Thursday, August 27, 2009
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding saves lives
Breastmilk is chock-full of vital nutrients and precious lives could be saved if new mothers are taught how to breastfeed properly
Less than 40 per cent of mothers worldwide breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by WHO. Many abandon it because they do not know how to get their baby to latch on properly or suffer pain and discomfort.
'When it comes to doing it practically, they don't have the practical support,' WHO expert Constanza Vallenas told a news briefing in Geneva, where the United Nations agency is based.
This is a problem in both rich and poor countries, she said, calling for more assistance in hospitals, health clinics and communities for new mothers who need information and help.
The WHO recommends that babies start breastfeeding within one hour of their birth and be fed only breast milk for the first six months, avoiding water and other drinks and foods.
This can give children vital nutrients and strengthen their immune system to fight diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Formula milk does not provide the same immunity and local water can be contaminated or unsafe in many parts of the world.
If 90 per cent of infants worldwide are breastfed up to six months, an estimated 1.3 million children under the age of five could be saved a year, Ms Vallenas said.
Reuters
Labels: breastfeeding, save life
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Preventing Alzheimer's
Preventing Alzheimer's
The answer lies in exercise combined with a heart-healthy diet, says a new study
Elderly folk who are physically active appear to be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, as are those who eat a heart-healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meat. A new study has found that the effects of the two types of lifestyle behaviour are independent - and the benefits add up.
The Columbia University study followed a diverse group of 1,880 New Yorkers in their 70s, assessing their diets and levels of physical activity, and screening them periodically for Alzheimer's disease. After an average of five years, 282 cases of Alzheimer's were diagnosed.
Those who followed the healthiest diets were 40 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those with the worst diets, and those who got the most exercise were 37 per cent less likely to develop the disease than those who got none. However, the greatest benefits occurred in those who both ate healthy and remained active.
Participants who scored in the top one-third for both diet and exercise were 59 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's than those who scored in the lowest one-third.
While one in five participants with the lowest scores developed Alzheimer's, fewer than one in 10 of the top scorers developed the disease.
Diet may be protective because it can improve metabolic factors and reduce cardiovascular risks, inflammation and oxidative stress, suggested Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center and the main author of the paper published in The Journal Of The American Medical Association.
He added that the amount of activity needed to make a difference was not very substantial; the most active elderly were getting only about four hours of moderate activity or 1.3 hours of vigorous activity each week.
The New York Times
Labels: Preventing Alzheimer's
