Poor diets threaten health more than malaria, tuberculosis, measles

Given the direct impact on wellbeing, learning capacity and productivity, the loss and waste of micronutrients is of particular concern.

Health News: With one-in-five deaths associated with poor-quality diets, the UN food agency has said that regularly eating poor-quality food has become a greater public health threat than malaria, tuberculosis or measles.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) co-authored the report titled 'Preventing nutrient loss and waste across the food system: Policy actions for high-quality diets'.

It urged policymakers to reduce food loss and waste to improve access to nutritious and healthy food as it concluded that regularly eating poor-quality food has become a greater public health threat than malaria, tuberculosis or measles.

Approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption never reaches the consumer's plate or bowl. Nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, seafood and meats are highly perishable, rendering them susceptible to losses throughout increasingly complex food production systems.

Reducing food loss and waste, particularly high-nutrient foods, not only has nutritional benefits, but also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and should be a new priority for improving nutrition.

↓↓↓ Read full news report of United Nations FAO ↓↓↓

Poor Diets threaten Health

Chemotherapy may cause early menopause risk in women

Women with lung cancer who underwent chemotherapy are likely to experience an early menopause.

Health News: The results suggested that chemotherapy for patients with lung cancer increases the risk of early loss of menses in survivors.

It may cause acute amenorrhea and menopause, leading not only to hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and bone loss but also the possibility of loss of fertility.

"Although more definitive research is needed, premenopausal women who need chemotherapy for lung cancer appear to have a similar risk of amenorrhea, early menopause, and loss of fertility as premenopausal women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer and lymphoma," said JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in the US.

Early Menopause

Although lung cancer is more common in older adults, women are diagnosed at a younger age compared with men. Extensive research of women receiving treatment for breast cancer has found that between 40 per cent and 80 per cent have premature menopause. However, early menopause rates after lung cancer treatments are understudied, the researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Menopause, included 182 premenopausal women, with an average age of 43, between 1999 and 2016 and annually thereafter about their menstrual status. Types of lung cancer treatments were recorded, and frequencies of self-reported menopause at each survey...continue reading

---

News Source: BS

Not living in a polluted area, still falling sick? Here are 4 reasons why

For someone living in polluted New Delhi, for example, those 20,000 breaths include the equivalent of around 20 grains of table salt worth of particulate matter deposited in their lungs each day.

Health News : Not a day seems to go by without a story of an “airpocalypse,” usually somewhere in a developing nation. It’s hard not to empathize with the people in the smoggy images of New Delhi or Ulaanbataar or Kathmandu, often wearing masks, walking to school or work through soupy cloudiness.

Last year, a study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure. This amounts to more deaths than diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.

As a researcher in air pollution and its health effects, I know that even if you don’t live in these places, air pollution likely still affects your quality of life.

Where does air pollution come from?

You might imagine air pollution as smoke pouring out of a factory chimney or the tailpipe of a car. While these are important sources of air pollution, there are many others. Air pollution includes chemicals humans put into the atmosphere and chemicals released by natural events. For example, forest fires are a large source of air pollutants that affect many communities. Dust that’s picked up by wind can also contribute to poor air quality.

Ronald Reagan famously said that “trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.” While this myth has been debunked, he was right in at least some ways. Trees do release certain gases, such as volatile organic carbon, that are ingredients in air pollution chemistry. This, when mixed together with emissions from cars and industry, leads to increases in other types of pollution, such as ozone.

There isn’t much that scientists can, or should, do about tree emissions. Public health researchers like myself focus most on the ingredients from human activities – from burning petroleum to emissions controls on industrial facilities – because these are sources located close to where people live and work. There are also many chemical reactions that occur in the air itself. These reactions create what are known as secondary pollutants, some of which are quite toxic.

Finally, it’s important to realize that air pollution knows no boundaries. If a pollutant is emitted in one location, it very easily moves across borders – both regional and national – to different places. New Delhi, for example, experiences seasonal pollution, thanks to extensive burning of agricultural fields some 200 miles away. New Delhi is an extreme example. But, even if you live in a less polluted environment, pollutants emitted elsewhere often travel to where other people live and work, as seen in recent wildfires in California.

Read More on → Air Pollution in Delhi

One in seven women do not get pregnancy care

The World Health Organization recommends that all pregnant women receive at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits, and that the first such visit should be in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Health News : More than one in seven Indian women did not receive antenatal care during their last pregnancy–nearly half of them because their husband or family did not think it was necessary or did not allow it–according to the latest National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4) data, highlighting the need to sensitise men about women’s rights to healthcare.

Antenatal care (ANC) constitutes healthcare for pregnant women to monitor for signs of complications, detect and treat hypertension and diabetes, provide iron and folic acid tablets and counsel on preventive care, diet during pregnancy, delivery care, postnatal care etc. ANC is provided by a skilled healthcare provider such as a doctor, auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) or other health professionals.

Only 16.7% women in rural India received full antenatal care–at least four ANC visits, at least one tetanus toxoid injection, and iron and folic acid tablets or syrup taken for 100 or more days–about half as many as in urban areas (31.1%), NFHS-4 data show.

The World Health Organization recommends that all pregnant women receive at least four ANC visits, and that the first such visit should be in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The gendered nature of decision-making in Indian households also affects women’s healthcare seeking behavior.

One in four men whose wives did not receive ANC said they did not think it was necessary. One in five men said their family members did not think it was necessary while one in ten said the women themselves thought ANC to be unnecessary. Nearly one in four men said it was ‘too costly’.

A larger share of urban men and their families were more likely to think ANC was not necessary or to not permit the ANC, data show.

While this is intriguing and needs further study, a smaller proportion of deliveries in urban areas were in public facilities (46.2%) compared to rural areas (54.4%), suggesting that private health facilities may not be providing the right kind of pregnancy-related advice to couples.

→ Women Rights To Healthcare  ←

Buying ‘mineral’ water? There’s a 30% chance it will be contaminated

Junior consumer affairs minister reveals 224 of 743 bottles tested by FSSAI contained impurities; action against 131 manufacturers taken.

Health News : In what would come as a jarring statistic for the billion-dollar packaged water industry, three out of ten units of so-called mineral water sold across India have been found to be contaminated. This was stated by Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution C R Chaudhary while replying to a question in Lok Sabha.

Chaudhary stated that the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) had undertaken an exercise to test 743 samples in 2016-17. Out of these samples, almost a third, or 224 samples of packaged water were found to be not conforming to safety standards set in India.

After finding such large samples to be contaminated, FSSAI launched cases against 131 manufacturers of these packaged water bottles. In the end, 33 were convicted and penalties were imposed on 40.

The minister did not elaborate on the nature of the penalties. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is the regulator for ensuring food quality, states “No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale packaged drinking water and mineral water except under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mark”.

According to FSSAI guidelines, packaged water is deemed safe if, after being procured from sources, it is disinfected to a level where it does not adversely affect health. It can be disinfected by means of chemical agents or physical methods such as distillation, which will reduce the number of micro-organisms to a level scientifically acceptable for food safety.

Manufacturers were not just guilty of producing contaminated water by not following the prescribed standards, some were even found to be flouting Bureau of Indian Standards (BSI) ‘Standard Mark’ guidelines. As per the government, the BIS has received 55 complaints in the past three years. Till February 2018, twenty-three complaints about packaged drinking water were established and action taken. Complaints were also received over misuse of BIS mark by the sellers.

Silent Signs and Symptoms of Depression

If an individual is suffering from these symptoms for a prolonged period he or she may be suffering from early signs of depression and may require help.

Health News : Today millions suffer from depression silently; a majority of them don’t seek or get professional help unless their condition really heads south. Contrary to popular belief, depression is not something which is in the head. It is a real disease for which to heal just the willpower alone is not enough. Therapeutic management is therefore essential. Psychotherapy and antidepressant medications may also be needed depending upon the stage and degree of depression. But talking to your doctor is a first step which should be taken at the earliest. Mentioned below are some early signs of depression, if an individual is suffering from these symptoms for a prolonged period he or she may be suffering from early signs of depression and may require help.

Chronic feeling of sadness – Without there being necessarily reasons, the depressed person feels an immense sadness. It is very invasive and is often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness. For people suffering from depression it becomes difficult to experience pleasure, everything becomes irrelevant as if life does not make sense anymore. Seeing friends, playing with children, listening to music, the little pleasures of everyday life are no longer enjoyed the way they should be.

Feeling of worthlessness – The feeling of worthlessness is very common among depressed people. Thoughts such as ‘I’m not good enough’ or ’I do not serve anything’ often make home in the minds of depressed people. They think they are responsible for their malaise and blame themselves. Thus often depressed people have a feeling that neither any person nor treatment could change the situation. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult for them to seek outside help.

Feeling of chronic exhaustion – A depression person may also experience permanent feeling of lack of energy. Neither rest nor sleep will alleviate this feeling of fatigue. Sometimes the feeling is so intense that as a result, even daily chores also become difficult to accomplish, as the person no longer has strength for the same.

Feeling of anxiety – Difficulty in breathing, stomach ache, feeling of repression and more; anxiety is common in cases of depression. Depression manifests both physically and psychologically. Thus, the person feels a fear without necessarily and apparent reason. This anxiety can be amplified by a feeling of loneliness and abandonment.

Disturbed sleep – During a depressive episode, the quality of sleep is degraded. Less deep and shortened, it no longer plays the role of rejuvenation and repair. Early awakening, early in the morning, is common. Often, the person can not go back to sleep. Conversely, in some other people, sleep becomes a refuge. There is then an excess of sleep but that is not satisfactory either.

Sexual problems – Sexuality is governed by both the body and the mind. But in case of depression, the biological and psychological functions are both disturbed. The general loss of pleasure can result in decreased sexual desire. An affected sex life can cause issues in relationships and induce feeling of helplessness.

→ Symptoms of Depression  ←

How to Maintain Good Health throughout Summer?

Summers can be a period of extremes and excesses. During this period many a times we find individuals indulging in excess consumption of cold food items such as ice creams and sodas.

Health News : Summers can be a period of extremes and excesses. During this period many a times we find individuals indulging in excess consumption of cold food items such as ice creams and sodas. Other times we will find people all exhausted and dehydrated.

It is very essential to take extra care of one’s health during the summers. Summers are often time for outdoors, travel and holidays for families especially with yearly vacation for children. Thus people especially children are often exposed to heightened health risks in the summer season.

Physical injuries due to accidents both at home and outside with children being left unsupervised also rise in summers. In summers, sun protection is even more imperative for young than for adults and wearing hats and sunglasses is essential. An infant should never be left alone in a car and should be well hydrated during a car ride during hot weather.

Cases of accidental fires and dog bites also rise during the summer season, so extra caution should be practiced especially with kids during the summer season.

Good hydration during summers

• The first and foremost tip during summers is to drink ample amount of water. When it’s hot, we sweat more because the body regulates its temperature by producing sweat to cool off.

Keep up with the Eating Healthy Habit

• Fresh and crisp salads, seasonal vegetables, scented fruits make an ideal safe and healthy meal. Remember that some fruits are sweet too and if one is eating them between meals, then take them into your daily total, around 2-3 servings of fresh fruits are ideal.

Other ways to protect oneself during summers

• Summer is the time for outdoors, picnics and beaches, staying protected when spending an extended time out in the sun is extremely essential. A sun protective cream which suits one’s skin type can provide effective defense and is almost a must during time spent under direct sun.

 → Hair Care Tips for Summer  ←

Stress during pregnancy affects the size of baby

A research suggests that babies are physically affected by the stress level of their mother during pregnancy.

Health News : Mothers-to-be, please take note! Taking stress during the beginning and the end of gestation period affects the growth of the baby.

A research suggests that babies are physically affected by the stress level of their mother during pregnancy.

The findings indicate that that stress during late gestation reduces offspring growth during dependence, resulting in a reduced body size throughout development, whereas stress during early gestation results in largely-unaffected growth rates during dependence, but accelerated growth and increased size after weaning.

Researchers from the Universities of New Mexico, Gottingen and German Primate Center, have proposed a hypothesis that largely predicts why there are highly variable patterns in the growth rates of disadvantaged offspring across 719 studies on 21 mammal species.

Lead study author Andreas Berghanel says that the idea is that prenatal stress affected an offspring in two different ways depending on the timing of the stressor during pregnancy – yielding different outcomes before birth, after birth, and after weaning.

Berghanel states that prenatal maternal stress late in gestation causes mothers to invest less energy in their newborn, which leads to slower growth in the womb and during infancy, but doesn’t affect growth later.

Click to Read → Stress During Pregnancy

Health Benefits of Dry Fruits, the Surprising Superfood

Due to various benefits health and otherwise that different dry fruits provides many a time dry fruits are also termed as superfoods. Dry fruits just like berries and nuts are high on antioxidants.

Why are Dry Fruits classified as Superfoods?

• Superfoods can be termed as food items which are superior to other food items when compared in their nutritional value. Even small portions of a superfood can supply abundant nutrition in form of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and proteins. Many a times superfoods can be termed as such because of some special characteristic or benefit that they provide such as it may provide relief from some ailment or disease, enhances immunity, reduces blood pressure, sugar or cholesterol and much more.
• Due to various benefits health and otherwise that different dry fruits provides many a time dry fruits are also termed as superfoods. Dry fruits just like berries and nuts are high on antioxidants. They are also high in other nutrients and some dry fruits are believed to have unique properties like that they prevent ageing, sharpen intellect and much more.

Muscle Building The Vegetarian Way

Best Dry Fruits for Consumption

• There are many dry fruits that a person can and should include in his daily diet. Some of these are good others are still better. So which are the best and most beneficial dry fruits and why? First in the list is of course almonds; they have zero cholesterol and are rich in antioxidants and fibre. Besides that they are great for skin, hair and overall health. They are also believed to provide protection from heart and many other diseases.
• Second on our list are Cashews, they are rich in Vitamin E and B6. They also contain ample protein, potassium, mono-unsaturated fat and fibre. Walnuts are third on our list because they are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, fibres, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Raisins, pistachios and dates will come next on the list. These dry fruits are rich in vitamins and proteins; they also boost immunity and prevent lifestyle diseases such as cholesterol and diabetes.

Click to read → Health Benefits of Dry Fruits