Health News

Combining breastfeeding and solid food can reduce allergies

Giving a baby solid food besides breast milk after the 17th week of its birth helps it develop a better, stronger immune system to fight food allergies, new research has found.

The University of Southampton study, led by dietician and senior research fellow Kate Grimshaw, revealed that introduction of solid food before this may promote food allergy whereas solid food introduction after the 17th week seems to make the immune system stronger.

“Introducing solid foods alongside breastfeeding can benefit the immune system,” Grimshaw said.

“It appears the immune system becomes educated when there is an overlap of solids and breast milk because the milk promotes tolerogenic mechanisms against the solids,” he said.

The researchers recruited 1140 infants at birth from the Hampshire area.

The diet of these infants was compared with the diet of 82 infants who did not develop food allergy by the time they were two.

Forty one of these children went on to develop a food allergy by the time they were two years of age.

The team found that children who had developed allergies began eating solid food earlier than children with no allergies, roughly at 16 weeks or earlier.

Children with allergies were also more likely to not being breastfed when the mother introduced cow’s milk protein from any source.

Grimshaw said women who are not breastfeeding are encouraged to introduce solids before 17 weeks.

Source: Top News

Playing music at young age can keep brain healthy

A new study has found that playing an instrument at a young age might make you healthier later in life.

Dr. Nina Kraus, professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, said what is seen in an older adult who has made music is a biologically younger brain, Fox News reported.

Kraus said that the fact that your cognitive sensory reward system is so engaged in the process of playing music seems to strengthen those circuits that are worked for music …and those functions that are important for language.

The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Source: ANI

Malaria ‘linked’ to household size

Researchers have found that malaria eradication is related more to household size than to a country’s wealth or temperature.

University of Guelph’s economics professor Ross McKitrick and two Finnish professors, Larry and Lena Hulden, found that when average household size drops below four persons, malaria extermination is much more likely.

Malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The research team examined data on malaria insect vectors, as well as demographic, sociological and environmental factors for 232 countries. Malaria is still prevalent in 106 countries.

McKitrick said that Malaria-bearing mosquitoes mainly feed at night, and tend to return to the same location for blood meals, asserting that the more people who sleep in one area, the greater the likelihood of an infected mosquito spreading the parasite to a new, uninfected victim.

The researchers looked at factors such as gross domestic product per capita, urbanization and slums, latitude, mean temperature, forest coverage, national DDT use, household size and even religion.

The study has been published in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Alternative Treatments for Diabetes

Diabetes is continuing to emerge as one of the gravest healthcare threats with millions of people being affected all over the world. Till this date the conclusive treatment of diabetes is out of reach for modern medicinal tradition, but on the other hand an array of holistic procedures and alternative treatments are showing promise to curb diabetes under control. Here we introduce some of the best known alternative treatments for diabetes.

The deadly chronic endocrine disorder called diabetes making millions of people suffer and cause enormous medical complication leading to death. Diabetes typically is a disease that requires continuous management rather than curative approach as the disease at best can be checked and cannot be permanently cured. Though total recovery from diabetic condition is still out of reach as far as the curative approach of modern medical drugs are concerned, it is now a widely acclaimed fact that alternative treatments for diabetes with the use of herbs and herbal remedies are more effective to curb diabetes over a long period of time. These alternative therapeutic and lifestyle procedures which are also called holistic treatments are without side effects and can boost the natural process of metabolism to a significant extent.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda considers diabetes to be a disease intricately related to our metabolic disorder and as per Ayurvedic the situation can only be reversed by addressing the contributory factors effectively. The elimination of sugar from the dietary regimen, replacement of simple carbohydrates with complex ones rich with dietary fibers and finally use of herbs for boosting metabolism, these three are the principal ways that as per Ayurvedic principle can check diabetes. In many parts of the world, even across top healthcare establishments Ayurvedic treatment regimen is widely applied to treat diabetes.

Yoga

Among the alternative treatments for diabetes this ancient Indian procedure involving exercises and breathing techniques is considered to have most sustainable health effect. Yogic exercises ideally boosts up the metabolism and helps the cell level glucose consumption in the body. Yoga also helps to reduce other contributing factors that play an important role in causing diabetes like, stress, overweight or obesity syndromes, poor digestion, etc.

Herbal and Dietary Supplements

There are a number of herbs and herbal supplements that are medically proven to be effective to curb diabetes like neem, allium satvium, phylanthus amarus, tinosfora cordifolia and many more. There are particularly some minerals that are effective in reducing the chances of diabetes or in checking diabetes under control, for instance chromium, magnesium, vanadium, nicotinamide, vitamin E, etc.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Daily lifestyle habits and home regimen consisting changes in nutrition and dieting and other lifestyle aspects are accumulatively one of the most effective ways to treat diabetes. High fiber and low calorie diet, eating habit of breaking a big meal in small snack proportions, introducing more green veggies and fruits in daily diet, more physical movements and exercise, distressed living with sound sleep, are some of the irreplaceable lifestyle remedies to curb diabetes.

Acupuncture

Though the mechanism and healing effects of acupuncture for diabetes is still obscure to a greater portion of scientific community, it is widely used in some parts of the world as a healing technique for number of diseases including diabetes. The basic philosophy behind this ancient from of Chinese medication is to create the balance of vital energy through out the body by inserting therapeutic needles at various portions of the body.

Homeopathy

Among the alternative treatments for diabetes homeopathy is considered to have a great patient following simply because of having no side effects and simple yet sometimes effective treatment regimen. Much in the fashion of Ayurveda homeopathic medicines take best effects when applied with directed nutritional regimen or other lifestyle changes. Phosphorous, Codenium and Syzygium are some of the common homeopathic medicines prescribed checking diabetes.

Source: News Track India

compound in grapes minimize effects of meth

A new study has suggested that resveratrol, a natural compound found in colored vegetables, fruits and especially grapes, may also block the effects of the highly addictive drug, methamphetamine.

Dennis Miller, associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science and an investigator with the Bond Life Sciences Center, and researchers in the Center for Translational Neuroscience at MU, study therapies for drug addiction and neurodegenerative disorders.

Their research targets treatments for methamphetamine abuse and has focused on the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in drug addiction.

Dopamine levels in the brain surge after methamphetamine use; this increase is associated with the motivation to continue using the drug, despite its adverse consequences.

However, with repeated methamphetamine use, dopamine neurons may degenerate causing neurological and behavioral impairments, similar to those observed in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Miller said that dopamine is critical to the development of methamphetamine addiction-the transition from using a drug because one likes or enjoys it to using the drug because one craves or compulsively uses it, asserting that resveratrol has been shown to regulate these dopamine neurons and to be protective in Parkinson’s disease, a disorder where dopamine neurons degenerate; therefore, we sought to determine if resveratrol could affect methamphetamine-induced changes in the brain.

Using procedures established by Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease research, rats received resveratrol once a day for seven days in about the same concentration as a human would receive from a healthy diet. After a week of resveratrol, researchers measured how much dopamine was released by methamphetamine.

Researchers found that resveratrol significantly diminished methamphetamine’s ability to increase dopamine levels in the brain.

The study has been published in Neuroscience Letters

Source: Silo Breaker

 

Children at risk of AIDS should be tested at birth: UN

More than a quarter of a million children each year are born infected with the virus that causes AIDS, but too few are being tested early to receive treatment and prolong their lives, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Michele Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, called for diagnostic kits to be improved for detection in babies of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, and for their “still high” current price of $25-50 to be brought down.

Children are the “forgotten” victims of the AIDS epidemic, yet 260,000 babies joined their ranks last year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, he said.

“Irrespective of the market size we need to make sure that diagnostics are made available for children,” he told a news conference in Geneva ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1.

“We made a lot of progress during the last 2-3 years in terms of treatment, in terms of medicines, in terms of making sure that the molecules are more well-targeted for children. But where we are failing is also making early diagnostics.”

U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories and Swiss drugmaker Roche are among the main manufacturers of HIV diagnostics, according to senior UNAIDS officials.

Some 3.3 million children under age 15 have HIV, but only 1.9 million of them require treatment today, according to the Geneva-based agency. Fewer than 650,000 or 34 percent of the 1.9 million received antiretroviral AIDS drugs in 2012, still a rise of 14 percent from the year before, it said.

Some 14 million adults with HIV need treatment, and 9 million of them or 64 percent are receiving it, a far higher coverage rate than for children.

UN AIDS has identified 22 priority countries for stopping infections in children, 21 of them in sub-Saharan Africa, home to 90 percent of women living with HIV. The other is India.

In three of these priority countries – Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi – fewer than 5 percent of infants at risk are being tested for HIV at birth, UNAIDS says.

“In priority countries, only 3 in 10 children receive HIV treatment. We have seen tremendous political commitment and results to reduce mother-to-child transmission but we are failing the children who become infected,” said Sidibe, who is from Mali.

All children under five who test positive for the virus should be put on treatment, according to Mahesh Mahalingam, UNAIDS director for its global plan for stopping new infections in children.

Current PCR tests are able to detect the virus in a baby only after the age of six weeks and require sending a blood sample to a specialized laboratory, he said.

“What we looking for are easier tests that we can administer earlier on, this will help detect the virus and start them on medicines faster. We recommend that as soon as the child is known to be HIV positive, you start on anti-retroviral drugs,” Mahalingam said.

He added: “The earlier we can diagnose, the earlier we can treat them which increase chances of child survival. Children are now getting to grow into adults. If we start pretty early they have the same chance of living as any other children.”

Source : Zee news

 

For breakfast, now make ‘mixed fried eggs’

Eggs, sunny side-up with a mix of greens and other sauces can make your morning meal filling and fun.

We’ve all heard of and eaten mixed fried rice; the other interesting fusion can be got in an egg – a fried one! That’s right folks are creating delicious twists to the breakfast staple and making it nutritious too! Fried eggs are not just greasy, they are also said to be a source of vitamin B12, selenium and riboflavin. If you are using the process of frying, another tip is to olive oil or another light cooking spray to fry the eggs.

Spinach with fried eggs

This one is easy. Saute a little garlic, add spinach to it. When it wilts, keep aside. In another pan, saute boiled chickpeas and a little tomato, then add in the spinach and garlic. Once done, in this pan, break in two fried eggs, remove when set. Serve the dish with crusty bread.

Spinach with mushrooms

Melt butter in a saucepan and add spinach and mushrooms to it. Sprinkle pepper and saute. Top with the fried egg. Serve with sliced bread and herbed butter.

Eggs in tomato

Make a puree of three tomatoes. Add some sauteed onion, garlic and basil to it. Season with salt and pepper. When cooked break fried eggs over it. Drizzle cheese on the top and serve.

Source: article.wn

Yoga and Gym for Your Kiddo? Yay or Nay

Will you let your kid join yoga and gym classes?

 It is most likely that fitness conscious mammas and papas will have kids who are equally particular about fitness. It almost seems like playtime and running around with hyper energy just isn’t enough. So, will you let your child stretch to some asanas and enroll them for a gym class. We got some experts to guide us.

What kids can do

Yoga teaches kids to be active and attain self-control. It also builds their concentration. Yoga expert Chaitanya Tirth says there are a few basic asanas that provide immense developmental benefits to children.

“Easy asanas like Sarvangasana and Halasana are known to help kids with their spinal flexibility. Halasana is one such asana that increases blood flow to the brain areas and helps with improving memory,” says Tirth who believes that a 30-minute interactive session at home can help kids immensely. Other asanas that kids can try at home, under adult supervision include Chakrasana and Surya Namaskara, which also provide several physiological benefits.

 

Asanas to avoid

Tirth believes children can start practicing meditation and easy asanas from five years upwards. He however believes that they should not be allowed to attempt complex asana likeChakrasana, “It’s based on breathing exercise and involves complex postures. This asanashould only be practised by teenagers, and kids of more than 14 years of age as it could have an adverse effect on their growth,” he adds.

Junior gyms too?

In the West, the trend of having gyms has taken over, but is this taking things a tad too far? Mumbai-based fitness expert Vinod Channa believes it’s controversial, though he feels it is a good thing to join the gym. Channa  believes that kids also need enough nutrition that includes proteins, carbohydrates, fibres and minerals to supplement their work out. “These days, because of a space crunch in the city where kids don’t have many open spaces to play in, I feel joining the gym is not too bad an idea,” he adds.

Source: Bollywood News

Quick and Iced Tea Recipe:

Ginger Iced Tea (recipe serves 8 )


Ingredients:
1. Tea Bags – 5
2. Water – 1 quart
3. Fresh ginger – 1 inch piece sliced into thin pieces
4. Sugar to taste

Method:
1. Crush ginger.
2. Heat the water and steep the tea bags in it with the ginger.
3. Steep over a simmered flame for about 10 minutes.
4. Once done steeping, strain out the ginger and tea bags, and add to a pitcher.
5. Add sugar and stir.
6. Cool well and serve over ice.

Source: Health me up

Home Remedies for Beautiful Hair

Your hair can say a lot about your physical and mental health. However, maintaining a good crop of healthy hair on one’s head is not an easy task, given the stress levels, size-zero guided diets, hormonal changes, usage of too many styling products and other such factors. Similar to skin, hair care involves cleansing, conditioning and strengthening. This can be achieved by adopting these simple hair care home remedies.

Cleansing:

1. The most effective homemade shampoo is a mixture of reetha, shikakai and amla. Soak overnight in equal amounts, in approximately 1 litre of water. The next day, boil the mixture slowly until it is reduced to half. Cool and strain.

2.   Tea Tree Oil is known to be very effective for treating head lice. Parents of little kids can use this shampoo as an alternative to harsh chemical shampoos. Tea Tree Oil also helps unblock clogged hair follicles moisturizes hair and keeps the scalp free of bacterial and fungal problems. A mild solution of Tea Tree Oil and natural shampoo also helps cradle cap in infants.

3.  Chamomile is an excellent tonic for hair. Use it as a rinse after shampooing to restore shine and bring out your hair’s natural highlights.

Conditioning:

1. Massage half a cup of mayonnaise into unwashed hair and cover it with a plastic bag and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse a few times before shampooing.

2.   People with dry hair should massage rosewater on the scalp, as this is very helpful in treating dry hair. Mix olive oil and honey with a  ripe papaya and apply this to your hair. Shampoo after an hour.

3.  Oily haired people can use a mixture of multani mitti, amla, reetha andshikakai. Shampoo hair after 40 minutes.

4.   Peppermint oil is very useful for hair care as it has a cooling effect on the head, and removes dandruff and lice. It can also be used to condition the hair. Peppermint Oil also regulates and normalises oily hair. It is an astringent so it helps treat oily scalps.

5.   A paste of fresh fenugreek leaves applied over the scalp regularly before a bath helps hair grow, preserves its natural colour, keeps hair silky and also cures dandruff.

Strengthening:

 1.   Bananas contain rich minerals and other nutrients that promote hair recovery and rehabilitation. A banana mask is perfectly suited for dry, dyed hair and for permed hair.

2.    Lettuce juice is very effective in resolving the symptoms of hair loss.

3.   Castor oil hair loss treatment has been known to work well for hair loss. Many believe that it truly does grow back lost hair.

4.    Lavender stimulates hair growth, balances oil production and replenishes the hair and scalp.

5.    Curd is a conditioner and a cleansing agent.

6.    Cedarwood is a great medium to get oxygen into the hair follicles and stimulate growth.

 

Source: Health me up