Turmeric is one of nature’s most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:
1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.
3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.
5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.
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The best prevention against tetanus is proper immunisation as tetanus occurs almost exclusively in people who are unvaccinated or inadequately immunised. In the UK the vaccination is included in children’s vaccination programmes and is part of the combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio/haemophilus influenza b vaccine. For adults and teenagers it is included in the tetanus/diphtheria/polio vaccine. The vaccination course involves 5 doses of vaccinations: the primary course is given as 3 separate doses each a month apart, normally it is given to babies, starting when they are two months old, but it can be given to adults as well. In children the fourth dose is given three years after their primary course, in adults it is administered ten years after the primary course. Finally the fifth dose is given ten years after the fourth. The primary course provides protection for a number of years while the fourth and fifth doses maintain this protection and should last a life-time. Vaccinations inject a small amount of dead or harmless bacteria into the blood, which the body recognises as foreign. The body’s immune system then produces antibodies to destroy these foreign particles and at the same time memory cells are made so that if there is a second exposure (if you actually were infected by tetanus) your immune response would be much quicker and more effective. After the vaccine it is normal to feel slightly unwell with symptoms including mild headache, aching muscles and mild fever which last a few days. You should not have the vaccine if you already have an illness causing a fever or if your last tetanus vaccination caused a severe reaction although this is very rare. It is safe to have the vaccine if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
If you suspect that you might be at risk to tetanus you should seek medical help immediately. The wound should be washed clean to remove any dirt and foreign particles from the wound. If it is a particularly dirty or severe wound then dead and infected tissue may be removed by surgery debridement (this involves cutting away the dead tissue).
Tetanus is a potentially fatal disease: it acts very quickly and often kills before the body’s natural primary response can take place. There are about 1million cases of tetanus a year with between 300,000-500,000deaths. It is a global problem because tetanus spores, which cause the infection, are everywhere. However, due to vaccination programmes, tetanus is rare in the UK with only about 10 cases a year; the main problems are encountered in developing countries where vaccines may be too expensive and equipment may not be properly sterilised.