Peanuts every day can keep cancer at bay

Research has revealed that it is not wise to ignore peanuts because daily intake of these nuts can keep major disease like cancer at bay. The study that was carried out by Maastricht University has concluded that men and women who consumed at least 10g of nuts or peanuts and not peanut butter per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 12 June 2015.

The researchers in the Netherlands have said that both peanuts and tree nuts contain a number of vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and compounds in the form of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These can possibly contribute to the lower death rates.
As to peanut butter, it contains salt and trans fatty acids and these could inhibit the protective effects of peanuts. Moreover, women who ate peanuts regularly were leaner, had never smoked and were less likely to be diabetic.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Sunshine means Vitamin D – good for health in measured dose

#VitaminD #sunshine #melanoma #skincancer #health Research has found that sunlight in measured dose is good for health because of the amount of Vitamin D in it. This is because Vitamin D is available in only a few foods like fatty fish and mushrooms. Hence, sunlight is important for our health because we get most of Vitamin D from sunlight. This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 February 2015.
Insufficient exposure to the sun, or pigmentation of the skin (which diminishes the production of vitamin D precursors), usually gives rise to low levels of Vitamin D.
Of course, one needs to ensure that excess may be harmful because of the presence of the UV rays. Sunlight consists of two types of solar radiation UVA and UVB. The former results in reddening and burning of the skin, while the latter increases the production of an inactive form or precursor of vitamin D by the skin. This, in turn, is activated by the liver and kidneys.
Moreover, both UVA and UVB increase the risk of skin cancer. This could take the form of the most deadly type of cancer called melanoma.
Hence, one must invariably take a balanced approach to sunlight exposure.
Incidentally, deficiency of vitamin D deficiency could give rise to complications like low bone density, broken bones due to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer with fears of premature death.

Texas horror – 13 monkeys roasted to death in Covance Research center

#covance #primates In two separate incidents, a total of 13 monkeys were roasted alive in a south Texas research facility – the macaque monkeys died of hyperthermia in overheated rooms and the men involved could face federal penalties. This has been informed by a US Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.
As per reports, a federal inspector found that two animals died in September when a thermostat malfunctioned at Covance Research Products in Alice. The malfunction caused the room temperature to soar. In a similar incident one month later, 11 primates died when a thermostat override switch failed.
Covance is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, and makes available animal testing to aid in the development of drugs for an array of ailments, from heart disease to diabetes. The company had notified USDA after the second incident, and corrective steps were taken. These included plans to install temperature alarms in all animal housing rooms, according to a report dated 21 November by the federal inspector.
The primates that died were cynomolgus monkeys – these are a type of macaque that is often used in medical research. Michael Budkie, executive director of Ohio-based Stop Animal Exploitation Now, has revealed that he has filed a complaint with USDA seeking a fine of more than $100,000 against Covance because it was a clear case of negligence due to which the animals were literally cooked to death on two separate incidents. Such negligence deserves the maximum penalty.

A few useful tips for diabetics - follow proper diet

#diabetic #eathealthy Diabetes is a disease that everyone dreads and does not want to be associated with and whether you are pre-diabetic or borderline diabetic, or diabetes is part of your family, following a diabetic diet is a must. Basically, a diabetic diet should be high on fiber, must contain milk without cream, buttermilk, fresh seasonal fruits, green vegetables etcetera. And, care must be taken to consume food in moderation.
In the Indian context the ratio should preferably be 60:20:20 for carbs, fats and proteins. The daily intake of calorie should be between 1,500-1,800 calories and there should be at least two seasonal fruits and three vegetables in the diet plan. Fresh fruits are always better than dry fruits.
Drinking tomato juice with salt and pepper every morning on an empty stomach is also good for diabetics. Moreover, whole grains, oats, millets and other high fiber foods should be included in the meals. In case one craves for pasta or noodles, it should be accompanied with vegetable/sprouts.
It is better to include peas, beans, broccoli and spinach /leafy vegetables in one's diet to counter the effects of diabetes. As far as fruits are concerned papaya, apple, orange, pear and guava are preferable over mangoes, bananas, and grapes because the sugar content for these is high.

Eat less, live more

Small is good as far as food is concerned. Eat less to live long is what the experts are preaching. They have their reasons. In today’s life, our health is more likely to be at risk from an overabundance of food than a shortage of it.
It is a paradox that globally, thrice as many people die of illnesses related to obesity than do of starvation. Hence, smaller plates of food is the cue to a longer life.
If we study the situation, we will find that humans today do not live as our prehistoric people lived. While we go in for sedentary lives in front of computer screens, our ancestors hunted game and gathered wild fruits. That is how they remained active and were always bursting with energy.
Moreover, in today’s world, food is readily available and nearly all of us eat three square meals a day, every day. However, in the ancient prehistoric times, our ancestors would have been used to a cycle of feast and famine because there was no guarantee of meals at all times. They would probably have been used to a 5:2 diet – or people were allowed to eat for five days a week. This acted as a check for their caloric intake on the other two.
Incidentally, there is a clear link between obesity and cancer. The blood-vessel damage caused by obesity and diabetes goes on to affect the veins in the brain as well as the body, this puts one at the risk of dementia.

14th November is Diabetes Day – diabetes is a killer disease

Diabetes has become a killer disease – it is believed to depend on the amount of sugar intake but that alone is not the reason for its rapid entry into our lives – it’s all the sordid outcome of the modern day lifestyles where physical exercise is practically non-existent.
Diabetes is basically a condition of the body when it is unable to generate enough insulin or the insulin does not work properly to convert to glucose. Glucose is vital for life because it is used as fuel for energy so that we can be active, work, play and generally live our lives.
The theme chosen for World Diabetes Day 2014 to 2016 is Healthy Living and Diabetes – it is self-explanatory. Diabetes has made huge strides into India and at about 65 million, India has the second highest number of diabetics in the world, after China. That is not good news and it is necessary for everybody to realize that the onset of diabetes means sliding into an abyss from where return is difficult.
The various options available in the market to act as an alternate to sugar go by many names and, Indians are prone to falling victims to this dreaded disease because of their sweet tooth. It may seem strange but in Kolkata there are shops that sell sweets made especially for those suffering from diabetes - and, the shopkeeper has a hard time to keep replenishing the stocks of sweets in the showcase.
For one who is afflicted by this, he has to suffer the agony of watching others munching the goodies that once were his favorites. He has to get his insulin injection before meals and has to obey hundreds of restrictions because deviation from the routine could aggravate his condition and result in a major health hazard.
Of course, glucose is essential to the body and, in case due to restrictions, the glucose level drops, that would mean more problem. Therefore, diabetics are known to carry with them tiny pouches of sugar which they have to take, if felt necessary.
A question that all diabetics ask is – what should I eat to keep my body in working condition. Well – the general advice of doctors is to forget about sweets in any form. It is suggested that one should avoid processed foods and go in for fruits and boiled vegetables – some examples are apples, asparagus, avocados, beans, broccoli, carrots, fish, garlic, melon, nuts, oatmeal, red onions, red bell peppers, spinach, tea, tomatoes, and yogurt.