Ten Killer Diseases of Women

Like men, women are also continuously exposed to threats to their health. These threats are mostly related to her diet and working environment. Many of these threats are what we call as silent killers as they attack women’s health in a very discrete and slow way. In most cases, it takes long medication to finally be free from these diseases.

So what are the most threatening diseases to women? What are the causes and ways to fight them? Here are the ten most common but dangerous diseases of women. 

Heart diseases. Contrary to common beliefs, heart disease is not only men’s thing. It kills more people around the world than other diseases. Over the years, there is increasing number of women who died of this disease. Women above 50 are the most prone to these diseases. Accordingly, 27.2% of women’s death is caused by heart diseases.

Smoking (or exposure to secondhand smoke from tobacco and nicotine-based products), too much drinking and unhealthy diet are the main causes of heart diseases. In order to prevent or fight this disease, it is advised to include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber food and lean source of meat in the diet. Foods high in saturated fats and sodium shall also be limited, if not avoided. Women should also engage in physical activities in their daily routines, say aerobic exercises, and find ways to effectively manage everyday stress.

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Ten Major Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is one of the largest sources of electrical power in the world. The USA, Philippines and Indonesia are the three largest producers of geothermal electricity. The science behind this technology is simple – we use the heat beneath the ground either by extracting the steam produced underground or by pumping water into the heat source, thereby steam and bringing it up to be used. Inside the plant, the steam conveyed through the pipes is used to turn generator which eventually produces electricity.

This type of energy is renewable as the heat underground does not get exhausted. It sounds promising, but there are certain disadvantages with its use. Here are the ten major drawbacks of geothermal energy:  

1. Location. Geothermal systems are site specific. Though hot rock reserves are found all over the world, the technology is very much applicable only to places located near the Pacific Ring of Fire, volcanic areas, or spots near tectonic plate boundaries. Hot rock reserves in these places are shallower and hence, easier to access than other sites.

2. Reachable reserves. Aside from their depth with respect to ground surface, the type of rock above the reserve is also important. It must be a type that can be easily drilled through.

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Image courtesy of Conserve Energy Future.

Critically Endangered Foxes and Wolves

Wolves and foxed may be some of the wildest animals in nature. Yet, their savageness does not exempt them from dangers and menaces that threat their survival. They belong to the family of Canidae which includes the dogs, jackals, coyotes, and other dog-like animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed five species of Canidae under the status of Critically Endangered, meaning that they face extreme risk of extinction. Here are the five critically endangered wolves and foxes:

Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis), also known as coast fox, short-tailed fox, Channel Islands fox, insular gray fox, California Channel Island fox and island gray fox, is a small fox endemic to six of the eight Channel Islands of California. Its head-to-body length is only 48-50 cm and it weighs between 1 and 2.8 kg. The island fox has gray fur on its head, a ruddy red coloring on its sides, white fur on its belly, throat and the lower half of its face, and a black stripe on the dorsal surface of its tail.



Threats to these animals are the presence of golden eagles in the island, introduction of diseases and parasites, and diminished food supply and general degradation of the habitat. The decline of the island fox population was first identified in the 1990s. In 1999, adult population reduced to 15 from 450. Presently, federal protection has been done. The National Parks Service has initiated captive fox breeding programs on San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, successfully increasing the numbers of resident foxes. In 2004, there were 38 San Miguel island foxes, all in captivity; 46 foxes in captivity on Santa Rosa Island and 7 in the wild; Santa Cruz Island had 25 captive foxes and a stable wild population of around 100 foxes. The Catalina Island Conservancy also runs a captive breeding program on Catalina Island; in 2002, there were 17 foxes in captive breeding programs and at least 161 wild foxes.

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Foods that Cause Bad Breath

Every one of us does not like having an unpleasant smell emanating in our body, particularly in our mouth. However, we fall victim to bad breath in one way or another (see Causes of Bad Breath). One of the causes of bad breath that can be easily addressed is food.

Some foods contain chemicals that get into the blood stream and consequently cause bad breath. Others have naturally an unpleasant odor when chewed and digested in the mouth. So what foods must be regulated, if not avoided, in order to have fresh breath? Here are the foods that cause bad breath:

Garlic and onions. Examples of these foods are onions and garlic. When chewed, they create a very foul odor. They also contain sulfur compounds that ferment and result in terribly bad breath. Garlic in particular has odorous compounds including diallyl disulfide, allyl methyl disulfide, allyl mercaptan and allyl methyl sulfide.




Sugary foods. Because of the small components of this food, enzymes have an easier time breaking the substances down and therefore letting the bacteria dwell and consume the remnants of the food. These bacteria will therefore cause halitosis if they stayed inside the mouth for a prolonged period. In addition, the frightening part is that other bacteria can take the sugars and produce glycan strands, which in turn end up causing thick layers of plaque on the enamel of your teeth and around your gums. This leads to tooth decay and gum disease - and you guessed it - worse breath than you started with! When eating sugary food, be sure to brush your teeth after or at least give your mouth a good rinsing. Avoid breath mints and chewing gum that contains sugar as those will do more harm than good. Also lay off of the sugary drinks such as soda pop, coffee, and others.

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Image courtesy of PLOS.org.

Critically Endangered Albatross

The International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN has listed several flora and fauna species which are classified as critically endangered. This status is given to animals facing extremely threat of extinction. Some of these species have not been cited for a long time.  For others, there are no valid documents for their continued existence or possible extinction. The most common threats for these animals are habitat destruction and human activity.

Among the animals identified by IUCN as under critically endangered status are four species of albatross. Here are the basic descriptions of these birds.

Amsterdam Albatross. This is a huge albatross endemic to the Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Unlike other albatrosses which are usually white, the Amsterdam Albatross has a brown plumage. Its weighs 4.8 – 6 kg (11-18 lb) and possesses a wingspan of 280 – 340 cm (110-130 in). The adult bird has chocolate brown upper parts, and is white on its face mask, throat, lower breast, and belly. It has a broad brown breast band along with brown undertail coverts. Its pink bill has a dark tip and dark cutting edges, and finally, its underwings are white except for the dark tip and the dark leading edge.

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