Vegetarians at lower risk of cancer: Study
Scientists have confirmed what have been a long-held belief: vegetarian diet may help to protect against cancer. Analysis of data from 52,700 men and women by British researchers have shown that those who did not eat meat had significantly fewer cancers overall than those who did. But surprisingly, the experts also found a higher rate of colorectal cancer - a disease linked with eating red meat - among the vegetarians, BBC News portal reported on Monday. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the team, led by an expert from University of Oxford, said the findings were worth looking into. Although it is widely recommended that people eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to reduce their risk of cancer and other diseases, there is very little evidence looking specifically at a vegetarian diet. In the latest study, researchers looked at men and women aged 20 to 89 recruited in the UK in the 1990s. They divided participants into meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans. During follow-up there were fewer cancers than would be expected in the general population - probably because they were a healthier than average group of people. But there was a significantly lower incidence of all cancers among the fish-eaters and vegetarians compared with the meat eaters. For colorectal cancer, however that trend was reversed with vegetarians having a significantly higher incidence of the condition than the other groups. The researchers were surprised at the finding, which contradicts previous evidence linking eating lots of red meat with the disease.
To beat insomnia, spend less time in bed: Study
WELLINGTON: Can't get to sleep? Well, then stay up, say researchers at Auckland University who have discovered a potential breakthrough treatment for insomnia. According to scientists, the key to sleeplessness is to force bad sleepers to spend less time in bed. First, insomniacs are told to keep a detailed diary of the time they spend in bed asleep and awake. Then, they are asked to change their habits, reducing the time they spend in bed each night by the number of hours they would spend lying awake. After a couple of weeks, many patients discovered that they were tired enough to start sleeping better. When the insomniacs in the study underwent the therapy, 80% to 90% said their insomnia had improved.
Breast cancer 'linked' to diet and low exercise in early years
LONDON: Women on poor quality diet and low exercise in early years can develop breast cancer later in life, a new study has claimed. Researchers in Europe have carried out the study and found that a girl's diet and the amount of exercise she does could actually determine their risk of breast cancer in later life, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. "Breast cancer seems to originate almost entirely in childhood. The breast is most vulnerable at the very onset of development," lead researcher Prof Jaak Janssens of European Cancer Prevention Organisation in Belgium said. In fact, the researchers have based their findings on an analysis of 1,146 girls from birth to age 13. The study clearly linked obesity and lack of exercise to an increased risk of breast cancer. The study, titled 'Nutrition in Children and Breast Cancer Childhood', highlighted a link between the disease and exposure to "gender-bending" chemicals in childhood. Moreover, it has revealed that a history of glandular fever might also have an influence on later risk. "Further research should focus on nutrition in children and breast cancer risk to prevent the disease," Prof Janssens was quoted as saying. Added Prof Florian Strasser, Scientific Chair of the conference for the European Society for Medical Oncology, where the study will be presented next week: "This could become a big public health issue. "If this is proved we have even bigger grounds to go into schools and preschools and encourage more sports and healthier eating."
Old age begins at 27: Study
LONDON: Believe it or not, old age begins at 27, say researchers. A new study has revealed that many well-known effects of ageing may start decades before the twilight years when old age is often blamed for causing many people to misplace keys, forget a word or lose the train of thought. In fact, according to the researchers, people's mental abilities begin to decline from the age of 27 after reaching a peak at 22. "Results converge on a conclusion that some aspects of age-related cognitive decline begin in healthy, educated adults when they are in their 20s and 30s," the 'Daily Mail' quoted lead researcher Prof Timothy Salthouse as saying. They studied 2,000 men and women aged 18 to 60 over seven years to reach the conclusion. The people involved - who were mostly in good health and well-educated - had to solve visual puzzles, recall words and story details and spot patterns in letters and symbols. Similar tests are often used to diagnose mental disabilities and declines, including dementia.
WASHINGTON: A well-known enzyme linked with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke has now been found to help create and maintain the brain, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. After selectively disabling the enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mouse embryos, it was found that the overall brain size was reduced by 50%, the cerebrum and cerebellum were shrunken, and the mice died within three weeks of birth. The scientists showed that the disabled version of AMPK was vital to the survival of neural stem cells that create the central nervous system. Many scientists believe these cells also regularly produce new brain cells essential for learning and memory and the general upkeep of the adult brain. "For years, scientists have showed how AMPK regulates multiple metabolic processes, and revealed how that influence can affect cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases," said senior author Jeffrey Milbrandt, MD, PhD, the David Clayson Professor of Neurology. He added: "Now, for the first time, we've shown that AMPK can cause lasting changes in cell development. That's very exciting because it opens the possibility of modifying AMPK activity to improve brain function and health." The AMPK enzyme is composed of three subunits called alpha, beta and gamma. The human genome contains genes for two to three versions of each subunit. Milbrandt said that, to date, the beta unit was considered to be "a boring linker" that merely held the three subunits together. But, in the current study, the researchers found that the beta subunit was determining where AMPK did its job. AMPK with one version of the subunit, beta 1, was found both in the nucleus of cells and in the body of the cell, which is called the cytoplasm. AMPK with beta 2 was never found in the nucleus-just the cytoplasm. They showed that when activated AMPK gets into the nucleus of stem cells, it inactivates the retinoblastoma protein, a master regulator of cell reproduction. This allows neural stem cells to survive and proliferate. "Inhibiting AMPK is something that most cells don't like. It can lead to a variety of consequences, including cell death, but many cell types can tolerate it," said lead author Biplab Dasgupta, PhD, research instructor in pathology and immunology. He added: "In contrast, neural stem cells undergo catastrophic cell death in the absence of AMPK containing the beta 1 subunit. We also suspect loss of this form of AMPK may cause severe problems for other stem cells." In his opinion, the new finding is particularly interesting given the previous connections between AMPK and exercise. "Exercise activates AMPK and improves cognitive function. Our results suggest brain function may improve because additional activated AMPK makes it easier for adult neural stem cells to reproduce and become new brain cells," said Dasgupta
Salt could be acting as natural anti-depressant
WASHINGTON: Most people consume far too much salt because it might put us in a better mood, according to a new discovery. University of Iowa (U-I) psychologist Kim Johnson and colleagues found that when rats are deficient in salt, they shy away from activities they normally enjoy, like drinking a sugary substance or pressing a bar that stimulates a pleasant sensation in their brains. "Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn't elicit the same degree of relish, which leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression," Johnson said. U-I researchers can't say it is full-blown depression because several criteria factor into such a diagnosis, but a loss of pleasure in normally pleasing activities is one of the most important features of psychological depression. And, the idea that salt is a natural mood-elevating substance could help explain why we're so tempted to over-ingest it, even though it's known to contribute to high blood pressure (BP), heart disease and other health problems. Past research has shown that the worldwide average for salt intake per individual is about 10 grams per day, which is greater than US Food and Drug Administration recommended intake by about four grams, and may exceed what the body actually needs by more than more grams. High levels of salt are contained in everything from pancakes to pasta these days, but once upon a time, it was hard to come by. Salt consumption and its price skyrocketed around 2000 B.C. when it was discovered as a food preservative, said an U-I release. Today, 77 percent of our salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, like frozen dinners and fast food. These findings were published in Physiology & Behaviour.
Cancer spread is linked to dietary restriction
PARIS: Investigators said there could be a clue to explain why dietary restriction succeeds or fails in braking the growth of cancer. Scientists spotted a century ago the link between calorie intake and the progression of certain kinds of tumour. But how this works at the molecular level has been unclear. In addition, tumours may remain puzzlingly immune to fasting among some individuals but not among others, which is partly why the practice has not been incorporated into cancer treatment. Nada Kalaany and David Sabatini of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) looked at the impact of food curbs on six types of human cancers that had been grafted onto mice which had been genetically modified to lack immune resistance. The mice were then split into two groups, with one batch able to tuck into a standard rodent diet for two to three weeks. The others received daily meals that amounted to a 40% reduction in calories compared to their counterparts, which led to a fall of between 20-30% in body weight. The researchers conclude that tumours' sensitivity to fasting depends on a key pathway - activation of an enzyme called phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, also called PI3K, which plays an important role in the proliferation of cancer cells. If the PI3K pathway is closed, tumours respond to dietary restriction, and vice versa. The study is important because it helps drug designers who are working hard on prototype treatments that mimic the effects of dietary curbs on cancer. As several cancer types carry mutations that could cause the PI3K mechanism to open up, the paper suggests that the approach will not work in certain cases. The paper is published by the British-based journal Nature. Previous research on lab rodents suggests that a calorie decrease of 10-50% leads to a reduction in the incidence of certain cancers and brakes the speed at which they spread. One theory is that the change in caloric intake beefs up cell repair mechanisms against destructive agents called free radicals.
Too little sleep may raise diabetes risk: US study
CHICAGO: People who get fewer than six hours of sleep at night are prone to abnormal blood sugar levels, possibly putting them at risk for diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. They said people in a study who slept less than six hours were 4.5 times more likely to develop abnormal blood sugar readings in six years compared with those who slept longer. "This study supports growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with adverse health issues," said Lisa Rafalson of the University at Buffalo in New York, who presented her findings at the Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Palm Harbor, Florida. Several studies have shown negative health consequences related to getting too little sleep. In children, studies showed it raises the risk of obesity, depression and high blood pressure. In older adults, it increases the risk of falls. And in the middle aged, it raises the risk of infections, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Adults typically need between seven and nine hours of nightly sleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rafalson and colleagues wanted to see if lack of sleep might be raising the risk for type 2 diabetes, the kind that is being driven by rising rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. It develops when the body makes too much insulin and does not efficiently use the insulin it makes, a condition known as insulin resistance. Using data from a large, six-year study, they identified 91 people whose blood sugar rose during the study period and compared them to 273 people whose glucose levels remained in the normal range. They found the short sleepers were far more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose -- a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes -- during the study period than those who slept six to eight hours. That difference held even after adjusting for age, obesity, heart rate, high blood pressure, family history of diabetes and symptoms of depression. "Our findings will hopefully spur additional research into this very complex area of sleep and illness," Rafalson said in a statement.
Pregnant moms who drink give children 'a taste'
LONDON: Here’s another reason why women should not drink while pregnant — it could give your child a taste for alcohol, says a new study. Researchers from State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, believe that the findings suggest that exposure to alcohol before birth can make it both smell and taste more appealing. They have found that early exposure while still in the womb can reduce youngster’s sensitivity to the underlying bitterness of alcoholic drinks, making them more appealing. According to them, exposure to alcohol before birth can make it both smell and taste more appealing. “Our findings have broad implications for relationship between maternal patterns of drug use, child development and postnatal vulnerability,” leading British newspaper the Daily Telegraph quoted them as saying. The researchers came to the conclusion after carrying out an experiment on laboratory rodents — they found the rats whose mothers had been given alcohol while pregnant were more likely to find the taste of alcohol appealing later in life. They were also more likely to drink water containing quinine, an ingredient of tonic water known for its bitter taste. Moreover, the animals sniffed more when they were close to alcohol, suggesting that they were attracted to its smell.
Higher metabolism does not imply early death
LONDON: A higher metabolism was earlier thought to lead to a shorter lifespan, but that may not be true, according to a new study. The study led by Lobke Vaanholt of University of Groningen, The Netherlands, found that mice with an increased metabolism live just as long as those with slower metabolic rates. The theory that fast-living animals die young, known as the rate-of-living theory, was first proposed in the 1920s. The premise is simple: Ageing is the inevitable by-product of energy expenditure. The faster you spend energy, the faster you age, and the sooner you die. This remained a prominent theory of ageing until recently, when comparisons across broad animal groups cast doubt on it. For instance, birds have significantly higher metabolisms than mammals of similar size, yet birds live much longer. Vaanholt's study was designed to test the rate-of-living theory among individuals of one species - in this case, mice. Vaanholt and her team followed two groups of mice through their entire lives. One group's environment was kept at 22 degrees Celsius and the other group's at 10 degrees Celsius. The colder group had to spend more energy to maintain body temperature, and according to the rate-of-living theory, should therefore die sooner than the warmer group. But that's not what happened, said a University of Groningen statement. "Despite a 48% increase in overall daily energy expenditure and a 64% increase in mass-specific energy expenditure throughout adult life, mice in the cold lived just as long on average as mice in warm temperatures," the authors wrote. "These results strengthen existing doubts about the rate-or-living theory." The study was published in the journal of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.
Vitamin C intake may lower risk of gout in men
WASHINGTON: Men with a higher intake of vitamin C appear less likely to develop gout, a painful type of arthritis, according to a study. "Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men... The identification of risk factors for gout... is an important first step in the prevention and management of this common and excruciatingly painful condition," wrote the study's authors. Hyon K Choi, then of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and now of Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined the relationship between vitamin C intake and gout in 46,994 men between 1986 and 2006. Every four years, the men completed a dietary questionnaire, and their vitamin C intake through food and supplements was computed. Every two years, participants reported whether they had been diagnosed with or developed symptoms of gout. During 20-year follow-up, 1,317 men developed gout. Compared with men who had a vitamin C intake of less than 250mg per day, the relative risk of gout was 17% lower for those with a daily intake of 500 to 999 mg, 34% lower for those with an intake of 1,000 to 1,499mg per day and 45% lower for those with an intake of 1,500mg per day or higher. Vitamin C may affect re-absorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work or protect against inflammation, all of which may reduce gout risk, a Boston University statement quoted the authors as saying. These findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Hot weather can trigger migraine
LONDON: A new study has finally confirmed what many have long observed -- hot weather "triggers migraine and other debilitating types of head pain". Many migraine sufferers have found that their pain can be triggered by changes in the weather, but previously there was little scientific evidence, though some studies suggested a possible link. Now, an international team has carried out the study and found that changes in air pressure can increase the chance of developing a painful headache, the latest edition of the 'Neurology' journal reported. Researchers, led by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, have based their findings on an analysis of 7,054 patients who went to their hospital casualty department complaining of severe head pain over a period of seven years. They found that a rise in temperature of five degrees Celsius from the previous day increased the chance of a severe headache within 24 hours by 7.5%. There's also a more modest increase in the risk of suffering head pain within 72 hours if air pressure fell.
Teens who eat with family are healthier
WASHINGTON: Adolescents who ate regularly with family members developed healthier meal patterns and diets compared to counterparts without regular family meals, says a new study. Data for the study were drawn from Project EAT, a population-based, longitudinal project designed to examine socio-environmental, personal, and behavioural determinants of dietary intake and weight status among an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents. Young adolescents completed classroom surveys and a questionnaire in 1998 and 1999 when they were about 12 to 13 years old (referred to as Time 1), and then completed a further round as middle adolescents five years later (Time 2). The study sample included 303 male and 374 female adolescents. Regular family meals, defined as five or more meals together per week, declined over time. Sixty percent of youth had regular family meals during early adolescence compared to 30 percent during middle adolescence. Having regular family meals at both Time 1 and Time 2 was associated with greater frequency of consuming breakfast and dinner meals and increased intakes of vegetables, calcium-rich food, dietary fibre, and several nutrients including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc five years later. An important finding is that although adolescents with regular family meals at both Time 1 and Time 2 had better diet quality, on average, overall dietary adequacy was not achieved for the entire study sample. The study was conducted by School of Public Health, University of Minnesota (U-M) researchers. These finding are consistent with current national consumption data that identified dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, and dietary fibre as problematic for this age group, said a U-M release. These findings were published in the latest issue of Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour.
Sleeping during day may increase diabetes risk
LONDON: People who take day-time naps daily may be at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Researchers from University of Birmingham have revealed that during their study, people who slept during the day were 26% more likely to become diabetics. While the condition is often attributed to unhealthy lifestyles and being overweight, lack of good night sleep is also known to be a contributing factor And regular nappers are less likely to sleep well at night. The researchers examined the sleeping habits of 16,480 older people in China, and about 68 per cent of them took regular naps. The team observed that napping during the day just once a week increased the likelihood of developing the diabetes. The researchers said that even when they took into account other contributing factors, such as the weight of the subjects, there was an obvious link between sleeping for short periods and type-2 diabetes. "Our research provides us with an additional insight on the risk factors behind type-2 diabetes," the Scotsman quoted Dr Shahrad Taheri, from the University of Birmingham, as saying. "As the number of people with type-2 diabetes keeps increasing, it is crucial that we do everything we can to help prevent people from developing the condition," he added. Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said that the new research could be another step towards explaining the possible link between disturbed sleep patterns and type-2 diabetes. "However, in terms of being major risk factors for developing type-2 diabetes, disturbed sleep or napping are likely to remain less significant than already established risk factors such as being overweight, being over the age of 40 or having a history of diabetes in the family," said Frame.
High veggie diet 'cuts prostate cancer risk'
WASHINGTON: A diet high in vegetable intake can reduce the risk of prostate cancer (CaP), says a new study. In the online edition of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, Ruth Chan and collaborators suggested that the primary mechanism of the protective vegetable effect is antioxidant protection against DNA and cell damage. Literature, which was already available, was identified for the study. Of the available studies, 29 were cohort studies, 69 case-control studies, and 4 randomized clinical trials. Tomatoes and their byproducts contain the carotenoid antioxidant lycopene. Two cohort studies reported tomatoes decreased CaP risk and 3 cohort studies reported a non-significant association. For case-control studies, 2 showed significant decreased risk and 5 showed a non-significant association. One study suggested that the potential benefit was greater in advanced as compared to localized CaP. Overall, studies for tomatoes and lycopenes show inconsistent results on decreasing CaP risk, but lycopene based foods are probably protective. Yellow orange vegetables contain the antioxidant ß-carotene. Data on ß-carotene and CaP risk from cohort and case-control studies were inconclusive for a protective effect. Supplemental use of ß-carotene was not shown to be protective. Flavonoids are a carbon structure compound ubiquitously present in plant foods and have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. They may suppress angiogenesis, induction of apoptosis and down-regulation of hormone receptors expression. Overall there is some evidence suggesting that consumption of legumes, including soy and soy products, is protective against CaP. Regarding vitamins, vitamin C has had limited study, but with the data available there is no evidence of a protective effect.
Fast reaction indicates longer life span
LONDON: Want to know the secret of long and healthy life? It's all down to how fast you react, a new study has suggested. Researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that people's reaction times are a far better indicator of their chances of living a long and healthy life than their blood pressure, exercise levels or weight. Men and women with the most sluggish response times are more than twice as likely to die prematurely, the study has found. In fact, according to the researchers, people's reaction times are a measure of their intelligence which in turn is an indicator of their body's "system integrity" -- how well it is wired together, the 'Daily Mail' reported. "Our results suggest that 'choice' reaction time, a moderately high correlate of intelligence, is an important risk factor for death from all causes, including cardio- vascular disease," the researchers said. For their study, the researchers from Edinburgh University and the Medical Research Council in Glasgow tracked 7,414 people over 20 years and analysed their responses to come to the conclusion. The volunteers in the study have been followed since the mid-Eighties, when their reaction times were measured with an electrical device fitted with a small screen and five numbered buttons.
More exercise in middle age prolongs life
LONDON: Increased physical activity in middle age prolongs life, though it may take five to 10 years before an effect is seen, concludes a study published Thursday. Physical activity is beneficial for health, but about half of all middle-aged men in the West do not take part in regular physical activity. It is not yet known whether an increase in exercise later in life reduces death rates. Researchers in Sweden examined how changes in physical activity levels after middle age influence mortality and compared them with the effect of stopping smoking. The study, which has been published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on its website, involved 2,205 Swedish men aged 50 in 1970-73, who were re-examined at ages 60, 70, 77, and 82 years. Data including body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking status and alcohol use was recorded at each survey. At age 50, almost half of the men reported a high level of physical activity, corresponding to at least three hours of recreational sports or heavy gardening a week. Just over a third (36%) reported medium activity, corresponding to walks and cycling, and 15% were sedentary. Overall mortality rates were highest among sedentary men and lowest among the most active men. However, during the first five years of follow-up, the mortality rate was higher in men who had increased their level of physical activity than in men with unchanged high physical activity. But the number of such deaths was relatively small, so the researchers have not emphasised this finding. However, after 10 years, the mortality rate in these men was reduced to the same level as men with unchanged high physical activity. This reduction in mortality was similar to the effect of stopping smoking. After adjusting for other risk factors, the researchers estimate that men who reported high levels of physical activity from age 50 were expected to live 2.3 years longer than sedentary men and 1.1 years longer than men who reported medium levels of physical activity. Increased physical activity prolongs life among middle aged and older men, though there might be a period of 5-10 years before an effect is seen on total mortality, write the authors. This effect is the same as stopping smoking, the researchers say.
Mobikes keep you young'
TOKYO: Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said on Wednesday, citing a new scientific study. "The drivi's brain gets activated by riding motorbikes" in part because it requires heightened alertness, said Ryuta Kawashima, after his team from Tohoku University and Yamaha Motor conducted a string of tests involving middle-aged men. "In a convenient and easy environment, the human mind and body get used to setting the hurdle low," he warned. "Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart aging." In one, which required the men to remember a set of numbers in reverse order, riders' scores jumped by more than 50% in two months, while the non-riders' marks deteriorated slightly. The riders also said they made fewer mistakes.
Positive emotions affect physical health
WASHINGTON: It's not just lifestyle, human emotions too have a significant impact on an individual's well being, says a new study. Researchers from University of Kansas have found that positive emotions are critical for upkeep of physical health for people worldwide, especially for those who are deeply impoverished. "We've known for a while now that emotions play a critical role in physical health," said Sarah Pressman, assistant professor of psychology at KU and a Gallup senior research associate. "But until recently, most of this research was conducted only in industrialized countries. So we couldn't know whether feelings like happiness or sadness matter to the health of people who have more pressing concerns - like getting enough to eat or finding shelter. But now we do," she added. During the study, the researchers analyzed the data from the Gallup World Poll involving more than 150,000 adults. The participants reported their emotions and also answered questions about whether their most basic needs like food, shelter and personal safety were adequately met. It showed that positive emotions such as happiness, enjoyment are unmistakably linked to better health, even when taking into account a lack of basic needs. While negative emotions such as worry and sadness were a reliable predictor of worse health. The association between emotion and physical health was more powerful than the connection between health and basic human physical requirements. Even without shelter or food, positive emotions were shown to boost health.
Vitamin B12 can prevent major birth defects: Study
WASHINGTON: Before becoming pregnant, women need to get enough vitamin B12 in addition to folic acid to cut their risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, researchers said on Monday. Irish women with the lowest vitamin B12 levels were five times more likely to have a baby with a neural tube defect than those with the highest levels, the researchers wrote in the journal Pediatrics. Neural tube defects can lead to lifelong disability or death. The two most common ones are spina bifida, in which the spinal cord and back bones do not form properly, and anencephaly, a fatal condition in which the brain and skull bones do not develop normally. Dr. James Mills of the US national institutes of health, one of the researchers, said the study showed that vitamin B12 deficiency was a risk factor for neural tube defects independent of folic acid, another B vitamin. Many women now know of the importance of folic acid and there has been a drop in neural tube defects. Mills said he hopes that awareness of the similar role of vitamin B12 can reduce neural tube defects further. Vitamin B12 is essential to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It is found in meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, shellfish and fortified breakfast cereals. It also can be taken as an individual supplement or in a multivitamin. "An absolutely critical point is that women have to consider this before they become pregnant because once they realize they are pregnant it's likely to be too late," Mills, a researcher in the NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said in a telephone interview. The developmental events involved in these birth defects occur in the first four weeks of pregnancy, Mills said. Mills urged women who do not eat meat or dairy products to be particularly aware of the need to get enough vitamin B12. He had similar advice for women with an intestinal disorder such as inflammatory bowel disease that may prevent them from absorbing sufficient amounts of the vitamin. The study involved almost 1,200 women in Ireland who gave blood samples during early pregnancy, which were analyzed to determine vitamin B12 levels. The women in the lowest 25% of vitamin B12 levels were five times more likely than those in the highest 25% to have had a baby with a neural tube defect. The researchers suggested that women have vitamin B12 levels above 300 nanograms per litre before getting pregnant.
Malaria: Sugar could save kids
A teaspoon of moistened sugar under the tongue could save the lives of thousands of children suffering from hypoglycaemia caused by malaria.
Mystery about origin of life solved
TORONTO: Canadian scientists claim to have solved a major mystery about the origins of life on earth. The claims come at a time when the world is celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin. Two Montreal University scientists have proposed a new theory to show how a universal molecular machine, called ribosome, self-assembled or self-organized itself to become a critical step in generating all life on earth. ``While the ribosome is a complex structure, it features a clear hierarchy that emerged based on basic chemical principles,'' said biochemistry professor Sergey Steinberg, who made the discovery with student Konstantin Bokov, in a university statement. He said his theory explains what people imagine as ``unseen forces at work when such complex structures emerge in nature.'' The Canadian scientist said the ribosome is an enormous molecule responsible for translating the messages (carried in the genetic code of all organisms) into proteins that carry out all functions, including replicating the genome itself. Compared to biological molecules, he said, ribosomes are immense and very complex. ``Though visible only through lenses of the most powerful microscopes, comparing most other biological molecules to this behemoth (ribosome) is like comparing a tricycle to a jumbo jet,'' said Steinberg. He said he spent years pondering how a complex ribosome could have assembled itself from smaller building blocks that existed on the early earth. His work, he said, led to the discovery that the ribosome must have assembled itself from basic building blocks ``in a very specific order; otherwise it would have fallen apart.'' “Though chemists have observed examples of self-organizing behavior in simple molecules, there has been no such explanation about the complex self-assembly of ribosomes to this date,” he said. ``Thanks to the research of Sergey Steinberg and Konstantin Bokov, scientists now have a glimpse of one key event that emerged spontaneously out of the primordial chemical soup of the early earth,'' the university statement quoted Stephen Michnick, who is Canada Research Chair in Integrative Genomics, as saying. ```Perhaps in the near future we may look forward to more discoveries that will take us beyond the world of Darwin into an understanding of the basic chemical principles that drove the emergence of life on our planet and perhaps beyond.''
Too much of TV can speed up memory loss in elderly
Watching TV for long durations may speed up memory loss, researchers have found. But engaging in a hobby like reading a book, making a patchwork quilt or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia
Being close to nature helps longevity
Seniors tend to live longer and enjoy better health if their homes are close to a park or nature, regardless of social or economic status
Vitamins prevent hearing loss
Scientists have edged closer to developing a pill to stave off noise-induced or age-related hearing loss in humans, after vitamin supplements given to lab animals protected hearing.
An Apple a day may keep cancer at bay
There is a growing body of evidence to show that an apple a day can keep not just the doctor away, but breast cancer too.
Docs claim leukemia cure with arsenic, vitamin A
Doctors appear to have safely and successfully treated patients with cancer of the blood and bone marrow with a combination of arsenic and vitamin A, according to long-term study in China.
Artificial muscles retain lost features
Paralytic patients often end up losing control of many facial features, but now scientists have found the solution to this problem- artificial polymer muscles.
Vigorous exercise may prevent vision loss: Study
The studies tracked approximately 41,000 runners for more than seven years, and found that running reduced the risk of both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Fresh vegetables cut diabetes risk
Researchers have found that eating just one serving of green leafy vegetables or three servings of fruit a day reduces the risk of developing Type II diabetes.
Brain-training games 'do more harm than good'
LONDON: If you ignore physical workout and think that brain-training games would hold back the onset of mental decline as you age, do think again, for researchers have claimed that they could do more harm than good. A new study, published in the 'Alzheimer's & Dementia' journal, has suggested that if healthy older users neglect the proven benefits of physical exercise in favour of the popular games then they could be harming their health. An international team, which carried out the study, has found "no evidence" that brain exercise programmes "delay or slow progression of cognitive changes in healthy elderly". In fact, the researchers came to the conclusion after looking at trials undertaken since 1992 on the impact of brain exercises — known as "cognitive training" — on old people. They found that few trials met their criteria and those that did were often limited or lacking in follow-up. And, the study concluded that more research is needed into the medium and long-term impact of brain training games which are often advertised in high profile campaigns fronted by Nicole Kidman, Julie Walters and Patrick Stewart.
Money can't buy you happiness
WASHINGTON: Financial security might not be enough to ensure happiness or satisfaction with one's life, according to a study of the mental state of the modern American woman. Women who concentrated much of their thinking on financial matters were much less likely to be happy with their lives, according to Talya iron-Shatz, postdoctoral research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Contrary to expectations, many of those with such worries had plenty of money by conventional standards, she said, suggesting that there is more at play in obtaining peace of mind than simply having cash. "Even if you are making a hundred grand a year, if you are constantly worried that you are going to get fired, that you are going to lose your health insurance or that you are simply not sure you are going to 'make it', you are not going to be happy," Miron-Shatz said. Such concerns, she found, affected a wide variety of women at all income levels. Conversely, those who didn't fixate on finances like retirement savings, tuition for college or simply making ends meet, reported being the happiest of the group. Miron-Shatz conducted two separate studies of a representative sample of nearly 1,000 American women of various ages and incomes. In one study, she showed that considerations of financial security were as important to the study subjects as their monetary assets. She asked subjects in the second study to think about the future in an open-ended manner. Those who did so and mentioned financial concerns - retirement, college tuition, making ends meet and so on - were less satisfied with their lives, she found, than those who did not raise such concerns. Psychologists have long sought to understand the connection between money and happiness. Though the popular conception has been that "money can't buy happiness", studies have shown that wealth can play a role in enhancing happiness. Contributing to this complicated relationship is what Princeton psychology professor Daniel Kahneman has called the "satisfaction treadmill". In pioneering studies of human happiness, Kahneman has found that satisfaction does not necessarily increase in a corresponding amount with an improved financial status, said a Princeton release. Miron-Shatz is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Kahneman, who has pioneered the integration of research about decision-making into economics and won the 2002 Nobel Prize in economic sciences. Miron-Shatz's paper grew out of her work with Kahneman, who is her adviser.
Being obese shortens your life
LONDON: Being obese can take years off your life and in some cases may be as dangerous as smoking, a new study says. British researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed 57 studies mostly in Europe and North America, following nearly one million people for an average of 10 to 15 years. During that time, about 100,000 of those people died. The studies used Body Mass Index (BMI), a measurement that divides a person's weight in kilograms by their height squared in meters to determine obesity. Researchers found that death rates were lowest in people who had a BMI of 23 to 24, on the high side of the normal range. Health officials generally define overweight people as those with a BMI from 25 to 29, and obese people as those with a BMI above 30. The study was published online Wednesday in the medical journal, Lancet. It was paid for by Britain's Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and others. "If you are heading towards obesity, it may be a good idea to lose weight," said Sir Richard Peto, the study's main statistician and a professor at Oxford University. Peto and colleagues found that people who were moderately fat, with a BMI from 30 to 35, lost about three years of life. People who were morbidly fat, those with a BMI above 40, lost about 10 years off their expected lifespan, similar to the effect of lifelong smoking. Moderately obese people were 50 percent more likely to die prematurely than normal-weight people, said Gary Whitlock, the Oxford University epidemiologist who led the study. He said that obese people were also two thirds more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke, and up to four times more likely to die of diabetes, kidney or liver problems. They were one sixth more likely to die of cancer. "This really emphasizes the importance of weight gain," said Dr. Arne Astrup, a professor of nutrition at the University of Copenhagen who was not linked to the Lancet study. "Even a small increase in your BMI is enough to increase your risks for cardiovascular disease and cancer." Previous studies have found that death rates increase both above and below a normal BMI score, and that people who are moderately overweight live longer than underweight or normal-weight people. Other experts said that because the papers used in the study mostly started between 1975 and 1985, their conclusions were not as relevant today. Astrup worried that rising obesity rates may reverse the steep drops in heart disease seen in the West. "Obesity is the new dark horse for public health officials," he said. "People need to be aware of the risks they're taking when they gain weight."
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