13 Ways to Cure Hiccups

1. Sweeten the Hiccup - Have a teaspoonful of sugar, and if you can, place the sugar on the back of the tongue, where "sour" is tasted.

2. Play "Hear no Evil" - Some doctors recommend that you put your fingers in your ears to stop hiccups. The branches of the vagus nerve also reach into the auditory system, and by stimulating the nerve endings there, the vagus nerve goes into action. But be gentle, and don't stick your fingers too far into your ears.

3. Play scared silly - Having someone surprise you may do the trick.

4. Drink water

5. Pull out your tongue - Sticking out your tongue and yanking on it may stop hiccups.

6. Tickle them Away - Tickling the soft palate of the roof of your mouth with a cotton swab may do the trick. Or, if you're the type who enjoys getting tickled, have someone find your ticklish spots.

7. Hold your breath

8. Bag those hiccups - The old standby, breathing into a paper bag, is believed to work on the same principle as the breath-holding method. Both increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, and the body becomes preoccupied with getting rid of it and forgets about the hiccups.

9. Take an Antacid - This method may be more effective if you choose one that contains magnesium, since the mineral tends to decrease irritation and quiet the nerves. One or two tablets should take care of hiccups.

10. Eat Slower - Chew deliberately and take smaller sips of drinks to keep your air intake to a minimum.

11. DON'T PIG OUT - Overloading the stomach with food is another cause of hiccups. Some experts theorize that hiccups are your body's way of telling you to quit eating so your digestive system has time to process all the food you've forced down your gullet.

12. Avoid Spicy Foods - Some spices can irritate the lining of the esophagus and stomach. At the same time, they can also cause acid from the stomach to leak into the esophagus. The extra acid can bring on hiccups.

13. Drink in Moderation

The annoying contraction called Hiccup

Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. As the muscle contracts repeatedly, the opening between your vocal cords snaps shut to check the inflow of air and makes the hiccup sound. Irritation of the nerves that extend from the neck to the chest can cause hiccups.

Causes of Hiccups

Many conditions are associated with hiccups, but none has been shown to be the cause of hiccups.

• If you eat too fast, you can swallow air along with your food and end up with a case of the hiccups.

• Any other practices that might irritate the diaphragm such as eating too much (especially fatty foods) or drinking too much (drunk people hiccup) can make you prone to having hiccups.

• In these instances, your stomach, which sits underneath and adjacent to the diaphragm, is distended or stretched. Because they occur in relation to eating and drinking, hiccups are sometimes thought to be a reflex to protect you from choking.
  

Red Bull (Krating Daeng)

Red Bull is an energy drink which originated in Thailand, developed by an Austrian Entrepreneur named Dietrich Mateschitz. Marketed as an energy drink "to combat mental and physical fatigue".

Anaerobic muscular endurance and work

A study conducted in 2007 on 15 healthy young adults, found that Red Bull consumption led to an acute increase in upper body anaerobic muscular endurance; however, no effect was found on either peak lower body anaerobic muscular work, or average lower body anaerobic muscular work.

Cardiovascular effects

The results of a study conducted in 2008 showed that the ingestion of one, 250mL can of sugar-free Red Bull, in a sample of 30 healthy young adults, had an immediate detrimental effect on both endothelial function, and normal blood coagulation. This temporarily raised the cardiovascular risk in these individuals to a level comparable to that of an individual with established coronary artery disease.

Based on their results, researchers involved with the study cautioned against the consumption of Red Bull in individuals under stress, in those with high blood pressure, or in anyone with established atherosclerotic disease.

Source: Wikipedia

Traces of cocaine found in Red Bull in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AFP) – Hong Kong officials have found traces of cocaine in cans of Red Bull, a few days after Taiwanese authorities confiscated close to 18,000 cases of the popular energy drink.

Officials at the Centre for Food Safety said a laboratory analysis found tiny amounts of the illegal drug in samples of "Red Bull Cola", "Red Bull Sugar-free" and "Red Bull Energy Drink", a spokesman said.

The drink has now been taken off the shelves of major supermarkets, the spokesman said in a statement issued late Monday. He added the amount of cocaine found in the drinks posed little health danger.

The traces were between 0.1 and 0.3 micrograms of the illegal drug per litre, the statement said.

Hong Kong's commissioner for narcotics, Sally Wong, said the government was now taking legal advice on any possible legal liability for importers and retailers.

"Cocaine is a dangerous drug... The possession and dealing in the drug is a criminal offence," she said in the statement.

The revelation comes after Taiwan authorities said Saturday they had confiscated nearly 18,000 cases of Red Bull imported from Austria after finding it contained traces of the drug.

Taiwanese authorities ordered the drinks to be removed from shelves pending further investigation.

A Red Bull spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Red Bull, whose advertising slogan is "Red Bull gives you wings", was founded by Austrian toothpaste salesman Dietrich Mateschitz in the 1980s.

It has since become one of the dominant players in the global energy drinks market.

source: Yahoo news.