Health Corner

According to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from Penn State University, a serving of pistachios each day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Results showed that consuming pistachios significantly lowered total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels.Read More »Scientists try to stop hunger with retooled foods

OSLO, Oct 24: Many pesticides used in the European Union may damage brain growth in foetuses and young children, according to a study published on Friday.

The study urged the European Union to tighten restrictions.

“Toxicity to the brain is not routinely included in testing pesticides,” Philippe Grandjean of the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Southern Denmark said.Read More »EU study raises alarm over pesticides’ effect on child

Diets heavy in fried foods, salty snacks and meat account for about 35 per cent of heart attacks globally, researchers reported on Monday.
Their study of 52 countries showed that people who ate a ‘Western’ diet based on meat, eggs and junk food were more likely to have heart attacks, while those who ate more fruits and vegetables had a lower risk. Read More »Junk food causes a third of heart attacks

Associated Press of Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan registers one of the highest incidence rates of breast cancers in the world with environmental factors suspected as main culprit to trigger the ailment.

Dr Rufina Soomro, consultant general surgeon, specially trained in breast cancer surgery, told journalists following a Pakistan Medical Association organised seminar on Breast Cancer, Tuesday evening.Read More »Environmental factors trigger breast cancer among women

Pakistan‘s security situation and the war on terror has become a top priority for the government. While the need to prioritise issues is understandable, attention to some other matters of the state on a war footing is also warranted. In many ways, the case of polio eradication is analogous to the war on terror, given the international context within which it is being waged and the gains at stake.Read More »A new war — against polio- Dr Sania Nishtar

Regular aerobic exercise can not only stave off the decline in brain function that often comes with age, it can also help turn back the clock on brain aging, two experts in the field report, based on a critical review of published studies. Read More »Aerobic activity may reverse mental decline

Chicken soup, which has been dubbed grandma’s penicillin for its purported cold-fighting abilities, may also help to lower high blood pressure, a new study suggests. Japanese researchers have found that collagen proteins found in chicken may actually lower blood pressure. These collagens appear to act like the blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors. Read More »Chicken soup may lower BP

Sinus infections may be on the rise in the United States, and many of them creep up on us as a cold or an allergy, a survey shows.

According to a survey of doctors and patients, 42 percent of those surveyed said they suffered through at least one sinus infection in the past 12 months, a jump of 9 percent from the previous year. And 39 percent of them said their sinusitis started with an allergy, while 28 percent said the infection began with a cold.Read More »Allergies, cold and sinusitis

A basic ingredient in jam and jelly could help prevent the spread of cancer, scientists have found.

Pectin, a natural fibre found in fruit and vegetables, is widely used as a gelling agent in processed foods.

Research has shown that under the right conditions it releases a molecular fragment with anti-cancer properties. Read More »A new weapon against cancer

A gene could help prod people to overeat and gain excess weight, new research shows.

The finding probably won’t provide a ‘magic bullet’ for weight loss, but it does reinforce the value of good eating habits and exercise, especially for young people, scientists say.Read More »Overeating? Blame your genes