Is Kombucha the new super tea?

It’s an age-old ferment, but a new-age fancy. Kombucha, a fermented yeast tea, which dates back 2,000 years, has become quite the ‘it’ drink with fitness buffs in the city – being sold in flavours across several stores. But while most nutritionists and home brewers believe it to be filled with goodness from detoxifying to immunity boosting – doctors advise caution before consumption, citing reasons from acidity to toxicity. But whether one chooses to drink or think, the fact is that bottles of the fizzy-sour kombucha – made by adding…

As Population Rises, UP’s Healthcare System Collapses

In Uttar Pradesh, the number of public health centres (PHCs), the frontline of the government’s healthcare system, decreased 8 per cent over the last 15 years to 2015, a period when the state’s population increased by more than 25 per cent. Smaller sub-centres, the first point of public contact, increased by no more than 2 per cent over the 25 years to 2015, a period when the population grew by more than 51 per cent. These data, from the 2015 Rural Health Statistics (RHS), indicate how successive UP governments have…

Giving Babies Eggs and Nuts Early May Avert Allergies

Infants who get a taste of eggs and peanuts starting when they’re as young as 4 months old may have a lower risk of developing allergies to those foods than babies who try them later, a research review suggests. With eggs, giving babies that first spoonful between 4 and 6 months was associated with 46 percent lower odds of egg allergies than waiting to introduce this food later. For peanuts, offering infants a sample between 4 and 11 months was associated with 71 percent lower odds of peanut allergies than…

Online Tool to Help you with Your Dietary Habits

In a first, a green body today launched an online interactive tool aimed at helping users to improve their food and dietary habits by generating a personal diet report based on their consumption patterns. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) launched ‘Know Your Diet’ which is available in English and Hindi and would benefit anyone of nine years or above who can access it from computers, smart phones or tablets. CSE said the Hindi version of the tool is known as ‘ApnaAhaar Janein’. “India needs a clear policy to promote…

Being Socially Active Early on Can Keep Alzheimer’s at Bay

If you are in your 30s or 40s and have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s, now is the time to start your fight to keep the disease at bay. At least for as long as you can. Experts say that although there is no preventive measure to escape Alzheimer’s, being socially active and adopting a healthy lifestyle early can delay its outset, maybe even stop it altogether. “Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, and it usually hits when one is around 60-65. If you have a family history…

Too Little Sleep, Or Too Much, Linked to Risk of Heart Disease

Sleep irregularities may be tied to a variety of health problems, such as diabetes and obesity, that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, a leading U.S. doctors group says. The risk may go up when people get too little sleep, or too much, according to a statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). “We do not know the optimal amount of sleep needed to minimize the risk of heart disease,” but people who get less than seven hours a night or more than nine hours may be more at…