Health Related articles updated on daily Basis.

[Night_Hawk]

Dry eyes no cause for shedding tears


20 May 2011
DUBAI Dry eyes in simple terms means a lack of natural tears in the eye. The incidence of dry eyes is extremely common in the UAE. The causes are multi-factorial hot and dry weather, omnipresent air conditioning (which sucks all the moisture from the air) and near universal use of visual display units especially the computer screens, said Dr Sumeet Sukhi, Specialist Ophthalmologist, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai.
Almost every second person coming to an eye specialist has some form of dry eyes, he said.
Most disturbing is the fact that even children as young as 10-15 years are suffering from dry eyes a finding that is unusual in other parts of the world.
According to Dr Sukhi, most people are unaware that they are suffering from dry eyes and attribute the symptom to some allergy or infection.
Normally, dry eyes are seen most commonly in persons aged 50 or above, especially women after menopause, he said.
Dry eyes can also result from a variety of factors like prolonged inflammation and allergies of the eyes, vitamin A deficiency, use of contact lens, post LASIK surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, old age, injuries to the eye, prolonged use of some eye drops, drug reactions, and so on.
Most of the times it is an innocuous condition but in the most severe cases it can be dangerous and can cause a permanent loss of vision in the eye.
People suffering from dry eyes complain of itching, burning, pain, grittiness or the eyes having a feeling of tiredness.
They can have a frothy discharge from their eyes especially in the mornings and can experience great discomfort at work, he added.
Diagnosis can be done by simple tests involving insertion of a paper strip in patients eye and measuring the tear secretions. Artificial tear drops are prescribed to the patients. In most cases, the drops are sufficient to relieve the patients of the symptoms. In severe cases the drops can be ineffective and the eye specialist may advise a punctual plug insertion and bandage contact lenses. It is a simple and safe procedure performed in the doctors outdoor clinic.
In extreme cases surgical grafts may be required to alleviate the problems and complications caused by the dry eye. For those who work long hours on computer screens should blink their eyes more often and avoid prolonged sittings. And if indicated, use eye drops as prescribed by their doctor.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Protein-rich breakfast wards off overeating
(IANS)

21 May 2011
If you want to stay healthy, regularly eat breakfasts full of proteins. Eating a protein-rich breakfast keeps you satisfied and wards off overeating, which has become the bane of a modern, stress-filled life.
Researchers at the Missouri University relying on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) also found that such a breakfast reduces the brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behaviour.

Eating healthy, protein-rich breakfasts, such as waffles made with protein powder, can be a simple strategy for improving appetite control and preventing overeating, the journal Obesity reports.
Everyone knows that eating breakfast is important, but many people still dont make it a priority, said Heather Leidy, assistant professor in nutrition and exercise physiology at Missouri.
Researchers measured appetite sensations and hormonal markers along with reward-driven motivation to eat, using fMRI technology to identify brain activity bearing on food motivation and reward, according to a Missouri statement.
They decided to target breakfast-skipping teens for two reasons, Leidy said. First, breakfast-skipping has been strongly associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating (at night), weight gain and obesity. Second, 60 percent of adolescents skip breakfast on a daily basis.
For three weeks, the teens either continued to skip breakfast or consumed 500-calorie breakfasts containing cereal and milk (with normal quantities of protein) or higher protein meals prepared as Belgium waffles, syrup and yogurt.
At the end of each week, they completed appetite and satiety questionnaires. Right before lunch, the volunteers completed a brain scan, using fMRI, to identify brain activation responses.
Compared to breakfast-skipping, both breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout morning. Additionally, the higher protein breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behaviour compared to the normal protein breakfast.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Lowering fat intake can prevent diabetes
IANS

23 May 2011
Lower fat or carbohydrate intake can stave off diabetes, even without weight loss, new research says.
In this study, 69 people were placed on diets with modest cuts in either fat or carbohydrate for eight weeks.

At eight weeks, the group on the lower fat diet had significantly higher insulin secretion and better glucose tolerance and tended to have higher insulin sensitivity, said Barbara Gower, professor in nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the study.

Gower says the unique aspect of this study was that the results were independent of weight loss, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The participants were fed exactly the amount of food required to maintain their body weight, and the researchers took into account any minor fluctuations in body weight during analyses, according to an Alabama statement.

Results from this study suggest that those trying to minimize risk for diabetes over the long term might consider limiting their daily consumption of fat at around 27 percent of their diet.

People find it hard to lose weight, said Gower. What is important about our study is that the results suggest that attention to diet quality, not quantity, can make a difference in risk for type 2 diabetes.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Women on diet seldom lose weight
(IANS)

24 May 2011
Women who opt for dieting fads which promise rapid weight loss not only regain weight after some time but also cause grave damage to their physical and mental health, a study says.
A survey of more than 2,300 people revealed that more than one in five women have been on at least five diets and regained weight and many have been on at least 20 diets without keeping the pounds off.

The survey, conducted by Slimming World and YouGov, reveals that 21 percent of women have yo-yo dieted at least five times, 11 percent have done it at least 10 times and six percent have dieted and put the weight back on again more than 20 times.

Yo-Yo dieting refers to repeated cycles of weight loss and weight gain which cause feelings of failure and a loss of confidence in your own ability to make changes.

Slimming World is using the theme 'Stop yo-yo' to raise awareness about 'the dangerous cycle of repeated loss and regain of body weight and its dramatic effects on mental and physical health.'

Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World's head of nutrition and research, says: 'Yo-yo diets can be both unhealthy for the body and psychologically upsetting.

'In recent years, the UK has seen a huge rise in the number of faddy diets promising rapid weight loss through things like cutting out food groups, following unbalanced eating plans and only consuming liquid foods.'

'The good news is it's never too late to break the yo-yo cycle and losing weight and keeping it off can be easier than you think.

'Latest research suggests a diet of satiating low-energy dense foods like fruit and vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, fish and lean meat is more effective for long-lasting weight loss,' said Lavin, according to a Slimming World statement.

'These foods fill you up and are naturally low in calories. Avoiding feelings of deprivation by enjoying the chocolate treat without feeling guilty is also important to long term success,' she said.

 

[Night_Hawk]

'Survival protein' can treat neuro-disorders
(IANS)

25 May 2011, 9:34 AM
WASHINGTON - A newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke by interfering with a particular kind of brain cell death that is often found in cases of Parkinson's disease and heart attack.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins University in the US say they exploited the fact that when brain tissue is subjected to a stressful but not lethal effect, a defence response occurs that protects cells from subsequent effects.

The scientists dissected this preconditioning pathway to identify the most critical molecular players, one of which is the newly identified protein protector called Iduna, reports the journal Nature Medicine.

Named for a mythological Norwegian goddess who guards a tree full of golden apples used in restoring health to sick and injured gods, the Iduna protein increased three-to four-fold in preconditioned mouse brain tissue, according to the scientists.

"Apparently, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," says Valina Dawson, professor of neurology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins Institute of Cell Engineering.

"This protective response was broad in its defence of neurons and glia and blood vessels - the entire brain. It's not just a delay of death, but real protection that lasts for about 72 hours," adds Dawson, according to a Johns Hopkins statement.

The team noted that Iduna works by interrupting a cascade of molecular events that result in a common and widespread type of brain cell death called parthanatos often found in cases of stroke, Parkinson's disease, diabetes and heart attack.

By binding with a molecule known as PAR polymer, Iduna prevents the movement of cell-death-inducing factor (AIF) into a cell's nucleus.

In some of the experiments, Dawson and her team exposed mouse brain cells to short bursts of a toxic chemical, and then screened these "preconditioned" cells for genes that turned on as a result.

Focusing on Iduna, the researchers turned up the gene's activity in the cells during exposure to the toxic chemical that induced preconditioning.

Cells deficient in Iduna did not survive, but those with more Iduna did.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Common drug combo spikes blood sugar
(AFP)

26 May 2011
WASHINGTON – An anti-depressant and a cholesterol lowering drug, taken together by as many as one million people in the United States, may cause a spike in blood sugar levels, researchers said.
[FONT=&quot]Paxil and the anti-cholesterol drug Pravachol do not have this effect when taken independently, said researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

The interaction was uncovered by analyzing voluntary reports of adverse events in a database maintained by the US Food and Drug Administration, and comparing that to electronic medical records held by the three medical institutions.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The study used “data-mining techniques to identify patterns of associations in large populations that would not be readily apparent to physicians treating individual patients,” it said.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]While none of the patients taking the combination reported having hyperglycemia as a result, researchers found 135 patients who did not have diabetes showed an average increase of 19 milligrams per deciliter in blood glucose after starting treatment.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Among 14 people with diabetes, the effect was greater -- 48 mg/dl after the drug combo was begun.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The blood sugar spikes were significant enough to possibly push a person who is pre-diabetic into full blown diabetes, and to put diabetic patients’ health in danger, said the study published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Then researchers tested the drug combination in laboratory mice who were first fed a high-fat, high-calorie diet which would put them in a state considered pre-diabetic and insulin resistant.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]When these pre-diabetic mice were treated with the two drugs for three weeks, their blood glucose soared from about 128 mg/dl to 193 mg/dl. Neither drug alone has such an effect.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“These kinds of drug interactions are almost certainly occurring all of the time, but, because they are not part of the approval process by the Food and Drug Administration, we can only learn about them after the drugs are on the market,” said Russ Altman, professor of medicine at Stanford.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Understanding and mitigating the effect this pair of medications has on blood sugar could allow a person with diabetes to better control his or her glucose levels, or even prevent someone who is pre-diabetic from crossing that threshold into full-blown diabetes,” said Altman.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Up to 15 million people in the United States have prescriptions for the two drugs, said the study. Paxil is also known by its generic name, paroxetine, and Pravachol is pravastatin.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The drugs do not currently carry warning against combinations that may increase blood sugar.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“By extrapolating from the electronic medical records at Stanford and elsewhere, we can predict that between 500,000 and one million people are taking them simultaneously,” Altman said.[/FONT]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...2011/May/health_May57.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Diet supplement cuts down fat, sugar
(IANS)

27 May 2011
A little bitter with a little sweet, in the form of a dietary supplement taken before meals, can drastically cut down fat and sugar absorption.
[FONT=&quot]Naringenin, the molecule responsible for the bitter taste in grapefruits, could potentially be used in the treatment of diabetes, arteriosclerosis and hyper-metabolism, says an earlier study by researchers from Hebrew University (Jerusalem) and Harvard University. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, the absorption of naringenin in its natural form is very low. The combined team led by Yaakov Nahmias at Hebrew University, has now created a nano-complex of naringenin within a ring of sugar called cyclodextrin.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This complex increases naringenin absorption by 11 times. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The researchers found that a single dose of this complex, taken just before a high fat and high sugar meal given to rats, was able to reduce the generation of VLDL (bad cholesterol) by 42 percent.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It also increased insulin sensitivity by 64 percent, the journal Public Library of Science reports. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This is the first ever demonstration of how a dietary supplement can change the way the human body reacts beneficially to a meal, according to a Hebrew University statement. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“The complex is special in that it is taken just before a meal, as a preventative measure. In comparison, existing medications are given only after the chronic development of abnormal lipid levels in the blood,” said Nahmias.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The scientists say that considering the sugary taste of cyclodextrin, naringenin, the cause of the bitter taste in grapefruit, is “no longer such a bitter pill to swallow”. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Patents for the development have been applied for by Harvard University and Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Clinical tests are now under way in the US. [/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

No heart benefit in adding niacin to statin
Julie Steenhuysen

27 May 2011
Giving a high dose of niacin to people with heart disease who are already taking a cholesterol-lowering statin does nothing more to prevent heart attacks and strokes, US government researchers said.
[FONT=&quot]The findings from a large clinical trial challenge the notion that raising high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the so-called ‘good” cholesterol, can further reduce heart risks in people who already have their ‘bad’ cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein, or LDL — well under control.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Patients in the study who had a history of heart disease were treated with Abbott Laboratories’ Niaspan, a nearly $1 billion-a-year seller, and Merck & Co Inc’s Zocor, a statin available generically as simvastatin.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Researchers said Niaspan raised levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, but that did not translate into fewer fatal and non-fatal heart problems, prompting the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to stop the study 18 months early. Abbott shares were down 2 per cent on the news.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Although we did not see the expected clinical benefit, we have answered an important scientific question about treatment for cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Susan Shurin, acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, has long been known to raise HDL and lower triglycerides, another type of blood fat that raises heart risks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Millions of heart patients take niacin to raise HDL and lower triglycerides on the assumption that this will reduce heart risks, but it has not been clear that these treatments actually lower that risk.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“This sends us back to the drawing board,” Shurin told a conference call.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Either the approach to raise HDL was not effective, or HDL is not a good target,” she said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study, called the AIM-HIGH trial, enrolled 3,414 volunteers in the United States and Canada who were taking a statin to keep their LDL cholesterol low. More than half had suffered a heart attack before entering the trial.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All volunteers were given Zocor, and 515 participants were given a second LDL cholesterol-lowering drug, Merck’s Zetia, or ezetimibe, to make sure their LDL stayed in the target range of 40 to 80 milligrams per deciliter, which are very low levels.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Researchers said the drug performed as expected, raising HDL by about 28 per cent and lowering triglycerides by about 25 per cent, in keeping with other studies.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Late last month, an independent panel looked at the interim results of the study and concluded that high-dose niacin offered no benefits beyond statins alone in reducing heart complications, prompting the decision to end the study early.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There was also a slightly higher rate of strokes among patients who took niacin, but the overall rate of strokes in both groups was low. Wells Fargo Securities analyst Larry Biegelsen said the surprise findings could cut Niaspan sales by 20 to 30 per cent. — Reuters[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The US Food and Drug Administration says it will review the study but has made no new recommendations about niacin alone or in combination with statins.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Abbott, which reported Niaspan sales rose 8.4 per cent to $927 million last year, said the relevance of the findings outside the type of patients in the study “is currently unknown and it would be premature to extrapolate these results to a broader patient population at this time.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study is the latest to raise questions about whether increasing HDL helps prevent heart problems. With the success of statins to lower LDL, drugmakers have been looking to HDL-raising drugs as perhaps the next huge avenue for addressing cardiovascular disease.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One such promising drug, Pfizer Inc’s torcetrapib, was thought to be a potential huge seller by raising HDL through a different mechanism than niacin.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But torcetrapib was found to increase heart problems in one of the highest-profile flameouts in the drug industry’s history. Still, Merck and Switzerland’s Roche are developing drugs in the same class as torcetrapib.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And a study testing Abbott’s TriCor, or fenofibrate, a drug designed to lower triglycerides that also raises HDL, failed to cut heart problems in diabetics taking statins in the ACCORD trial despite improving both HDL and triglyceride levels.[/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Khaleej Times Online > HEALTH



Is a repeat flu shot needed?
(AP)

29 May 2011
ATLANTA – Vaccine makers said this month they plan to make a record amount of flu vaccine for this fall and winter — enough for more than half the population. It’s just not clear all those people will need it.
This year’s flu shot will be a duplicate of last year’s because the same flu strains are still circulating. So some experts say young, healthy people may have enough protection from last season’s vaccine to skip getting it again this fall.

“For healthy people, it can’t be said to be necessary,” said Dr. Robert Couch, a flu vaccine expert at the Baylor College of Medicine.
Still, government health officials are urging nearly everyone to get this fall’s flu shot. They say a vaccine’s protection can fade significantly after several months — especially for those who are frail and elderly.
Two weeks ago, five vaccine manufacturers announced plans to make between 166 million and 173 million doses for the coming season. That’s at least 6 million more than the maximum ever produced.
It’s quite a bet, considering the flu season that just ended was somewhat mild. But vaccine makers think it’s a good one.
“We are confident in our 2011 projections for the US market. They are based on ordering patterns as well as what’s known about the epidemiology of the flu,” said Liz Power, spokeswoman for Novartis Vaccines, one of the main manufacturers of flu shots for the United States.
Demand for vaccine has been growing in the US More than 40 percent of the population was vaccinated against the flu in the last 10 months, the second year in a row vaccinations were at so high a level. Previously, only about a third of Americans were getting vaccinated, according to government figures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had something to do with that. Last year, the CDC began recommending an annual flu vaccination for everyone except babies younger than 6 months and those with egg allergies or other unusual conditions. That probably helped boost vaccination rates, along with the appearance in 2009 of swine flu, which was more dangerous than other strains to young people.
The CDC also is buying about 18 million of the 2011-2012 doses, primarily for government vaccine programs for children.
Other countries, even in Europe, do not promote flu shots as aggressively as the United States. Seasonal flu can be deadly, especially for the elderly and people with weak immune systems.
The biggest selling point for an annual shot, usually, is that flu strains are usually different each year. But this year, that argument goes out the window. The last time flu strains didn’t change was during the winters of 2002-2004.
But there are other arguments for getting a flu shot. For one thing, the vaccine is only about 70 percent effective to begin with — and that’s in a good year, when the vaccine is well-calibrated to circulating strains. That’s not good enough to protect the US population for one year, let alone two, CDC officials say.
But the main argument now is one of waning immunity. CDC officials believe that a year after someone gets the flu shot, antibody levels — an indicator of immunity — can fall by two-thirds or more. Some key studies indicate the resulting levels are not strong enough to be protective, said Nancy Cox, head of the CDC’s chief of the CDC’s flu division.
However, other studies are less clear. Some have suggested that a flu vaccination can provide sufficient protection for more than a year in adults, and perhaps two or three years in children.
Cox said some of those conflicting studies are outdated and flawed, and noted more recent U.S. studies that found large drops in children’s immunity in just one year.
Other researchers sound less decided about which studies were right and which were wrong on this question.
“Nobody really, really knows,” said Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine researcher at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
But even if the question is unsettled, Treanor and other experts said the CDC’s position is probably the wisest course.
“The bottom line is, with our current knowledge, we believe it is better to be re-vaccinated. And getting another shot is certainly not going to harm you,” said Dr. Arnold Monto, an esteemed University of Michigan flu expert.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...2011/May/health_May62.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Evidence that PTSD, heart disease linked
(Reuters)

31 May 2011
NEW YORK - People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be at a higher risk for heart disease, with a study of U.S. war veterans finding that those with the disorder were more likely to have heart disease than their peers.
[FONT=&quot]The war veterans with PTSD were also more likely to have heart disease progressfaster, and they were more likely to die of any cause over the next three years, according to the study in the American Journal of Cardiology. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“For the longest time (PTSD) was basically known as a psychological or psychiatric disorder,” said Ramin Ebrahimi of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center, who led the study. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Little by little we understood that these patients actually do have a fair amount of other medical problems.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]While the study doesn’t mean that PTSD necessarily causes heart disease, it does suggest that worrying about the mental toll of the disorder is only part of the total picture. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He added that PTSD also strikes survivors of rape and natural disasters as well as those involved in combat or other violence. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 1 in 30 adults in the U.S. Suffers from PTSD in a given year, a risk that is much higher in war veterans. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ebrahimi and his colleagues screened 637 veterans suspected of having heart disease for PTSD and signs of coronary artery disease. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The veterans were an average of about 60 years old, and most were men. Eighty-eight fit the criteria for PTSD. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Calcium scans showed the majority had some kind of plaque buildup in their coronary arteries. More than 75 percent of the veterans with PTSD had narrowed arteries, compared to 59 percent of those without PTSD. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]After their initial tests, the researchers followed participants for an average of three and a half years. Over that time, 17 percent of the veterans with PTSD died, compared to 10 percent without PTSD. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The new study confirms earlier findings, said Joseph Boscarino, an investigator at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Something needs to be done in terms of better interventions,” he told Reuters Health, adding that the link is still unclear. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Stress hormones related to PTSD could affect the chance of getting heart disease, or perhaps the behavior of people with PTSD, such as higher rates of heavy alcohol use and smoking, puts them more at risk, he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In addition, certain genes could influence a person’s risk for both PTSD and heart disease, rather than the PTSD proving the cause. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“If you treat someone for PTSD early on... you should prevent not only the psychological problems, but you’re also potentially preventing the medical problems” that may come later, Boscarino added.
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[Abdul Hakeem]

Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index

• What is the Glycemic Index?
  The Glycemic Index (GI) is one the best tools for fat loss. It measures how quickly foods breakdown into sugar in your bloodstream. High glycemic foods turn into blood sugar very quickly. Starchy foods like potatoes are a good example. Potatoes have such a high GI rating; its almost the same as eating table sugar.
  What is the Glycemic Load (GL)?
  The GI tells you how fast foods spike your blood sugar. But the GI wont tell you how much carbohydrate per serving youre getting. Thats where the Glycemic Load is a great help. It measures the amount of carbohydrate in each service of food. Foods with a glycemic load under 10 are good choicesthese foods should be your first choice for carbs. Foods that fall between 10 and 20 on the glycemic load scale have a moderate affect on your blood sugar. Foods with a glycemic load above 20 will cause blood sugar and insulin spikes. Try to eat those foods sparingly.
  Food
  Glycemic Index
  Serving Size (g)
  Glycemic Load
  CANDY/SWEETS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Honey
  87
  2 Tbs
  17.9
  Jelly Beans
  78
  1 oz
  22
  Snickers Bar
  68
  60g (1/2 bar)
  23
  Table Sugar
  68
  2 Tsp
  7
  Strawberry Jam
  51
  2 Tbs
  10.1
  Peanut M&Ms
  33
  30 g (1 oz)
  5.6
  Dove Dark Chocolate Bar
  23
  37g (1 oz)
  4.4
  BAKED GOODS & CEREALS
  
  
  
  Corn Bread
  110
  60g (1 piece)
  30.8
  French Bread
  95
  64g (1 slice)
  29.5
  Corn Flakes
  92
  28g (1 cup)
  21.1
  Corn Chex
  83
  30g (1 cup)
  20.8
  Rice Krispies
  82
  33g (1.25 cup)
  23
  Corn pops
  80
  31g (1 cup)
  22.4
  Donut (lrg glazed)
  76
  75g (1 donut)
  24.3
  Waffle (homemade)
  76
  75g (1 waffle)
  18.7
  Grape Nuts
  75
  58g (1/2 cup)
  31.5
  Bran Flakes
  74
  29g (3/4 cup)
  13.3
  Graham Cracker
  74
  14g (2 sqrs)
  8.1
  Cheerios
  74
  30g (1 cup)
  13.3
  Kaiser Roll
  73
  57g (1 roll)
  21.2
  Bagel
  72
  89g (1/4 in.)
  33
  Corn tortilla
  70
  24g (1 tortilla)
  7.7
  Melba Toast
  70
  12g (4 rounds)
  5.6
  Wheat Bread
  70
  28g (1 slice)
  7.7
  White Bread
  70
  25g (1 slice)
  8.4
  Kelloggs Special K
  69
  31g (1 cup)
  14.5
  Taco Shell
  68
  13g (1 med)
  4.8
  Angel food cake
  67
  28g (1 slice)
  10.7
  Croissant, Butter
  67
  57g (1 med)
  17.5
  Muselix
  66
  55g (2/3 cup)
  23.8
  Oatmeal, Instant
  65
  234g (1 cup)
  13.7
  Rye bread, 100% whole
  65
  32g (1 slice)
  8.5
  Rye Krisp Crackers
  65
  25 (1 wafer)
  11.1
  Raisin Bran
  61
  61g (1 cup)
  24.4
  Bran Muffin
  60
  113g (1 med)
  30
  Blueberry Muffin
  59
  113g (1 med)
  30
  Oatmeal
  58
  117g (1/2 cup)
  6.4
  Whole wheat pita
  57
  64g (1 pita)
  17
  Oatmeal Cookie
  55
  18g (1 large)
  6
  Popcorn
  55
  8g (1 cup)
  2.8
  Pound cake, Sara Lee
  54
  30g (1 piece)
  8.1
  Vanilla Cake and Vanilla Frosting
  42
  64g (1 slice)
  16
  Pumpernickel bread
  41
  26g (1slice)
  4.5
  Chocolate cake w/chocolate frosting
  38
  64g (1 slice)
  12.5
  BEVERAGES
  
  
  
  Gatorade Powder
  78
  16g (.75 scoop)
  11.7
  Cranberry Juice Cocktail
  68
  253g (1 cup)
  24.5
  Cola, Carbonated
  63
  370g (12oz can)
  25.2
  Orange Juice
  57
  249g (1 cup)
  14.25
  Hot Chocolate Mix
  51
  28g (1 packet)
  11.7
  Grapefruit Juice, sweetened
  48
  250g (1 cup)
  13.4
  Pineapple Juice
  46
  250g (1 cup)
  14.7
  Soy Milk
  44
  245g (1 cup)
  4
  Apple Juice
  41
  248g (1 cup)
  11.9
  Tomato Juice
  38
  243g (1 cup)
  3.4
  LEGUMES
  
  
  
  Baked Beans
  48
  253g (1 cup)
  18.2
  Pinto Beans
  39
  171g (1 cup)
  11.7
  Lima Beans
  31
  241g (1 cup)
  7.4
  Chickpeas, Boiled
  31
  240g (1 cup)
  13.3
  Lentils
  29
  198g (1 cup)
  7
  Kidney Beans
  27
  256g (1 cup)
  7
  Soy Beans
  20
  172g (1 cup)
  1.4
  Peanuts
  13
  146g (1 cup)
  1.6
  VEGETABLES
  
  
  
  Potato
  104
  213g (1 med)
  36.4
  Parsnip
  97
  78g (1/2 cup)
  11.6
  Carrot, raw
  92
  15g (1 large)
  1
  Beets, canned
  64
  246g (1/2 cup)
  9.6
  Corn, yellow
  55
  166g (1 cup)
  61.5
  Sweet Potato
  54
  133g (1 cup)
  12.4
  Yam
  51
  136g (1 cup)
  16.8
  Peas, Frozen
  48
  72g (1/2 cup)
  3.4
  Tomato
  38
  123g (1 med)
  1.5
  Broccoli, cooked
  0
  78g (1/2 cup)
  0
  Cabbage, cooked
  0
  75g (1/2 cup)
  0
  Celery, raw
  0
  62g (1 stalk)
  0
  Cauliflower
  0
  100g (1 cup)
  0
  Green Beans
  0
  135g (1 cup)
  0
  Mushrooms
  0
  70g (1 cup)
  0
  Spinach
  0
  30g (1 cup)
  0
  FRUIT
  
  
  
  Watermelon
  72
  152g (1 cup)
  7.2
  Pineapple, raw
  66
  155g (1 cup)
  11.9
  Cantaloupe
  65
  177g (1 cup)
  7.8
  Apricot, canned in light syrup
  64
  253g (1 cup)
  24.3
  Raisins
  64
  43g (small box)
  20.5
  Papaya
  60
  140g (1 cup)
  6.6
  Peaches, canned, heavy syrup
  58
  262g (1 cup)
  28.4
  Kiwi, w/ skin
  58
  76g (1 fruit)
  5.2
  Fruit Cocktail, drained
  55
  214g (1 cup)
  19.8
  Peaches, canned, light syrup
  52
  251g (1 cup)
  17.7
  Banana
  51
  118g (1 med)
  12.2
  Mango
  51
  165g (1 cup)
  12.8
  Orange
  48
  140g (1 fruit)
  7.2
  Pears, canned in pear juice
  44
  248g (1 cup)
  12.3
  Grapes
  43
  92g (1 cup)
  6.5
  Strawberries
  40
  152g (1 cup)
  3.6
  Apples, w/ skin
  39
  138g (1 med)
  6.2
  Pears
  33
  166g (1 med)
  6.9
  Apricot, dried
  32
  130g (1 cup)
  23
  Prunes
  29
  132g (1 cup)
  34.2
  Peach
  28
  98g (1 med)
  2.2
  Grapefruit
  25
  123g (1/2 fruit)
  2.8
  Plum
  24
  66g (1 fruit)
  1.7
  Sweet Cherries, raw
  22
  117g (1 cup)
  3.7
  NUTS
  
  
  
  Cashews
  22
  
  
  Almonds
  0
  
  
  Hazelnuts
  0
  
  
  Macademia
  0
  
  
  Pecans
  0
  
  
  Walnuts
  0
  
  
  DAIRY
  
  
  
  Ice Cream (Lower Fat)
  47
  76g (1/2 cup)
  9.4
  Pudding
  44
  100g (1/2 cup)
  8.4
  Milk, Whole
  40
  244g (1 cup)
  4.4
  Ice Cream
  38
  72g (1/2 cup)
  6
  Yogurt, Plain
  36
  245g (1 cup)
  6.1
  

 

[behzadji]

Re: Glycemic Index

would you mention the source as the whole table has been shattered due to format not copied...........

 

[anyie1]

Re: Glycemic Index

oh doctor sahib, bus kur do yar,,,,

 

[riverblue]

Re: Glycemic Index

kyun bus kar dain??? it was informative.......

 

[Night_Hawk]

Re: Glycemic Index

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index#ixzz1O1MjZbEu
​

 

[Night_Hawk]

Limitations of the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load

Some proponents of the Glycemic Index (including many diet books authors) would like you to believe that GI and GL are all that matters when selecting which foods to eat. In reality, diet is a more complex issue than that. ND agrees that the Glycemic Index is a marvelous tool for ranking carbohydrates (and much better than the old "simple" and "complex carbohydrate" designations). However, there are also many limitations to GI and GL, which are explained in this section. Consider this the warning that those diet book authors don't want you to hear...

1. Scarcity of GI data
   Although methods for determining Glycemic Index have been in existence for more than 20 years, GI values have so far only been determined for about 5% of the foods in ND's database. Seemingly similar foods can have very different GI values, so it's not always possible to estimate GI from either food type or composition. This means that each food has to be physically tested. GI testing requires human subjects, and is both relatively expensive and time-consuming. The fact that only a very limited number of researchers currently do GI testing compounds this problem. Food manufacturers continue to introduce thousands of new foods each year. Since GI testing is neither required nor common (at least in the U.S.), this problem is likely to get worse rather than better.(ND has derived a formula that can estimate the Glycemic Load for untested foods, based on comparative analysis with foods of similar composition. To learn more about this method, please see ND's Estimated Glycemic Load page.)
   
   
2. Wide variation in GI measurements
   The above Glycemic Index table shows a single value of GI for each food. In reality, though, the measurements are not so precise. Reported values are generally averages of several tests. There's nothing wrong with that methodology, but individual measurements can vary a significant amount. For example, baked Russet potatoes have been tested with a GI as low as 56 and as high as 111! The GI for the same fruit has even been shown to increase as the fruit ripens. This amount of variation adds a great deal of uncertainty to GI calculations.
3. GI values affected by preparation method
   The Glycemic Index gets even trickier when you take into account the changes in value that occur in response to differences in food preparation. Generally, any significant food processing, such as grinding or cooking, will elevate GI values for certain foods, because it makes those food quicker and easier to digest. This type of change is even seen with subtle alterations of the preparation, such as boiling pasta for 15 minutes instead of 10.
4. GI values affected by combination with other foods
   While tests for Glycemic Index are usually done on individual foods, we often consume those foods in combination with other foods. The addition of other foods that contain fiber, protein, or fat will generally reduce the Glycemic Index of the meal. The GI of this "mixed meal" can be estimated by taking a weighted average of the GI's of the individual foods in the meal. However, this averaging method may become less accurate as the total percentage of carbohydrate decreases. Therefore, foods like pizza often create a higher glycemic response than the simple weighted average of the ingredient GI's would predict.
5. Individual differences in glycemic response
   The rate at which different people digest carbohydrates also varies, so there are some individual differences in glycemic response from person to person. In addition it has been shown that one person's glycemic response may vary from one time of day to another. And finally, different people have different insulin responses (i.e. produce different levels of insulin), even with an identical glycemic response. This fact alone means that a diabetic can not rely completely on the Glycemic Index without monitoring his own blood sugar response. (This, of course, is a limitation of any food index, and not a specific limitation of GI.)
6. Reliance on GI and GL can lead to overconsumption
   It's important to remember that the Glycemic Index is only a rating of a food's carbohydrate content. If you use GI and GL values as the sole factor for determining your diet, you can easily end up overconsuming fat and total Calories. See example below...

Example - How the Glycemic Index can encourage overeating:
Apples have a GI of 38 (as shown in the table above), and a medium-size apple, weighing 138 grams, contains 16 grams of net carbohydrates and provides a Glycemic Load of 6. This is a low GL, and most would consider the apple to be a very appropriate snack. But now look at peanuts. A 4-oz serving not only weighs less than the apple, but has a much lower GI (14), and provides an even lower GL of 2. Based on Glycemic Load alone, you would have to believe that the peanuts were a better dietary choice than the apple. But if you take a look at the Calories contained in these two foods, you'll see that the apple contains approximately 72 Calories, while the peanuts contain more than 500! Those 400+ extra Calories are NOT going to help you lose weight.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index#ixzz1O1uONdtL

 

[Night_Hawk]

Re: Glycemic Index

Is Low-Carb the Answer?

One alternative to the low-GI diet is the low-carbohydrate diet, which also centers on the concept of controlling blood sugar levels, but does so by limiting total carbohydrate consumption. Low-carb diets have become popular, partially because they are very successful at doing this. As opposed to low-GI diets, they are also very easy to plan and monitor, since carbohydrate counts are known for all foods.
However, low-carb diets are not without their own difficulties, which can include:

1. Deficiency of essential nutrients
   If your low-carb diet restricts the amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat, you may not be consuming enough Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Dietary Fiber, which are much more abundant in plant-based foods. It's also likely that you are consuming less carotenoids (such as Alpha Carotene, Beta Carotene, Beta Cryptoxanthin, and Lycopene). Although no daily values have been established for carotenoids, they are known to be powerful anti-oxidants, and may be necessary for optimal health. It's possible to supplement these missing nutrients, but there are also many phytochemicals present in plant-based foods that we are just beginning to learn about. Many of these phytochemicals are believed to have positive health benefits, but very few of them are yet available in supplement form.
2. Potential risks associated with high fat consumption
   Low-carb diets usually contain large amounts of fat, and numerous studies suggest that higher consumption of fats (particularly saturated fats) increases your risk of heart disease and other ailments. While no definitive link has been established between low-carb diets and heart disease, this is a topic that warrants additional study.
3. Hypoglycemic effects of minimized carbohydrate consumption
   Your brain requires glucose to operate. In the absence of carbohydrates, your body is forced to synthesize glucose from digested or stored fats. This somewhat inefficient process results in lower than optimal blood sugar levels, which can leave you feeling lethargic, unalert, and even confused. This effect is most commonly experienced as you transition from a "normal" diet to an ultra-low-carb diet, but can also reappear at times when your body is under increased stress. The decrease in mental alertness, while not harmful in of itself, is a potentially dangerous side effect. (e.g. It can be less safe to operate a car if you aren't fully alert.)
4. Boredom or cravings resulting from the elimination of carbohydrate-rich foods
   We all derive pleasure from the taste of different foods. Any diet that greatly or completely restricts our selection of foods, can lead to increased cravings for the eliminated foods or boredom with the allowable food selections. This, of course, is not a problem specific to low-carb diets, but affects all diets that limit the range of foods that you consume.
5. Added expense of special foods
   To overcome the boredom of the low-carb diet, you can turn to the new low-carb versions of foods that are now being offered in many health food and grocery stores. It's now even possible to find low-carb versions of pancakes and bagels! Unfortunately, though, the elevated cost of some of these specialty food items can add considerably to your food bill.
6. Incompatibility with vegetarian lifestyle
   If you consider yourself a vegetarian, you'll find that it's very difficult to follow a low-carb diet, since nearly all low-carb meal plans focus on the consumption of meats and other animal-based foods.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index#ixzz1O1usozEQ

 

[Night_Hawk]

Blueberry found to lower cholesterol
(IANS)

2 June 2011, 10:51 AM
Lab hamsters fed with rations spiked with blueberry peels and leftovers from the berrys juice had better cholesterol health than normal counterparts.
Hamsters are members of the rodent order of mammals, including guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, squirrels, and beavers used in lab studies.

Wallace H. Yokoyama, chemist at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), under US Department of Agriculture (USDA), pointed out that more research is needed to confirm whether the effects would hold true for humans, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports.
Researchers fed hamsters high-fat rations. Those rations were supplemented with one of three different kinds of juice byproducts: blueberry skins, peels left over when berries are pressed to make juice; fibre extracted from the peels; compounds known as polyphenols.
Blueberry polyphenols give the fruit its purple, blue, and red colouration. Yokoyama and co-investigators reported that all the hamsters fed blueberry-enhanced rations had from 22 to 27 percent lower total plasma cholesterol than hamsters fed rations without blueberry byproducts.
Levels of VLDL (very low density lipoprotein - a form of bad cholesterol) were about 44 percent lower in the blueberry-fed hamsters, according to an ARS statement.
Yokoyama and his team used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, to learn about the genes responsible for these effects. This approach allowed the scientists to pinpoint differences in the level of activity of certain liver genes.
In hamsters and in humans the liver both makes cholesterol and helps get rid of excessive levels of it. Results suggest that activity of some liver genes that either produce or use cholesterol resulted in the lower blood cholesterol levels.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...&xfile=data/health/2011/June/health_June3.xml

 

[Night_Hawk]

Head injuries linked to later violence
(Reuters)

2 June 2011
NEW YORK - Young adults who have suffered head injuries are more likely to get into a fight or take part in other kinds of violence and the link is particularly strong within the first year after the injury, a US study said.
Previous work has shown that brain injuries can cause changes in emotions, including impulsivity and aggression.

Though its never possible with this type of research to figure out if brain injuries really are at the root of aggression or if some other factor is behind both, things such as drug use, heavy drinking and a history of violence didnt seem to explain the findings, said author Sarah Stoddard of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Participants who had ever experienced a head injury before young adulthood reported more interpersonal violence in young adulthood than participants who had never had a head injury, she wrote in Pediatrics.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 1.7 million US residents experience a traumatic brain injury every year, due to bumps, blows, jolts or any injury that disrupts the brains normal functioning.
Most brain injuries are mild, leading to a short loss of consciousness or confusion. When severe, however, they may cause amnesia and long periods of unconsciousness.
In studies with prisoners, researchers have found that those with a history of brain injuries are more likely to engage in violence.
To investigate whether the same relationship exists in non-prisoners, Stoddard and a colleague analyzed several years worth of data from 850 high schoolers, following them until five years after they left school.
All of the participants had a grade point average no higher than 3 out of 4.
In the fifth year of the study, 88 of the young adults reported suffering a head injury. Of those, 43 percent said they had gotten into a fight, hurt someone, or taken part in some type of violence over the following year.
That compared to 34 percent of those who did not report a head injury.
The findings hint that the more recent a head injury is, the more likely a young adult is to be aggressive, because the brain does recover over time, Stoddard said.
Others agreed that the study did appear to back up earlier studies.
The study does suggest there is a link (between head injury and violence), particularly early on, said Huw Williams of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who has found the same relationship in prisoners but was not involved in the study.
He added that parents who were concerned their child had suffered a brain injury should take them to a doctor immediately for assessment.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...011/June/health_June2.xml&section=health&col=

 

[Night_Hawk]

Small, frequent meals key to tackling acidity
(Staff reporter)

3 June 2011, 9:48 PM
DUBAI Heart burn, stomach cramp and nausea are complaints related to acidity, says a doctor from Zulekha Hospital.
Our stomach normally produces acid to digest the food eaten. Problem occurs when more acid is produced than required for digestion of food, explains Khairunnisa Anjum, Dietitian, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai.
This is mostly due to heavy meals, highly spicy foodstuff, irregular food habits, lack of sleep, overeating, eating on the run, stress, drinking alcohol, smoking and NSAIDs, she adds.
Pregnant women and overweight individuals frequently experience acidity. People with a high nervous and emotional disposition are very much prone to develop acidity too.
By adopting healthy eating habits and reducing stress, one can prevent acidity. Follow healthy, balanced diet without skipping meals. Small and frequents meals throughout the day avoids overburdening of digestive system. Eat wholesome diet with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains to ensure that you get the whole array of nutrients.
Studies showed that the following helps in reducing acidity:

- Fresh juices of carrot, cabbage, celery, mint, bottle gourd, white onion, amla and apple are found to neutralise the acidity.
- Radish juice mixed with sugar gives relief from sour burps.
- Ash gourd juice on empty stomach.
- Eat banana, cucumber and watermelon daily.
- Gulp coconut water 4 to 5 times in a day.
- Eat 4 -5 almonds when you feel heart burn.
- Stay away from raw salads like onion, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli to prevent gas formation.
Yoghurt or thin buttermilk will provide immediate relief from acidity. Some studies show consumption of milk depends on individual tolerance. For such cases frequent drinking of milk is to be avoided, especially in evening. Drinking half a cup cold milk after meals is also found beneficial to decrease acidity in some individuals.
Many people think that tomatoes and citrus fruits cause acidity, says Khairunnisa. This is not true as their residue is alkaline, hence neutralises the acidity. Even fresh juices of pumpkin, grape, orange, pineapple, sweet lemon are especially found beneficial. Citrus fruits and juices should be taken only during or after meals and not on an empty stomach, she adds.
Simple easy-to-do home remedies that reduce acidity:
- 2 teaspoon of amla powder taken twice a day.
- Mixing equal amount of ginger and coriander with honey.
- Keeping small piece of jaggery in mouth and sucking it.
- Chewing half teaspoon of fennel seeds after the meals.
Excess addiction to strong foods such as tea, coffee and carbonated beverages may cause acidity as its caffeine content stimulates acid secretions.
- Avoid heavy and late dinners and snacks.
- Stay away from fatty, fried, spicy and junk foods.
-Choose baked/ grilled fish or chicken over red meat.
- Avoid frequent use of medicines like aspirin and dispirin.
- Say NO to smoking and alcohol.
- Avoid chewing gums as it stimulates gastric acid secretion.
- Do not go for tight fitting clothes.
- Be physically active, minimum 30 minutes of walk daily - reduces gas formation.
After a meal:

Do not lie down for at least for 1 hour after meals. Preferably a stroll or cleaning kitchen right after your dinner is some good options.
[FONT=&quot][email protected][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Khairunnisa Anjum[/FONT][FONT=&quot], Dietitian, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai.[/FONT]