benefits especially protective against cardiovascular diseases but that doesn’t mean you should go out and consume lots of chocolate everyday. It is loaded with calories and easy to overeat on. Maybe have a square per day and really try to savour them.
Be aware that a lot of chocolate on the market is crap. You need to choose quality chocolate, dark chocolate with >70% cocoa content. The darker the chocolate, the less the sugar content.
Take healthy chocolate.

Who wins the treble?

Juventus and Barcelona will be lurking horns in this year's UEFA champion league finals in Berlin. No one would have given Juventus a chance to get to this stage in the UCL at the beginning of the season. Today, FC Barcelona would be filing out their 4th finals in the last 10 years, of which they have never lost any of those finals. Juventus would be the underdogs in this finals, but they also have the experiences of some key players to count on who have seen it all at this stage of the competition. Juventus lost their last UCL finals against their league rivals AC Milan.
Battles would be won and lost in some key areas. The defence of Juventus without the services of Giorgio Chiellini would be seriously tested by the best attack in Europe this season (MSN). However, Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique must also be on top of their games in order to keep predatory duo of Alvaro Morata and Carlos Tevez quiet all through the game. The most interesting position to consider for these battles, is the midfield where the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta would be seeking to dominate the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Aturu Vidal and the young sensational, Paul Pogba .
This final is going to be keenly contested and frenetic. One thing is guaranteed, one of the two teams would end up with a treble.