Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy?

Is papaya your favorite fruit? If yes, then you should know that it is a very healthy breakfast option. Papaya is good for your digestive system, hair and skin. However, if you happen to be pregnant, you might have to stay away from your favorite fruit for nine months. However, you can always apply ripe papaya on your face and hair, for glowing skin and smooth tresses. The beneficial properties of papaya might not work when you are pregnant. It is important to know why.

Papaya is a tropical fruit which tastes delicious and is healthy as well. This fruit is packed with minerals, calcium, potassium, fiber, flavonoids and carotenoids. Papaya is considered as a fruit supplement to improve cardiovascular health and provide protection from colon cancer.

Is papaya good during pregnancy? Even though the fruit is healthy, women during their pregnancy are often advised by doctors to avoid eating papaya. In the countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, it is believed that papaya can cause miscarriage or even natural abortion.

Is it really true? Let’s check out some facts and get to the conclusion whether papaya is safe to consume during pregnancy.

Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy

Benefits of Eating Papaya in Pregnancy:

In some cases, consumption of papaya during pregnancy is thought to be absolutely safe. Here are they:

Fully’ ripe papaya has reduced latex concentration that doesn’t cause harm in pregnancy.Generally, the latex present in green papaya cause allergies in many people. It causes redness, itching, inflammation, dizziness, abdominal pain and difficulty in swallowing. Those who are allergic to papaya also react to kiwi fruit, pineapples, melons, figs, bananas and avocadoes. So stay away from these foods if you are allergic. Consult your doctor before you include any new food in your diet during pregnancy.

Ripe papaya is packed with nutrients, but should be consumed in small amounts. It is said that unripe papaya is not safe for pregnancy, but a fully ripe papaya does no harm. However, it is better to be careful while consuming papaya during pregnancy.

Ripe papayas also contain beta-carotene, vitamins A, vitamin B, vitamin C and potassium which are needed by the body.Vitamin A and C is needed to boost the body’s immunity, while vitamin B is essential for development of foetus.

Papaya is helpful in controlling and preventing constipation and even heartburn. Papaya helps to curb morning sickness and stomach cramps that are common during pregnancy. It also relieves bloating and gastric disorders common during pregnancy. Papain content in ripen yellow papayas are also thought to aid digestion.

Ripe papaya is helps in increasing hemoglobin levels. The rise in hemoglobin levels aids in more oxygen absorption. This helps to keep anemia and respiratory problems at bay.

Papaya can be effective in dealing with inflammatory bowel syndrome during pregnancy. A medium papaya has 119 of calories, 29.8 g total carbs and 5.5 g dietary fiber.

Papaya is rich in sugar content. One medium papaya contains approx. 17.9 g sugar. The sugar content helps to provide energy and provides relief from fatigue, which is common during pregnancy.
You can also consume ripe papaya during your pregnancy to ease pre and post-partum symptoms.

You can mix ripe papaya with some milk and honey. This acts as a tonic and is very good source of many nutrients that is best for pregnant women and lactating mums. Papaya has galactagogue properties that help in increased milk production.

Papaya has a wide range of medicinal properties like it is a natural antiseptic. Papaya also have anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic. The wide range of medicinal properties makes papaya a healthy option. However, it is advisable to check with your doctor the effect of these medicinal properties on your pregnancy.

The Risks of Eating Papaya in Pregnancy:

There is no doubt that papaya is good for health. Well that is applicable for normal conditions, while you are pregnant, papaya might not be a good option since it can cause abortion or miscarriage. Let us know whyunripe papaya isn’t safe at all during pregnancy. Here are few reasons why it should be avoided.

Unripe or even semi-ripen papaya includes latex that can activate uterine contractions. Papaya is generally used to treat irregular menstrual cycle and it is a potent emmengogue. Papaya can lead to uterine contractions and induce synthetic labour, this leads to miscarriage.The papaya latex has an enzyme called papain which activates prostaglandin and oxytocin hormones that strengthens and starts labour contractions.

The latex content in the unripe papaya also leads to pre-mature induction of the labour. This may also cause abortion and abnormalities in your baby. Generally papain extracts or papaya is given to those whose labour pains have not started at expected time of delivery. Papain is given by doctor in this case to start the labour pain.

Unripe papayas are considered unsafe during the pregnancy due to its pepsin and papain content that can slow down the growth and development of your foetus. In few cases, papain can ruin the chance of the foetus’s survival. Laboratory research reveals that consuming papaya or parts of the papaya plant during pregnancy can cause anti-implantation, increased chances of post-implantation loss and embryo toxicity.

Papain content in unripe papaya can weaken the vital membranes, which affects the survival of your foetus.Papain being a proteolytic enzyme is popularly used for cell dissociation. Cell dissociation is nothing but divison of cells into smaller parts. This slows down cell growth and tissue development in the foetus. Thus the chances of foetus’ survival become nil.

Unripe papaya also contains oedema, which is a latex-like substance and is considered bad for pregnant women. This can cause haemorrhage and even bleeding in the placenta.Generally oedema is common during pregnancy, it is caused by fluid retention in the body. It causes swelling and puffiness. The latex in the papaya aggravates oedema.The inflammation exerts pressure on the blood vessels and cause blood to pool. It also slows down blood circulation. Excess pressure on the blood vessels can cause internal haemorrhage and it can affect the growing embryo in the womb.

Haemorrhage placentas can trigger bleeding in placentas and again put the foetus’s life at risk. Haemorrhage in placenta causes complications during pregnancy and delivery. Papaya can cause disruption in placental formation as well, so it is not a good idea to have papaya during the early stages of pregnancy.It is very difficult to discern the ripeness of papaya, you never know the amount of latex present in it so it is better to avoid papaya entirely.

Papaya relieves constipation; sometimes excess bowel movement can also create pressure in the uterus and cause miscarriage.Though papaya is a great tonic for the digestive system, this beneficial property can cause harm to pregnant women. Papaya is rich in fiber, it exerts a little pressure on the stomach and intestines. This pressure might cause miscarriages. So avoid papaya even though it helps to relieve constipation and other gastric disorders during pregnancy.

Papaya seeds and leaves, which are often consumed, have a toxic substance called carpine that damages the central nervous system.

Papaya has two enzymes papain and chymopapain. Both these enzymes are teratogenic and abortifacient. Well abortifacient means papain will cause abortions. While teratogenic implies that the enzymes will affect the physiological growth of the foetus.

Woman with abortion and premature labour history due to the uterus contraction can experience bad effects from papain. Thus, it is advised to avoid the consumption of papayas especially in pregnant women who may have faced such problems before.

Women who don’t want to get pregnant can consume unripe papayas. This acts as a natural contraceptive to keep pregnancy at bay. Papain present in papayas suppresses progesterone, the female reproduction hormone which is responsible for preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Papaya is widely used Asian cuisine and many women have papayas for its natural contraceptive property. So that they can reduce the chances of side effects from birth control pills.

Source: mom junction

How pepper is good for your gut revealed

A new study has revealed that pepper reduces the risk of colorectal tumors.

According to the study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the active ingredient in chili peppers – produces chronic activation of a receptor on cells lining the intestines of mice, triggering a reaction that ultimately reduces the risk of colorectal tumors.

The receptor or ion channel, called TRPV1, was originally discovered in sensory neurons, where it acts as a sentinel for heat, acidity and spicy chemicals in the environment.

black-pepper

Eyal Raz said that these are all potentially harmful stimuli to cells, thus TRPV1 was quickly described as a molecular ‘pain receptor.’ This can be considered to be its conventional function, which all takes place in the nervous system.

The scientists discovered that TRPV1, once activated by the EGFR, initiates a direct negative feedback on the EGFR, dampening the latter to reduce the risk of unwanted growth and intestinal tumor development. They found that mice genetically modified to be TRPV1-deficient suffered higher-than-normal rates of intestinal tumor growths.

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Source: Zee news

Four myths about corn you should stop believing

Four myths about corn you should stop believing

There is nothing like sinking your teeth in a crisp cob of sweet corn. But few myths keep people away from the vegetable and it is time to know the truth.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding sweet corn (only in the form of a vegetable):

  •  Corn is unhealthy – No! Corn is a vegetable that contains a lot of nutrients. The idea that corn is unhealthy likely came about because corn is high in starch.
  •  Your body cannot digest corn – While it’s true that corn has high amounts of insoluble fiber but this is not at all a bad thing. Insoluble fiber has been shown in research to help feed the “good” bacteria in our gut.
  • Corn isn’t a good source of nutrients – Corn contains a certain amount of vitamin B and C, as well as magnesium and potassium. Yellow corn is also a good source of antioxidants, which are good for eyes.
  •  You shouldn’t eat corn because it’s really high in sugar – You don’t stop having bananas just because you think they’re high in sugar. Then why should you do the same for corn? A cob of corn has around 6 to 8 grams of sugar, while a banana has about 15.

Source: Hidustan times

Ebola deaths soar to 887 as Nigeria confirms 2nd case

Authorities in Nigeria on Monday announced a second case of Ebola in Africa’s most populous country, an alarming setback as the total death toll from the disease in several West Africa countries shot up by more than 150 to 887.

Most of the newly reported deaths occurred in Liberia, where on Monday night a special plane to evacuate a second American missionary who fell ill with Ebola landed in the capital. Nancy Writebol is expected to arrive in Atlanta on Tuesday, where she will be treated at a special isolation ward

Ebola deaths soar to 887 as Nigeria confirms 2nd case

Health authorities in Liberia ordered that all those who die from Ebola be cremated after communities resisted having the bodies buried nearby. Over the weekend, military police were called in after people tried to block health authorities in the West African nation from burying 22 bodies on the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.

The World Health Organization announced Monday that the death toll has increased from 729 to 887 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the confirmed second case in his country is a doctor who had helped treat Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American man who died July 25 days after arriving in Nigeria from Liberia.

Test samples are pending for three other people who also treated Sawyer and now have shown symptoms of Ebola, he said. Authorities are trying to trace and quarantine others.

“Hopefully by the end of today we should have the results of their own tests,” Chukwu said.

The emergence of a second case raises serious concerns about the infection control practices in Nigeria, and also raises the specter that more cases could emerge. It can take up to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. They include fever, sore throat, muscle pains and headaches. Often nausea, vomiting and diarrhea follow, along with severe internal and external bleeding in advanced stages of the disease.
New York patient likely not infected

“This fits exactly with the pattern that we’ve seen in the past. Either someone gets sick and infects their relatives, or goes to a hospital and health workers get sick,” said Gregory Hartl, World Health Organization spokesman in Geneva. “It’s extremely unfortunate but it’s not unexpected. This was a sick man getting off a plane and unfortunately, no one knew he had Ebola.”

On Monday night, a doctor at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Manhattan said a man who visited West Africa last month and is being tested for Ebola likely doesn’t have it.

“Odds are, this is not Ebola,” Dr. Jeremy Boal, chief medical officer at the hospital, said. He added he was expecting a definitive answer about the man’s condition within a day or two.

Two American aid workers infected with Ebola, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly, are improving. Both were infected while working in Liberia.

Brantly is being treated at a special isolation unit at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital, and Writebol was expected to be flown there Tuesday in the same specially equipped plane that brought Brantly.
70 people under surveillance, Nigeria says

Doctors and other health workers on the front lines of the Ebola crisis have been among the most vulnerable to infection as they are in direct physical contact with patients. The disease is not airborne, and only transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, vomit, sweat or feces.

Sawyer, who was travelling to Nigeria on business, became ill while aboard a flight and Nigerian authorities immediately took him into isolation upon arrival in Lagos. They did not quarantine his fellow passengers, and have insisted that the risk of additional cases was minimal.

Nigerian authorities said a total of 70 people are under surveillance and that they hoped to have eight people in quarantine by the end of Monday in an isolation ward in Lagos. The emergence there is particularly worrisome because Lagos is the largest city in Africa with some 21 million people.

Health officials rely on “contact tracing” — locating anyone who may have been exposed, and then anyone who may have come into contact with that person.

Ben Neuman, a virologist and Ebola expert at Britain’s University of Reading, said that could prove difficult at this stage.

“Contact tracing is essential but it’s very hard to get enough people to do that,” he said. “For the average case, you want to look back and catch the 20-30 people they had closest contact with and that takes a lot of effort and legwork … The most important thing now is to do the contact tracing and quarantine any contacts who may be symptomatic.”

Source: cbc

Arthritis cases among Indian youngsters rising: Expert

Arthritis cases among Indian youngsters rising

There has been a rise in the number of young Indians diagnosed with knee arthritis and other problems of joints and ligaments, a health expert said.

“Arthritis or the damage that sets up in our body joints is considered a problem associated with ageing. Loss of cartilage, depleting calcium, wear and tear of the ligaments, or excessive weight have contributed to the onset of arthritis.

“However, we are now seeing a rise in the number of younger patients with osteoarthritis, Rajeev.K. Sharma, senior consultant and orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon at Apollo Hospital, said here in a press conference on the occasion of the “National Bone and Joint Day” Monday.

Sharma highlighted on the need to create awareness among young people and having a healthy lifestyle.

“Obesity, lack of exercise, injury in bones or muscles, hereditary defects in alignment of legs, faulty lifestyle and absence of physical activity lead to early degeneration of muscles and cartilage around the joints,” he added.

According to experts, though the number of young patients with arthritis might be barely 10 percent, it is important to encourage youngsters to walk, cycle and perform regular exercise.

Source: yahoo news

10 yoga poses to beat stress

7 yoga poses for beauty

If you’re struggling with sky-high stress levels, yoga can be a great way to calm your mind while giving your body the attention it deserves.

It may seem counterintuitive that twisting yourself into a pretzel can promote relaxation, but it’s true! Studies show that yoga has a whole host of benefits; it can boost immunity, fight food cravings, and can even help relieve stress since most practices dedicate several poses to meditation that brings your thoughts and feelings into awareness.

“The key to de-stressing is realizing how to calm the mind and be present,” says world-renowned yogi and DailyBurn trainer Briohny Smyth. No time for “me” time? To balance family life with the demands of a busy career, Smyth wakes up extra early to dedicate time to her own personal practice.

“It’s really important for me to start the day calm and clearheaded,” she says.

But where’s a new yogi to start? Smyth developed the beginner-friendly sequence of yoga poses above to promote physical and mental awareness and help tame tension. If you’re practicing at night (which can help you sleep better, she recommends you end in savasana (corpse pose) or viparita karani, where your back is pressed on the ground and your legs are up the wall. If you’re practicing in the morning, Smyth suggests beginning and ending with a seated meditation.

Toe Squat: Tuck your toes under your feet. Lean back so your bottom is balanced on your heels. Feel a stretch in the arches of the feet and the toe joints. Focus on lengthening your spine so it’s straight, and bring your attention to your breath. Remain here for 1 minute.

1

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana): To come out of the toe squat, keep your toes tucked under and put your hands on the floor next to your knees. Lift your knees up so you’re standing on the soles of your feet with your upper body bent over. Grab your opposite elbows and relax the crown of your head towards the floor, using the weight of your upper body to stretch the back of the legs. As you inhale, lengthen the spine away from the pelvis. Stay here for 2 minutes.

2

Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Inhale to a flat back and step back to downward dog, holding for one minute. Let energy flow through your arms and out through the sit bones. Keep your neck long and draw your shoulders away from the ears. Press down through the heels as you exhale, which will help stretch the hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendons. Reach the right leg up and back and let your hip open up.

3

Low Lunge (Anjanayasana): To transition from down dog with the hip open to low lunge, rise on the ball of your left foot and bring your right knee in towards your chest, assuming a one-legged plank. Point the toe of your left foot and lift your butt up high as you place your right foot next to the right hand. Have your fingertips under your shoulders and inhale to a flat back. Place your left knee down on the mat. Bring your torso back over your pelvis, with hands on your front knee, and hold the stretch. For more sensation, reach back with your left hand and grab your left foot, pulling the heel towards the left glute.

4

Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana): Place both hands on the mat under your shoulders, coming onto your fingertips. Heel-toe your right foot towards your left wrist. Scoot your left leg back to get a proper stretch. If your hip is off the floor, grab a towel or block to help fill that gap. As you exhale, fold your upper body over your shin and lower down on to your forearms. Untuck your toes.

5

Head to Knee Pose (Janushirasana): Bring your left leg around and place it straight out in front of you. Move the sole of your right foot to the inner left thigh. Reach your arms up for one breath, and on the exhale, bring them down and grab the outer edges of the left foot. Inhale, exhale and lengthen your spine.

6

Half Bound Ankle Pose (Half Baddha Kosana): Now reach your right hand in the above your head and fold to the left so are grabbing your left calf with your right hand. Bring your forehead as close as you can to the outside of the left knee. Take a few breaths here. Inhale fully, and sit up on the exhale.

7

Seated Bend (One-Legged Upavistha Koasana): Fold toward the center and keep both feet flexed. Open your right shoulder and extend your arm up as you exhale. Fingertips should reach towards your opposite toes. Inhale, lengthen your spine, and press deeper on the exhalation. Inhale once again come to a seated position as you exhale.

8

Transition (Vinyasa): Shake your legs out in front of you. Hug your knees to your chest and roll three times on your back so your spine feels a sensation. Rock with momentum so you land crouching on your feet. Next, place your hands down under your shoulders and jump the legs back, then bringing your hips up into down dog. Repeat steps 3 to 8 on the opposite side

9

Corpse Pose (Savasana): Sit up after the final pose and roll on to your back, hugging your knees to your chest. Close your eyes. Open your legs and arms one at a time. Surrender any tension you have, and relax for 3 minutes. Roll to the right side of your body, then press yourself up to a comfy seated position. Sit tall, take a deep breath through your nose, and open your eyes.

Source: cnn

 

The Hair Dye Allergy You Should Know About

Not a natural blonde or brunette? You might want to be more cautious about coloring your hair. Turns out some people can be extremely allergic to hair dye, as NCIS star Pauley Perrette found out last week when she landed in the hospital with a severe reaction to the stuff.

The Hair Dye Allergy You Should Know About

“Was in ER. Just got home from hospital. Awful. My head swelled up huge like a melon,” Perrette tweeted after posting a photo of her swollen face. Now the star is urging others to read up on hair dye allergies themselves.

“The most important thing to me is that anyone out there that dyes their hair, particularly black, you need to be aware of the symptoms,” she told a local CBS station in Los Angeles.

The actress, who’s a natural blonde, had been dyeing her locks jet black for more than 20 years without incident. Then about six months ago, she developed a rash on her neck and scalp which got worse with every coloring.

An allergy to hair dye is quite rare, affecting about one in 250,000 people, says Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist and author of Skin Rules. Still, it can prove to be just as serious as a nut or shellfish allergy, especially if you’re someone who’s prone to allergic reactions. And while some people may see symptoms the first or second time they use hair dye, it may not happen as fast as you think.

“To be allergic to something, usually your immune system has to come in contact with it and decide it doesn’t like it,” Dr. Jaliman says. “Depending on how sensitive your system is, the allergy may develop more slowly than others.”

That means if you start to see signs of redness, swelling, itching, or burning after several uses of hair dye, don’t write it off. This is your body’s way of telling you an allergy is building up, and continuing to use the dye could actually be fatal. “If you develop a severe allergy, you could get blisters and hives and, though rare, difficulty breathing similar to an anaphylactic reaction,” Dr. Jaliman says. See an allergist or a dermatologist for advice on how to treat your allergy, whether that’s with topical creams or pills like antihistamines.

If you’re allergic to hair dye, you can blame a chemical called paraphenylenediamine or PPD for your symptoms, Dr. Jaliman says. It’s in most commercial dyes you’d find at both drugstores or hair salons and it helps protect color from fading. Though Perrette called out black dye as being worse than others, you could get a reaction no matter the shade you’re using—or the original color of your hair, Dr. Jaliman says.

If you’re going to dye your hair for the first time, there’s an easy way to tell if you may be allergic. Before coloring your hair, do a skin patch test, typically recommended on most boxed hair color. Basically, you put a bit of dye on your skin and wait 48 hours to see if a reaction develops. If you pass the first time, it’s likely you’re in the clear whether you color at home or the salon, Dr. Jaliman says, and you shouldn’t need to do the test again.

If you do develop an allergy, there are other ways to color your locks safely. Dyes like henna or the line from EcoColors are great natural and non-toxic solutions, she says. Even highlights could be better for you as most use bleach and don’t add color, Dr. Jaliman says. Ask your colorist what formula would be used on your hair.

One thing’s for sure: even a mild reaction to hair dye could turn serious. “I wouldn’t be looking into putting chemicals in your hair if you have a history of allergies,” Dr. Jaliman says. “It would probably be best to switch to a chemical-free dye because you don’t want it to escalate into a life-threatening situation.” As for Perrette, she says she’s going to look into natural dyes or wigs.

Source: bbc news

Five mistakes you must avoid while using sunscreen!

Many people remain confused and make mistakes when it comes to the use of skincare products, particulary sunscreen. While people belonging to the ethnic dark-skinned groups think that they do not need sunscreen, fair-skinned people too commit blunders, which in turn can increase the risk of melanomas.

Five mistakes you must avoid while using sunscreen!

Below are five common sunscreen mistakes that all of us make:

  • Using little sunscreen: Do not be stingy with the sunscreen, apply a sufficient amount of it on those parts of your skin which are often exposed to the sun such as face, neck, hands, arms and feet.
  • Not reapplying often enough: Even if you wear a water-resistant/sweat-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30, you should reapply your sunscreen every 2-3 hours, especially after swimming or perspiring.
  • SPF values: Many people think that SPF values can be added while actually it cannot be. For eg, if you are using a sunscreen of SPF 15 and then of 10, you will not have the added advantage or protection of 25, but will be getting the protection of SPF 15 only.
  • Wearing low SPF while outdoor: If you are going out in the sun, make sure that you wear a high SPF of 30 or above, which is sweatproof and waterproof. However, if you wear a low SPF you should reappy it more often.
  • Using sunscreen that has only UVB protection: Always wear a sunscreen that has protection for both UVB/UVA rays. Because UVA can cause long-term effects such as premature skin ageing whereas UVB can caue sunburn.

Source: zee news

A little video gaming ‘produces well-adjusted children’

Playing video games for a short period each day could have a small but positive impact on child development, a study by Oxford University suggests.

Scientists found young people who spent less than an hour a day engaged in video games were better adjusted than those who did not play at all. But children who used consoles for more than three hours reported lower satisfaction with their lives overall.

A little video gaming 'produces well-adjusted children'

The research is published in the journal Pediatrics. Experimental psychologist Dr Andrew Przybylski analysed British surveys involving 5,000 young people aged 10 to 15 years old.

Social interactions
Some 75% of those questioned said they played video games daily. Children were asked to quantify how much time they spent gaming on a typical school day – using consoles or computers.

They then rated a number of factors, including:

  • Satisfaction with their lives
  • How well they got on with peers
  • How likely they were to help people in difficulty
  • Levels of hyperactivity and inattention
  • The answers were combined to assess levels of psychological and social adjustment.

When compared with all other groups, including those who played no video games at all, young people reporting under an hour of play each day were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives and showed the highest levels of positive social interactions.

The group also had fewer problems with emotional issues and lower levels of hyperactivity.

According to the results, people who spent more than three hours playing games were the least well adjusted.

‘Digital world’
Dr Przybylski says there may be numerous reasons behind this. He told “In a research environment that is often polarised between those who believe games have an extremely beneficial role and those who link them to violent acts, this research could provide a new, more nuanced standpoint.

“Being engaged in video games may give children a common language.

“And for someone who is not part of this conversation, this might end up cutting the young person off.”

He argues that policies and guidelines that impose limits on the use of this technology need to take such evidence into account.

Dr Przybylski points out that though the effect of video games on children is statistically significant in this study, factors such as the strength of family relationships play a larger role.

Dr Iroise Dumontheil, of Birkbeck, University of London, who was not involved in the research, said: “Other studies have shown that playing first-person shooter games, but not other types, can lead to increased visuospatial processing and memory abilities.

“Further research would help to determine whether particular types of game help or hinder adolescents as they adjust to the changes they experience during development.”

Source: BBC

Home Remedies for Bad Breath

Bad breath (halitosis) is a condition characterized by consistent unpleasant breath odor.

Many conditions, such as postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, uncontrolled diabetes, respiratory tract infection, liver or kidney disease, and digestive disorders such as acid reflux can cause bad breath. In the majority of people with bad breath, however, the problem is in the mouth and is often caused by improper dental hygiene, periodontal disease or dry mouth.

What causes the actual odor? Food particles and dead cells in the mouth collect bacteria which thrive in enviroments that lack oxygen, such as the back of the tongue and deep gum pockets. These bacteria produce odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide.

Home-Remedies-for-Bad-Breath

Home Remedies for Bad Breath

Brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily can help to remove odor-causing bacteria. Before trying any natural remedies for bad breath, it’s important to visit your dentist to have your teeth examined and cleaned. If a cause isn’t identified, consult your doctor for further investigation. Here are some home remedies to consider:

  • Drink tea. Preliminary research suggests that compounds in both green tea and black tea called polyphenols may stop the growth of bacteria responsible for bad breath. Polyphenols may also prevent existing bacteria from producing malodorous compounds such as hydrogen sulfide. Both green and black tea have polyphenols. Get some tips on how to brew green tea.
  • Try a mouthwash containing zinc ions. Zinc appears to directly neutralize malodorous sulfur compounds and improve breath. It’s found in several health food store mouthwashes as well as some drug store brands.
  • Try a mouthwash that contains essential oils. Preliminary studies suggest that essential oils, which are plant oils, may help to reduce bad breath. One study compared an essential oil mouthwash containing tea tree oil, peppermint oil and lemon oil to a standard mouthwash and found that the level of volatile sulfur compounds was significantly less after the essential oil mouthwash compared to the conventional mouthwash. It’s best to use a commercially-prepared product (check the health food store) rather than buying essential oils and making your own mouthwash. If in doubt, consult your dentist.
  • Use herbs to freshen your breath. Chew on a small sprig of fresh rosemary, parsley, spearmint, or tarragon for up to a minute.
  • Avoid mouthwashes with alcohol. Alcohol can dry out the mouth, which contributes to bad breath.
  • Use a tongue scraper, which helps to remove dead cells, food particles and bacteria from the tongue. A tongue scaper is a special plastic instrument found in drug stores and some health food stores, that costs several dollars. In Ayurveda, a thick coating on the tongue is called “ama” and is thought to be caused by improper or incomplete digestion. Tongue cleaning with a scaper is recommended as a daily regimen to remove ama. The key is to do it gently and to rinse your mouth thoroughly afterward. If you can’t find a tongue scraper, use a toothbrush to clean your tongue.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking water and other fluids will help keep your mouth moist. Another reason drinking fluids might help: In traditional Chinese medicine, bad breath is often the result of excess heat in the stomach. Water, soup and watery fruits and vegetables, such as cucumber, are thought to help to rebalance the body.
  • According to traditional Chinese medicine, bitter foods, such as Belgian endive and many dark green leafy vegetables are also believed to help stomach heat. Certain foods, such as coffee, alcohol, sugar, milk and fried or spicy foods are thought to worsen the problem.
  • Snack on crunchy fruits and vegetables such as apples, celery, carrots or jicama. Crunchy foods can help remove food, bacteria and plaque from teeth.
  • Get help managing stress. Many people have bad breath that doesn’t have a clearly identifiable cause. One small preliminary study found that in healthy young men with good oral hygiene and general health, stress increased the production of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. To learn specific relaxation techniques, go to my section on mind/body techniques. Also, find out about natural remedies for anxiety

Source: health digezt