Chili peppers contain an ingredient that may cause weight loss and fight fat, scientists have reported.

According to boffins, capsaicin, the stuff that gives chili peppers their kick, may cause weight loss and fight fat buildup by triggering certain beneficial protein changes in the body.

The study, which could lead to new treatments for obesity, appears in ACS’ monthly Journal of Proteome Research .

Jong Won Yun and colleagues point out that obesity is a major public health threat worldwide, linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems. Laboratory studies have hinted that capsaicin may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering fat levels in the blood. Nobody, however, knows exactly how capsaicin might trigger such beneficial effects.

In an effort to find out, the scientists fed high-fat diets with or without capsaicin to lab rats used to study obesity. The capsaicin-treated rats lost 8 percent of their body weight and showed changes in levels of at least 20 key proteins found in fat. The altered proteins work to break down fats.

“These changes provide valuable new molecular insights into the mechanism of the antiobesity effects of capsaicin,” the scientists say.

Scientists have discovered a new driving force behind cancer growth.

Researchers from the University of Leeds, UK, the Charite University Medical School and the Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany, have identified how ‘junk’ DNA promotes the growth of cancer cells in patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Professor Constanze Bonifer (University of Leeds) and Dr Stephan Mathas (Charite, MDC) who co-led the study suspect that these pieces of ‘junk’ DNA, called ‘long terminal repeats’, can play a role in other forms of cancer as well.

The researchers uncovered the process by which this ‘junk DNA’ is made active, promoting cancer growth.

“We have shown this is the case in Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but the exact same mechanism could be involved in the development of other forms of blood cancer. This would have implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of these diseases,” said Bonifer.

‘Long terminal repeats’ (LTRs) are a form of ‘junk DNA’ – genetic material that has accumulated in the human genome over millions of years.

Although LTRs originate from viruses and are potentially harmful, they are usually made inactive when embryos are developing in the womb.

If this process of inactivation doesn’t work, then the LTRs could activate cancer genes, a possibility that was suggested in previous animal studies.

This latest study has now demonstrated for the first time that these ‘rogue’ active LTRs can drive the growth of cancer in humans.

The work focused on cancerous cells of Hodgkin’s lymphoma that originate from white blood cells (antibody-producing B cells).

Unusually, this type of lymphoma cell does not contain a so-called ‘growth factor receptor’ that normally controls the growth of other B-cells.

They found that the lymphoma cells’ growth was dependent on a receptor that normally regulates the growth of other immune cells, but it is not usually found in B-cells.

However in this case, the Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells ‘hijacked’ this receptor for their own purposes by activating some of the ‘junk DNA’.

In fact the lymphoma cells activated hundreds, if not thousands, of LTRs all over the genome, not just one.

Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells may not be the only cells that use this method to subvert normal controls of cell growth.

The researchers found evidence of the same LTRs activating the same growth receptor in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, another blood cancer.

The consequences of such widespread LTR activation are currently still unclear, according to the study’s authors.

Such processes could potentially activate other genes involved in tumour development. It could also affect the stability of chromosomes of lymphoma cells, a factor that may explain why Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells gain many chromosomal abnormalities over time and become more and more malignant.

The study has been published in Nature Medicine.

Back pain is one of the most common complaints among people of all classes, affecting both men and women. Earlier the vanguard for old age, back pain has now become a major cause for concern for the late 20’s to 40’s age group. Back pain affects any of the 26 bones connected by muscles, ligaments and discs that constitute the spine.

Back pain is mainly of three types. When the soft tissues in the spinal column get stressed due to poor posture, it is called Postural Syndrome. When the fluid nucleus in the disc gets pushed out of the normal position, or ‘slipped disc’, the other tissues come under tremendous pressure. This is called Derangement Syndrome. Dysfunction Syndrome is the shortening of the muscles, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues resulting in limited movement and sporadic back pain.

Dr Kaushal Malhan, Joint Replacement Surgeon says, “75 per cent to 80 per cent patients today complain of severe back pain due to poor posture. The changes in occupation, a more sedentary lifestyle, long hours of sitting in offices, minimal exercising are the chief reasons for this ailment. 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the cases involve the overuse of the back.” Not surprisingly, office-goers form the bulk of those afflicted. Shalini Chhutani, 24, a bank employee, says “I have been suffering from back pain for the last three months.” She agrees that this could be a lifestyle problem.

In addition to this, the weakening of the core muscle group that comprises Transverse Abdominus (TA) and the Multifidus, lessens the stability of the back. “The TA is the deepest layer of muscle in the abdomen and takes maximum weight strain off the spine. When you strengthen this core group, backache reduces,” says Dr Crystal, Physiotherapist.

But help is at hand. Most doctors agree that most back pain can be cured by some simple exercises and precautions, along with some clinical guidance. Walking, hip-rolls, stretching help a great deal. Pilates, the choice of stars like Madonna and Melanie Griffith strengthens the abdominal muscles and the spine. “It helps you connect with the muscles close to your spine”, says Madhuri Ruia, health expert.

The benefits of a good diet cannot be overlooked. She says, “Calcium and magnesium are key minerals in the strengthening of the bone. Fish, grains, pumpkin, til seeds (sesame) and leafy vegetables are a good source of these. Drinking a lot of water and having a balanced diet go a long way in preventing backache. Naini Setalvad, nutrition expert recommends vitamin D3 and Vitamin C, calcium and phosphate to strengthen the spine. “Ragi or nachni, sesame seeds, dried figs, beet and prunes are all good for the back.”

Not to be forgotten, yoga has proven its worth innumerable times. Lal Chhutani, a 67-year-old man, says, “I have been doing yoga since the past 3-4 years. Also, walking for an hour daily and eating meals at the right time helps a lot.” Currently, surgeries like the minimally invasive surgery, spine fusion and navigation are recommended by doctors for severe cases of back pain. However, the pros and cons of these surgeries need to be considered. Apart from these, simple stretching exercises can help.

A cup of green tea a day may keep the dentist away. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in Preventive Medicine, reports Discovery News.

Green tea contains antimicrobial molecules called catechins that may promote dental health, researchers claim.

“Green tea may have bacteriocidal effects, which would affect teeth, but only if you drink it without sugar,” said Alfredo Morabia, of Columbia University in New York and editor of Preventive Medicine, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new research.
“They also reported that drinking sweet coffee was actually deleterious,” he added. “Coffee alone had no problem, but sweet coffee would actually make you lose your teeth.”

To reach the conclusion, Yasushi Koyama of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and colleagues looked at more than 25,000 Japanese men and women between age 40 and 64.

They found that men who drank at least one cup of tea a day were 19 percent less likely to have fewer than 20 teeth (a full set including wisdom teeth is 32) than those who did not drink green tea. Tea-drinking women had 13 percent lower odds.

We share with you four easy ways to fix your belly fat. Mind you, they are not exercises…

Are you also worried about your ‘jelly’ belly like millions of others around you? Have flat-abs diet failed you too often? We share some easy tips to drastically reduce belly fat. We are not suggesting exercises, only some quick lifestyle changes…

“Roll your shoulders back and down”

By default when you haunch, your belly pooches out. This is a simple posture correction that helps your tummy to stay in. This posture also makes you look slimmest.

“Pull up your abs and up”

Yes, you read it right. You don’t have to go through the painful process of crunches and simply pull up your abs and then push them up.

“Keep your butt tucked in”

Many of you must have heard this trick somewhere but never took it seriously. It’s time you start doing it!

“Bend 90 degrees”

Don’t stress your back when you bend. When you pick up stuff ensure you bend 90 degrees. Do it few times a day and it will help push the belly fat in.

Having extra weight on your behind, big hips and solid thighs “is good for you”, British researchers said on Tuesday.

Carrying fat on the hips, thighs and behind, rather than around the waist, has a range of health benefits and actively protects against diabetes and heart disease, experts at Oxford University said.

“Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad,” said Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos, one of three scientists behind the research, which was published in the International Journal of Obesity .

A big bottom is much better than carrying fat around the waist, which tends to release more harmful fatty acids into the body, the research shows.

Belly fat also releases molecules called cytokines which trigger inflammation — raising the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

But fat carried on the thighs traps these harmful fatty acids and stops them from latching on to the liver and muscles and causing a range of health problems, including insulin resistance.

Although fat around the thighs and backside tends to burn slower and be harder to shift, it can release beneficial hormones which protect the arteries and help blood sugar control, the research showed.

“The idea that body fat distribution is important to health has been known for some time,” said Manolopoulos, who is a researcher at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM).

“However is it only very recently that thigh fat and a larger hip circumference have been shown to promote health, that lower body fat is protective by itself.”

It is shape that matters — and as far as health is concerned, being ‘pear-shaped’ is preferable to being ‘apple-shaped’.

In an ideal world, the more fat around the thighs the better, providing the stomach stays slim, Manolopoulos said. “Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other,” he said.

Angul: The health department of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) here has taken initiative with cooperation of the Angul district health administration to open a polio booth in the company occupational health centre in the project premises to cater to service of children between 0-5 years of its employees and labourers residing in the premises.
The booth was inaugurated on Sunday on the occasion of Pulse Polio day.
JSPL project president DK Saraogi, his wife Sujata Saraogi and president of Jindal Mahila Samiti Usha Jha graced the occasion as guests and blessed the children by giving polio drops.
Medical officer of the centre Dr Srikant Swain, Dr Bijoy Bishoi and pharmacist Kali Prasanna Mishra, with their team and AWC worker of Nisha village Annapurna Biswal and Binapani Pradhan made the programme a great success.
The company plans to open a regular complete immunization centre shortly.

Ladies, please note — the next time you use talcum powder to keep fresh, make sure you don’t sprinkle it in your lower body.

A new study has revealed that who women who use talcum powder around their private parts everyday are actually 40 per cent more likely to develop ovarian cancer — the risk is only restricted to the lower body. Talc is made from a mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate, which is crushed, dried and milled to produce powder used in cosmetic products.

And, according to researchers, powder applied to the private parts in the lower body may travel to the ovaries and trigger a process of inflammation that allows cancer cells to flourish.

Lead researcher Dr Maggie Gates said that until the outcome of further researches, women should avoid using talc in the genital area, the Daily Mail reported.

Dr Gates and colleagues at Harvard Medical School have based their findings on an analysis of over 3,000 women — the study found using talcum powder once a week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36 per cent. The risk increased to 41 per cent for those applying the powder every day, the researchers found.

The study also revealed that the risks were greater still for those with a certain genetic profile. Women carrying a gene called glutathione S-transferase M1, but lacking a gene called glutathione S-transferase T1, were three times likely to develop tumours. The study has been published in the latest issue of the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention journal.

One might be aware of the symptoms of heart attack as crushing chest pain, severe sweating, difficulty in breathing and fainting, but it was found that in the case of unrecognised or ’silent heart attacks’ the warning symptoms are absent.

‘The victim will not be aware of what is happening as they consider it as only another ’state of moment’ and soon forget about the discomfort and the indisposition they felt,’ International Cardiologist in Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Dr G Sengottuvelu told PTI.

Silent heart attacks will not show any symptoms or may appear with ordinary signs such as fatigue or extreme tiredness, nausea, sweating, breathlessness and dizziness.

The cause of silent attack, like any other heart attack, is the progressive narrowing of the heart’s arteries due to accumulation of cholesterol plaque. In most instances, this reduction in blood supply generates a protest from the heart – the crushing pain called ‘angina’.

According to a report in the recent issue of journal of American Colleges of Cardiology, more than one in five people over the age of 65 had suffered unrecognised heart attacks.

‘People with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels are most likely to have a silent heart attack. Even smoking and a sedentary lifestyle also add up to the chances,’ Sengottuvelu said, adding that sometimes the first and only symptom of a silent heart attack could be sudden death.

To prevent oneself from silent heart attack, one should avoid consumption of fat foods, stop smoking and should do regular exercise or yoga. It is necessary for those above 35 to go for an ECG, stress test, lipid profile, sugar tests at least once in two years, he added.

Bhubaneswar:Asia’s largest and India’s first healthcare chain Apollo Hospitals Group on Thursday announced the opening of the region’s largest multi superspeciality hospital and its 47th unit in Bhubaneswar.
Briefing newsmen here on Thursday, Group chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy said that the hospital with best combination of clinical excellence, state-of-the art technology and equipment, tender loving care and telemedicine which will ensure healthcare of international standard.
The hospital with 84,000 heart surgeries with over 99 percent success rate speaks volume of its overwhelming success in health care, he pointed out
Dr Reddy said that the country will need over 1,00,000 beds in the next 20 years which gets translated into doubling the strength of doctors, trebling the number of nurses and quadrupling the number of paramedics in that period.
Hence, the Apollo Group has a strong presence in training and preparing personnel which will create employment opportunities and ensure availability of trained personnel.
Present on the occasion, Group medical director Dr Anupam Sibal made a presentation about the 26-year-old group and pointed out that it is the only health care chain for which a commemorative postage stamp has been released by the Centre last year.
He highlighted the multi-faceted activities of the group which included telemedicine under the name Health Super Highway, Apollo Outreach Hospitals for providing health care in the rural areas, Apollo Health Knowledge City that is expected to be operational in another couple of years.
He also mentioned the health insurance services of the Group in association with a leading health insurance company based in Munich, Germany.
Eminent Cardiac Surgeon Dr Pankaj Mankad described how he was persuaded by Dr Reddy to give up a flourishing career of 28 years in UK to head the 47th unit of the Group in Bhubaneswar.
Eminent cardiac specialist Dr Kabi Prasad Mishra expressed the hope that the unit will exceed the reputation of Apollo group that has existed in the city.
The hospital will start operation from mid January with 200 beds.
Earlier in the day, Dr Reddy called on chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here and informed him that the hospital would start functioning from the second week of February.
He also informed Patnaik that his group would set up a nursing training school.