|
|
Chief Editor: Sreenivasarao Vepachedu,
PhD, LLM
|
Associate Editors &
Contributers
Venkateswararao Karuparthy, MD, DABPM
Varaprasad Chamakura, PhD
Rajagopal Duddu, PhD
Ramarao Vepachedu, PhD
|
Issue 75
|
5106 Kali Era , taarana
Year, Chaitra month
1926 Salivahana Era
, taarana Year, Chaitra month
2062 Vikramarka
Era, taarana
Year, Chaitra
month
2004 AD,
March
|
Contents
Diet and Exercise
Tai Chi
Fizzy Drinks
Animal
Protein and Gout
Stents v.
Exercise
Sexercise
Fast
Food Epoch of America
Starving
Prevents Breast Cancer
Food Kills!
Milk Products v.
Soda
Yoga
Helps Cancer Patients
Yoga: Moving and breathing
your way to relaxation
Mercury Poisoning
Fructose Problem
Nuts and Olive
Oil
Women's Health
Grannies
Fertile
Octogenarian
Urinary
Tract Infections
Smoking and Alcohol
Miscellaneous
Acupuncture Relieves Headaches
Anger Causes
Stroke
Alternative Medicine for Cancer
Sunlight
Good News
for Smokers
ICMR publishes research on
600 plants
Astrology and Caste of Your
Heart
World Population
Circumcision
Prescribed For Promiscuous Indians
Nurture
Recipes
Rice Pancake
APPLE GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE TIMBALE
|
Diet and Exercise
Tai Chi
Tai Chi builds strength, balance and flexibility through slow,
fluid movements with mental imagery and deep breathing. The practice
is believed to improve a number of aspects of health, including memory,
concentration, digestion and reduce anxiety and depression. According to
a review of medical literature in Archives of Internal Medicine,
March 8, 2004, Tai Chi appears to have many positive effects in people
with chronic health conditions, including heart and joint problems, and
multiple sclerosis.
Back to the top
|
Fizzy
Drinks
Ever popular fizzy drinks not only cause bone deterioration, but
also cause tooth problems. Drinking four or more glasses of fizzy
drinks a day raises a 12-year-old's chances of suffering from tooth erosion
by 252 percent. Heavy consumption in 14-year-olds increased the risk to
513 percent, according to research published in The British Dental
Journal. Unlike tooth decay, which results from high levels
of sugar, erosion is caused by acidic substances in the drinks. Even diet
versions are harmful.
Back to the
top
|
Animal Protein and Gout
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine
found that a diet high in animal protein might increase risk of developing
gout. Meat and seafood can raise the risk for gout, and dairy protein
may protect against the joint condition. Men who ate seafood were 51
percent more likely to develop gout, while those who ate red meat were
41 percent more likely to develop this form of inflammatory arthritis
than those who didn't.
Back to the
top |
Stents v. Exercise
Twenty minutes on an exercise bike every day is more effective
for relieving chest pain caused by narrowed vessels in the heart than
even minimally invasive procedures used to open blocked vessels, according
to a report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of
the American Heart Association. Men assigned to exercise worked
out on stationary bikes for 10 minutes six times a day for the first 2
weeks of training, all of which was done in the hospital. Chest pain was
measured by a scale called the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class.
In both exercise and stent groups, clinical symptoms improved significantly
during the study period, researchers said. In the exercise group, average
CCS class decreased from 1.5 at baseline to 0.4 after 12 months. In the
PCI group, mean CCS score was reduced from 1.7 to 0.7. But
men in the exercise group improved exercise tolerance by 20 percent, while
there was no improvement in exercise tolerance in the stent group. Additionally,
the men in the exercise group improved oxygen uptake by 16 percent compared
to the stent group.
Back to the
top
|
Sex and Health
Love reverses the aging process. Making love is as essential
as food and sleep. Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book "Grow Younger, Live Longer,"
says that sexual energy is available to us at all ages. Being open to
sexual energy reverses aging. Investing the time and attention to
create physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy can often result in the
most fulfilling sexual experience of a person's life. Ancient traditions
of China and India suggest extending the process of love making beyond orgasm
expands the heart, mind and spirit. The principles of Tantra, the religious
tradition in which lovemaking is considered sacred, involve ritual, communication
and finesse. When lovers consciously direct their powerful sexual energy,
they become more attractive to each other. When we restore the sexual
experience to the realm of sacred, our world becomes divine, holy and
healed.
A study in the British Journal of Urology International
says that sex helps men reduce their risk of prostate cancer by a third
if they ejaculate more than five times a week. Women also benefit
from sex, as it lowers the risk of breast cancer. Sex also acts
as a natural painkiller and brain scans show that the part that kills pain
is activated on climax. The extra oestrogen women produce while having
sex can also ease period pain and PMS symptoms. Sex also helps in
taking years off your face. Those who had sex at least three times
a week, looked 10 years younger than those who made love less frequently.
Passionate kissing also helps in toning facial muscles, thighs, stomach,
buttocks and arms and relieves depression. Women whose partners don't
use condoms are less likely to suffer from depression than those whose
partners do. The reason is that prostaglandin found only in semen helps
balance other hormones that play a role in depression. Humping and
pumping helps burn calories, around 200 calories per intercourse.
Researchers from Bristol University found those who had sex twice
a week or more reduced their risk of a heart attack by half. Another
study conducted by researchers from Queens University in Belfast found
that the more orgasms one has, the longer s/he lives. Scientists
from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, found the sores healed twice
as fast in rats that were injected with oxytocin, a hormone released during
sex, when compared with rats that didn't get the shots. While, sex with
your spouse is healthy and makes you younger, having sex with someone else
brings stress and disease into your life that kill you (see below). Also visit:
Better
Love Better Sex.
Back to the top
|
Fast Food Epoch of America
The most complete body survey conducted in 50 years shows Americans
have super-sized waist and hips, reports The Associated Press. TC2,
a company based in the Raleigh suburb of Cary, used light-pulsing, 3-D
scanner technology to measure some 10,000 Americans of all ages and ethnicities.
The SizeUSA survey confirmed that all those French-fries and fast food
have come with an added benefit, the super size. Size 8 has long
been thought to represent the measurements of the average American woman.
In the clothing industry, a size 8 officially is supposed to be a 35-inch
bust, a 27-inch waist, and 37 1/2-inch hip. But in the survey, white
women ages 18 to 25 came in, on average, at 38-32-41, with white women
ages 36 to 45 coming in at 41-34-43. In truth, some manufacturers
made the adjustment years ago. Some sell a size 10 as a size 8 to flatter
women's vanity.
Back to the top
|
Starving Prevents Breast Cancer
The findings that appear in March 10th issue of Journal
of the American Medical Association suggest that starving prevents
breast cancer. Weight gain has long been known to be a risk factor
for breast cancer. Moreover, the study fits in with evidence, mostly in
animals, that severe calorie restriction can have anti-aging effects, including
a reduced risk of cancer and a prolonged life span. The researchers examined
breast cancer incidence in 7,303 Swedish women who were under 40 when
they underwent hospital treatment for anorexia between 1965 and 1998.
Most developed anorexia before age 20.
Older people may be able to prolong life by restricting calories. A
study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
found that older mice put on a low-calorie diet lived 42 percent longer
than those who ate a standard diet.
Back to the top
Food Kills!
Poor people in the third world die of malnutrition due to lack
of food, while Americans die of malnutrition due to eating too much.
Inactive Americans are eating too much food to death at an alarming rate.
American unhealthy overeating habits are fast approaching tobacco as
the top underlying preventable cause of death, a government study found.
In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity caused 400,000
U.S. deaths, more than 16 percent of all deaths, while tobacco habit
resulted in 435,000 deaths, or 18 percent. Researchers analyzed
data from the year 2000 for the leading causes of death and for those
preventable factors known to contribute to them. Tobacco, obesity
and inactivity increase the risks for the top three killers: heart disease,
cancer and cerebrovascular ailments including strokes. Obesity and inactivity
also strongly increase the risk of diabetes, the sixth leading cause of
death. The results appear in the March 9th issue of Journal
of the American Medical Association. The leading causes of
death in 2000 were heart disease, cancer, strokes and other cerebrovascular
disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes,
influenza and pneumonia, Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, and septicemia.
The underlying causes of death were preventable. Tobacco, poor diet, physical
inactivity, alcohol, microbial agents, toxic agents, motor vehicles, firearms,
sexual behavior and illegal drug use are the top preventable causes of death.
Yoga Helps Cancer Patients
The American Cancer Society said research
has shown that yoga can be used to control physiological functions such
as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, body temperature,
brain waves and other bodily functions. Stress can weaken the immune
system, making it even tougher to battle cancer. A growing number of
hospitals and other organizations are discovering yoga, a tranquil 5,000-year-old
therapy from India that may help them.
Read more at:
http:/ www.inteli health.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/28815/377096.html?d=dmtICNNews.
Yoga (http://www.intelihealth.com/
IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8513/34968/358876.html?d=dmtContent) and Yoga: Moving and breathing
your way to relaxation.
A growing body of research in the West is finding therapeutic value in
meditation and other forms of spiritual practices of Indian origin (Yoga
and Meditation) for illnesses ranging from psychological stress to some
forms of cancer. Meanwhile, the world's most famous Buddhist, the Dalai Lama,
recently has sponsored a series of dialogues between Buddhist scholars and
Western scientists, with the goal of finding common ground for common good
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/articles/A16475-2004Mar22.html).
Back to the top
|
Milk
Products v. Soda
Lord Krishna's favorite foods were milk, yogurt and butter.
Several reports in recent years have shown health benefits of dairy
products, despite their fat content. Moderation is the key to
obtain the benefits of milk products. Pediatricians say that too
much weight is now the most common medical condition of childhood. The
problem has doubled over the past two decades, and about 15 percent of
children are now considered overweight or obese. As a whole, the
cause is too much food and too little exercise. However, many studies
are attempting to tease apart the precise changes in habits responsible
this health hazard. Several studies were reported at a meeting in
San Francisco of the American Heart Association on March
5. Youngsters who ate moderate amounts of milk products and increased
consumption of fruits and vegetables weighed less. Childhood soda consumption
has risen by 300 percent in the last 20 years, in part as youngsters' have
switched from milk to soft drinks. At the same time obesity in America reached
almost the status of number one killer.
Back to the top
Mercury
Poisoning
Mercury in fish poses a hazard to youngsters. Women who are pregnant,
nursing or may become pregnant, and young children should not eat certain
kinds of fish that tend to be high in mercury, according to FDA. Mercury
can affect almost any organ in the body. The most sensitive organ
is the brain. So, there could be a mental effect on a young child.
In recent years fish has become increasingly popular because of the omega-3
compounds it contains that can benefit the heart. Although alternate food
sources such as flax seed and urad dal are available, most of the research
on omega-3 oils is done using fish products, thereby popularizing fish
as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The government issued new guidelines on March 19th for eating fish,
while still trying to stress the health benefits of (omega-3 fatty acids
containing) fish. The American Heart Association recommends that
people eat a variety of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids at least twice
a week, even more for those diagnosed with heart disease. However, mercury
pollution from industry and other sources contaminates water. Mercury
pollutes small fish, which are then eaten by larger fish, which then affects
people who eat the fish. The new guidelines, issued jointly with the Environmental
Protection Agency, say the fish most likely to contain mercury are shark,
swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Albacore tuna has more mercury
than light tuna. These fish should be avoided by women in the groups
that may be most affected, and also by small children, the guidelines
say. The trade association the National Fisheries Institute issued
a statement stressing the health benefits of fish and expressing concerns
that the guidelines might alarm consumers and cause them to avoid fish.
The health benefits of fish are due to omega-3 oils present in fish.
These fatty acids are available in other vegetable sources that do not
pose any threat of mercury poisoning, e.g., flax seed, urad dal,
walnuts etc. (See below)
Back to the top
|
Fructose Problem
Obesity among American adults climbed from 23 percent in the early
1990s to 30 percent today, according to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. And two-thirds of Americans are overweight. That means
increased risks for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
The debate over high-fructose sweeteners centers on how the body
processes sugar. Fructose containing sodas and drinks are, at least,
partly responsible for increase in calorie intake. Unlike glucose, fructose
doesn't trigger responses in hormones that regulate energy use and appetite.
Fructose is more likely to be converted into fat. The sweeteners
are also cheaper to produce and use in food manufacturing than cane and
beet sugars.
In a new study, that lays blame squarely on people for eating more,
loading up on calories and exercising less, researchers examined consumption
records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 1967-2000 and combined
it with previous research. The data showed an increase in the use
of high-fructose corn sweeteners in the late 1970s and 1980s, coincidental
with the epidemic of obesity due to too much eating and too little exercise.
The study is being published in the April issue of the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition.
Back to Contents
Nuts
and Olive Oil
For thousands of years Ayurveda and Yoga have been teaching that food has
not only nutritional value, but also medicinal value. Those claims
are being tested by modern medicine and research now. The research,
released on March 28 at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer
Research in Orlando, is the latest addition to growing evidence for the nutrients'
powers to ward off diseases. Getting plenty of vitamin E by eating foods
like nuts and olive oil appears to cut in half people's risk of bladder cancer,
the fourth leading cancer killer among men, which kills about 12,500 Americans
annually and is four times more common in men than women. The team looked
at the two most common forms of vitamin E, called alpha- and gamma-tocopherol,
and found that only the alpha variety was linked with lower bladder cancer
risk. Good sources of this include almonds, spinach, mustard greens, peppers,
sunflower seeds and a variety of vegetable oils, including olive, cottonseed
and canola.
Coronary heart disease affects an estimated 12.6 million Americans, making
it the most common form of heart disease. CHD usually results from a condition
known as atherosclerosis, which occurs when plaques or fatty substances
form inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Nuts have been
shown to have heart-beneficial effects. Last summer, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration allowed the California Walnut Commission to use a
qualified claim on the nut's health properties. It reads, "Supportive but
not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces per day of walnuts as
part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of
heart disease." A Spanish study, which was partially funded by the
California Walnut Commission, appearing in the March 23 online edition of
Circulation adds another piece of scientific evidence
that Walnuts protect against heart disease. Epidemiological studies
have shown that eating nuts on a frequent basis reduces the risk of coronary
artery disease.
Back to the top
|
Women's Health
Grannies
Women often live long after their reproductive years are over,
while females in other species die once they are no longer able to reproduce.
In a study, reported in Nature, March 11, 2004, of pre-modern communities,
researchers found that adults whose mothers were still alive after menopause
had children sooner and more frequently than people whose mothers had
died. According to authors' "grandmother hypothesis," post-menopausal women
are able to help their own children raise families. By helping out with
children, grandmothers allow their offspring to start having children
earlier and to have more kids.
Back to Contents
Fertile
Octogenarian
For centuries, lawyers have believed that an octogenarian woman
was fertile and based their property inheritance laws on that premise.
For more than half a century, the medical textbooks and scientists have
said that women are born with a fixed number of eggs, and the supply eventually
runs out in middle age. The idea that women are born with a finite number
of eggs, or oocytes, was first suggested nearly a century ago. Among humans,
mice and other mammals, females gradually lose healthy follicles in which
eggs develop. In older women, eggs often are abnormal, leading to a decline
in fertility. However, recently scientists proved that lawyers were
correct, after all. Scientists reported in the journal Nature
that they found stem cells in mouse ovaries that apparently generate new
eggs well into adulthood. Now, there is a real possibility of a fertile
octogenarian woman. Another study published online in the journal Nature
Biotechnology found that bald mice implanted with stem cells were
able to grow hair.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the No. 2 reason antibiotics
are prescribed, accounting for more than 8 million U.S. doctor visits
and about $1.6 billion in health costs each year, says the National
Women's Health Resource Center. Symptoms can include burning
on urination, urgency, fever and abdominal pain. Untreated UTI may
result in kidney infection that could lead to stones or even kidney failure.
Only 13 percent of women aged 18 to 45 knew sexual activity is a primary
risk factor for bladder infection, or that simple precautions such as
proper hygiene, emptying the bladder after intercourse and plenty of fluids
can prevent UTI.
Smoking
and Alcohol
A study by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental
Health found that children whose mothers were exposed to secondhand
smoke have reduced scores on cognitive development tests at age two,
when compared with children from smoke-free homes.
Even a small amount of alcohol increases the pleasurable effects of nicotine,
according to a study released this month by Duke University
researchers. Easing into a drink, for many smokers, is inseparable
from the act of lighting up. It's the reason a cocktail party can wither
the resolve of someone who is trying to quit smoking. To bartenders
and barflies everywhere, the connection between booze and butts is not news.
Back to Contents
|
|
Miscellaneous
Acupuncture
Relieves Headaches
Acupuncture was developed in China about 2,000 years ago.
It involves inserting needles into the skin at various points in the
body. It is a complementary medicine that has been shown to relieve
nausea and pain. In a study, scientists found it worked better
than conventional treatment alone for headaches. The scientists compared
acupuncture plus standard treatment to normal therapy alone to patients
who suffered from headaches. Their research is published online by the
British Medical Journal, March 14, 2004.
Anger
Causes Stroke
Expressing anger may not be healthy, at least for men. A study
published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation
finds that men who unleash their anger have a 10 percent higher risk
of developing heart rhythm irregularities that can lead to stroke, and
are 20 percent more likely to die from any cause compared to men who don't
express anger.
Back to Contents
Alternative Medicine for Cancer
According to a report published in the Journal of Clinical
Oncology, February 15, 2004, researchers found that about 48
percent of women reported using complementary and alternative medications.
Women with higher levels of education were more likely to use herbs or
other alternative products. Older women were also more likely to
use complementary and alternative treatments. It was reported that nearly
half of women with breast cancer and other types of cancer might be using
herbal treatments and vitamin products. To know more about CAM visit: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC267/8513/31412/311998.html?d=dmtContent.
Sunlight
Sunlight is the life-giver, but is it a painkiller also? Sunlight
may be a key prescription for easing surgical pain and saving millions
of dollars in hospital pharmacy costs, according to a report in USA
Today on March 4. Surgery patients in rooms with lots
of natural light took less pain medication, and their drug costs ran
21% less than for equally ill patients assigned to darker rooms.
Back to Contents
|
Good News for Smokers
Reports on rimonabant, released in New Orleans at a meeting of
the American College of Cardiology, found the
drug helped people drop 20 pounds in a year, and concluded it doubles
smokers' success at quitting. The research was financed by the drug's
developer, the French firm Sanofi-Synthelabo.
ICMR publishes research
on 600 plants
As the Indian government gears up to face the inevitable product
patent regime beginning January 2005, the ICMR has brought out three volumes
in a series of publications entitled "Reviews on Indian Medicinal Plants"
consolidating multi-disciplinary scientific published research work on
over 600 medicinal plants. The publication will help researchers worldwide
and also be the first ever systematic compilation of research done on
plant species found in India. For the first time the Sanskrit synonyms
as well as the auyervedic description have been given along with chemical,
pharmacological and clinical data. The publication will be a window
to the World Research Community about the extensive work done on medicinal
plants in India. The book has more than 8,000 citations and will be a big
help in situation where foreigners are able to secure patents for medicinal
uses of plants, which have earlier been worked out independently by the Indians.
The publications are the first official recording of the intellectual property
that the Indians have in the field.
Back to Contents
Astrology and Caste of Your
Heart
Cold outdoor temperature at the time of birth is associated with
an increased risk of heart disease in women later in life, reports journal
Heart, April 2004. Women born during the coldest
temperatures were 24 percent more likely than other women to develop
heart disease. In addition, cold temperatures at birth were linked to
insulin problems, high triglyceride levels, and decreased lung function.
But, the association was not present in subjects from a non-manual social
class during childhood.
World
Population
In a report, the Census Bureau forecast a fewer
births and more deaths from AIDS are helping slow world population growth
and a world population of about 9.1 billion people by 2050. The growth
rate is slowing significantly. The peak growth of population was
2.2 percent in 1963 -1964. The global population growth fell to 1.2
percent in 2001 - 2002, or about 74 million people, but growth will further
slow to 0.42 percent by 2050. Generally, in the United States and Europe,
women are having fewer children, while fertility rates remain high in India,
parts of Africa and some other developing countries, say demographers with
the Population Reference Bureau, a private research group. According to
the bureau, the population in India is expected to rise more than 50 percent
to 1.6 billion in 2050, surpassing China as the most populous country.
In 2002, the world's women gave birth to an average of 2.6 children
over their lifetime. The bureau projections assume that the fertility
rate will drop below two children per woman by 2050. In the Indian Union,
Andhra Pradesh was third lowest (2.4%) in birth rate trailing behind Kerala
(1.75%) and Tamilnadu (2.07%) in according to 1991 census. Each woman in
Andhra Pradesh had 3 kids, while in Kerala 1.8 kids/woman, and in Tamilnadu
2.2 kids/woman.
Meanwhile, AIDS has killed more than 20 million people since the
epidemic began two decades ago, mostly in Africa. Twice that many people
now live with HIV and are expected to die within the next 10 years. AIDS
continues to have its greatest impact in developing countries of Asia,
Latin America and especially sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana and South Africa
are among countries that may see population decline because of AIDS deaths.
The Food and Drug Administration approved on March 26th the first H.I.V.
test that uses saliva rather than blood and delivers results in 20 minutes.
About 25 percent of all Americans carrying H.I.V., the virus that
causes AIDS, do not know that they are infected, according to estimates
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the
World Health Organization, that figure may be as high as 95 percent for
the entire world.
Back to Contents
|
Circumcision Prescribed For
Promiscuous Indians
Circumcision involves removal of the foreskin, which covers the tip
of the penis, and usually is performed shortly after birth, in Islamic
countries. This is a cultural and religious tradition very popular
in Islamic and Jewish traditions. Unlike its counterpart, the female
genital mutilation, male circumcision has gained popularity even in the US,
a predominantly Christian country founded under Judeo-Christian principles.
In the United States, approximately two-thirds of male infants are circumcised
annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Worldwide, the rates of circumcision vary widely, depending on culture
and religion: in India, circumcision is uncommon among Hindus (such as
Animists, Atheists, Buddhists, Dalits, Dalit Christians, Jains, Shaivites,
Sikhs, Tantriks, Tribals, Vaishnavites, etc.) and Christians. However,
Indian Muslims undergo circumcision routinely. The population of Indian
Muslims is approximately 250 million, almost equal to the total population
of the US. For some strange reason, even after more than a thousand
years of interaction with Islam, male circumcision is not popular among
non-Muslim Indians. Now, there is a reason to embrace the time tested
Islamic tradition, at least by those who want to be promiscuous with multiple
partners and not use condoms.
Uncircumcised Indian men (mostly non-Muslim men) who have multiple
partners and do not use protection are at 6 times the risk of being infected
with HIV-1 compared with those who are circumcised (mostly Muslim men)
who have unsafe sex, according to a report in the March 26 issue of the
British medical journal, the Lancet. And if confirmed,
it could lead to a pro-circumcision policy to halt the HIV spread through
prostitution in India, especially among those men who visit red-light districts
often and do not use condoms. The hypothesis is that male circumcision
protects against HIV-1 infection during unprotected sex with HIV positive
prostitutes primarily due to removal of the foreskin, which contains a high
density of HIV-1-specific cellular targets, including CD4+ T-lymphocytes
and Langerhans cells, which are easily accessible to the virus through the
thin layer of keratin overlying the inner mucosa.
The study found that uncircumcised men attending sexually transmitted
infection clinics in India were over six times more likely to acquire HIV
infection than circumcised men attending the same clinics for STD treatment.
All men were HIV-negative when first assessed; most men were assessed
three times after initial assessment for around a year. No protective effect
of circumcision against herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, or gonorrhea
was found. The landmark study that may have an impact on AIDS spread
through prostitution was a joint effort involving public health scientists
at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and medical scientists at the Pune-based
National Aids Research Institute. Over 2200 HIV-uninfected men attending
sexually transmitted infection clinics, who were already infected with
other STDs such as herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, or gonorrhea,
were monitored for the study that lasted from 1993 to 2000 in India. The
results indicate that those who visit prostitutes to have unprotected sex
will get AIDS even if they get circumcised, but a little later. Note that
circumcision may allow 6 unprotected encounters with prostitutes and the
seventh visit will result in AIDS. Further, circumcision doesn't protect
from other STDs.
It is important to note that by far the most seriously affected country
at present in the Middle-East and north Africa is Sudan, where a mainly
heterosexual epidemic is well under way. Available data indicate a
national adult HIV prevalence of more than 2%. In other parts of the
Middle East, AIDS is in its nascent stage (http://www.unaids.org/wad/2003/Epiupdate2003
_en/Epi03_08_en.htm#P210_61335). This low incidence of AIDS may be
attributed to the Islamic Shariat which provides stiff penalties for prostitution
and adultery, rather than to circumcission. Death by stoning mostly
applies to cases of adultery, prostitution and homosexuality. The legitimacy
of stoning as a form of punishment is derived from the hadith, sayings and
written records of the prophet Muhammad. Men are buried up to their waste,
women up to their chest (Art. 102, Iranian Penal Code) for stoning. Article
104 of the Iranian Penal Code prescribes the size of the stones, which must
not be too large as to kill the person immediately, but not too small either.
Sharia tends to be at least partly in force, wherever Islam is the official
state religion of a specific country or where the majority of the population
is Muslim, including the Indian Union. However, in India Shariat is applicable
to only in the matters of family relations such as marriage, guardianship,
maintanance, inheritance and intestate succession, property transfer, adoption,
and wills and legacies. Adultery and prostitution are dealt with under
criminal procedure code of India.
Another problem with the study reported in the Lancet
is that the adult rate of AIDS in India is 0.8% which is very close to the
rate in America which is 0.6%, according to the "Report on the Global
HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2002." In America two-thirds of the population
is circumcised, whereas in India two-thirds of the population is not
circumcised. In addition, national adult HIV prevalence is still
under 1% in the majority of Asia Pacific region's countries. The
countries of this region include China and the Indian Union, where more
than a billion uncircumcised non-Muslim men live. Also, it should
be noted that AIDS spreads not only through unprotected sexual intercourse
outside marriage, but also through the use of unclean syringes and blood
transfusion (See a comparison between sexually transmitted AIDS and syringe
transmitted AIDS at: http://www.unaids.org/wad/2003/Epiupdate2003_en/Epi03_06_en.htm#P145_38679).
Needle-sharing is the most common mode of transmission of H.I.V.
in Russia and Eastern Europe. Needle sharing among Pakistani injection
drug users increased more than three-fold after the start of the U.S.-led
war in Afghanistan in 2001, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health, reported in the July 2003, issue of
the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. According
to UNAIDS (www.unaids.org),
in Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam and some provinces of China the rates of infection
among injecting drug users is extremely high. According to some estimates,
there are 3 million drug users in China. Needle sharing appears common,
with more than 45 percent of injectors sharing needles. HIV infection is
reported among injecting drug users from 25 provinces. In both China and
Vietnam 65 to 70 percent of detected HIV infections have been among injectors.
The virus that causes AIDS is being spread through India's general population
mainly by married men, who have unprotected sex with prostitutes, according
to a study released on November 13, 2003. The study was funded by
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The
study, citing India's National Aids Control Organization,
found that more than 85 percent of India's HIV cases are caused by unsafe
sex with prostitutes without using condoms. Another 3 percent contract it
through their mother's milk and another 3 percent by using contaminated
syringes. Promiscuous truck drivers and sex workers spread HIV in
India, to a large extent. Sex workers' clients, particularly married
males, act as the bridge groups aiding the spread into the general population.
The first case of HIV infection in India was diagnosed among commercial
sex workers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1986. The State of Andhra Pradesh
has one of the fastest increasing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in India. In
2002 the ANC prevalence rate was 1.25% and NACO has estimated that more
than 400,000 people are living with HIV in Andhra Pradesh, the second highest
number after Maharashtra state. This is 10% of the total HIV cases in India
and ninety percent of the infections in the state occur through sexual transmission,
according to a report by Shafeeq M., 'Andra Pradesh's Promiscuity
Alarms Health Workers', Indo-Asian News Service
(2003). Indians must be educated about how AIDS spreads to erase myths,
including that the disease can be contracted through mosquito bites or new
myths such as that circumcission would prevent contracting AIDS from unprotected
sex with prostitues or other sex workers. Circumcission may only
delay the AIDS transmission. Condoms provide better protection against
AIDS than circumcission does.
Before you get circumcised and visit sex workers with AIDS to have
unprotected sex, consider the above and the following. The foreskin in
the adult male either partially or completely covers the glans penis. The
foreskin protects the glans penis from friction and from dryness. The foreskin
maintains the sub-preputial space in a state of wetness with prostatic, vesicular
and urethral secretions. The glans penis is covered with mucosa, not skin,
so the wetness is essential for optimum health. Women are more likely to
experience vaginal dryness during sex with a circumcised partner. The unnatural
dryness may make coitus painful and result in abrasions and the vaginal dryness
may be mistakenly attributed to female arousal disorder. (http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/).
Also visit, http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/
and for arguments in favor of circumcision at http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2754/.
Back to Contents
Nurture
The more parents nurture their offspring, the more likely the children
are to remain emotionally and physically healthy through old age, reports
a team of researchers from the University of Albany and the University of
Michigan, published in the March issue of Psychology and Aging.
|
Recipes
Rice Pancake
Ingredients:
500 g rice flour, 500 ml water, salt to taste, 1 tsp chilli power,
a pinch of asafetida, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 100 ml vegetable oil.
Directions:
Boil the water in a pan add the salt, chilli powder, asafetida
and cumin seeds. Add 10 ml of the oil and the rice flour and mix well.
Remove from heat, cool and knead the dough till soft. Divide the dough
into soft. Divide the dough into small balls and roll each out like a
pancake. Cook on a hot griddle on both sides till done. Drizzle with oil
and serve hot.
APPLE GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon Butter, 1/4 cup Sugar Brown, 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon,
1-1/3 cups Apple, sliced w/o skin, 1/3 cup Raisins, 1/3 cup Pecans, 1/4
cup Butter, 1/3 cup Sugar, 3 large Eggs/egg substitute, 1/3 cup Molasses
light, 1-1/2 cups All purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1-1/3 teaspoons
Baking Powder, 1/3 teaspoon Salt, 2/3 teaspoon Ginger, ground, 2/3 teaspoon
Cinnamon, 2/3 cup Buttermilk.
Directions:
Combine 3 tablespoons melted butter, brown sugar and
cinnamon; spread over bottom of buttered 8-inch square pan.
Cover with apple slices. Sprinkle with raisins and pecans. Beat
1/3 cup softened butter and granulated sugar together until
creamy and fluffy. Beat in egg-substitute, then molasses. Add
sifted dry
ingredients alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each
addition. Pour batter over fruit mixture. Bake in preheated 350
degree F.
oven for 50 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes; invert
onto serving plate. Serve warm.
Womenfitness.net
SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE
TIMBALE
Ingredients:
100 gms. Spinach, 50 gms. cottage cheese, 5 ml. olive oil, 5 gms.
Garlic, salt to taste, 1 gm. nutmeg powder, 1 egg-substitute or egg
white, 75 gms. canned peach (drained)
Directions:
Blanch the spinach in boiling water, drain and allow it to cool.
Chop the spinach finely and mix with grated cottage cheese. Heat oil in
a shallow pan and sauté the garlic. And the chopped spinach mixture
and stir for some more time. Add nutmeg and salt to taste. Keep aside
to cool. Beat the egg-substitute thoroughly and fold into the spinach mixture.
Grease a timbale mould and transfer the mixture to it. Steam on medium
heat for 15 minutes. Puree the canned peaches and pour on the serving plate.
Invert the timbale on it and serve hot. womenfitness.net
|
ROAST TOMATO AND CHICKPEA SOUP
Ingredients: 6 large plum tomatoes, 1 medium onion, halved, 2 garlic
cloves, 300 ml cups vegetable stock, 430 g can chickpeas, drained, 2 tbsp
tomato puree, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, salt and black pepper.
Directions: Preheat the oven to 200oC . Place the whole tomatoes, onion,
and garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until tender and
lightly browned. Place in a food processor with the vegetable stock and
half the chickpeas, and blend until smooth. Press through a sieve. Return
to the pan, add the tomato puree, the remaining chickpeas, and the coriander.
Bring to the boil and serve hot.
Back to Contents
|
Source: The primary sources cited above,
New York Times (NYT), Washington Post (WP),
Mercury News, Bayarea.com, USA Today, Intellihealthnews,
Deccan Chronicle (DC), the Hindu, Hindustan
Times, Times of India, AP, Reuters, AFP, womenfitness.net
etc.
|
|
|
|