Heena Sharma Blog

It turns out that drinking multiple diet drinks daily may not be a very good idea for post menopausal women. A new study finds that it is associated with an increased risk of having a stroke caused by a blocked artery. The study was published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association. The study is one of the first to look at the association between drinking artificially sweetened beverage and the risk of specific types of stroke in a large, racially diverse group of post-menopausal women. Compared with women who consumed diet drinks less than once a week or not at all, women who consumed two or more artificially sweetened beverages per day were: 23 per cent more likely to have a stroke; 31 per cent more likely to have a clot-caused (ischemic) stroke; 29 er cent more likely to develop heart disease (fatal or non-fatal heart attack); and 16 per cent more likely to die from any cause. Furthermore, researchers found risks were higher for certain wome...

Eating canned food during pregnancy can put the baby at risk of exposure to an industrial chemical bisphenol A (BPA), potentially affecting their reproductive health in later life, scientists say. While previous studies have shown the adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to BPA, there is little evidence surrounding effects specifically on ovarian function. Researchers from Boston University in the US found that there is sufficient data to raise concerns regarding exposure and ovarian performance. Detectable in surface water and soil sediments, BPA is used in many industrial processes and in the lining of food cans. While the greatest exposure is dietary from canned foods and plastic containers, skin exposure is a secondary route of smaller exposure, researchers said. Ovarian development and function represents a complex coordination of processes, starting early during prenatal development. Early aberrations have the potential to carry through the female reprodu...

Couples who play board games or take a painting class together produce more oxytocin or ' love hormone ', which is associated with bonding and family cohesiveness, a study has found. The study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, found that men wielding paintbrushes released twice as much or more oxytocin as the level of women painters and couples playing games. "We were expecting the opposite -- that couples playing the board games would interact more because they were communicating about the games and strategies, or because they were competing, and with more interaction, they would release more oxytocin," said Karen Melton, an assistant professor at the Baylor University in the US. Researchers also expected that painting couples would be more attentive to the instructor and to the canvas than to their partners -- but instead, couples in the art class reported more partner-touching than those playing board games. "Typically, an art cl...

Trying to figure out a trick to keep mental stress in check? It turns out just thinking about your romantic partner during a stressful situation may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having your significant other in the room with you. As part of a recent study, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task which included submerging one foot into 3 inches of cold water ranging from 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The participants, all of whom were in committed romantic relationships, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. * They either had their significant other sitting quietly in the room with them during the task. * They were instructed to think about their romantic partner as a source of support during the task * Or they were instructed to think about their day during the task. Those who had their partner physically present in the room or who thought about their partner had a lo...

According to a new study published in Diabetologia , a journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, researchers from The Ohio State University College of Medicine say that lifestyle and health factors that are good for the heart can also prevent diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control diabetes is a growing problem in the United States, with nearly a third of the population living with diabetes or prediabetes. Dr. Joshua J. Joseph's latest work looked at how cardiovascular health can impact diabetes risk. Dr Joseph is an endocrinologist and assistant professor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Speaking about the study, Dr. K. Craig Kent, dean of the College of Medicine said, "This research adds to our collective understanding about how physicians can help their patients prevent a number of serious diseases, including heart disease, cancer and now diabetes." Read More Business Standard

Eating an egg daily can have a beneficial effect on the blood metabolite profile that is related to a lower risk of Type-2 diabetes , a new study shows. The findings showed that the blood samples of men who ate more eggs included certain lipid molecules that positively correlated with the blood profile of men who remained free of Type-2 diabetes . "The study explored potential compounds that could explain this association using non-targeted metabolomics, a technique that enables a broad profiling of chemicals in a sample," said lead author Stefania Noerman from the University of Eastern Finland. Eggs remain one of the most controversial food items. High intake of eggs has traditionally been discouraged, mainly due to their high cholesterol content. However, eggs are also a rich source of many bioactive compounds that can have beneficial effects on health. This means that the health effects of consuming eggs are difficult to determine based solely on thei...

Turns out, teenagers dealing with stress because of their families may affect certain processes in the body, including blood pressure and the immune system . The researchers at the Penn State explored the strategies adolescents used to deal with chronic family stress and their effects on various metabolic and immune processes in the body. Strategies could include cognitive reappraisal -- trying to think of the stressor in a more positive way -- and suppression, or inhibiting the expression of emotions in reaction to a stressor. The team found that when faced with greater chronic family stress, teens, who used cognitive reappraisal, had better metabolic measures. "These changes are not something that will detrimentally impact anyone's health within a week or two, but that over years or decades could make a difference," said Hannah Schreier, a researcher. "That may be how small changes in metabolic or inflammatory outcomes may become associated with...

According to a new research, inhibiting a protein within blood vessels can stimulate their growth, resulting in healthier fat tissue and lower blood sugar levels . A research conducted at the York University gave insights on improving blood vessel growth and showed how to mitigate serious health problems that arise with obesity, such as diabetes. The findings of the study are published in the journal ELife. The researchers investigated a process of the vascular system called angiogenesis and whether inhibiting FoxO1 protein would stimulate adipose angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the formation of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. It helps to maintain normal healthy functions in tissue, particularly when that tissue enlarges. However, when the tissue expands as it stores excess fat, angiogenesis is repressed and new capillaries fail to grow. This results in unhealthy adipose tissue, which increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases Read...

https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/poor-nutrition-during-pregnancy-may-advance-menopause-118120600505_1.html?utm_source=SEO&utm_medium=PB While it is known that inadequate nutrition during foetal development can cause diabetes and heart disease, a new study warns that it could also lead to early menopause at age younger than 45. Prenatal malnutrition was also associated with a higher risk of premature ovarian failure. Natural menopause is a milestone of ovarian aging that results in the end of a woman's reproductive years. Conversely, an early menopause is associated with increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, depression, and memory changes and changes in vaginal and sexual health, according to researchers. "The findings showed that food deprivation during early foetal life affects how long the future ovaries function," said Joann Pinkerton, executive director from the North Am...

Including almonds in the diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes, researchers have found. According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes currently affects over 425 million people worldwide, and more than 72.9 million cases were reported in India in 2017. A study, published in the Journal of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, on 50 Indians with type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels, found that substituting whole, unroasted almonds for 20 calories in a well-balanced diet significantly improved measures of heart health linked to type 2 diabetes. Another study, published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, looked at the effect of including 60 grammes of almonds a day on maintenance of blood sugar levels and cardiovascular disease factors among 33 Chinese participants with type 2 diabetes. While the almond diet offered better overall nutritional quality, neither diet -- with or without al...

Women, please take a note. Losing weight can help lower the risk of developing breast cancer in the post-menopausal stage, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal CANCER , found that among post-menopausal women, participants who lost weight had a lower risk of developing invasive breast cancer than those who maintained or gained weight. "Our study indicates that moderate, relatively short-term weight reduction was associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women," said co-author Rowan Chlebowski from the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. Although obesity has been strongly related to breast cancer risk, studies examining whether weight loss might reduce postmenopausal women's risk have provided mixed results, the researchers said. For the study, the research team analysed information on 61,335 women participating in the World Health Initiative Observationa...

According to a new study, diets high in carbohydrates reduce body weight and body fat and improve insulin function in overweight individuals. In the 16-week randomised clinical trial, researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine placed participants in either a plant-based, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet group or asked them to maintain their current diet. The plant-based diet group avoided all animal products and added oils and limited fat intake to 20-30 grams per day. There were no limits on calories or carbohydrate intake. The control group maintained their current diets, which included meat and dairy products. Neither group altered their exercise routines. Total carbohydrate intake did not change in the control group, but increased significantly in the plant-based diet group, both as absolute intake and as a percentage of total calories. Participants focused on whole, complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Rea...

Turns out, a high gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of their child developing type 1 diabetes. Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley and is suggested to affect the development of type 1 diabetes . In animal studies, a gluten-free diet during pregnancy almost completely prevented type 1 diabetes in offspring. To better understand the nature of this association, researchers set out to examine whether gluten intake during pregnancy is associated with subsequent risk of type 1 diabetes in children. Read Complete Article Article Source >> Business Standard

Turns out, the beauty products you use can negatively affect your Hormones . A new study has discovered that discovered links between chemicals that are widely used in cosmetic and personal care products and changes in reproductive hormones. As part of the study, a total of 509 urine samples were collected from 143 women aged 18 to 44 years, free of known chronic health conditions and birth control to be measured for environmental chemicals that are found in personal care products, such as parabens, which are antimicrobial preservatives, and benzophenones, which are ultraviolet filters. These are usually found in cosmetic products. Pollack noted, head of the study said, "This study is the first to examine mixtures of chemicals that are widely used in personal care products in relation to hormones in healthy, reproductive-age women, using multiple measures of exposure across the menstrual cycle, which improved upon research that relied on one or two measures of chemicals...

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), also known as the youth hormone is an adrenal steroid hormone in the body synthesized by the adrenal glands, which are then converted into androgens, estrogen, and other hormones. These hormones are responsible to regulate fat and mineral metabolism, sexual and reproductive function, and energy levels. The level of DHEA increases until our body is in the late 20s, after which it starts declining with age. "DHEA supplements help by increasing the androgen levels within the ovarian environments to a normal range, which improves egg quality. The high-quality healthy eggs develop into high-quality embryos, which have a better chance of implantation and lower risks of miscarriage," said Dr. Sowjanya Aggarwal, Gynaecologist, Max Hospital, Vaishali. Read Complete Article

Women undergoing menopause face serious health concerns including osteoporosis, decreased physical activity and weight gain.In a new animal study, researchers from the University of Missouri now have discovered that soy protein found in food might Health News : Women undergoing menopause face serious health concerns including osteoporosis, decreased physical activity and weight gain. In a new animal study, researchers from the University of Missouri now have discovered that soy protein found in food might counter the negative effects of menopause on bone and metabolic health. Moreover, the researchers believe that soy protein might also have positive impacts on bone strength for women who have not yet reached menopause. Professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, Pamela Hinton said, "The findings suggest that all women might see improved bone strength by adding some soy-based whole foods, such as tofu and soy milk, to their diet." Hinton along ...