Breast Cancer and Hormone Replacement Therapy

A very important discovery has been made concerning breast cancer and women who take, or don't take, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause symptoms.

Studies done by Mayo Clinic researchers show that as women grow older involution of the breasts naturally occurs. The more involution, the less chance there is of developing breast cancer.

Studies show that after the age of 70 over half of women have complete involution. Women who never use HRT are more likely to have complete involution than those who do take HRT.

There are many natural herbal remedies that are safer than drugs for menopause symptoms.


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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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Used Toilet Water To Irrigate Lawns

A retirement village in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, will be the first such community in that area to use recycled toilet water to water their lawns according to operators of a local sewage plant.

Sewage plant operators say that similar systems are already being used at the Sussex Skyhawks minor league ballpark in Frankford and for irrigation at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington.

Reclaimed water is already being often used for irrigating golf courses and for industrial cooling systems in the United States but not for water on home lawns.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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Walking Best Exercise For Elderly

Elderly people, who can walk for 150 minutes every week, are healthier than those that don't exercise.

That is the conclusion according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Stanford University, Wake Forest University and the University of Florida.

The report showed that those aged 70 to 89 who remain active and continue with walking as a regular mild exercise are less likely to have health problems, be able to live in their own homes, and to have a longer life.


Even the elderly who have become sedentary can become revitalized by simply walking.

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Author: Marilyn PokorneyFreelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.Website: http://www.apluswriting.netEmail: Current address on website
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Walking Best Exercise For Elderly

Elderly people, who can walk for 150 minutes every week, are healthier than those that don't exercise.

That is the conclusion according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Stanford University, Wake Forest University and the University of Florida.

The report showed that those aged 70 to 89 who remain active and continue with walking as a regular mild exercise are less likely to have health problems, be able to live in their own homes, and to have a longer life.


Even the elderly who have become sedentary can become revitalized by simply walking.

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Author: Marilyn PokorneyFreelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.Website: http://www.apluswriting.netEmail: Current address on website
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Plastic Pollutes Ocean

There is an area the size of Texas, between California and Hawaii, that is polluted with plastic. Scientists call it the trash vortex.

Everything from fishing nets to pens and toothbrushes are found there. Over 80 percent of plastic in the ocean comes from land areas that have washed out to sea.

There is six times more plastic than plankton in the vortex.

People can help stop this pollution by disposing of plastic in the garbage where it is taken to landfills, recyling, and by using other reusable items like fabric shopping bags.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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Spiders And Capsaicin

What does a tarantula and a chili pepper have in common? Capsaicin.

While people use capsaicin to kill pain, spiders use it to help capture their prey.

While the actual product produced by the spider isn't capsaicin, it is a chemical in their venom which causes nerve cells to react in the same way as when they are exposed to capsaicin.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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Exercise More Important Than Diet

If you are trying to lose weight, exercise is more effective than a restricted diet.

Studies done at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences show that dieters lose weight but they also lose muscle mass. People who exercise lose weight but maintain muscle mass. And muscle muss is important to help burn still more calories.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Chocolate Good For Athletes

This past week brought news that chocolate is healthful for the heart. Now there is news that chocolate milk is good for athletes as well.

Studies showed that drinking chocolate milk, instead of common sports drinks, improved the performance of bicyclists 49 and 54 percent.

One nutrient that chocolate milk contains that the sports drinks either don't have, or have less of, is calcium.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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Chocolate Is Healthful

Chocolate is good for you. Chocolate is bad for you. It's official! Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is good for almost everyone!

Studies were conducted by the American Heart Association, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dark chocolate, has high levels of antioxidants called flavonoids. These help to remove free radicals in the blood.

Chocolate also appears to slow clotting of platelets for up to 12 hours after eating. This helps to prevent blood clots which can cause heart attacks and strokes.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Christmas Stressful For Children

All the hustle and bustle of the holidays is stressful for adults and even more for children. And still more for children that live with just one parent and have been through a divorce.

Make Christmas fun by writing to Santa and getting a reply.

What could be more fun for a child than to actually get a letter from Santa?

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Halloween Deer Story

A deer in Michigan got a Halloween pumpkin caught on it's nose. Locals feared that the deer wouldn't be able to eat so ideas were tossed around as to how to free the deer.

The deer seems to have shaken the pumpkin loose and will be fine.

Deer can be a nuisance in the garden. Here are some ways to keep deer out of the garden without harming them.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Snails Produce Medicine

The lowly snail may one day be a producer of pain medication, lessening the need for synthetic drugs and narcotics which can be addictive for people with severe chronic pain.

Studies conducted at the University of Utah and Wake Forest University show that the toxic venom can stop nerve pain and may be available within the next 10 years.

Snails are a close relative of slugs. Slugs are a common nuisance in the garden but maybe the lowly slug will one day show medical promise as well.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Garlic Kills Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Hospital acquired infections are becoming more and more prevalent due to bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a microbe that infects skin and soft tissue wounds and causes intestinal illness and even death in hospitals. The microbe, defeated by two modern day antibiotics, Methicillin and vancomycin, has become resistant to those drugs.

Researchers have found that in some cases the bacteria cannot grow when allicin, the substance in garlic, is present.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

New Ban on Synthetic Fertilizers

If you garden, and especially if you have a lawn, beware. New laws could soon limit the kind of fertilizer you apply to your lawn.

Fertilizers with phosphorus will be banned in some areas by 2008.

In some areas of the U.S. the phosphorus levels are reaching dangerous levels in city water supplies and surface waters.

High phosphorus levels can kill fish and promotes the growth of algae and other aquatic plants.

Homeowners should start planning on using natural fertilizers for lawns and gardens.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Mileage Tricks May Harm Engines

Gas prices are on an up and down cycle. Oil and gas prices go up and down quickly. Sometimes in just hours. Many vehicle owners are looking for quick fixes and tricks to extend mileage and may, instead, be harming their vehicles in the process.

The Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Trade Commission warns drivers to be cautious of any gas saving claims for cars.

Good engine and tire maintenance is the best thing any vehicle owner can do for the best mileage possible.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Use Plastic Bags and Pay a Fine

A fine of $2,000, or a jail sentence of up to 12 months, will be imposed on anyone producing, importing, using or selling plastic bags.

This is a fact if you live on the island of Zanzibar.

The plastic bags are fatal to birds, animals and marine life. On the tropical island, they can provide living quarters for disease carrying mosquitoes.
The bags take up to 1000 years to decompose.

A fine or a jail sentence might be just the thing needed to alert people to the problem of plastic in the environment and the most obvious choice of changing to more earth friendly products like reusable canvas bags.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Solar Energy From Plants

Oddly enough, it takes solar energy to grow plants but.......... plants may also be able to produce solar energy in return.

Scientists say that the sun sends enough energy to Earth in just one hour to meet all humanity's needs for an entire year.

So scientists are trying to develop versions of the pigment structures that plants use to produce energy.

In the meantime we can all harness solar energy in someunusual and unexpected ways.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Dog Collar Museum

Do you have a favorite dog collar? Is it an antique? Or simply just an unusual collar that you would like identified to see if it's worth a few, or more dollars? Here's your chance to find out!

The Leeds castle in England has the world's largest museum of dog collars. The collection spans 500 years of dogs as work mates and companions.

Perhaps you'd like to start your own family tradition with your best friend? Perhaps start with an earth friendly collar or a fancy fur collar for Christmas?

Either way............... your pet will love you for it!

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Allergic To Ladybugs?

Lady beetles, commonly called lady bugs, are one of the most friendly insects to have in the garden.

But, one species, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people. According to entomologists, this species is rapidly outnumbering the friendly, more well-known, convergent lady beetle found across the U.S.

In the fall ladybugs search out a warm place to hibernate for the winter and often enter homes. While nothing more than a nuisance to most people, hypersensitive people can suffer allergic reactions from contact with the beetle.

The University of Louisville in Kentucky reports that only 9 cases of ladybug allergy were recorded before 2005 but that cases have risen to over 99 in 2006.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Cola Drinkers Risk Osteoporosis

Women who drink cola risk osteoporosis at a much higher percentage than women who don't drink cola.

Studies conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University showed lower bone mineral density in all women of all ages, and diet. The more cola drank, the lower the bone mineral density was.
It made no distinction between sweetened or diet cola. Results were the same.

Scientists theorize that it's the phosphoric acid in dark cola which reacts with the calcium in the bone.

Men's bones were not affected because they have more bone mass than women to start with.
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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Winter Allergy Prevention

Bothered by sneezing, wheezing, and itchy eyes even after the temperature has gone below zero and the flowers and plants are gone for the season?

The cause of most winter allergies is mold and dustmites. Here are some tips to help keep you well this winter.

Use a humidifier to keep the air dry to prevent mold from growing.

Use exhaust fans in bathrooms.

Keep bedding dry and wash with hot water.

Keep air ducts clean and change furnace filters monthly.

Use electronic or other types of air cleaners and purifiers.

Keep firewood outside and bring in only enough for the fireplace at one time.


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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Pumpkin for a Healthy Prostate

By the age of 40 more than half of all men have an enlarged prostate gland and by age 80, only one in five men will not have the affliction.

Today, researchers at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan have confirmed that pumpkin seed oil actually shrinks the prostate gland in aged rodents.

The prostate gland enlarges as a result of an overproduction of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Pumpkin Seed oil contains chemicals that seem to prevent the transformation of testosterone into DHT. Scientists have discovered that pumpkin seed oil contains a steriod called delta-7-sterine which basically neutralizes the effects of the DHT.


*****************************************
Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Calcium for Depression

If you are depressed, you need calcium to protect your bones.

Scientists at Jerusalem's Hebrew University have discovered that depression causes the body to release a chemical called noradrenaline. This chemical, useful during times of stress or danger, weakens bone-building cells during depression.

A high calcium diet is necessary for strong bones and to prevent osteoporosis.

Extra calcium is needed while on a low calorie diet as well.


*****************************************
Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Stop Smoking With Exercise

If you want to stop smoking get more exercise.

That is the conclusion by a study in two Austrian hospitals.

Patients were given treatment programs with either nicotine patches or nicotine gum, or a program that included exercise.

At the end of three months, 80 percent of those in the exercise program quit smoking. In the group that used only nicotine replacement, only 52 percent had quit.

Walking is a simple, yet the most effective exercise, that can be enjoyed by everyone almost anywhere.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
*****************************************

Coffee Lovers Love Ants

If you are a coffee lover you should love ants.

Scientists at the University in Colombia and University of Michigan studied ants in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Colombia.

Their research found that over 20 species of ants help to control the coffee berry borer, one of the major pests of coffee plants.

The ants also have a beneficial relationship with scale insects, another pest in coffee plant fields.

Additionally, when the ants were absent for 8 months, coffee leaf rust and coffee leaf spot flourished.

So with the next cup of coffee, remember to thank the ants for protecting the coffee plants.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website
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