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Australian Nobel winner experimented on himself.

Science keeps changing its stand often especially in areas of medical findings. However if these scientists did not work so hard and brought out their fine findings, we would have been much less aware about the mysteries of the human body and medicine in general.
    
In one such extraordinary finding, a scientist drank a cocktail of bacteria to prove that ulcers were not caused by stress. Ulcer is an open sore of the skin or mucus membrane characterized by sloughing of inflamed dead tissue. Ulcers are found mainly in the areas of skin, mouth, and intestine.
   
When Dr Warren, 68, and Dr Marshall, 54, announced in 1982 that Helicobacter pylori, an unknown bacterium, caused ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, unlike what many doctors believed at that time, However doctors were skeptical of the announcement. Skepticism was mainly based on the fact that in such areas of the body bacteria could barely thrive due to the acidic environment therein.
   
Through his experiment on self, scientist proved that it was the Helicobacter pylori bacterium and not stress that was the culprit behind ulcers. As a result of their great work, and findings which was crucial to understanding ulcers, they have won the 2005 Nobel Prize in medicine.

The discovery led to the development of antibiotics and drug treatment for most ulcers, overturning the conventional medical thinking of the time and easing the suffering for millions of people each year.

The Nobel prize which is one of the foremost awards in the world, fetches them a check for $1.3 million, a diploma, a gold medal and a handshake with the king of Sweden at the award ceremony in Stockholm on December 10.

Australian Nobel winner was a human guinea pig - Reuters AlertNet
Nobel Prize Awarded for Stomach Ulcer Discovery - Slashdot

Will Bird flu spiral out of control?

Bird flu which is also known as Avian influenza; influenza virulent in birds, is a dreaded disease. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.

Indonesia is currently battling an outbreak, which left four people said, and 17 cases are suspected in humans. At present, there is no evidence that the virus spreads from human to human. However once it develops that capacity through mutation, scenario could be horrible and as predicted in the following Financial Times article.

Virus presents doctors with nightmare scenario – Financial Times.

Diabetes - Inhaler may replace Injection.

Diabetes patients can heave a sigh of relief. A form of insulin that can be inhaled has been recommended for approval by US FDA advisors.

The drug, Exubera, has been made to offer diabetics an alternative to the insulin injection routines. Diabetes affects millions of people and there are many who depend upon daily injections. Being able to avoid the injections, as some asthmatics do, will be a blessing to those people.

Inhaler may replace insulin shots – BBC News.
Inhalable insulin gets FDA panel OK - CNN Health.

Health talk:

People, who have no cholesterol, ever smoked a cigarette, get sick and die. Not everything has been known about the mysteries of the human body and why one gets sick and other does not. However what we can do is, be led by the best knowledge available.

Excerpts from an article published on CalicutNet recently:

“People today are living shorter and dying longer. Why? As we all know that yesteryears life threatening diseases were Cholera, TB, Polio, Small Pox etc., and it’s almost been controlled or eradicated by the development of science and technology. But in recent times the threat has been Obesity, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Cancer, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Asthma, Arthritis, Parkinson’s and the list goes on.”

Way to health by VK Baburaj…

Tender coconut juice getting popularity

Keralites are now returning to their homely drinks. One of his present delicacies is tender coconut juice. Tender coconut juice parlours are mushrooming in cities like Kozhikode. They charge Rs 8 to 10 for a glassfull of this juice.

Anyway, tender coconut juice shops have got wide publicity among city dwellers as well as visitors. Since the Malabar region produces quality coconuts, juice vendors get quality tender coconuts also.

Eat Less and Walk More.

Recenly I got a chance to interview an acclaimed physician who has specialised in diabetes.

He had come to Kozhikode for attending a seminar organised by the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. His key warning to people was this: 'Eat less and Walk more'.

When we eat, we must think about this. Because mindless eating will take you to the deathbed too fast. So, Eat Less and Walk More.

Stem cell breakthrough! Future Medicine!

Scientists for the first time have turned ordinary skin cells into what appear to be embryonic stem cells -- without having to use human eggs or make new human embryos in the process, as has always been required in the past. This opens new vistas to stem cell based treatment plans if realized. One of the issues facing stem cell based medical options were the use of embryonic stem cells which required an embryo to be destroyed after use of the cells.

Potential Stem Cell Breakthrough - CNN