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BASF to Showcase New Products for Sustainable Construction During AIA 2012

May 10, 2012
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Florham Park, NJ (PRWEB) May 07, 2012

BASF, the worlds leading supplier of chemical innovations for the construction industry, will showcase advances in energy-efficient, durable and sustainable high-performance construction materials during the American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Convention and Design Exposition at booth #803 from May 17-19, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.

BASFs intelligent high-performance solutions are the answer to future design challenges, said Beate Ehle, Executive Vice President, BASF Corporation and President, Market and Business Development for BASF in North America. Used for generations in landmarks such as the Hoover Dam, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and most recently One World Trade Center, BASF solutions enable creation of smarter, more efficient buildings, and save time, money and precious resources.

Featured innovations will include:

Basotect


Raisins May Help Lower Blood Pressure

April 25, 2012
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If you have mild high blood pressure or also called pre-hypertension, then you should consider regularly eat raisins. A handful of raisins three times daily seem to significantly lower blood pressure in these people. The improvement was even greater when compared to eating other snacks.

Researchers from the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center (L-MARC) presented the results of their research at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The research was made possible by the California Raisin Marketing Board.

The Research

Even though raisins are often recommended as a snack for people suffering from high blood pressure, according to the researchers for the first time there is scientific proof on the antihypertensive properties of raisins compared to other snacks. “We could find little objective research in medical literature until this study was performed,” said lead researcher Harold Bays.

Together with his colleagues they studied the effect of bays raisins and other snacks in blood pressure of 46 adults with pre-hypertension. The control snack such as crackers and chocolate biscuits did not contain raisins, vegetables or fruit, but had the same amount of calories as a serving of raisins. The participants of this study snacked on their foods three times daily for 12 weeks.

Lowering the Blood Pressure

The raisins reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly after 4, 8 and 12 weeks during the study. The control snacks did not have this effect. Dr. Bays said “If you can choose between raisins or another snack such as crackers, it seems wise for your blood pressure to go for the raisins.”

The researchers have not demonstrated why the raisins lower blood pressure. “Raisins are rich in potassium, a mineral which we know have properties to lower blood pressure,” explains Dr. Bays “In addition, and they are a source of antioxidants and fiber.”

Yet there are also other foods rich in potassium, such as potatoes, coffee, fruit and vegetables. If you are curious about these effects of raisins, simply consult your nutritionist.

Women May Have Tried More than 61 Types of Diets by the Age of 45

April 23, 2012
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According to a survey of about 2,000 British men and women, the average 45 year old person has tried an average of 61 diets. These people, especially women, have tried everything whether it is a cabbage soup diet, an apple diet or a bread diet.

What this data implicate is that you have done at least two types of diets every year since you were 16 years old until you reach your 45th birthday. More than three quarters of the respondents had in the past year failed in their dieting attempts. Most diets that these women take up do not seem to have the desired effect. They feel that they will eventually find a diet that will be the most appropriate for them. This study also pointed out that a large number of women go on a diet but also do not incorporate other healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising and living a low stress life.

Women may not realize it but dieting regularly can influence the way their children eat and act towards food. Based on this study, about six in ten people report that their children have asked to avoid certain foods such as bread, potatoes and vegetables. Their children assume that these are unhealthy foods. What was surprising is that half of the parents remove these types of food from the menu, while they assume that they enjoy a healthy eating pattern. Parents should set a good example and delve into what healthy eating actually is.

The obsession with weight loss may have an adverse effect on our eating habits. Many people lose sight of what a normal, healthy and balanced diet should consist of. These women especially mothers have the risk to influence other people in their family including their children. Essentially, it is important to eat healthy and balanced plus exercise regularly. If you have more questions about dieting consult a nutritionist as soon as possible.

Too Much Red Meat Increases the Risk of Heart Problems

April 21, 2012
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Eating a large amount of red meat may increase the risk that you die from the effects of various diseases such as cancer and heart disease. This was the result of a study by Harvard Medical School. The research was conducted among 120,000 physicians and nurses in the United States. Several studies have found a link between eating red meat and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

According to the survey if you have a portion of your red meat intake substituted with a portion of fish, poultry, legumes, low fat dairy or whole grain cereal it reduces the risk substantially.

What is red meat? Red meat is basically meat that originates from a cow, sheep, pig or other mammals. Poultry is not included in red meat. Red meat does not only mean raw meat but it also can mean processed meats such as sausages and hot dogs and also cooked meat from hunted mammals like dear.

Why is red meat so bad? The possible culprits in red meat are saturated fats, cholesterol, and other harmful components that are formed during the processing of meat as seen mainly in burnt meat. But the salt and nitrite in processed meat products may also be a cause for cardiovascular problems.

Is red meat entirely so bad for health? No, red meat also contains important nutrients such as iron, protein and vitamins B. The Nutrition Center advises to eat around 500 grams of red meat per week and vary that intake with different kinds of meat, meat, egg, fish and meat substitutes.

Essentially it is important to have a well balanced daily diet. Although everyone enjoys a good steak or a burger, too much red meat in a regular basis is not good. For more information about red meat in the diet, it is important to consult your local nutritionist.

Sleeping Less Can Increase Your Weight

April 21, 2012
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People with less sleep can store up to 549 calories more per day than people who have enough sleep. This can lead to a weight gain of about one pound per week. These were the results from a recent study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. There have been several studies showing that there is a relationship between disturbed sleep patterns and weight gain. Usually large amounts of people over compensate the feeling of tiredness with over eating.

In this study 17 men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 years old were examined. The normal sleep patterns among the participants are determined before the study begins. After that, one half of the group was allowed as much sleep as they wanted and the other half was only allowed to sleep about two thirds of their normal sleep pattern. Both groups were allowed to consume as much food and drink as they want.

The group that were allowed two thirds less sleep than normal ate at an average of 549 extra calories per day and the group that was allowed to sleep as much as they wanted ate 143 calories less. This is a very significant amount of difference between both groups. The group that received less sleep has to burn off more calories in order to be in shape.

According to the researchers, a lot of people believe that if they sleep less, they quickly burn more calories, but this is unfortunately not so. The people who slept less tend to have increased appetites as well. The relationship between sleep and weight gain is difficult to explain. It is often thought that hormones may play a role here, but this requires more research.

But if you want to lose weight having enough sleep on a regular basis cannot hurt at all. On the other hand, sleeping way too much is also not good for the body.

Increasing Your Chances for Pregnancy with Regular Tea Consumption

April 20, 2012
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According to researchers at Boston University, two cups of tea every day can increase the chances of a pregnancy. This is in contrast to soft drinks such as cola or orange soda. The drinking habits of a women can play a role in the chances of her pregnancy.

They took some 3,600 women with an average age of 28 years old that wanted to be pregnant and examined their daily habits of tea consumption. It was found that women who regularly drink tea – about 2 cups per day – over a quarter (27%) had more chance of pregnancy than women who drank no tea. The difference between tea and soda consumption on pregnancy seem quite obvious.

Soft drinks had just the opposite effect. Women who drank two or more glasses of soda per day, had just 20% less chance of a pregnancy. It did not matter whether they drank regular or sugar-free soda. The researchers stated that it had no effect of coffee drinking.

It is still unclear whether there really is a causal link between tea drinking and getting pregnant. Other factors may have played a role, such as the lifestyle of women. These factors were not taken to account with this specific study.

According to Maha Ragunath of the Care Fertility Center in Nottingham, tea contains special properties that promote the fertility of both men and women. These properties have be known for centuries in Asian medicine but have only been studied in the West just recently. But women who wish to become pregnant should not consume at once large quantities of tea to drink – everything must be taken into moderation.

A more comprehensive study with various factors taken into account should be done to follow up this study. It is important to understand that pregnancy occurs due to various factors and not just tea consumption alone.

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