Health & Beauty
Video Games Might Improve Eyesight and Even Cure Cataract
Feb 18th
s having 20/20 vision a thing of the past for you? Are you tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses, but don’t want to resort to surgery? If that is the case, then you may want to try your hand at setting up a gaming console, and start getting into video games.
A recent study conducted by McMaster University psychologist Dr. Daphne Maurer in Vancouver, Canada shows evidence that playing video games may actually just help improve and reverse failing eyesight in adults who were born with congenital cataracts.
Dr. Maurer, who is globally known for her work on the phenomena of synasthetes, or the ability of certain individuals whose brains enable them to perceive and link different senses together (associating a certain sound with a certain color, for example), presented these findings recently to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The experiment was initially conducted on six adults between the ages of 19 to 31 who had been born with the condition, and were asked to go on a program that tasked them to play first-person shooting games, which involved the use of strategy, vigilance, and attention to detail for a period of 10 hours weekly for four weeks.
Once the prescribed period was over, those who participated in the study showed a marked improvement in terms of being able to detect subtle differences in contrasts, focusing and following small moving objects, and reading fine print. This, Dr. Maurer says, is proof of the adult brain’s continuing malleability, in the sense that it can still be conditioned to work around pre-existing sensory deficiencies.
These results support earlier findings that playing certain kinds of video games can help correct other eye conditions and disorders such as ambylopia, more popularly known as lazy eye. Towards the end of 2011, Dr. Somen Ghosh at the Micro Surgical Eye Clinic in Calcutta, India, published reports that pre-teens and teenagers between the ages of 10 to 18 who had lazy eye have likewise experienced an improvement in their condition after a regimen of video games administered over time.
Meanwhile, in the United States, another study conducted by Dr. Daphne Bavelier at the University of Rochester in New York likewise showed that undergoing a video game program helped people who experienced difficulties in night driving.
These results, Dr. Bavelier said, show that the brain’s pathways for visual processing can still be challenged, “pushing the human visual system to the limits and allowing the brain to adapt to it.”
Do not starve yourself to lose weight: researcher
Feb 13th
Starvation should not be adopted as a means to tackle obesity. A lot of lifestyle factors, including proper diet, exercise and good sleep are very important in the management of obesity as ‘vaata’, ‘pitha’ and ‘kapha’ considered to be the basic elements in one’s constitution in Ayurveda, should be in perfect balance, said C.R. Agnives, Ayurveda researcher and winner of Dhanwantari Award instituted by the Kerala government.
He was delivering a lecture on the Ayurvedic perspective on obesity at the Global Ayurveda Fest here on Saturday
The former Director of Ayurveda Medical Education M.R. Vasudevan Nampoothiri, who spoke on the relevance of Ayurveda dietetics in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), pointed out that the ancient scriptures of Bhavaprakasha and Charaka Samhitha, cited improper diet as the main cause of NCDs.
“Eating undesirable food, having a meal within three hours of the previous one, and eating untimely food can all harm one’s health. Food should be eaten slow so that digestion takes place fast and no food should be consumed so that one feels full,” he said quoting scriptures.
In short, right food at the right time is an effective medicine for good health, Dr. Namboothiri said.
Renowned teacher-clinician of Ayurveda from Tamil Nadu L. Mahadevan, spoke in detail about the basic concepts of ‘dhatu’ (tissue systems), ‘dosha’ (vatha, pitha and kapha’ ) and ‘ritu’ in Ayurveda and how these influence one’s health, with special reference to hepato biliary diseases.
Director of Manipal Life Sciences Centre who spoke on ‘NCDs — genomics and prakrithi,’ elaborated on how the body’s DNA-repairing capacity diminished with age and how ‘rasayanas’ could help in DNA repair and maintaining the original functioning of the cells.
Mark Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer, European Academy of Ayurveda from Germany, said that Ayurveda as complementary medicine was gaining popularity in Germany. He spoke about how people were more bothered about holistic health, and how in Germany, Ayurveda was helping modern medicine heal body and mind.
Holistic cure
An Ayurveda practitioner in Europe for the past 15 years, E.P. Jeevan, pointed out that depression, psychosomatic disorders, rheumatic ailments and metabolic disorders were very common in Europe and that more and more people were thinking about good health beyond simple cure. Ayurveda was gaining popularity because of its holistic nature of treating the mind, body and spirit to gain good health, Dr. Jeevan said.
Parallel sessions dealing with degenerative diseases, liver disorders and NCDs with a special focus on diseases affecting women were also held.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/article2885621.ece
The white stuff: Drinking just one glass of milk a day could boost your brain power
Feb 1st
Milk has long been known to help build healthy bones and provide the body with a vitamin and protein boost.
But now it’s being hailed as a memory aid after a study found those who regularly have milk – and other dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and even ice cream – do better in key tests to check their brainpower.
Scientists asked 972 men and women to fill in detailed surveys on their diets, including how often they consumed dairy products, even if only having milk in their tea and coffee.
The subjects, aged 23 to 98, then completed a series of eight rigorous tests to check their concentration, memory and learning abilities.
The study, published in the International Dairy Journal, showed adults who consumed dairy products at least five or six times a week did far better in memory tests compared with those who rarely ate or drank them.
The researchers said: ‘New and emerging brain health benefits are just one more reason to start each day with low-fat or fat-free milk.’
In some of the tests, adults who rarely consumed dairy products were five times more likely to fail compared with those who had them between two and four times a week.
The researchers, from the University of Maine in the U.S., believe certain nutrients in dairy products, such as magnesium, could help to stave off memory loss.
They also suspect dairy foods may help protect against heart disease and high blood pressure, which in turn maintains the brain’s ability to properly function.
Some experts have disputed this, however, claiming dairy products increase the likelihood of heart disease and strokes as they are high in saturated fat.
Protein key to storing long-term memories
Jan 30th
Some billions of synapses connect our nerve cells and keep our memories intact and alive for decades with the help of self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse protein, a study has revealed.
The finding is based on a study on fruit flies conducted by neuroscientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas University.
It supports a surprising new theory about memory and may have a profound impact on explaining other oligomer-linked functions and diseases in the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease and prion diseases, the journal Cell reported.
“Self-sustaining populations of oligomers located at synapses may be the key to the long-term synaptic changes that underlie memory,” said Kausik Si, associate investigator at the Stowers Institute.
Kausik’s investigations in this area began nearly a decade ago during his doctoral research in the Columbia University lab of Nobel-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel, according to a univesity statement.
He found that in the sea slug Aplysia californica—long been favoured by neuroscientists for memory experiments because of its large, easily-studied neurons, a synapse-maintenance protein CPEB, (Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding protein) has an unexpected property.
In the new study, Kausik and his colleagues examined a Drosophila fruit fly CPEB protein known as Orb2. Like its counterpart in Aplysia, it forms oligomers within neurons (nerve cells).
“We found that these Orb2 oligomers become more numerous in neurons whose synapses are stimulated, and that this increase in oligomers happens near synapses,” said Amitabha Majumdar, postdoctoral researcher in Si’s lab, who led the study.
Drinking mate tea may help prevent colon cancer
Jan 25th
Washington: Mate tea, which has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal properties, may help prevent colon cancer, a new study has suggested.
University of Illinois scientists found that that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the approximate number of bioactive compounds present in one cup of this brew.
“The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation,” said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology.
That’s important because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, she said.
In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis.
“Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged,” she said.
The ability to induce apoptosis, or cell death, is a promising tactic for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer, she said.
de Mejia said they were able to identify the mechanism that led to cell death. Certain CQA derivatives dramatically decreased several markers of inflammation, including NF-kappa-B, which regulates many genes that affect the process through the production of important enzymes.
Ultimately cancer cells died with the induction of two specific enzymes, caspase-3 and caspase-8, de Mejia said.
“If we can reduce the activity of NF-kappa-B, the important marker that links inflammation and cancer, we’ll be better able to control the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells,” she added.
The results of the study strongly suggest that the caffeine derivatives in mate tea have potential as anti-cancer agents and could also be helpful in other diseases associated with inflammation, she said.
But, because the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most useful in the colon.
“We believe there’s ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer. Mate tea bags are available in health food stores and are increasingly available in large supermarkets,” she added.
Source : http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/drinking-mate-tea-may-help-prevent-colon-cancer_1034.html
Polio free year, India’s greatest public health achievement: WHO
Jan 14th
The United Nations and leading world organizations celebrated India’s first polio free year and termed it as a major milestone in their fight against this dreaded disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, termed it as the “greatest public health achievement” of India, the Bill Gates, of Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation described it as a major milestone in the global fight against polio.
“This is a major milestone in the global fight against polio. Children in India are now protected against this debilitating, but preventable disease, bringing us one step closer to saving and improving the lives of all children,” Mr. Gates said.
Mr. Gates in particular congratulated the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal on this achievement.
This success is the result of Indian Government’s hard work and great partnerships with Rotary International, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO and UNICEF as well as millions of volunteers, health workers and community leaders, said the Seattle-based foundation.
Celebrating the occasion, the World Health Organisation said, if all pending samples for the virus test negative, India — once regarded as the world’s epicentre for polio — will become free of the disease for the first time in its history, reducing the number of polio-endemic countries to three: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
“India’s success is arguably its greatest public health achievement and has provided a global opportunity to push for the end of polio,” WHO Director General, Margaret Chan said.
U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake attributed India’s remarkable progress to strong leadership at a national and state level, which pushed for the launch of a comprehensive polio eradication programme that enabled very poor and populous states to have high immunization coverage.
“India’s achievement is proof positive that we can eradicate polio even in the most challenging environments — in fact, it is only by targeting these areas that we can defeat this evil disease,” Mr. Lake said.
Headquartered in the U.S., Rotary International, which was majorly involved in the polio-eradication campaign in India, termed it as a major milestone in the global effort to eradicate the crippling disease polio.
“With the support of their Rotary brothers and sisters around the world, Indian Rotarians have worked diligently month after month, year after year, to help organise and carry out the National Immunisation Days that reach millions of children with the oral polio vaccine,” Rotary International president, Karlan Banneker, said.
Rotary launched its polio eradication program in 1985 and in 1988 became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since then, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 per cent, from more than 350,000 cases a year to only 604 in 2011.
The 12-month milestone in India — where the last reported case was a two-year-old girl in West Bengal on Jan 13, 2011 — continues the progress of 2010, when the country recorded only 42 polio cases out of 1,352 worldwide.
However, UN health officials still felt the need of being vigilant. In spite of the current progress, WHO warned that there is no room for complacency.
“It is a very welcome milestone, but it is not the end of the road,” WHO’s spokesperson for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Sonia Bari, told the UN Radio.
Ms. Bari said the Indian Government must remain vigilant and respond very rapidly to guard itself against any importation of polio from other countries.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2798074.ece
7 Home Remedies to Control Hair Loss
Jan 10th
1. Regular Massaging with Basic Oils
Regular massaging of the scalp with lukewarm oil helps to stimulate the hair follicles. This is also an easy way to cure hair growth deterrents like dandruff and fungal infections. Regular massaging increases the blood circulation in the scalp. It is also useful for lowering anxiety or stress that is often the underlying reason for thinning of hair. Recommended oils for 3 to 4 times-a-week massaging schedule includes coconut oil. You can alternate this with mustard oil. Keep the oil on for at least six hours before washing it off with a mild shampoo. Other oils that can be mixed with coconut oil in trace amounts for faster results include almond oil.
Read more:
- 60 ways to look young (and feel great)
- How to keep skin soft and supple
- Get the hair of your dreams
- Why are soaps harmful?
2. Natural Concoctions for Preventing Hair Loss
Coconut milk is among the richest sources of tissue-nourishing, plant derivatives. It is an excellent home remedy for keeping the hair soft without depending upon chemical formulations and regenerating dead hair follicles. You can also use a concoction of coconut oil mixed with half the amount of Amla oil. Just add a dash of lemon juice to this mixture and you have an effective, dandruff-fighting and scalp-healing concoction that arrests receding hairline.
3. Nature’s Effective Hair-stimulating Juices
Wheatgrass juice is one of the most effective remedies against hair fall. It is known to decrease the shedding tendency of hair within a few weeks of regular intake. Aloe vera juice has a similar effect. However, aloe gel can be applied to the scalp too. This is helpful for preventing hair loss due to irritated, dry or infected scalp. After massaging the head with aloe gel, wash the hair with lukewarm water. This can be done twice, every week.
4. Slightly Demanding But Very Effective Natural Therapies
You can make your own hair fall-preventing medicine at home by frying some fenugreek (methi) seeds in coconut oil. Strain this mixture and apply it in minimal amounts, rubbed gently into the hair roots. Alternatively, you can boil some henna leaves in mustard oil. After cooling and straining this preparation, add drops of it in your coconut oil container that you are using for regular massaging.
5. Homemade Pastes
You can wash the hair with a paste made from Neem leaves. This is particularly effective for hair losscaused due excessive build up of scalp oil or invasive skin infections. For restoring the alkaline balance of the scalp and preventing hair fall, you can follow this with washing the hair with apple cider vinegar. Other homemade pastes that can be very useful include a mixture prepared from adding honey and olive oil to some cinnamon (dalchini) powder.
6. Arrest Hair Fall With Elementary Household Items
Before washing your hair, apply the juice extracted from crushed coriander (dhania) leaves. You can also use a mixture of curd and gram flour (chana atta) that should be kept-on for at least an hour before bathing.
7. Hair Fall Dietary Recommendations
For a comprehensive, hair fall prevention regimen, you need to be equipped with a diet plan that includes foods that can arrest hair fall and stimulate better scalp health. Recommendations here include eating more seeds and nuts (almonds and peanuts) along with green leafy vegetables like spinach and sprouts of a variety of dals (legumes). Basically, foods rich in calcium, protein and iron are vital for ensuring overall health of the scalp. Combine this with some basic dietary supplementation, i.e. using over-the-counter products that help to ensure wholesome nutrition for your hair. Regular intake of Amla juice ensures adequate amounts of Vitamin C but you can boost this with eating more guavas. Ensure you take a multivitamin that combines beta-carotenes, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E and trace amounts of zinc and iron.
Source: (Health, MensXP.com)
Mosquitoes Genetically Modified to Prevent Malaria
Jan 4th
There may soon be a new weapon in the fight against malaria – a genetically-modified mosquito that kills the disease-causing parasite once it becomes infected.
Malaria is a leading cause of death worldwide. The mosquito-borne illness was responsible for 655,000 deaths in 2010, according to the latest World Health Organization figures, most of them, young children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Researchers have genetically engineered mosquitoes to boost their immune system, thereby blocking transmission of the disease to humans.
The altered mosquitoes produce higher than normal levels of the immune system protein, Rel2. That activates a host of anti-parasitic molecules which, in turn, launch an all-out attack on the malaria parasite. The parasite enters the insect’s gut after it takes a blood meal from infected humans.
“We’re basically attacking the parasite with multiple weapons at the same time as it is infecting the mosquito, and that will much make it more difficult for this parasite to develop resistance,” says George Dimopoulos at the Johns Hopkins University Malaria Research Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
So far, the genetically modified, or GM, mosquitoes are breeding and living as long as normal mosquitoes. Dimopoulos says that’s good news because he hopes eventually to breed them with mosquitoes in the wild so off-spring are born with heightened immune systems.
While GM mosquitoes could be a powerful weapon against the dreaded disease Dimopoulos says it will remain only one tool in the fight against the deadly malaria parasite.
“Our approach, based on genetically-modified mosquitoes, will only work in areas where transmission of malaria is carried out by a single mosquito species and not multiple species of mosquitoes because we will not be able to genetically manipulate each one of them individually.”
Dimopoulos’s team worked with Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the principal carrier of the malaria parasite in Africa. They are continuing research to see whether the genetic manipulation works on other species of mosquitos that transmit malaria parasites.
