Why fish makes the best baby food - it halves wheezing in young children

Eating salmon and cod could prevent the onset of breathing problems among young children according to scientists.

A study revealed that babies who were fed fish before they were nine months old were half as likely to report wheezing later in life compared to those who weren't.

It is hoped the findings will encourage parents to reassess their children's eating habits.

Each child's diet was assessed along with their health at six months, 12 months and four and a half years.

This is the latest piece of research, set to be published in the December issue of the Acta Paediatrica journal, lauding the positive effects of fish for children.

The NHS recommends that adults should include at least two portions of fish in their diet a week as it is a good source of protein, vitamins and rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can benefit the heart.

In 2009 another team of Swedish researchers discovered that babies whose mothers consumed fish oil during pregnancy were 16 per cent less likely to develop eczema and a 13 per cent less likely to develop food allergies.

In the UK, 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma - a condition more common in women than men.

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Posted in: baby gist,fish gist,health tips,healthy diet

Warning over hidden danger of taking too much Paracetamol

Taking too much paracetamol in pills and cold remedies could kill you, warn British researchers.

Victims of ‘staggered’ overdoses often fail to realise the amount they are taking could be fatal over a few days, they say.

Experts have also pointed out, however, that many of us will be taking paracetamol or combination remedies containing the drug this winter to combat colds and flu, and that it is a safe and effective painkiller when the correct amount is taken.

A study shows the risk of dying from liver failure is higher from accidental overdose than deliberate suicide attempts.

This is because people report feeling unwell to GPs or accident and emergency departments without knowing the cause, making it difficult to diagnose and treat in time.

In the study, a team led by Dr Kenneth Simpson analysed data from 663 patients who had been admitted to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary between 1992 and 2008 with liver damage caused by paracetamol.

They found 161 people with an average age of 40 had taken a staggered overdose, usually to relieve stomach and back pain, headache or toothache.

Two out of five died from liver failure – a higher fatality rate than recorded for deliberate overdosing, says a report in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Dr Simpson, of Edinburgh University and the Scottish Liver Transplantation Unit, said staggered overdoses can occur when people have pain and repeatedly take a little more paracetamol than they should.

He said: ‘They haven’t taken the sort of one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up and the effect can be fatal.

‘They are often taking paracetamol for pain and they don’t keep track of how much they’ve consumed over a few days.

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Posted in: health tips,paracetamol gist,Warning over hidden danger of taking too much Paracetamol

Chicken and eggs can boost your memory: Scientists discover nutrient that may slow down ageing of the brain

This may be the first time you've heard of it, but diets rich in choline may help protect your brain from the affects of ageing.

The nutrient from the B vitamin family is found in foods like chicken, eggs and saltwater fish as well as legumes such as kidney beans.

Researchers at Boston University found people who got plenty of choline in their diets performed better on memory tests and were less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia.

The findings add to evidence that your lifetime diet may make a difference in how your brain ages, said senior researcher Dr Rhoda Au.

However, she cautioned against looking to any one nutrient as a magic bullet against dementia.

'I think the message is that eating a healthy, balanced diet in mid-life is important,' she said.

Previous research has found a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes fish, vegetables and olive oil, might have a protective effect.

For the latest study, Dr Au combed through the results from a long-running heart health survey.

Nearly 1,400 adults aged 36 to 83 answered dietary questionnaires between 1991 and 1995. Then, between 1998 and 2001, they underwent tests of memory and other cognitive abilities and had MRI brain scans.

Want to lose weight? Why you should kick-start a health plan with exercise BEFORE you change your diet

The study found, men and women in the top quarter for choline intake performed better on the memory tests than those in the bottom quarter.

This held true even when factors including education and fat and calorie intake were taken into consideration.

People with higher choline intake at the outset were also less likely to show areas of 'white-matter hyperintensity' in their MRI brain scans.

Those age-related areas are thought to be a sign of blood vessel disease in the brain, which may signal a heightened risk of stroke or, eventually, dementia.

Dr Au said people who didn't consume much choline would not notice an 'appreciable difference' day to day.

However, she said the findings suggest that people with lower choline intakes were more likely to be on a 'pathway' toward mental decline than their counterparts with higher intakes.

While the study does not conclusively prove choline protects the memory there is reason to believe that choline matters. The nutrient is a precursor to the brain chemical acetylcholine, which plays a key role in memory and other cognitive functions; low acetylcholine levels are associated with Alzheimer's.

Experts generally recommend that men get 550mg of choline per day, while women should get 425mg.

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Posted in: chicken and egg gist,Chicken and eggs can boost your memory,health tips,healthy diet

7 easy ways to boost your immune system

Your body’s immune system is more powerful than you probably imagine.

How powerful, you ask? Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania recently took immune cells from three patients with leukemia, then genetically altered them into “serial killer” cells, designed to attack one tumor cell, then another and another.

The study was small and the treatment experimental, but the results were groundbreaking—two patients went into complete remission, and the other had a dramatic antitumor response. The modified immune system cells multiplied at least 1,000 times in the body, wiped out cancer cells, and stimulated a population of “memory” cells that may protect against recurrences.

Could this treatment work for other types of cancer? Maybe. Much, much (much) more research is needed, but this study suggests that with the right kind of prodding, your immune system can fight ridiculously hard-to-battle toplady killersand keep you healthy.

Granted, gene therapy is pretty serious prodding, but there are relatively simple steps you should take every day to strengthen your immune system, especially as we head into the sniffle season. Some of the best:

7 Surprising Signs Your Immune System Needs a Boost

1. Eat lean protein at every meal. No one food will magically fend off the flu, but certain nutrients take the lead in helping protect your body from billions of bacteria, viruses, and other germs—and protein is one of them.

One of the reasons is that the antibodies that help fight disease are actually made of protein. Another reason: Many foods high in protein also contain other immune-boosting nutrients. Lean cuts of beef and pork, as well as protein from beans, soy, and seafood (particularly oysters and crab), contain zinc—a mineral that helps up the production of infection-fighting white blood cells; even mild zinc deficiencies can increase your susceptibility to infections.

Nuts, like almonds and cashews, are also good sources of protein, as well as magnesium, both of which help support a healthy immune system.

2. Shoot for 5 cups of fruits and veggies a day. Almost any kind is good, but if you’re going to pick and choose, opt for the ones rich in vitamins A, C, and E. Here’s why: Vitamin A (which you get from sweet potatoes, carrots, and dark leafy greens) helps white blood cells fight off infections more effectively; it also helps regulate the immune system.

Citrus fruits (like lemons, oranges, and grapefruit), as well as bell peppers, papayas, and broccoli, contain vitamin C, which improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods and helps the immune system protect against disease. And vitamin E, found in nuts, seeds, and turnip greens, has been shown in scientific studies to combat flu and upper respiratory infections.

If you eat a variety of greens (and oranges and yellows and reds) as part of a balanced diet, you’ll get all the good stuff you need to help fight disease. Taking a multivitamin or mineral supplement may help in some cases, but talk to your doctor—sometimes too-high doses of certain minerals can cause imbalances and actually suppress your immune response.

25 Best Foods For Your Health

3. Take a 10-minute walk a few times a day. Getting a total of 20 to 30 minutes of daily physical activity can bolster many defenses of the immune system. Exercise gets antibodies and white blood cells moving through the body faster, so they may detect illnesses sooner; plus, an increase in circulation may also trigger the release of hormones that “warn” immune cells of intruding pathogens.

Keep your workouts moderate; high-intensity activity, such as a marathon running or intense gym training, could actually decrease the amount of white blood cells circulating through the body and up your risk of illness.

14 Fat-Blasting Walking Workouts

4. Get your vitamin D levels checked. About 50 nmol/L is generally enough to maintain overall health; less than 30 nmol/L is too low for most people.

New research suggests vitamin D could boost immune response, and too-low levels may be linked to an increase in seasonal colds and flu. Many of us are deficient in vitamin D, which we can get from the sun and very few foods. Talk to your doctor; you may need a supplement to boost your numbers.

Slash Your Risk Of Heart Disease 92 percent

5. Reduce your stress levels. Do yoga, play with your dog, listen to music—find ways to chill out because research shows stressalters how well your immune system works.

Preliminary research published in the journal Biological Psychiatryexamined two groups of people—caregivers of family members with cancer and individuals without that type of stress. The scientists found something goes awry in the caregivers’ white blood cells, leaving them less responsive to inflammation and raising their risk of illness.

Slim Down With Yoga

6. Cook with olive and canola oils. These contain healthy fats, which act as a lubricant for cells. This lubricant improves flexibility and communication between the cells, which promotes immune function.

Just be careful that you’re not consuming too many omega-6 fats in the meantime: Research shows that people who consume disproportionately more 6s (found in the soybean oil used in most processed snack foods) than 3s are at higher risk for inflammation and immune system problems.

12 Ways To Lower Cholesterol Naturally

7. Limit your drinks. One is okay for most people, two is fine for some, but drinking any more could suppress the immune system. New research out of Brown University showed excessive alcohol consumption is toxic to immune system cells called dendritic cells, which play a critical role in helping seek and destroy invading microbes.

This could lead to serious, and even life-threatening, infections, not to mention increased vulnerability to the cold and flu virus.

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Posted in: 7 easy ways to boost your immune system,health tips,immune gist

Can eating too much make your stomach burst?

Someone at your Thanksgiving table will likely say some version of this tomorrow, after you've all stuffed your faces with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and the rest.

But how much would you have to eat in order for your stomach to actually burst? Is that even possible?

"Interestingly enough, you can rupture your stomach if you eat too much," says Dr. Rachel Vreeman, co-author of "Don't Cross Your Eyes ... They'll Get Stuck That Way!" and assistant professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. "It is possible, but it's very, very rare."

A handful of reports over the years document the tales of people who literally ate themselves to death, or at least came dangerously close: Japanese doctors wrote in a 2003 case report that they believed it was a 49-year-old man's "excessive over-eating" that caused his stomach to rupture, killing him. And this 1991 case report describes a similar "spontaneous rupture" in an adult's stomach "after overindulgence in food and drink."

Normally, your stomach can hold about one or one-and-a-half liters, Vreeman says -- this is the point you may reach if you overdo it tomorrow, when you feel full to the point of nausea. Pathologists' reports seem to suggest the stomach is able to do OK handling up to about three liters, but most cases of rupture seem to occur when a person has attempted to stuff their stomach with about five liters of food or fluid. (One of the reports Vreeman came across described the sad case of a woman whose stomach contained 12 liters of stuff.)

It takes a certain amount of misguided determination to manage to override your natural gag reflex and continue to eat (and eat and eat), which is why, not surprisingly, reports of ruptured stomachs caused by overeating are most common in people with some sort of disordered eating, or limited mental capacity, Vreeman says.

"They have unusual eating habits to an extent that their bodies’ reflexes no longer respond as they normally do," Vreeman explains. "Their bodies’ reflexes have been ignored or abused for so long that they no longer vomit at the appropriate time. And then once the stomach gets to this extremely distended point, the stomach muscles are too stretched out to be strong enough to vomit the food out."

Speaking of strong stomachs, you'd best have one in order to read this next paragraph. If vomiting isn't happening, all that food and fluid still has to go somewhere. The increasing volume of stuff in the gut puts pressure on the stomach's walls, so much so that the tissue weakens and tears, sending the stomach contents into the body and causing infection and pain, Vreeman says. Surgical intervention is necessary to repair a ruptured stomach and save the patient's life.

In particular, she says, anorexics or bulimics may be at risk. In fact, Cedars-Sinai, the non-profit hospital in Los Angeles, actually lists this as a "symptom" of bulimia: "In rare cases, a person may eat so much during a binge that the stomach bursts or the esophagus tears. This can be life-threatening."

Other reported cases of spontaneous stomach rupture happen in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, a congenital disease that is characterized by, among other things, a kind of disordered eating.

an "intense craving for food," resulting in "uncontrollable weight gain and morbid obesity." according to the National Institutes of Health. In a 2007 study examining the deaths of 152 individuals with the condition, 3 percent of those deaths were the result of gastric rupture and necrosis.

The takeaway here: This really happens, sometimes! Also: This is probably not going to happen to you.

"Even if you're starting to feel a bit sick or tired and overwhelmed from eating so much at Thanksgiving, you're still far, far away from the scenario where you're going to make your stomach actually explode," Vreeman assures.

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Posted in: Can eating too much make your stomach burst?,eating habits,healthy diet

Diabetes breakthrough could save sufferers from drawing blood by testing tears instead

Diabetics may be saved from having to draw blood several times a day to test their sugar levels after scientists found a way to use tears instead.

Diabetics have to test their blood sugar levels from two to 10 times a day by drawing a droplet of blood with a finger-prick test.
However, some people don't measure their levels often enough because of the discomfort it causes.

Now researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a sensor that can detect blood glucose levels in tears.

The study, which used rabbits as human substitutes, found glucose levels in tears correlated to glucose levels in the blood.

The researchers said in the journal Analytical Chemistry: 'Thus it may be possible to measure tear glucose levels multiple times per day to monitor blood glucose changes without the potential pain from the repeated invasive blood drawing method.'

Some type 1 diabetics must check their blood sugar levels 10 times a day
Doctors say there is a great demand for an alternative to using lancets, or pricking needles, to draw blood.

Fingers can become sensitive over time and there is always a small risk of infection.
Frequent tests are essential for people with type 1 diabetes, who can't produce the hormone insulin, needed to control blood sugar levels.

Skin prick tests are the only way to safely monitor glucose levels and will let patients know if they need an insulin injection.

If blood sugar levels fall too low, type one diabetics can develop hypoglycaemia, which can lead to coma and death if left untreated.

People with type 2 diabetes don't produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. Although it can be treated with a healthier diet and exercise it is a progressive condition and medication may be needed when the condition is more advanced.

Those with type 2 diabetes may only need to test themselves twice a week if they manage to get their sugar levels under control.

Diabetes affects 2.8 million people in the UK and 26 million people in the U.S. The majority of sufferers have type 2 of the condition.

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Posted in: crying maching for diabetes,diabetes gist

Eating Nuts Helps In Loss of Weight!

The researchers said that eating at least one ounce of raw and unpeeled nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds will help you manage your weight better. Eating nuts increased the levels of serotonin in the brain which reduces the feelings of hunger and is also beneficial to your heart.

Around 42 people took part in the study, led by Cristina Andres-Lacueva, of which 22 people followed a nut rich diet for over 12 weeks while the remaining were told to avoid nuts.

According to the study, published in the American Chemical Society Journal of Proteome Research, those who ate nuts regularly displayed increased levels of serotonin and reduced levels of substances that have been associated with heart disease and inflammation.

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Posted in: eatin g nut help in weight loss,health gist,nut gist

Children with low levels of zinc may be at higher risk of autism

Children who are low in zinc may be at higher risk of autism.

A study found that large numbers of children with autism and related conditions such as Asperger’s syndrome were deficient in the mineral, which is found in meat, bread and dairy products.

The researchers said their finding provided hope for the treatment and prevention of autism.
But British experts say it is impossible to draw any firm conclusions from the study – and people should not rush out to stock up on zinc supplements.

Autism and related conditions affect more than one in 100 British children – ten times more than just 30 years ago – but the condition is still little understood.
In the latest study, researchers in Tokyo measured levels of zinc in the hair of almost 2,000 children with autism and related conditions.

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This showed a ‘considerable association’ with zinc deficiency, especially in the youngest children, according to the journal Scientific Reports.


Pills: But experts warn that taking too many supplements can do more harm than good
The lowest levels were seen amongst the youngest children, with almost half of the boys and more than half of the girls aged up to the age of three judged to be deficient.
Some cases were severe, with one two-year-old boy having just one twelfth of the expected amount.

The researchers said it seems that infants need more zinc for growth and development than older children and that that lack of zinc early in life may be involved in the development of autism.

They concluded: ‘A nutritional approach may yield a novel hope for its treatment and prevention.’

But British experts in the development of the brain said that much more research is needed. And they stressed that linking something with a disease does not necessarily mean it caused it.

Professor Dorothy Bishop, of the University of Oxford, said: ‘If zinc deficiency is confirmed in future research, then it remains unclear whether this is a cause of autism, or rather reflective of dietary abnormalities.

‘Many children with autism will eat only a restricted range of foods and some have a habit of chewing on inedible objects.’

Uta Frith, of University College London, said there were weaknesses in the way the study was carried out. She said that on no account should people start medicating themselves – or their children – with zinc.
The professor told the Daily Mail: ‘It is just as bad to have too much zinc as too little.

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Posted in: health gist,zinc bebefit

How you CAN beat your 'fat genes' and lose weight... with exercise

When getting in to last season’s clothes is a struggle, it is all too easy to tell ourselves that being plump is in our genes.

But those cursed with the ‘fat gene’ are mistakenly shunning exercise in the belief they are powerless to shift those extra pounds, a study claims.

Experts have found that when it comes to our weight, we are not slaves to our genes after all.

Being active can melt away unsightly rolls of fat – even in those who have inherited DNA that makes them prone to obesity.

Their study focused on the ‘junk food gene’, a strain of DNA carried by around two-thirds of Britons which makes them crave fatty and sugary food.

Those with a flawed version of the FTO gene, as it is known, eat 100 calories more per meal than people without it. Over a week, this amounts to an extra 2,100 calories – a whole day’s food.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge examined data on genes, weight and the exercise habits of 220,000 adults from around the world.

Like others before it, the study linked flawed FTO genes with obesity. But it also highlighted the value of exercise.

In couch-potatoes with one copy of the gene, odds of obesity were 30 per cent higher than in those who do not have it. In those who exercised, the gene only raised the odds 22 per cent.
It means exercise cuts the effect of the FTO gene by 27 per cent, the PLoS Medicine journal reports.

Those with two copies of the gene who did not exercise had a 69 per cent higher chance of obesity than those without the gene. The figure fell by 29 per cent in those who exercised.
A summary by the journal’s editors said: ‘The wider public view of genetically determined obesity not being amenable to exercise is incorrect.’

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Posted in: benefit of jogging,health gist

Two glasses of wine a day could increase br*ast cancer risk by 50 per cent

Women who drink just two glasses of wine a day are 50 per cent more likely to get br*ast cancer than those who don’t drink at all, a major study has found.

Even those who indulge in only three or four glasses of wine over an entire week – well within the Government’s recommended limits – are putting themselves at risk.

Researchers also warn that women who drink regularly in their 20s and 30s are far more likely to develop the illness in later life, regardless of whether they subsequently cut back.

The Government recommends that women should drink no more than 14 units a week, which is about seven medium glasses of wine or 14 measures of spirits.

But this study found that even half this amount – seven units a week – could raise the risk of br*ast cancer by 15 per cent.

And women who drank nearly four units daily – two glasses of wine – increased the likelihood by 50 per cent.

Researchers at Harvard University and Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at the records of 105,986 women aged 30 to 55 who completed surveys on their current drinking habits and how much they drank when they were younger.

Over a period of nearly 30 years they monitored how many of the women developed br*ast cancer.

Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show that women who drank nearly four units a day were 50 per cent more at risk than teetotallers.

Those who drank less than this amount but at least two and a half units daily were 28 per cent more at risk.

Women who drank between just over one unit and two and a half units daily were 15 per cent more at risk.

The study also found that women who drank two and a half units a day for a period of five years at any point between the ages of 18 and 40 were a third more likely to get the illness, even if they later cut down.

Br*ast cancer is by far the most common form of the illness in women and statistics show that one in eight will develop it at some point in their lives. Around 48,000 new cases are diagnosed in the UK every year and the majority of sufferers are over 50.

Scientists think that alcohol raises levels of the female s*x hormone oestrogen, which is believed to trigger the growth of tumours.

Professor Karol Sikora, cancer specialist and medical director of the private cancer clinic company CancerPartnersUK, said: ‘The relationship between alcohol intake and br*ast cancer is very complex.

‘We’ve known for some years now that even small amounts of alcohol can change hormone patterns. But not all women are equally affected. This very large study from a much-respected source suggested that just a few glasses of wine a week increases br*ast cancer risk significantly throughout adult life.’

Sarah Williams, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘This study adds to already strong evidence that drinking even small amounts of alcohol increases the risk of br*ast cancer.

‘Cutting down on alcohol can reduce the chance of developing br*ast cancer – as can keeping a healthy weight and being physically active.

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Posted in: br*ast cancer tip.