Health

Washington, May 16 (ANI): Colorful vegetables are often promoted as top nutrient sources, but leading nutrition scientists have revealed that potatoes and other white vegetables are just as important to a healthy diet as their colorful cousins in the produce aisle.

Authors of a scientific supplement published in the peer-reviewed journal, Advances in Nutrition, explore the state of nutrition science on white vegetables, especially potatoes, in supporting a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Washington, May 16 (ANI): According to a new study, having too much body fat makes arteries become stiff after middle age.

In young people, blood vessels appear to be able to compensate for the effects of obesity. But after middle age, this adaptability is lost, and arteries become progressively stiffer as body fat rises – potentially increasing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Breathing motor vehicle emissions triggers a change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, altering its cardiovascular protective qualities so that it actually contributes to clogged arteries, researchers have found in a study done in mice.

In addition to changing HDL from “good” to “bad,” the inhalation of emissions activates other components of oxidation, the early cell and tissue damage that causes inflammation, leading to hardening of the arteries, according to the research team, which included scientists from UCLA and other institutions.

According to a recent study, talking on mobile phones causes a significant rise in blood pressure.

The research carried out by G. Crippa; D. Zabzuni; A. Cassi; and E. Bravi of Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, found that during a phone call, blood pressure readings jumped significantly from 121/77 to 129/82.

The myth that fair-skinned people are at higher risk of skin cancer and other problems associated with too much exposure to the sun than dark skinned is no more correct.

Dark-skinned people are also vulnerable to skin cancer and harmful effects of UV rays emitted by the sun, and indoor tanning beds, according to experts.

During the current National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month, people of all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to learn about their skin cancer risks and the benefits of sun safety.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie`s decision to go public about her double mastectomy to reduce the risk of breast cancer has been hailed as a brave move, but in India, doctors say there is very little awareness about it and many women are wary of taking the step due to societal pressure and apprehensions.

Many doctors said they have rarely seen a case in India.

Ami Bhargava, a senior cancer specialist with Max Hospital, said in his 17-year-long career, he has seen only two women undergo voluntary mastectomy.

Yoga calms the mind and works out the body, but now, a study on the effects of yoga on hypertension concluded that yoga could significantly lower blood pressure.

The 24-week study, conducted by Debbie L. Cohen, MD; Anne Bowler, BA and Raymond R. Townsend, MD of the University of Pennsylvania, showed that people who practiced yoga 2 – 3 times per week saw their blood pressure decrease significantly: an average of three points for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, from 133/80 to 130/77.

Researchers have revealed that regular marijuana use is associated with favorable indices related to diabetic control.

They found that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin and were less likely to be insulin resistant, even after excluding patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) today said that the non-coding DNA plays an important role in forming boundaries around the repeated sequences (DNA).

“The non-coding DNA which is considered as junk is not a waste material but in fact a jewel as it protects different cell types by creating boundaries around them, even though the genes are lying in a sequence close to each other”, CCMB Director Dr Ch Mohan Rao said in a press conference.

The research team was led by scientist Dr Rakesh Mishra and four other scientists.

Breastfeeding could help prevent children from developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in life, according to a new research.

A team of Israeli researchers led by Aviva Mimouni-Bloch, MD compared breastfeeding history and other factors in a group of children 6-12 year of age diagnosed with ADHD to control groups of children who did not have ADHD.

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that female mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites are significantly more attracted to human odour than uninfected mosquitoes.

In a laboratory setting, they showed that infected female Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquitoes were attracted to human odours three times more than mosquitoes that were not infected with the malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasite.

The rate of landing and biting attempts for infected mosquitoes was around three times greater than uninfected mosquitoes.

Fish oils could minimize the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review by researchers at the University of Liverpool has shown.

The team at the University”s Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease reviewed research from around the world to see whether there was sufficient data available to suggest that omega-3s had a role to play in aiding weight loss.

Washington, May 15 (ANI): A new University of Missouri study has found that testosterone levels during group competition are modulated depending on the relationships among the competitors and may be related to the formation of alliances in warfare.

“One interesting thing about humans is that we are the only animal that competes in teams,” said Mark Flinn, professor of anthropology at MU.

Scientists have found that people, who live closer to a major road, may have their kidney function impaired.

The scientists based their findings on more than 1100 adults who had sustained a stroke between 1999 and 2004 and had been admitted to hospital in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts in the US.

Scientists have developed a biodegradable implant, which in combination with a gel – that increases nerve growth and healing – can help restore the functionality of a torn or damaged nerve.

The team of Tel Aviv University researchers, including Dr. Shimon Rochkind of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Prof. Zvi Nevo of TAU’s Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, invented the method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves.

Washington, May 13 (ANI): Johns Hopkins scientists have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like “antennae,” called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments.

Researchers found that the size limit for entry is much greater than previously thought, allowing most of a cell”s proteins into cilia.

New York, May 13 (ANI): A new book has challenged the long-standing myths about women and sex, by exposing the secrets of female sexuality, including monogamy and fantasies.

Author Daniel Bergner of ‘What Do Women Want? Adventures in the Science of Female Desire’, talks about everything from the nature of attraction and pursuit to the prevalence of taboo fantasies to monogamy itself, the New York Post reported.

Johns Hopkins scientists have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like “antennae,” called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments.

Researchers found that the size limit for entry is much greater than previously thought, allowing most of a cell`s proteins into cilia.

The researchers believe that the specific collection of proteins in each cilium, customized to the needs of each cell type, is determined by whether and how cilia keep proteins inside once they enter-not which ones they allow in initially.

Sri Lanka is marketing its most profitable export – Ceylon tea – as a luxury boost for the libido.

The tea industry is increasingly promoting Ceylon`s supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew and raise its sale, News.com.au reported.

Rohan Fernando, whose firm HVA Foods sells a small 60-gram jar of premium Ceylon for 350 dollars, said that they`re highlighting the properties of tea that can give drinkers an edge in the bedroom.

Ceylon`s performance-enhancing powers have long been the stuff of legend among Sri Lankan tea lovers.

Researchers have suggested that patients coping with chronic pain should also be evaluated for anxiety disorders.

Lead author Kurt Kroenke, M.D., professor of medicine at Indiana University in Indianapolis, noted that health care providers are more aware of the common occurrence of depression in patients with chronic pain, and there has been less of an emphasis on anxiety.

The government would soon come up with a central coordinating agency on organ transplants, the ministry of health Friday said.

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) will be set up at Safdarjung Hospital, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Jagdish Prasad told reporters here.

“The building is ready. The National Information Centre has been asked to prepare an online network,” Prasad said, and added that regular meetings were being held to monitor the progress.

Cutting 100 calories from your diet could be the key to keeping cancer at bay.

The simple calorie cutting, which equals to eating just one and a half digestive biscuits less, can prevent people from piling on weight in just a year, the Daily Express reported.

Kate Mendoza, head of health information at World Cancer Research Fund ( WCRF), said that this strategy of small changes might prevent additional weight gain and help reduce cancer risk. (ANI)

London, May 12 (ANI): The increase in waistlines could fuel a big rise in the number of people with dementia in the future, researchers have warned.

According to data presented at the European Congress on Obesity, stemming the rise in obesity will cut down the risk of dementia, the BBC reported.

The Alzheimer’s Society charity has suggested that regular exercise and a healthy weight are important for reducing the risk.

Work conditions can predict development of diabetes in healthy employees, a new study has found.

Cases of type 2 diabetes continue to rise in the US. And while the development of the disease is more commonly associated with risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity, research has shown that stress can also have a significant impact.

From viral conjunctivitis to corneal ulcer, the merciless summer can cause all sort of eye-related problems. Water, eye exercises and other remedies can help protect them.

Sanjay Dhawan, director, ophthalmology at Fortis Healthcare, shares some of the common eye problems during summer and tips on how to ward them off.