Category Archives: Learning About Your Health

Wonderful Reasons to Eat Cheese

 

You do not need an expert to tell you that cheeses play an important role in your health. It is thereby important to consume it – regardless of the type. There are many cheeses in the world – some are unique in their own region while others are very common. Here in Singapore for example, you often hear cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella cheese from your pizza orders.

Throughout history, it has been part of human diet as well as a gourmet food. It is indeed delicious plus nutritious. Speaking of nutrition, you have to know the nutrition facts of cheese so you can continue patronage and share it to your friends as well. Here are the good reasons for eating cheese:

  • Protein: Let it be known that cheeses are an exceptional source of protein. For example, a slice of cheddar cheese (about 28 grams) holds 6.7 grams of protein – this is similar to a glass of milk. The milk proteins are rich in essential amino acids plus it is highly digestible. Proteins are excellent agents that can promote lower blood pressure and improved absorption of minerals in your digestive tract.

 

  • Fat: The fat content of a cheese depends on its type. Cheeses have intense saturated fat (about seventy percent) and monounsaturated. Have you heard about ruminant Trans fats? If you haven’t, you should know that it is good for the body if consumed in reasonable amounts.

  • Carbs: The carb content of cheese depends on the aging, type and brand. The carbohydrate in milk is referred to as lactose. During the production, the lactose is broken down into two things – glucose and galactose. If you are lactose intolerant, this is not the best for you. If you are not, always remember to consume it moderately.

 

  • Vitamins and minerals: The good news is that cheese is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. This is not a surprise since cheeses are made from milk. You will get calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin K2.

There is no doubt that cheeses are beneficial for your health. This is enough reason to consume it. However, you have to be cautious because there are some cheeses who warn for consuming only moderate slices.

If you want to know more about cheeses, you have to learn some of its features, kinds and types so you won’t be easily fooled in the market. Remember that the color can vary from white to yellow and green depending on its type.

The Health Benefits of Cheese

 

You are old now to know that everything taken in excess can harm the body. You have to remember that moderate consumption of anything is still the best remedy. If in this case you love cheese, it is crucial that you do not take it excess if you want to reap its optimum health benefits.

There are many cheeses here in Singapore but wait till you travel the world, you will be overwhelmed with many cheese options and origins. Cheese is tasty and nutritious but not all people know its health benefits. So, what are the health benefits of cheese? Here is a list:

It can improve bone health and teeth

Cheese comes from milk (cow, sheep and goat). The taste and texture will depend on the type of milk and the aging process. Since it is a dairy product, there is no doubt that it can improve bone health including your teeth. Perhaps you heard about osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that has the power to reduce your bone density. As a result, you will be prone to fractures. Elderly women are at risk with osteoporosis.

Eating cheese can effectively battle osteoporosis thereby improving your bone health.

It can benefit heart health

One of the leading causes of death not only here in Singapore but the world is heart disease. It has been found out by research that consumption of dairy products can benefit heart health. It can even reduce your risk of having hypertension. The exceptional nutrients in the cheese like calcium, magnesium and potassium can help with the heart.

It can improve nervous system functions

This is not common but you have to know that cheese contain vitamin B12. Vitamin B12, which is called cobalamin, can help facilitate or improve nervous system functions.

It can improve muscle-to-fat body composition

For athletes out there, cheese (particularly the full fat cheese) can help when it comes to improving muscle-to-fat body composition. Cheese has high in calorie which is perfect for the athletes. If you want to gain more weight, the calories can also do the trick.

Now that you know the benefits of cheese, it is time that you include it in your dietary plan. You have to be careful though when consuming cheese and other dairy product because you might be allergic to it or if you are lactose intolerant, it can affect your body. You have to check with your doctor first. As mentioned earlier, consume it in moderation if you want optimum health benefits.

Every Men’s Guide to Male Breast Cancer

While being diagnosed with breast cancer is rare in men, it still happens. Any cell in the body can become cancerous. So even if men only have a small volume of breast tissue, it’s still possible for breast cancer cells to develop there. A man’s risk of developing breast cancer is one per 1,000 – and because it’s that uncommon among men, the disease is often not diagnosed until it’s already in the later stage, making it more difficult to treat. But with proper knowledge and going through breast cancer screening tests, men can now protect themselves from the life-threatening disease.

Which Men Will Likely be diagnosed with Breast Cancer?

Being diagnosed with the disease is rare for men who are under 35. Similar with women, a man’s chance of developing breast cancer also goes up with age. Breast cancer usually happens to men between ages 60 to 70. Other than age, the other factors that affect a man’s risk of developing the disease include:

• Breast cancer history among female relatives
• Radiation exposure on the chest area
• Breast enlargement (gynecomastia) from treatments using hormones or infections
• Taking oestrogen
• Severe liver disease (cirrhosis)
• Testicle diseases (mumpsorchitis), injury, or undescended testicles

How Serious is Male Breast Cancer?

Singapore specialists used to think that male breast cancer was more severe than breast cancer in women, but several studies revealed that the cancer’s severity in both genders is just the same.

The only problem is that male breast cancer tend to be diagnosed later in life than female breast cancer. This may be because men are less likely to be guarded about any changes in their chest area and also less likely to screen for breast cancer in Singapore. Also, their little amount of breast tissue makes it harder to detect early signs of breast cancer, giving tumours the freedom to spread to the other tissues surrounding it.

What are the Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer symptoms in men are similar to women’s. Most males are diagnosed with breast cancer when a man feels a strange lump on his chest. But unlike women, men often delay their hospital visits until more severe symptoms like nipple bleeding occurs – and at that point, the cancer cells may have already spread in other parts body organs. Other symptoms of breast cancer among men are tender or inverted nipples, and swelling or ulceration of the chest area.

The sooner these symptoms are diagnosed, the better the outcome of the treatment will be. So if you ever feel or notice any of the said symptoms, do have it checked as soon as possible.

Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Men

The same breast cancer screening tests and techniques used in women are also used in men: biopsies, mammography, and physical examinations.
Likewise, the same treatments used in treating breast cancer in women are also used in men. A lot of men can benefit from a combination of any of the following treatments.

• Surgery. The typical treatment for breast cancer in men is a mastectomy, a procedure wherein the entire breast is removed. Breast conserving surgery – just the tumour is taken out – isn’t usually possible, since men don’t have enough breast tissues needed for the procedure. Oftentimes, Singapore surgeons also takes out one or more lymph nodes to see whether or not the cancer has spread on other parts of the body.

• Radiation Therapy. After undergoing a surgical procedure to remove cancerous lumps on the chest area, you can also have a radiation therapy to kill off cancer cells that were missed during the surgery. If the cancer is deemed inoperable, then radiation therapy might serve as your main treatment.

• Chemotherapy. In this kind of treatment, you’ll be given drugs – either through injection or by mouth – to attack and kill the cancer cells. You may undergo chemotherapy after surgery to lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence. For men with an advanced type of cancer or cancer that has spread throughout the body, chemotherapy is used as their primary treatment.

• Hormone Therapy. Certain types of breast cancer need particular hormones to grow – and hormone therapy works by blocking the effects of these hormones, thereby stopping the growth of cancer cells. This procedure is often more successful in men than in women, since about 90 percent of men are diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive cancer. Tamoxifen is the standard drug used in hormone therapy to treat male breast cancer. Oftentimes, removal of testes reduces the amount of certain male hormones. Men diagnosed with breast cancer are even advised to never take testosterone as it’ll only encourage cancer cell growth.

You can undergo hormone therapy after surgery to lower the chances of breast cancer coming back. Hormone therapy is usually considered as a primary treatment for men diagnosed with metastatic or locally advanced cancer.

• Targeted Therapy. Some men have excess protein (HER2) in their body that makes cancer spread quickly. Herceptin is a drug recommended by health experts to treat breast cancer cells that has spread to other parts of the body. The drug simply stops the said protein from making the cancer cells grow, while boosting the immune system to give you more strength to fight the disease.

Although it’s a rare case among men, being knowledgeable about breast cancer is still important. Like anyone who’s been diagnosed or treated from the disease, make sure that you go through all the necessary breast cancer screening Singapore tests to keep yourself protected. Living a healthy lifestyle and getting regular medical care will surely save you from this deadly disease.