The all-important Thyroid
As if it has alighted in front of the windpipe just below the Adam’s apple under the skin in the front of the neck, this important brownish-red gland takes the shape of a butterfly. It is the thyroid. Small it may be, but it secretes thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), hormones or special chemicals essential [...]
Cherimoya: tastiness goes hand in hand with goodness
Mark Twain once referred to the cherimoya as the “most delicious fruit known to man.” The fruit is creamy, fleshy and soft, sweet, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple (Sinhala Seeni anoda). The cherimoya, also spelled chirimoya, is the fruit of the species Annona cherimola belonging to the family Annonaceae, in the genus of Annona. This exotic [...]
Normal is very much worth saving
Due to the heavy rain, it was a slack morning in the NHSL psychiatry clinic when my cell phone rang. It was Professor Carlo Fonseka, my former physiology teacher. I always enjoy a chat with my old teacher. Now in his eighties, his mind is still razor sharp. He was concerned about a television programme [...]
Menopause: It’s a time for celebration!
Today October 18, is World Menopause Day, a day to be celebrated by women all over the world. In Sri Lanka, menarche, or the onset of menstruation (menses or periods) in a young girl has been celebrated in style for generations, sometimes the entire village joining in the festivity. Though menstruation had been called “the [...]
The dog behind the ‘kiss of life’
There are about 30,000 cardiac arrests every year in the UK and ten times that number in the US. It is one of the most common ways to die. It is also one of the most common scenarios in which a bystander can save a life through CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the technique used to [...]
A spice for life: Health benefits of aromatic turmeric
Turmeric, the bright yellow aromatic spice is found in almost every South Asian kitchen adding vibrant colour to our curries. It is the healthiest way to add flavour and colour to home cooking. Historically, turmeric, also known as “saffron” has been used as a spice as well as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both traditional Chinese [...]
Parasite hunters bag this year’s Nobel Prize
Parasites, inhabitants of the earth, living side by side with humans, animals and plants are a special group of organisms that have evolved a seemingly carefree life style receiving shelter and food from other living beings. Therefore we can classify parasites as those that derive shelter and sustenance from another. This ‘the other’ being victimized [...]