Category: Health

{Boys exposed prenatally to a common chemical used in plastics may be more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 10-12. The new study examined early life exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA).}

Boys exposed prenatally to a common chemical used in plastics may be more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 10-12. The new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) within the Mailman School of Public Health examined early life exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). Results are published in the journal Environmental Research.

BPA is a component of some plastics and is found in food containers, plastic water bottles, dental sealants, and thermal receipt paper. In the body, BPA is a synthetic estrogen, one of the class of chemicals known as “endocrine disruptors.” The Columbia researchers, led by Frederica Perera, PhD, DrPH, director of CCCEH, previously reported that prenatal exposure to BPA was associated with emotionally reactive and aggressive behavior, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression in boys at age 7-9.

Perera and her co-investigators followed 241 nonsmoking pregnant women and their children, a subset of CCCEH’s longstanding urban birth cohort study in New York City, from pregnancy through childhood. To measure the amount of BPA that had been absorbed in the body, researchers collected a urine sample from the mothers during the third trimester of their pregnancy, and from the children at age 3 and age 5. At ages 10-12, children completed an interview with a trained researcher about their symptoms of depression and completed a self-assessment that measures anxiety.

Researchers controlled for factors that have been previously associated with BPA exposure levels, including socioeconomic factors. After separating the data by sex, they found that boys with the highest levels of prenatal exposure to BPA had more symptoms of depression and anxiety than boys with lower levels of prenatal exposure to BPA; no such associations were found in girls.

“These findings are consistent with our prior reports on BPA and children’s development assessed at earlier ages and suggest greater susceptibility of the male brain during prenatal development,” says Perera. “Anxiety and depression are particularly worrisome because they can interfere with a child’s ability to concentrate, perform in school, socialize and make friends,” adds neuropsychologist and co-investigator Amy Margolis, PhD, assistant professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.

{You don’t want to ruin that special moment with your partner under the sheets due to the food you just ate before hitting the sheets with your partner. Just as we have foods that would boost your sex drive, we also have foods that are a no-no before sex.}

Below are 4 foods to avoid before sex

{{1. Garlic }}

You should avoid taking garlic before you hit the sheets with your partner because they can ruin your sex due to its strong scent that’s a huge turn off in bed. Garlic also have starches that can cause bloating.

{{2. Peppermint }}

I understand your urge to take peppermint before sex due to the fresh breath it gives you as you won’t want to hit the sheets with your partner with an offensive smell from your mouth but I still think you should avoid the urge. According to studies menthol in peppermint can reduce your testosterone levels and you know that can affect your sex drive.

{{3. Beans }}

Beans is the favourite food for most men because it’s a huge source for proteins and fibre in our body and it’s also tasty if well prepared but that is no reason to take beans before you hit the sheets. It is recommended to avoid beans before sex because of a sugar it contains that doesn’t digest quick and it also causes bloating and gas. You don’t want to ruin your intimate moment with your partner with a gassy and bloating belly.

{{4. French fries }}

I know you love French fries but it’s a wrong idea to have French fries before an intimate moment with your partner. French fries contain tran’s fat that can lower testosterone levels and that isn’t good news for your sex drive.

So before that intimate moment with your partner tonight, avoid these foods.

{“Am I pregnant?” This is a question every woman might have asked themselves at some point in their lives. So what symptoms should every woman look out for if they feel they are pregnant?}

Below are 8 symptoms of pregnancy

{{1. Constipation }}

This can be a symptom of pregnancy as food digest slower than usual during pregnancy due to increased progesterone production.

{{2. Swollen or tender breast and /nipple }}

This is another symptom of pregnancy and the breast gets swollen during pregnancy because the breasts are undergoing changes to prepare for breastfeeding.

{{3. Late or missed period }}

If your period is late or you probably missed your period, you could just be pregnant as late or missed period could be a sign of pregnancy.

{{4. Morning sickness }}

Morning sickness is another sign of pregnancy and is most common between weeks four and eight of pregnancy.

{{5. Intense headaches }}

Intense headaches could be a symptom of pregnancy and this is caused by increased hormone levels.

{{6. Increased basal body temperature }}

Basal body temperature is your morning body temperature before you get out of bed and a woman’s basal body temperature increases during ovulation and decreases when her menstruation occurs. When a woman is pregnant, the basal body temperature just keeps increasing.

{{7. Mood swings }}

If you suddenly start experiencing mood swings, it could be a sign you are pregnant as this is another symptom of pregnancy.

{{8. Unusual tiredness }}

Suddenly you sleep at any time of day; that could just be a sign you are pregnant due to increased progesterone production.

Please note that if you experience any of these symptoms, getting a home pregnancy test or seeing a doctor is advised to find out if you are truly pregnant.

{Everyone is seeking to have a good partner; even the good partners, the not-so-good partners and the terrible partners want a good partner.}

However, the big quest shouldn’t just lie in seeking for a good partner but in being one too.

A good partner has the following qualities.

{{1. A good partner is a good listener }}

Listening is an important quality of a partner, and it goes beyond hearing what your partner has to say but actually paying attention to what your partner is saying.

Everyone wants to be heard, and a good partner doesn’t only want to be heard but provides a listening ear to their partner.

{{2. A good partner believes in partnership}}

A good partner doesn’t sit back, relax and put the entire relationship burden on their partner. A good partner also partakes in making the relationship better in any way that they can. A good partner is committed to making the relationship work.

{{3. A good partner is a good communicator }}

Passing information and receiving information are the two essentials for communication, and a good partner chooses his/her words carefully so as not to pass the wrong message and a good partner tries to understand the other partner and as well communicate how they feel, rather than hide their emotions.

A good partner also believes in regular communication and doesn’t leave the other partner feeling emotionally distanced.

{{4. A good partner is a good lover }}

A good partner loves; good partners first love themselves and then they love their partner and look for means to show how much they really love that person.

{{5. A good partner is a selfless partner }}

A good partner isn’t selfish, a good partner isn’t self-centred; they don’t make the relationship just about themselves and they don’t try to have their way all the time.

A good partner seeks what’s best for the relationship.

The fact that you’re a good person doesn’t automatically make you a good partner; there are lots of good people who are terrible relationship partners.

Are you a good partner?

{As our first beach vacation with two little kids loomed, I had to do one of those chores that sounds easy but turns out to be anything but. I had to buy sunscreen. It seems like the task should take five minutes on Amazon. But as any parent with an internet connection knows, the choice is fraught.}

You can pick from formulas that block rays with chemicals or minerals such as zinc oxide. SPFs can surpass 100. There are lotions and sprays, “organic” and “natural,” “sensitive” and “sport.” Some are marketed specifically for kids. Some are endorsed by various interest groups. And then there’s the cost. Highly rated sunscreens on Amazon vary in cost by 3,000 percent. Amid the chaos, I ended up picking an SPF 30 and being done with it.

With the beach vacation behind us, I’ve had the presence of mind to take a clear-eyed look at the sunscreen boondoggle. It seems that my trouble was in some ways a mess of my own making. I was distracted by zippy marketing words that obscured the core attributes of a good sunscreen. It turns out that the task can be pretty simple, if you keep a few key things in mind.

Look for SPF of 30 or higher.
The sun protection factor is a measurement that tells you how long the sunscreen will protect your skin from sunburn-causing ultraviolet-B rays, as compared to no sunscreen at all. Sunscreens with an SPF of 30 will protect you from UV-B rays for 30 times longer than normal. Say you’d normally burn after 20 minutes in the sun without any sunscreen. After you correctly apply a sunscreen with SPF 30, you’d be able to go 10 hours. Sunscreens with an SPF of 30 will block 97 percent of UV-B rays. There may be diminishing returns as the SPF number goes up, though. There’s little evidence that SPFs over 50 offer increasing protection.

Make sure the sunscreen says “broad spectrum” on the label.
That means the sunscreen will thwart both UV-A and UV-B rays. UV-A rays are thought to be responsible for deep skin damage, while UV-Bs are the ones that cause sunburns. Both flavors of the sun’s rays can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Choose one that’s water resistant.
That doesn’t mean that water won’t wash it off. No sunscreen is completely waterproof, a fact that means sunscreens are no longer allowed to make that claim.

Don’t necessarily trust the ratings.
Of the sunscreens in the top 1 percent on Amazon, a full 40 percent of them failed to meet the criteria set out by the American Academy of Dermatology — SPF of 30 or higher, broad spectrum and water resistant, a recent JAMA Dermatology paper found.

Use it.
As study coauthor Steve Xu of Northwestern University says, “Picking the right product is only the first step. Using it correctly is just as important.” Put sunscreen on to your kids before they go outside, so the sunscreen can soak in. Make sure to cover all exposed skin, including the tops of ears and toes. And reapply every two hours, or immediately after your kids get out of water.

Those are the main points. Of course, you could choose to wade through a lot more weeds in the decision. Sunscreens based on physical blockers, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, reflect the sun’s rays. Chemical blockers such as oxybenzone absorb the rays and get rid of the extra energy in harmless ways. Mineral-based sunscreens may be less likely to irritate babies’ and children’s skin than chemical blockers, for instance.

The jury is still out on spray sunscreen, which aerosolizes the particles and promises fewer child chase-downs. The FDA has called for more data to evaluate those. And then there’s the question of sunscreen for babies younger than six months. Most sources say that when possible, opt for shade and hats instead of sunscreen for the littlest babies.

So as you prepare for your time in the sun, stick to a few basic facts to help you choose a sunscreen. Instead, apply the time you save toward forcing cute sunhats on your squirmy kids.

{According to a poll from the National Sleep Foundation, only 12 percent of Americans sleep naked even though sleeping naked comes with lots of benefits.}

Here are 5 health benefits of sleeping naked

{{1. Sleeping naked prevents bacterial infections }}

Sleeping naked is good for women because it helps prevent bacterial infections such as yeast infections. Yeast infection thrives in warm moist areas which can be created while sleeping in pajamas. When you sleep naked, you allow your vag*na breathe, thereby keeping bacteria at bay.

{{2. Sleeping naked helps increase a man’s sperm production }}

Sleeping naked is good for a man because it helps increase a man’s sperm production by keeping his scrotum at a specific temperature. A man’s sperm quality suffers if the testicles become too warm so it’s important men sleep naked to maximize the production of quality sperm.

{{3. Sleeping naked helps strengthen the bond between couples }}

Sleeping naked is good for couples as the skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin in the brain which strengthens the bond between couples and increase trust within a relationship.

{{4. Sleeping naked helps you sleep better }}

Sleeping naked helps you sleep better because it lowers the body temperature which stops you from waking up in the middle of the night.

{{5. Sleeping naked helps you burn calories }}

Sleeping naked helps the body stay cool though the night which has been found to increase metabolism and help burn calories.

{It’s the dream of everyone to be strong and healthy at old age, and to also have good memory.}

A study carried out by researchers from UCLA, California, USA has found that regular physical activity in older adults could increase brain size and decrease the risk of cognitive decline.

For the study, the team used a previous research (the landmark Framingham Heart Study) to look at an association between exercise, brain volume and the risk of developing dementia. The team looked at the physical activity levels from the original group of participants in the Framingham Heart Study as well as their offspring who were age 60 or over.

The team looked at an association between physical activity and the risk of developing all types of dementia in 3700 participants from both groups, as well as an association between physical activity and total brain volume and hippocampal volume, as measured by brain MRI scans, from a further 2063 participants from the offspring group only.

The participants, who did not suffer from dementia at the start of the study, were followed for more than a decade.

The results showed that there was an association between a low-level of physical activity and a higher risk for dementia in older individuals, and that physical activity had a positive effect on brain volume, in particular on the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in short-term memory.

The researchers also found that the positive effects of exercise were also strongest in people age 75 and older. The findings showed that physical activity in old age could reduce the risk of dementia and lead to higher brain volumes, although the researchers acknowledged that more research needs to be done to understand the intensity and duration of physical activity.

{Before we get down to what kidney failure is, I think it’s imperative that we first of all, understand what the kidney is (does).}

The kidneys are the two bean-like structures located toward the back of the abdominal region, usually one on either side of the spine– designed to perform protective and balancing functions for the body. They are designed to detoxify (filter) the blood, and make it safe for the body’s use, get rid of unwanted waste, balance the electrolyte levels in the body, control pressure, as well as stimulate the production of red blood cells. The kidneys get their blood supply through the renal arteries; directly from the aorta and send blood back to the heart via the renal veins to the vena cava.

Now that we know what the kidneys are, and do, we can proceed to KIDNEY FAILURE. As the name suggests, kidney failure is simply the inability of the kidney(s) to carry out its normal functions in the body— this can be as a result of a disease or an infection in the kidney(s) that failed to be detected on time.

{{ Symptoms:}}

The symptoms of a failed (failing) kidney can vary, depending on the victim; however, there are general signs that come with the condition. They are…

{{1. Changes in urination }}

The kidneys make urine, so when they are failing, (or fail), one may experience the following urinary changes…

– You may have to get up at night to urinate.

– Urine may be foamy or bubbly.

– You may urinate more often, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine.

– You may urinate less often, or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark-coloured urine.

– Your urine may contain blood.

– You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.

{{2. Swelling:}}

When the kidneys fail, they stop performing their normal body functions, which includes balancing the fluid level in the body, as well as getting rid of waste. What this means is that the waste and excess fluid that otherwise would be passed out as urine, are retained in the body, which results in swelling around noticeable parts of the body, like the face, the ankles, and feet.

{{3. Lethargy(fatigue)}}

As stated earlier, one of the functions of the kidneys is to facilitate the production of red blood cells which help to keep the body strong, agile, and generally healthy. In the absence of a healthy kidney, the body cannot make red blood cells; in other words, anaemia creeps in. This makes you feel tired and weak too easily.

{{4. Confusion:}}

It is common for people with kidney problems to have memory difficulties like forgetfulness and inability to focus on something. This is due to the brain’s inability to get enough oxygen.

{{5. Rashes and itching}}

The kidneys remove wastes from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, the build-up of wastes in your blood can cause severe itching.

{{6. Loss of appetite }}

A sudden loss of appetite along with bad breath can suggest that your kidneys need urgent care.

{{7. Shortened breathing }}

Trouble catching your breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anaemia (a shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.

{{8. Weight loss }}

Unexplained weight loss can result from insufficient feeding, due to loss of appetite.

{{9. Cold }}

People suffering from the condition may experience chills or a cold, even in a hot weather.

{{10. Pains}}

Kidney disorders are accompanied by severe pains in the abdominal region, and sometimes, the pain extends to the back — just around the place where the affected kidney is situated.

Now that you know what symptoms are associated with kidney failure and disorders, let us proceed to those habits that can expose you to the condition.

{{1. Delayed urination
}}

You’re engaged in something really important, and you’re seriously pressed, but you want to finish what you’re doing before you go on to empty your bladder — this is a very common scenario among young people, but unknown to many, it is a highway to damaging the kidneys. The urine that stays in the bladder multiplies bacteria quickly. Once the urine refluxes back to the ureter and kidneys, the toxic substances can result in kidney infections, then urinary tract infections, and then nephritis, and even uraemia. This is why you must empty the bladder whenever we’re prompted to by our body.

{{2. Excessive consumption of salt }}

Salt in the body is potentially harmful to the kidneys if they’re not checked. It is advised that you consume only a little above 5 grams of salt daily.

{{3. Excessive consumption of meat and foods rich in protein }}

Protein is good, but when it’s in excess, it can be harmful for your kidneys. This is because at digestion, protein produces ammonia – a toxin that is very destructive to your kidneys…so more protein equals more kidney damage.

{{4. Excessive intake of caffeine }}

All those sodas and soft drinks you consume have a great concentration of caffeine in them. Caffeine can trigger a rise in blood pressure, and once this happens, the kidneys suffer. Check the content of what you take into your body, and be mindful of the quantity.

{{5. Inadequate consumption of water }}

The kidneys ought to be hydrated adequately, to ensure that they perform their functions properly. When you don’t drink enough water, toxins can start accumulating in the blood, as there isn’t enough fluid to drain them through the kidneys. This is why experts recommend that you drink at least 10 glasses of water daily.

Finally, I want to add that once you notice any unusual thing about the functionality of your body, consult your physician as quickly as possible. Kidney disorders can be easily reversed if detected early enough. Do not wait until your kidneys fail completely before your find a remedy, it may already be too late by then. They say health is wealth; treat yours like a precious jewel.

{Humans have evolved a disproportionately large brain as a result of sizing each other up in large cooperative social groups, researchers have proposed.}

A team led by computer scientists at Cardiff University suggest that the challenge of judging a person’s relative standing and deciding whether or not to cooperate with them has promoted the rapid expansion of human brain size over the last 2 million years.

In a study published in Scientific Reports, the team, which also includes leading evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford, specifically found that evolution favors those who prefer to help out others who are at least as successful as themselves.

Lead author of the study Professor Roger Whitaker, from Cardiff University’s School of Computer Science and Informatics, said: “Our results suggest that the evolution of cooperation, which is key to a prosperous society, is intrinsically linked to the idea of social comparison — constantly sizing each up and making decisions as to whether we want to help them or not.

“We’ve shown that over time, evolution favors strategies to help those who are at least as successful as themselves.”

In their study, the team used computer modelling to run hundreds of thousands of simulations, or ‘donation games’, to unravel the complexities of decision-making strategies for simplified humans and to establish why certain types of behaviour among individuals begins to strengthen over time.

In each round of the donation game, two simulated players were randomly selected from the population. The first player then made a decision on whether or not they wanted to donate to the other player, based on how they judged their reputation. If the player chose to donate, they incurred a cost and the receiver was given a benefit. Each player’s reputation was then updated in light of their action, and another game was initiated.

Compared to other species, including our closest relatives, chimpanzees, the brain takes up much more body weight in human beings. Humans also have the largest cerebral cortex of all mammals, relative to the size of their brains. This area houses the cerebral hemispheres, which are responsible for higher functions like memory, communication and thinking.

The research team propose that making relative judgements through helping others has been influential for human survival, and that the complexity of constantly assessing individuals has been a sufficiently difficult task to promote the expansion of the brain over many generations of human reproduction.

Professor Robin Dunbar, who previously proposed the social brain hypothesis, said: “According to the social brain hypothesis, the disproportionately large brain size in humans exists as a consequence of humans evolving in large and complex social groups.

“Our new research reinforces this hypothesis and offers an insight into the way cooperation and reward may have been instrumental in driving brain evolution, suggesting that the challenge of assessing others could have contributed to the large brain size in humans.”

According to the team, the research could also have future implications in engineering, specifically where intelligent and autonomous machines need to decide how generous they should be towards each other during one-off interactions.

“The models we use can be executed as short algorithms called heuristics, allowing devices to make quick decisions about their cooperative behaviour,” Professor Whitaker said.

“New autonomous technologies, such as distributed wireless networks or driverless cars, will need to self-manage their behaviour but at the same time cooperate with others in their environment.”

{A new study helps us to understand how the brain maintains performance during the day, why many symptoms in psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions wax and wane, and why we should avoid long drawn out negotiations into the night.}

Ever wondered what happens inside your brain when you stay awake for a day, a night and another day, before you finally go to sleep? In a new study published in the journal Science, a team of researchers from the University of Liege and the University of Surrey have scanned the brains of 33 participants across such a 2-day sleep deprivation period and following recovery sleep. Activity in several brain regions, and in particular subcortical areas, followed a 24-hour rhythmic (circadian) pattern the timing of which, surprisingly, varied across brain regions.

Other brain regions, in particular frontal brain areas, showed a reduction in activity with time awake followed by a return to pre-sleep-deprivation levels after recovery sleep. Some brain regions displayed a pattern which was a combination of a rhythmic pattern and a decline associated with time awake.

Even more surprising, the researchers discovered that these effects of sleep loss on brain activity were much more widespread when the participants performed a simple (reaction time) task compared to a more complex memory-reliant task.

In each participant 13 brain scans were obtained: 12 during the sleep deprivation period and one following recovery sleep. The data were aligned with the melatonin rhythm which is a hormonal marker of the human brain circadian pacemaker, i.e. a marker of brain time.

This variety in brain responses and the prominent circadian rhythm component shed new light on the complexity of the mechanisms by which the brain responds to sleep loss. It also shows that the time of day at which we scan the brain has a prominent effect on the picture we get.

Behavioural observations have long suggested that brain function is influenced by the duration of wakefulness and the biological time of day (circadian rhythmicity). During a period of sleep deprivation performance does not deteriorate linearly with time awake. It remains constant during the day, rapidly deteriorates during the biological night and then slightly improves the next day.

The current findings demonstrate that these two processes and this time course can also be detected at the level of brain responses as assessed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fmRI) which provides measures of brain activity. In addition they show that the relative contribution of sleep loss and time of day effects varies across brain regions.

Professor Derk-Jan Dijk from the University of Surrey said: “It is very gratifying to see directly at the level of fMRI-detected brain responses that circadian rhythmicity and lack of sleep both have such a profound influence on brain function.

“Our data may ultimately help us to better understand how the brain maintains performance during the day, why many symptoms in psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions wax and wane, and why in the early morning after a night without sleep we struggle to maintain attention, whereas in the evening it is not an issue.”

Vincenzo Muto from the University of Liege said: “Our data highlights the complex interaction between our biological clock and time spent awake at a regional brain level: extremely intriguing!”

Pierre Maquet from the University of Liege added: “These results suggest the fascinating hypothesis that brain function is continuously modulated by two factors that are both globally expressed but locally modulated : sleep pressure and circadian rhythmicity.”