Fish oil supplements help heart disease patients

The products: All over the world -- Japan, the Arctic, Anaheim, wherever -- people who eat a lot of fish seem to enjoy unusual protection from heart disease. Not everyone can manage a plate of salmon or sashimi every night, but there's another option: fish oil capsules, the fatty extracts of anchovies, sardines or salmon poured into a package of gelatin.

FOR THE RECORD:

Fish oil: A May 5 Health section article examining the benefits of fish oil supplements said that "the Food and Drug Administration considers fish oil to be a nutritional supplement, not a medication." Lovaza, available by prescription, contains high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids and is FDA-approved for treatment of people with very high blood triglyceride levels (more than 500 milligrams per deciliter).

Fish oil is loaded with two omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Studies in humans and animals suggest that these nutrients can help prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and encourage healthy heart rhythms. Heart patients in Europe often receive prescriptions for fish oil capsules along with their beta blockers and blood thinners. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration considers fish oil to be a nutritional supplement, not a medication, but many Americans still buy the capsules in hopes of prescription-strength benefits.

Fish oil capsules are available pretty much anywhere vitamins are sold. Some typical examples: Nature Made sells 100 2.5-gram capsules for about $10. Each capsule contains about 650 milligrams of DHA and EPA combined. Ten dollars will also buy 100 capsules of Puritan's Pride fish oil, which contains about 360 milligrams of DHA and EPA per capsule. Don't like the fishy flavor? Natrol sells fish oil capsules laced with lemon oil to take the edge off. Pushing that concept to its outer limits, a company called GO3 sells chewable, strawberry-flavored fish oil tablets for kids.

The claims: There's an unwritten rule in supplement advertising: Products with the most scientific merit tend to make the most low-key claims. Accordingly, labels and websites for fish oil products generally don't promise miracle cures. The label for Nature Made fish oil simply states that "consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." Using slightly bolder terms, the Natrol packaging says fish oil will "support optimal health, including cardiovascular health."

The bottom line: Eating fish a couple of times a week is undoubtedly a healthful habit, says Dr. Thomas Pfeffer, a vascular surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles and the president of the L.A. chapter of the American Heart Assn. But that doesn't mean everybody should be stocking up on fish oil capsules, he adds. "It's always better to get nutrients from whole foods," he says.

According to Pfeffer, fish oil supplements have "no proven benefits" for people who don't already have heart disease, which leaves out the great majority of Americans. (Some experts believe that fish oil might ease rheumatoid arthritis, depression and certain skin problems, but the verdicts aren't in yet.)

For people recovering from a heart attack, fish oil capsules just might have the power to save lives. A 2002 Italian study of more than 11,000 heart attack survivors found that taking one capsule containing 850 milligrams of DHA and EPA each day cut the risk of death in the next three months by 40%. After four months, patients taking the fish oil were also 50% less likely to die suddenly, a clear sign that the supplements helped prevent dangerous arrhythmias.

A 2007 Japanese study of more than 18,000 patients with high cholesterol found that adding 1.8 grams of EPA each day to standard treatment with statin medications reduced the five-year risk of heart attacks, bypass surgery and other cardiac "events" by about 20%.

The American Heart Assn. officially encourages people who have heart disease to eat at least 1 gram of DHA and EPA combined each day, about what you'd get from 2 ounces of Atlantic salmon. Although the AHA says fatty fish is the best source of DHA and EPA, it also says patients can take fish oil capsules with their doctor's OK.

Patients with high triglycerides -- a type of fat found in the blood -- are the only ones who get a clear-cut recommendation to take fish oil capsules. For these patients, the American Heart Assn. suggests 2 to 4 grams of DHA and EPA each day.

Dr. Stuart Connolly, director of cardiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, says there's a reason why neither the FDA nor Health Canada, that country's national health system, considers fish oil to be a pharmaceutical product. By any measure, he says, fish oil isn't likely to be as helpful as prescription medications.

But fish oil supplements are considered safe in recommended doses, and Connolly says he's "cautiously optimistic" that the supplements could be a healthful addition to medical treatment for heart disease.

Pfeffer says heart patients who want to try fish oil should probably stick with gelatin capsules containing about 1 gram of DHA and EPA combined per day.

http://www.latimes.com

Champagne EDT by Yves Saint Laurent 3.3 fl oz

This rare collector’s bottle of Champagne by Yves Saint Laurent is a limited item since the company no longer produces it under this name. Instead, you will now find it sold under the re-named Yvresse to avoid the copyright dispute for the original name Champagne by Caron.

"From Parisian couturier Yves Saint Laurent comes Champagne, a sparkling concoction of fruits and florals. Champagne is corked in a bubbly flacon accented by hammered gold and corkwire. Hints of nectarine, mint, and vetiver enhance the vivid bouquet. The Yves Saint Laurent company reports that a French court ruled that Champagne is a name reserved for wine and can't be used for perfume. As a result, the fragrance is now marketed under the name Yvresse in Europe." No Box. ID=CS2

http://antiqueperfumebottles.net/

Combat office stress with aromatherapy

If you wake up in the morning feeling just as tired as you did last night or if the pitter patter of raindrops fail to lift your flagging spirits chances are that you are affected with work-related stress more deeply than you think.

Your daily dose of ‘perk-me-up’ pill doesn’t seem to be working anymore, meditation and yoga are too demanding for your office. Are you fighting a losing battle? No, say experts. For those looking for a convenient and faster way of combating stress at the work place, there is Aromatherapy. Let’s find what this science of smell can do for you...

“Aroma therapy is a holistic treatment that works as a natural stress buster that can be easily fused into your work environment with immediate positive benefits for conditions like lack of concentration, depression, agitation and of course stress,” says Dr. Naresh Arora, Aromatherapist, Chase Aroma Therapy.

Essential oils that form the basis of this treatment are derived from flowers and have calming effects on the central nervous system, thereby relieving you of stress and increasing concentration levels. Some of the aroma oils that work best to relieve office stress include the following:

Lavender Oil: It is a stress buster that not just wards off tension but also relieves you of mental exhaustion and agitation arising out of office nuances. It also improves concentration.

How to use: It can be used in a diffuser, which heats the oil and allow its molecules to harmonise with the atmosphere to keep you relieved.

If a diffuser is not available, then put just a drop or two of lavender oil on a cotton bud or tissue paper and place it near your work station. Soon you’ll find the fragrance working for you. Not just this, studies show that scenting your office with Lavender essential oil can even reduce computer errors by at least 25 per cent.

Quantity: 1-2 drops

Neroli Oil: This oil is best to calm a fatigued mind. It frees you of sluggishness and mental strain by improving your sleep.

How to use: The best time to use Neroli oil is the moment you lie on your bed. Just put a drop of the oil on your pillow and let it work to give you a soothing sleep.

Quantity : Less than 1 drop

Geranium oil: This flower based oil works to keep a tab on crisis, confusion and anxiety. It tranquilises your state of mind and boosts the immune system.

How to use: The best way to use geranium oil is to create your own spa with it. Add it in a tub full of lukewarm water and soak yourself in it for 20-30 minutes before going to bed.

Quantity: 3-4 drops in bath tub.

Basil oil: This oil is ideal to fight the effects of negativity, burn-out and intellectual fatigue. A regular use ensures better concentration, clarity of thoughts and a bounce of enthusiasm to keep you going at work.

How to use: Take a bowl of water and put less than a drop of Basil oil in it. Now, soak a towel in it and then use it to wipe off your body, specially the exposed parts of your body before going to sleep.

Alternately, you can also put one tenth of a drop of this oil behind your ear and feel the fragrance giving you a relaxing effect.

Fennel Sweet Oil: If you are experiencing a lack of creativity or feeling bogged down by over work, then fennel sweet oil is for you. This one will remove all kinds of mental blockage, clear the mind and motivates you to work with a fresh mind.

How to use: Again, it can be used in a diffuser placed in the room or on a cotton bud.

Quantity: 1-2 drops

Rosemary oil: Loss of memory, lethargy and strain can be treated with rosemary oil. It gives you energy, and gives a boost to the immune system.

How to use: It can be used in a bath or in a diffuser.

Apart from these, if you have any other favourite essential oil, you can use it in the following ways in your office:

1. A few drops of oil on the cardboard tube inside a roll of toilet paper works well to ensure a nice smelling bathroom.

2. Want to spread the scent around? Simply keep cotton ball dipped in essential oil between your business card box and there - you have scented cards!

Word of caution: The aroma oils are known to the world as the most refined form of medication, as mere smell of these can have positive effects on a patient. Keeping in mind their effectiveness, here comes a warning from Dr. Arora, from Chase Aroma Therapy “Taking care of the quantity is extremely important. If the right quantity can help you relieving the stress, an excess of a particular oil can affect BP levels - the person can go into depression, or can feel dizzy and can even faint at times. Less usage of these oils has a remedial effect while excess can be poisonous.”

Aromatherapy has been touted as an excellent stress buster and a productivity and efficiency booster world over. The combinations are vast and the possibilities are only limited to your imagination...so let it do wonders!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Antique Czech Perfume Bottle - Czech Perfume - ART DECO

This is an OLD Czech perfume bottle. Standing 5 3/4" tall and the widest base span diagonally is almost 3". The perfume has a 5 and 6-sided diamond/geometric design with a streamlined/linear stopper. The stopper had a dauber at one time that has since broken off. The bottle is faintly marked on the bottom exactly as follows: Made in (on top) (then) Czecho (over) slovakia. The condition is very good for a vintage piece of glass. ID=CZ10

http://www.auntjudysattic.com/

Skin Care: Scar-free Healing Shown With Gene Suppression

New research from the University of Bristol shows that by suppressing one of the genes that normally switches on in wound cells, wounds can heal faster and reduce scarring. This has major implications not just for wound victims but also for people who suffer organ tissue damage through illness or abdominal surgery.

When skin is damaged a blood clot forms and cells underneath the wound start to repair the damage, leading to scarring. Scarring is a natural part of tissue repair and is most obvious where skin has healed after a cut or burn. It ranges from trivial (a grazed knee) to chronic (diabetic leg ulcers) and is not limited to the skin. All tissues scar as they repair; for example, alcohol-induced liver damage leads to fibrosis and liver failure, and after most abdominal surgeries scars can often lead to major complications.

Tissue damage triggers an inflammatory response by white cells to protect skin from infection by killing microbes. The same white cells guide the production of layers of collagen. These layers of collagen help the wound heal but they stand out from the surrounding skin and result in scarring. Research by Professor Paul Martin and colleagues at the University of Bristol shows that osteopontin (OPN) is one of the genes that triggers scarring and that applying a gel, which suppresses OPN to the wound, can accelerate healing and reduces scarring. It does this in part by increasing the regeneration of blood vessels around the wound and speeding up tissue reconstruction.

Speaking of the discovery, Professor Martin said: ‘White blood cells (macrophages), and the chemical signals (PDGF) delivered to the wound cells, and osteopontin itself are now all clear targets for developing medicines to improve healing of skin wounds and other organs where fibrotic tissue repair can be debilitating. We hope that it won’t be too long before such therapies are available in the clinic. Indeed, the technique for suppressing OPN to reduce scarring is currently being licensed and patented by a Biotech company specializing in wound-healing therapies.’

Earlier research by Professor Martin’s lab and others has shown that embryos of many species, including humans, heal wounds without leaving a scar. Now it looks like the same may be true for adults.

The findings will be published by the Journal of Experimental Medicine on 26 January in a paper entitled ‘Molecular mechanisms linking wound inflammation and fibrosis: knockdown of osteopontin leads to rapid repair and reduced scarring’. The paper is currently available online

http://www.sciencedaily.com/

OLD CZECH JEWELED ORNATE PERFUME INTAGLIO

This is a very pretty little green Czech perfume bottle with filigree in the front and around the neck of the bottle. The filigree is encrusted with orange and green stones. The design cut into the bottle is geometric. There are no markings on the bottle. It measures 2 7/8in. tall, including the stopper, and 2in. across the bottom. There is a small dauber present. ID=CZ5

http://www.auntjudysattic.com/

European Birds Flock To Warming Britain, While Some Northern Species Not Faring As Well

Researchers at Durham, the RSPB and Cambridge University have found that birds such as the Cirl Bunting and Dartford Warbler are becoming more common across a wide range of habitats in Britain as temperatures rise.

Unfortunately, some northern species, such as the Fieldfare and Redwing, are not faring quite so well and their numbers are falling.

Researchers looked at twenty-five year population trends of 42 bird species in relation to changes in climatic suitability simulated using climatic envelope models.

Professor Brian Huntley from The Institute of Ecosystem Science at Durham University says: "The results are what we expected to find given the changes in climate over the last 20 years.

"Because the UK is in the middle Latitudes of Europe, we expected that recent climatic warming would favour species with ranges located in the south of Europe and adversely affect northern species."

Bird spotters may have to refer to new books to identify some of the new visitors to our shores but Britons who've visited the Mediterranean region may recognise the increasing presence of the famously explosive song of Cetti's Warbler.

Northern species that are under threat also include the Slavonian Grebe, a bird whose range extends at its southern margins to Scotland. The Fieldfare and Redwing - birds that are familiar as winter visitors to bird tables and gardens in the north-east but that breed only locally in parts of Scotland - are also suffering a downturn in numbers.

The models used to explore these trends are the same models that have been used to predict long term changes in all bird species across Europe; Durham's ornithological expert Brian Huntley has compiled 'A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds' to map potential changes in distribution of all of the continent's regularly occurring nesting birds. His work shows the need for urgent action on climatic change to avoid calamitous impacts on birds.

The new work has important implications for predicting future trends. Researchers can now look at what has happened in the past to help predict the future species and numbers of birds in Britain.

Southern birds flourishing in the warmer weather:
Little egret
Cetti's warbler
Cirl bunting
Dartford warbler

Northern birds dwindling in the warmer weather:
Redwing
Temminck's stint
Purple sandpiper
Shore lark
Snowy owl

http://www.sciencedaily.com/

DEVILBISS MATCHED PAIR ANTIQUE PERFUME BOTTLES

LOVELY PAIR OF DEVILBISS PERFUME BOTTLES WITH LONG GLASS DAUBERS. BEAUTIFUL BLUE GLASS WITH OPAQUE GLASS LIDS AND LONG GLASS DAPPERS BRASS FITTINGS. IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THESE BOTTLES ARE NOT MARKED BUT WERE PURCHASED AS DEVILBISS BY ORIGINAL OWNER. EACH BOTTLE MEASURES 3 3/4" IN HEIGHT.ID=OT13

http://antiqueperfumebottles.net/

Get Inspired by Bold and Natural Flavors

Peruse the dishes featured in America's top restaurants and epicurean magazines and it's easy to see that culinary trends this year are focusing on refreshingly bold flavors and natural ways to sweeten dishes. This movement has motivated home chefs to experiment in the kitchen with innovative ways to enhance the flavor and nutrition of their favorite recipes.

Recently, the Florida Department of Citrus called upon amateur chefs to put their culinary creativity to the test in the "Back to the Grove" recipe contest for a chance to win a grand prize trip to the Sunshine State. Citrus enthusiasts from across the country submitted original recipes containing at least one 8-ounce serving of 100 percent Florida orange juice, which contributes almost 25 percent of the UDSA daily recommended amount of fruit and vegetables when consumed in a single serving. The bold and sweet taste of Florida orange juice makes it an ideal ingredient to perk up everyday recipes by providing a splash of flavor to dishes from breakfast to dessert.

Contest winner Kelly Boe was inspired by the zesty flavor of citrus and Florida-style cuisine. Her Orange Couscous with Cinnamon Vinaigrette earned top honors from a panel of expert judges at the highly acclaimed Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts for taking a fresh approach to the common side dish.

Those looking to bring sunshine into their kitchen can easily recreate Boe's contest-winning recipe:

Orange Couscous with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup 100 percent Florida orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring orange juice and salt to a boil. Add couscous; stir. Remove saucepan from heat and cover; let stand 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Place couscous in medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, in small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar and cinnamon until emulsified. Set aside.

Add golden raisins, macadamia nuts and green onion to couscous. Pour vinaigrette over couscous mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until combined. Serve at room temperature.

To view more Florida-inspired recipes and get tips for cooking with orange juice, visit www.FloridaJuice.com/BackToTheGrove.

http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/

Three Chelsea porcelain scent bottles

Chelsea factory, London, England, 1750s

The Chelsea porcelain factory opened in the mid-1740s. It was run by Nicholas Sprimont (about 1716-71), a Flemish Huguenot who had originally worked as a silversmith. Sprimont employed a number of talented modellers and decorators to produce work of a superb standard.

The factory produced decorative pieces for the luxury market, often copying designs from factories at Meissen in Germany or from Vincennes and Sèvres in France. These included miniature items, called 'toys' at the time, such as these scent-bottles, as well as seals, thimble cases, snuff boxes and other expensive trifles. Many have amorous or flirtatious inscriptions on them and were often bought as gifts.

The scent bottles are made of soft-paste porcelain, painted in overglaze colours and gilt, with gold mounts. One is decorated with playful commedia dell'arte figures: the Doctor, Clown and Harlequin, who hides in a kennel. The upper part of the bottle takes the form of a dovecote and a dove acts as the stopper. The base is inscribed 'stratageme d'amour' (subterfuge of love). The second bottle shows two doves touching bills and is inscribed 'imite nous' (imitate us). The third has two cupids lighting a stove and is inscribed 'mon feu durera toujours' (my fire will last forever).

R. L. Hobson, Catalogue of the Collection of (London, British Museum, 1905)

A. Dawson, Eighteenth-century English Por (London, 1987)

Height: 9.100 cm (128)
Height: 9.100 cm (128)
Height: 9.100 cm (128)

Gift of Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks

M&ME 1887,3-7,128, 141, 108

Prehistory and Europe

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

Sea horse

A wild horse finds a way recently to stay cool as it swims in the waters off Shackleford Banks. (Cheryl Burke photo)

http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/