Are toxins silently harming our kid’s development?

A child policy review study in US has reported that babies under two years of age are 10 times more vulnerable to chemicals than adults. It also notes that babies by the age two accumulate 50 percent of the cancer causing chemicals. These facts make you shudder as a parent for once but then you ignore them thinking you don’t use any chemicals near your baby and hence your little one is safe. The truth is far from it, unconsciously and unknowingly we have been making choices as parents which…

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Another reason not to smoke while pregnant

Women who smoke during pregnancy may be more likely to have children with kidney damage than mothers who steer clear of cigarettes, a study suggests. Smoking during pregnancy has long been linked to preterm and underweight babies and a wide range of birth defects. The current study offers fresh evidence that the kidneys are among the organs at risk for damage, said lead author Dr. Maki Shinzawa, a public health researcher at Kyoto University in Japan. “Cigarette smoking releases nicotine and other harmful or potentially harmful substances, such as nitrogen…

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Single stressful event can have extended consequences

A team of Indian scientists has found that a single instance of severe stress can lead to delayed and long-term psychological trauma. The study has been published in the journal Physiological Reports. The researchers found that a single stressful incident can lead to increased electrical activity in a brain region known as the amygdala. This activity sets in late, occurring ten days after a single stressful episode and is dependent on a molecule known as the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDA-R), an ion channel protein on nerve cells known to be crucial…

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Even low levels of manganese can cause manganism

Welders exposed to airborne manganese at estimated levels set under federal safety standards can also develop neurological problems like Parkinson’s disease and the current safety standards may not adequately protect workers from the dangers of the job, a new research has found. According to a study published in the journal Neurology, the more welders are exposed to manganese-containing welding fumes, faster the workers’ signs and symptoms worsen. “We found that chronic exposure to manganese-containing welding fumes is associated with progressive neurological symptoms such as slow movement and difficulty in speaking,”…

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Here’s why overweight people give up easily on their workout routine

A study finds as to why losing weight is not easy for obesepeople as it states physical inactivity results from the altered dopamine receptors – decreased motivation to move – rather than excess body weight. The study, conducted on mice, has been published in the journal of Cell Metabolism. “We know that physical activity is linked to overall good health, but not much is known about why people or animals with obesity are less active,” said study’s senior author Alexxai V. Kravitz from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive…

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Here’s Why A Healthy Diet May Not Always Work

People accustomed to a calorie-rich diet may not be able to reap the full benefits of switching to a healthy diet immediately due to the works of the bacterial community inside the gut, suggests new research. Certain human gut bacteria need to be lost for a diet plan to be successful, said the study that identified the organisms that help promote the effects of a particular diet. “If we are to prescribe a diet to improve someone’s health, it’s important that we understand what microbes help control those beneficial effects,”…

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