VEPACHEDU EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation) |
The
Telangana Science JournalHealth and Nutrition(An International Electronic Science Digest Published from the United States of America) |
| (Dedicated
to one of the most backward regions in India,
"Telangana,"
where I was born, although I am an American
citizen and ethnically 1/2 Andhra ,
1/4 Kannada
and only 1/4 Telangana.) |
| Chief
Editor: Sreenivasarao
Vepachedu, PhD, LLM |
| Contributing Editor: Venkateswararao Karuparthy (KV),
MD, DABPM
|
Issue 73 |
5105 Kali Era , Swabhanu
Year, Magha month
1925 Salivahana Era , Swabhanu Year, Magha month 2061 Vikramarka Era, Swabhanu Year, Magha month 2004 AD, January |
Diet
and Exercise
Old Saree Prevents Cholera
Turmeric
and Curry Powder
Coffee
Waist Size is the Indicator
BMI For Asians
Tai Chi Helps Reduce Falls
in Elderly
Diabetes and Red Meat Link
Omega-3 Oils
Salmon
is Deadly Dangerous
Vitamin Supplements
Arsenic in Chicken
High-Carbohydrate and High-Fiber
Diet Reduces Weight
Diabetes and Obesity
Smoking
Smokers are Unaware of
the Warning Signs
Cardiovascular
Health
Heart Disease in Women
Erectile Dysfunction
Mental Health
Higher Alzheimer’s Test
Standard For More Intelligent
Unemployment
Sleep Deprivation
Miscellaneous
Birthing Pools
Silver
Color Cars are Safest in New Zealand
Vultures
Die Eating Cattle
Recipes
MUSHROOM AND CORN TOAST
HEARTY BAKED
MACARONI
MANGO CRISP
Paper-Bag Vegetables
Recipe Book
| Diet and Exercise Old Saree Prevents Cholera Water filtered through the ubiquitous saree in the Indian households helps keep away the cholera causing bacteria, a study conducted by a US institutes suggests. Straining water through a saree cloth, available even in the poorest of households in Bangladesh, folded eight to 10 times, may be enough to prevent ingestion of infectious levels of cholera causing bacteria. The folded saree results in a less-than-20 micron mesh which traps planktons — the small organisms to which the cholera causing bacteria are attached. A study carried out in 65 villages in Bangladesh found that the incidence of cholera was reduced by more than 50 per cent where saree filters were used. It is the old saree cloth and not the new which is preferred as it creates a smaller pore size, trapping more bacteria. The saree filter can keep away more than 99 per cent of cholera causing bacteria. The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Back to the top |
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Turmeric and Curry Powder A report in Chem. Biol. 10, 695 (2003), suggests that Curcumin irreversibly inhibits aminopetidase N (APN), an enzyme that activates the tumor-invasiveness and angiogenesis. Scientists have known that curcumin slows the growth of new cancers and is now in Phase I trials for colon cancer. Curcumin is the bright yellow active ingredient in turmeric, which is an ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric is not only used in cooking curry, but also in many other Indian dishes. Healing powers of turmeric are well documented in Ayurveda, thousands of years old Indian traditional medicine. According to University of Chicago scientists, curcumin inhibits a cancer-provoking bacteria (H. pylor) associated with gastric and colon cancer (Anticancer Res. 2002 Nov-Dec; 22(6C): 4179-81). Turmeric extract tested more potent than garlic, devil's claw, and salmon oil (J Pharm Pharmacol. 2003 Jul; 55(7):981-6). Back to the top |
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Coffee As reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the risk of type-2 diabetes was 7, 29 and 54 percent lower, respectively, in men who reported drinking one to three, four to five, or six or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day. The corresponding risk in women was 1, 30, and 29 percent, respectively. It is premature to recommend increased coffee consumption with this in mind. The researchers note that caffeine, the best-known ingredient in regular coffee, is known to raise blood sugar and increase energy expenditure in the short-term, but its long-term effects are not well understood. Coffee (both regular and decaffeinated) has lots of antioxidants like chlorogenic acid (one of the compounds responsible for the coffee flavor) and magnesium. These ingredients can actually improve sensitivity to insulin and may contribute to lowering risk of type-2 diabetes. Back to the top |
| Waist Size is the Indicator If you didn’t know already that your waist size indicates your health, U.S. researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that people who had relatively large waists and an excess of fats in their blood were more likely to also have diabetes or appear to be at risk of diabetes or other conditions, such as high cholesterol. If a person has both a large waist and large amount of fat in the blood, researchers offer advice about diet and exercise, and perhaps treatments to ease the symptoms of pre-existing conditions. People with large waists and high blood fats were more than three times as likely to have diabetes, and tended to show relatively high levels of glucose and insulin in their blood, a sign they are at risk of developing diabetes. BMI For Asians According to a report “WHO expert consultation Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies’” published in Lancet, 363, 157 - 163, (2004), produced by a panel of experts chaired by Shiriki Kumanyika of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, one size does not fit all when it comes to BMI. The panel weighed up mounting evidence that Asian populations have a particularly high risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality from other causes at relatively low BMIs. That is thought to be largely due to their higher proportion of body fat, often hoarded around the waist, relative to other ethnic groups. For these populations, they found that a BMI of 26-31 was high risk. The panel recommends that intermediate 'public health action points' be inserted at BMI values of 23.0, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5. This would allow countries to use disease data on their own population to decide on BMI targets. Experts predict that waist measurements will soon be a widely used measure of health, because they reflect body-fat distribution and may more accurately predict the risk of heart disease. Similar to Asians, people from the Indian Continent also need different BMI standards. Back to the top |
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Tai Chi Helps Reduce Falls in Elderly Tai chi focuses on building strength, balance and flexibility through slow, fluid movements combined with mental imagery and deep breathing. Studies have suggested that the elderly can reduce their risk of falls, lower their blood pressure and ease arthritis symptoms through the practice. Last month, Great Britain's national health service announced a new program offering older adults free tai chi classes, as part of a government campaign to cut the number of elderly who fall and break a hip. Researchers found that among adults in their 70s, 80s and 90s, many of whom relied on assistive devices to get around, tai chi exercises over a 48-weeek period reduced the risk of falling by 25 percent, the researchers write in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In research terms, this risk reduction was not significant statistically, but could still be important in real life. Back to the top |
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Diabetes and Red Meat Link During a 12-year study period, the risk of type 2 diabetes increased as heme-iron intake from red meat sources rose, the researchers note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2004. Heme-iron is a type of iron found in red blood cells. In contrast, total iron intake, heme-iron intake from non-red meat sources, and receiving blood transfusions were not associated with diabetes risk. Back to the top |
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Omega-3 Oils Omega-3 Oils are found in certain vegetable sources, such as canola oil, urad dal (black gram) and flaxseed. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines are also a prime source of omega-3s. A study in Australia found that babies whose mothers took these oils had weaker immune reactions to common allergy triggers and, at 1 year of age, showed signs of being less allergy-prone. The new study looked at whether fish-oil capsules, rich in healthful omega-3 fatty acids, might help prevent the development of allergies in babies born to women with a history of hay fever or asthma. The findings are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In general, pregnant women are advised against taking any medication or supplement unless the benefit is known to outweigh any potential risk to the fetus. Pregnant women should always consult their doctor before taking drugs or supplements. Salmon is Deadly Dangerous This was not some fringe pressure group or band of tree-hugging environmentalists out to rattle cages. It was some of the world's leading experts on industrial pollution. And what they had to say was devastating: farmed salmon was poisonous. What's more, the most dangerous fish of all were salmon raised in Scotland. Researchers based at the University of Albany in New York revealed in the journal Science how they found high levels of contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins and pesticides in Scottish fish, which is marketed around the world as a premium product. Eating more than three portions a year, they warned, risked increasing the consumer's chances of developing cancer. |
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Vitamin Supplements Long-term data from two studies of female nurses suggest that use of vitamin D supplements, primarily in the form of multivitamins, may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). According to the report in the medical journal Neurology, women who used the most vitamin D were 41 percent less likely to develop MS than women who used none. Another study, in Archives of Neurology, January 2004, involving more than 4700 participants strongly suggests that the combination of vitamin C and E lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The findings come from the Cache County Study, which looked at the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in terms of genetic and environmental risk factors. Currently, the recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is 22 IU (15 mg) and for vitamin C, 75 to 90 mg, the team points out. Although multivitamin preparations typically contain approximately these levels, individual supplements commonly contain doses up to 1000 IU of vitamin E and 500 to 1000 mg or more of vitamin C. Back to the top Arsenic in Chicken Arsenic is poisonous in its inorganic form,. It is a naturally occurring organic element that is found in food, drinking water, and the environment. Arsenic in its less toxic organic form is used as a chicken feed supplement. Previous research has linked long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. HealthDayNews notes that it is also associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunologic, neurologic, and endocrine problems. If you ate 12 ounces of chicken every day, you would ingest between 21 micrograms and 31 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per day and 33 micrograms to 47 micrograms of total arsenic per day. Between 33 micrograms to 47 micrograms of inorganic arsenic is ingested from 12 ounces of chicken. The tolerable daily intake is 2 micrograms per kilogram body weight per day. Americans love chicken. In the last three decades, per capita consumption of chicken has nearly doubled from an average of 40 pounds per year in 1970 to about 78 pounds a year by 2000, according to data from the National Chicken Council. Back to the top |
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High-Carbohydrate
Diet Reduces Weight
|
| Diabetes
and Obesity In diabetes, the body fails to produce or make adequate use of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Many cases can be controlled with medication, diet and exercise, and patients must be meticulous about monitoring their blood sugar levels. Poorly controlled diabetes is a major cause of heart problems, kidney failure, blindness and circulatory problems that lead to amputations. About 65 percent of adult diabetics will die of a heart attack or stroke. According to government data, about 13 million Americans have diabetes, double the number in 1990, and about 5 million others probably have undiagnosed cases. Most adults with the disease have type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to poor diet, inactivity and being overweight. An increasing number of children are developing this type, too. More than half of adult diabetics in the United States are obese and many more have higher-than-recommended blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar, all factors that raise their risk of complications and death, a government study found that appears in Journal of the American Medical Association, January 28, 2004.
Back to Contents |
| Smoking Smokers are Unaware of the Warning Signs Lingering cough is one of the early symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes smoking-related illnesses such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is Britain's fifth biggest killer and causes more than 30,000 deaths each year. In addition to a lingering cough, breathlessness, increased mucous and frequent colds in the winter are also warning signs of the disease. COPD eventually leads to fatigue, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing as the lungs are destroyed. Deaths from the illness are more common than those from asthma and have been rising in most countries. It afflicts people over 40 years old who have been smoking for many years and contributes to other illnesses such as pneumonia, heart disease and stroke. There is no cure for COPD. The best way to avoid it is to stop smoking. Nearly half of British smokers who have a persistent cough are unaware that it could be a warning sign of a serious lung disease, according to a poll published on January 12 in Britain. Back to Contents Cardiovascular Health Heart Disease in Women The current description of "typical" cardiac symptoms is based primarily on the experience of white, middle-aged men. A new study looked at symptoms before and during heart attacks in women and found that fewer than 30 percent of women reported chest pain and discomfort prior to a heart attack, and 43 percent didn't experience chest pain during one. Most doctors consider chest pain the most important heart attack symptom for both men and women, but the women's most frequently reported early warning symptoms were unusual fatigue (70.7 percent), sleep disturbance (47.8 percent), and shortness of breath (42.1 percent). This finding may help women and their doctors more accurately identify the early warning symptoms of a heart attack so that they can better forestall or prevent the attacks. Major symptoms preceding a heart attack in order of reported frequency include: Unusual fatigue — 70% Sleep disturbance — 48% Shortness of breath — 42% Indigestion — 39% Anxiety — 35% Major acute symptoms during a heart attack in order of reported frequency include: Shortness of breath — 58% Weakness — 55% Unusual fatigue — 43% Cold sweat — 39% Dizziness — 39% It's important not to miss the earliest possible opportunity to prevent or treat an acute myocardial infarction, the number one cause of death in both men and women. If you are a woman and have severe, unexplained fatigue or any of the above symptoms at least several times a week, particularly if you have known risk factors for heart disease such as smoking or high blood pressure, contact your doctor immediately. Erectile Dysfunction The earliest sign before any demonstrable vascular disease is the development of erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is linked to vascular response and often may be the first sign of abnormalities in blood vessel response elsewhere in the body, according to a new study in the Jan. 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It was easy to find men who had erectile dysfunction and who didn't know that they had any other known cardiac disease or blood vessel disease. Thus, there are many men who have erectile dysfunction as their first symptom of blood vessel disease. A flagging penis should raise the red flag of warning to evaluate the patient for arterial disease elsewhere. Back to Contents |
| Mental Health Higher Alzheimer’s Test Standard For More Intelligent New medical and psychological interventions can slow the course of the disease. As a result early diagnosis of Alzheimer's has taken on growing importance. In addition, highly intelligent people have been found, on average, to show clinical signs of Alzheimer's later than the general population. Once they do, they decline much faster. Thought to reflect their greater mental reserves, this different pattern may call for a different approach to diagnosis. Higher test cutoffs, rather than the standard group average, more accurately predicted how many highly intelligent people would deteriorate over time. This finding is reported in the January issue of Neuropsychology. What's normal for people of average IQ isn't normal for people of higher IQ. High-IQ people were scored against an average that was "normal" for them, proportionately higher than the cross-sectional average of 100. Scores were considered abnormal if, according to standard practice, they were 1.5 standard deviations or more below the (adjusted) norm. Unemployment According to a recent study in American Journal of Public Health, Researchers looked at the mental health status men and women with respect to employment status. Unemployment had a higher impact on men's mental health than on women's, especially among married people. Other factors affecting the unemployed people's mental health included whether they received unemployment compensation and whether they had family responsibilities or not. For married men, unemployment struck a harder blow to their mental health than those single, whereas for unemployed women, having children living at home tended to bolster their mental outlook in the face of losing a job. Sleep Deprivation About 70 million Americans are believed to be sleep-deprived, contributing to accidents, health problems and lower test scores. Sleep has long been thought to improve creativity. History is rife with examples of artists and scientists who have awakened to make their most notable contributions. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote the epic poem "Kublai Khan" after a long night of rest. Robert Louis Stevenson credited a good night's sleep with helping him create scenes in "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." It was said that Elias Howe came up with his idea for the sewing machine after waking up from sleep. The 19th-century chemist Dmitri Mendeleev came up with the periodic table of elements in his sleep, while Kekule literally dreamed up the structure of benzene. Scientists at the University of Luebeck found that volunteers taking a simple math test were three times more likely than sleep-deprived participants to figure out a hidden rule for converting the numbers into the right answer if they had eight hours of sleep. The findings appear in January 22nd issue of the journal Nature. Miscellaneous Birthing Pools Researchers at the University of Southampton in southern England evaluated the impact of birthing pools and found that it helped women cope better. In a report published online by the British Medical Journal, researchers compared 50 women in early labor who used a birthing pool and an equal number who didn't. Half of women in the water group, who were supervised by a midwife, needed anesthesia, compared to two-thirds of the other group. They also reported lower pain scores and greater satisfaction and freedom of movement. Silver Color Cars are the Safest in New Zealand A report in the December 20/27 issue of the British Medical Journal suggests that silver color cars were the safest. Drivers of silver cars were 50 percent less likely to be involved in a crash that caused serious injury than white cars in New Zealand. In contrast, drivers of brown vehicles were most likely to be involved in crashes. Injury-causing accidents were also more common in green and black cars. The researchers point out, though, that the green and brown categories included cars in a variety of shades of those colors. Previous research found light or white cars to be safer than darker vehicles. Back to Contents |
| Vultures Die Eating Cattle |
|
Recipes |
| MUSHROOM AND CORN TOAST Ingredients: 2 brown bread slices 50 gm fresh mushroom 50 gm baby corn 10 ml olive oil 10 gm garlic (chopped) 2 gm fresh basil (chopped) 2 gm crushed pepper Salt to taste. Directions: Toast the brown bread slices lightly and keep aside. Boil the mushrooms and the baby corn separately till cooked. When cool, coarsely chop the mushrooms and baby corn. In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and sauté the garlic till golden. Add crushed pepper and basil to the sautéed garlic and cook for some more time. Add the chopped mushroom, baby corn and salt to taste. Stir. Take the pan off the fire. Cool. Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and gratin ate (or grill, or toast) till done. Womensfitness.net HEARTY BAKED MACARONI Ingredients: 1 16-ounce can tomato puree< /font> 1 cup water 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/2pounds low-fat cottage cheese 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 8-ounce package elbow macaroni, uncooked 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced Salt to taste. Vegetable oil spray Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9-x-9-x-2-inch casserole with vegetable oil spray. In a small bowl combine tomato puree, water, Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Spoon 1/3 of tomato mixture into prepared casserole. Place 1/2 of macaroni, all of cottage cheese mixture and 1/3 of tomato mixture on top. Add remaining macaroni and cover with remaining tomato mixture. Cover and bake 1 hour. Uncover and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Adapted from: American Heart Association Cookbook by Womensfitness.net MANGO CRISP Topping: ½ Cup flour ¾ cup quick-cooking or old fashioned oats 2/3 cup packed brown sugar ¼ tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg 2 tbsp. Finely chopped crystallized ginger 1/3 cup cold butter Fruit: 6 cups sliced ripe mango (3-4 mangoes) 11/2 tbsp. Freshly squeezed lime juice ¼ cup packed brown sugar 2 tbsp. Flour Preheat oven to 350 oF. Butter a quart-baking dish. Prepare the topping in large bowl by combining flour, oats, brown sugar, nutmeg, and crystallized ginger. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside. Toss the mango with the limejuice. Combine brown sugar and flour, and toss with fruit. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Spread fruit in the prepared dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream. Serves 8. American Way, January 15, 2004. Paper-Bag Vegetables Ingredients: 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, cut in 1-inch pieces 4 small potatoes (about 1 lb/500 g), cut in 1-inch cubes 1 sweet potato (about 8 oz/250 g), cut in 1-inch cubes 2 parsnips (about 8 oz/250 g), cut in 1-inch pieces 2 zucchini (about 1 lb/500 g), cut in 1-inch rounds 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces 4 sprigs thyme 4 sprigs rosemary 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp saffron, crumbled 1 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp fennel seeds SAUCE: 1 cup crème fraîche (You can buy crème fraîche or make your own by stirring together equal amounts of sour cream and whipping cream, and leaving the mixture in the fridge overnight.) 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 2 tbsp chopped parsley Directions: Put leeks, potatoes, sweet potato, parsnips, zucchini, red pepper, rosemary and thyme in large bowl. In small bowl, combine oil, saffron, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Toss gently. Cut out 4 parchment paper rounds, about 14 inches in diameter. Divide vegetables among them. Sprinkle fennel seeds on top. Purse together parcels at top and tie with string. Place on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400F oven about 30 minutes or until skewer inserted into parcel meets no resistance. Meanwhile, stir together crème fraîche, garlic and parsley. Untie or snip string on parcels and serve dip alongside vegetables. Makes 4 large servings. From Very Simple Food, by Jill Dupleix. Back to Contents Recipe Book A recipe book offered by NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) attacks heart disease by serving up a collection of recipes and tips based on years of research, clinical studies, and educational programs. Heart Healthy Recipes can be downloaded free of charge at
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/ktb_recipebk/index.htm.
Printed copies are available for $4.00 through the Website or from the
NHLBI Information Center at P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105, 301-592-8573
or 240-629-3255 (TTY).
|
| Source:
The primary sources cited above, New York Times
(NYT), Washington Post (WP), Mercury News, Bayarea.com,
Intellihealthnews, Deccan Chronicle (DC), the
Hindu, Hindustan Times, Times of India, AP, Reuters,
AFP, womenfitness.net etc. |
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