The Right Vegetable For Health

'Pick the right veg' for health
Papaya




Papaya is a fruit rich in beta-cryptoxanthin

Obvious choices of fruit and vegetables are not necessarily the healthiest, say researchers.

According to US experts, making simple swaps like eating sweet potatoes instead of carrots and papaya rather than oranges could make a difference.

Foods, like raspberries, watercress and kale, are richer in phytonutrients which may help prevent disease, they told a US meeting.

UK nutritionists said a balanced diet is essential to good health.

The British Nutrition Foundation warned that relying on eating a few select food types to boost health was ill-advised and said there was no such thing as a "superfood".

No one food can give you everything you need
Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation

Experts recommend five portions a day of fruit and veg in a healthy diet.

Plant foods are known to contain "phytonutrient" chemicals that can protect the heart and arteries and prevent cancers.

But the most popular varieties may not be the best, according to US researchers.

They analysed data from US health surveys of people's dietary habits to look at the most common sources of phytonutrients.

They found that for 10 of the 14 phytonutrients studied, a single food type accounted for two-thirds or more of an individual's consumption, regardless of how much fruit and veg they ate overall.

Carrots were the most common source of beta-carotene, oranges and orange juice the most common source of beta-cryptoxanthin, spinach the most common source of lutein/zeaxanthin, strawberries the most common source of ellagic acid and mustard the biggest provider of isothiocyanates.

However, for each of these phytonutrients there was a richer food source available.

Richer foods

Switching from carrots to sweet potatoes would nearly double beta-carotene intake, say the researchers.

Similarly papaya contains 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than oranges, while kale has three times more lutein/zeaxanthin than spinach.

Raspberries have three times more ellagic acid than strawberries and one cup of watercress contains as much isothiocyanate as four teaspoonfuls of mustard.

Study leader Keith Randolph, who is a technology strategist for the supplement company Nutrilite, said: "These data highlight the importance of not only the quantity but also the significant impact the quality and variety of the fruits and vegetables you eat can have on your health."

Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "They are right that some foods are richer sources of phytonutrients.

"But at the end of the day, to be healthy you need to make sure you have a varied and balanced diet.

"No one food can give you everything you need."

The findings were presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, California.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8645104.stm

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME (SBS)....AWAS!!!!!!

Keadaan bayi sebelum digoncang









Bayi berada di hospital selepas
beberapa jam digoncang

SBS merupakan kecederaan otak bayi disebabkan goncangan atau pergerakan
kepala yang kuat. Boleh berlaku dalam tempoh sesingkat 5 saat pergerakan
yang kuat.

Kecederaan yang serius boleh menyebabkan kecacatan otak yang
lama, serius dan kekal pada bayi.. Ianya berlaku apabila kepala bayi
digoncang atau dihentak dengan objek walaupun objek lembut seperti
bantal.

Ada teori mengaitkan dengan pergerakan seperti menimang bayi,
menaiki buaian serta memegang bayi ketika seseorang sedang marah atau
bergaduh boleh menyebab berlakunya SBS. Sebab lain ialah penderaan bayi
(child abuse) dan selalunya mempunyai kesan-kesan penderaan yang lain.

Perkara ini berlaku kerana kepala bayi mempunyai nisbah yang lebih besar
berbanding badan mereka, leher yang lemah dan struktur otak yang masih
belum matang serta lebih kandungan air berbanding orang dewasa.

Amalan menimang atau menggoncang sering dilakukan oleh penjaga terutama
bila bayi tidak mahu berhenti menangis.

Ada yang menimang bayi kerana
untuk menenangkan bayi dan ada juga melakukannya ketika marah atau penat
menjaga bayi.....( occupational stress ).

Ini bukanlah kes SBS pertama yang saya rawat. Sebelum ini saya juga
pernah merawat seorang bayi di wad kanak-kanak yang mempunyai kecederaan
otak yang serius dikhuatiri berpunca daripada menaiki buaian.



LANGKAH-LANGKAH PENCEGAHAN YANG PERLU DI AMBIL

1. Jangan sesekali menggoncang bayi anda ketika marah atau untuk
bermain.

2. Jangan memegang bayi anda ketika marah.

3. Jikalau anda tidak dapat menenangkan bayi anda, lebih baik anda
tinggalkan bayi anda untuk sementara waktu di dalam katil bayi atau
kepada orang lain.

4. Minta bantuan orang lain.


Maka, saya sangat berharap agar ibu bapa dan penjaga semua dapat
mengambil serius dan peka tentang Baby Shaken Syndrome ini.

Ianya bukanlah kes terpencil malah di Amerika Syarikat sebanyak 1500 kes
dilaporkan setiap tahun. Mereka juga telah mengharamkan sebarang bentuk
alat menggoncang bayi seperti buaian.

(Forwarded email)