Health Related articles updated on daily Basis.

[Night_Hawk]

Mindfulness key to coping with pain
Mindfulness key to coping with pain
(IANS)

27 February 2011
WASHINGTON - Mindfulness can help people cope with both pain and suffering, says a health expert. It is a consciousness focused on the here and now, rather than brooding over past failures or future longings.
[FONT=&quot]This lesson in living, based on the teachings of the Buddha, is given by Karen Hilsberg, from the Los Angeles

County Department of Mental Health in California, reports the journal Mindfulness.

Her moving, personal account describes how mindfulnessbeing warmly engaged with each moment of lifehelped her cope with her husbands cancer and the impact of his illness and death on both herself and her young family, according to a Mental Health release.

Even though her experiences were seemingly unbearable, Hilsberg knew they would not last. She concludes: I have learned for myself that peace does not come from outside conditions, but that my true serenity can only come from within me.
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[Night_Hawk]

Reimplanting the permanent teeth
Reimplanting the permanent teeth
(Staff Reporter)

26 February 2011
DUBAI - The upper front permanent teeth are the most common teeth to be completely knocked out. The word completely is very important as sometimes the tooth comes out whole from the socket with the injury or blow, according to a dentist.
Knocked out baby or primary teeth are usually not reimplanted in the mouth, since they will be naturally replaced by permanent teeth later, said Dr Paramjeet Kaur, Dentist, Zulekha Medical Centre, Qusais, Dubai.
However, knocked out permanent teeth should be retrieved, kept moist, and placed back into their sockets (reimplanted) as soon as possible, she added.
She also said that the most important variable affecting the success of reimplantation is the amount of time that the tooth is out of its socket. Teeth reimplanted within one hour of the accident frequently reattach to their teeth sockets.
The knocked out tooth is rinsed in clean water or milk and placed back (reimplanted) into the socket from which it came. This can be done by the patient or parent and then checked by the dentist. Care should be taken to handle the tooth only by its crown and not by its root.
If the parent or patient is unsure about reimplanting the tooth, then the tooth should be stored in milk (if available) or in water and brought to the dentist as soon as possible.
Alternatively, in older children and adults who are calm, the tooth may be held within the cheeks inside of the mouth while travelling to the dental clinic.
After reimplanting the tooth into its original socket, the dentist can then splint this tooth to adjacent teeth for two to eight weeks. Splinting helps to stabilise it while the bone around the tooth heals. During the splinting period, the patient eats soft foods, avoids biting on the splinted teeth, and brushes all the other teeth diligently to keep the mouth as clean as possible.
In adults, the reimplanted tooth should have a root canal procedure within seven to 10 days. On the other hand, reimplanted permanent teeth in children (where the tooth root has not yet completely formed) may not need a root canal procedure. These teeth are observed for at least five years for symptoms of dying pulp, such as pain, discoloration, gum abscesses, or abscesses seen on an X-ray.
In most patients who have had tooth reimplantation, Chlorhexidine mouth rinse may be prescribed to prevent and control gum inflammation (gingivitis), since the splinted teeth cannot be brushed normally and the splint usually collects extra dental plaque and food debris. Oral antibiotics and tetanus toxoid injections are considered for patients with accompanying significant soft tissue cuts (lacerations).
Dental injuries may be prevented by aligning protruding front teeth with braces and using face masks and mouthguards while playing sports.
[FONT=&quot][email protected][/FONT]


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[Faiza]

The liver - Some interesting facts

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OUR LIVER

​

 

[Night_Hawk]

Can adjustable glasses help kids in poor countries?
(Reuters)

28 January 2011
For many children in poor nations, a simple pair of glasses can be out of reach. But a new study suggests relatively cheap specs that people can adjust themselves hold some promise.
[FONT=&quot]The study, reported in the journal Ophthalmology, looked at the usefulness of “self-refracting” glasses for adolescents with vision problems, mostly nearsightedness. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The glasses are designed so that the wearer can adjust them to the right strength without the need for eye professionals, who are scarce in developing parts of the world. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, there is just one optometrist for every 1 million people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Made under the name Adspecs, the glasses are already in use. About 30,000 adults in developing nations have received them so far, according to the Center for Vision in the Developing World -- a group directed by Adspecs inventor Dr. Joshua D. Silver, a physicist at Oxford University in the UK.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But it hadn't been clear whether children and teenagers could feasibly use the specs. So in the new study, Silver and colleagues in China, the UK and U.S. had 554 Chinese students aged 12 to 17 years try them out.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The researchers compared the students' ability to self-correct their vision -- under the supervision of their teachers, who had been shown how to use the glasses -- against the results of a professional eye exam.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The adjustable glasses work via special lenses made of a clear membrane filled with silicon oil and held between two plastic discs. The wearer can change the amount of oil in the lenses using a removable syringe and dial that attach to the glasses' frame. Adding or removing oil changes the curvature of the lenses, which alters their strength.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Among kids in the current study, just over 92 percent were able to correct their nearsightedness using the glasses. That compared with a nearly 100-percent rate when the students were given professional eye exams.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"What we have proven is the basic principle," said Silver in an e-mail to Reuters Health. "The large majority of teenaged children in an area where poor vision from uncorrected refractive error is common can achieve vision sufficient to meet the demands of the classroom."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But many questions remain, the researchers say -- including how well the glasses would work for children in the real world, over the long term.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The specs also have their limits. For example, they cannot correct astigmatism, a common eye problem that is usually mild but can cause blurred vision in some cases. Nor are they known for their stylish looks: They are large, round, thick-framed and vaguely Harry Potter-esque -- although Silver's Center for Vision says the aesthetics should improve as the technology does.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And that is a major barrier to the glasses being put into wide use for now, according to Dr. Thomas S. Shane, an eye doctor with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami who was not involved in the study.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"The obstacle we'd have is getting kids to wear them," Shane said. "They're big, they're bulky, they're not stylish."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For the adjustable glasses to become everyday specs, they will need to be made considerably lighter and more attractive, according to Shane, who has been involved in projects to get vision screening and inexpensive, ready-made eyeglasses to people in Haiti and Belize.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]However, Shane told Reuters Health, the adjustable glasses could offer a simple, cheap way to assess kids' vision and determine the level of correction they need. Right now, one way of doing that in the developing world is with portable devices called auto-refractors.[/FONT]


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[Night_Hawk]

Coffee lowers stroke risk in women: Study

Updated at: 2001 PST, Sunday, March 20, 2011

LONDON: Drinking a cup or more of coffee each day may help women reduce their risk of stroke by as much as 25 percent.

Researchers from Sweden have discovered that not only could the consumption of at least one cup of coffee daily lower a woman's stroke risk, but also found that women who don't partake in a regular cup of coffee could actually be increasing their chances of stroke.

Women showed that consumption of 1 to 5 cups of coffee per day was associated with a 22 to 25 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with consumption of less than 1 cup a day," according to lead researcher Susanna Larsson, of the National Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Larsson also noted that small amounts of coffee may also provide some benefit in the reduction of stroke risk.

For their analysis the researchers monitored the health of 34,670 women ranging in age from 49 to 83 for an average of 10 years. All of the women were participants in the Swedish Mammography Cohort, a long-term investigation of the association between diet, lifestyle and disease development.

During the period between 1998 and 2008, a total of 1,680 women suffered a stroke. However, the researchers found that those women who drank coffee were 22 percent to 25 percent less likely to have a stroke. The benefits seen were similar whether the women reported consuming 1-2 cups each day, 3-4 cups a day, or 5 or more cups daily in comparison to women who consumed less than a cup on a daily basis.

It must be noted that the women in the study were not asked to report whether or not they consumed decaffeinated coffee. However, Larsson pointed out that the majority of Swedes drink coffee containing caffeine.
http://http://www.geo.tv/3-20-2011/79552.htm

 

[Night_Hawk]

Nutraceuticals in energy drinks, foods
Nutraceuticals in energy drinks, foods
(IANS)

21 March 2011
WASHINGTON - Besides caffeine, there are many other items like nutraceuticals that are widely used in energy drinks and foods.
[FONT=&quot]Nutraceutical is a term combining the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”. It is a food or food product that provides health and medical benefits.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A new study by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) takes a closer look at some of the current and up-and-coming ingredients being used in energy drinks and foods, the journal Food technology reports. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For instance, slow-digesting carbohydrates offer sustained energy benefits as they are derived from sucrose and are different from sugar because they release energy at a slower rate, according to an IFT statement.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Botanicals such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng, yerba mate and milk thistle are known to provide “natural” energy. Some other botanicals are:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Green tea is a natural source of caffeine. Research indicates potential benefits of green tea extracts in areas such as energy expenditure, enhanced metabolism and fat oxidation.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nitrate-rich beetroot juice has the potential to increase exercise endurance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]B Vitamins aid in the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, which provides energy, and the breakdown of fats and proteins.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) functions as a cofactor in enzyme reactions, many of which are related to the metabolism of amino acids and other proteins.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Vitamin B-12 plays a role in energy metabolism, Vitamin B-1 helps in the conversion of blood sugar to energy.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]L-Carnitine is important in supplying energy to many organs, such as the heart, muscles, liver, and immune cells. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It plays an essential role in the body for producing energy from fat, ensuring athletic endurance, promoting recovery after exercise, providing the heart and immune cells with energy, and preventing early onset of fatigue during exercise.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Taurine is an amino acid that is used in popular beverages to increase energy. The combination of taurine and caffeine is believed to give energy drink consumers an energy buzz. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Coenzyme Q10 plays a role in energy and endurance.
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[Night_Hawk]

Radioactive contamination of food risks
Radioactive contamination of food risks
(AFP)

20 March 2011
PARIS The risk from radioactive contamination of food depends on several factors but the duration of the problem depends especially on which type of radioactive element is to blame, say experts.
[FONT=&quot]Japan on Saturday said that it had discovered abnormal levels of radiation in milk and spinach from areas near Fukushima, and in tap water in Tokyo and five central prefectures, but there was no threat to health.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

In historical cases of contamination, the main source has been wind-borne dust which is deposited on fruit or vegetables or which falls on the soil, where it is absorbed by grass and leafy plants.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Radioactive particles are then transmitted through the food chain, which explains why cattle can have higher-than-normal levels of radioactivity in their milk and meat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingested, these particles are hazardous because they release energy that can slice through molecular bonds in DNA, thus increasing the risk of cancer.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The problem can be short-term or long-term, depending on the nature of the radioactive source and the amount of contamination in the local environment, which in turn is also influenced by the weather.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Iodine 131, for instance, has a half lifea measure of decayof only eight days, which means it is likely to break down in the environment in a few weeks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There is a short-term risk to human health if radioactive iodine in food is absorbed into the human body, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If ingested, it can accumulate in and cause damage to the thyroid. Children and young people are particularly at risk.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Taking stable forms of iodine, such as potassium iodide tablets, can block radioactive iodine in the thyroid, the IAEA said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The longer-term problem comes from enduring elements such as caesium 137, whose half life is measured in 30 years and may even take several centuries before it breaks down totally.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Caesium fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in April 1986 caused long-term contamination problems in many European countries, leading to restrictions on the sale of milk or dairy beef as far as Scotland.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to a 1993 study by the IAEA, more than six years after Chernobyl, farmers in some mountain areas of southern Norway, more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the disaster, were raising reindeer with up to 20,000 becquerel per kilogram (Bq/kg) of radiation, and sheep with up to 10,000 Bq/kg.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Strontium 90 is another dangerous long-term contaminant, as is plutonium 239.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plutonium is one of the most toxic substances for man, but through direct contact rather than through food.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plutonium 239 is absorbed to a negligible extent from soil by plants and is very poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of animals and man, says the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The maximum dose for radioactive iodine, according to Euratom guidelines, is 150 Bq/kg or becquerels per litre (Bq/l) for infant food; 500 Bq/kg or Bq/l for dairy products; 2,000 Bq/kg or Bq/l for other foods and 500 Bq/l for liquids intended for consumption.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The maximum dose of radioactive elements lasting beyond 10 daysthus including caesiumis 400 Bq/kg or Bq/l for infant food; 1,000 Bq/kg or Bq/l for dairy products; 1,250 Bq/kg or Bq/l for other foods; and 1,000 Bq/l for liquids intended for consumption. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Radioactivity also exists in the natural environment, for instance as a background source that comes from certain kinds of rocks. In addition, many countries permit safe irradiation of food products to kill or prevent bacteria in order to prolong shelf life.[/FONT]
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[Night_Hawk]

Feeling angry? Blame the diet
(IANS)

20 March 2011
LONDON - People who diet are more likely to be irritable and angry than those who eat what they like.The effort involved in exerting self-control over food can lead to aggressive behaviour towards other people, a study has found.
Those on diets are more likely to prefer anger-themed movies, the express.co.uk reported citing the study: The grapes of wrath: The angry effects of exerting self-control.

They were also interested in looking at angry facial expressions, and expressed more irritation at a message that used controlling language to convince them to change their exercise habits, according to the study.
David Gal of Northwestern University and Wendy Liu of the University of California, said: We set out to examine whether exerting self-control can indeed lead to a wide range of angry behaviors and preferences subsequently, even in situations where such behaviours are quite subtle.
Research has shown that exerting self-control makes people more likely to behave aggressively toward others and people on diets are known to be irritable and quick to anger, said Gal.
Researchers found that people who chose an apple instead of a chocolate bar were more likely to choose movies with anger and revenge themes.








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[Night_Hawk]

Honey, secret of energy booster
Monday, March 21, 2011

KARACHI: Did you know that the athletes in Ancient Greece relies on intake of honey to improve their performance in the face of Olympic sport?
Honey made their secret recipes as they contain glucose and fructose which are capable of producing supplies of glycogen in the liver.
For that, it’s no wonder that eating one tablespoon of honey before bed can also increase fingsi brain. Because fructose is stored as energy reserves in the liver and the brain will be working at night.
In addition, honey can boost the immune system and has antibacterial effects both internally and externally so that helps speed up recovery of the body.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Almonds curb diabetes, heart disease
Saturday, March 12, 2011

LAHORE: A new study conducted at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has suggested that eating almonds can help prevent diabetes and heart disease.

Scientists discovered that including the nuts into our diets could help treat type 2 diabetes. As well as combating the condition, linked to obesity and physical inactivity, it could tackle cardiovascular disease, they said.

Diabetics have a shortage of insulin or a decreased ability to use the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and be converted to energy.

When diabetes is not controlled, glucose and fats remain in the blood and over time, damage vital organs.

The latest study showed that a diet rich in almonds may help to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease LDL-cholesterol levels in those with pre- diabetes, a condition in which people have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes, Scientists added.

 

[Muhammad Tauseef A. Bajwa]

World Sleep Day: To sleep or not to sleep?

World Sleep Day: To sleep or not to sleep?
Sunday Magazine Feature
By Sumaiya Lakhani
Published: March 22, 2011

Sleep isnt a luxury that can be cut back on to make time for other more important daily activities without serious consequences. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL. K

Weve all heard of World Aids Day, World Cancer Day and the usual Fathers Day and Mothers Day. Well, here comes another day many of us would want to observe with great enthusiasmWorld Sleep Day. I would be surprised if your first reaction isnt Excuse meis this for real? because that certainly was my first reaction. Despite its seemingly insignificant and somewhat ridiculous name, World Sleep day has a pointand Im going to make it. Just give me till the end of this article.

Were all living the 21st century lifestyle; where were busy with work, studies, kids etc. all of which causes us to neglect our physical needs.

It is sad but true. As human beings, were almost programmed to think short-term and of all the items on our agendas, a good nights sleep is one item that never gets checked off our to do list. Theres always something more important; whether its spending time with your loved ones, catching up on your favourite soaps or, for the workaholics out there, just catching up on work and doing some in advance if there is time.

Psychologist and sleep expert David F. Dinges, Ph.D., mentions in his work Sleep,

Sleepiness and Performance that irritability, moodiness and slow reflexes are some of the first signs of sleep deprivation. According to him, if a sleep-deprived person doesnt sleep after the initial signs, the person may then start to experience apathy, slowed speech and flattened emotional responses, impaired memory and an inability to be novel or multitask.

There is more to catching a few winks than meets the eyeliterally. Lack of sleep doesnt only give you bags under your eyes; the consequences can be a lot more severe than youd like to imagine. Sleep deprivation can result in lowering the effectiveness of the immune system, decreasing the release of growth hormones and causing heart rate variability. In short, not getting enough sleep can make you sick. Seriously sick.

Dr Michelle Miller, from the University of Warwick, says: Chronic short sleep produces hormones and chemicals in the body, which increase the risk of developing heart disease and strokes, and other conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

And this is exactly why we should all be enthusiastic about World Sleep Day that was observed worldwide on March 18 this year. The whole point of having such a day is to create awareness as far as the importance of sleep is concerned because most people world over tend to neglect their basic biological needs. So now that I have (hopefully) convinced you, you can get to work on trying to convince your respective bosses to be as enthusiastic about letting you practically implement what the day symbolically signifies. Good luck and happy sleeping! ☺

Interesting fact
Leonardo Da Vinci credited most of his achievements to his sleeping habits, which were rather unique to say the least. He slept for 10 to 20 minutes for every four hours that he stayed awake. Result: more time, more dreams and a greater control our the body.
Some common sleeping disorders:

Sleeping disorders are many and their intensity varies from individual to individual. The following are some common sleeping disorders.

Bruxism
It is a disorder in which the sleeping individual grinds or clenches his/her jaw during sleep. Symptoms include pain in the jaw and headaches but are not always detectable. It can lead to facial pain and chronic headaches.

Narcolepsy
It is a neurological sleep disorder that results in the individual falling asleep at random times. This type of sleep is less restorative than normal sleep and therefore these people experience more sleepiness. Symptoms include sleep paralysis and hallucinations.

Somiloquy
It is a disorder which causes an individual to talk in his/her sleep. The frequency and volume of the speech varies from individual to individual.

Sleep apnea
This sleeping disorder involves intervals in breathing activity during sleep. The time period of each occurrence is long enough so that one or more breaths are missed and this occurs repeatedly throughout the sleep. Symptoms are difficult to detect and the disorder may result in the individual feeling tired and sleepy.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/134591/world-sleep-day-to-sleep-or-not-to-sleep/

 

[Night_Hawk]

Diabetes alert, a decade before symptoms appear
Diabetes alert, a decade before symptoms appear
(IANS)

22 March 2011
LONDON - A blood test developed by a scientist reveals whether you are at risk of diabetes 10 years before symptoms show up.
[FONT=&quot]By measuring levels of five markers in the blood, doctors are able to predict the onset of type 2 diabetes, which already affects more than 220 million people worldwide.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The test could act as an early warning for those most at risk - giving them time to improve their diet or change their lifestyles, the journal Nature Medicine reports.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thomas Wang, who developed the test at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, said: "These findings could provide insight into metabolic pathways that are altered very early in the process leading to diabetes," the Daily Mail said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin - the hormone that controls blood sugar - or when its insulin does not work properly.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Wang and colleagues looked at blood samples from 189 diabetics before they developed symptoms of the disease and compared them to blood from 189 healthy people. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]After measuring levels of 61 metabolites, by-products of metabolism, they discovered five amino acids that were higher in the people who developed diabetes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Some of these markers had previously been shown to be higher in people with obesity or insulin resistance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Researchers found that those with the highest levels of the markers were up to five times more likely to get the disease than those with the lowest levels.
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[Muhammad Tauseef A. Bajwa]

Frequent Urination Treatment

Frequent urination means needing to urinate more often than usual. Urgent urination is a sudden, compelling urge to urinate, along with discomfort in your bladder. Most people typically urinate four to eight times a day. Needing to go more than eight times a day or waking up in the night to go to the bathroom more than once in the night is considered frequent urination. Though the bladder can often hold as much as 600 ml of urine (about 2 cups), the urge to urinate is usually felt when the bladder contains about 150 ml of urine (just over cup).

Frequent Urination Symptoms:
The symptoms that are pain, irritation, fatigue, and change in color, texture, or consistency of urine. It can affect your sleep, your sexual and social life, as well as increase thirst and alter hunger and food intake.

Frequent Urination Causes:
* Urinary tract infection.
* Diabetes.
* Prostate problems.
* Pregnancy.
* Interstitial cystitis.
* Stroke.
* Bladder cancer.

Frequent Urination Remedies:

* Drink fresh young coconut juice regularly. The juice of young coconut is known for its potency against kidney infections.

* Eliminating caffeine, alcohol, and excessive sugars from your diet can help to decrease frequency of urination.

* Sufficient consumption of vitamin C can help prevent bladder infections by killing bacteria in the urine.

* Have about a glass of fresh cranberry juice everyday as long as the infection lasts. It helps fight infection, especially if the condition is due to UTI.

* Drink lots of water throughout the day. This helps prevent dehydration and flushes out toxins from the body.

* You should have lots of fresh plain unflavored yogurt everyday. It has antibacterial properties that help fight infection and prevents growth of bacteria to give relief.

* Juice of basil leaves and honey: Mix the two, making sure that they are fresh and have this mixture daily in the morning on an empty stomach. It helps fight infections.

 

[Night_Hawk]

‘Comfort food’ bad for your arteries
​

(IANS)

23 March 2011
The next time you reach out for macaroni, cheese or meatloaf when you feel low, give it a second thought. Because researchers say while comfort food may boost our mood, they are bad news for the arteries.
[FONT=&quot]Some of these comfort foods are rich in saturated fat, which is blamed for forming plaque (clogging arteries), responsible for a host of potentially threatening ailments like cancer, stroke and heart diseases.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But do comfort foods actually work? Researchers say they do.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

“For me personally, food has always played a big role in my family,” says Jordan Troisi, graduate student at the University of Buffalo, US, who led the study. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study came out of the research programme of his co-author Shira Gabriel, which has looked at social surrogates that make people feel like they belong, reports the journal Psychological Science. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In one experiment, in an attempt to make participants feel lonely, researchers had them write for six minutes about a fight with someone close to them. Others were given an emotionally neutral writing assignment. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Finally, researchers had participants complete questions about their levels of loneliness. Writing about a fight with a close person made people feel lonely. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But people who were generally secure in their relationships - something that was assessed before the experiment - were able to rescue themselves from loneliness by writing about a comfort food. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“We have found that comfort foods are foods which are consistently associated with those close to us,” says Troisi. “Thinking about or consuming these foods later then serves as a reminder of those close others.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In another experiment, eating chicken soup in the lab made people think more about relationships, but only if they considered chicken soup to be a comfort food.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
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[Night_Hawk]

Fibre-rich diet reduces heart risk
(IANS)

23 March 2011
Consuming food items rich in fiber, like fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, especially as a young adult, is likely to confer a lifetime of protection against heart risk, researchers say.
A new study found that adults aged between 20 and 59 years with the highest fiber intake had a significantly lower estimated lifetime risk for heart disease compared to those with the lowest fiber intake.
This is the first known study to show the influence of fiber consumption on the lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease.

“It’s long been known that high-fibre diets can help people lose weight, lower cholesterol and improve hypertension,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, study author and cardiologist at the Feinburg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, US.
“The results of this study make a lot of sense because weight, cholesterol and hypertension are major determinants of your long-term risk for cardiovascular disease,” he said, according to a Feinburg statement.
A high-fiber diet falls into the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 25 grams of dietary fiber or more a day.
Lloyd-Jones said you should strive to get this daily fiber intake from whole foods, not processed fiber bars, supplements and drinks.
“A processed food may be high in fiber, but it also tends to be pretty high in sodium and likely higher in calories than an apple, for example, which provides the same amount of fiber,” Lloyd-Jones said.
Study leader Hongyan Ning examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of about 11,000 adults.
The study was presented Wednesday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Atlanta.

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[Night_Hawk]

Good Relationship, Better Health
Samineh I Shaheem

26 March 2011
Both scientific research and the media seem to support the notion that married people are happier, live longer, more youthful, successful, and even have fewer doctor’s appointments than unmarried individuals. But is this true of all unions, good and ghastly?
Since childhood, throughout many different cultures around the world, we have been socialised into thinking that one of the main markers in our lives and significant events involves choosing a life long partner and settling down. Take heed dear reader, ‘settling down’ is quite different from ‘settling’.

Of course this milestone and right of passage is explained, passed down, encouraged, celebrated and packaged differently in various societies, still the common denominator across cultures is the acknowledegment that a partnership is a necessary and essential dimension of our developmental process.
In your mind’s eye, think about all the fairy tales that entertained us as children for years, framing their key premise around the main character finding the love of his/her life and settling down happily ever after. Interestingly enough, these fabulous productions never reveal stories that occur the day after the wedding; after all isn’t that when the bona fide experience of sharing one’s life together actually begins?
Unfortunately the rising divorce statistics around the globe substantiates the point just mentioned. While we may all be very excited and exultant during the months leading up to the big day, there isn’t enough of a focus on the person chosen; rather the attention is primarily on the idea of reaching the ultimate objective of tying the matrimonial knot.
So why do we often accept an engagement without sufficiently considering the suitability of the potential life long partner? Without generalising or trying to take on an essentialist position on the matter, there seems to be a number of significant features that sometimes fool us into accepting the unacceptable.
These include:

• Fear of never finding anyone else
• Low self esteem and confidence
• Culturally feeling pressured
• The wedding day
• Revenge
• Freedom from the family
• All other friends are married
• Thinking you are running out of time
• Unrealistic expectations of your partner
• Thinking you can change them

Now even if we have chosen a partner for all the right reasons, such as being compatible, having mutual respect, trust, understanding, shared values, choosing the person and not the status, and companionship to name a few, a good marriage doesn’t just happen — it takes hard work, determination, commitment and above all, an ability to keep level headed as many different obstacles come our way.
So why should we put so much time and energy into this process? The quick answer is that decades of research confirm a direct correlation between a happy functional relationship and better health, both psychological and physiological.
This outcome doesn’t apply to all relationships, simply because you are not alone or have a partner. Apparently a bad relationship can cause quite serious ailments such as high blood pressure, heart problems, cardiovascular difficulties, anxiety, concentration challenges, memory loss and stress.
Carol Ryff has been carrying out research into the connection between relationships and health. In one study she followed 10,317 people from birth over 36 years, data on social relationships was collected along with biological markers important for indicating wear and tear on the body. Measures included systolic blood pressure, urinary cortisol levels and epinephrine levels. The analyses support the idea that negative relational experiences are associated with greater wear and tear on the body (Hauser et al., 1993).
Baker has spent many years researching this topic as well and he says, “We found that if you had a bad marriage, it was best to avoid your spouse — because if you are with your spouse, your blood pressure went up, and if you weren’t with your spouse, your blood pressure went down.”
On the other hand, according to the Mayo Clinic, happily married people live longer, heal faster when wounded, more resistant to infections, have less cognitive problems, sleep better and have lower rates of diseases such as cancer and incidence of heart failure. Increased levels of happiness considerably improve longevity along with the feature that these couples act as a team therefore they are better equipped to handle the stressors in life that may be damaging to our health.
So a strong and functional relationship can benefit our health and in order to maximise on health benefits remember these seven simple rules:

• Compliment more — The most powerful mood lifter
• Complain less — No one is fond of naggers
• Creativity — Be open to new ideas and activities
• Communicate — Talk, talk and talk more
• Commit — Remain loyal and committed and if not happy, end the relationship before beginning another one.
• Compromise — Take turns having your way
• Change less — Remain who you presented to be at the beginning of the relationship

Samineh I Shaheem is an author, an assistant professor of psychology, currently lecturing in Dubai, as well as a cross-cultural consultant at HRI. She appears on numerous radio programs and conferences and has studied and worked in different parts of the world, including the USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, and the UAE. Please forward your thoughts to [email protected]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Walnuts richest in antioxidants
Walnuts richest in antioxidants
(IANS)

28 March 2011
Nature’s perfectly packaged nuts—walnuts—have the highest levels of antioxidants in the nut family and should be consumed as part of a healthy diet.

Walnuts help you fight stress, lower BP
Walnuts, the brain shaped nuts, cut down cholesterol and may also help fight stress and reduce blood pressure.

Those with high levels of bad cholesterol had lower blood pressure during stressful moments after following a diet rich in walnuts for three weeks.
Those who ate walnuts had lower blood pressure, said Professor Sheila West from the Penn State University in the US, according to the Daily Mail.
Average diastolic blood pressure - the ‘bottom number’ or the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting - was significantly reduced for those on diets containing walnuts and walnut oil.
West added: ‘These results are in agreement with several recent studies showing that walnuts can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.’
“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who conducted the analysis.Vinson said it takes only around seven walnuts a day, for instance, to get the potential health benefits uncovered in previous studies.
“A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. This study suggests consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet,” said Vinson.
Antioxidants in walnuts are two to 15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease, according to a Scranton statement.
Vinson noted that nuts in general contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat, vitamins and minerals, dietary fibre, and are dairy and gluten-free.
Years of research by scientists worldwide link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.
Vinson said his work is the first to compare both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in different nuts.
He filled that knowledge gap by analysing antioxidants in nine different types of nuts—walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans.
These findings were presented at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society.


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[Night_Hawk]

Milk in tea could prevent weight loss
Milk in tea could prevent weight loss
(IANS)

28 March 2011
Beware, especially if you want to lose weight - don’t add milk to tea, or you would pile on the pounds.
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Scientists have discovered that tea contains high levels of compounds that help reduce the amount of fat but proteins found in cows’ milk neutralise this fat-fighting ability.
New research has shown that the compounds, called theaflavins and thearubigins, prevent obesity when given to rats that were also on a high-fat diet.
Researchers now believe this could explain why people in Britain appear not to benefit from the healthy affects of tea despite being among the world’s biggest consumers of the beverage, the Telegraph reports.
Devajit Borthakur, a scientist at the Tea Research Association at Jorhat in the Indian state of Assam, said: “When tea is taken with milk, theaflavins and thearubigins form complexes with the milk protein, which causes them to precipitate.”
”It means that we don’t get the health benefit from these compounds nor from milk protein. Therefore, it is always advised to take tea without milk.”
A study by scientists in Japan, reveals that extracts from tea leaves inhibit the absorption of fat in the guts of rats being fed high-fat diet.
These rats also had less fat tissue on their bodies and lower fat content in their livers, reports the Journal of Nutrition.
Hiroaki Yajima, a scientist with the Kirin Beverage Company in Japan who carried out the Japanese research, said: “Black tea extracts may prevent diet-induced obesity by inhibiting intestinal lipid absorption.”
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[Night_Hawk]

Do vitamins stop cancer, stroke?
(Reuters)

24 March 2011
NEW YORK – Will taking multivitamins protect you from dying of cancer or heart disease? The answer is no, according to new research.
In a study of more than 180,000 people, scientists saw the same number of deaths from cancer and heart disease among multivitamin-takers and those who did not take the supplements.
“People need to understand that just taking these multivitamins is not sufficient to prevent disease,” said Jennifer Hsiang-Ling Lin, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who did not work on the study.

Multiple past studies have shown no link between multivitamins and reduced risk of cancer or heart disease. Other recent research couldn’t prove that multivitamins protect against diabetes, either.
Some small studies in the past have shown that specific vitamins, not multivitamins, may be protective against heart disease or cancer later in life. However these studies looked at undernourished people, not generally healthy adults like the US population, said co-author Song-Yi Park, assistant professor of epidemiology at University of Hawaii Cancer Center in Honolulu.
On its web site, the US National Institutes of Health advise that doctors should prescribe multivitamins only “for patients who need extra vitamins, who cannot eat enough food to obtain the required vitamins, or who cannot receive the full benefit of the vitamins contained in the food they eat.”
But more than half of US adults choose to take multivitamins, according to Lin.
Many do because they think it will prevent chronic disease, said Ross Prentice, director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, who also did not work on the new study.
Altogether, Park’s team looked at the vitamin-popping habits of more than 82,000 men and nearly 100,000 women, who were an average of 60 years old. Then they tracked how many died, and the causes, over the next 11 years.
Overall, about six in 100 multivitamin users and non-users died from heart disease. Cancer claimed about five in 100 from both groups, and four in 100 died from other causes. In total, almost 29,000 people died in the 11 years of follow-up.
The multivitamins didn’t seem to protect users from cancer in general, or from cancers of the lung, colon, rectum, prostate, or breast.
Each year in the US about 616,000 people die from heart disease and about 560,000 die from cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
The researchers did not find that taking multivitamins hurts anyone, Lin noted.
However, they can be expensive. According to Consumer Reports, Americans spent almost $4.7 billion on multivitamins in 2008. Depending on the type, supplements range from $3 to $16 a month.
This study could not prove that multivitamins do or don’t affect people’s risks for heart disease and cancer. A large clinical trial—one that can show cause and effect, if it exists—is underway but the results aren’t available yet.
Past studies have mostly involved Caucasians, Lin said. The current one, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, included large numbers of Latino and Japanese-American people. This shows that the lack of association held up for different racial groups as well, she said.
The best way to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, according to Lin? Exercise and eat a healthy diet.

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[Night_Hawk]

FDA links between dyes, hyperactivity
FDA links between dyes, hyperactivity
(Reuters)

31 March 2011, 9:25 AM
The colour dyes used to brighten cereals, snacks and drinks help make some children hyperactive and should be banned or at least carry a warning, critics told US government advisers on Wednesday.

Artificial blue, green, orange, red and yellow food colourings show up in everything from PepsiCo’s Gatorade, Cheetos and Doritos to Kellogg’s Eggo waffles and Kraft’s Jell-O desserts.

The US Food and Drug Administration has long deemed the dyes safe but is reviewing recent studies of the colours’ effects on children’s behaviour at the request of a consumer group. Gathering input from a panel of outside advisers is part of that review. The committee is expected to make recommendations on Thursday.

FDA staff reviewers said in a preliminary report that scientific research so far suggested some children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be affected by food colouring. The disorder affects up to 5 percent of US children, according to government statistics.
“Why accept any impairment of kids’ behaviour whatsoever? Hyperactivity isn’t just running around. It affects their ability to have friends, to study, to have a happy family life. Why impair that?” said Michael Jacobson, head of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is leading opposition to the dyes.
The committee of outside experts could urge a ban or warning, or it could suggest more studies if the advisers judge current evidence inadequate. The review itself has added weight to a decades-old consumer debate on whether parents should let their kids eat artificially coloured foods.
In an interview before the panel meeting, Jacobson said he was not optimistic the FDA would ban the dyes. He said it would be easier for the agency to order a warning.
A ban or warning could impact major food manufacturers as well as Sensient Technologies Corp, a company that makes seven of the eight dyes the consumer group wants banned.
On Wednesday, a few experts on the FDA panel questioned the evidence cited by the dyes’ opponents. Dr. Charles Voorhees noted most research tested a mixture of dyes rather than each colour separately.
“Doesn’t it strike you that we don’t have enough information about the dyes individually?” asked Voorhees, a professor of pediatrics and environmental health at the University of Cincinnati.
Jacobson admitted shortcomings in the data but said there remained enough evidence to show the dyes were harmful. He said it was unclear what percentage of kids were affected but argued the uncertainties should not stop the government from acting.
Concerns about food dyes erupted in the 1970s when a pediatrician, Dr. Ben Feingold, claimed the colours were linked to hyperactive behaviour and proposed a diet eliminating them.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food producers and packagers, said in a statement “all of the major safety bodies globally have reviewed the available science and have determined that there is no demonstrable link between artificial colours and hyperactivity among children.”
Below is a list of some popular products made with food dyes, according to a 2008 petition from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. The group is asking the Food and Drug Administration to ban the dyes or require a warning.

Kraft: Jell-O desserts in lemon, strawberry and black cherry flavours
Oscar Mayer Lunchables Mini Burgers and Mini Hot Dogs
Pepper Snapple Group:
Mott’s Strawberry-Flavoured Apple Sauce
PepsiCo:
Quaker Oatmeal to Go, Apples & Cinnamon
Quaker Oatmeal Squares Crunchy Oatmeal Cereal
Sun Chips French Onion flavour
Kellogg:
Eggo Homestyle Waffles
Eggo Whole Grain Blueberry Waffles
General Mills:
Betty Crocker Cheesy Lasagna with Beef
Betty Crocker Au Gratin 100% Real Potatoes
Nestle:
Hot Pockets Ham & Cheese
Lean Pockets Ham & Cheddar
Edy’s Classic Real Strawberry Ice Cream
Coca-Cola:
Minute Maid Lemonade
McDonald’s:
Vanilla Triple Thick Shake
Wendy’s, a unit of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group:
Chilli
Dill Pickles
KFC, a unit of Yum Brands Inc:
Potato Salad
Sweet and Spicy Wings
Chicken Pot Pie
Subway:
Banana Peppers
Pickles
Source: Centre for Science in the Public Interest
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