For most people, having a trainer for both exercise and Nutrition coaching can make a world of difference.

A bit of Tai Chi can go a long way in relieving the symptoms of Shingles, says new research.

Shingles is a Neurological disease brought on by the chicken pox virus.  And is very painful, often showing itself in people over the age of 50.

In a study paid for by the National Institutes of Health, researchers took 112 volunteers ages 59 to 86 and split them into two groups. One was given 40-minute tai chi lessons three times a week for 16 weeks. The other was given health-counseling classes.

The researchers, led by Dr. Michael R. Irwin of the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the people who did tai chi improved their immunity to varicella-zoster. They also found that when the volunteers were vaccinated later against the virus, the tai chi practitioners had a better response to the vaccine. The study appears in the current issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

A doctor answers questions about Heart Disease.

Green tea contains a substance called EGCG. We’ve all become familiar with it as a diet aid, one that really does help. It also has cancer fighting properties. But, now there is evidence that EGCG may decrease the production of a hormone called Beta-Amyloid Protein that is responsible for the brain plaque accumulation at the heart of the disease.

But make sure you are not only drinking green tea, but are taking a dedicated green tea supplement.

The Florida team showed that other flavonoids in green tea actually block EGCG’s ability to prevent the harmful build up of beta-amyloid.

Those flavanoids are very important, and you should be taking them in though the tea itself. But, I advise people to take an EGCG supplement at a separate time of the day to make sure there is no conflict.

More good news for tea lovers:

The US research compared the tea-drinking habits of 1,400 people with skin cancer and 700 who had not developed the disease.

The study, in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, suggests chemicals in tea could have a protective effect.

See Also Matcha More Powerful than Regular Green Tea

Researchers at Columbia University found a link between Bacon and other cured meats and incidences of Lung Disease.

Dr Rui Jiang, leading the research, said high levels of nitrites are used in cured meats such as bacon as preservatives, anti-bacterial agents and colour fixatives.

He said reactive nitrogen species, molecules that can damage body tissues, might be the key.

He said: “Nitrites generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage to the lungs, producing structural changes resembling emphysema.”

A new episode of the The Fitcast has guests John Berardi and Dave Tate. Dave Tate, a Champion Powerlifter who’s bad eating habbits nearly cost him his life, worked with John Berardi to not only lose weight, but to become a healthier individual.

Here’s a video about a type of heart disease called Angina. If you have chest pains during exercise, then you should see a doctor about the possibility of having Angina.

GEORGE A. BELLER, MD, MACC: The signs and symptoms of angina are very straightforward. The patient experiences a feeling of pain or pressure, particularly with exertion, that is localized predominantly in the center of the chest, behind the breastbone. And it’s feeling of a diffuse nature, and it can move up into the neck and jaw and down either arm. But some people can experience it only up in the throat or jaw, and some will experience it way down, almost at the top of the stomach. But it typically occurs with physical activity, and then is relieved by rest.

From Science Daily:

The active ingredient in marijuana cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread, say researchers at Harvard University who tested the chemical in both lab and mouse studies.

“The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer,” said Anju Preet, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Experimental Medicine.

As an important side note, the THC was injected, not smoked.

From Science Daily:

A molecule designed by a Purdue University researcher could lead to the first drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is the most exciting target today for Alzheimer’s disease intervention,” said Tang, who holds the J.G. Puterbaugh Chair in Medical Research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. “These interactions happen at a very early stage in the disease, and if we could block them, we could prevent many of the harmful steps that follow and drastically reduce the impact. In our most recent tests, a single dose of the designed compound reduced the beta-amyloid level by 30 percent.”