Monday 27 February 2023

Why you should make olive oil part of your diet immediately

 Olive oil is the foundation of the Mediterranean diet, which is frequently cited as one of the healthiest eating habits.


The majority of the health benefits of olive oil can be attributed to its minor components, like polyphenols. The focus of a recent study published in the journal Nutrients is on the potential benefits of oleic acid, which makes up between 70% and 80% of olive oil.



Researchers from the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Sevilla found that the major component of olive oil has properties that lower cholesterol and prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease.


When it comes to preventing disease and delaying ageing, the Mediterranean diet is hard to beat.

In the Mediterranean region, there are many olive trees. Olive oil is naturally formed from the fruits of those trees, making it the most distinguishing nutrient and the primary source of fat in a typical Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet also includes a lot of vegetables, moderate wine intake, low to moderate dairy consumption, little to no red meat consumption, and low to moderate amounts of fish consumption.


Olive oil

Many health benefits of olive oil are attributed to its main ingredient, oleic acid.

Oleic acid is the main monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in the human circulatory system, according to researchers who collaborated with specialists from the Seville North and Aljarafe Health District and the Costa del Sol Hospital. It makes up a sizeable portion of the membrane phospholipids in the human brain and is widely distributed in the myelin sheaths of neurons.


According to medical experts, people with Alzheimer's disease and severe depressive illnesses have reduced levels of oleic acid in their brains.


Like all free fatty acids, oleic acid serves primarily as an energy source and a component of cell membranes. One of its most remarkable characteristics is its antioxidant properties, which can directly regulate both the synthesis and activity of antioxidant enzymes.


Its ability to prevent the creation of

Thursday 23 February 2023

Children are suffering from disordered eating

 More than one in five children and young adults have eating disorders, according to a JAMA Pediatrics study.

Disordered eating is a blanket term used to describe unhealthy behaviours that go unrecognised.

The research team evaluated a total of 32 studies from 16 different countries, and it was discovered that 22% of children and young people had eating issue behaviours. More girls than boys showed signs of disordered eating, especially among older teens with a higher BMI.

Disordered eating is a term used to describe unhealthy eating behaviours that could be harmful to a person's health but are not necessarily eating disorders.

Binge eating, extreme dieting, and restricted diets are all examples of disordered eating, according to the National Eating Disorders Collaborative. It can also involve practises like using diet pills, skipping meals, and more in order to maintain or lose weight. Disordered eating can potentially lead to an eating disorder if it is not adequately managed.

"The prevalence of disordered eating increased with age and body mass index as well as among girls. These high numbers are alarming from the standpoint of public health and show the necessity of putting methods for avoiding eating disorders into action "the study reported.

Because it was based on children's and adolescents' self-reported replies, the study had certain limitations. Researchers must now pinpoint the cause of the surge in disordered eating behaviours in order to continue the study and implement more programmes to aid kids who exhibit disordered eating behaviours.


For children in particular, it is crucial to maintain a healthy weight and follow a balanced diet because disordered eating can occasionally lead to serious health problems.

An eating disorder is what?

Under the umbrella term "eating disorders," anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and other explicitly defined feeding or eating disorders (OSFED) are all referred to as eating disorders:

nervosa anorexia: a condition where someone overworks themselves or restricts their food intake in an effort to maintain a certain weight.

In bulimia nervosa, you have little control over your eating habits and resort to extreme tactics, such as forcing yourself to vomit, to keep from gaining weight.

An individual with a binge eating problem overeats to the point of discomfort.

A person is said to have another unique feeding or eating disorder when they don't fit into one of the aforementioned categories but nevertheless display additional eating-related symptoms, such night eating syndrome.

Wednesday 22 February 2023

Top 5 healthiest vegetables that should be part of your diet

 We must consume a balanced and nutrient-rich diet in order to maintain our health and prevent health problems. A healthy diet must include vegetables since they are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.

Unfortunately, there are countless options to choose from, and many of them lack even nutritional data. So how can you identify the healthiest vegetables? We have compiled the best advice from dietitians and reliable health information sources for you in order to help.

The top 5 healthiest veggies, as determined by numerous experts and health websites, are listed below.

The reason this is the finest vegetable, per Healthline, is because it only has 7 calories per cup (30 g) of raw spinach while still delivering 16% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin A and 120% of the DV for vitamin K.

The antioxidants in spinach may help reduce your risk of disease. One study found that the dark leafy greens spinach and other are especially abundant in beta-carotene and lutein, two antioxidants related to a lower risk of cancer. According to an additional study cited by the publication, spinach may assist in lowering blood pressure, which is beneficial for the heart.


According to Medical News Today, "it also supplies an adult's full daily requirement of vitamin K."

PureWow claims that "Popeye was onto something."

Watercress leads the list of vegetables with the most nutrients per calorie, according to SciTechDaily. More of the vitamin C in this leafy green will stay in your system if you eat it uncooked. Together with vitamin C, watercress is a good source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is a precursor to vitamin A, as well as vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and bone density.

Far more intriguing are the watercress's antioxidants. One study found that the antioxidants in watercress protect DNA, the genetic substance of the cell, from deterioration.

Watercress is ranked as the top fruit and vegetable on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables List with a nutritious density score of 100/100.

Tuesday 21 February 2023

Fitness exercises for busy people

 It's important to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, but it can be challenging to fit in exercise when your schedule is full. Because technology plays such a significant role in our lives, we are compelled to spend the majority of the day indoors, seated in front of screens.


But a busy schedule should never be an excuse for skipping exercise or underestimating the value of maintaining good health. Fortunately, you can execute a lot of fitness exercises fast and without any specific tools.


These are the top 5 exercises for busy people:

Burpees

Burpees are a short, all-body workout that we frequently see athletes and celebrities doing.

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and perform a burpee. When you are in a squat position, put your hands in front of you on the ground. Next, push up after kicking your feet back. A tutorial might make things clearer for you. Jump your feet back up to your hands after doing the push-up, then jump into the air.

Jumping jacks are a basic exercise that are great for toning your entire body. To perform jumping jacks, start by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Leap to the side with your feet and then raise your arms above your head. Jump your feet back together, then bring your arms forward.

Lunges

Your legs and glutes will benefit greatly from lunges. To perform a lunge, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, step forward on one foot while squatting down until both of your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Even though it's challenging, this one is worth it.

After then, push off with your front foot to return to the starting position.

Plank

A simple but effective exercise for your core muscles is the plank. They advise starting a plank routine if you wish to stop time.


To complete a plank, begin in the push-up posture with your hands and feet flat on the floor. Next, lower your body onto your forearms while keeping your body in a straight line.

Monday 20 February 2023

'Purple foods' could protect you from diabetes

 It appears that in addition to consuming more food overall, you might want to concentrate on eating more purple vegetables.


Anthocyanins, which are included in red and purple fruits and vegetables like strawberries and blueberries, may aid in the prevention of diabetes, according to researchers from the University of Turku in Finland. According to the authors of the study, purple tubers (potatoes) are very good for your health.



It turns out that these pigments can reduce the risk of acquiring diabetes through affecting inflammation, gut flora, and energy metabolism, according to research published in the journal American Chemical Society.


This is a good step, especially in view of how widespread the sickness is globally. According to the CDC, just over 37 million individuals worldwide have diabetes. Prediabetes affects about 96 million adults over the age of 18, and many may not even be aware of it. Foods containing acylated anthocyanin, in which the sugar molecules of anthocyanin have a chemical acyl group attached, had the effect observed in this study in a much more significant way.


A lot of foods include acylated versions, including red cabbage, purple carrots, purple potatoes, and radishes.


"The genotype of the plant determines the sort of anthocyanins it produces. Generally speaking, acylated anthocyanins are abundant in purple plants. Moreover, acylated anthocyanins are prevalent in purple potatoes, particularly the Finnish variety known as "SynkeƤ Sakari," according to postdoctoral researcher Kang Chen from the University of Turku's Food Sciences Unit.


The majority of nonacylated anthocyanins can be found in berries like bilberries and mulberries. Although acylation makes it more difficult to absorb during digestion, they also offer other amazing advantages, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing.


The health of the intestinal lining can be improved and conserved since these anthocyanins have probiotic properties. They can also regulate the body's inflammatory response, metabolism of lipids and glucose, which altogether lowers the risk of diabetes more effectively than their non-acylated counterparts.


The acylation alters the anthocyanins' absorption and metabolism in addition to altering their physical and chemical properties, according to Chen's investigations.


Acylated chemicals travel through the body from the upper GI tract to the colon.


When they reach the colon, digestive bacteria in the gut break them down and digest them. The researchers also note that which glucose transporters are involved in absorbing anthocyanins depends on whether or not the molecules are acylated. The enzymes involved in metabolic processes are subject to a variety of impacts as a result of the structural changes.


The most recent studies have revealed distinct effects of acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins on Type 2 diabetes, said Chen.

Sunday 19 February 2023

1.6m idle youth created in Pakistan under COVID pandemic impact: WB report

 According to a recent World Bank assessment on the effects of COVID-19 on young people in South Asia, the COVID-19 pandemic that engulfed the world about three years ago has left millions of youth unemployed, with up to 1.6 million in Pakistan alone.


The first thorough examination of post-pandemic statistics, "Released on Thursday is "Collapse and Recovery: How Covid Eroded Human Capital and What to Do About It." It notes a significant shift in Pakistan's school enrollment rates between before and after the outbreak.


According to the estimate, the nation's pre-school enrollment will have decreased by more than 15 percentage points by the end of 2021.


According to a World Bank press release on the study, "enrollment among Pakistani children between the ages of six and 14 fell by six percentage points once schools reopened, and 7.6 million children have dropped out of school in Pakistan alone."


According to the report, COVID-19-related education shocks in South Asia could cause students to lose up to 14.4% of their expected future earnings.


In South Asia, schools were closed entirely or in part for 83% of the time between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022. This is a substantial increase over the global average of 52%.


Children who attend school typically lose 32 days of learning for every 30 days of school shutdown.


This is because pupils missed out on learning and also forgot what they had already learned as a result of school closings and inefficient remote learning strategies. With 78% of 10-year-olds in South Asia reportedly unable to read and comprehend a simple written sentence as a result, learning poverty, which was already 60% before the pandemic, has worsened further.


Martin Raiser, vice president of the World Bank for South Asia, was also quoted in the press release as saying: "The pandemic closed schools, decimated jobs, and threw vulnerable families into crisis, throwing millions of children and young people in South Asia off course and robbing them of opportunities to flourish."


The children from the poorest households in Pakistan, however, were falling further behind in math when the post- and pre-pandemic learning levels were compared to those of the wealthiest households.


The World Bank issued a warning that catastrophes like COVID-19 lower levels of human capital and subsequent rates of accumulation.


If the aforementioned losses are not addressed, lifetime wages and economic growth will see a decades-long decline, ultimately leading to an increase in inequality.

Saturday 18 February 2023

COVID-19 infection gives similar immunity to vaccination, study finds

 CNA – One of the largest studies yet undertaken on the subject revealed yesterday that the protection against COVID-19 from having previously contracted the disease lasts at least as long as that provided by vaccination.


According to a research that was published in the Lancet journal, participants still had an 88% decreased chance of reinfection, hospitalisation, and death ten months after receiving COVID-19.


According to the study, this natural immunity is "at least as persistent, if not more so" than two doses of the vaccines made by Pfizer or Moderna.


The authors emphasised that vaccination, which is still the safest strategy to build immunity, should not be discouraged in light of their findings.


The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which is based in the US, led the study, which it claimed was the most thorough examination of how long various types of immunity provide protection.


The researchers looked at 65 studies from 19 different nations up until September 2022, thus some of them spanned the time when Omicron swept the globe.


Omicron turned out to be less harmful but more contagious than earlier strains.


According to the study, those who had pre-Omicron immunity saw their defence against reinfection deteriorate substantially more quickly for the early Omicron strains, falling to 36% after 10 months.


According to study co-author Caroline Stein of the IHME, "vaccines continue to be crucial for everyone in order to protect high-risk populations such as those who are over 60 years of age and those with comorbidities." The study also provides a more accurate picture of COVID-19's potential future state when more vaccine recipients become reinfected and develop "hybrid immunity."


According to epidemiologist Cheryl Cohen of South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, "in the long term, most infections will occur in persons with substantial protection against severe disease due to previous infection, immunisation, or both."


According to Cohen's commentary in the Lancet, "Our results suggest that, similar to other human coronaviruses, there might be a low seasonal hospitalisation burden" linked with COVID-19.

Why you should make olive oil part of your diet immediately

 Olive oil is the foundation of the Mediterranean diet, which is frequently cited as one of the healthiest eating habits. The majority of th...