Biotin, or B7, is an essential B vitamin that helps the body get energy and nutrients from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Gastrointestinal bacteria usually produce enough biotin to meet bodily needs. Many foods also contain small amounts of biotin, including whole wheat, egg yolks, nuts, and legumes. Biotin and hair growth While biotin has become popular for...
Category: <span>Patient Education</span>
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What are Stem Cells, Exactly? [Fact Sheet]
tem cells can multiply (self-renew) and differentiate into every cell within the human body, giving them enormous potential for use in regenerative medicine. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult humans, stem and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized...
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Starbucks latte ‘almost sent diabetic mother-of-one, 46, into a coma’ thanks to the 18 GRAMS of sugar it contained
Liz Adams, a mother-of-one, had stopped for a Starbucks latte at service station However after having a ‘grande’ latte she began to feel dizzy and got a headache She found her blood sugar level had gone from 6.5mmol/L to 26.9mmol/L She believes her life was put at risk and is calling on Starbucks to make...
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Nine signs children may need an eye exam
Back-to-school shopping lists might include school supplies, new clothes, and even a haircut, but does it include an eye exam? Physicians in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology think it should. “More often than not, vision problems go unnoticed until children begin school,” said Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Marcela Frazier, O.D.. “Children grow up...
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Tantalizing Clues Point to Inflammation’s Role in an Array of Diseases
Inflammation has become one of the hottest buzzwords in medical science, pointed to as a culprit in causing or aggravating conditions ranging from allergy to autism to Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s far from clear that standard anti-inflammatory drugs, which have been around for decades, will help patients with those conditions, especially since they often come...
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Soluble and insoluble fiber: What is the difference?
Dietary fiber, the indigestible part of plant material, is made up of two main types. Soluble fiber easily dissolves in water and is broken down into a gel-like substance in the part of the gut known as the colon. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is left intact as food moves through the...
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Hypnosis: What is it, and does it work?
Hypnosis has been treading the line between quackery and therapy since around the 18th century, but recently it has been picking up steam as an alternative treatment for many disorders. What is hypnosis, does it work, and if so, how? We investigate. Is hypnosis real? If so, what does it actually do? Since the 18th...
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The Ever-Expanding T-Cell World: A Primer
New types of T cells seem to pop up in the scientific literature with increasing frequency. Just this June, for instance, University of Melbourne immunologist Angela Pizzolla and her colleagues described a type of tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cell in the nose that, unlike other Trm cells, can develop from “killer T cells” without antigen exposure or growth-factor stimulation....
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What’s to know about skin cancer and rashes?
A rash on the skin is often caused by an allergy or reaction to an outside source. A cancer-related skin rash is caused by a cancerous or precancerous condition that produces abnormal changes in the skin. Some growths and rashes can indicate cancer or cancer-related problems. In some cases, the symptoms on the skin are signs of...
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Does a fever always mean you have an infection?
Our fear of fevers made us terrified of even a slight increase in body temperature. The shivers, the shakes, the chills—we’ve all experienced a fever at one time or another. When we take our temperatures and the thermometer reads anything above 99 degrees, many of us immediately believe we are afflicted with some kind of...