Spicy Dish - key to Healthy Heart

Good news for curry fans - spicy dish is key to a healthy heart

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 08:08 GMT, 28 March 2012 | UPDATED: 08:08 GMT, 28 March 2012

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Good new for curry fans - tucking into a spicy dish could be the key to a healthy heart.

Researchers found that the compounds that give cayennes, jalapenos and other chilli peppers their heat can lower high blood pressure and reduce blood cholesterol. 

They said the chillies have great potential in protecting against heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the developed world.

Hot stuff: Chillis extract their revengethrough their fiery seeds but could be doing us good by encouraging blood flow

The study, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, focused on a family of substances known as 'capsaicinoids' - the part of the chilli that gives them their 'kick.'

Study author Dr Zhen-Yu Chen said: 'Our research has reinforced and expanded knowledge about how these substances in chilies work in improving heart health.

'We now have a clearer and more detailed portrait of their innermost effects on genes and other mechanisms that influence cholesterol and the health of blood vessels. It is among the first research to provide that information.'

 

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In the study they gave two groups of hamsters high-cholesterol diets, before giving one group food with varying amounts of capsaicinoids while giving the other control group food with no capsaicinoids. The scientists then analysed the effects.

WHY ARE CHILLIS SPICY?

Ever wondered why chilli peppers are so mind-blowingly hot? It's all down to their ultra-effective defense system developed in the ongoing war between plants and animals.

When humans bite down on chillis they crush the seeds the plants want to spread with their molar teeth. The peppers extract their revenge by releasing a mouth-burning mix of chemicals called capsinoids.

Birds swallow the seeds whole and eventually pass them out the other end away from the original plant. They are therefore rewarded with the flesh of the chilli and left unscathed by the encounter.

They found the spicy substances lowered levels of 'bad' cholesterol by reducing accumulation of cholesterol in the body and increasing its breakdown and excretion.
They also blocked the action of a gene that makes arteries contract, restricting the flow of blood to the heart and other organs. By blocking it, the muscles relaxed and widened allowing more blood to flow.

'We concluded that capsaicinoids were beneficial in improving a range of factors related to heart and blood vessel health,' said Dr Chen.

'But we certainly do not recommend that people start consuming chilies to an excess. A good diet is a matter of balance. And remember, chilies are no substitute for the prescription medications proven to be beneficial. They may be a nice supplement, however, for people who find the hot flavour pleasant.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2121443/Chillis-Good-news-curry-fans--spicy-dish-key-healthy-heart.html#ixzz1qQInbv7S

Modern mothers are too busy to learn Baking & Sewing...

Death of the Domestic Goddess! Baking and sewing skills dying out as modern mothers claim they are too busy to learn

By Deborah Arthurs
PUBLISHED: 12:30 GMT, 14 March 2012 | UPDATED: 12:30 GMT, 14 March 2012

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Traditional household skills like baking, making pastry and sewing buttons are dying out - because modern mums are too busy to learn them, it emerged today.

Researchers found millions of mothers struggle with a string of skills their own mothers would have carried out with ease.

Knitting, baking cakes, making jam and altering clothes also made the list of tasks that many younger mums just don’t know how to do.

Lost skill set: Today's busy mothers are not learning the homemaking skills the older generations took for granted

The study also found most modern mothers wished they had the skills their own mothers had but said they didn’t have the time or patience to learn them.

The research was commissioned by built-in oven firm Neff and carried out among 1,000 mums under 35 and 1,000 mums over 45 to launch their Bake It Yourself campaign.

Spokeswoman Sue Flowers said: 'We know that modern mums are under different pressures today compared with 40 years ago.

'As a result, many mothers find it difficult to do some of the daily tasks their own mothers may have done.

'However, our research has shown that many do want to learn how to do these things and feel as passionate as we do about ensuring skills such as baking and sewing don’t die out.

'Mums from previous generations learnt how to do these everyday tasks from their mums and their mums before them.

Moving backwards: Modern mothers struggle to find the time to bake with their children, meaning that such sklls will not be passed on to the next generation either

'Despite not necessarily having the know-how, many mothers today are taking a real interest in learning traditional skills to help with their daily life or to enjoy as a hobby.'

The survey also found nine out of ten younger mothers don’t know how to starch a shirt, while more than half struggle to sew name tags in their children’s clothes.

Three quarters couldn’t make gravy from scratch, while nearly half couldn’t rustle up a Victoria sponge.

Nearly half of young mums said they made more of an effort to learn traditional ‘mum’ skills after their children were born.

But despite this less than one third could make pastry from scratch, less than half could sew, and less than one quarter could knit.

Eighty per cent of younger mothers said they wanted to know how to keep their shirts white and eighty two per cent wanted to be able to alter clothes.

Only 16 per cent of young mothers felt confident that they could make a fancy dress costume for their child and only 18 per cent could make jam.

By comparison more than a third of mothers over 45 could make a costume while 43 per cent could make jam.

Four out of ten young mothers still rely on their own mother to help them do things like cook a casserole and bake bread because they have never learnt how to do them.

While it emerged more than a third were embarrassed at not being able to do typical ‘mum’ tasks, one fifth said they couldn’t be bothered to sit down and learn a new skill while 21 per cent said they just didn’t have the patience.

Young mothers were also more likely to try and pass off shop bought products like cakes and sauces as their own with 34 per cent admitting to taking credit for something they bought.

More than two thirds said that they intended to pass the skills they did have on to their own children while more than one fifth said they considered most of the skills unnecessary in the modern age.

The research also showed that mothers who live in the south of the country were more likely to be reliant on their own mother than those who lived in the north.

Sue Flowers from Neff added: 'We all like to rely on our mum for help and advice, which is why it’s such a shame that younger mums today find themselves too busy to enjoy time spent baking with their children and other traditional tasks.'

WHAT MOTHERS CAN NO LONGER DO

                                                                UNDER 35s            OVER 45s
Bake a Victoria sponge                           43 per cent             17 per cent
Make pastry from scratch                        66 per cent             26 per cent
Knit                                                         77 per cent              33 per cent
Sew                                                         51 per cent              25 per cent
Make jam                                                 81 per cent             57 per cent
Arrange flowers                                       68 per cent             49 per cent
Starch a shirt                                           88 per cent             62 per cent
Sew name tags in to clothes                    52 per cent             16 per cent
Darn socks                                               85 per cent             59 per cent
Make a fancy dress costume                    83 per cent             66 per cent
Bake bread                                              76 per cent              54 per cent
Sew on a button                                       48 per cent             12 per cent
Make curtains                                           90 per cent             60 per cent
Make gravy from scratch                          75 per cent             38 per cent
Bake a pie                                                62 per cent             25 per cent

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2114842/Death-Domestic-Goddess-Traditional-baking-sewing-homemaking-skills-dying-new-mothers-busy-learn.html#ixzz1p6ugeF3i

Children would prefer to ask Google whenever they have questions....

Daddy no longer knows best? Most children would prefer to ask Google if they have a question - not their parents

By Rob Waugh
PUBLISHED: 08:02 GMT, 9 March 2012 | UPDATED: 08:02 GMT, 9 March 2012

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Most six to 15 year olds would turn to the search engine first, with 54 per cent saying they¿d ask Google before their parents or teachers

When under-15s have pressing questions, parents might hope that they’d turn to them for help – but it seems that most youngsters would prefer to ask Google.

Most six to 15 year olds would turn to the search engine first, with 54 per cent saying they’d ask Google before their parents or teachers. 

Only one quarter of children would ask their parents first over Google.
Encylcopedias came in a VERY poor last place – with one quarter of children admitting they don’t know what one IS.


Almost half of all children - 45% -have never used a print encyclopaedia and nearly a fifth - 19% -  have never used a print dictionary.

Guesses as to the strange 'encyclopedia' device’s function included that an ‘encyclopedia’ might be something you travel on or use to perform an operation.

Teachers also fared badly in the research conducted by Birmingham Science City.

Only three per cent of children aged six to fifteen would ask their teacher for an answer.

The survey of 500 children highlighted how central technology has become to young lives. Almost half of children use Google at least five times day.

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Dr Pam Waddell, Director of Birmingham Science City, commented on the findings: 

‘With children now growing up in an environment where digital technology is accepted as standard, we wanted to see just how this has affected their approach to research and exploration. 


'It’s not surprising that with answers at the touch of the button, youngsters often Google questions before asking parents, friends or teachers.

‘However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It shows just how commonplace digital technology is for children today and how comfortable they are with using it.


'Children, no matter what generation they grow up in, have an inquisitive and curious nature, and so the fact they are able to use new technology to explore this is a positive sign for the future.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2112223/Most-children-prefer-ask-GOOGLE-question-parents.html#ixzz1p0yp9uKZ

Ambitious people earn more money - but die younger...

Get rich AND die trying: Ambitious people earn more money - but they die younger and are no happier, says study

By Rob Waugh

Last updated at 11:48 PM on 6th March 2012

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Career ladder: The new study found that ambitious people earned more money and had prestigious jobs - but died younger, and were not a great deal happier 

Parents who teach their children  to value career ambitions over spending time with friends could be setting them up for an early grave, a study has revealed.


It found that go-getters who attend the best universities and secure high-powered jobs suffer poorer health and die younger than those with more modest aspirations. 


Over 70 years, the U.S. study tracked 717 high-achievers who attended universities, such as Oxford, Harvard and Yale, as well as those without university degrees, to the end of their lives.



The researchers found that highly ambitious people neglected key areas of their lives that lead to happiness, including building a strong network of friends and maintaining stable relationships. 


Professor Timothy Judge, who led the study at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, said: ‘Ambitious kids had higher educational attainment, attended highly esteemed universities, worked in more prestigious occupations, and earned more.


‘So, it would seem that they are poised to "have it all." However, we determined that ambition has a much weaker effect on life satisfaction and actually a slightly negative impact  on longevity (how long people lived).

 

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'So, yes, ambitious people do achieve more successful careers, but that doesn't seem to translate into leading happier or healthier lives.’

Judge used a complex formula to judge ambition at every stage of life - and to divide high-ability individuals into 'ambitious' and 'less ambitious' groups.

The study didn’t address the underlying reasons for the higher mortality of ambitious people. 

Those who went to university at institutions such as Cambridge may be more ambitious, but this will not necessarily make them happier in later life

‘If ambition has its positive effects, and in terms of career success it certainly seems that it does, our study also suggests that it carries with it some cost,’ Prof Judge says. 

‘Despite their many accomplishments, ambitious people are only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and they actually live somewhat shorter lives.’

‘Perhaps the investments they make in their careers come at the expense of the things we know affect longevity: healthy behaviours, stable relationships and deep social networks.

He added: ‘If your biggest wish for your children is that they lead happy and healthy lives, you might not want to overemphasise professional success.

'There are limits to what our ambitions bring us - or our children.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2110891/Get-rich-AND-die-trying-Ambitious-people-earn-money--poorer-health-die-younger-says-study.html#ixzz1oRmCj9Dc

Be alert of Sun-dried tomato...

Sun-dried tomato alert: Health investigators link the celebrity chefs' favourite to outbreak of hepatitis cases

By Beezy Marsh

Last updated at 10:41 AM on 5th March 2012

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Health experts are investigating an outbreak of potentially deadly hepatitis linked to sun-dried tomatoes, it emerged yesterday.

Seven people developed symptoms of hepatitis A, which is infectious and can lead to fatal liver complications.

Four of them were hospitalised by the illness but have now been given the all-clear.

Health experts are investigating an outbreak of potentially deadly hepatitis linked to sun-dried tomatoes

However, health protection officials fear contaminated samples or other foods containing them could still be on sale or lurking in kitchen cupboards. 


This is because they are unable to test food for the virus and do not know which brand of sun-dried tomato is responsible.

 

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The Government’s Health Protection Agency and the Food Standards Agency are on the alert for further cases after the two men and five women became ill. Four of the patients live in the East of England, two in London and one in the South West.
The health alert was triggered when two of the cases were reported late last year to the HPA.

Their hepatitis A was identical to a strain from a previous outbreak associated with sun-dried tomatoes in the Netherlands. Neither of the patients had travelled to a country with a high risk of hepatitis in the previous three months and both had eaten ‘substantial’ amounts of sun-dried tomatoes. 
 

Risk: The Hepatitis A bugbe

An investigation by the HPA of cases of hepatitis A from July to December last year revealed the total of seven cases in which sun-dried tomatoes were implicated.

Because some of the genetic strains of the virus found differed from the Netherlands outbreak, experts believe the contaminated sun-dried tomatoes may carry various strains of hepatitis A. 

Previous hepatitis A outbreaks have been linked to sun-dried tomatoes, which have become an increasingly popular ingredient in middle class kitchens and favourite of TV celebrity chefs.

The virus is carried by human faeces and can be passed on through contaminated food or water, especially as a result of poor hygiene during the preparation of food. 

It is the only common food-borne disease preventable by vaccine.

Symptoms appear around 28 days after infection and include aches, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, fever and fatigue. Patients may also develop itchy skin and jaundice which can last several months. 


In the most serious cases, acute hepatitis A can develop into fulminant hepatitis A in which toxins attack the liver, leading to life-threatening complications. 

Around half of these patients will need a liver transplant to survive.
Hepatitis A is diagnosed by a blood test, but there is no treatment other than rest and fluids. 

Writing in the medical journal Eurosurveillance, Carlos Carvalho, of the HPA, said: ‘A single food source may be contaminated with more than one strain.

‘A food-borne outbreak with multiple strains in at least two European countries is suspected.’

A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said: ‘Sun-dried tomatoes are being investigated as one possible source of the hepatitis A cases. However, no food source has been conclusively identified and no other relevant cases have been reported in the UK.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2110221/Sun-dried-tomato-alert-Health-investigators-link-celebrity-chefs-favourite-outbreak-hepatitis-cases.html#ixzz1oG7PR1Gb