Washington: Scientists, led by an Indian-origin researcher, have linked perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — a chemical found in microwave popcorn bags — to cardiovascular disease.

Expressing concern over the growing problem of vitamin-D deficiency across the globe, the second international conference on “Vitamin-D deficiency and its health consequences”, held recently in Abu Dhabi, has stressed on creating awareness and education among the masses, especially women, to control this global pandemic.

The prime objective of the conference was to identify the reasons of vitamin-D deficiency in the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the world; discuss issues related to laboratory measurement of vitamin, deliberate on consequences of vitamin D deficiency in bone and bone-related diseases like rickets, explain various biological roles of vitamin D in cancer, diabetes and depression and current clinical practice guidelines and their relevance.

The "zero-calorie" artificial sweetener has gone sour. The sweetener which became quite popular over the past decade has been found to increase blood sugar, making it anything but safe for diabetics, its USP.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have found that "zero-calorie" sucralose — marketed as splenda, sucra plus and said to be twice as sweet as saccharine and three times as sweet as aspartame — is not metabolically inert as was believed and instead raises blood sugar. It does so possibly by acting on receptors in intestines that mediate uptake of glucose into blood, thereby rendering them more efficient.

People taking hight protein diets, alcohol at risk
Punjabis are fond of eating high-calorie food and many of them also love to have alcohol along with it. The protein rich diet, which they take affects their health. This is the reason that indiscipline dietary habits of Punjabis are giving Punjab the tag of "Uric Acid Belt".

A city-based ayurvedacharya, Dr Ravinder Vatsayan, ''It is a challenge since ayurveda times and in old texts of ayurveda it has been mentioned as adhiyavad's disease which means richman's disease. When one gets indiscipline in eating habits, one suffers from diseases. When a person takes high protein food, the rate of metabolism gets disturbed and one falls an easy prey to uric acid."

The main source of mercury in humans comes from the consumption of fish and shellfish

Higher levels of mercury exposure in young adults can increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 65%, later in life, a new study has warned. The research, led by Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington epidemiologist Ka He, is the first to establish the link between mercury and diabetes in humans.

A novel anti-diabetic drug that lowers blood glucose levels by acting on the kidneys, instead of the liver or the pancreas, has been approved by the USFDA.

The drug, Invokana (Canagliflozin), works by blocking the reabsorption of glucose by the kidney, increasing glucose excretion and lowering blood glucose levels in diabetics. Its safety and effectiveness were evaluated in nine clinical trials involving over 10,285 patients with type 2 diabetes.

The World Bank on Wednesday (27) approved a concessionary loan of US$ 200 million, at an interest rate of 1.25 percent, to Sri Lanka for the Health Sector Development Project to help the government

The World Bank approved yesterday a concessionary loan of US $ 200 million to Sri Lanka for the Second Health Sector Development Project (SHSDP) to help the Sri Lankan government to upgrade the sta