Some fruit drinks have no fruit in them

Fruit drinks marketed with tall claims of providing hydration to children contain as little as 5 per cent fruit, while some others have none at all, health experts have claimed.

And to make matters worse, many are loaded with added sugar.

The experts found Ribena squash promotes its vitamin C content without making clear that 90 per cent of the vitamin content is artificially added to the drink because it contains such a small amount of fruit juice.

Fruit Shoot Hydro doesn't contain any fruit at all, while Still Vimto and Ribena have only 5 per cent fruit and contain more added sugar than fruit.

A Vimto marketing campaign emphasises the drink's raspberry content, says the report, despite the fact that raspberry juice makes up just 0.1 per cent of its ingredients, equivalent to about ten drops in a 500ml bottle.

Less than one-eighth of Capri-Sun drink is fruit, and it has significant added sugar, says the report.

The report, called Soft Drinks, Hard Sell, comes after the soft drinks industry reported its highest growth rate in seven years in 2010, with UK consumption reaching 14.6billion litres annually.

"Our survey found some truly misleading marketing blatantly used to drive sales and increase children's soft drinks consumption, which contributes to tooth decay and the UK's record rates of childhood obesity," the Daily Mail quoted The Children's Food Campaign's Clare Panjwani, who wrote the report, as saying.

"We need better regulation to protect children from marketing for soft drinks and other junk food, and better food labelling so that parents and children can tell more easily what's in the products they are buying," Clare added.

The report calls for a ban on junk food and drink advertising on TV before the 9pm watershed, as well as traffic light labelling on packaging that would display 'red' for added sugars.

Healthy lifestyle cuts heart failure risk

A person's lifetime risk of developing heart failure is one in five at age 40. However, a new study has suggested that adopting a healthy lifestyle - including watching your weight, not smoking, regularly exercising and eating lots of veggies could significantly reduce the risk of developing heart failure.

It found that people who followed one healthy lifestyle behavior significantly reduced their heart failure risk, and each additional healthy behavior further decreased their risk.

Previous research has shown an association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and lower risk of heart failure in men. The new study is the first to find a similar connection in women.

Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La followed more than 18,000 men and nearly 20,000 women from Finland ranging in age from 25 to 74 years for about 14 years. During this time, 638 of the men and 445 of the women developed heart failure.

After taking into account risk factors for heart failure such as diabetes, high blood pressure and a previous heart attack, the study found men who smoked had an 86 percent greater risk for heart failure than the non-smokers. That risk jumped to 109 per cent among women.

Overweight men had a 15 per cent increased risk of heart failure, while overweight women had a 21 per cent increased chance. That added risk surged to 75 per cent for obese men and 106 per cent for obese women.

On the other hand, the risk for heart failure dropped by 21 per cent in men who exercised moderately compared to those who only got light physical activity. Among women, moderate exercise was associated with a 13 per cent decreased risk.

High levels of physical activity were associated with a 33 per cent decreased risk in men and 36 per cent in women, they noted.

Eating vegetables three to six times per week was also associated with a 26 per cent decreased risk of heart failure in men and 27 per cent in women compared to those who rarely ate vegetables.

Engaging in all four healthy lifestyle behaviours decreased the risk for heart failure by 70 per cent in men and 81 percent in women, compared to 32 per cent in men and 47 per cent in women who engaged in only one healthy behaviour.

"Any steps you take to stay healthy can reduce your risk of heart failure," said lead author Gang Hu, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Laboratory.

The research is published in the September issue of Circulation: Heart Failure .

Chewing tobacco too joins ’banned foods’ list

Chewing tobacco, like gutka and paan masala, has been included among banned "food products" in the government's new food safety guidelines. The move has been welcomed by health activists as increasing incidence of oral cancer is being reported in the country, with the 2010 figure at more than 70,000.

Coming soon after the ban on the usage of plastic pouches to package chewing tobacco and pan masala, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the health ministry issued a notification prohibiting use of tobacco as an ingredient in any food product.

The food safety notification which was announced and enforced early August says: "Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health. Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product."

Clearing the air about terming tobacco as a "food product", FSSAI director V.N. Gaur said that chewing tobacco, like gutka or paan masala, can be called a "food" because it is consumed like any other food product.

"It (tobacco product) is a food product. Anything that is consumed is called food and anything that is food and contains nicotine or tobacco must be banned," Gaur said.

That gutka and paan masala can be termed as food product was also affirmed by the Supreme Court. In the Ghodawat Paan Masala case, the apex court said: "Since paan masala, gutka or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the Act."

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday informed parliament that 70,261 people were detected with cancer of mouth, tongue and hypopharynx in 2010 because of such products, also known as "smokeless tobacco products".

Quoting data from the Indian Council of Medical Research, Azad said the numbers of those affected have been rising - 66,129 in 2008 and 68,160 in 2009.

Welcoming the new notification, health activists said the guidelines will act as a deterrent to the "non-smoking tobacco industry".

"The current notification which defines tobacco as food and bans it is a welcome step. It's only logical that things like gutka or paan masala which can be chewed and digested like any other food item is termed as food," Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), told IANS.

This, she added, could deal a blow to the Rs.8,000 crore worth gutka industry in India.

Added Rajeev Sharma, a health activist who mobilises youth groups to campaign against smoking: "The notification is definitely a good step. But for it to really mean anything, the government should ensure a strong and effective implementation".

Mukhopadhyay said: "The notification, however, should have gone one step forward instead of just saying that tobacco should not be used as a food ingredient. It seems to wash its hands of the implementation bit...the government should put in place a mechanism by which it is implemented."

One way of implementing the directive better is better awareness, she said.

"There should be a public notice about this notification. How many people know that the government has announced something like this? Secondly, the government should write to the gutka industries about this notification and tell them that they cannot add nicotine to any food product," Mukhopadhyay said.

Mentioning an example of ineffective implementation of rules, she said that despite the Supreme Court's order banning the sale of chewing tobacco and other paan masala products in plastic packets, it is openly being done so.

The order came into force March 1, 2011.

The president of Smokeless Tobacco Federation (India), Sri Gopal, said that the industry suffered a loss of 40 percent after the ban on plastic packages came into effect.

"Paper packaging of tobacco products has cost us a fall of 40 percent in business," Gopal said.

He, however, refused to acknowledge the latest notification by the FSSAI.

"The tobacco product industry is not governed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) or the FSSAI," he said, thereby putting a question mark on if the notification will actually change anything or it is just a string of words on paper.

How to make sure your kid eats healthy

Source: Times of India - Rejuvenate

After a shocking report yesterday on how more and more urban Indians are becoming obese, here’s some good news. School children are starting to get conscious about eating healthy. With principals, teachers and parents increasingly becoming worried about the rise in obesity among children, they are not only looking into what’s being served in the canteen and brought in tiffins, but also bringing on board dieticians and nutritionists. Here are some tips to make sure that your child eats right.

Healthy proteins: Growing children need protein. Dairy products (milk, curd, paneer etc), dals and pulses should be a part of their daily diet. For non-vegetarians, chicken and fish is advised, but not red meat. At snack time, give them a sandwich made of brown bread with cottage cheese, tofu or chicken.

Essential nutrients: Fresh fruits and vegetables are very important as they provide essential vitamins and minerals. A good way to ensure your child eats vegetables is by making yummy, vegetable soups for him. They are low in fat, yet nutritious. You could make sure he eats enough fruit by cutting up fruits and adding them to his morning cereal.

Go nuts: Children should regularly consume small amounts of dates and nuts, like almonds and walnuts. Though high in calories, they build immunity. Tip: Throw in a couple of almonds or a few dates into a fruit smoothie.

Start early: Children should be told the ill effects of consuming junk food. There should be restrictions on food sold in school canteens. You could make suggestions about what kind of food should be served during the next PTA meet. And if your child’s school agrees, you could also suggest that they get a nutritionist or dietician on board.

All work and no play: Schools and parents should emphasise sports and a healthy diet. Encourage your child to play a sport of their choice everyday. It could be anything from basketball to swimming, cycling or cricket. This ensures that they get their daily dose of cardio.

Top 10 hygiene tips to keep diseases at bay

Source: Times of India - Rejuvenate

Sweaty women in the train, slimy railings on overhead bridges, dirty auto-rickshaw seat covers, etc. Living in a big city means that you come into contact with several germs and bacteria, which are responsible for common ailments like cold and cough.

Dr Sujata Iyer, a general practitioner, says, "A lot of these germs have the potential to cause serious illnesses such as jaundice or tuberculosis too."

Here are some hygiene tips that you need to bear in mind if you live in a big city.

1. Wash your hands every time you come indoors.
If you use public transport, chances are that you have come into contact with surfaces that were touched by several other people. Make sure that you wash your hands with soap.

2. Wash your socks.
This is important not only for your personal health but it is also in general public interest. As you move around, your socks accumulate a lot of dust and bacteria.

3. Don't rub your eyes.
Rubbing your eyes with contaminated hands can transfer a lot of germs into them and cause eye infections.

4. Use a hand sanitiser.
For times when you can't wash your hands, carry a hand sanitising lotion with you. This becomes particularly important when you have to eat out in the middle of the day.

5. Carry tissues when commuting.
Tissues are better than cloth handkerchiefs as the latter accumulate germs on them, leading to infections. Therefore, carrying wet tissues is a better idea as they are disposable.

6. Avoid touching your hair.
The hair is one of the most exposed areas of the body. Avoid touching your hair to prevent transferring those germs on to your hands.

7. Use a deodorant.
Most people travelling by public transport stink, but that's no reason for you to join the club. A deodorant will also allow you to reduce the chance of bacteria breeding on your skin.

8. Treat skin infections in time.
Skin infections, if ignored, tend to aggravate and spread all over the body.

9. Clean your hands after playing with pets.
While playing with pets and strays is nice, they carry germs. Make sure to wash your hands before you sit down to eat your meal.  

10. Get immunised.
In big cites with lots of people, you don't know what surface carries what infection. Get yourself immunised against some common infections such as tetanus.

These basic hygiene tips will ensure that you stay safe from the common ailments that affect people in a city. 

Eggs lower in cholesterol than believed

Source: Mayo Clinic

Eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously thought, according to new nutrition data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS).

The USDA-ARS recently reviewed the nutrient composition of standard large eggs, and results show the average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg, 14 per cent lower than previously recorded. The analysis also revealed that large eggs now contain 41 IU of vitamin D, an increase of 64 per cent.

"We collected a random sample of regular large shell eggs from 12 locations across the country to analyze the nutrient content of eggs," said Dr. Jacob Exler, Nutritionist with the Agricultural Research Service's Nutrient Data Laboratory.

"This testing procedure was last completed with eggs in 2002, and while most nutrients remained similar to those values, cholesterol decreased by 14 per cent and vitamin D increased by 64 per cent from 2002 values."

Why do we like to eat fatty foods?

Source: Mid Day

Ever wondered why we reach for ice cream, pizza and other fatty foods when we're feeling down? There may be a scientific reason. 

A new research has suggested that fatty foods literally serve as 'comfort' foods and help lift our mood.

The findings could explain why so many people become obese when facing stressful situations.

Dr Lukas Van Oudenhove from the University of Leuven, in Belgium, and his colleagues used MRI scans to assess the emotional impact of fat when injected into the stomach.

They recruited 12 healthy-weight volunteers and scanned their brainwaves as they were shown a series of sad and neutral images as well as exposing them to sad and neutral music.

They then inserted either fatty acids or saline into their stomachs but didn't tell the volunteers which was which.

This meant they could bypass the effects of sensory stimulation as well as any associations to childhood foods.

The scientists found the music and expressions caused people's moods to fall across the board.

However, the levels of sadness among those who consumed fatty acids were around 50 per cent lower compared to those who received saline.

"Eating fat seems to make us less vulnerable to sad emotions, even if we don't know we're eating fat," the Daily Mail quoted Oudenhove as telling HealthDay.

The researchers said their findings could have important implications for people with obesity, eating disorders and depression.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Young Hearts in Danger

The heart now suffers young, thanks to our drastically changed lifestyle. Heart attacks are increasingly being reported among youngsters starting in their twenties and up to late thirties.
Reasons? Stress, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and diabetes, genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolaemia and many others. “Definitely, the numbers are on the rise.
Heart attacks were unheard of in 30 to 40 years age bracket. In the last couple of years, we are noticing this trend. We see at least one to two heart-attack cases among youngsters every month. It is a big number,” says cardiologist Dr Devananda, who recently operated on a 27-year-old software engineer Rupesh Mathur, who suffered a massive heart attack with severe blockage in three arteries and underwent bypass surgery. According to cardiologist Julius Punnen at M S Ramaiah Narayana Hrudalaya Heart Centre: “Some time ago, we hardly ever saw such cases among people in their 30s. We are getting a fair number of young patients, which shows the trend is increasing. We don’t have official statistics though,” he told TOI.

YOUNG CAN’T TAKE IT

The worrying issue is that a young heart is far more damaged and suffers a more dangerous heart attack than that of an older person. “There are a number of technical reasons. In an older person, the calcium settles on cholesterol over a period of time and the heart slowly gets used to the condition. In younger ones, there is a sudden plaque rupture. Even if the vessel has a little bit of cholesterol, it bleeds, which makes the arteries expand and the heart suddenly suffers a massive heart attack,” added Dr Devananada.

WOMEN ALSO VULNERABLE

Despite the general notion that women have a natural protection from heart attacks due to their estrogen levels, heart attacks are increasing among them, for smoking has become common. Recently, a 22-yearold girl had to get stents fixed due to artery blockages by Dr Devananda. In the US, however, the problem has come down by 20% due to changes made in workplaces and awareness about physical activity.

INDIANS GENETICALLY PRONE

Indians are genetically more prone to heart disease than Westerners. In the West, the disease sets in in the origins or bifurcations of the large coronary arteries, but among Indians, a good portion of the artery is diseased, and is more diffused. “Due to genetic difference, treatment becomes difficult. The other reason why heart attacks strike the young is because of the earlier onset of diabetes,” he added.
   According to cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty, earlier, young sons would bring aged parents for cardiac problems, but, today, it is the reverse with a 60-year-old father bringing his less-than-40-year-old son for heart disease treatment.
   “We recently treated a 21 and 22 year old, and, in both cases, the patients were genetically predisposed to the disease. Lifestyle factors affect those in their early 30’s,” he said

GENETIC AND LIFESTYLE DISORDER

Dr Devi Shetty adds: “Indians are three times more vulnerable to cardiac problems than Europeans. Indian food is rich and in no other food culture is so much oil and carbohydrates used. The increasing non-vegetarian eating habits are also adding to the cardiac problem.” Paediatric    cardiologist    from Sri    Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Dr I B Vijayalakshmi said, there are three main causes for heart attacks among youngsters. One of the main reasons is a genetic disorder — familial hypercholesterolaemia. It is characterized by high cholesterol level resulting in severe cardiovascular disease in childhood. Undue stress and pressure, and addiction to junk food, alcohol, tobacco consumption and sedentary lifestyle also cause heart attacks at a young age.

 IT’S NOT NEW

“This problem was identified ten years ago itself. The youngest patient I treated is a 12 year old, three of his coronary arteries were blocked and he had to undergo bypass surgery. He had a history of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Another case was that of 19-year-old boy who had a massive heart attack. A genetic disorder accompanied by stress caused the attack. But not many are aware of familial hypercholesterolaemia, so even when a active young person dies, it is shocking to most.” said Dr Vijayalakshmi.

BE POSITIVE

Participating in extra curricular activities, doing yoga, meditation and having a positive outlook are important. “Several studies show that those who have self-confidence and believe in God have a 50% less chance of having a heart attack. When we close our eyes and pray, the brain releases endorphins, which are 100 times more powerful than morphine given by doctors. As tension reduces and a positive attitude builds up, the body is at peace, this is important for a healthy heart,” said Dr Vijayalakshmi.

WATCH OUT FOR STRESS

Until 1993, not many were aware of the fact that stress can cause heart attacks. It was noticed in Japan, when hundreds of women and adults started complaining of heart problems. However, most of them got better with psychological therapy, that too within 24 hours. This proved stress could cause heart attacks. “This is one of the main reasons why yoga and meditation are popular in developed countries,” said Dr Vijayalakshmi.

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Look for K Yoga Therapy for young hearts to be out of danger

Heart Attacks Are Getting Common Among Those in Their 20s And 30s

Nirmala M Nagaraj & Jayashree Nandi | TNN