Srijita, Author at Pinfaves

Want Healthy Kids? Let them Play in the Mud, Feed them Allergenic Foods and Get a Dog

November 28, 2016 Srijitaa, Allergenic, and, Dog, Feed, Foods, Get, Healthy, In, Kids, Let, Mud, Play, The, Them, Want

If you read about children’s health, you’ve heard a lot of this before: Microbes, vilified because they cause infectious diseases, can be beneficial to a child’s well-being. Our society’s penchant for hyper-cleanliness is actually making our children less healthy and more prone to allergies. But microbiologists B. Brett Findlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta make that case with an unusually convincing display of evidence – as well as historical anecdotes and a parent-friendly sense of humor – in their new book, “Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World.”…

Walking Improves Your Heart Health

November 28, 2016 SrijitaHealth, Heart, Improves, walking, Your

A simple walking regimen can go a long way in improving your heart health, say researchers. “We know walking is an excellent form of exercise, but research has been mixed on how successful a walking programme can be in changing biological markers such as cholesterol, weight, blood pressure,” said Pamela Stewart Fahs, Professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York. The researchers found that moderately intensive walking improves cardiovascular risk factors in the short term. For the study, a group of 70 women were tested as part of their…

Non-Smokers too at Risk From Second-Hand Smoke

November 27, 2016 Srijitaat, From, Non-Smokers, Risk, Second-Hand, Smoke, Too

A ban on smoking in public places came into effect across India eight years ago — but India still remains home to 12 per cent of the worlds smokers and they with their second-hand smoke pose a threat to those who don’t smoke. Healthy non-smokers exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke are at an increased risk of developing coronary atherosclerosis, warns a senior cardiologist here, citing earlier findings which new studies have bolstered. Investigators have observed a dose-response relationship between second-hand smoke exposure and atherosclerosis as documented by CT angiography, said…

Alzheimer’s Proteins Behind Vision Loss in Elderly: Study

November 27, 2016 SrijitaAlzheimer's, behind, elderly, In, Loss, Proteins, Study, vision

Researchers have found a group of proteins — known to be the likely cause ofAlzheimer’s disease — that get accumulated in the ageing retina causing damage to it and are also the key reason behind a vision loss condition among individuals aged 50 and older. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — a leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 and older — is a progressive disease that causes the death of the retinal photo receptors, the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye. The most severe damage occurs…

Plant Compounds May Boost Brain Power in Elderly

November 27, 2016 Srijitaboost, Brain, Compounds, elderly, In, May, Plant, Power

The same compounds that give plants and vegetables their vibrant colours might be able to boost brain functioning in older adults, new research suggests. People get these compounds, known as carotenoids, from their diets, and two of them – lutein and zeaxanthin – have been shown in previous research to bolster eye and cognitive health in older adults. What is not known is the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between these compounds and cognition, said first author of the study Cutter Lindbergh from Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University…

Obesity, Weight Loss in Adolescence May Cause Permanent Bone Loss

November 27, 2016 SrijitaAdolescence, Bone, cause, In, Loss, May, Obesity, Permanent, Weight

Teenagers who are obese as well as those who lose excessive weight may both be at risk of irreparable damage to their bones, a new study has found. Obesity has been previously associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, but the study found that it can also affect the bone structure in childhood and adolescence. “While obesity was previously believed to be protective of bone health, recent studies have shown a higher incidence of forearm fractures in obese youth,” said lead author Miriam A. Bredella, Associate Professor at…