Health Related articles updated on daily Basis.

[Night_Hawk]

Chocolate lovers have fewer strokes
(Reuters)

12 October 2011
A sweet tooth isn’t necessarily bad for your health—at least not when it comes to chocolate, hints a new study.
[FONT=&quot]Researchers studying more than 33,000 Swedish women found that the more chocolate women said they ate, the lower their risk of stroke.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The results add to a growing body of evidence linking cocoa consumption to heart health, but they aren’t a free pass to gorge on chocolate.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]‘Given the observational design of the study, findings from this study cannot prove that it’s chocolate that lowers the risk of stroke,’ Susanna Larsson from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm told Reuters Health in an email.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]While she believes chocolate has health benefits, she also warned that eating too much of it could be counterproductive.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]‘Chocolate should be consumed in moderation as it is high in calories, fat, and sugar,’ she said. ‘As dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate, consumption of dark chocolate would be more beneficial.’[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Larsson and her colleagues, whose findings appear in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, tapped into data from a mammography study that included self-reports of how much chocolate women ate in 1997. The women ranged in age from 49 to 83 years.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Over the next decade, there were 1,549 strokes, and the more chocolate women ate, the lower their risk.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Among those with the highest weekly chocolate intake—more than 45 grams—there were 2.5 strokes per 1,000 women per year. That figure was 7.8 per 1,000 among women who ate the least (less than 8.9 grams per week).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Scientists speculate that substances known as flavonoids, in particular so-called flavanols, may be responsible for chocolate’s apparent effects on health.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to Larsson, flavonoids have been shown to cut high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke, and improve other blood factors linked to heart health. Whether that theoretical benefit translates into real-life benefits remains to be proven by rigorous studies, however.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year, with about a sixth of them dying of it and many more left disabled. For those at high risk, doctors recommend blood pressure medicine, quitting smoking, exercising more and eating a healthier diet—but so far chocolate isn’t on the list.[/FONT]
[h=2][FONT=&quot]SOURCE: bit.ly/qhsaZ0 [/FONT][/h]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Risks of vitamin supplements revealed

(AFP)

17 October 2011

WASHINGTON New research is prompting a fresh look at the value of vitamin supplements, with some surprising results indicating that taking too many supplements of some could be harmful.
The research is forcing scientists to rethink the use of supplements with antioxidants, which had been seen as beneficial in preventing cancer, heart disease and other ailments.

Everybody is confused, admitted Toren Finkel, head of the Center for Molecular Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
While logic would seem to dictate that taking vitamins and antioxidants should help fight illness and disease, Finkel said in an interview that the clinical data are pretty consistently showing no benefit.
So that means we have to go back and think about some of the assumptions we have made along the way in terms of what the mechanism for these diseases are and how things like oxidants play a role in those diseases, he told AFP.
Finkel explained that while it has long been believed that oxidants free radicals produced by the body or introduced through external sources such as pollution were unhealthy, the research paints a more complex picture.
You have to go back to the lab and try to design experiments you can do a little simpler with cells or animals... to better understand the role of oxidants and vitamins, he said.
For years, we were using these supplements without knowing the effects on the body.
A study published on October 11 in the United States indicates a 17 percent increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer among men who take high doses of vitamin E.
Another recent US study conducted among women and published on October 10 revealed that multivitamins commonly taken in the United States were useless and actually gradually contributed to a higher risk of mortality.
As far back as 2007, researchers had established a link between taking selenium supplements and an increased risk of adult diabetes.
For David Schardt, a nutritionist at the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the problem is that people think more is better and that (supplements) are harmless.
We are finding out that some of these vitamins taken alone in large amounts may have effects we did not predict, we did not understand and we did not anticipate, Schardt said.
He added that the country has a lot of people who believe, almost like a religion, in their vitamins a faith encouraged by an industry that generates $20 billion a year in the United States, where more than half of the population takes some kind of vitamin supplement.
Moreover, US manufacturers are free to say almost anything they want about the virtues of supplements, Schardt explained, adding: The only thing the Food and Drug Administration does not let them make are claims about disease.
Patsy Brannon, a Cornell University professor who served on an NIH panel on multivitamins, mineral supplements and chronic diseases, said that those who take supplements are often those already getting nutrients from their food.
So the people who are choosing supplements are maybe the people who dont need them, she said. So they are not thinking about their total intake and that I think is a concern.
Experts agree that multivitamins and other supplements are useful for certain groups such as pregnant women and elderly people suffering from vitamin deficiencies.
But for the general population, a healthy balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber as well as animal-based protein will provide the proper vitamins and nutrients needed, Brannon said.
A study published in late August in the Journal of Nutrition showed that a significant number of Americans did not eat well and did not take vitamin supplements.
Twenty-five percent of respondents had a vitamin C deficiency, 34 percent were not getting enough vitamin A and 60 percent needed more vitamin E. All three are found in fruits and vegetables.

 

[Night_Hawk]

[h=3]Fiber Rich Food for Healthy You[/h] Fiber rich food is very essential for the body and should be included into our daily diet. Consuming nutritious fiber rich foods is a great way to improve our digestive system and fiber rich food also helps in lowering the levels of cholesterol in the body. It is found that, foods that have high fiber content are generally a good source of essential nutrients as well.

Fibers are of two types:

Soluble(are able to dissolve in water): They help in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Insoluble(are not able to dissolve in water): They help in reducing the risk of diabetes and since they are natural laxatives, they also help in shortening the transition of waste through the intestinal tract of human body.

Sources of Fiber
All pulses, black-eyed peas, split peas, kidney beans (rajma) and black beans. Sunflower and sesame seeds, chestnuts, peanuts, almonds, and dried coconuts are also rich in fiber. Fiber rich cereals include whole wheat, rice, bajra, oats, maize, barley and jowar. So, to have fiber rich food, start including fiber rich food to your eating habits.

Advantages of Having Fiber Food
Fiber rich food is very much essential for women's health, as they need to perform many tasks in day to day lives. Intake of fiber is also important because it helps in relieving chronic problems like constipation, maintains the level of cholesterol and keeps the weight under control. It helps to prevent diseases and has a positive influence on triglycerides, etc. It is believed to protect us from colon cancer. Actually when sources of fiber are included in our diet, the level of sugar is regulated to avoid diabetes. Consumption of fiber has also helped to prevent gallstones and

http://fiber-rich-foods.blogspot.com/2011/07/fiber-rich-food-for-healthy-you.html

 

[Night_Hawk]

[h=3]The Importance of Fibers and Fiber-Rich Foods[/h]

In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the magic weight loss fibers and the beneficial effect they have over your body.

First of all let me explain what fiber is:

Fiber is an indigestible part of all plant foods (it is used by plants to build their cell walls). It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fiber (also known as cellulose), so it is excreted undigested.

Well, you may think you don’t need fiber, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.

Let's imagine the following picture:
You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn't include much fiber. Well, this might be your life style; however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like:

• digestive troubles
• gallstones
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• colon cancer
• obesity

What happens when you constantly overeat? You start feeling:

• indigestion
• discomfort stomach aches
• gases in the digestive tract
• constipation
• hemorrhoids
• you got tired faster
• can't concentrate on what you're doing

I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.


You start visiting doctors and diet experts, who recommend you expensive medication, like pills and other kind of drugs, which are effective only while you are taking them; or they will make you start a diet plan and may recommend you some fitness procedures to lose weight.


Well, I’m not saying that none of these procedures will work for you. Of course some of them will work; it depends strictly on the individual. But there is always an easier, healthier and cheaper way to solve such problems.


In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fiber-rich foods and respectively – the higher intake of foods that contain no fiber (like meat or any other animal products). The average amount of fiber intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily.


You should start consuming more of these fiber-rich foods like:

• all bran cereal
• beans (kidney and butter)
• peas
• 
  
  spinach
• sweet corn
• wholemeal brown bread
• red cabbage
• carrots
• baked potato with skin
• apples
• bananas
• oranges and many others

I can’t list them all, but I can advise you to eat more beans, grains, fruits and vegetables, and I think that’s enough for you to get the picture.


There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in both types of fiber, you’ll be amazed of its beneficial effects over your digestive system, your body, your health and way of life.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water in the intestinal tract, it forms glue like gel, which softens stools (no more constipation) and slows down stomach emptying, which means better digestion (no more indigestion).
You feel fuller longer – that’s the effect that helps you eat less food, which is rich in fiber, and your digestive tract uses more energy to digest it. This way your body burns additional calories and you can lose weight. Of course it takes some time to reach your desired weight, but you won’t be starving, and yet you’ll be losing weight – isn’t it great?


Insoluble fiber acts in the gastrointestinal tract. It’s an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines (leaving less time for cancerous substances in your stool to have contact with the lining of the bowel) – this way fiber decreases the risk of colon cancer and also helps prevent hemorrhoids by adding bulk and softening stools.


Soluble fiber is also known to help lowering cholesterol and the amount of insulin needed to process the blood sugar after eating.


At the end I'd like to tell you that you won't be sorry if you start eating more fiber-rich foods.
Like many other people I used to take not enough fiber, and I suffered stomach aches after every meal, sometimes they lasted more than an hour.

Then I started to eat one fruit more than usual everyday, gradually increasing the amounts of fruits and other fiber-rich foods.


I must admit that it really worked for me and now fiber-rich food is the most important part of my daily menu (apples, oranges and peas are my personal favor).
​

 

[Night_Hawk]

[h=3]Fiber Rich Foods[/h]

Fiber is an extremely beneficial element which along with helping in weight reduction programs, also aids in providing various health benefits to a person. One’s digestive system cannot digest fiber and thus it is excreted undigested. This makes many people think that fiber is an unwanted waste in the body. However, the truth is completely different as fibers are extremely important for the overall health of a person as it aids in the smooth functioning of the digestive system thereby preventing various problems like constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders. Given below is a list of important food items which are rich in fiber and which thus must be included in one’s diet.

Fiber rich food items basically include all bran cereal, beans, peas and cabbage amongst others. While grain products like whole grain breads, buns and muffins are rich in fiber content, there are also certain high fiber fruits whose intake can lead to an overall enhancement of one’s health. These include dried fruits like apricots and dates along with other natural fruits like blackberries, strawberries, oranges, apple and pear. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits with skins are good source of high fibers and thus one should make it a point to include broccoli, spinach and green peas in one’s diet.

Along with increasing one’s content of fiber in the diet, one should accompany this fiber intake with an increase in water. Moreover, one should gradually increase one’s intake of fiber and should not get into the haste of include huge amounts of fiber to attain immediate effect. In addition, increasing the intake of foods high in fiber is better than using fiber supplements. Thus, eating healthy and intelligently can help a person to live a healthy and a fit life without the threat of diseases and ailments.​

 

[Night_Hawk]

[h=1]Eating Purple Fruits Could Help Body to Fight Diseases Such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s !!![/h]

A new research found that drinking green tea and eating purple fruits could help the body to fight Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

The foods, such as blueberries, act by soaking up a harmful iron compounds.
The study from Professor Douglas Kell at the University of Manchester, published in the journal Archives of Toxicology, suggests that iron may result in the body producing free radical that damage the body.
The toxins, called hydroxyl radicals, may be the cause behind degenerative diseases.
“Much of modern biology has been concerned with the role of different genes in human disease. The importance of iron may have been missed because there is no gene for iron as such,” prof. Douglas said.
Head of research at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, Dr Simon Ridley commented on the authour’s report: “It is important to note that this author’s report does not describe the results of a new study, but puts forward one theory about the possible causes of Alzheimer’s disease. We need to see more research into this theory before we’ll know if iron has any role to play in developing dementia.

​

 

[Night_Hawk]

Keep tab on osteoporosis painkiller

(IANS)

20 October 2011, 12:56 PM
Even as researchers try to confirm the side effects of osteoporosis pain-relieving drugs on women, doctors say continuous consumption of the drug bisphosphonates can make the bones brittle and lead to untimely fractures.

Even as researchers try to confirm the side effects of osteoporosis pain-relieving drugs on women, doctors say continuous consumption of the drug bisphosphonates can make the bones brittle and lead to untimely fractures.
With osteoporosis likely to affect 25 million people in the country, the magic prescription to fight osteoporosis could be a healthy diet, exercise and ample sunlight, experts said ahead of World Osteoporosis Day Thursday.


[TABLE="width: 219, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD] [h=1]Oct 20 is World Osteoporosis Day[/h] [h=1]

[/h][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
”Although it is not yet confirmed how badly the drug affects the bones, it is advisable to not use the medicine for a very long period. The medicines can make the bones brittle over a period of time,” said Harshavardhan K. Hegde, director of orthopaedics at Fortis hospital in the capital.

Bisphosphonates is sold under the names Actonel, Reclast and Boniva across the globe. According to reports by a medical journal, women reported the breakage in thigh bone after repeated use of the drug.

”What is possible is that the patient take the drug for a period of four years, and then take a break of six months,” Hegde added.

Osteoporosis, a bone disease caused due to thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time, is likely to affect around 36 million people by 2013.

With the younger population heading towards a sedentary lifestyle, experts say the regime to fight the disease remains the same - a diet including green-leafy vegetables, cheese, meat, milk, vitamin D through sunlight, exercise, and avoid smoking.

”Sunlight is a must to maintain bone strength. These days Indian women are very wary of going out in the sun, and even if they do they have sunscreen mask over their face,” Hegde said.

While women are more vulnerable to the disease, experts say a little more caution towards their 30s can help as the hormonal imbalance begins by that age.

”Men are also predisposed to osteoporosis. But women should take care as after menopause, the oestrogen level comes down and the bone strength becomes weaker,” said H.S Chhabra, chief of spine and medical director at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Vasant Kunj.

”Women with diabetes, a family history in osteoporosis, and with symptoms of knee pain, and swelling should be cautious,” Chhabra added.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...data/health/2011/October/health_October37.xml

 

[Night_Hawk]

Five Foods That Can Trigger a Stroke

Few things feel more terrifying and random than a stroke, which can strike without warning. And fear of stroke -- when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot, starving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients -- is well founded. After all, stroke is the number-three killer in the U.S., affecting more than 700,000 people each year. Here are five foods that cause the damage that leads to stroke.

1. Crackers, chips, and store-bought pastries and baked goods

Muffins, doughnuts, chips, crackers, and many other baked goods are high in trans fats, which are hydrogenated oils popular with commercial bakeries because they stay solid at room temperature, so the products don't require refrigeration. Also listed on labels as "partially hydrogenated" or hydrogenated oils, trans fats are found in all kinds of snack foods, frozen foods, and baked goods, including salad dressings, microwave popcorn, stuffing mixes, frozen tater tots and French fries, cake mixes, and whipped toppings. They're also what makes margarine stay in a solid cube. The worst offenders are fried fast foods such as onion rings, French fries, and fried chicken.
Why it's bad

For years scientists have known trans fats are dangerous artery-blockers, upping the concentrations of lipids and bad cholesterol in the blood and lowering good cholesterol. Now we can add stroke to the list of dangers. This year researchers at the University of North Carolina found that women who ate 7 grams of trans fat each day -- about the amount in two doughnuts or half a serving of French fries -- had 30 percent more strokes (the ischemic type, caused by blocked blood flow to the brain) than women who ate just 1 gram a day. Another recent study, also in women, found that trans fats promoted inflammation and higher levels of C-reactive protein, which have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
What to do

Aim to limit trans fats to no more than 1 or 2 grams a day -- and preferably none. Avoid fast-food French fries and other fried menu items and study packaged food labels closely. Even better, bake your own cookies, cakes, and other snacks. When you can't, search out "health-food" alternative snacks, such as Terra brand potato chips and traditional whole grain crackers such as those made by Finn, Wasa, AkMak, Ryvita, and Lavasch.

2. Smoked and processed meats

Whether your weakness is pastrami, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, or a smoked turkey sandwich, the word from the experts is: Watch out.
Why it's bad

Smoked and processed meats are nasty contributors to stroke risk in two ways: The preserving processes leave them packed with sodium, but even worse are the preservatives used to keep processed meats from going bad. Sodium nitrate and nitrite have been shown by researchers to directly damage blood vessels, causing arteries to harden and narrow. And of course damaged, overly narrow blood vessels are exactly what you don't want if you fear stroke.

Many studies have linked processed meats to coronary artery disease (CAD); one meta-analysis in the journal Circulation calculated a 42-percent increase in coronary heart disease for those who eat one serving of processed meat a day. Stroke is not the only concern for salami fans; cancer journals have reported numerous studies in the past few years showing that consumption of cured and smoked meats is linked with increased risk of diabetes and higher incidences of numerous types of cancer, including leukemia.
What to do

If a smoked turkey or ham sandwich is your lunch of choice, try to vary your diet, switching to tuna, peanut butter, or other choices several days a week. Or cook turkey and chicken yourself and slice it thin for sandwiches.

How to Tell if Someone Is Having a Stroke

3. Diet soda

Although replacing sugary drinks with diet soda seems like a smart solution for keeping weight down -- a heart-healthy goal -- it turns out diet soda is likely a major bad guy when it comes to stroke.
Why it's bad

People who drink a diet soda a day may up their stroke risk by 48 percent. A Columbia University study presented at the American Stroke Association's 2011 International Stroke Conference followed 2,500 people ages 40 and older and found that daily diet soda drinkers had 60 percent more strokes, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease than those who didn't drink diet soda. Researchers don't know exactly how diet soda ups stroke risk -- and are following up with further studies -- but nutritionists are cautioning anyone concerned about stroke to cut out diet soda pop.
What to do

Substitute more water for soda in your daily diet. It's the healthiest thirst-quencher by far, researchers say. If you don't like water, try lemonade, iced tea, or juice.

4. Red meat

This winter, when the respected journal Stroke published a study showing that women who consumed a large portion of red meat each day had a 42-percent higher incidence of stroke, it got nutrition experts talking. The information that red meat, with its high saturated fat content, isn't healthy for those looking to prevent heart disease and stroke wasn't exactly news. But the percentage increase (almost 50 percent!) was both startling and solid; the researchers arrived at their finding after following 35,000 Swedish women for ten years.
Why it's bad

Researchers have long known that the saturated fat in red meat raises the risk of stroke and heart disease by gradually clogging arteries with a buildup of protein plaques. Now it turns out that hemoglobin, the ingredient that gives red meat its high iron content, may pose a specific danger when it comes to stroke. Researchers are investigating whether blood becomes thicker and more viscous as a result of the consumption of so-called heme iron, specifically upping the chance of strokes.
What to do

Aim to substitute more poultry -- particularly white meat -- and fish, which are low in heme iron, for red meat. Also, choose the heart-healthiest sources of protein whenever you can, especially beans, legumes, nuts, tofu, and nonfat dairy.

5. Canned soup and prepared foods

Whether it's canned soup, canned spaghetti, or healthy-sounding frozen dinners, prepared foods and mixes rely on sodium to increase flavor and make processed foods taste fresher. Canned soup is cited by nutritionists as the worst offender; one can of canned chicken noodle soup contains more than 1,100 mg of sodium, while many other varieties, from clam chowder to simple tomato, have between 450 and 800 mg per serving. Compare that to the American Heart and Stroke Association's recommendation of less than1,500 mg of sodium daily and you'll see the problem. In fact, a nutritionist-led campaign, the National Salt Reduction Initiative, calls on food companies to reduce the salt content in canned soup and other products by 20 percent in the next two years.
Why it's bad

Salt, or sodium as it's called on food labels, directly affects stroke risk. In one recent study, people who consumed more than 4,000 mg of sodium daily had more than double the risk of stroke compared to those who ate 2,000 mg or less. Yet the Centers for Disease Control estimate that most Americans eat close to 3,500 mg of sodium per day. Studies show that sodium raises blood pressure, the primary causative factor for stroke. And be warned: Sodium wears many tricky disguises, which allow it to hide in all sorts of foods that we don't necessarily think of as salty. Some common, safe-sounding ingredients that really mean salt:

Baking soda

Baking powder

MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Disodium phosphate

Sodium alginate

What to do

Make your own homemade soups and entrees, then freeze individual serving-sized portions. Buy low-sodium varieties, but read labels carefully, since not all products marked "low sodium" live up to that promise.

http://health.yahoo.net/caring/5-foods-that-can-trigger-a-stroke

 

[Night_Hawk]

Eating fish powers brain
(IANS)

25 October 2011
LONDON - Eating fish, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, boosts blood flow to the brain and improves its performance.
New research shows it can also quicken reaction times and reduce levels of tiredness in the brain even after performing tough tasks.

British researchers say the findings could be particularly important for the elderly as these have the potential to stave off dementia, the British Journal of Nutrition reports.

They conducted two studies to examine the effects of oily fish. Volunteers were given fish-oil supplements rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, reports the Telegraph.

Results of one showed that taking omega-3 supplements during mental tasks boosted blood flow to active areas of the brain.

Another study looked at the impact of giving two fish-oil supplements to a group of volunteers aged 18-35 over three months.

Results showed little difference in blood flow to the brain, but faster reaction times and lower levels of tiredness after being given a task to complete.

Study author Philippa Jackson from Northumbria University, Britain, said: “These findings could have implications for mental function later on in life.”

 

[Night_Hawk]

Low fat, fish oil diet slows down cancer
(IANS)

26 October 2011
WASHINGTON - A low-fat, fish-oil combo diet, taken weeks before prostate removal, slows down prostate cancer growth as compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles’ Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centre, also found that men on such diet were able to change the composition of their cell membranes in both healthy and cancerous cells in the prostate gland.

They had increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and decreased levels of omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil in the cell membranes, which may directly affect the biology of the cells, said William Aronson, study co-author and Jonsson Centre researcher, the journal Cancer Prevention Research reports.

The study also found that blood obtained from patients after the low-fat, fish oil diet programme slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in a test tube as compared to blood from men on the Western diet, which did not slow cancer growth, according to a Jonsson Centre statement.

”The finding that the low-fat, fish oil diet reduced the number of rapidly dividing cells in the prostate cancer tissue is important because the rate at which the cells are dividing can be predictive of future cancer progression,” Aronson said.

”The lower the rate of proliferation, the lesser the chances the cancer will spread outside the prostate where it is much harder to treat.”

 

[Night_Hawk]

Turn to the sun for stronger bones
Farhana Chowdhury

24 October 2011
DUBAI - The incidence of osteoporosis among residents in the UAE partly owes itself to vitamin D deficiency and Dr Mustafa Izzi, the Head of the Emirates Osteoporosis Society, revealed that about 78 per cent of the total population, notably Emirati women, suffer from lack of the essential vitamin despite the country’s bountiful sunshine.
“People in the UAE choose to avoid the sun in any possible way because of the hot weather. Residents block sun rays out by staying indoors or under sheltered areas. Cars have tinted windows and many apply sunscreens with high SPF — all which avoids the absorption of the sun’s rays into the skin for the production of vitamin D.

The conservative clothing that Emirati women wear also naturally blocks out sunlight, so they are most susceptible to vitamin D deficiency. There are instances where genetics play a role in the development of osteoporosis but the vitamin component holds a big part,” said Dr Izzi, who is also a consultant dermatologist at Welcare Hospital.
Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining good bone health and it is an inexpensive way to decrease fracture risk.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), a non-profit NGO dedicated to the worldwide fight against osteoporosis, issued a new audit report on Saturday that revealed the rising concerns of osteoporosis in the Middle East and Africa Region. The report aims to gather data and provide statistics to examine the community, costs and burden of osteoporosis in individual countries as well as collectively across the region, and helps allocate resources through the cooperation of local government authorities.
“Osteoporosis is a ‘silent disease’. About one-third of people who are over the age of 50 in the UAE suffer from osteoporosis, according to a sample study of both locals and expatriates done by an Al Ain-based university. That is just seven per cent of the total population of the country but it is of serious concern to educate residents of the situation. One of our recommendations is collaboration with health authorities and the society to identify osteoporosis as a national health priority alongside obesity, thalassemia and cancer. We are trying to set up a national registry for hip fracture in the UAE,” he said.
Due to economic development, non-communicable diseases have become the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the region.
Judy Stenmark, Chief Operating Officer at the International Osteoporosis Foundation, said that mortality rates after hip fracture may be high in the MENA region compared to Western countries, but there are no proper statistics available to set numbers in stone and this is an obstacle to improvement of services for the treatment of the bone disease.
“To date, we know that about 25 per cent of hip fracture patients, which is the most serious result of osteoporosis, die within six months due to complications while the number of patients with the condition in the MENA region are slightly higher, around 30 to 35 per cent. The rates may be as high as two to 2.5 fold high in certain population within this region. We need to have something to work with before we can make any progress. We need to know the size of the problem so health resources can be allocated accordingly and this audit, set for the first time in the MENA region, aims to do just that,” she said.
[h=1]What To Do[/h] Three essential steps to set a strong foundation for healthy bones and muscles:

• ensure you have enough vitamin D intake (through safe exposure to sunlight, diet, and supplementation if required, particularly if you are over 60)
• eat a calcium and protein-rich diet
• keep active with daily weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening physical activity (Provided by The International Osteoporosis Foundation)

[h=1]Gravity Of The Problem[/h] A section dedicated to the UAE in the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s (IOF) audit report 2011 revealed:

• There is an estimated 2.25 osteoporotic hip fractures per 1000 population while no national registry of hip fractures has been initiated in UAE.
• It is estimated that 24 per cent of people have osteopenia and 2.5 per cent of people have osteoporosis.
• About 90 per cent of the hip fractures are surgically treated. The average number of bed days is 14 days per fracture.
• Direct hospital costs are estimated to be US$12,000 per patient and loss of productivity to the workplace is estimated to be 90 days.
• Today, osteoporosis is not yet recognised as a major health problem in the UAE and there are no government-approved guidelines.
• The level of awareness among health care professionals and allied health professionals 
is estimated as medium to 
poor except in some 
specialties like rheumatology 
or endocrinology.
  
  http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display...ober/health_October48.xml&section=health&col=
  

 

[Night_Hawk]

Watermelon reduces hardening of arteries
(IANS)

29 October 2011, 9:03 AM
Watermelon is good in the case of atherosclerosis or hardening of arteries.
[FONT=&quot]

The model used for a study involved mice with diet-induced high cholesterol. One group was just given water to drink while the experimental group was given watermelon juice. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By week eight of the study conducted by the University of Kentucky, mice given watermelon juice had lower body weight than the other group due to decrease of fat mass, according to a varsity statement. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Atherosclerosis occurs when fat, cholesterol and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. They experienced no decrease in lean mass. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Melons have many health benefits,” said lead investigator Sibu Saha from Kentucky University. “Our ultimate goal is to identify bioactive compounds that would improve human health.”[/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Not your fault! Hormones
linked to weight regain
Malcolm Ritter (AP)

29 October 2011
Any dieter knows that it’s hard to keep off weight you’ve lost. Now a study finds that even a year after dieters shed a good chunk of weight quickly, their hormones were still insisting, “Eat! Eat! Eat!”
[FONT=&quot]The findings suggest that dieters who have regained weight are not just slipping back into old habits, but are struggling against a persistent biological urge.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“People who regain weight should not be harsh on themselves, as eating is our most basic instinct,” Joseph Proietto of the University of Melbourne in Australia, an author of the study, said in an email. The research appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Weight regain is a common problem for dieters. To study what drives it, Proietto and his colleagues enrolled 50 overweight or obese patients in a 10-week diet programme in Australia. They wanted to see what would happen in people who lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight. Ultimately, only 34 people lost that much and stuck with the study long enough for analysis.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The programme was intense. On average, the participants lost almost 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) during the 10 weeks, faster than the standard advice of losing 1 or 2 pounds (0.45 to 0.91 kilograms) a week. They took in 500 to 550 calories a day, using a meal replacement called Optifast plus vegetables for eight weeks. Then for two weeks they were gradually reintroduced to ordinary foods.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Despite counseling and written advice about how to maintain their new weights, they gained an average of 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) back over the next year. So they were still at lower weights than when they started.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The scientists checked the blood levels of nine hormones that influence appetite. The key finding came from comparing the hormone levels from before the weight-loss program to one year after it was over. Six hormones were still out of whack in a direction that would boost hunger.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The dieters also rated themselves as feeling hungrier after meals at the one-year mark, compared to what they reported before the diet program began.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Experts not connected to the study said the persistent effect on hormone levels was not surprising, and that it probably had nothing to do with the speed of the weight loss.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]People who lose less than 10 per cent of body weight would probably show the same thing, though to a lesser degree, said Dr. George Bray of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A key message of the study is that “it’s better not to gain weight than to try to lose it,” Bray said. Why would a dieter’s body rebel against weight loss? It’s an evolutionary holdover from earlier times, when weight loss could threaten survival and reproduction, says Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity expert at Columbia University in New York. So “it’s not surprising at all” that our bodies would fight back for at least a year, he said. “This is probably a more or less permanent response.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]People who lose significant weight not only gain bigger appetite but also burn fewer calories than normal, creating “a perfect storm for weight regain,” Leibel said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He said avoiding weight regain appears to be a fundamentally different problem from losing weight in the first place, and that researchers should pay more attention to it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study was supported by the Australian government, medical professional groups and a private foundation. Proietto served on a medical advisory board of Nestle, maker of Optifast, until last year. [/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Take Vitamin B to lower work stress

(IANS)

10 November 2011, 12:19 PM
Taking more Vitamin B, found in meat, beans and wholegrains, seems to significantly lower work-related stress.
These were the findings of a three-month trial, conducted by Con Stough, professor at Swimburne University of Technology, where participants were given a course of either high dose vitamin B supplements or a placebo.

“By lowering stress, we also lower the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety,” Stough was quoted as saying by the journal Human Psychopharmacology.
Researchers assessed 60 participants against factors such as personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated them at 30 and 90 days, said Stough, according to a Swimburne statement.
“At the end of the three-month period, those in the Vitamin B group reported much lower levels of work stress than they did at the beginning of the trial,” Stough said.
“On the other hand, those in the placebo group showed no significant change,” he added.
“Vitamin B, which is found in whole unprocessed foods such as meat, beans and wholegrains, is integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters critical to psychological wellbeing,” he said.
“But the reality is that many people don’t get enough Vitamin B from their diet, so they are turning to vitamin supplementation,” added Stough.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Saffron may help protect brain cells

(IANS)

8 November 2011

WASHINGTON - A key ingredient in the Indian spice saffron may potentially protect brain cells from diseases involving neuro-inflammation, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
[FONT=&quot]Inflammation is a protective attempt by an organism to remove injurious stimuli such as pathogens, damaged cells or irritants and to initiate the healing process.

MS is characterized by inflamed brain (neurons) that have lost their protective insulation, known as myelin, The Journal of Immunology reports.

Symptoms range from mild to severe and include visual disturbances, muscle spasms, loss of sensation, speech impediment, dizziness, depression, etc, according to a University of Alberta statement.

Chris Power, from the University of Alberta, who led the research, said: ‘We found there is a compound in saffron, known as crocin, that exerts a protective effect in brain cell cultures and other models of MS. It prevented damage to cells that make myelin in the brain.’

‘This research highlights a potential treatment role for crocin in diseases involving chronic neuroinflammation - something that had not been recognized until now,’ concludes Power.
[/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Eat nuts daily for healthy heart

(IANS)

7 November 2011

Eating nuts helps lowers heart disease risk in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS) or those with excess abdominal fat, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, say researchers.
MetS symptoms increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the Journal of Proteome Research reported, citing a statement from the University of Barcelona.
Cristina Andres-Lacueva and colleagues from the varsity with the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University explain that the rise in obesity worldwide means more and more patients have MetS.
To check the benefits of nut consumption, researchers put 22 MetS patients on a nut-enriched diet for 12 weeks and compared them to another group of 20 patients who avoided nuts.
The scientists analyzed the compounds excreted in patients’ urine and found evidence of several healthful changes, including a boost in patients’ levels of serotonin metabolites.
Serotonin, a chemical, helps decrease feelings of hunger, makes people feel happier and improves heart health, the researchers said.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Watch out for early signs of hearing loss

(Staff Reporter)

5 November 2011
DUBAI - People who have a hearing loss are sometimes unaware of their problem, especially in a situation where the hearing loss is gradual, according to a doctor.
“Their close associates are the first ones to notice it. When there is a problem with one or more parts of the ear or ears, one may not be able to hear clearly or hear nothing at all. This condition is called hearing loss or hearing impairment,” said Dr Shaharyar Mallick, ENT Specialist of DM Healthcare’s Aster Medical Centre, Karama.
The ear consists of three sections, the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. They work together to collect and process sounds. First the outer ear picks up the sound waves, which is passed on to the outer ear canal. These waves hit the eardrum and it starts vibrating. These vibrations in turn move three tiny bones called hammer, anvil and stirrup. They carry sound into the inner ear. The sound vibrations then travel to cochlea, filled with a liquid and lined with cells that have thousands of tiny hairs on their surface. Sound vibrations cause these tiny hairs to move. The cochlea comprises of inner and outer cells. The outer hair cells gather the sound information and amplify it. The inner cells carry this sound information to the hearing nerve, which in turn sends it to the brain.
It is time to see a doctor when one experiences: Muffled hearing, not being able to distinguish specific words when someone is speaking, especially when there is competing voices or noises in the background, listening to the television or radio at higher volume than in the past, avoiding conversation and social interaction for fear of lack of hearing, ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing in the ear, ear pain, itching, or irritation, pus or fluid leaking from the ear, vertigo, which can occur with hearing loss, if one feels something is blocking sound from moving to the inner ear. The different types of hearing loss are conductive, sensory, and neural.
Hearing loss can be congenital when a person is born with parts of the ear that didn’t form correctly and don’t work well. It is the most common birth defect amounting to 3 in 1,000 babies being born with hearing impairment. Other problems can happen later because of an injury or illness.
Ear infections can cause hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss is rare from an ear infection.
“Hearing aids and assistive listening devices are a boon to people with hearing impairment. They are like tiny amplifiers that help someone hear sounds better and can even pick up small sounds”, he said.
Technology has been steadfast in providing great help to people with hearing impairment.
[email protected]
Dr Shaharyar Mallick, ENT Specialist, Aster Medical Centre, Karama, Dubai

 

[Night_Hawk]

Keep smiling to look young
(IANS)

11 November 2011, 12:32 PM
While many women may feel a face-lift or anti-ageing creams are the only ways to look young, a study has suggested it is the smile that holds the key to looking younger than one’s actual age.
[FONT=&quot]According to German researchers, the simple act of smiling takes years off a person’s age. It is likely we consider people who are happy as being attractive in other ways - including being younger than they actually are, Daily Mail reported.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

Temporary wrinkles caused due to grinning also make it more difficult to judge a person’s age and so may lead to those doing the guessing to err on the side of caution.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Manuel Voelkle, of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, asked over 150 men and women of different ages to judge the ages of the faces in more than 1,000 photographs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He concluded: “Facial expressions have a substantial impact on accuracy.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Relative to other facial expressions, the age of neutral faces was estimated most accurately, while the ages of those displaying happy expressions was most likely under-estimated.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study also revealed that the older faces are more difficult to judge than the younger ones.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The age of those doing the judging was also important. In general, elderly people overestimated the age of those photographed, while younger people shaved a year or two off.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Women also fared better, with older female faces estimated on average to be three years younger than their male equivalents, the journal Psychology and Aging reports.[/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Tropical oils don’t boost heart risk markers
(Reuters)

19 November 2011
Tropical oils may be sources of saturated fat, but a small study suggests that they do not boost certain markers of trouble in the blood vessels the way animal fats do.
[FONT=&quot]In general, experts advise people to limit saturated fat in their diets because it raises blood cholesterol levels and has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Meat and full-fat dairy products are probably the best-known sources of saturated fat, but certain vegetable oils—like palm and coconut oils—contain it too.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

Different saturated fats are not exactly alike, however. And in societies where those tropical oils are used liberally, heart disease is less of a problem compared with Western countries, noted Phooi Tee Voon, a researcher at International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who led the new study.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the study, Voon’s team followed 45 healthy Malaysian adults who spent five weeks on each of three diets: in one their main fat source was palm oil; in another it was coconut oil; in the third it was olive oil—an unsaturated fat that’s considered heart-healthy.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The researchers found that regardless of the fat source, participants’ blood levels of certain inflammatory proteins remained the same.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]That’s important because at high concentrations, those proteins—which include homocysteine, C-reactive protein and others—are thought to damage the blood vessels and contribute to heart disease.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When it came to cholesterol, study participants showed no increase while on the palm-oil diet, but did see their numbers creep up while using coconut oil—though that included an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So should you feel free to swap your olive oil for the tropical versions?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I’d say, hold the phone on that,” said Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A big limitation is that the study participants were on carefully controlled diets, explained Anding, who also directs sports nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The researchers supervised breakfast and lunch, and doled out packaged dinners. It was “very nicely controlled,” Anding said, in order to isolate the effects of the different fats—which is a good research design.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“But that’s not how people eat in the real world,” Anding said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In addition, people in the study followed a traditional Malaysian diet—consisting of rice, chicken, fish and vegetables.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]As part of a Western meat-and-potatoes diet already high in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates, palm and coconut oils might have quite different effects, according to Anding.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I think if you were to keep eating your hamburgers and your fries, and then add coconut and palm oils, you could create the perfect storm,” Anding said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A study from Denmark published earlier this month also tested diets emphasizing palm oil, olive oil or lard, and found that the olive oil diet lowered cholesterol levels while palm oil and lard both raised cholesterol by about five percent. None of the fats influenced inflammatory proteins in that study. (See Reuters Health story of November 15, 2011).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Malaysian study, which was funded by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Because it was limited to five-week diets, nothing can be concluded about the ultimate impact of the oils on people’s heart health.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But one thing the study does highlight is the fact that no single nutrient works in isolation, according to Anding.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“No individual dietary component can be labeled a demon,” she said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Eating a generally heart-healthy diet full of foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish is what’s key, according to Anding. So if you are cooking your vegetable stir-fry with some coconut or palm oil, then on balance, you are probably doing well, she said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In general, though, many experts recommend limiting saturated fat. The American Heart Association says people should keep saturated fat (from all sources) to less than seven percent of your total daily calories. (That’s 140 calories if you eat 2,000 calories in a day.)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Instead, the heart association says, opt for unsaturated fat from vegetable oils and fish.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]And if you’re overweight, Anding said, calories definitely count. “If you want to lose weight, you have to cut out calories.”[/FONT]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Death 'risk' from paracetamol doses
(IANS)

25 November 2011

LONDON- Heavy dose of paracetamol or combination remedies containing the drug to combat cold and flu can prove to be fatal, reveals a new study.
[FONT=&quot]Taking too much paracetamol in pills and cold remedies can prove to be dangerous, according to British researchers, the Daily Mail reported.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study shows that the risk of dying from liver failure due to accidental overdose is higher than deliberate suicide attempts. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

This is due to the unawareness of the patients who report feeling unwell to the accident and emergency departments without knowing the cause, making it difficult to diagnose and treat in time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to researchers, eight 500mg tablets a day—equivalent of 4gm, should be the maximum daily dosage.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the study led by Kenneth Simpson, researcher at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, analysed data of 663 patients who had been admitted between 1992 and 2008 with liver damage caused by paracetamol.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]They found 161 people with an average age of 40 had taken a staggered overdose, usually to relieve stomach or back pain, headache and toothache, two out of five died from liver failure - a higher fatality rate than recorded for deliberate overdosing, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reported.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“The staggered overdoses can occur when people have pain and repeatedly take a little more paracetamol than they should, they don’t keep track of how much they’ve consumed over a few days,” Simpson said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“The safest thing to do is monitor how much you’re taking and do not exceed eight 500mg tablets in a day,” he added.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Normal quantities of the drug are broken down harmlessly by the body but excessive amounts can accumulate in the liver, leading to irreversible damage. [/FONT]