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| Saturday, 01 January 2005 |
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A new nutrition supplement being used in: Checking outbreaks of Diarrhoea in refugee camps
A new nutrition supplement called Resource G.I. shield is being tried to check the spread of any diarrhoea epidemic in tidal wave affected refugee camps in the country, where nearly one million people are being sheltered now. Yesterday a consignment of this nutrition supplement was rushed to Tangalle by Novartis Medical Nutrition Division in Colombo, where several cases of diarrhoea had been reported in a refugee camp.
Consultant Nutritionist Dr. Sigrid de Silva told the Health Watch that although this is a new nutrition supplement to combat diarrhoea it has undergone 150 clinical trials conducted in several Medical Centres in the world and had proved successful. This product contained prebiotics and glutamine in a formulated form, which acts on the body as a shield to prevent diarrhoea, she said.
Don't bottle feed children in refugee camps - Dr. Chandra Piyasena Nutrionist Medical Research Institute, Colombo speaking on feeding infants and children in refugee camps said bottle feeding should be discouraged in this situation as the camp environment where large numbers are staying is generally unclean. She said where breast feeding is not possible, it is better to make the milk in a cup and feed the child with a spoon, as the cup and the spoon can easily be well washed. But not so the feeding bottle, which has to be sterilised. It is difficult to do this in a camp environment. Bacteria thrives in the milk left in unhygienic environment. Drinking such milk can lead to diarrhoea epidemics. Therefore, she discourages bottle feeding children in refugee camps. Following the tidal wave disaster: UK psychiatrist warns of massive mental depression on the cards In the aftermath of the massive tidal wave tragedy that struck Sri Lanka last Sunday resulting in loss of life in thousands, and extensive damage to property unprecedented in the history of this country, doctors say that we should be prepared to face an upsurge in the depressive illnesses in the months to come. Dr. B. Somasunderam Consultant in Psychiatry Leighton Hospital UK and Secretary South Asian Forum on Mental Health and Psychiatry UK, who is in Colombo now to make arrangements for the holding of next years Forum Conference Sri Lanka, said that he would discuss this impending mental health issue facing the country with the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatry this week, and offer the services of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK to meet the situation. Dr. Somasunderam who is a Sri Lankan settled in UK said Sri Lanka has only 32 psychiatrists which is woefully inadequate to meet the situation, and the country definitely would have to seek foreign help to meet the mental problem in months to come. He said since the tragedy had happened before the eyes of the affected families. Their loved and dear ones being washed away and drowned in the tidal wave, the mental impact on them is terrible. At the moment they are all in a shock situation. It will take about two to three months for the real trauma situation to develop. Well trained psychiatrists will be needed to handle them if they are to be saved from becoming mentally depressed for life. A former head of the Tea Research Institute writes: Tea good for your Health by R. K. Nathaniel The health-giving attributes of tea goes back several centuries, and modern scientific research is now rediscovering that those ancient claims are not mere myths but that tea certainly possesses properties that prevent illness and prolong life. Recorded history indicates that tea was used in China in 500 A.D., primarily as a medicine. Scientific view on tea Over the past two decades, scientists have taken a closer look at tea consumption as being beneficial to human health. Habitual tea drinkers are attributed to have a lower risk of contracting chronic diseases such as cancers, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, liver ailments, bacterial and viral infections etc. Current research has shown that the flavonoids (which include catechins, theaflavins and thearubigins) in tea contain specific antioxidants and health-promoting ingredients that lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain type of cancer. It has been quantified that a typical cup of black tea contains between 150-200 mg flavonoids, indicating that the dietary exposure to flavonoids is considerable in tea consumers. Here are the tea types Though all tea comes from the same plant, there are three distinct types of tea, based on the level of fermentation permitted. Black tea, which accounts for 80 per cent of the global tea consumption, is fully fermented during processing. Oolong tea, largely made in China and Taiwan, is partially fermented, while green tea, primarily produced in China and Japan, skips the fermenting stage altogether. Better than red wine Irrespective of type of tea, they are all fairly similar in their health-giving properties, and are said to be even somewhat better than red wine in this respect. The goodness in tea Tea brew contains thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and vitamin E. Tea could, therefore, also make some contribution to the daily intake of vitamins in heavy tea drinkers, though to a negligible extent. Tea brew is also a rich source of dietary minerals with potassium predominating, but includes magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc and iron. A characteristic feature of tea is its low sodium content, thereby making it ideally suited for those suffering from hypertension. Tea also contains a solid dose of fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay in many ways. Tea is, therefore a cheap but significant part of the dietary armoury against chronic and debilitating diseases of modern times. The cup that cheers is also the cup that imparts good health. A daily cup of tea or more keeps you out of the drug store. Are you at risk of Alzheimer's disease? Factors known or believed to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease: * Age * Being menopausal/ postmenopausal * Family history of dementia * Traumatic head injury * Certain vasculars conditions, such as hypertension and heart attacks Alzheimer's disease: The most common form of dementia Dementia is the loss of certain mental abilities severe enough to affect daily activities, often including. * Memory (long-term and/or short-term) * Language ability * Motor skills (walking, typing, other physical activities that involve the muscles) * Recognition of people or objects * Abstract thinking (planning organising) In Alzheimer's disease * Nerve cells in the brain stop working and die leading to dementia * Symptoms appear gradually and continually worsen with ageOngoing research is exploring a number of ways to prevent or slow the disease: Some medications are under investigation that may help protect brain cells from the effects of the disease. Certain mental activities may help keep connections between brain cells strong. Postmenopausal women seem to have an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Talk to your health care provider about menopause, Alzheimer's disease and treatment options. Full moon and animal bites The School of Health Studies of the Bradford University in UK in a research study has found that animal bites on humans are more on full moon days than other days. Here's a short statement on the study. Accident and Emergency Department, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford BD9 6RJ, Clayton Surgery, Clayton, Bradford BD14 6JA, School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford BD5 0BB. Objective: To test the hypothesis that the incidence of animal bites increases at the time of a full moon. Design: Retrospective observational analysis. Setting: Accident and emergency department at a general hospital in an English city. Subjects: 1621 consecutive patients, irrespective of age and sex. Main outcome measures: Number of patients who attended an accident and emergency department during 1997 to 1999 after being bitten by an animal. The number of bites in each day was compared with the lunar phase in each month. Results: The incidence of animal bites rose significantly at the time of a full moon. With the period of the full moon as the reference period, the incidence rate ratio of the bites for all other periods of the lunar cycle was significantly lower. Conclusions: The full moon is associated with a significant increase in animal bites to humans. |
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