State of Economy-VI: Booster investment dosage needed to fire-up slacking consumption

MUMBAI: A booster dose of government and private sector spending along with cheaper rates of finance are required to kick-start India’s consumption driven demand, industry observers opined. To put it simply, the overall economic growth is expected to decline on the back of slacking consumption due to farm distress, global headwinds and stagnant wages. These have cumulatively hampered sales, thereby restricting production and as a result stalled job creation. Furthermore, the slowdown has become evident in sectors such as automobile, FMCG and aviation. “Consumption in India has slowed due to several factors, including low…

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Liquorice (Mulethi) Consumption during Pregnancy Can be Harmful, Experts Warn

Liquorice, popularly known as mulethi in India, has long been used in home-remedies and medicated products for treating sore throat, congestion and a host of other ailments. Despite its myriad health benefits, a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests it to be detrimental to pregnant ladies. A team of experts from the University of Helsinki in Finland studied 378 people ageing 13 years whose mothers consumed liquorice during pregnancy. It was found that fetuses that were exposed to large amount of liquorice in the womb didn’t…

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Shorter Sleep May Increase Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

People who sleep five or fewer hours a night are likely to drink significantly more sugary caffeinated drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks, according to a new study. “We think there may be a positive feedback loop where sugary drinks and sleep loss reinforce one another, making it harder for people to eliminate their unhealthy sugar habit,” said Aric A. Prather, assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco. “This data suggests that improving people’s sleep could potentially help them break out of the cycle and cut down…

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Shorter Sleep May Increase Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

People who sleep five or fewer hours a night are likely to drink significantly more sugary caffeinated drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks, according to a new study. “We think there may be a positive feedback loop where sugary drinks and sleep loss reinforce one another, making it harder for people to eliminate their unhealthy sugar habit,” said Aric A. Prather, assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco. “This data suggests that improving people’s sleep could potentially help them break out of the cycle and cut down…

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Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Increase Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation

Moderate alcohol consumption may change the structure of the heart in ways that increases the risk of atrial fibrillation leading to a stroke, a study suggests. Atrial fibrillation is a known risk factor for stroke and the irregular pumping of blood can lead to clots, which may travel to the brain and cause a stroke. “There is growing evidence that moderate alcohol intake may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the world, but the mechanism by which alcohol may lead to atrial…

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Male and Female Caffeine Consumption ups Miscarriage Risk: Study

Women have an increased risk of miscarriage if they or their partner consume more than two caffeinated drinks a day in the weeks leading up to conception, a new US study found. Women who drink more than two caffeinated beverages per day during the first seven weeks of pregnancy were also more likely to have a miscarriage, according to the study published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility. But rates of miscarriage are reduced for women who take a daily multivitamin before and after conception. The study, carried out…

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