Carrots - What do you know Question 2

Lycopene is an antioxidant found in tomatoes. Is it also in carrots?

Red carrots contain lycopene which is thought to prevent prostate cancer.

Prescription Medications - Questions To Ask #2

Next make sure you understand exactly what time of day you should take you medication. This is extremely important with medications used to treat diabetes. To have the maximum benefit, you should take some of these 30 minutes before you eat, not with the meal or after the meal.

Also ask how you should take the medicine and for how long you should take the medicine. Taking an antibiotic until you feel better is not the way to take it. On the other side of that coin is be sure that you actually need the antibiotic. Remember that almost all bacterial infections are cured by your immune system and all viral infections are cured by the immune system. If your immune system is compromised, then you may need medicines to help your immune system fight the infections. Most colds do NOT need to be treated with an antibiotic. You're not doing yourself any favors by requesting and getting an antibiotic for a cold. In fact many times an antibiotic will make the cold symptoms last longer.

Antibiotics - When Should You Take Them?

I was asked the other day about whether a person should take antibiotics for a cold. This has been a source on consternation for me for years. Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics only help with bacterial infections and the antibiotics cannot do it alone. Your immune system in fact has to do most of the work. So having a healthy immune system is by far the most important thing in keeping you well.

Usually when the immune system is compromised by stress, lack of sleep, or something else is when you become sick with a cold. You can be healthy, but stress will really knock your immune system down and open the door for a virus to take hold.

The other thing to be aware of is that viruses usually last 10-14 days. Most people get impatient and want to be better right now. That is not going to happen with antibiotics, so don't rush off to the doctor in search of a magic pill. Rather boost up your immune system so that it can handle the virus.

Hormone Free or Antibiotic Free

When looking at labels, do you look for hormone free or antibiotic free? If you're looking for hormone free, you can stop when it comes to chicken or pork. A law was enacted in 1959 that chicken and pork had to be hormone free. Beef is and entirely different matter. You still need to read the labels for hormone free beef. Antibiotics are still used in all animals to stimulate growth. So you want to be looking at labels for "antibiotic free."

We tend to think of hormones and antibiotics just in terms of the meat. However, you should also be aware that milk can be coming from cows which have been injected with growth hormone to increase their milk production.

From a medical standpoint, we have no clear idea of the potential issues around eating foods that have have artificial hormones and antibiotics in them. One thing to ponder is that we have far more disease today than when these things were not available to enhance growth.