Commonly sold as Voltaren, but available in a number of brands, it is one of a class of drugs all found to increase the risk of stroke, an extensive Danish study found.

Diclofenac, the key ingredient in Voltaren, is as dangerous as the arthritis drug Vioxx, said an international expert. Vioxx was withdrawn in Australia in 2004 because it was found to increase the risk of heart attack.

A spokeswoman from Novartis Australia, which makes Voltaren, said it should be used at the lowest possible dose for the shortest duration of time.

Last financial year almost 656,000 prescriptions for higher strength Voltaren and 246,000 prescriptions of high-dose Ibuprofen were covered under the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The study co-author and senior cardiologist at Gentofte University Hospital, Gunnar Gislason, told the Herald ibuprofen should be prescription-only and diclofenac should be banned.

Ric Day, a professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of NSW and St Vincent's Hospital, said that while the study analysed healthy people it was particularly relevant for people at risk of heart attack and stroke, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure.
Source: SMH, September 14, 2010

Chlorella, a single-celled fresh water algae, is perhaps most well known for its ability to detox your body by binding to toxins, such as mercury and carrying them out of your system.

Chlorella is about 60 % protein, and is considered to be a "complete protein" source because it contains all the essential amino acids.

Spirulina is another algae that is frequently confused with chlorella, as it has many of the same characteristics. One major difference is that spirulina does not have the ability to draw out heavy metal toxins like chlorella does.

Insulin resistant people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop plaques in their brains which are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

According to the University of Michigan, dementia strikes about 50% of people who reach the age of 85. Of those, about 60% go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.

The major culprits causing Alzheimer's or nerve damage in the brain:
1. Insulin resistance/diabetes
2. Insufficient omega-3 fats
3. Aluminum toxicity
4. Mercury toxicity
5. Lack of mental/brain stimulation
6. Anticholinergic drugs

Anticholinergic drugs is one class of drugs that have been linded to increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Available both over-the-counter and by prescription, anticholinergic drugs include night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, and other sleep aids.

Anticholinergic drugs block a nervous system neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Those suffering from Alzheimer's disease typically have a marked shortage of acetylcholine.
Source: Reuters, August 25, 2010
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, June 11, 2010

In a recent study, researchers asked students to ride stationary bicycles while listening to music. They were given a selection of six songs with a range of tempos.

When the tempo was slowed, their pedaling diminished in rate, their heart rates fell, and their mileage dropped. When the tempo was increased, they produced more power with each pedal stroke and increased their pedaling rate, and their heart rates rose.

Just how music impacts the body during exercise, however, is only slowly being teased out by scientists.
Souces: New York Times, August 25, 2010
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, August 2010

Research has discovered that vitamin D may be an effective therapeutic agent to treat or prevent allergy to a common mould.

Aspergillus fumigatus, is one of the most prevalent fungal organisms inhaled by people. In asthmatics and in patients with Cystic Fibrosis, it can cause significant allergic symptoms.
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation, August 16, 2010

There is increasing amounts of evidence supporting the notion that you can cut your workout time significantly while reaping better benefits with interval training.

• You burn extra calories for up to 8 hours after your interval session. With jogging you stop burning extra calories when you stop exercising.
  
• Your heart and lungs become bigger, stronger & able to take on sudden intense challenges more easily and recover quickly.
  
• Your body changes the way you store your carbohydrates in the future. To help fuel future intense interval challenges your body will become more efficient at converting carbs into glucose and glycogen.
  
• Glucose and glycogen is anabolic. It burns energy just sitting there. Fat does not.
  
• With low-intensity jogging-type cardio your body becomes more efficient at converting carbs to body fat in order to get ready for future low intensity long/endurance jogging sessions. Fat is your body's preferred source of fuel for jogging, whereas glycogen is the preferred source of fuel for interval-type cardio, e. g. 60 second power walk followed by a 30 second jog, & then a 15 second sprint.
  

It has been found that toxins from the gut contribute to obesity risk. These endotoxins are known to block insulin signaling in cells, causing insulin resistance and contributing to Metabolic Syndrome, cardiovascular (heart disease) risk and fatty liver. This shows the importance of having good digestion and if neccessary, taking a probiotic to rebalance the beneficial bacteria in the gut.