reoperative administration of an oral supplement containing immune enhancing  nutrients such as amino acids, omega-3 fatty acid and nucleotides gives a boost to patient’s immune enhancing system that helps them to fight  off postoperative infections so they spend less time in hospital.

Amino acids: Following  stress such as major surgery, the  body is unable to synthesize sufficient  amino acids such as L-arginine.  L-arginine  is known to help promote nitrogen retention by the body and is important for wound  healing  and boosting  the immune function.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega –3 fatty acids  play an important role  in regulating  the inflammatory response to trauma.  Adequate levels are needed by the body to inhibit  the immunosuppresive  and inflammatory effects of  omega-6 fatty acids such as arachidonic acid.

Nucleotides: They are usually synthesized by the body but an additional dietary source appears to be necessary when the body is under metabolic stress.  During stressed states, dietary  nucleotides are thought to play a role in fighting infection by stimulating the growth and replication of natural killer cells.

Surgical trauma increases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lowers host defense mechanisms.  But administration of oral IMPACT^® an enteral immune-enhancing drink, (supplemented with arginine, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and ribonucleotides) is able to modulate the immune and inflammatory reponses altered by surgical trauma, upregulating gut microperfusion and oxygen metabolism.

Randomised trials have shown that preoperatively loading  elective surgery patients with immune-enhancing substrate in an oral formula for 5 days and continuing therapy by jejunal infusion for 7 days after surgery results in significant reductions in postoperative infections and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery for cancer, with a subsequent significant reduction of health care costs.

August 2003, Medical Times

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Genetically modified technology

enetically modified (GM) technology does not find favour with an overwhelming majority of Britons, says the report in GM Nation?, the result of an unprecedented public opinion exercise. While 91 percent respondents thought GM could have negative environmental effects, 93 per cent felt GM technology was driven by profit motive and not public interest.

            In major image makeover exercise, McDonald’s Corporation plans to market a healthier meal, which is to come with an exercise booklet and a pedometer. 

            A new cross-national public opinion study has found the citizens of US, France and Japan, some of the most industrialised nations in the world, to be among the most misinformed about global warming.

October 31, 2003 Down to Earth

          August 31, 2003 Down to Earth

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Eating in between

ating more frequent meals may lead to reduce cholesterol levels.  Eating smaller amounts more frequently may have important health benefits.

            A recent study has shown that levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were shown to decrease according to the frequency with which meals were eaten. Other studies suggest that eating large meals after long stretches without eating, leads to alterations in fat storage and increases insulin peaks. 

Eating smaller amounts more frequently have a positive effect on the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

       November 2003, Health Action

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Tulsi helps preserve cheese and meat

ulsi (Basil) might one day become a weapon in the battle against dangerous food bugs such as E coli and listeria.  A new plastic food wrapper for meat and cheese which slowly oozes anti-microbial chemicals extracted from tulsi leaves has been shown to increase the food’s shelf life.  It should also cut the risk of food poisoning.  It does not taint the food with tulsi flavour.  Preliminary tests on the new wrapping show that it keeps bacteria at bay in meat and cheese for a week longer than ordinary packing.

October 2003, Health Action

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Microwave cooking

ooking by Microwave is the worst way to preserve a key nutrient in vegetables, while steaming is the  best, according to Spanish study reported in the “New Scientist”.  Steaming the veggies left the antioxidants almost untouched, but microwaving virtually eliminated.

October 2003, TOI

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Achilles’ heel of malaria parasite found

n the battle against infectious diseases, has now discovered how to stop the malaria parasite’s sugar transport protein from working. This prevents the malaria parasite from growing and multiplying in the red blood cells where it lives.

            Malaria kills 3000 children every day and the parasite that causes malaria is becoming harder to treat as it becomes resistant to more and more drugs.  Now researchers have discovered a chink in the malaria parasite’s armour- its sweet tooth.  The malaria parasite needs sugar in the form of glucose to grow and multiply in the red blood cells.

            The parasite uses what is known as a parasite-encoded facilitative hexose transporter (PtHT) (a special transport protein) to absorb the glucose around it.  By introducing a new compound, the scientists stop the parasite’s sugar transport protein from working.  Blocking this glucose uptake kills even drug-resistant strains of the parasite.

October 2003, Health Action

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Live and let live

acteria have been genetically modified to act as drugs within human bodies. The organisms are designed to treat inflammatory bowel disease by producing a human immune protein that dampens inflammation.  GM bacteria are widely used to make foods and drugs; but the prospects of  drug-producing gut bugs getting into the wrong people or swapping genes with other bacteria has been the concern of many.  To address such fears, the bugs have now been altered so that they die within days when discharged into the environment along  with faeces.

            Steidler’s team chose the Lactococcus lactis bacterium because tonnes of it are already consumed in dairy products such as cheese.  But rather than simply adding an extra gene to the bacterium, a gene producing human immune protein  (interleukin-10) was used to replace a key bacterial gene called the thyA.  This codes for the enzyme needed to make thymidine, one of the building blocks of the bacterium’s DNA.

            In the gut, thymidine is released as food is digested; therefore the modified bugs can flourish there even though they cannot make the enzyme.  But outside the gut, where there is little thymidine available, the bacteria die. It is also highly unlikely that the bacterium will acquire a copy of thyA from other bacteria, as the gene is found on the main bacterial chromosome, rather than one of the smaller pieces of DNA called plasmids that bacteria swap freely.

            Patients take the bacteria as a coated pill that protects the bugs in the stomach till it breaks open and ejects its live cargo in the small intestine and colon. But it remains to be seen if the treatment will work or not – there is no way to control the distribution of the bacteria within the gut, or how much interleukin-10 is produced, says Joel Weinstock of the US based University of Iowa.

     August 15, 2023 Down to Earth

Atkins diet

he increasing popularity of a high-fat, high-protein diet proposed by the late nutrition guru, Robert Atkins is eating into a multinational company Unilever’s profits. The Atkins diet allows people to gorge on meat, cheese and fats but requires them to control their carbohydrates intake.  As a result Unilever’s SlimFast brand, with its range of lowfat, food-replacement products such as milk shakes, pastas and soups, is incurring losses for the company.  The Atkins formula has boosted sales of meat-based snacks, while manufacturers of  carbohydrate-rich foods are reporting a fall in sales.

            Unilever is the third biggest multinational company dealing in food products holds Atkins’ diet primarily responsible for its sliding fortunes.  Despite Atkins’ defiance of conventional knowledge about weight-loss diets, people are turning to the diet since research has proved its efficacy. 

August 31, 2003 Down to Earth

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 motor, 250 times smaller than human hair, has been created by the Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory, USA.  It comprises a gold blade attached to an axle made from a carbon nanotube, whose ends are anchored to two silicon dioxide electrodes.  Voltage flows through the electrodes and down the nanotube to rotate the blade.  Three other electrodes provide additional voltage control, so that the speed of the blade, its direction and position can be governed precisely.  The motor can tolerate wider temperature ranges, operate in a vaccum and cope with harsher chemical environments than its ‘bio’ equivalents.  It will help develop the much-needed miniaturised devices required for fields like medicine.

August 31, 2003 Down to Earth

Eye-opener

earing a tight necktie can increase the chances of developing glaucoma, a serious eye disease.  “A tight necktie raises blood pressure in the eye, which is leading risk factor in the illness that can lead to damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision,” says Robert Ritch of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in the US.

 August 31, 2003 Down to Earth

Cola headache

esults of five-year study suggest that children who drink too much cola may experience caffeine-induced headaches on daily basis. Soft drinks account for more than half of the caffeine intake, according to a US study.  A high caffeine intake may also rob children of much-needed sleep.

 August 2003, Health Action

Novel antisense antimicrobial drugs

here is increasing concern over the appearance of drug resistant microorganisms. Novel therapeutic agents are required to develop new approaches to deal with life threatening infections that resist conventional treatments.

For protecting invention of novel antisense antimicrobial drugs USPTO has allowed a patent on May 13, 2003 as was announced by Lorus Therapeutics Inc (Lorus). Recently, a patent allowed in Canada and announced on April 19, 2003, provides protection in North America for an antisense antimicrobial discovery program.

Lorus, founded in 1986, is building a portfolio of promising anticancer drugs. Lorus technology on design and use of  unique antisense and antimicrobial agents that target’ specific gene sequencing, is being protected under the patent titled “Antisense oligonucleotide sequences as inhibitors of microorganisms”.

This patent allowed by United States Patent Office covers the gene targets, SecA and Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) which are necessary for growth and viability of microorganisms. SecA is an important component of a process required for secretion of bacterial proteins, which is an essential event in the life cycle of pathogenic organisms. RNR is a central enzyme in the formation of components required for DNA synthesis and proliferation. Since the functions of these gene products are needed for survival, they are ideal targets for drug development strategies.

October 2003, Wista IPR 
BIOTECHNOLOGY

egative calorie foods are foods, which use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain!  Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to break down and process.  In other words, the body has to work harder in order to extract calories from these foods.  This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.

A piece of dessert may consist of 400 calories but it may require only 150 calories to be digested by our body, resulting in a net gain of 250 calories which is added to our body fat!  According to this theory, for example, if you eat 100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you’ve burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food.  Typically, a 25 calorie piece of broccoli (100g) requires 80 calories to digest, resulting in a net loss of 55 calories from the body fat!  Thus, the more you eat, the more you lose weight.  These foods are natural plant foods with high carbohydrates and fibres and very less fat.  It is very difficult for our body to break carbohydrates and convert into fat needing much effort, whereas the fatty foods are added very easily to our body fat.  Moreover, the fibres present in these plant foods very useful for our body, they are filling, and good for controlling cholesterol high blood pressure (hypertension), and avoiding cancer.

 November 2003, Health Action

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Chilli peppers

apsaicin, the hot chemical found in chilli peppers.  This is now being widely tested as a potential painkiller.  For years people have put hot pepper extract on their gums to alleviate toothache.  Now it is known that capsaicin in peppers serves as a local anesthetic and a promising new painkiller .  Capsaicin suppresses pain by draining nerve cells of something called substance P, which relays pain sensations to the central nervous system.  Thus, Capsaicin helps block the perception of pain.  Recently, the hot pepper essence has been injected or made in medications to help several diseases characterised by pain.

June 2003, Nisargopchar Varta

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Vagus nerve stimulation for obesity

yberonics Inc headquartered in Houston, Texas has been assigned royalty free rights to United States Patent “ US6,587,713 B1” issued on July 1, 2023 covering method for treatment of obesity by Bilateral Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Method patent provides Cyberonics exclusive right to manufacture or sell a product in the United States which applied pulsed electrical signals to vagus, hypoglossal or trigeminal nerve for the treatment of variety of chronic disorders.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is delivered by the VNS Therapy System, an implantable generator similar to cardiac pacemaker. VNS Therapy System delivers a programmed intermitent mild electrical pulses to the vagus nerve 24 hours/day. The company’s initial market was epilepsy and it was approved by the FDA in 1997 for use as an adjunctive therapy in reducing the frequency of seizures in adults and adolescents refractory to antiepileptic medications. VNS is under investigation for treatment of depression, anxiety, Alzhimer’s disease and chronic headache/ migraine. To date 22000 epilepsy patients in 24 countries are using VNS therapy.

October 2003, Wista IPR  
BIOTECHNOLOGY

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Bitter is better

ccording to the findings of  a recent research, women who incorporate bitter veggies in their diet lead a healthier life than others.  The Yale University of Medicine has studied the phenomenon and states that dark-green bitter veggies contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy carbohydrates.  They’re also abundant in plant chemicals as beta-carotene that causes the body to produce enzymes to ward off cancer-causing agents.  So there’s necessity to shrug away from bitterness.  Add a few drops of lemon or add some grains of sugar to counter the bitterness.

 September 2003, Health Action

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PQQ, first vitamin found in 55 years?

yrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), thus qualifying it to be the first Vitamin to be discovered in the last 55 years.  The last vitamin discovered was cyanocobalamin(also known as B12).

            PQQ was isolated from a bacterium in 1979 by researchers from the Texas University, USA.  But scientists did not know it was connected with which enzyme, preventing PQQ from being considered as a vitamin.

            Vitamins are organic substances essential for good health  and growth.  They must be ingested through food or vitamin pills because human body is unable to make them.  The exception is vitamin D, which our bodies produce when exposed to sunlight. Takaoki Kasahara and Tadafumi Kato from the Brain Science Institute, Japan, reported that they have found a gene that encodes for a PQQ binding enzyme for the first time in any mammal.  Also, they established that PQQ is vital for the metabolism of lysine, an essential amino acid.  PQQ  plays a vital role in oxidation-reduction reactions associated with energy transfer in cells.  Since the molecular nature and function of PQQ are quite similar to many others  in the vitamin B group, it should be considered as a member of the vitamin B family.  At present there are eight vitamins in the B group.

August 31, 2003 Down to Earth

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Anti dose

ives of many could be at stake, with pharmaceutical giants shying away from the development  of new antibiotics.  Prominent  experts allege that many companies, such as Roche and Eli Lilly, are just concentrating on the treatments of chronic illnesses.

The change is quite untimely –

Resistance to antibiotics is growing; 20 per cent of infections in the US hospitals involve multidrug-resistant bacteria, reports the US Food and drug Administration.  It is but natural for bacteria and viruses to become resistant to antibiotics, but this makes the ‘wonder drugs’ less profitable in the long run; unlike medicines for chronic illnesses, antibiotics are used for a small duration.

October 31, 2003 Down to Earth

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

ccording to Transparency international’s first Global Corruption Barometer, politicians were believed to be the most corrupt in three-fourth of the countries, and by almost 30 percent of the people, surveyed – most notably in Argentina and Japan.

            Next to wily politicians in corruption’s hall of fame came the courts and the police, being given this dubious distinction by 13.7 and 11.5  percent of those surveyed. Close behind came medical services and education.

            In 33 countries, the public said they would most like to remove corruption from political parties, with more than half the respondents in Argentina and Japan saying so.  The courts were blamed the most in Peru and Indonesia, followed by police, who were held responsible for corruption by one-third of the people in Hong kong, Malaysia, Mexico and Nigeria. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia and Poland, one fifth of the  respondents selected medical services.

            “The people of the world are sending a clear message to political leaders: they have to rebuild the trust of ordinary people.”  As for the general optimism level, Colombians and Indonesians are the most hopeful that corruption will decrease in their countries, while a majority of  Indians, Turks and South Africans expected corruption to rise.

August 15, 2003 Down to Earth

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Groundnuts for a healthy heart

ating groundnuts helps keep heart healthy without weight gain.  Peanuts are a rich source of monosaturated fatty acids, Magnesium and folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine, and fiber, all of which have properties of reducing heart disease risk.  Peanuts which are actually legumes, are often viewed as unhealthy because they are high in fat. But peanuts are rich in types of fats that actually reduce heart disease risk and a person feels full after eating peanuts – so they do not pose a threat to weight gain.

October 2003, Health Action

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Too much brushing bad

rushing your teeth may be damaging your health, according to a group of British researches.  Poor technique, excessive force and too much time spent in front of the mirror can all lead to gum disease and tooth decay.  People should spend two minutes twice a day brushing with a pressure equivalent to holding an orange.  “People who brush their teeth for longer and harder than is necessary may not be making them any cleaner, and could be causing permanent damage.”

August 2003, Health Action

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SUGAR  a white poison

efore 2500 years fruits and honey were the only sweet substances available.  Manufacturing sugar and jaggery from the sugarcane juice was originally started by the Indians.  The consumption of huge amount of white sugar has led to many untoward effects.  The Americans suffer from dental caries at the early age of eighteen years.  They spend about 4000 crores of rupees per year for dental treatment.  In Great Britain, 40 lakh are extracted per year.  A British child loses atleast one tooth at 16, in Scotland decaying of teeth starts from the tender age of ten.

             It is seen that boys are more fond of sweets than girls.  Children between the age group of 15 to 19 like sweetmeats and confectionaries to great extent.  A British child ingests half a pound of sugar per week only through the sweets and the toffees.  It is said that a 15 year old child from England had to lose all his teeth and use an artificial denture.  The boy used to consume 350 pounds of sugar per year.  Sugar not only affects the teeth but also leads to diseases of hearts, kidneys, skin and some digestive disorders.

            Sugar has no role as a nutrient.  It is used only for pleasing the sense or taste and for welcoming visitor and the beloved ones.  Professor John Yudkin from England has minutely studied the properties of sugar.  He has named it as a white poison.  He states that there is no physiological requirement for sugar.  The calories and energy required for the body are easily available from fruits, vegetables and grains.

            Many people think that sugar is an instantaneous source of energy. But there is a lot of difference between sugar and sweetness.  The sweet taste of fruits is due to the fructose and glucose present in them, which are the instant sources of energy.  But the sweetness of white sugar is because of the sucrose present in it, which has to undergo the process of digestion before getting  absorbed in the blood stream and act as an energy giving substance.  The same is the case as regards to the lactose from milk and maltose from grains.  They also need digestion before getting absorbed.  Extra calories do not give extra strength to human body.  They just make a person obese and prone to many diseases instead.  Hence, the additional calories from white sugar is totally unwanted for the body.

          Sugar contains no vitamins, minerals or nutrients, it is just calories, and sweetness.  A doctor from Japan has concluded from a broad survey of sugar eaters that the white sugar is directly related to heart disease.  After survey of 20 countries Negroes from South Africa never used sugar.  Cardiac disease were totally absent in those people.  Sugar also increase cholesterol level and reduces the elasticity of the blood vessels.  Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a common sequel of the excessive consumption of sugar these days.  It is commonly seen in Americans and Europeans.  White sugar often causes indigestion.  The acids produced during its digestion irritate the mucosal lining of the stomach and the intestines. All the sweets produce 20% extra acidity in the stomach, which is harmful for the teeth.  Acids are also formed locally by the bacterial flourishing in the remnants of sweets in the mouth and on the teeth. Sugar is also the main cause of dermatitis.  Hence, the children eating excess of sweet are prone to dental decay and skin diseases.  Tyramine present in chocolates can cause migraine and headache.  The sugar from chocolates also has the same effect.  Hence chocolates are supposed to lead to the attack of migraine.

            Very few know that cigarettes contain sugar which can render the smoker prone to diabetes and heart disease.  Even if the percentage of nicotine in the cigarette is reduced, the sugar therein continues to cause harm to the body and leads to cardio-pulmonary disease.  Due to sweetness of the cigarettes, more and more people tempted to smoking.  The sugar from cigarettes renders their smoke more acidic which is very harmful to the lungs.  The flucord tobacco used in cigarettes contains 17% sugar, imported cigarettes from renowed manufacturers also contain 15% sugar. 

A huge amount of sugar is unnecessarily consumed through various foods, such as biscuits, confectionery, bottled drinks, canned fruits, ice-cream and sweetmeats.

One must try at least to reduce, if not totally discard sugar from the diet, because the excessive consumption of sugar make one fall prey to various diseases. Honey and organic Jaggery should be substituted for sugar whenever possible.

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Costless laughter therapy

aughter is more of a supplementary and preventive therapy.

Anti Stress: Laughter is one of the finest, most economical and easy to practice anti-stress measures.  Laughter is one of the best muscle relaxant.  Laughter expands blood vessels and sends more blood rising to the extremities and other muscles all over the body.  A good bout of laughter also reduces the levels of stress hormones epineprine and cortisol.  It can be said to be a form of dynamic meditation or relaxation. Laughter is the easiest form of meditation, which brings you instant relaxation.

Strengthens the Immune System: It has been proved by psychoneuroimmunologists that all negative emotions like anxiety, depression or anger weaken the immune  system of the body, thereby reducing its fighting capacity against infections. 

Laughter helps to increase the count of natural killer cells (NK cells – a type of white cells) and also raises the antibody levels.  Researches have found that after laughter therapy there is an increase in antibodies (Immunoglobulin A) in the mucous on of the nose and respiratory passages, which is believed to have protective capacity against some viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms

Best Aerobic Exercise: The one benefit almost everybody derives is a sense of wellbeing.  After 15 minutes of laughter in the morning, they feel fresh throughout the day.

Depression, Anxiety and Psychosomatic Disorders: Laughter has benefited many people who were on heavy anti depressant pills and tranquillizers.

High Blood Pressure And Heart Disease:  Laughter definitely helps to control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress related hormones and bringing relaxation.  If you are high risk of developing heart disease, laughter could be the best preventive medicine. Laughter improves the blood circulation and oxygen supply to the heart muscles.

Natural Pain Killer: Laughter increases the levels of endrophins in our bodies which are natural pain killers. It help in reducing the intensity of pain in those suffering from  arthritis, spondylitis and muscular spasms of the body.

Internal Jogging:  Laughing provides a good message to all internal organs and increases their efficiency.

Alleviates Bronchitis and Asthma: Laughter is one of the best exercises for those suffering from asthma and bronchitis.  It improves the lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood.

Makes you look younger: Laughter is an excellent exercise for your facial muscles.  It tones up the muscles of the face and improves facial expressions.  Laughter exercises the abdominal muscles and helps to improve muscle tone of those with pot bellies.

            Dr. Madan Kataria

                July 2003, Health Guide

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