The Telangana Science Journal

Health 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," My Fatherland )

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Issue 113

5109 Kali Era, Sarvajit Year, Vaisakha/Jyesta month
2065 Vikramarka Era, Sarvajit Year,  Vaisakha/Jyesta month
1929 Salivahana Era
Sarvajit Year, Vaisakha/Jyesta month
 2007 AD, May


Contents
Home

Management
AJIN

TSJ

MS

Vegetarian Links

Disclaimer

Soliciataion

Contact

VPC

More Links

Vedah


Diet and Exercise

Human Ancestors were Vegetarians
Life Expectancy
Multivitamins and Prostate Cancer
Trans Fat
Food Guidelines for Latinos
Vitamin D Dangers
Pistachios
Skinny People Maybe in Trouble Too




Miscellaneous


Tooth Cavities in Children
Smoking
Skin Cancer and Sun Exposure
Gardasil
High Blood Pressure on the Rise
No Period Indefinitely Pill
Plague Outbreak in USA
Dangers of Diabetes Drug

Recipes

Vegan Pesto
Travel Food Guide
Best Vegetarian Friendly Cities: Chicago is #10


Diet and Exercise


Human Ancestors were Vegetarians
New evidence suggests that human ancestors were vegetarians, instead of omnivores like modern humans. The discovery helps to solve a paradox surrounding the diets of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus, which lived in southern Africa around 2.5 million and 1.5 million years ago, respectively. When the chemical signatures of their teeth were recently analyzed, the results suggested that these hominins ate grassy plants. This study certainly adds to the body of evidence that the diet of early hominins included bulbs, corms and possibly tubers. Hominins had teeth like ours, which were designed to eat something hard, like small seeds, but not tough grasses or raw meat.


Life Expectancy
According to WHO, females in Japan, who traditionally lead the world tables, have a life expectancy of 86 years, the same as last year's statistics. Men of San Marino, a tiny republic surrounded by Italy, who tied with Japanese men last year at 79, added a year to get ahead. Men in the United States have a 75-year life expectancy; U.S. women could reach 80. WHO said the life expectancy figures were based on 2005, the latest year available.

War torn places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone are worst for life expectancy. Afghanistan is the toughest place for babies, with an infant mortality rate of 165 in 1,000 live births, compared with the two babies who die per 1,000 born in Singapore or Iceland. But Sierra Leone is worse than Afghanistan for mothers' survival, with a maternal mortality rate of 200 per 1,000 live births. Ireland did best at four deaths, followed by Spain, Italy, Finland, Canada and Austria at five deaths.

Diet is often given as a major factor in life expectancy, but the report did not give specific reasons for each country's showing. However, it noted that many of the countries that fared badly spent much less money on health.  Of course, war is a major factor.

Multivitamins and Prostate Cancer
Heavy multivitamin users were almost twice as likely to get fatal prostate cancer as men who never took the pills, concludes a study in Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Overall, the researchers found no link between multivitamin use and early-stage prostate cancer. The researchers speculate that perhaps high-dose vitamins had little effect until a tumor appeared, and then could spur its growth.


Trans Fat
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them for baking or a longer shelf-life. The process turns them into "partially hydrogenated oils", which may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments. Restaurant-chain operator Applebee's International Inc. said that it is no longer using trans fat frying oil at its more than 1,800 US restaurants. Many other restaurants, as well as coffee retailer Starbucks Corp., are ridding themselves of trans fat oils. Yum Brands' chains KFC and Taco Bell recently switched to a trans-fat free oil. Burger King Corp. is testing cooking oils without trans fat, with plans to roll out a new oil by late next year. McDonald's Corp. and Wendy's International Inc. also have been testing and developing new trans fat-free oils. Some states have considered limiting or banning outright the use of trans fats. New York City and Philadelphia are requiring restaurants to stop using trans fat oils by next year.



Food Guidelines for Latinos
Obesity rates among Latinos in the U.S. doubled between 1991 and 2001, from 11.6 percent to 23.7 percent. About 23 percent of Hispanic men are obese, while 27.5 percent of women are obese -- higher rates than those of non-Hispanics.  Latinos are also two times more likely to have diabetes, and to suffer from diabetes-related illness such as kidney and eye disease.  The ailments, like poor eating habits, seem to increase with immigration, studies have found.

A 16-page pamphlet, called "Camino Magico" or Magic Road, is the centerpiece of a campaign launched recently by the Latino Nutrition Coalition, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to improving Latino eating habits.  The pamphlet teaches shoppers to choose fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains over processed or prepared foods. It also offers a shopping list and meal ideas that incorporate healthier versions of traditional dishes, such as a bean tortilla melt.



Vitamin D Dangers
Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin D are significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions, regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke. In addition to its well-known function in bone health, calcium is important to the functioning of nerve and muscle cells. But when too much calcium is taken up into blood vessel walls, the calcium becomes incorporated into bone-like deposits that can lead to loss of elasticity and narrowing of the blood vessels. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium retention and activity, which may further enhance this arterial calcification. If blood vessels in the brain are affected, damage could lead to brain lesions.


Pistachios
A handful or two of pistachio nuts a day could keep heart disease at bay, research suggests.
They appear to lower cholesterol and keep arteries healthy. Just three ounces of pistachios a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of heart disease.  The nuts are thought to be rich in nutrients that reduce hardening of the arteries, one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes. Pistachios are rich in an antioxidant called lutein, usually found in green leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruit. Present at higher levels in the pistachio than other nuts, lutein helps prevent cholesterol from clogging up arteries. Experts say it is best to eat unsalted rather than salted pistachios, as too much salt can raise blood pressure.


Skinny People Maybe in Trouble Too
The internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas - invisible to the naked eye - could be as dangerous as the more obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin. According to the data, people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim. Without a clear warning signal - like a rounder middle - doctors worry that thin people may be lulled into falsely assuming that because they're not overweight, they're healthy. Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores - a standard obesity measure that divides your weight by the square of your height - can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside.

"Thin outside, fat inside" (TOFI) is rarely uneventful.  The thinner the people are, the bigger the surprise. Experts have long known that skinny and active are healthier than fat and active people, who in turn can be healthier than their skinny and inactive counterparts, for example, despite their ripples of fat, super-sized Sumo wrestlers probably have a better metabolic profile than some of their slim, sedentary spectators! The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. Caloric restriction and physical exercise work wonders on visceral fat.  If you want to actually be healthy and thin, then exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle.



Miscellaneous

Tooth Cavities in Children
The prevalence of tooth decay in young children's baby teeth is rising. That's the findings of a U.S. government study that looked at dental health surveys, including interviews and medical and dental examinations, for some 5,000 people. The study compared responses from surveys done between 1988 and 1994 with those done between 1999 and 2004. The researchers found that the prevalence of cavities in baby teeth of children ages 2 to 5 increased to from 24% in 1988 to 1994 to 28% during 1999 to 2004.

They say the increased sugar in our diets will lead to higher levels of tooth decay and result in more people than ever before becoming diabetic. Scientists have also said increased sugar levels are a major reason for soaring obesity rates in the UK and US, particularly when it comes to sugar-thirsty children. Foods with a traditionally healthy appeal have up to twice the amount of sugar in them compared to 30 years ago. Breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread and soups are chief among those foods which are significantly sweeter than they were only three decades ago.



Smoking
At least 11 percent of American women smoke during pregnancy. The negative effects of nicotine exposure to their fetuses and newborns are significant. A 2004 report by the Surgeon General, for example, found that women who smoked during pregnancy had children who were at a three times higher risk for SIDS than were the offspring of non-smokers. Now, a new study using laboratory rats, provides strong evidence that the effects of maternal smoking during the prenatal period of life can lead to cardiac vascular dysfunction beyond the formative years and into adulthood.  The finding is part of a new study entitled Effect of Prenatal Nicotine Exposure on Coronary Flow in Adult Offspring: A Gender Dichotomy.

A news report indicates that every year 1 million Chinese die due to smoke related diseases in China.


Skin Cancer and Sun Exposure
Deaths from skin cancer and heatstroke could soar and Britain could be blighted by malaria, salmonella and a host of other heat-loving diseases as global warming takes its toll, officials have warned. Government experts have warned that climate could have huge implications for health, with a temperature rise of just 2C leading to skin cancer rates going up by more than 20 per cent.

Gardasil
In an editorial published in New England Journal of Medicine, the UCSF doctors suggest that there are still too many questions about both the efficacy and the long-term safety of the vaccine, called Gardasil, to warrant making it mandatory for all girls -- as has been suggested in several states, including California. At this stage, vaccination can still be considered experimental.

The cervical cancer vaccine, manufactured by Merck & Co., was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June 2006 and became widely available last fall. The vaccine is designed to prevent infection from the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer. The same virus also increases the risk of developing other cancers, including throat cancer, according to a study also released today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The vaccine, to be most effective, should be given to girls before they have sex and may be exposed to the virus that causes cancer. Researchers are hoping that the vaccine also may prove effective at preventing other cancers, although there have yet to be any thorough studies addressing the possibility.  Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among women worldwide and the third-most fatal, causing 290,000 deaths a year.  The disease is rare in the United States, where regular screening for adult women catches most precancerous cases; about 3,700 American women die of cervical cancer every year.

High Blood Pressure on the Rise
Almost 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, and over half a billion more will harbor this silent killer by 2025.  It's not just a problem for the ever-fattening Western world. It has been spreading to even to Africa and high blood pressure is becoming common.  That translates into millions of deaths from heart disease alone. Yet hypertension doesn't command the attention of, say, bird flu, which so far has killed fewer than 200 people. And the dangers go well beyond the heart. High blood pressure is a leading cause of strokes and kidney failure. It also plays a role in blindness and even dementia.  Patients seldom notice symptoms until organs already have been damaged.

Normal blood pressure is measured at less than 120 over 80. Anyone can get high blood pressure, a level of 140 over 90 or more. But being overweight and inactive, and eating too much salt, all increase the risk. So does getting older.  The world's population is aging and fattening, fueling a continued increase in blood pressure problems. Remarkably, the report cites worse hypertension rates in much of Western Europe than in the U.S., despite cultural similarities: 38 percent in England, Sweden and Italy; 45 percent in Spain; 55 percent in Germany.

But the biggest jump is expected in developing countries and nations rapidly moving to more Western-style economies, the report warns. In parts of India, studies suggest one in three urban adults has high blood pressure, while it's still rare in rural areas with more traditional lifestyles. More than a quarter of adults in China have hypertension. So do one in four in Ghana and South Africa.

No Period Indefinitely Pill
The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women's monthly periods indefinitely won federal approval. Called Lybrel, it's the first such pill to receive Food and Drug Administration approval for continuous use. When taken daily, the pill can halt women's menstrual periods indefinitely and prevent pregnancies. The side effects of the pill are irregular and unscheduled bleeding and spotting that can replace scheduled menstruation. Women who use Lybrel would not have a scheduled menstrual period, but will most likely have unplanned, breakthrough, unscheduled bleeding or spotting

Most of the roughly 12 million American women who take birth-control pills do so to prevent pregnancy. Others rely on hormonal contraceptives to curb acne or regulate their monthly periods. Some nontraditional pills such as Yaz and Loestrin 24 shorten monthly periods to three days or less. Seasonique, an updated version of Seasonale, reduces them to four times a year. With Lybrel, in one test, 59 percent of the women who took Lybrel for a year had no bleeding or spotting during the last month of the study. The injectable hormonal contraceptive Depo-Provera also can eliminate monthly periods.



Plague Outbreak in USA
In what could be the first plague outbreak in Denver since 1968, 15 dead squirrels and one rabbit have tested positive for the disease in Denver and two surrounding counties. Reports of dead squirrels continue to come into a hotline set up by the Colorado Health Department.  Thirteen of the animals were found in central Denver's City Park area, health officials said. Colorado is one of the few states in the U.S. that harbors the disease, which wiped out an estimated 25 million people in Europe during the Middle Ages.  The plague bacteria is transmitted to people through flea bites and direct contact with infected animals.  An urban plague outbreak among wildlife occurred in Denver in 1968, discovered after a 6-year-old girl was found to have caught the plague from squirrels.  Every year, about 18 people in the United States die from the plague, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, about 1,000 to 2,000 fatal cases are recorded every year.


Dangers of Diabetes Drug
Avandia is used to treat Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, which is linked to obesity and afflicts 18 million Americans and 200 million people worldwide. This form of diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or cannot effectively use what it manages to produce. Avandia helps sensitize the body to insulin and was considered a breakthrough medication for blood-sugar control. Avandia is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and possibly death, says a new scientific analysis published online. Experts said the overall risk was small and cautioned people not to stop taking the drug on their own but to talk to their doctors.



Recipes
Recipes

Vegan Pesto
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups fresh basil, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 cup pine nuts (other nuts, such as almonds or walnuts may be substituted), 5 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are ground. Pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! One variation is to add 1/2 cup rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. For a lower fat version replace half the oil with soymilk.


Travel Food Guide
With a little foresight and planning, staying vegetarian or even vegan on long road trips is easier than you might think! These quick tips will help you find plenty of vegetarian food, no matter where the road may lead you. The key is to plan in advance, so you'll never be stranded with nothing and nowhere to eat. Of course, if all else fails, you can still grab a veggie meal from a fast food chain: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/diningouttravel/f/VegRoadFood.htm



America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities

#10 is Chicago, Illinois
Sure, Chicago was built on the slaughter industry, but we try not to let sordid pasts get in the way of bright futures. After all, the Windy City has come a long way since Upton Sinclair's bloody butcherfest, The Jungle. These days, Chi-town boasts more than 20 vegetarian restaurants, including the famous "Meat-Free Since '83" Chicago Diner, perhaps the best homestyle-vegetarian restaurant in North America. You'll have to go there more than once, because there's no way you can miss the Bayou Tofish, BBQ Seitan Wings, or Lentil-Tempeh Shepherd's Pie. Read more about the famous diner and Chef Jo Kaucher.

For vegetables gone ultra-gourmet, we hear that Charlie Trotter's $115-a-person vegetarian menu is a tantalizing experience—if you can handle the price tag. The Green Zebra was rated one of Chicago's best new restaurants and called "the hottest reservation in town" by The New York Times. If you're looking for something that's lighter on the pocketbook, Irazu's is the best place for a $5 lunch Costa Rican-style—try the veggie burrito or vegetarian plate, which changes daily, with a side of tostones. The thick, rich chocolate soy milkshake at Earwax Café is delicious, as are the vegan sloppy joes, Reubens, and cakes.

Soul Vegetarian East features super-savory choices, such as barbecued seitan, veggie burgers, vegan gyros, and a fantastic macaroni and "cheese." Try the breaded, fried seitan with corn and mashed potatoes and gravy. Karyn's Raw offers an exotic array of upscale, uncooked dishes. Its sister restaurant, Karyn's Cooked, offers jerk tofu, seitan steak, and the very popular "Slab of Ribs," which is 100 percent pig-free but doesn't taste like it. Although many mock meats are made with soy or wheat protein, Karyn's tasty "meatball" sandwich is made using lentils, one of the healthiest foods around.

For the full scoop on vegetarian eating in Chicago, grab a copy of Veg Out! Vegetarian Guide to Chicago. If you prefer to stick to the Internet, visit http://www.VegGuide.org or http://www.VegChicago.com.
Top Tip: It's worth taking a road trip to the Windy City just for the Chicago Diner. And if you have some spare time, buy some extra Diner food and drive it down to PETA's office in Virginia!


Here are the most popular veggie burger recipes on About.com! All of these recipes for veggie burgers are vegetarian, and most are vegan: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/veggieburgerrecipes/tp/bestburgers.htm?nl=1





Notice: This material contains only general descriptions and is not a solicitation to sell any insurance product or security, nor is it intended as any financial, tax, medical or health care advice. For information about specific needs or situations, contact your financial, tax agent or physician.
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Source: The primary sources cited above,  New York Times (NYT), Washington Post (WP), Mercury News, Bayarea.com, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Intellihealthnews, Deccan Chronicle (DC), the Hindu, Hindustan Times, Times of India, AP, Reuters, AFP, womenfitness.net, about.com etc.




Copyright ©1998-2007
Vepachedu Educational Foundation, Inc
Copyright Vepachedu Educational Foundation Inc., 2007.  All rights reserved.  All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for special medical conditions or any specific health issues or starting a new fitness regimen. Please read disclaimer.





Om! Asatoma Sadgamaya, Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma Amritamgamaya, Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih!
(Om! Lead the world from wrong path to the right path, from ignorance to knowledge, from mortality to immortality and peace!)
One World One Family





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