Universal Medicine

With the Olympic Games around the corner, drug tests are almost at an all time high as athletes prepare for an intense summer of sporting prowess and talent. From the speeds of Usain Bolt to the endurance of Mo Farah, the Olympics is truly the greatest gathering of athletes across the world. But today, we're going to delve deep into how some athletes prepare for this prestigious competition. Looking back at the 2012 London Olympics, it was a great success for the USA as they topped the table for the most medals attained, with: 46 golds; 29 silvers and 29 bronzes. But, after the games, some athletes were stripped of their winnings as they tested positive for banned substances and therefore lost their 'achievements'. The list of athletes were: Nadzeya Ostapchuk - Belarus (Gold medal in women's shot put) Darya Pishchalnikova - Russia (Silver medal in women's discuss throw) Soslan Tigiev - Uzbekistan (Bronze medal in men's wrestling freestyle 74kg) Tyson ...

This week on Universal Medicine, we will be discussing the “historic agreement” which is set to be established with the new contract of junior doctors in England. As you may be aware, the NHS is the publically funded health care system in England; the largest single-payer health care system in the world. In November 2015, the Government made a contract offer to junior doctors. This contract planned to impose longer working hours with less pay – what the Government refers to as a way to establish a ‘7-day NHS’. Currently, the social hours are Monday to Friday 7am-7pm, however the new contract has the proposal of Monday to Saturday 7am-10pm. What’s the issue with this new contract, you ask? Good question. The contracted weekly hours are proposed to increase from 60 to 90, a pay-cut of up to 30-40% as well as removing safeguards of junior doctors. Why should you care? Well… not only will this lead to a more stressful and strenuous workload for doctors, it also affects YOUR patient ...

Chocolate...something that absolutely everyone adores from youngsters to older individuals. However, did you know that chocolate can bring plenty of health benefits? As usual, Universal Medicine always opt to provide medical news which individuals may not be familiar with so this week on Universal Medicine we will be revealing the possible remedies that a simply bar of chocolate could provide. Although there is a massive stereotype linking chocolate to conditions such as obesity and tooth decay, a recent study has portrayed the potential aid chocolate can bring to health. It all comes down to the amount of cocoa content which is used to orchestrate chocolate. Moreover, cocoa is obtained from the fruit grown on cocoa trees which is sourced in many areas ranging from Brazil to Ivory Coast which is the highest cocoa producing country as it provides 30% of global cocoa. So what's so special about cocoa? Well, it is packed full of a group of compounds known as "Antioxidants...

Modern medicine has made massive advancements since the times when we had to visit our village doctor when we were unwell.  Nowadays thankfully, your local pharmacy has access to a wide range of helpful drugs to help you back to your feet. However drugs don't just pop out of thin air, herbal remedies have been used for century's and in this blog post I aim to have a look at some of the traditional remedies that have transferred into modern medicine. Willow tree Bark is a good example of a traditional plant cure turned medicine. Willow bark can be traced back to 400 BC when people were advised to chew it to reduce fever and inflammation (also headaches) . It was found to be the chemical, Salicin, in the bark that gave it it's healing properties. In the 1800's , this chemical was first used as the basis for Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid) which is commonly used to reduce fever and inflammation but also as a preventative measure for heart attacks. Another tradi...

Why do we laugh at something we find funny? Is it a natural reaction? Does the brain trigger this? Well, laughing is a physical reaction from humans which contracts the diaphragm as well as other respiratory organs within the system. It is a part of the human behavior for positive feedback and social interaction and doesn't always occur after a joke or something funny. Sometimes people laugh at even the most basic of things; for example, saying hello to a friend can trigger laughter. It is a social interaction which bonds people and builds relations and one person laughing can gradually begin to initiate someone else to laugh. It's contagious! Laughing, the universal language. It truly is amazing to think that humans can communicate by simply laughing. What more, we are born with this prospectus language even if we were born deaf blind or both! Moreover, it is instinctive and occurs completely naturally. Usually, it is a visual representation which portrays a smile along ...