Health tips news: India, China to top dementia cases by 2020

CHENNAI: India would be among the top five nations that would have to face by 2020 the problem of increasing number of aged people suffering from
dementia, a disease relating to mental deterioration of organic or functional origin, T S Srinivasan Charitable Trust Chairman Venu Srinivasan said on Saturday.
In his address at the 25th T S Srinivasan Endowment Oration, he said that dementia was clearly linked with aging. "It is estimated that by 2020 the top five nations with elderly populations will face the problem with China and India topping the list", he added.
He said according to Alzheimer's disease International (ADI) there were 24 million people with Dementia worldwide. "While Dementia has received much attention in developed world, few recognize that an epidemic of dementia looms over developing nations like India", he claimed.
He said until now the care of the elder in India had traditionally remained with the extended family. "However, important sociological changes pervade urban India today, with nucleus families becoming the norm, and consequent isolation of the elderly", he added.
C Morris, Professor of Neurology, Washington University, said in US alone five million people were affected by dementia and it would double in 2025. "The disease is likely to grow in lesser developed countries including India", he added.

Health tips News: Fresh fruits trigger food poisoning

LONDON: Beware of fresh fruits and vegetables - they can trigger food poisoning outbreaks, latest research shows. A review co-authored by several experts has highlighted the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables are increasingly recognised as a source of food poisoning outbreaks in many parts of the world. Recent outbreaks in Europe have revealed new and unexplained links between some bacteria and viruses that cause food poisoning and imported baby corn, lettuce, and even raspberries. Similarly, in the US, outbreaks of E Coli infections have been linked to bagged baby spinach, and salmonella to peppers, imported cantaloupe melons and tomatoes as well.
"This research confirms that raw fruit and vegetables can cause food poisoning. Raw fruit and vegetables out of season... are transported many thousands of miles from growing areas, and outbreaks can affect many widely dispersed countries simultaneously," said Norman Noah, professor and editor-in-chief of Epidemiology and Infection, which published the study.

Health tips News: Myths > sugar and health

Replacing sugar with other sources of carbohydrates does not necessarily make you lose weight, according to a scientific review study.
Busting such misconceptions about the impact of sugars on health, the study observes that what appears more important is the total amount of energy intake, the energy density of the foods and the quality of the diet.
The evidence shows that added sugars do not necessarily compromise a person's intake of micronutrients. The "micronutrient dilution" myth that eating added sugars dilutes the nutrient density of a person's diet appears mostly due to misreporting and methodological constraints.
Finally, although sugar consumption has traditionally been associated with poor dental health, the experts pointed to the importance of the frequency, more than the amount, of consumption of all sugars and fermentable carbohydrates.
The combined impact of many dietary and lifestyle factors such as physical activity, excessive calorie intake and weight gain, and their interactions, have to be taken into account.
Obesity and low physical activity are causally related to the development of insulin resistance and its progression towards type 2 diabetes.
There is convincing evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCT) that weight loss and moderate physical activity are beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity and preventing type 2 diabetes, said a Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre (CEFS) release. CEFS represents all European sugar manufacturers and refiners among European Institutions.