”Many studies have looked at air pollution, while others have looked at noise pollution,” said Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, a professor of environmental epidemiology at IUF Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine and lead author of the new study.

“This study looked at both at the same time and found that each form of pollution was independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis,” Hoffmann said. Atherosclerosis is also known as hardening of the arteries.

Hoffmann and her colleagues are scheduled to present their findings Monday in Philadelphia at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

The researchers analyzed data from a continuing population study underway in the Ruhr region of Germany. The data covered how exposure to fine particle pollution and long-term traffic noise exposure affected cardiovascular risk among more than 4,200 residents, average age 60, of three cities in the vicinity.

After controlling for age, gender, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol use and other factors that could affect the results, the team found that air and noise pollution significantly boosted a clinical measure of arterial hardening known as the “thoracic aortic calcification,” or TAC.

While local air pollution was found to drive up TAC among the study participants by an average of nearly 20 percent, local noise pollution drove up TAC by roughly 8 percent, the investigators found.

“Both exposures seem to be important, and both must be considered on a population level, rather than focusing on just one hazard,” said Hoffmann in a news release from the Thoracic Society. She said she plans to investigate the effect of both variables over a longer period of time.

Dr. Philip Harber, a professor of public health at the University of Arizona, said the study is important “because it says that both air pollution and noise pollution represent important health problems.”

Harber, who was not involved in the study, said the findings could clear up common misperceptions. “In the past, some air pollution studies have been dismissed because critics said it was probably the noise pollution that caused the harm, and vice versa. Now we know that people who live near highways, for instance, are being harmed by air pollution and by noise pollution,” he said in the news release.

Although the study found an association between exposure to noise and air pollution and arterial hardening, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The data and conclusions of research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

For more on air pollution, please visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

SOURCE: American Thoracic Society, news release, May 20, 2013

The items inside the purse didn’t fair well either. Swabs revealed that face or hand cream were most-bacteria ridden items, followed by lipstick and mascara. One item that may have spread bacteria to the purse is none other than the cell phone.

“We don’t want to put it down. It goes into the bathroom with some people — not a good idea,” Segal-Maurer said. “You really need to wipe it down.”

Leather handbags were the most likely to contain the most bacteria, because the spongy material is a perfect breeding ground, according to the study..

“Handbags come into regular contact with our hands and a variety of surfaces, so the risk of transferring different germs onto them is very high, especially as bags are rarely cleaned,” Peter Barratt, technical Manager at Initial Hygiene, said in a press release. Once these germs are on the bags, they can easily be transferred via hands onto other surfaces. Regular hand sanitisation is essential to prevent the presence of bacteria in the first place and thorough cleaning of bags is recommended to prevent the build up of contamination.”

Segal-Maurer suggested never putting your handbag on the bathroom floor and using anti-bacterial wipes to clean the bottom of the bag and handles. Also, never carry fruit in your purse.

“Number one, you’re probably not going to wash your hands before you go reaching for it, and number two, it’s floating around next to all the other stuff in your bag and then you want to put it in your mouth — it’s not a good idea,” Segal-Maurer said.

Weight loss: Shrimp is a great source of protein and vitamin D, without adding carbohydrates to daily intake, so for people determined to lose weight, this simple seafood is a popular option. The high levels of zinc are also beneficial since, zinc is one way to increase leptin levels in the body. Leptin is a hormone, and is an integral part in the body’s regulation of fat storage, appetite, and overall energy use in the body. By increasing the level of leptin in the body, people can avoid common issues like overeating, inexplicable cravings for food after being “full”, and similar problem for weight-conscious individuals. Also, shrimp has high levels of iodine, which help to control how much energy is expended when a body is at rest. It interacts with the thyroid gland to speed up thyroid activity, helping in efforts to lose weight, or at least prevent additional weight gain.

Anti-aging properties: Sunlight is one of the major causes that promote skin aging. Without protection, just a few minute exposure to sunlight and UVA may lead to wrinkles spots etc. By adding shrimp to a daily or weekly diet, people can greatly improve their chances of beautifying their skin and shedding years from time-worn faces. Shrimp contain high levels of a certain carotenoid called astaxanthin, which is a powerful antioxidant and can greatly work against the signs of aging in the skin related to UVA and sunlight. So for individuals obsessed with spots and wrinkling skin, add a shrimp cocktail a few times a week to slow those inevitable effects.

Age-related macular degeneration: Studies suggest that shrimp contain heparin like compound which may help in treating neovascular AMD. Astaxanthin found in shrimp also relieves eye fatigue especially for those who use computers for long duration.

Hair loss: The minerals found in shrimp also contribute to the health of our hair! Deficiency of zinc may cause hair loss. Zinc plays a key role in maintaining in creating new cells, including hair and skin cells, so for those who are beginning to lose their hair, or at least are seeing a decrease in hair growth; shrimp can work against that embarrassing reality.

Cardiovascular disease: Fermented shrimp paste, which is a popular manipulation of the food, shows a fibrinolytic enzyme which can be used for thrombolytic therapy. Thrombolytic therapy is a way of breaking up dangerous blood clots in within a person’s blood vessels. This enzyme found in shrimp paste can be a powerful tool against the dangers of cardiovascular disease that afflicts so many people throughout the world.  Also, the high levels of Omega 3 fatty acid found in shrimp eliminate damaging cholesterol in the bloodstream, which further reduces the chance of heart attacks and strokes.

Bone health: Protein and various vitamins such as calcium phosphorus and magnesium found in shrimp can effectively aid in the fight against bone degeneration. A deficiency in dietary proteins and vitamins can cause a deterioration of bone quality, bone mass, strength, and overall mass, which are the main symptoms of osteoporosis. Adding shrimp to your daily or weekly regimen of food can slow the effects of aging bones to keep you stronger, longer.

Brain health: Shrimp have high levels of the mineral iron, which is a key component in the bonding process with oxygen in hemoglobin. With additional iron in the system, increased oxygen flow can occur to the muscles, providing strength and endurance, while also increasing oxygen flow to the brain, which is shown to improve comprehension, memory, and concentration. Studies suggest that astaxanthin found in shrimp may help in improving memory performance, survival of brain cells and reducing risk of brain inflammatory diseases. Also, shrimp is a good source of iodine which helps human body make thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones in turn are needed for development of brain during infancy and pregnancy. Basically, you can raise your test scores and improve your workout regimen at the same time by including shrimp in your diet!

Anti-cancer activity: Shrimp contains carotenoid such as astaxanthin which may help in reducing risk of various types of cancer. It also contains selenium which is a “trace mineral”, and has been connected to lower levels of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer. Selenium is a key component of anti-oxidant enzymes (like glutathione peroxidase) that fight against the presence and destructive effects of free radicals which can cause cancer. Also, selenium slows down tumor growth by providing a boost to the immune system and inhibiting the creation of blood vessels leading to tumors that will help them grow or metastasize. Cancer is thereby battled on two fronts with this powerful little mineral, which is a prominent component in the organic structure of shrimp. Also, in areas of the world where selenium is more prominent in the soil, and subsequently in the agricultural products, cancer levels in local people were significantly lower.

Decreases menstrual pain: Not all cholesterol is created equally, and shrimp is a source of a beneficial type of cholesterol, Omega 3 fatty acids. These will balance out the well-studied negative effects of Omega 6 fatty acids, and aid in the alleviation of menstrual cramps for women, and also promote healthier blood flow to the reproductive organs by reducing other damaging forms of cholesterol in the blood stream.

Disadvantage of Shrimp

Mercury: Like many forms of seafood, shrimp do contain trace amounts of mercury, which is hazardous to health and can lead to mercury poisoning, vision problems, and fetal health. However, these health concerns stem from an abundance of mercury in your diet, so as long as you balance your diet with controlled amounts of shrimp, you can avoid the dangers of mercury.

Purines: Although purines are a naturally occurring and necessary element of our body chemistry, excessive levels can be dangerous, particularly in people who already have conditions like gout. Purines break down into uric acid when cells die, and the kidney then manages and directs the flow of uric acid around or out of the body. Shrimp have moderately high levels of purines, which is fine for most people, but if you already suffer from gout, a condition caused by high levels of uric acid, too much shrimp may exacerbate your issues.

Food allergies: Various types of seafood such as shrimp may create allergic reactions. Be careful whenever you try new types of fish, or when you drastically increase the levels in your diet, as you might experience an unexpected allergic reaction.

The diaper area is warm and moist, which breaks down the skin on that tender tush. Add irritating poop and pee and you’ve got the perfect environment for breakouts. Keep diaper rash under control by changing your baby often, using petroleum jelly or a barrier cream with zinc oxide to protect his bum, and letting his naked bottom air out occasionally (put a sheet on the floor and let him loose). Protect the rest of that fragile birthday suit with mild products, such as hypoallergenic and fragrance-free soaps, washes, and lotions. Once your baby turns 1, you can relax a little–his skin will be thicker and more rash-proof.

Intertrigo:

What It Is: A rash found mainly in a baby’s skin folds, especially in the neck. It usually appears in chubby babies under 6 months.
What It Looks Like: A red, raw, weepy rash that looks worse inside the skin creases. Your baby may not notice it at all or it may cause some pain, depending on the amount of skin-to-skin friction in the affected area.
What Causes It: Excessive moisture from drool and spitup that collect in your baby’s creases, which don’t get any air.
What to Do: Wash out the inside of your baby’s skin folds with water and apply a zinc-oxide barrier cream or petroleum jelly to protect them, recommends Dan Brennan, M.D., a pediatrician in Santa Barbara, CA. As babies get older and more mobile–they crane their necks-intertrigo goes away.

Prickly Heat:

What It Is: Also known as miliaria, prickly heat rash may occur on the face, neck, back, or bottom.
What It Looks Like: Tiny red bumps.
What Causes It: Since a baby’s skin isn’t able to regulate heat well, says Dr. Cohen, just about anything that overheats your little one–hot, humid weather; overbundling him in tight clothing; or a long, hot car ride while strapped in a car seat–can set off a prickly heat rash.
What to Do: Get your baby out of the heat and dress him in loose, cool clothing. The rash should look much better in about 30 minutes.

Seborrhea:

What It Is: A rash that can appear on the scalp and eyebrows (where it’s known as cradle cap), behind the ears, or on the neck, cheeks, and chest. It’s most common in babies under 6 months.
What It Looks Like: On the scalp and eyebrows, seborrhea looks like dandruff, although it can also appear like thick, yellow or crusty scales. Behind the ears, seborrhea tends to look cracked and scaly; on the chest and neck, it may be pimply, and on the cheeks, it’s red and bumpy. It can be unsightly but probably won’t bother your baby at all.
What Causes It: No one knows.
What to Do: The traditional remedy is to rub a little olive or baby oil on your baby’s scalp to loosen the scales, then gently brush them off. Dr. Brennan also recommends washing the scalp, behind the ears, and any other spots with a small amount of anti-dandruff shampoo.

Eczema:

What It Is: Eczema can appear anywhere on a baby’s body starting around 3 or 4 months, though it’s not usually found in the diaper area. Up to 20 percent of babies will develop this very itchy rash.
What It Looks Like:  In its mildest form, eczema erupts in dry, patchy areas on the skin. It can also look like a bad case of windburn and cause the skin to turn red, ooze pus, and crust over.
What Causes It: Anything can be a trigger for babies prone to eczema (those with a genetic predis-position or a family history of allergies). Hot weather can cause sweating, which irritates the skin; cold weather can dry it out. Soaps and clothing, especially wool, can also spark an outbreak.
What to Do: Wash the skin with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser–ask your pediatrician or dermatologist for a recommendation–and then slather moisturizer onto damp skin twice a day. For a more severe case, talk to your doctor about a steroid ointment, which will reduce the inflammation.

Contact Dermatitis:

What It Is:  A skin reaction to something your baby came in contact with–from soaps and detergents to grass and other plants.
What It Looks Like: Red, itchy bumps at the contact site.
What Causes It: If the rash is all over your baby’s body, then soap or detergent is probably to blame. If the chest and arms are affected, the culprit could be a new, unwashed shirt. Rashy legs? For some super-sensitive infants, all it takes is the unfamiliar texture of a rug or grass.
What to Do:  If the rash looks dry, moisturize it. If it’s not bothering your baby, just remove the trigger (roll up the rug, wash the shirt, try a milder soap, a gentler laundry detergent). If the rash is itchy, talk to your doctor about a hydrocortisone cream or an antihistamine.

Related Post:

How to Manage Diet Issue for Growing Babies

Spinach: Spinach is a great source of magnesium, which improves symptoms of asthma. Studies show that people with asthma tend to have lower blood and tissue levels of magnesium, and increasing magnesium intake in the long run can reduce the incidence of asthma attacks. Spinach is also high in B vitamins which help reduce stress related asthma attacks.

Onions: Onions have an anti- inflammatory and anti- asthmatic effect, inhibit the release of histamines, and reduce bronchial obstruction. Onions contain prostaglandins that relax the bronchial passageways and have anti- inflammatory and anti- allergic properties.

Orange & Lemon: Consuming fruits high in Vitamin C can help reduce the instance of asthma attacks, particularly in children. A study in Italy found that children who ate the fruit several times a week experienced significantly fewer asthma symptoms than children who did not regularly eat these types of fruits.

Red Pepper: Red pepper is rich in vitamin C, which is especially helpful in reducing inflammation. Ascorbic acid present in red peppers inhibits the production of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, which is present in most common asthma drugs.

Apples: Apples contain certain phytochemicals that can improve lung functioning in asthma sufferers.A study shows that children born to mothers who consumed four or more apples a week had half the chance of developing childhood asthma as did children born to women who consumed one or less apples per week.

Related Post:

Natural Herbal Remedies of Anxiety

Eggs: What if we could create the perfect brain food? For starters, we’d want some Vitamin B12, which is crucial for nerve cells. A deficiency causes irritability, depression and cognitive decline. Next we add a little folate to keep our brain’s neurotransmitter factories humming. Iodine would be another plus, since it is essential for good thyroid function-and an underactive thyroid leads to lethargy, weight gain and depression. Finally, studies have increasingly linked low levels of Vitamin D to depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and PMS, so we’d love to include some of this nutrient, which is hard to find in non-fortified foods. This is just a partial profile of a standard barnyard egg-a nutritional powerhouse.

Honey: Beside high contents of glucose, the good old honey also has the other contents like Vitamin A, B1, B2 and mineral (calcium, iron, magnesium and etc). Honey also has anti-biotic and various organic acid like malate acid, tartrate, etc. That’s why we are recommended to consume 2 teaspoonful of honey three times per day to keep the health of gastric. Just be healthy by consuming honey regularly. Drinking a spoonful natural honey before you sleep will increase the performance of brain.

Banana: It is rich in Vitamin B6 and folic acid that is good for the brain and boosts IQ. B vitamins help calm the nervous system. It also contains potassium. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Banana contains fiber which removes toxic build-ups in the body and brain which causes brain fog. People often report clearer thinking as one of the benefits of curing their constipation anyway.

Grass-Fed Butter: No more confusion about what to smear on your toast: butter is brain food. It has a long list of nutrients that are not found in most vegetable oils including Vitamin A (which promotes the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine that are key players in mood and memory), along with vitamins D and B12. Butter from grass-fed cows is even healthier. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which cool inflammation and promote the growth of new brain connections. It also delivers higher levels of a special fat called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which increases blood flow to the brain, extends the life of brain cells and counteracts the effects of the stress hormone cortisol.

Fish: Fish is an important source of every Essential Element of Happiness except fibre, the best being wild-caught salmon. Studies reveal that people in countries with the highest fish consumption have the lowest rates of depression, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression and seasonal effective disorder. It’s partly because of high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. A 2008 study found fish oil to be as effective as Prozac for depression.

Related Post:

Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate

Much evidence shows that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure and thereby reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. Less is known about the potential benefits of increasing potassium intake, but lower potassium consumption has been linked with elevated blood pressure.

The World Health Organisation has therefore set a global goal to reduce dietary salt intake to 5-6 g (about one teaspoon) per person per day by 2025, yet salt intake in many countries is currently much higher than this. In the UK, NICE recommends a reduction in salt intake to 3 g per day by 2025 for the adult population.

The first study examined the effects of modest salt reduction on blood pressure, hormones, and blood fats (lipids) from 34 trials involving over 3,000 adults.

It found a modest reduction in salt for four or more weeks led to significant falls in blood pressure in people with both raised and normal blood pressure. The effect was seen in white and black people and in men and women, thereby reducing strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure across populations.

However, the researchers believe current recommendations “are not ideal” and say a further reduction to 3 g per day “should become the long term target for population salt intake.”

Similar results were found in a second analysis of 56 studies; of which 37 were high quality studies reporting blood pressure, blood lipids, catecholamine levels or renal function. It found that reduced salt intake reduces blood pressure and has no adverse effect on blood lipids, hormone levels, or kidney function. Moderate quality evidence in children also showed a reduction in sodium intake reduces blood pressure.

Lower sodium intake was also associated with reduced risk of stroke and fatal coronary heart disease in adults. “The totality of evidence suggests that reducing sodium intake should be part of public health efforts to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, and will likely benefit most individuals,” conclude the authors.

A third study analysed data on potassium intake and health from 33 trials involving over 128,000 healthy participants. Potassium is found in most fresh fruits and vegetables and pulses (legumes).

The results show that increased potassium intake reduces blood pressure in adults, with no adverse effects on blood lipids, hormone levels or kidney function. Higher potassium intake was linked with a 24% lower risk of stroke in adults and may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure in children, but more data is needed.

The researchers also suggest an increased benefit with simultaneous reduction in salt intake.

The World Health Organisation therefore recommends to reduce dietary salt intake to less than 5 g (about one teaspoon) per person per day and set a global goal of a 30% relative reduction in mean adult population intake of salt by 2025, with the aim of achieving the WHO’s salt intake recommendation, yet salt intake in many countries is currently much higher than this. In the UK, NICE recommends a reduction in salt intake to 3 g per day by 2025 for the adult population.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google

The researchers found similar patterns when they looked at smoking and physical activity.

“A third of those who were depressed as children had become daily smokers, compared to 13 percent of their nondepressed siblings and only 2.5 percent of the control group,” Carney said.

Teens who had been depressed as children were the least physically active, their siblings were a bit more active and those in the control group were the most active, according to the study, which is scheduled for presentation Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Miami. Although the study showed an association between childhood depression and obesity, smoking habits and inactivity later in life, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

These findings are cause for concern because “a number of recent studies have shown that when adolescents have these cardiac risk factors, they’re much more likely to develop heart disease as adults and even to have a shorter lifespan,” Carney said.

“Active smokers as adolescents are twice as likely to die by the age of 55 than nonsmokers, and we see similar risks with obesity, so finding this link between childhood depression and these risk factors suggests that we need to very closely monitor young people who have been depressed,” he said.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

SOURCE: Washington University School of Medicine, news release, March 15, 2013

The study included older men and women with insomnia. Their patterns of sleeping and waking up to urinate during the night were evaluated for two weeks. The investigators found that 54 percent of all nighttime awakenings were associated with having to urinate.

The more often a person had to go to the bathroom during the night, the poorer their self-reported quality of sleep, according to the study, which was published online March 15 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

In addition, the study authors noted that nighttime awakenings were 11.5 percent longer on nights when people had to go to the bathroom. Waking up during the night to use the bathroom, however, had no effect on total sleep time.

“The results raise the clinical question of treating nocturia to help individuals with insomnia,” study lead author Jamie Zeitzer, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, said in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “That is, could much of the insomnia or poor sleep that occurs in older individuals be alleviated by treatment of nocturia? Of course, the opposite is quite possible — that proper treatment of insomnia might reduce the occurrence of nocturia.”

Nocturia disturbs the sleep of up to three-fourths of older people, the study authors noted in the news release.

 SOURCE: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, news release, March 14, 2013

Other studies have found associations between certain eating habits and breast cancer risk. Researchers from Michigan State University reported in 2010 that a high-fat diet during puberty can increase breast cancer risk later in life, even among females who never become overweight. Many dairy products contain elevated estrogen levels – high exposure to estrogen may increase the likelihood of breast cancer, according to previous research. Estrogen levels are highest in fatty dairy products, compared to low-fat dairy.

The investigators analyzed a group of women who were diagnosed with early-stage, invasive breast cancer between 1997 and 2000. Most of the them (83 percent) were from Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region.

According to the lead author of the study, Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, patients who had a high-fat dairy diet had “higher breast cancer mortality as well as higher all-cause mortality and higher non-breast cancer mortality.”

Kroenke added:  “Specifically, women consuming one or more servings per day of high-fat dairy had a 64 percent higher risk of dying from any cause and a 49 percent increased risk of dying from their breast cancer during the follow-up period.”

High fat dairy products include:

• Mature and/or hard cheese
• Cream
• Custard
• Evaporated milk
• Ice cream
• Pudding
• Whole milk
• Yogurt (made from full fat milk)

The women overall consumed a lot of low-fat milk and butter and limited amounts of low-fat desserts and cheeses. Low-fat dairy intake was generally higher than high-fat dairy intake (0.8 servings per day versus 0.5 servings per day).

Senior author of the study, Bette J. Caan, DrPH, research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said: “High-fat dairy is generally not recommended as part of a healthy diet. Switching to low-fat dairy is an easy thing to modify.”

1,893 women participated in the study two years after they were diagnosed with cancer. They answered a food-frequency questionnaire, 1,513 of them answered a follow up questionnaire 6 years later.

They asked the women how often they ate dairy foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt etc., as well as the portion sizes.  349 of the women in the study had a recurrence of breast cancer, of whom 189 died. The investigators found that a high-fat dairy diet was linked to a greater breast cancer death rate – no association was found in low-fat dairy products though.

Dr. Kutner concluded:  “Women have been clamoring for this type of information. They’re asking us, ‘Tell me what I should eat?’ With this information, we can be more specific about recommending low-fat dairy products.”