Top 5 promising researches in malaria treatment, prevention and control

April 25 is the World Malaria Day

Malaria is the deadliest vector-borne disease that is spread through female Anopheles mosquitoes. It kills more than one million people worldwide, mainly children and pregnant women. The reason behind this is the poor hygienic conditions, poor control methods, poor diagnostics, increasing complications and drug-resistant cases malaria that make treatment difficult. To overcome these challenges several agencies and organizations all over the world are investing in qualitative research on malaria, be it drug and vaccine development, rapid diagnosis or studying the complications. Here are some latest researches pertaining to malaria that look promising.

1. A step forward to combat drug-resistant malaria:

Drug-resistant malaria was first reported in early 1960s, where the most potent drug chloroquine failed to show its effect on Falciparum malaria. In India, the first case was reported much later in the year 1973. Since then cholorquine resistant malaria slowly spread all over the world, and is still prevalent. But soon we could have a new way to treat cholorquine-resistant cases of malaria. A recent research carried out at Australian National University (ANU) and Germany’s University of Heidelberg found that the protein in malarial parasite which is responsible for drug resistance can be rendered useless with slight modification in dosing pattern of the drug chloroquine. The study suggests that by simply increasing the dose of chloroquine and its frequency of administration, the drug resistant mechanism of the parasite may fall apart. Here’s some more information on the research: Chloroquine is now effective against malaria again!.

2. Soon we could have a malaria vaccine:

A cheap, effective vaccine would help in reducing a significant burden of malaria and we are not very far away from having one. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have identified a method to produce key proteins of the malaria parasite in a faster way. These proteins when used in the vaccine would trigger production of antibodies and offer protection against malaria. This research has significantly contributed to the development of cheaper malaria vaccine, which is the primary requirement for majority of the population prone to malaria. 

3. A novel method to control spread of malaria: 
Anopheles mosquito is the main carrier of malaria parasite. So, to control the spread of malaria it is important to prevent breeding of these mosquitoes. Scientists from Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Perugia and Imperial College London, found a method to interfere with fertility of the female Anopheles mosquito. This interference affects reproduction of the mosquito making it produce fewer offspring carrying the parasite. 

4. A new molecule tailored to kill Plasmodium: 

Till the day we figure out a better control method for preventing spread of malaria, effective treatment remains the mainstay for reducing the number of death cases. A recent study published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry has revealed that a protein called Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) plays an important role in survival of malaria parasite. The study further analysed the potential of a group of compounds called 7-azaindoles that interfere with HSP60 and help in killing the parasite. Based on the laboratory results, it was concluded that 7-azaindoles effectively kill the parasite without affecting the red blood cells (RBCs). Read more about the research: Now a new method to help treat malaria.

5. A promising drug for cerebral malaria:

Cerebral malaria is a common complication of malaria, where the parasite causes brain damage in malaria patients and creates life-threatening situation. Scientists at Toronto General Research Institute, Canada demonstrated that the drug rosiglitazone, used for diabetic patients, prevented brain defects in mice at the onset of cerebral malaria, and increased their chances of survival. If these results are replicated in humans, the number of deaths due to cerebral malaria can be reduced to a great extent.

Source:   http://health.india.com            

Ban on Mango Imports: EU playing games?

Mangoes are a delicacy throughout Europe, especially countries with a colonial legacy in south-east Asia and South America. Of the many varieties of mangoes flooding the European markets, the Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Alphonso occupies the pride of place on Western plates. It is also used to flavor different dishes from the main course right up to puddings and desserts. Now, mangoes have become the centre of a conflict between EU food inspectors and the Indian government. EU has banned import of Indian mangoes of all varieties from May 1 due to the discovery of fruit flies in some consignments. India exports roughly 5 percent of its annual produce of the fruit to EU. Other countries might follow the example of EU and India might have to face import ban on mangoes from elsewhere too.

This will put domestic growers and exporters in difficulty. Local markets in India have the capacity to absorb the extra supply but prices will come down drastically. Cancelled orders from EU will also mean a huge loss due to investments already made in packaging, storage and labour wages. Above all, the loss of reputation assiduously built over the last few decades will be impossible to salvage. Indian mangoes had the reputation of being the best quality products grown in hygienic conditions, packed and dispatched as per the stringent EU conditions. What happened suddenly that the discovery of flies in some consignments resulted in a blanket ban?

Before this ban, an indication of the coming trouble was available when the UK informed the Indian government of having found fruit flies and Thirps palmi in vegetable, especially bitter gourd or karela, consignments from West Bengal. The government had, as a self regulation, banned export of vegetables to the UK. At that time, the inspectors at the UK labs had clearly informed the press and the government that mangoes and aubergines (brinjals) were also under watch. People everywhere are very concerned about their health, and the governments of some countries are extra careful as outbreak of diseases from imported merchandise can be difficult to control. Also, it puts an undue load on their health services. If it can be prevented by stringent checks at points of entry, these countries will do all and employ state of art equipment to protect their citizens.  Why then did the Indian government and the concerned exporters associations, not take appropriate measures to ensure mango and vegetable export consignments were up to stringent EU standards?

But there is a catch here which has made some domain watchers question whether there is a larger design behind these maneuvers by the EU. While the West Bengal consignments did immense harm to the image of Indian agricultural produce and later investigation by the local press found that despite warnings, exporters had not upgraded the testing facilities, the banning of mango consignments have drawn ire due to the timing of the ban as well as the increased vigilance on Indian farm produce. India has been exporting these items for years. Nothing has changed so drastically in farming or packaging technology in India that suggests that these might have become unsuitable for export to EU. None of the EU countries have reported outbreak of any disease as a result of consumption of farm produce from India. How, then, has Indian farm produce suddenly become unpalatable for EU palates?

The crux of the matter lies in the EU request to Indian government to lower import duties on its wines and spirits. The EU believes these duties are acting as trade barriers. Some analysts are of the opinion that EU is using its phyto-sanitary standards against Indian imports in an attempt to force it to lower the duties and relax trade rules for EU exports. Indian origin British MP Keith Vaz has termed the ban as “Euro-nonsense and bureaucracy gone mad.”

India has the option of further increasing the duties on EU wines and spirits or banning them altogether to escalate the tiff into a full scale trade war or identifying other EU imports to achieve the same results. What the EU is doing by what India calls non-tariff barriers is plain intimidation. For, fruit flies have been found earlier too and the consignments had been impounded and dealt with according to the rule book. This time, however, the EU is bent on getting concessions for its products by banning imports altogether.

Although health concerns of importers have to be looked into and India has to upgrade facilities, but India cannot allow EU to browbeat it in this manner. For, today it seems that the battle is between mangoes and vegetables versus wines and spirits. Tomorrow, it will be something else. Once they have their way by applying pressure, they will continue to pick different items from the export basket and get concessions for themselves. India has to analyze the loss-benefit scenario and stand up to this bullying by the EU in the best possible manner.

Source: http://www.theindianrepublic.com

Mobile radiation causes no health risk: WHO expert

NEW DELHI: Mobile towers and mobile phone radiations have no health risks and do not cause cancer, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said. 

"WHO studies have already proven that mobile phones do not affect human health. Cancer or brain tumour apart, it doesn't cause even headaches or sleep disorder," said radiation expert Michael Repacholi, the first co-ordinator of WHO's radiation and environmental health unit. 

Talking at the launch of the book "Mobile Phones and Public Health - Myth and Reality" here, Repacholi added: "A person absorbs five times more radio frequency (RF) from FM radio or television than the base station tower. Mobile tower radiation is lower compared to RF emissions from radio FM or television." 

He also dismissed the views that mobile radiation levels higher than the prescribed limit can have ill effects on human health. 

The book's editor Ravi VS Prasad said: "Scientific studies from all over the world failed to prove any adverse effects from use of mobile phones and towers. Their energy emissions are one-thousandth of the energy from sunlight, and so can't impact on health." 

Prasad also highlighted that the Indian standards are ten times more stringent than the already strict international norms, which in turn are one- fiftieth of the level at which there can be any impact on health.

Source:  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

5 tips for choosing your GPS

With the development of new technology and the latest IT innovations, road guidance systems become a vital tool of everyday life of many people. Easy to use, the GPS (Global Positioning System) or GPS satellite is currently integrated into cars to ensure peace of mind while driving. Before installing this automatic guidance system in your vehicle, several criteria have to be considered. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the GPS matching you needs.

1. Main features

First, to make the right choice, choose the guidance system matching your vehicle. The most common system is based on an onboard navigation concept, which uses GPS technology. This allows determining the best route from point A to B. Some GPS installed in cars have a systematic function for controlling the location of the vehicle at any time. Much of vehicle location and navigation systems can also alert emergency services in case of accident. Systems also provide an exact location of your vehicle, even in a secluded location of the road.

2. The efficiency of real-time monitoring

With exclusive innovations in GPS, engineers have succeeded in developing good tracking systems embedded with a “real time” capacity of wireless network. This enables exact and almost exhaustive information with a visual representation (street name, service station, restaurant, parking, etc.). With this innovative system, the user can check whether he is on the right way thanks to information distributed by the system. At any time, the tool also communicates fuel level and the location of the car. If you miss a turn or a destination, GPS can automatically recalculate the new route.

3. The ability to control speed limit

Whatever the features a GPS may have, it’s all about the money. Some tracking systems embedded in vehicles also feature a speed limit controller. This option automatically notifies the driver when speeding. This provides good fuel management, limits possible penalty and all types of hazards and accidents.

4. Voice navigation system

Currently in vogue, voice navigation is a technology built in GPS. This option gives oral instruction to the driver via the device. The voice guidance system is very useful for any driver trying to keep concentrate on the road. GPS with this new feature is very helpful to avoid time wasting in its handling.

5. Value for money

There are a huge number of available choices in terms of car GPS. They are numerous on the market. Most of the time, buyers are always tempted to buy the cheapest GPS. Please be aware that you can earn more in security and performance by choosing the best quality. This does not mean that you should buy the most expensive one! This is not the issue. Before deciding, set features you judge compulsory. After that, it is up to you to test its efficiency.

Source:  http://toptipsnews.com

Alzheimer’s May Be Reversible: Researchers Restore Lost Memory In Mice

Researcher succeeded in restoring the memory of mice with Alzheimer's disease. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal degenerative disease. Its diagnosis is heartbreaking for both the patient and their family. In a new study, however, a group of scientists in Spain have successfully used gene therapy to reverse memory loss in mice with early stages of Alzheimer’s. This discovery could potentially lead to the development of drugs that can be used to treat the condition.

A team of researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona put Crtc1, a gene which causes the production of a protein normally blocked in patients with Alzheimer’s, into the brains of mice. The gene was injected into the mice’s hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory processing. “The protein that was reinstated by the gene therapy triggers the signals needed to activate the genes involved in long-term memory consolidation,” the university explained in a statement, according to The Huffington Post.

Results showed that the protein restored through the gene therapy allowed for the activation of genes involved in long-term memory consolidation. The researchers found that alterations of the Crtc1 gene lead to the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In individuals with this condition, plaque forms and prevents the Crtc1 protein from functioning properly. “When the Crtc1 protein is altered, the genes responsible for the synapsis, or connections between neurons in the hippocampus, cannot be activated and the individual cannot perform memory tasks correctly,” explained lead researcher Carolos Saura, to Business Standard.

The study’s finding could help in the development of drugs designed to target and activate these genes in humans. This would allow for the recovery of memory and essentially cure Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It affects one in nine people aged 65 and older, and there are an estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages living with the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2015 the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is expected to reach 7.1 million, and by 2050  the number is estimated to rise to 13.8 million — unless there is a medical breakthrough. These high numbers are due to longer life expectancies and aging baby boomers.  

Source: Parra-Damas A, Valero J, Chen M, et al. Crtc1 Activates a Transcriptional Program Deregulated at Early Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Stages. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2014

http://www.medicaldaily.com

15 Natural Remedies for the Treatment of Acid Reflux and Ulcers

Acid reflux is an extremely common health problem, affecting as many as 50 percent of Americans. Other terms used for this condition are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease.

The hallmark symptom of acid reflux is "heartburn"—a burning sensation behind your breastbone that sometimes travels up your throat. In some cases, this pain can be severe enough to be mistaken for a heart attack.

Conventionally, acid reflux is thought to be caused by excessive amounts of acid in your stomach, which is why acid-blocking drugs are typically prescribed or recommended.

This is a serious medical misconception that adversely affects hundreds of millions of people, as the problem usually results from having too little acid in your stomach.

What Causes Heartburn?

After food passes through your esophagus into your stomach, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) closes, preventing food or acid to move back up.

Acid reflux occurs when the LES relaxes inappropriately, allowing acid from your stomach to flow (reflux) backward into your esophagus. But it's important to understand that acid reflux is not a disease caused by excessive acid production in your stomach; rather it's a symptom more commonly related to:

• Hiatal hernia1
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection (H. pylori bacteria is thought to affect more than half of the world's population, and has been identified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization2)

While these two conditions are unrelated, many who have a hiatal hernia also have H. pylori, which cause a chronic low-level inflammation of your stomach lining that can result in an ulcer3 and associated symptoms. If you have a hiatal hernia, physical therapy on the area may work and many chiropractors are skilled in this adjustment.

The hypothesis that H. pylori infection is responsible, or at least a major factor, for producing the symptoms of acid reflux stems from the work done by Dr. Barry Marshall, an Australian physician, during the early 1980s.

Source: http://articles.mercola.com

Having cancer is not a fight or a battle

Why is military language used to describe cancer? These words are meant to help patients but can have the opposite effect

'In my world, having cancer is not a fight at all … Some days cancer has the upper hand, other days I do.' Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar

"She lost her brave fight." If anyone mutters those words after my death, wherever I am, I will curse them.

I would like to be remembered for the positive impact I have made on the world, for fun times and for my relationships with others, not as a loser. When I do die, I will have defied the prognosis for my type of cancer and achieved a great deal with my life. I do not want to feel a failure about something beyond my control. I refuse to believe my death will be because I didn't battle hard enough.

And that's the problem; in my view the language used around cancer seems to revolve around wartime rhetoric: battle, fight, warrior, beat. While I recognise that these violent words may help others on their journey with cancer, as someone who is never going to "win her battle" with this disease, I find them uncomfortable and frustrating to hear.

However, I do understand why this military language has penetrated the media, charities and everyday life. It is meant to evoke positivity at an unimaginably difficult time in someone's life. But I think it can have the opposite effect and we need to challenge it and to break away from how we have been conditioned to think and speak about a disease that will affect one third of us at some point.

Even for those who survive or "conquer" the disease, it will remain with them for the rest of their lives; they may be left disfigured by treatment and have to live with the constant anxiety that their cancer may return. They may not wish to have the label of "survivor", which must interfere with the return to normality.

I cannot see anything "brave" about how I live my life. Bravery implies a choice. Someone who lays down their life to save another human being is brave. I didn't choose to be affected by cancer and I don't believe being placed on the courage pedestal helps me to continue living. Just because I have cancer, it doesn't mean I cannot make mistakes or be selfish, but it almost becomes an expectation that because you are a cancer patient that you somehow become the perfect person. These expectations can be tough to live with on a daily basis.

In my world, having cancer is not a fight at all. It is almost a symbiosis where I am forced to live with my disease day in, day out. Some days cancer has the upper hand, other days I do. I live with it and I let its physical and emotional effects wash over me. But I don't fight it. After all, cancer has arisen from within my own body, from my own cells. To fight it would be "waging a war" on myself. I have used chemotherapy on two occasions to bring the cancer back under control and alter the natural history of the disease. I submitted myself to this treatment gently, and somewhat reluctantly, taking whatever each day had to throw at me. I certainly didn't enter the process "with all guns blazing".

Cancer Research UK uses the slogan "One day we will beat cancer". This may sound defeatist but I don't think we ever will. Cells need to divide in all of us to remain alive, to grow and repair our bodies; sometimes this process goes wrong and the result is cancer. We will become better at understanding these processes and how we can target them therapeutically, but I cannot imagine a human society free from cancer, no matter how much money we invest.

As a cancer patient who will die in the relatively near future, I believe rather that instead of reaching for the traditional battle language, [life] is about living as well as possible, coping, acceptance, gentle positivity, setting short-term, achievable goals, and drawing on support from those closest to you.

Source:  http://www.theguardian.com

'Terrorist name' bars Swiss passenger from US

A French woman was left stunned this week when she was barred from boarding a Swiss airlines flight to New York from Geneva airport after being told she was blacklisted. The reason, she says, is the name on her passport, Alic Aïda, which when pronounced (wrongly) can sound like Al Qaeda.

Co-pilot 'threatened to crash' Ethiopian plane (17 Feb 14)

Co-pilot hijacks plane forced to land in Geneva (17 Feb 14)

Geneva airport sets new passenger record (13 Jan 14)

The woman was all set for a holiday in New York with her husband and their two children on Wednesday but was stopped as she was about to board the plane at the Swiss airport.

According to the woman whose first name is Aïda, second name Alic, she was told by a Swiss International Air Lines official that they had received notice from American border authorities that she was barred from entering the United States.

“At first I thought it was a joke, then I realized our trip was not going to happen,” she told the regional French newspaper Dauphine Libéré.

“To be on a blacklist like a terrorist, you become paranoid,” said Alic, who is from the Savoie region of France.

Wondering why she ended up being barred from America the young woman, who had painted the colours of the US flag on her finger nails in preparation for the trip, could only think of one reason, her name.

On her passport her surname ALIC appears then her first name Aïda.

“Alic Aida, Al Qaeda. When friends make the play on words to try and pull my leg, I am used to it, but not this. Especially since my name is actually pronounced Alitch. It is of Yugoslav origin. And now here I am labelled as a risk.”

According to Europe1 the young woman called the American consulate in Lyon to try and find out the reason why was barred from boarding thre plane but was unable to find out.

Source:  http://www.thelocal.ch

Coffee Drinkers Live Longer

Coffee drinkers, jump for joy. A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that coffee drinkers live longer. This is promising news for approximately 50% of the population who drink some form of coffee.

Historically, scientific studies attributed coffee drinking to heightened blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Previous studies have shown that coffee drinkers were more likely to die at any time. However previous studies failed to take into account inherent biases—like coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke and consume more alcohol.

But according to the National Institute of Health and AARP coffee drinkers live longer when all inherent biases are accounted for.   What the recent study found was that when all things are equal, regular coffee drinkers tend to live longer.  However, the study fell short of concluding a causal relationship.  The study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that “coffee consumption was inversely associated with total and cause-specific mortality. Whether this was a causal or associational finding cannot be determined from our data.”  But when eliminating all external biases, the study found that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to die from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

According to statistics from The Specialty Coffee Assocation of America, the average coffee drinker drinks 3.2 cups of coffee a day. But this latest study does not give statistics on how much coffee correlates to optimal longevity or at what quantity coffee will start to have adverse effects. However, there are several tips to go about drinking coffee so that you can lower the health risks.

• Too much coffee can be a bad thing. If you have too much coffee in your system, you can possibly suffer side effects such as nervousness, jitteriness, insomnia, an upset stomach, and tremors.
• Hold the sugar and cream. Having too much sugar in your system can potentially offset any benefits you reap from drinking coffee. There is actually a study that indicates that too much sugar can actually erode your brainpower.  And of course, cream and sugar means excess calories and zero nutrients and vitamins. Black coffee by itself contains virtual no calories. The calories comes from all the additives that are mixed in to make your frappuccino, cappuccino, and the likes.
• Drink filtered coffee so that you can lower the level of LDL in your system. LDL is just a technical name for bad cholesterol.
• Try not to drink coffee right before a meal. Drinking coffee right before your meal can supress your appetite and also give you an upset stomach.

Source:  http://examinedexistence.com

How Eating Fish Affects the Brain

The benefits of fish on human brain health are indispensable.  Studies have revealed that fatty and amino acids found in most fish are elements critical not only in building brain cell membranes, but also in fostering its proper development to make it function better. Here’s a lowdown on the vital nutrients found in fish that could well explain how eating it can be highly essential to brain health and function.

Fish as a Rich Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Cold-water fish, like mackerel, trout, salmon and sardines, belong to the oily fish category, while haddock and cod, among several others, belong to the lean ones. Of these two categories, the former are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than the latter in terms of brain-health benefits and as the brain’s building materials.  In turn, this omega-3 fatty acid produces docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a more complex fatty acid that builds up the brain cell membranes, to boost the brain’s health and function.

Fish as an Excellent Source of DHA

The DHA is responsible for building brain tissues, restoring neurons and improving synapses. An aging brain will show lowered DHA levels and this affects overall brain health. Without fish on the diet, deficiency in DHA can contribute or worsen brain conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia in elder people. And younger people are not spared! DHA deficiency diminishes learning abilities for young people. So load up on salmon. It is good for young brains and may even be helpful to ward off or delay brain diseases in the post-golden years.

Protein and Amino Acids in Fish Are Responsible for Efficient Neurotransmission

The brain is a huge network and it needs efficient highways, called neurotransmitters, to convey information within the network and even through the brain barrier. Essential amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are necessary for brain health. Unfortunately, the body isn’t capable of producing these acids on its own, and thus, needs to source them from food. In a study conducted by Harvard University, it concluded that fish produces high-quality protein containing these essential substances. Other researches supported this inference and discovered that amino acids significantly improve learning performance and promote mental acuity.

Fish as a Great Source of Vitamin D

Vitamin D acts with other nutrients, such as calcium, to improve healthy brain nerves, enhance cognitive abilities, and contribute to quickness of the thought processes. Vitamin D is not naturally abundant in most types of food, but it is found naturally and abundantly in fish.  Research published in the Journal of Neurology showed that men with higher Vitamin D levels performed significantly better in a neuropsychological test than the other subjects with lower Vitamin D levels.

What is good for the brain is ultimately beneficial for the body. This is true of fish and fish oil. They are known to reduce depression, risks for death from cardiac diseases, and even death from all causes. That eating fish is good for you and your brain is definitely a no-brainer.

Source: http://examinedexistence.com

The Top 6 Reasons Why People Get Depressed

It is normal to feel lonely, blue or sad occasionally, as these reactions are often short-lived and may pass within a day or two. However, if such ‘feelings’ already interfere with your daily life, causing pain on both yourself and the people who care for you, depression may be on the way. While this psychological condition is common, it is serious. Sadly, many people with depression don’t seek treatment.

If you are feeling depressed, it is not simple to figure out why. Oftentimes, depression does not emerge from a single cause, but rather, results from a combination of factors, perhaps past traumatic events, your present circumstances, your genes, and other things. Below are reported as the top six causes of depression in today’s society.

1. Chronic Stress

Stress can be good for you.  But chronic stress can lead to elevation of stress hormone, cortisol, and decrease in serotonin and key neurotransmitters such as dopamine. These body chemicals play a crucial role on a person’s mood as well as biological processes, such as appetite, sleep, sex drive and energy. When individuals respond to a stressful situation, such as death of a loved one, the body’s stress response normally shuts off and resets but when this mechanism fails, depression may result.

2. Debt

There is no doubt that money is important in society.  However, it is not the lack of money that ultimately leads people to become depressed; it is the process of being in chronic debt.  Research from Lawrence Berger PhD, from the University of Madison, has found that when a person’s debt increases by 10 percent, symptoms of depression increase by 14 percent.  Those that display the most depressive symptoms because of debt are people who are 50 and older.  That is not surprising as people around this age feel that they are running out of time.

3. Poor Body Image

In a society obsessed with the ‘ideal body type’, it is not surprising for many women, even men, to be unhappy with their body image. They tend to compare themselves with the ‘thin ideal’ that is often seen in many magazines and television. Many researches have reported more women are having negative perception of their own body image, linking it to high incidents of depression often leading to suicide. Poor body image has driven many women to extreme measures such as starvation, leading to serious eating disorders – this can lead to attempts of committing suicide.

4. Divorce/Failed Relationships

Divorce is one of the most stressful events in life an individual can experience. A failed relationship is especially hard on the psyche as you have come to depend, rely, and confide in that person.  Part of the emotional torment comes from the lack of hope that you will find another person that you feel the same way about.

5. Aging

Old age is usually viewed as the period of reflection, rest, and the chance to do the things not experienced while pursuing career and raising the family. However, the aging process is not always pleasant. Events, such as loss of loved ones and friends and debilitating medical conditions, can take a toll on the elder’s emotional wellbeing. Elderly may feel loss of control over life because of reduced motor skills and sensory impairment.

6. Death of a Loved One

Grief is one of the five natural emotions and is completely natural.  However, if grief is dealt with incorrectly, it can lead to chronic depression.  If grief is handled correctly, it can make one appreciate how short and fleeting life is and to start taking life by the horns.

Source:  http://examinedexistence.com

Pickle Juice: 4 Health Benefits Of Drinking The Green Juice

Pickles have been around for thousands of years, and while there are many benefits of eating the crunchy treat, there are also health benefits of pickle juice as well. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Pickles have been around for thousands of years, and while there are many benefits of eating the crunchy treat, there are also health benefits of pickle juice as well. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Pickle juice — it’s often the forgotten counterpart when enjoying delicious pickles, and fortunately it actually does more than just add flavor to your favorite side dish. There are also many health benefits associated with the leftover juice. 

According to the New York Food Museum, the history of cucumbers dates back to 2030 B.C. when cucumbers were first brought over from India to the Tigris Valley, and people needed a way to preserve them. Cleopatra even claimed that her diet of pickles helped maintain her beauty. In modern times, pickles are used in many ways: drinks, foods, and beauty remedies, to name a few. However, pickle juice also has amazing health benefits like curing a hangover and soothing heartburn. We’ve listed some helpful ways you can incorporate pickle juice into your life:

1.       Hangover Cure:

One of the main reasons people feel so terrible when they’ve spent a night drinking is because alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you feeling dehydrated. Drinking pickle juice helps to replenish your depleted sodium levels.

2.     Post-Workout Cure:

Many athletes swear by it because it helps to rebuild electrolytes post-workout. Pickle juice contains sodium and vinegar — both necessary in aiding athletes and those who sweat heavily. Some researchers also credit vinegar to help relieve the cramps; others say it’s the magnesium. This might also be useful pre-workout, too. The National Institutes of Health found that ingesting high-sodium drinks pre-exercise can improve thermoregulation and performance.  

3.       PMS Remedy:

It works the same way as it would for a post-workout cure because it helps to hydrate the body and alleviate cramping. It also will help to curb the salt cravings that many women have when they are menstruating.

  4.       Heartburn Relief:

This might sound like it would cause the exact opposite effect, since vinegar triggers heartburn for some, but the vinegar in pickle juice actually helps some people soothe heartburn, according to Yahoo Shine.  

Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com

'Bionic Eye' Implant Restores Blind Man's Vision; One Of The First Users Of FDA-Approved Device

Retinitis pigmentosa can impair vision, leaving large blocks of visual information undetected and thus dark. The Telegraph

People who are legally blind may now have hope to see again, thanks to recent successful implants of bionic eyes in several patients in the U.S.

Roger Pontz, a 55-year-old factory worker, is one of just four patients in the U.S. who have received an artificial retina, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved the use of these surgical implants last year. Pontz was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that left him legally blind, during his adolescence.

Now, thanks to his bionic eye, Pontz is able to see black and white as well as shadows. Though his full vision isn’t restored, being able to make out shapes — as well as distinguish between light and dark shades — has had an enormous impact on his happiness.

“What’s it worth to see again?” Potz said, according to The Associated Press. “It’s worth everything.”

The bionic eye in Pontz’s left eye works through the use of a video camera and transmitter that is attached to a pair of glasses. The camera captures images and then converts them into electrical pulses transmitted to the retina surface, stimulating the remaining healthy cells on the retina. This stimulation then leads these cells to relay the signal to the optic nerve, allowing the visual information to be transferred to the brain, where it is converted into light patterns.
  
Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited degenerative eye disease that causes vision impairment and can ultimately lead to complete blindness. Symptoms can occur in infancy or early adolescence but sometimes don’t appear until later in life 

The surgical procedure has been performed in Europe before but just now started happening in the U.S., where the University of Michigan and 11 other centers are offering services for patients. Patients must be aged 25 or older and must have end-stage retinitis pigmentosa — having almost no light perception in both eyes — in order to be eligible for the surgery.

Both Pontz and his wife have enjoyed the benefits of him being able to discern shapes and rely on vision to walk around. “It’s awesome,” Pontz told the AP. “It’s exciting, seeing something new every day. 

Source:   http://www.medicaldaily.com

Increasing Coffee Consumption May Ward Off Diabetes

People who drink more than a couple of cups of coffee a day are probably looking for any reason to back their caffeine addiction. But a new study now adds to a growing body of evidence that a couple of cups a day is good for you, finding that people who steadily increase the amount of coffee they drink could decrease their risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Our findings confirm those of previous studies that showed that higher coffee consumption was associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk,” said Shilpa Bhupathiraju, lead author of the study and a research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, in a press release. “Most importantly, they provide new evidence that changes in coffee consumption habit can affect type 2 diabetes risk in a relatively short period of time.”

The study follows a wealth of others supporting the benefits of drinking a few cups of coffee each day. Some of the most overwhelming evidence shows that the drink is good for liver health, preventing fat deposits, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. But other studies have also shown that coffee can reduce a person’s risk of suicide by 50 percent, lower the chances of getting oral cancer, and bring down blood pressure. As Bhupathiraju said, the current study isn’t the first one to find coffee’s benefits against diabetes.   

For their study, the researchers looked at data on the consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea, as well as decaf coffee, among about 124,000 men and women (majority women) who collectively participated in three separate studies between 1986 and 2007. The participants’ diets were evaluated during follow-ups every four years, while researchers took note of who developed diabetes — about 7,300 did.

Bhupathiraju and colleagues found that people whose coffee consumption increased by more than one cup per day over the course of four years had an 11 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next four years. For these participants, the median change in coffee consumption was about 1.69 cups per day. Meanwhile, those who lowered coffee consumption by about two cups per day had a 17 percent higher risk of diabetes.

“These findings further demonstrate that, for most people, coffee may have health benefits,” said Frank Hu, senior author and professor of nutrition and epidemiology, in the press release. “But coffee is only one of many factors that influence diabetes risk. More importantly, individuals should watch their weight and be physically active.” Indeed, a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to prevent type 2 diabetes, which affects 90 to 95 percent of the 25.8 million Americans who have the disease (the rest have type 1 diabetes).

Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com

Drinking up to bottle of wine a day can cut heart disease risk

Drinking up to a bottle of wine a day cuts the risk of developing heart disease in men by half, controversial new research has found.

 Drinking anything between a quarter of a glass of wine up to a bottle a day reduces the risk of heart disease research has shown                      

The study has confirmed that low levels of alcohol protect against heart disease but it also found that high levels of consumption still reduced the risk of developing the condition.

Experts warned that the protective effect against heart disease did not get bigger the more people drank but the risk of cancer, accidents, mental health problems and liver cirrhosis do increase with high consumption.

Others said the study was 'flawed'.

The study, published in the journal Heart, was conducted in Spain, one of the world's largest producers of wine but with one of the lowest death rates from heart disease.

The authors found that drinking between five and 30 grams of alcohol a day, the equivalent to less than one UK unit to almost four units or up to one large glass of red wine, reduced the risk of developing heart disease by half.

The protective effect did not increase significantly the more people drank and those with the highest consumption,11 units or more – the equivalent to over one bottle of red wine a day – still had a 50 per cent lower chance of heart disease.

The effects were seen for all forms of alcohol and were not limited to red wine, which previous research has suggested was especially protective for the heart because of substances in the skins of red grapes.

The results were women followed a similar trend but were not significant because of relatively few women in the study developing heart disease so the data could not be relied upon to be accurate.

The study conducted by a team of doctors and epidemiologists at Government departments and Universities across Spain, involved questioning more than 41,000 people aged between 29 and 69, who did not have heart disease when enrolled and who were followed up for an average of ten years.

Prof Mark Bellis, director of the centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, said: "The message from this study is that the coronary protective effect of alcohol begins at a relatively low level of consumption and does not significantly increase the more people drink. The protective effect is in place at around one quarter of a normal glass of wine daily.

"The danger is that this study will be interpreted that there are no health harms from drinking large amounts of alcohol but you have to be very careful looking at one disease with alcohol consumption. Our work has looked at more than 40 different diseases and the risk of almost all of them increases with high consumption of alcohol, particularly cancers."

Prof Robert Sutton, Professor of Surgery at the University of Liverpool, said: "This study suffers from several flaws, so cannot be taken to suggest that high levels of alcohol intake can improve health.

"This new study was based on self-reported information in which those drinking more stated they had less heart disease, but those drinking more would probably be less likely to see doctors and have heart disease identified.

"Surprisingly, the authors state that determining what type of alcoholic beverage has been consumed is actually of no public health significance, but many would disagree. Nor was there any attempt evident to determine the pattern of drinking – less frequent, higher doses are likely to be more harmful to some parts of the body than others.

"Most importantly, all other alcohol-related diseases were completely ignored so that a highly biased view of the effects of alcohol results."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "A wide range of studies, including the World Health Organisation summary of the evidence, find many negative effects of drinking above the lower-risk recommended levels. This includes an increased risk of stroke and cancer. Research also shows the harmful effects of drinking excessively on heart disease.

"We will consider this particular report in full, but it is important to note this is currently one study amongst a wide range of published research into the relationship between alcohol and heart disease. It needs to be looked at alongside other research and to be considered within the whole body of evidence on this topic."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Shanghai Metro To Riders: Don?t Dress Too Sexy

"Dressing like that, it would be unusual for a lady not be harassed. There can be perverts on the subway and it's hard to get rid of them. Please have self-respect, ladies." - Shanghai Metro (via Weibo) Weibo Screenshot



Dress too sexy and you'll get harassed. That's the message the Shanghai Metro sent its riders last week through China's Twitter equivalent, Weibo.

The message, which quickly went viral, was posted on the official Weibo account of the Shanghai Metro and included a photo of a woman wearing a sheer dress on the platform with the following comment:

Dressing like that, it would be unusual for a lady not be harassed. There can be perverts on the subway, and it's hard to get rid of them. Please have self-respect, ladies. (Translation from South China Morning Post)

More than 6,000 people commented on the post and another 15,000 re-blogged it. Most criticized the transportation agency for suggesting women were to blame if harassed by dressing scantily.

According to this logic, all men can harass women in swimming pools? one micro-blog user was quoted as saying in China Daily.

The official account of Women's Voice, a group advocating gender equality in China, said: Sexual harassment is a crime! The subway line should try harder to be responsible for passenger safety instead of finding excuses for these criminals and blaming the crime on the victims!

On Sunday, the controversy generated even more talk after two women started a protest against the Weibo message by walking through the metro with their faces covered in black. They held signs that read: I can be coquettish, but you cannot harass me, and yes to cool dress, no to dirty man.

But their protest did not go over well with the public. Though initial respondents expressed outrage over the Metro's post, a Weibo poll on Monday revealed that 70 percent of the nearly 17,000 surveyed believed women should dress more conservatively when on the subway and that dress codes have little to do with gender equality.

Dressing appropriately in public is a matter of public courtesy, said one micro-blog user. Asking women to be self-respecting in the way they dress does not equate to justifying sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Metro has not removed the original post, nor has it apologized for the controversial comment.

A spokesman for the transit company told the Global Times newspaper: As the city's subway operator, we have the responsibility to warn women of the potential danger of sexual harassment on the subway.


He added that complaints of sexual harassment on the Shanghai Metro are on the rise.

http://www.ibtimes.com/

World Malaria Day 2014: Towards near zero preventable deaths by 2015

April 25 is World Malaria Day. 

UNITAID is dedicating 34 million USD on reducing malaria case-fatality through its project rolling out over the coming weeks to treat the severest cases.  Every year thousands of children across Africa die from severe malaria. If left untreated, severe malaria leads to almost certain death within 48 hours. In 2012, malaria killed an estimated 483,000 children under-five years of age. UNITAID’s new investment in six high malaria burden countries is estimated to cut malaria case-fatality rates by more than 10%.

In health facility settings, WHO recommends injectable artesunate for severe malaria.  Although this is the most effective treatment for severe malaria and it can be administered rapidly and with ease, availability and uptake has been low.  It is up to three times more expensive than traditionally used quinine. According to the UNITAID 2013 Medicines Market Landscape, less than 15% of the total volume of injectable artesunate needed to treat severe malaria was procured in 2012. This new UNITAID-supported project aims to increase access to injectable artesunate by promoting and supporting its use, helping new manufacturers to enter the market by attaining WHO approval and by preventing stock-outs and reducing product price by at least 20% by mid-2016.

In cases where a health facility is not within immediate reach of a severely sick child, WHO recommends the use of fast-acting pre-referral treatment with rectal artesunate. A community health worker or a mother can administer these suppositories, thereby buying time while the child is transported to a health facility for continued treatment. Access to this product is currently limited though: no WHO-approved rectal artesunate product is currently on the market.

This UNITAID- supported market intervention is led by the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and implemented by CHAI and the Malaria Consortium initially focusing on six countreis: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda. MMV and partners aim to improve market conditions and show the feasibility of switching to injectable artesunate as well as to support manufacturers to gain WHO approval and enter the market for both injectable and rectal artesunate products.

Source:  http://health.india.com

All life has an expiry date

                            

Read,
 its beautiful.....

 "When I was a kid, my Mom liked to cook food and every now & then I remember she used to cook for us.

One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day at work,
Mom placed a plate of bread  jam and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. 
I was waiting to see

if anyone noticed the burnt toast. 
But Dad just ate his toast and 
asked me how was my day at school. 
I don't remember what I told him 
that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologizing to dad for 
burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love 
burned toast." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I 
asked him if he really liked his toast burned.
 He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and 
she was really tired. And besides... A burnt toast never hurts anyone 
but harsh words do!" You know, life is full of imperfect things... and 
imperfect people.... I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget 
birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned 
over the years, is that learning to accept each others faults and 
choosing to celebrating relationship. 

Love the people who treat you right and have compassion for the ones who don't...
 ENJOY LIFE NOW.

 It has an expiry date

World Cancer Day 2014 - Top 10 Cancer myths busted

    Cancer is the one of the scariest diseases and a major cause of mortality all over the world. And the main reason behind this fear is the prevalence of myths about cancer which till date cause an interference with thinking of people in the community as well as people having cancer. Today, on Feb 4, recognized as World Cancer Day, let’s target some common myths about the causes, treatment and prevention of cancer. Let’s educate ourselves and spread accurate information about cancer within our family and community.

Myth 1: Nothing can be done about cancer. Treatment is only meant to delay death 

Fact: With early diagnosis and right treatment strategies, one third of common cancers can be prevented and treated. According to 2008 statistics on cancer survivors, 0.64 million deaths were reported in India. This number has reduced to 0.56 million according to the 2010 statistics. Although the change is not that significant, but there’s surely a reduction in death cases. The number of cancer survivors is increasing day-by-day. Moreover, with latest developments in cancer treatment, the quality of life of cancer patients can now be improved to a great extent.

Myth 2: You cannot control your risk of getting cancer

Fact: There’s no single magical spell that can completely prevent cancer, but with awareness, lifestyle and dietary changes, the risk of cancer can be reduced greatly. 

Myth 3: If you don’t have anyone in your family suffering from cancer, you have nothing to worry about

Fact: It’s true that cancer is hereditary, but only 5 to 10 percent of cancers are inherited through genes. Mutation in cancer causing genes is the main reason why cancer develops during a lifetime. These changes mainly occur due to smoking, tobacco use, radiation and exposure to different chemicals. 

Myth 4: Frequent use of deodorants, antiperspirants and hair colors or dyes can cause cancer.

Fact: There is scientific proof that these things can cause cancer or even increase cancer risk. Use of chemicals can be harmful to the body in a lot of ways, but it definitely does not cause cancer. 

Myth 5: All cancers are painful despite advances in treatment

Fact: Pain is common in patients suffering from cancer. But, the developments in pain management techniques are truly remarkable and cancer pain can now be treated successfully in 95 percent of cancer cases. 

Myth 6: Drinking water from bottles made of re-used plastic can cause cancer or drinking bottled water that’s been kept in a car for a long time can cause cancer due to release of some chemicals.

Fact: Neither of them is true. According to the American Cancer Society and Cancer Research UK, drinking water from bottles made from re-used plastic does not cause cancer or increase the risk of cancer. Chemicals that are released from bottled water are not yet scientifically proven to be carcinogenic. 

Myth 7: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer treatment is worse than getting the disease.

Fact: Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have their own side effects and can be undesirable at times, but recent advances have made chemotherapy drugs and other treatments much tolerable. There’s a lot of scope in cancer treatment to ease side effects and improve the quality of life. 

Myth 8: With daily use of sunscreen, you can prevent skin cancers

Fact: Using sunscreens everyday is good habit because it protects you from the sun’s UV radiation. It may reduce cancer risk but we cannot yet rely on sunscreen to eliminate the risk of cancer completely. 

Myth 9: Smoking a couple of cigarettes in a day will not cause cancer.

Fact: Smoking is still the greatest contributor of cancer cases worldwide. Researchers believe that the relation between cancer risk and smoking is linear. Even if you cut down on smoking from 20 cigarettes to just say 2 cigarettes per day, your risk of dying due to other smoking related diseases (cancer, heart diseases, lung dysfunction) is reduced by just 5 percent. 

Myth 10: Constant use of mobile phones can result in brain cancer.

Fact: Constant use of mobile phones is definitely not advisable because it might be harmful to the ears. But there is no established relationship between cell phone use and brain cancer. One such study analyzing the risk of cancer with mobile phones was carried out by experts at Danish Cancer Society. They screened about 420,000 mobile users in Denmark and found absolutely no relation between cancer incidence and mobiles. Other studies from the New England Journal of Medicine also report no connection. But researchers have not totally eliminated the possibility. More research is required to confirm the risk. Here’s what WHO has to say about mobile radiation and health hazards.

Source:  http://health.india.com