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Adding mushrooms to your diet is good for the gut health

Next time you order a pizza or whip up a creamy risotto, go ahead and load on the mushrooms. Adding more of the edible fungi into your diet may be one way to counteract the health risks associated with the Western-style diet (WSD), which often features an abundance of fatty foods and added sugars.

Fatty and sugary foods contribute to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and a host of other chronic health issues.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst investigated how modifiable factors such as diet and lifestyle and their metabolically related gene variants interact to influence the development of chronic diseases.

The team focused on identifying metabolic targets to prevent or treat obesity and insulin resistance.

“Intestinal dysfunction is thought to be one of the underlying mechanisms that contribute so significantly to the development of WSD-related diseases,” said nutritionist Zhenhua Liu, Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the varsity.

In a previous research, the team found that a rarely studied bacterium, Turicibacter, is almost completely depleted by high fat diet-induced obesity, but not genetic obesity.

But they found that sundried oyster mushrooms, found throughout most of the world, possess a unique dietary composition rich with multiple nutrients lacking in the Western- style diet, such as dietary

fibre and vitamin D.

“It’s a perfect supplement as a natural whole food to improve the quality of Western-style diets, with the added benefit of improving our overall gut health,” Liu said.

Liu’s study will examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these mushrooms improve gut health.

Specifically, the team will examine the mushroom’s interaction with Turicibacter in Westernstyle diet-related intestinal dysfunction and the effect it may have on reshaping gut microbiome.

“We hope this study will provide the mechanistic understanding of the role of Turicibacter in dietary obesity and gut health,” said.

“It will also provide important insight into mushrooms as a whole-food approach to improve the quality of WSD and gut health. ”

IANS

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IS YOUR PLACE TOXIC?

 

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Relaxing is a learned skill. Here’s how to correctly master the art

 Relaxing is a learned skill. Here’s how to correctly master the art

Deliberate muscle relaxation immediately reduces stress, fatigue and anxiety. And the best part: The more you do it, the more effective it is

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23.01.2022

Most of us go through life not knowing that there is a particular technique to relaxing — deliberate muscle relaxation — that immediately reduces fatigue, anxiety and and creates a kind of all-over refreshed feeling that can be attained nearly anywhere.

Loosen up

One of the most widely used methods is progressive muscle relaxation, which was developed by Edmund Jacobson, a medical doctor who pioneered research into the connection between physical tension and mental well-being.

Jacobson’s insight was that a moderately tense muscle is indistinct — that is, one often does not notice, in ordinary life, that certain muscles are in a state of tension. His method for relaxation is thus a two-step process. First, learn to recognise what a particular muscle feels like when it is flexed. Then, focusing on that muscle in the f lexed state, do the o pposit e o f f le xi ng : Re l a x.

When you’re starting out wit h muscle r el a xa t io n , i t c an be helpful to set aside time and s p ac e t o d o i t . F i n d 1 0 t o 1 5 m i n utes in the day when you’re unlikely to be disturbed. Look for a quiet spot where you can lie down on a bed or sit on a couch. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths.

Now begin: Start at your extremities — say, your hands. Clench them and focus on what that feels like. What is the physical sensation of a clenched fist? Which muscles are activated, and what does their activation feel like? After you have spent a few seconds focusing on the clench, do the opposite. As you exhale, gently unclench your fist. Let go of the tension. Feel your hand loosening, becoming heavy, falling into relaxation.

Repeat this with other parts. Your arms: Flex your biceps, feel the f lex and then let go. Your shoulders: Shrug, then unshrug. Your mouth: Smile wide and feel the pull of your smile muscles, then let your smile go limp.

Quieten the body

Muscle relaxation is related to meditation — quieting thebody is an important part of quieting the mind — but it is much easier to get into and a lot more portable. With practice, you’ll learn to achieve mastery over your tension, to sense how you’re unconsciously tightening parts of your body during the course of a day. Once you begin to recognise that feeling, muscle relaxation can become an all-over, all-the-time activity.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

 

What is ‘white coat hypertension’?

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23.01.2022

White coat hypertension’ is characterized by shooting up of blood pressure and/or heart rate when in a hospital, because of the nervousness of being in front of a doctor.

For a recent experiment, 18 people with hypertension were monitored using blood pressure measurements, in the presence and absence of a doctor. It came as no surprise that when a doctor was present, the blood pressure and heart rates were higher.

Experts recommend measuring BP thrice and taking an average of those readings.

— DAILY MIRROR

Woman who became man wants to be parent, not mom

Woman who became man wants to be parent, not mom

Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com

Chennai:28.12.2021

Tarun*’s ordeal began at a very young age. Assigned female at birth, Tarun first came out to his parents at the age of two. “I have always told them I am their son and have tried coming out to them several times. but my mother never took it seriously and said it was my imagination,” he says. Having to wear the uniform for girls and use their restroom at school traumatised him so much that he suffered stomach issues and had to be pulled out of school for one-and-a-half years. “That happened when I was in class III. I used to avoid wearing girls’ uniforms by getting into sports and playing cricket so that I could wear a T-shirt and shorts.”

When he attained puberty at the age of 13, and started menstruating, it traumatised him. “I had read that sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) are done in Mumbai and told my mother that I wanted to get it done. But she asked me not to say it again,” says Tarun, who dealt with it by immersing himself in sports and studies. “Since my father’s business was running at a loss, I began supporting my family when I was in class 4 by offering tuitions for younger children. I did my schooling and college on a scholarship so I had to score above 90% to retain my scholarship.” But as the years passed and his older and younger siblings got married, the pressure to get married got severe. “People would ask my parents if there was something mentally or physically wrong with me,” says Tarun.

With the trauma of trying to come out repeatedly in vain still fresh in his mind, he gave in. “I was also sexually abused by various people in the neighbourhood; my mother refused to believe me when I told her. So, I finally just lay low and did what they said,” says Tarun, who got married at the age of

26. He began leading a dual life, revealing his true self only online.

At 31, he had his first child and the second one at 35. “Parenting has been a joy. When I felt the child in me, I felt euphoria, which helped me combat my gender dysphoria.” But, by 2017, the bubble exploded. “The dual life I led was eating me alive, I could no longer do it to myself. It felt like I was punishing myself for the sake of others. I had done enough for my family, siblings, and felt that I deserved to live my own life,” says Tarun, who came out to his then husband and children in January 2018. His spouse initially dismissed it, then suggested they see a therapist. “She explained gender dysphoria to me. I began reading up, and watching videos to know more about it,” he says.

Explaining it to his children was a delicate matter. “I told them that I am a man and they need to call me ‘appa’ not ‘amma’, and use the pronouns he/him. The younger one immediately accepted it but my older child needed more sensitisation,” says Tarun.

In October 2019, Tarun filed for divorce by mutual consent citing gender dysphoria as the reason. “The same month I got my gender affirmative surgeries done and the divorce decree was granted by June 2020,” says Tarun, who has got shared custody of his children. He also found a school, which assured him that his children wouldn’t be discriminated against or harassed. “They said the gender identity of the parents doesn’t matter to them.” His name has also been legally changed on his Aadhaar, PAN and passport. “When I went for passport verification in January 2020, the cops were surprised but supportive,” says Tarun. “I filed the petition for passports to have the gender-neutral term ‘parent’ as I don’t want my parental rights compromised.”

Advocates Arun Kasi and Pradeep Raja, who are representing him, say using genderneutral terms on passports would benefit the entire community. “This is the first time we are handling such a case, so we had to sensitise ourselves. We researched for a month, and looked for precedents in other countries. Even when we presented the case in court, it took us 20 minutes to explain the issue and state our case.” Transactivists feel that bringing in gender-neutral terms is important not just for the trans community but for the equal rights movement. “If you see how the women’s rights movement has evolved in the last two or three decades, the conversation so far has been more skewed towards bringing about equality between men and women, even in terms of language. But it is time we started taking the gender rights movement beyond just women and acknowledge that there are people of different genders who also need to be included,” says Kerala-based trans activist Vihaan Peethambar. “We should be relooking at language to include people of different genders.

(*Name changed to protect privacy)

I told them that I am a man and they need to call me ‘appa’ not ‘amma’, and use the pronouns he/him. The younger one immediately accepted it but my older child needed more sensitisation

Tarun

Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

Stop overthinking and ditch the calculations. Drink only when you’re thirsty — it’s that simple

You’re often bombarded with encouragements to drink more water. The purported benefits of excess water consumption are seemingly endless, from improved memory and mental health to increased energy to better complexion. “Stay hydrated” has become a new version of the old salutation “Stay well”.

But what, exactly, does “stay hydrated” mean? “When lay people discuss dehydration, they mean loss of any fluids,” said Dr Joel Topf, a nephrologist and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Oakland University, US.

But that interpretation “has been completely blown out of proportion”, said Kelly Anne Hyndman, a kidney function researcher at the University of Alabama, US.

From a medical standpoint, Topf said, the most important measure of hydration is the balance between electrolytes such as sodium and water in the body. And you don’t need to chug glass after glass of water throughout the day to maintain it.

How much do I really need to drink?

We’ve all been taught that eight glasses of water per day is the magic number, but that notion is a myth, said Tamara Hew-Butler, an exercise and sports scientist at Wayne State University, US.

Unique factors such as body size, outdoor temperature, and how hard you’re breathing and sweating will determine how much water you actually need, she said. A 200-pound person who just hiked 10 miles in the heat will obviously need to drink more water than a 120-pound office manager who spent the day in a temperaturecontrolled building.

The amount of water you need in a day will also depend on your health. For most young, healthy people, the best way to stay hydrated is simply to drink when you’re thirsty, Topf said. Those who are older, in their 70s and 80s, may need to pay more attention to getting sufficient fluids because the thirst sensation can decrease with age.

Do I have to drink water to stay hydrated?

Not necessarily. From a purely nutritional standpoint, water is a better choice than lesshealthy options such as sugary sodas or fruit juices. But when it comes to hydration, any beverage can add water to your system, Hew-Butler said.

One popular notion is that drinking beverages with caffeine or alcohol will dehydrate you, but if that’s true, the impact is negligible, Topf said. A 2016 randomised controlled trial of 72 men, for instance, concluded that the hydrating impacts of water, lager, coffee and tea were nearly identical.

You can also get water from what you eat. Fluid-rich foods and meals such as fruits, vegetables, soups and sauces all contribute to water intake.

But drinking more water, even when I’m not thirsty, will improve my health, right?

No. Of course, people with certain conditions, such as kidney stones or the more rare autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, may benefit from making an effort to drink a little more water than their thirst would tell them to, Topf said.

In the most extreme case, drinking too much water in a short period of time could lead to a condition called hyponatremia, or “water intoxication”. “This is very scary and bad,” Hyndman said. If the sodium levels in your blood get too low, it can cause brain swelling and neurological issues such as seizures, coma or even death.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

4 reasons to eat cauliflower

4 reasons to eat cauliflower

21.11.2021

1 Cauliflowers contain potassium, which helps to control blood pressure.

2 They are high in vitamin C, which we need for the production of collagen in the body to help strengthen muscles and skin.

3 They are a good source of phytochemicals, called indoles and glucosinolates, which may stimulate helpful enzymes that protect the body cells from oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals.

4 Cauliflowers are rich in vitamin E, which helps to neutralise damaging free radicals in the body and promotes healthy skin and hair.

— DAILY MIRROR

What you can do to ease your lower back pain

What you can do to ease your lower back pain

21.11.2021  TOI     

Try to incorporate a good daily stretch into your morning routine. Just a few minutes of manipulating the joints you use the most, such as your back, knees, hips and elbows, “will warm them up for the day ahead and help protect against injury”, says UK-based rheumatologist Dr Rod Hughes.

If you work on a computer, ensure your chair is the right height for your feet to be firmly on the ground and your elbows to be at a 90-degree angle.

Remember to take time throughout the day to move around, to ensure your joints feel mobile. “Just like the rest of you, your back muscles tense up when you start to feel you are under pressure. That uncomfortable twinge can lead to us feeling even more fraught — and a vicious cycle forms,” says Dr Hughes.

Whenever you feel stressed, consider clearing your mind with a short walk or getting some fresh air.

—DAILY MIRROR

The perfect bedtime for heart health

The perfect bedtime for heart health

15.11.2021

Going to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, according to a study led by an international team of researchers.

The study was published in European Heart Journal - Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.

“The body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning, while we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health,” said study author Dr David Plans of the University of Exeter, UK.

While numerous analyses have investigated the link between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease, the relationship between sleep timing and heart disease is underexplored. This study examined the association between objectively measured, rather than self-reported, sleep onset in a large sample of adults.

The study included 88,026 individuals in the UK Biobank recruited between 2006 and 2010. The average age was 61 years (range 43 to 79 years) and 58% were women. Data on sleep onset and waking up time were collected over seven days using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Participants completed demographic, lifestyle, health, and physical assessments and questionnaires.

They were then followed up for a new diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, which was defined as a heart attack, heart failure, chronic ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and transient ischaemic attack.

During an average follow-up of 5.7 years, 3,172 participants (3.6%) developed cardiovascular disease. Incidence was highest in those with sleep times at midnight or later and lowest in those with sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm.

The researchers analysed the association between sleep onset and cardiovascular events after adjusting for age, sex, sleep duration, sleep irregularity (defined as varied times of going to sleep and waking up), self-reported chronotype (early bird or night owl), smoking status, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and socioeconomic status.

Compared to sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm, there was a 25% higher risk of cardiovascular disease with sleep onset at midnight or later, a 12% greater risk for 11:00 to 11:59 pm, and a 24% raised risk for falling asleep before 10:00 pm.

In a further analysis by sex, the association with increased cardiovascular risk was stronger in women, with only sleep onset before 10:00 pm remaining significant for men.

Dr Plans said, “Our study indicates that the optimum time to go to sleep is at a specific point in the body’s 24-hour cycle and deviations may be detrimental to health. The riskiest time was after midnight, potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.”

“If our findings are confirmed in other studies, sleep timing and basic sleep hygiene could be a low-cost public health target for lowering the risk of heart disease,” he concluded. ANI

TAKE IT TO HEART: Both early and late bedtimes can disrupt body clock

Fight diabetes the positive way

Fight diabetes the positive way

Incidence of diabetes is increasing alarmingly. But the good thing is that Type 2 diabetes cases are easily preventable. Read on to know more

14.11.2021

Resp.Edit@timesgroup.com

Often known as the diabetes capital of the world, India has been witnessing an alarming rise in the incidence of diabetes. Rapid urbanisation, demographic transition and lifestyle modifications are said to be the major causes for the increased incidence of diabetes. By 2030, the number of diabetic people in India is expected to cross the 100 million mark, according to a report by International Diabetes Federation.

The Type 2 diabetes comprises around 90 per cent of diabetes cases in the world and can be attributed to lifestyle disorders like being overweight or having a sedentary lifestyle. These two conditions further raise a person's insulin needs. Gestational diabetes, too, can further lead to Type 2 diabetes. People with family members with Type 2 diabetes and people who have metabolic syndrome (a cluster of problems that include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low good 'HDL' cholesterol and a high bad 'LDL' cholesterol and high blood pressure) are at a higher risk, too.

But the silver lining to this growing concern is that a large proportion of Type 2 diabetes cases are easily preventable. With simple lifestyle modifications and regular monitoring, it is easy to delay the onset or prevent Type 2 diabetes. The first and foremost thing to take care in this regard is to maintain a normal BMI and engaging in regular physical exercises. Eating a moderate and healthy diet can further reduce the risk of diabetes.

Find the silver lining

Viewing diabetes as a burden is surely not going to ease the journey. It is one sickness that needs lifestyle management more than prescribed medicines. The sooner you accept the entire diabetes package that includes numerous tests and all, the better you will be able to cope with the disorder. Living with diabetes brings frustration on account of thousands of blood tests, multiple appointments with doctors, eating restricted diet and what not. Nonetheless, how we think about our diabetes plays a much larger role than the actual events that are the reason for frustration. Here's a low-down on some of the aspects that can bring in positivity.

Change your outlook It is not essential to look at diabetes as the end of the world. Being diagnosed with this disorder certainly doesn't mean that you cannot live your life anymore. It is in your hands to view it as a detriment, a blessing in disguise or just be neutral about it.

Make it a part of your life Just as you face the traffic on roads and can do nothing about it, look at diabetes as something you need to learn to live with. It is understood that doing the same task again and again can raise the level of frustration; but if you come to accept it, just like brushing teeth or taking a bath, it will lessen the frustration and increase your ability to manage diabetes.

Motivational factor Instead of playing the victim card, make diabetes your reason to live a healthy lifestyle. Go for morning walks, make friends, go for swimming together, join a health club and be as social as you can. View it as a blessing in disguise and look for the positives.

Study shows how sleeping hours are associated with one’s snacking choices

Study shows how sleeping hours are associated with one’s snacking choices

12.10.2021

A recent study suggests that completing recommended sleeping hours can lead to smarter snacking choices. The study abstract has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the research will be presented in a poster session on October 18 at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in 2021.

The results suggest that people who miss the recommended seven or more hours of sleep at night may take worse snacks than those who follow closed-eyed guidelines.

The analysis of data on nearly 20,000 American adults showed a link between not meeting sleep recommendations and eating more snack-related carbohydrates, with added sugar, fat and caffeine.

It turns out that the preferred non-meal categories – salty snacks and sweets and non-alcoholic beverages – are the same among adults regardless of sleep habits, but those who get less sleep tend to eat more snack calories in a day in general.

The research also revealed what appears to be a popular American habit that is not affected by how much we sleep: snacking at night.

“At night, we drink our calories and eat a lot of convenience foods,” said Christopher Taylor, professor of medical dietetics at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. “Not only are we not sleeping when we stay up late, but we’re doing all these obesity-related behaviours: lack of physical activity, increased screen time, food choices that we consume as snacks and not as meals. So it creates this greater effect. of meeting or not meeting sleep recommendations,” he added.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommends that adults regularly sleep seven hours or longer at night to promote optimal health. Getting less sleep than recommended is associated with a higher risk of a number of health problems, including weight gain and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. “We know that lack of sleep is associated with obesity on a larger scale, but it’s all these little behaviours that are rooted around how it happens,” Taylor said.

Researchers analysed data from 19,650 US adults between the ages of 20 and 60 who had participated from 2007 to 2018 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study collected 24-hour diet calls from each participant, but when, all food was consumed – and asking people questions about their average amount of night’s sleep during the work week.

The participants were into those who either made or did not meet sleep recommendations based on whether they reported sleeping seven or more hours or less than seven hours each night. The researchers estimated participants’ snack-related nutritional intake and categorised all snacks into food groups. Three snacking times were determined for the analysis: 2: 00-11: 59 am in the morning, noon-5: 59 pm in the afternoon and 6 pm-1: 59 am for the evening. Statistical analysis showed that almost everyone – 95.5 percent – ate at least one snack a day, and over 50 percent of the snacking calories among all participants came from two broad categories that included sodas and energy drinks and chips, pretzels, cookies and pastries.

Although there are plenty of physiological factors that play into the relationship of sleep to health, Taylor said that changing behaviour by avoiding nocturnal nosh could especially help adults not only meet the sleep guidelines but also improve their diet. ANI

Eating breakfast early may prevent risk of diabetes, says study

Eating breakfast early may prevent risk of diabetes, says study

12.10.2021

If you miss your breakfast regularly, the findings of a new study might change your ways. A new study says that people who get up early do not just stay healthy, but also have better blood sugar levels as compared to their counterparts who do not wake up early and do not eat their breakfast on time.

The findings of the study showed that eating early in the morning hours is linked to lower insulin resistance and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago revealed how they observed that people who started eating earlier in the day have less insulin resistance and lower blood sugar. The results were regardless of whether the individuals restricted their food intake to 10 hours or less than 10 hours in a day.

To draw patterns between-meal timings and levels of blood sugar and insulin, the team of researchers analysed data derived from 10,575 adults from a national survey on health and nutrition. It was found that intermittent fasting or eating during a 10-hour window or less each day was linked to higher insulin resistance. In short, people who fasted were less responsive to insulin and this resistance becomes a risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes. — Agencies

How depression & anxiety affect the body

How depression & anxiety affect the body

Mental Stress Can Aid Disease, Hit Fightback

Jane E. Brody

06.10.2021

It’s no surprise that when a person gets a diagnosis of heart disease, cancer or some other life-limiting or life-threatening physical ailment, they become anxious or depressed. But the reverse can also be true: Undue anxiety or depression can foster the development of a serious physical disease, and even impede the ability to withstand or recover from one.

The human organism does not recognise the medical profession’s artificial separation of mental and physical ills. Rather, mind and body form a two-way street. What happens inside a person’s head can have damaging effects throughout the body, as well as the other way around. An untreated mental illness can significantly increase the risk of becoming physically ill, and physical disorders may result in behaviours that make mental conditions worse.

In studies that tracked how patients with breast cancer fared, for example, Dr David Spiegel and his colleagues at Stanford University School of Medicine showed decades ago that women whose depression was easing lived longer than those whose depression was getting worse. His research and other studies have clearly shown that “the brain is intimately connected to the body and the body to the brain,” Spiegel said in an interview. “The body tends to react to mental stress as if it was a physical stress.”

Many people are reluctant to seek treatment for emotional ills. Some people with anxiety or depression may fear being stigmatized, even if they recognize they have a serious psychological problem. Many attempt to self-treat their emotional distress by adopting behaviours like drinking too much or abusing drugs, which only adds insult to their preexisting injury. And sometimes, family members and friends inadvertently reinforce a person’s denial of mental distress by labeling it as “that’s just the way he is” and do nothing to encourage them to seek professional help.

Anxiety disorders affect nearly 20% of US adults. That means millions are beset by an overabundance of the fightor-flight response that primes the body for action. When you’re stressed, the brain responds by prompting the release of cortisol, nature’s builtin alarm system. It evolved to help animals facing physical threats by increasing respiration, raising the heart rate and redirecting blood flow from abdominal organs to muscles that assist in confronting or escaping danger.

These actions stem from the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and put the body on high alert. But when they are invoked too often and indiscriminately, the chronic overstimulation can result in all manner of physical ills, including indigestion, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

“Depression diminishes a person’s capacity to analyze and respond rationally to stress,” Spiegel said. “They end up in a vicious cycle with limited capacity to get out of a negative mental state.” Potentially making matters worse, undue anxiety and depression often coexist, leaving people vulnerable to a panoply of physical ailments and an inability to adopt with needed therapy.

According to Dr John Frownfelter, treatment for any condition works better when doctors understand “the pressures patients face that affect their behavior and result in clinical harm.” NYT NEWS SERVICE

EMOTIONAL ILLS