Health News-6: "3.3 Lakh Children die every year for want of Vitamin A"

India has the highest number of Vitamin A deficient children in the world, with 330,000 of them dying annually because of this malady.

Despite years of various supplementation approaches, deficiencies of these micronutrients are still largely prevalent, according to Sesikeran, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

In a paper presented at a conference on “Role of Micronutrients in Child Development: Give Kids a Good Start,” organized by the International Life Sciences Institute at New Delhi on Friday, Dr.Sesikeran said studies carried out by various agencies showed that the prevalence of anaemia, Vitamin A deficiency and iodine deficiency disorders continue to be high, though there is a small decline in the prevalence of iodine deficiently disorders.

Inaugurating the conference, D.H.Pai Panandiker, Chairman of the Institute, said 75% of the children in the country were anaemic, 57% were deficient in Vitamin A and 26% did not have enough intake of zinc - Special Correspondent, The Hindu

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 15, 2007

Health News-5: "Errors kill 98,000 patients annually!"

According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, USA, errors in American hospitals kill from 44,000 to 98,000 patients annually, while injuring perhaps a million.

Courtesy: The Reader's Digest, January 2003

Health Tips-20: "An Apple A Day"

Eating an apple a day during pregnancy will not only keep the doctor away, but it can also help lower the risk of their kids developing asthma and wheezing. The finding is based on a study published in the September 2007 issue of the journal, Thorax, in which researchers found that when women ate apples during pregnancy, their offspring tended to have a significantly lower risk of asthma and wheezing when they reached age five.

As a part of their study, the researchers followed 1253 mother-child pairs and studied their dietary intake. The study also backs up the findings of an early study published in the European Respiratory Journal in June that found a link between apple juice consumption and a reduction in wheezing among children. Among children who experienced what was characterized as “current wheeze” (where the child had wheezing or whistling in the chest in the last 12 months), there was a significant dose response association between consumption of apple juice and a reduced incidence of the wheezing.

Researchers found that drinking apple juice made from concentrate and consumption of bananas one or more times a day (compared to drinking apple juice or eating bananas less than once a month) was directly associated with improvement of wheezing occurrences. Authors of the Thorax appear suggest that apples help kids because they have a powerful phytochemical content, which includes flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic acids – ANI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Sunday Magazine, Dec. 9, 2007.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health News-4: "World Diabetes Day: November 14"

From International Diabetes Federation's Website:

Diabetes is a silent killer that kills one person every ten seconds.

Diabetes is a global problem with devastating human, social and economic impact. Today more than 245 million people worldwide are living with diabetes and by 2025, this total is expected to increase to over 380 million people. Each year another 7 million people develop diabetes.

Diabetes is a growing epidemic threatening to overwhelm global healthcare services, wipe out some indigenous populations and undermine economies worldwide, especially in developing countries.

Each year more than 3.8 million people die from diabetes-related causes, one death every 10 seconds.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is a worldwide alliance of over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries, who have come together to enhance the lives of people with diabetes everywhere. For over 50 years, IDF has been at the vanguard of global diabetes advocacy. The Federation is committed to raising global awareness of diabetes, promoting appropriate diabetes care and prevention, and encouraging activities towards finding a cure for the different types of diabetes. It is the mission of IDF to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide.

From Wikipedia:

World Diabetes Day is a day of awareness for diabetes. It was developed by the International Diabetes Federation in 1991 as a way to increase people's knowledge about diabetes, and help prevent the disease. World Diabetes Day is held on November 14.

Grateful thanks to: International Diabetes Federation and Wikipedia.

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/info/idf/index.html

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/campaign/why/

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/campaign/every10seconds.html

Health Tips-19: "Beware of Synthetic Milk"

Milk is a staple food for the children and the infirm. Of late, there are reports that a synthetic product is passed off as 'milk'. The 'synthetic milk' simulates the creamer or dairy whitener added to tea or coffee for persons to whom milk is contra-indicated for allergic or other reasons. Dairy whitener is composed of fat (commonly hydrogenated fat or derivative of palm oil) and emulsifier (synthetic or natural). Emulsified fat in water is milky. Soaps and detergents are capable of emulsifying oil or fat in water. The mixture becomes an oil-in-water emulsion. The synthetic emulsifier used in creamer is approved for food purposes. Soaps and synthetic detergents are not of food grade. Detergents are made up of petroleum jelly. The 'synthetic milk' sold is an emulsion of an oil in water with the aid of soaps or detergents, thickened by addition of urea. True milk contains protein (casein), sugars (lactose) and minerals (calcium). Urea, though a nitrogenous compound is not protein, neither it is edible. In fact, it could be toxic. Urea is a product of protein metabolism in animals and is excreted in urine. Synthetic milk can be easily detected. First of all, soap or detergent in water is alkaline due to hydrolysis. A litmus (red to blue) or pH paper (orange to green) test will indicate this behaviour when the strip is dipped in the liquid. Urea is detected by adding an ureas tablet into a sample of milk. Ureas is an enzyme, which decomposes into ammonium carbonate, which may be identified by its characteristic ammoniacal smell or alkaline nature by pH indicator. These qualitative tests are fairly simple and can be performed even by an untrained person.

- From a 'Letter to the Editor, from N.J.M.Yadav, Thanjavur (Name of Newspaper not given)

Health Tips-18: Burn Those Calories Away

The most optical fat-burning exercise is aerobics. Any exercise that utilizes oxygen for a sustained activity of 12 minutes or more qualifies as aerobic exercise. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming etc are all activities which use the large muscles of the body, moving your limbs freely and continuously without resistance, and your breathing is then rapid, but comfortable. While doing this exercise, should be able to carry on a conversation, but in brief words only not in lengthy sentences. If you are too much out of breath and are gasping, you have gone beyond the aerobic zone. Bring down the intensity of the exercise so that you are in an optimal state of burning fat.

Excerpt from ISTE Newsletter (Other details not available).

Grateful thanks to ISTE Newsletter.

Health Tips-17: A/c Room and Respiratory Problems

People who work in air-conditioned offices suffer more than twice as many respiratory problems as those who work in naturally-ventilated buildings, according to a study by a French Medical Research agency. The study could help explain the 'sick-building syndrome', widely reported in air-conditioned offices in Europe. The researchers say that the recirculated air carries bacteria and fungi that spread the infections.

Courtesy: The Hindu, October 30, 1997.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health Tips-16: Clap Your Way to Good Health - PTI

Clapping is no child's play, especially for 82-year-old Kishan Chandra Bajaj, who claims to have got cured of glaucoma, a degenerative eye disease, all because of clapping.

Despite knowing about age-old therapies like yoga, reiki and acupressure, Bajaj decided to try a novel "clapping yogasana", when he lost his eyesight suddenly, a decade ago. "If a person claps in a correct way he an help maintain a good health and cheerful mind. It is not at all tiring," he adds.

"Our palms have pressure points for the whole body, which get stimulated during clapping and benefit people," says B.B.Mittal, honorary senior consultant at Jaipur Golden Hospital.

According to Bajaj, forceful clapping warms blood and increases its circulation, cleans the blood vessels of cholesterol and reduces chances of heart ailments. While the increased temperature of blood kills germs thus preventing various diseases. He claims to have clapped for at least one crore times in a duration of two and a half years! Bajaj has his name in Limca Book of Records-1997 for his special ability to "clap 9,500 times in an hour", the sound of which could be "heard a kilometre away".

Bajaj says clapping is no child's play but needs will power and faith to reap its benefits. Clapping in correct way can cure stammering also, he says giving his own example.

He discovered the positive effects of 'clapping yogasana' after he learn about it in a discourse.

People in airconditioned offices do not sweat but this exercise helps circulae warm blood and opens pores to cleanse body.

(Source and other details not available)

Health Tips-15: Calcium, a safe-deposit - Devika Murthy

Milk, greens and dhal are some of the food that contain a high quantity of calcium. It is the calcium content that determines the physique and also gives the body resilience.

What oxygen is to the lungs, calcium is to the bones. A component of skeletal mass and shell, calcium(Ca) - a silvery white metal - is an intrinsic part of our body, a kind of safe deposit that is built up during one's growing years, and it is important to see that one has stored enough of it so that when one grows older the bones are still strong.

It is the calcium content that, besides heredity, determines physique and gives the body its resilience. A shortage of it leads to lack of stamina and brittle bones, which in later years results in osteoporosis.

Teeth, which are also wholly calcium-based can turn problematic and painful in periods of deficiency. That is why calcium fluoride, a water-insoluble crystalline mineral is used as a decay preventive in dentrifices. The assuring thing about calcium is that it is readily available in a host of everyday consumables and is just as easily assimilated: Milk - literally awash in calcium - cheese, fresh fruits and yogurt are unfailing suppliers. Leafy vegetables can also take pride in their calcium stock; generous helpings of all locally-grown varieties help boost the body's reserves. So children should be made to understand that shunning greens could end up slowing or stunting their growth.

For lack of calcium, aggravates leaching from bones into the bloodstream, as blood too requires - an infinitesimal but indispensable quantity of - calcium to help produce hormones, aid nerve conduction, regulate heartbeats, draw essential nutrients from food and facilitate myriad physiological functions. Dried dates, rich in calcium as well as apricots are things that most children love; so too til and groundnut laddoos bound with jaggery, which turn into lip smacking treats are filled with calcium.

For Indians, an advantage is the range of dals that we use in our daily meals; all the regulars such as toor, channa, rajma and moong offer respectable levels of it.

Regular exercise stabilises inflow and outflow of calcium, so it is both necessary and advisable. Avoiding aerated drinks, alcohol and nicotine, meats and controlling stress check calcium erosion.

There is truly no dearth of items that provide all the calcium that we can use. The only requirement is that we be aware of the sources and include them in a healthy and tasty diet.

Courtesy: Young World, Supplement to The Hindu, August 28, 1999.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health Tips-14: Key to Brain Aging

Onset of the dreaded Alzheimer's disease which becomes apparent in a patient's 60's or 70's is due to midlife breakdown of myelin, a fatty insulation coating of the brain's internal wiring say UCLA neuroscientists.

A model identifying this process has been reported in Neurobiology of Aging. As the brain develops, cholesterol levels increase. This promotes production of a toxic protein that attacks myelin. This eventually leads to the brain-destroying tangles visible years later in Alzheimer's patients. Increasing iron levels in the middle age also degrade myelin. Intake of cholesterol and iron-lowering and anti-inflammatory medications may prevent the disease.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, January 1, 2004.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.