Fruit & veg may top up declining carotenoid levels in elderly: Study

Fruit & veg may top up declining carotenoid levels in elderly: Study: A high intake of fruits and vegetables has been linked to increased carotenoid concentrations as a study reveals a simple way of maintaining levels that naturally reduce with age in men and women.

Probiotics have a ‘positive effect’ on stress and anxiety: Meta-analysis

Probiotics have a ‘positive effect’ on stress and anxiety: Meta-analysis: Probiotics consumption may have advantageous effects on mental health by lessening the psychological symptoms of perceived stress, depression and anxiety, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.

Obese parents triple obese offspring risk, experts warn

Obese parents triple obese offspring risk, experts warn: EarlyNutrition, a project comprised of 36 international research institutions, has released its final report following five years of investigation. The report sends a grave warning to parents and those planning for families on the dangers of parental obesity for children.

‘ Probiotics : How probiotics is used to stop malnutrition

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Probiotics are microorganisms that promote health and well being . The probiotics have gained prominence especially in improvement of gut health by promoting proliferation of good bacteria in the gut. Probiotics improves the microbiome with resultant health improvement.

 Studies have shown use of probiotics to tackle malnutrition.  Enhanced probiotics’ pave the way in tackling malnutrition: ‘Smart’ gut bacteria that can improve the fermentation process? Super-efficient microorganisms that can turn empty calories into complete nutritional food?

Kano advises farmers to report outbreak of bird flu.

Kano advises farmers to report outbreak of bird flu.Kano State Government on Thursday advised poultry farms in the state to report outbreak of bird flu to the appropriate authority for prompt action. Dr Shehu Bawa, the Director, Veterinary services, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.“Prompt and timely report on the outbreak of the disease is very important as it will enable government to take appropriate action,” he said. He advised farmers against taking any fowl to their farms without proper disinfection.“Farmers must take bio-security of their farms serious to ensure the safety of their birds,” Bawa said. He said the state government had taken proactive measures to ensure that the resurfacing of the disease in one of the farms in the state did not spread to other farms.“We are making efforts to check the spread of the disease, which has so far affected only one of the farms in the state.“ Bawa said the government had directed the ministry of Agriculture to submit request for disinfectants and other drugs needed for the control of the disease.continue

How sleeping improves brain injury.

A recent study has shown that for patients with serious brain injuries, there's a strong link between sleep patterns and recovery. The study reported in neurology journal was of 30 patients hospitalized for moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries found that sleep quality and brain function improved in tandem . Patients who still had low levels of consciousness and cognitive functioning would sleep for a couple of minutes and then wake up for a couple of minutes,both day and night,but when the brain recovered, the [normal] sleep-wake cycle reappeared. The results raise the possibility that patients with brain injuries might recover more quickly if hospitals took steps to restore normal sleep patterns,by using drugs and making sure patients are exposed to sunlight or its equivalent during the day and at night rest in a dark, quiet environment.

Menstruation and the seclusion of girls.

Menstruation time for girls in some countries are hellish times,aside from the fact that many dont go to school during this time,many do not have protective towels to keep themselves clean .The onset of menstruation in girls marks the beginning of seclusion from family and friends because at that time she is termed unclean. The reaction of society to these girls have sparked heated debates because at that time she is termed unclean she is vulnerable to various environmental factors and should be taken care of and not secluded. Organizations are stepping out to help these girls see The story of a 15-year old that died in a menstrual hut is one death to many and all hands must be on deck to stop this seclusion.A 15-year-old girl died in a menstrual hut in western Nepal sometime between the night of Saturday, Dec. 17, and the morning of Sunday, Dec. 18. According to Nepal's Republica newspaper, Roshani Tiruwa, from Nepal's Achham district, went to the shed after eating dinner around 6 p.m. She lit a fire in the tiny mud hut before going to sleep. Tiruwa's father found her body the next morning. District police suspect the ninth-grader died from a lack of oxygen. This marks the second death related to the practice of menstrual seclusion in Nepal's Achham district in a month. On Nov. 19, the family of 26-year-old Dambara Upadhyay found her body inside a menstrual hut near her house. Officials initially suggested that she died from a heart attack, but a cause of death was not determined. Upadhyay's death caught the attention of the country's prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Local media reported that he called the district's chief officer to express his concern. Since 2007, at least eight other deaths related to menstrual seclusion have been reported in Achham, a district with a population of 250,000. Carbon monoxide poisoning from lighting fires to heat the sheds was a common cause of death. Wild animal attacks was another.more