Homeopathic medicine from snake venom can arrest spread of HIV, claim researchers

Homeopathic medicine made from venom of rattlesnake can arrest spread of HIV, researchers said at a World Homeopathy Summit in New Delhi on Saturday.

Research by doctors of Hyderabad-based JSPS Government Homeopathic Medical College and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) has positively shown homeopathic medicine from snake venom, Crotalus Horridus, can arrest the multiplication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

According to Dr Praveen Kumar, Head of Department of Practice of Medicine at JSPS College, Crotalus Horridus has inhibited reverse transcriptase (RT), an enzyme which is utilised by viruses like HIV and Hepatitis-B to convert the viral RNA into viral DNA so that they multiply into billions and wreck patients.

Oral medication protects diabetics from pollution

Oral diabetes medications are more effective than insulin in protecting diabetics from the adverse effects of high traffic pollution, says a study. 

Study participants in Puerto Rico who used insulin and lived next to roads with heavy traffic had markedly increased C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, compared to those living in lower traffic areas. 

Individuals taking oral diabetes medications did not experience increases in CRP concentration. 

"CRP concentration increased 75-200 percent over the two-year period for those 10 percent of study participants living in the highest traffic areas who were using insulin when compared to those living in lower traffic areas," said first and corresponding author Christine Rioux, research assistant professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine in the US. 

"In contrast, CRP concentration did not increase for the 22 percent of people taking metformin and/or other oral diabetes medications who were also living in the high traffic areas," Rioux noted. 

Of the 356 participants in the study, 91 (26 percent) used insulin, 197 (55 percent) used only oral diabetes medication and 68 (19 percent) reported using no diabetes medication. 

CRP was measured at the beginning of the study and again two years later, using a high sensitivity test. 

"It is important to know who is most vulnerable to the adverse effects of traffic pollution exposure for purposes of education and policy," Rioux noted. 

People who live near busy roads and spend most of their time in these areas have been shown in many studies to have higher levels of inflammation, a risk factor for many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. 

"This study is important because many people who live near highways may have diabetes and other serious chronic conditions," Mkaya Mwamburi from the Tufts University School of Medicine pointed out. 

"It is interesting to see that treatments for diabetes may interact with the risks associated with exposure to air pollution," Mwamburi said. 

The study said that it is not clear why oral diabetes medications, unlike insulin, appear to be protective and it warrants additional research.

Dining out may send your blood pressure soaring

Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS), have shown for the first time an association between meals eaten away from home and high blood pressure, and the findings highlight lifestyle factors that can affect hypertension and emphasize the importance of being aware of the salt and calorie content in food, to facilitate better meal choices when eating out.

Professor Tazeen Jafar, including Duke-NUS medical student Dominique Seow, surveyed 501 university-going young adults aged 18 to 40 years in Singapore. Data on blood pressure, body mass index and lifestyle, including meals eaten away from home and physical activity levels, were collected. Their association with hypertension was then determined.

Using statistical analysis, the team found that pre-hypertension was found in 27.4 percent of the total population, and 38 percent ate more than 12 meals away from home per week; while the gender breakdown showed that pre-hypertension was more prevalent in men (49 percent) than in women (9 percent). Those who had pre-hypertension or hypertension were more likely to eat more meals away from home per week, have a higher mean body mass index, have lower mean physical activity levels, and be current smokers.

What is also significant is that even eating one extra meal out, raised the odds of pre-hypertension by 6 percent.

Dr. Jafar said that their research plugged that gap and highlights lifestyle factors associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension that are potentially modifiable, and would be applicable to young adults globally, especially those of Asian descent.

Dandruff:

 • Dandruff is a condition in which dead skin cells accumulate and fall off from the scalp

Symptoms to look for:

• When you comb or scratch, shiny silver flakes fall from the scalp

• Itching which can lead to reddening of the scalp

Causes:

• Stress

• Extreme cold or hot weather

• Fatigue

• Incorrect diet

• Energy loss due to an illness or infection

• Artificial styling products

• Harsh shampoos

Natural home remedy using coconut oil and camphor:

1. Heat 4 tbsp of coconut oil

2. Add 1 piece of camphor while it's heating

3. Mix well 

4. Massage on scalp when lukewarm before bedtime

5. Leave it overnight

Natural home remedy using fenugreek seeds: 

1.Take 2 tbsp fenugreek seeds

2. Soak them in water overnight

3. Sieve the mixture

4. Collect the seeds

5. Crush seeds to a fine paste

6. Massage this paste on the scalp

7. Wash it off with soap-nut water

Natural home remedy using egg whites, lemon juice and margosa leaves:

1, Crush 2 egg whites

2. Mix 4 tbsp of lemon juice

3. Mix well

4. Apply on scalp

5. Leave it for ½ hour

6. Crush a handful of margosa leaves

7. Soak this paste in ½ L water

8. Mix well

9. Wash hair with this water followed by plain water

The French Connection: How Eating Cheese Can Help You

Cheese plays a crucial role in French cuisine. From being sprinkled on salads and forming the base of sauces to making pizzas and desserts irresistible, it is their culinary hero. And this is precisely why it makes me wonder, how the French manage to stay fit despite dousing their food with all kinds of cheese!

As a child I remember watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show where the discussions revolved around French women and their secrets to maintaining weight. One of the most important tricks that was revealed had to do with 'eating in moderation'. The show explained how the French exercise the concept of portion control. Other tricks included savouring the food, chewing for long and eating slowly. The same stands true for cheese consumption as well. Most of us indulge in acts of mindless cheese gobbling - that too atop food items that are highly processed - that it does nothing else but cause harm to our body.

Can cheese really do any good?

Do you know why the French have lower rate of cardiovascular diseases despite having a diet high in saturated fats? It is not because of wine or their lifestyle but another French staple: cheese. Researchers have revealed that those who consumed cheese have higher fecal levels of butyrate - a compound produced by gut bacteria. Elevated butyrate levels are said to reduce cholesterol.

(Blue Cheese Good for Heart)

"The results suggest a role for gut microbes and further shore up the connection between cheese and the 'French paradox'," said lead researcher Hanne Bertram from the department of food science, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Her study was published in the journal Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The team compared urine and fecal samples from 15 healthy men whose diets either contained cheese or milk or who ate a control diet with butter but no other dairy products. A recent study had also found that cheese reduced "bad" cholesterol when compared to butter with the same fat content.

Figuring out why the French have low cardiovascular disease rates despite a diet high in saturated fats has spurred research and many theories to account for the phenomenon known as the "French paradox".

Just a little cheese, please!

One look at the nutritional profile of cheese and you will find it studded with calcium, protein, Vitamin A, zinc, Vitamin b12 and other nutrients. However, cheese is generally slathered all over our food - which is already high on fat, e.g. pizzas, pastas and so on. This kills the goodness of cheese and makes it harmful for our health. Be mindful of the form in which you are consuming cheese.  Some of the most popular diet regimes like the Mediterranean and the DASH diet advocate the inclusion of moderate amounts of cheese.

Experts suggest adding cheese only as a means to enhance flavour and not to depend on it entirely. Cheddar and Swiss varieties are high on calories as compared to their distant cousins like mozzarella and feta.

The 'French Women Don't Get Fat' Diet

In her celebrated book French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, Mireille Guiliano unravels tips and tricks on how to stay in shape without compromising on good food. In her book, one can find the concept of eating fresh, exploring variety, maintaining a balance, and always seeking pleasure in food. Here are some of the key points from the book:

- Fresh Food

- Portion control

- Quality first over quantity

- Savour every bite

- Eat slowly

- Regular exercise

Researchers develop single dose “Trojan horse” Ebola vaccine

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have developed a single dose Ebola vaccine that they dub as a ‘Trojan Horse’ against the deadly virus, which is both safe and effective against the strain of the virus that has killed thousands so far.

“These findings may pave the way for the identification and manufacture of safer, single dose, high efficiency vaccines to combat current and future Ebola outbreaks,”said Thomas Geisbert, from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

During 2014, the outbreak of the West African Makona strain of Ebola Zaire virus killed nearly 10,000 and caused worldwide concern, researchers said.

Many vaccine approaches have shown promise in being able to protect nonhuman primates against Ebola Zaire. In response to the Ebola Zaire outbreak, several of these vaccines have been fast tracked for human use.

“We are excited at the possibility of helping develop a way to stop this deadly disease. We have a lot of more work to accomplish but it’s important to note that this is a big step,” said Geisbert.

The research team developed a vaccine effective against Ebola Zaire with a single dose in a nonhuman primate model.

This new vaccine employs a virus not harmful to humans called vesicular stomatitis virus that had a part of the Ebola virus inserted into it.

This “Trojan horse” vaccine safely triggered an immune response against Ebola Zaire.

To address any possible safety concerns associated with this vaccine, the team developed two next generation candidate vaccines that contain further weakened forms of the vaccine.

Both of these vaccines produced an approximately ten-fold lower level of virus in the blood compared to the first generation vaccine.

“It was not known whether any of these vaccines could provide protection against the new outbreak West African Makona strain of Ebola Zaire currently circulating in Guinea,” said John Eldridge, Chief Scientific Officer-Vaccines at Profectus Biosciences, Inc, which developed the vaccine with UTMB researchers.

“Our findings show that our candidate vaccines provided complete, single dose protection from a lethal amount of the Makona strain of Ebola virus,” said Eldridge.

Both weakened vaccines have features of the Mayinga strain of Ebola virus, as do most other candidate Ebola Zaire vaccines currently under evaluation.