HEALTH AND BEAUTY

According to the Indian society for bone and Mineral Research, Indians are more prone to osteoporosis. An important reason is the chromic vitamin d and calcium deficiency, which make bones fragile. Indians, who have high levels of melanin in their skin, need more exposure to sunlight to generate the adequate calcium intake leads to low bone mass density. Since physical activity is crucial to calcium absorption, a sedentary lifestyle can affect the levels of this vital element. various studies by institutes such as the all India institute of medical sciences in Delhi and the Sanjay Gandhi post graduate institute of medical science in Lucknow, have found that 80 percent of the urban Indian population has Indian population has Vitamin D level below 20 nanograms/ml, when the ideal level is 30 nanograms/ml. Another study among 5,317 healthy children in the age group 10-18 years found that 35.7 percent had Vitamin D level less than 9 nanograms/ml, which is much below requirement.

Medication is the standard choice for insomnia or sleeplessness. But a new study in the journal of the American medical association has found that short-term use of sleep medications combined with cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) was more effective in treating persistent insomnia. One hundred and sixty participants with chronic insomnia were given CBT alone or CBT plus medication for six weeks followed by an extended six-month therapy. During the initial six week period, both groups had same results. But in the long term, those who received CBT alone did better. The researchers concluded that best approach is combined therapy initially, followed by CBT alone. patients learned good sleep habits like going to bed only when sleepy, avoiding reading and watching television in bed, avoiding caffeine later in the day and going to bed and walking up at the same time each day.

Pregnant women, who do physically tasking jobs or temporary contracts, work long and irregular hours and on shifts are at an increased risk of having a pre-term delivery or an underweight baby. A study of 1,124 pregnant women in medical journal, BJOG, found that 21 percent of those on a demanding job had an underweight baby compared to 14 percent of women on a less demanding job. Those on a temporary contract had a four times higher risk of premature delivery than those on permanent jobs. Temporary contract work may involve poorer working conditions with higher level of stress and anxiety and job insecurity. Women who work more than 40 hours a week or on a shift schedule had a greater risk of having an underweight baby. The work conditions affected the pregnancy outcomes independent of socioeconomic factors.

The activity levels of kids seem to be predetermined. A study presented at meeting of the European congress on obesity suggests that a child’s level of activity is decided by this set point, and not the environment. Using accelerometers, the researchers recorded the extent and intensity of physical activity of 206 children aged 7 to 11 years. The children wore the devices all day for seven days during four consecutive school terms. Children who had more hours of physical education at school, were more active at home. On the other hand, the children with fewer hours of physical education were more active at home. The total weekly activity level was similar in both groups. “Children have some sort of activity that monitors and changes their activity based on their personal set-point, and it is often difficult to change a child’s activity level”.

A survey of 5,000 men by a marketing company, on poll, has found that the father gains about 6.35kg during his partner’s pregnancy. About 25 percent of the men ate more so that their partner feels better about her weight gain. Favorite snacks that men chose during their partner’s pregnancy included pizza, chips, chocolate and beer. Forty one percent said there were more snacks around the house to munch on. They were also served larger meals, and couples frequented restaurants more. The new eating habits added about 2 inches about their waist, and many had to buy new clothes. But only 30 percent joined their partners on the post-pregnancy diet after the baby was born.

A study of 717 people, 65 or older, in archives of neurology has found that the elderly may not often realize or remember they have had a stroke. The participants were questioned about their health, stroke history and symptoms, and were given some neurological and psychological tests. About 12 percent or 85 people reported having a stroke. But magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed that 225 people or 30 percent had actually suffered a stroke. People who failed to remember may have impairment in memory, sensation and speech induced by stroke, diminishing their ability to recall. Some of the cases could also have been silent strokes.

Vibrating exercise machines, which are popular in western world, are an effective way to control weight. The study presented at the European congress on obesity found that these European machines are especially effective in reducing fat around the abdominal area that is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Vibration training involves doing exercise on platforms that sends mild vibratory impulse through the feet and rest of the body. These vibrations cause muscle to contract and helps to build lean muscle mass. the researchers assigned volunteers into different diet and exercise programs. The group that used the vibration techniques had the biggest weight loss and was able to maintain it for a year.

Just as your daily workout strengthens your body, meditation may help your brain. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to compare the brain of 22 people who practiced various types of meditation with 22 volunteers who did not. The mediators meditated 10 to 90 minutes daily and had been practicing meditation for 24 years on average. Certain areas of brain of mediators were large than those in the control group. Mediators have considerably large volumes of region known for regulating emotions like hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus. This difference in the brain structure helps the mediators better regulate their emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior, the researchers note.

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A US study in science has found difference in the brains of people who choose healthy food and those who don’t. The researchers looked at the MRI brains scans of volunteers as they were shown photos of a variety of foods and decided which ones would like to eat. Two sides of the brain work together to give some people the self-control needed to reject unhealthy foods. In people with no self-control, the area of the brain called venromedial prefrontal cortex(VMPFC) consider only the taste factor. But in people with good self control, another area of brain called the dorsalateral prefrontal cortex(DLPFC) becomes active, incorporating health consideration into their decisions helping them pass the chocolate.