Health A-Z

Mediterranean diet may control weight among kids

Mediterranean diet may control weight among kids

Children taking a Mediterranean diet are at least 15 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than those children who do not, claims a new study.

Weight, height, waist circumference and percent body fat mass were measured in children from eight countries – Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Belgium, Estonia and Hungary.

“The adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet was assessed by a score calculating by giving one point for high intakes of each food group which was considered typical of the Mediterranean diet such as vegetables, fruit and nuts, fish and cereal grains,” explained study author Gianluca Tognon from University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

“One point was given for low intakes of foods untypical of the Mediterranean diet such as dairy and meat products,” he said. High scoring children were then considered high-adherent and compared to the others.

The team found that children with a high adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet were 15 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than low-adherent children.

The findings were independent of age, sex, socio-economic status or country of residence. “The promotion of a Mediterranean dietary pattern is no longer a feature of Mediterranean countries.

“Considering its potential beneficial effects on obesity prevention, this dietary pattern should be part of EU obesity prevention strategies,” said Tognon.

Source: Times of India

Gum disease treatment linked to improvements in other conditions

Gum disease treatment linked to improvements in other conditions

People who were treated for periodontal disease had lower healthcare costs and fewer hospitalizations for other medical conditions compared to those whose gum disease went untreated, a new study has found.

“We were very surprised at the magnitude of the results,” Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat told Reuters Health. She led the study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by bacteria that coat the surface of the roots of the teeth. If not treated, it can lead to bone loss around the teeth, infection and tooth loss.

Treatment consists of cleaning the teeth above and below the gum line. In advanced cases, surgery is required.

Jeffcoat said a number of previous small studies hinted that treating periodontal disease may help improve other medical conditions as well and reduce the risk of premature birth among pregnant women.

To learn more, she and her colleagues analyzed claims from two Pennsylvania insurance companies to determine if costs were lower over time for patients who had their gum disease treated.

“We wanted to see if it pays from a financial point of view, to treat the disease,” Jeffcoat said.

For their records to be included in the study, patients had to have been enrolled in both the dental and medical plans for at least one year and have been seen at least once for periodontal disease. They also had to have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke or rheumatoid arthritis, or have been pregnant.

Treated patients were counted as those who had several follow-up appointments for gum disease coded in their records.

Records for 338,891 patients were included.

The study team found significant reductions in both healthcare costs and hospital stays over a period of five years among treated patients with each of the conditions except rheumatoid arthritis.

On average, non-dental healthcare costs for people with diabetes or stroke were about 40 percent lower if their gum disease was treated. For those with coronary artery disease, costs were about 11 percent lower with treatment.

Women who were pregnant and treated for gum disease had medical costs that were 74 percent lower than those with untreated gum disease, according to findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

When gum disease was treated, hospital admissions were also 39 percent lower among people with diabetes, 21 percent lower for stroke patients and 29 percent lower for those with coronary artery disease.

Ryan Demmer, who has studied periodontal disease at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, said it’s plausible that microbes in the mouth can cause problems elsewhere in the body, but more research is needed because studies have shown mixed results.

Demmer, who was not involved with the new study, said it was a creative and innovative way to address the question using existing data from insurance records.

“But what they’re really getting at here is did treating the oral infections reduce these types of outcomes or adverse events among people with particular (other diseases),” he said, “and I think we need more data from clinical trials that can fundamentally answer that question.”

The authors agree that their study doesn’t prove treating gum disease improved other conditions. For instance, it’s possible that people who elected to have their gum disease treated also took better care of themselves in general.

But Jeffcoat believes the findings are strong enough to recommend that doctors have their patients checked for periodontal disease.

“Absolutely people should be checked – that’s why we published this paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine,” she said. “We didn’t publish in a dental journal because we wanted physicians to see it so they could give good advice to their patients.”

Screening for periodontal disease is an easy procedure, Jeffcoat added.

“Checking someone for periodontal disease can take as little as three to five minutes,” she said.

Source: reuters

Spine function test for back pain treatment

Spine function test for back pain treatment

With most people suffering from back pain at some point of time in their lives, researchers have now developed a digital test to measure the functioning of the spine.

With a digital spine analysis (DSA), a muscular evaluation of the spine, India’s Qi Spine Clinic generated a spine function graph that led to customised treatment and non-surgical therapy for many spine specialists, Qi claimed.

“It is really simple. The diabetes doctor wants to know your blood sugar levels. The cardiologist wants to know your blood pressure (BP) and your angiogram,” said Nithij Arenja, promoter, Qi Spine Clinic.

“What can be measured, can be managed. We generate a Spine Function Graph which provides a vital link to the treatment of your spine function,” Nithij added.

The spine is the least measured and most miraculous engineering marvel in our body, Nithij noted.

“From bankers to housewives, young college students to sportsmen, Qi has seen every conceivable patient category,” said Garima Anandani, head of spine consultants at Qi.

“The problems are all different, and hence the therapy is different for each person too,” Anandani added.

Traditional scanning methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays fail to identify a clear cause for back pain in 85 percent of the cases, a statement from the clinic added.

Source: Business standard

4 Unexpected Benefits of Donating Blood

Benefits of Donating Blood

When’s the last time you stopped to appreciate all the good stuff your blood does for you? Without it, oxygen would never reach your cells and carbon dioxide would be filling your blood vessels as we speak.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood and more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day, according to the American Red Cross. So while you may never worry about having enough blood to function, plenty of others aren’t as fortunate. World Blood Donor Day may have passed on June 14, but there’s still more reason than ever to get out and donate.

While giving blood should be all about helping those in need, there are a few things in it for you. Here are four health perks to becoming a blood donor:

Your blood may flow better

“If blood has a high viscosity, or resistance to flow, it will flow like molasses,” says Phillip DeChristopher, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Loyola University Health System blood bank. Repeated blood donations may help the blood flow in a way that’s less damaging to the lining of the blood vessels and could result in fewer arterial blockages. That may explain why the American Journal of Epidemiology found that blood donors are 88% less likely to suffer a heart attack.

It’s not clear if there are lasting health benefits associated with better blood flow. (These kinds of studies can’t prove cause and effect—for example, blood donors might lead healthier lifestyles than the general population.)?“What is clear is that blood donors seem to not be hospitalized so often and if they are, they have shorter lengths of stay,” Dr. DeChristopher says. “And they’re less likely to get heart attacks, strokes, and cancers.”

You’ll get a mini check-up

Before you give blood, you’ll first have to complete a quick physical that measures your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin levels. After your blood is collected, it’s sent off to a lab where it will undergo 13 different tests for infectious diseases, like HIV and West Nile virus. If anything comes back positive, you’ll be notified immediately.

“If year after year your tests come back negative, then you’ll know for sure there’s nothing you’ve been exposed to,” Dr. DeChristopher says. The physical and blood tests are no reason to skip your annual doctor visit, but they’re good for peace of mind. But you should never donate blood if you suspect you might actually be sick or have been exposed to HIV or another virus.

Your iron levels will stay balanced

Healthy adults usually have about 5 grams of iron in their bodies, mostly in red blood cells but also in bone marrow. When you donate a unit of blood, you lose about a quarter of a gram of iron, which gets replenished from the food you eat in the weeks after donation, Dr. DeChristopher says. This regulation of iron levels is a good thing, because having too much iron could be bad news for your blood vessels.

“The statistics appear to show that decreasing the amount of iron in otherwise healthy people over the long run is beneficial to their blood vessels, and diseases related to abnormalities in blood vessels, such as heart attack and stroke,” he says.

Still, data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that nearly 10% of women in the U.S. suffer from anemia, a condition where your body lacks red blood cells or hemoglobin (most commonly due to an iron deficiency). In that case, it’s best not to give blood until the anemia is resolved, he says.

Women who haven’t hit menopause yet may find it hard to donate blood, too. “Pre-menopausal females can be somewhat iron depleted with blood counts just under the lower limit,” Dr. DeChristopher says. If you have low iron and you still want to be a donor, taking an oral iron supplement may help you re-qualify, he says.

You could live longer

Doing good for others is one way to live a longer life. A study in Health Psychology found that people who volunteered for altruistic reasons had a significantly reduced risk of mortality four years later than those who volunteered for themselves alone. While the health benefits of donating blood are nice, don’t forget who you’re really helping: A single donation can save the lives of up to three people, according to the Red Cross. “The need for blood is always there,” Dr. DeChristopher says. “It’s important to recognize how important willing donors are.”

Source: TIME

Call to halve target for added sugar

Call to halve target for added sugar

People need to more than halve their intake of added sugar to tackle the obesity crisis, according to scientific advice for the government in England.

A draft report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) says sugar added to food or naturally present in fruit juice and honey should account for 5% of energy intake.

Many fail to meet the old 10% target. The sugar industry said “demonising one ingredient” would not “solve the obesity epidemic”.

The body reviewed 600 scientific studies on the evidence of carbohydrates – including sugar – on health to develop the new recommendations.

One 330ml can of fizzy pop would take a typical adult up to the proposed 5% daily allowance, without factoring in sugar from any other source.

Prof Ian MacDonald, chairman of the SACN working group on carbohydrates, said: “The evidence that we have analysed shows quite clearly that high free sugars intake in adults is associated with increased energy intake and obesity.

“There is also an association between sugar-sweetened beverages and type-2 diabetes. “In children there is clear demonstration that sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with obesity. “By reducing it to 5% you would reduce the risk of all of those things, the challenge will be to get there.”

The target of 5% of energy intake from free sugars amounts to 25g for women (five to six teaspoons) and 35g (seven to eight teaspoons) for men, based on the average diet.

Public Health England will now reconsider its recommendations on fruit juice and smoothies in its five-a-day campaign.

The current advice from the NHS is that juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, while a smoothie may count as more than one portion, depending on how it is made.

It will also investigate measures to protect children from food advertising while online and whether a sugar tax would have any merit.

Dr Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “We are very concerned around sugar intakes in England.

“It doesn’t mean having a completely different diet from today, it is thinking about swapping high sugar foods for a lower sugar alternative.

“Instead of fizzy drink, have water or low-fat milk, instead of a chocolate bar, have a piece of fruit.” There’s something noticeably missing from a call to halve added sugar – how would you go about doing it?

This group was set up to assess the science and determine what we should be eating. Its role was not to come up with policies. The target of 5% is a huge challenge when teenagers are currently getting 15% of their calories from added sugar.

One option that doctors have called for is a tax on sugary drinks. The measure is being tried in Mexico, although there is still little evidence on its impact.

The tough decisions are all still to come – what measures will the public accept and how can we be encouraged to eat less sugar without driving us back into the arms of saturated fat and salt?

The SACN advice echoes an announcement by the World Health Organization in March.

Its draft guidelines reiterated that sugars should constitute no more than 10% of energy intake and that people and governments should be aiming for 5%.

The limits would apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

The Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: “SACN’s comprehensive analysis of the evidence on carbohydrates has looked at the role of carbohydrates, including sugars and fibre in the diet. We will look at the content of the report and its recommendations over the next few weeks with the intention of engaging in the consultation process and related discussions.”

Dr Julian Cooper, head of food science at AB Sugar, said targeting sugar was not a “silver bullet” and people should balance their calorie intake against how much they exercise.

‘Fantastic’
The campaign group, Action on Sugar, said the development was “fantastic” news.

The group’s chairman Prof Graham MacGregor argued: “Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt must start by setting targets for reducing sugar in soft drinks this summer and move responsibility for nutrition to an independent body such as the Food Standards Agency so that the soft drinks and food industry are given a level playing field, with the threat of regulation to ensure the whole of the food industry comply.

“Before another million British kids become obese.”

Public Health Minister for England, Jane Ellison, said: “We know eating too much sugar can have a significant impact on health, and this draft advice confirms that.

“We want to help people make healthier choices and get the nation into healthy habits for life. This report will inform the important debate taking place about sugar.”

Source: bbc news

Heal mouth ulcers naturally with honey

heal-mouth-ulcers-with-honey

Mouth ulcers are really painful and can even affect your eating and talking ability. Most of the times they go away on their own but if they are totally ruining your daily life, try this effective home remedy for ulcers – honey.

We all know that honey is anti-bacterial in nature. But it does not work like an antibiotic drug. Honey’s anti-bacterial property is attributed to its highly hygroscopic nature. This means that it has a special property of absorbing water molecules or retaining moisture from the environment. As a result, bacteria that might have caused infection, resulting in ulcers, get killed due to dehydration. Apart from that, it also has a high sugar content which is detrimental to the growth of microbes. It helps in reduction of scarring of the ulcer and stimulates the process of new tissue growth. This, along with its anti-microbial property makes sure that your mouth ulcer heals quickly.

Tip to use honey for ulcers: Dab a little honey onto the area having the mouth ulcer. Alternatively, you can mix a little turmeric with honey and make a paste to apply it directly on the affected area. Here’s another effective remedy for your ulcer: Chew tulsi leaves to get rid of mouth ulcers.
Source: the health site

Monsoon Special: Foods you should eat!

Monsoon Special Foods you should eat!

Eating right during the monsoons can be very tricky. The wrong kind of food could give you an upset tummy. But don’t worry. To make sure you have a healthy monsoon, here’s a list of foods you should include in your diet as well as tips on how to eat them.

Herbal teas: “Herbal teas like ginger or lemon tea is good for you especially during the monsoons, as it will keep the flu away,” says Namita Nanal, a Mumbai-based nutritionist. Try sipping on a cup or two of herbal tea everyday.

Fenugreek: During monsoons, our immunity lowers automatically and therefore our system finds it hard to digest food. “So include herbs like fenugreek (methi) and cumin seeds (jeera) that’ll help you digest food better during the rains

Garlic: Add a little bit of garlic to your soups, stir fries and curries to build up your immunity this monsoon. “Garlic helps you fight viral infections,” says Namita.

Turmeric: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric improves your immunity too. So include some in your food to keep that cold at bay.

Soups: Soups are a good way to get nutrition from veggies during monsoons “as they kill bacteria in them, making veggies safe to consume,” says holistic health guru, Mickey Mehta. Whip up interesting combinations like tomato and onion, potato and asparagus, carrot and chicken etc.

Moong dal: Opt for moong dal and masoor dal this rainy season. “These are not only a healthy source of protein but also of dietary fibre that aids digestion,” says Mickey.

Gourds: Vegetables like snake gourd, ash gourd, bitter gourd et al are extremely nutritious and are a much better option than salad leaves during the monsoons. “They are rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and manganese,” says Mickey.

Nachini: “Millets like jowar and nachini are rich in calcium,” says Mickey that helps fortify our system and keep monsoon-related infections away.

Source: Idiva

Top 5 Juices for Full Detox of Your Body

Top 5 Juices for Full Detox of Your Body

Liver detox and cleansing programs are necessary and beneficial for overall health as they help you get rid of all toxins and eliminate excess hormones accumulated in the body over a certain period of time.

Detoxification of the body with juices made out of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables is considered as the most effective way for cleansing the body from toxins.

The toxins are considered as chemicals with potentially harmful effects for your body. Remove toxins and poisons from your body and you will notice improvements in terms of better skin, improved digestion, healthy skin and hair.

All 5 juices are thyroid-friendly and efficient for boosting your immunity in short period.

The best results are achieved if the juices are consumed early in the morning on empty stomach. These juices are nutritional and healthy meals and they might even refresh you and keep you looking young and healthy.

Whether you are trying to drop some unwanted pounds or flush out unwelcome toxins, you need completely healthy liver to make that happen.

These juices are useful for protection of heart health as well as for boosting the immune system and increasing the energy level so you will not feel that much tired and exhausted.

They are significantly helpful for putting sugar cravings under control and prevention of many serious diseases and medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, constipation, hemorrhoids etc.

Being fully packed with essential vitamins,minerals and antioxidants, these healthy juices are important for proper hydration as well. They are good for speeding metabolism, burning fats and calories and healthy weight loss.

Choose the detox juice that works right for your, start your detox treatment and clear every cell from the body from toxins. You will feel better and your body will be thankful for that.

Source: healthy food style

Apple Cider Vinegar – Home Remedy for Acid Reflux

apple-cider-vinegar1-620x360

The apple cider vinegar is used very often as a preventive or a cure for many diseases and disorders. It is proven cure against many diseases such as:

  • acne,
  • allergies,
  • sinus infections,
  • high cholesterol,
  • flu,
  • candida,
  • contact dermatitis,
  • chronic fatigue,
  • sore throats,
  • arthritis,
  • gout and
  • acid reflux.

Many people today suffer from acid reflux (GERD). This is happening when the fluids from the stomach return in the oesophagus. In such fluids there is a pepsin, which digesting the proteins. There is also gastric acid which burns the walls of the esophagus causing heartburn.

The emergence of heartburn shouldn’t be a reason for panic unless it appears more than two times during the week. In such case there is a big probability that acid reflux has damaged the esophagus walls and this condition must be treated. If you are diagnosed with an acid reflux condition, you must treat it.

Antiacids are the best treatment against acid reflux because they act immediately. However, very often it happens that they only worsen the condition. This happens because the human body with present antiacids preventively produces more acids than usual. That’s why we must know that there are lot better home remedies which don’t act immediately, but solve the problem once and for all in a longer period.

Apple cider vinegar is the best recommendation by people who treat their acid reflux in a natural way. In fact it is cheaper than 5$ for a bottle, and is even less expensive than antiacids.

Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

This is the way for preparing your home remedy for occasional emergence of acid reflux:

2 tablespoons dissolved in water are taken at least 3 times a day.
If the issue is treating a disease, you will need lot stronger ratio.
Known side effect of the use of apple cider vinegar are tongue scorching and the metallic – sour taste. The apple cider vinegar beside such taste still works remarkably in treating and healing of acid reflux.

In fact, there are many testimonials of the benefits of apple cider vinegar.

source: Health page

 

Dominican Republic to boost health sector with $100 million IDB loan

Dominican Republic to boost health sector with $100 million IDB loan

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $100 million loan to boost health care in the Dominican Republic through investments designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of spending in the sector and improving the quality of services aimed at the country’s poorest people. This financing is part of a credit line for investment projects that could be increased to as much as $300 million.

The goal is to improve service-management capability by expanding a results-based financing model to the “0” health region (Santo Domingo, Monte Plata and the National District). The program will benefit directly nearly 900,000 people of modest resources, who account for nearly 29 percent of the poor in the Caribbean nation.

This model of financing will enhance coverage and the quality of health care services in the Dominican Republic, with emphasis on primary level care and preventive care. An estimated 33 percent of ambulatory care in the Dominican Republic is delivered at this level, whereas the World Health Organization recommends that it should be around 80 percent. Additionally the financing will help improve the supervisory capacity of the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance, especially in the areas of regulation and health intelligence.

This operation is in line with the National Development Plan of 2010–2030 and the Multi-Year Public Sector Plan of 2013–2016. The main goals of the latter include providing universal access to health care, developing assistance networks and strengthening the supervisory role of the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance and regional health services, including guaranteed access to quality medicines and the consolidation of a health care information management system.

Source: caribbean news now