Healthtips , Health News, Health Care and Fitness,Health and Nutrition Tips

Women who smoke have a 25 per cent higher risk of developing heart disease than men smokers, scientists have warned. Toxins in cigarette smoke appear to affect women more badly, and the risk takes into account that women tend to get through fewer cigarettes than men. The findings by Dr Rachel Huxley, of theUniversity of Minnesota, and Dr Mark Woodward,Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore from a massive meta-analysis of 86 international studies involving 2.4million people add to evidence that women's health is worse affected by smoking, reports the  Daily Mail . Women smokers have double the risk of lung cancer compared with their male counterparts, and often suffer more aggressive forms of the disease. The latest review looked at 75 sets of data, which included 67,000 coronary heart disease events such as heart attacks. The risk ratio of smoking compared with not smoking for coronary heart disease was found to be 25 per cent higher in wome...

We've all suffered from it at some point or the other. We share tips to  cure  acidity  ...  Acidity occurs when there is excess secretion of acids in the gastric glands of the stomach. When the secretion is more than usual, we feel, what is commonly known as heartburn, which is normally triggered off by consumption of spicy foods. Here are some home remedies to cure acidity... - Skip the aerated drinks as well as the caffeine. Opt for herbal tea instead. - Have a glass of lukewarm water everyday. - Include banana, watermelon and cucumber in your daily diet. Watermelon juice is great for curing acidity. 

A University of Melbourne led study has revealed that wheezy toddlers who have a sensitivity to house dust mites are more at risk of developing asthma by the age of 12.  Children aged one - two years with a family history of allergy, who had a positive skin prick test to house dust mites, had a higher risk of developing asthma later in life. Results showed 75 per cent of these children had asthma at aged 12 compared to 36 per cent of children without a positive skin prick test. Lead author Dr Caroline Lodge from the University of Melbourne's School of Population Health said the identification of house dust mites as a predictor for asthma in high risk children, is a significant step forward in identifying high risk groups on whom we can trial interventions. "Our findings provide researchers with a more targeted group of at risk children, for investigating strategies to prevent asthma later in life," she said. "House dust mite sensitivi...

Beware- anxiety now comes with a new risk: it weakens your bones!  Researchers from Deakin in Australia and Norwegian universities analysed data of over 8,000 men and women from central Norway and found a link between depressive symptoms and reduction in bone mineral density. Participants underwent forearm bone mineral density scans, reports the  Journal of Affective Disorders.  Deakin researcher Lana Williams said, "It was found that depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in men were associated with lower bone mineral density." "There are several known risk factors for low bone mineral density, such as advance age, gender (women are at greater risk than men), familial predisposition, low levels of sex hormones, inadequate calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency," Williams said. "It is possible that poor mental health could be another one of these risk factors." Recently, the possible association between psychiatric illness - particularly dep...

You'd think the sunlight you get is enough to prevent a Vitamin D deficiency. But experts say that it's not  Living in the sunny city isn't enough for your daily quota of Vitamin D, a vitamin most easily attained by the body through the absorption of sunlight. Dr Shonali Sabherwal, a certified macrobiotic food consultant explains why a large number of people are now Vitamin D deficient. It's not just about the sun. Adequate fill  Normally speaking, Vitamin D aids a large number of critical functions in the body without which systems begin to fail. It helps absorb calcium in the body and maintains phosphorus levels which are critical for bone development. It also helps with weight loss and reduces muscle fatigue and skin disorders. It improves your immunity and is also known to reduce the incidence of cancer and heart diseases. According to studies, adequate quantities of the vitamin also help combat depression and type II diabetes. In spite of your sun t...

There is an alarming rise in the prevalence of diabetes in India. Thanks to our eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, even gestational diabetes is not uncommon.  The sad fact is that it could affect the baby too. According to recent statistics, India has more people with Type 2 diabetes than any other nation. Who likes to take medicines everyday? Insulin and dialysis is even worse experience. And mind you, as opposed to the misconception, eating sweets is not the only cause for this disease. Stress and genes too play a major role in this. Although one cannot do much about it if it's genetic, it definitely doesn't harm to prevent it. No, you don't have to pop pills everyday. Just a few changes in your foot habits and you can cut the risks to a great extent. Here are some things that you can do at home to prevent diabetes or reduce it if you already are affected by it.

Whether you prefer them green or black, olives are a healthy fruit to add to your meals. For the Greeks, they represent nobility and peace but more than that they know the wonders it does for your health.  Olive oil helps keep cholesterol levels in check and controls the blood sugar. It is one of the easiest to digest as it is monounsaturated. Drizzle some on top of a vegetable salad or dip a slice of whole-grain bread in some and eat as a snack. Olive oil can also be added to spicy dishes and acidic food items. Try adding them when making sauces and dressings. Make a mix of olive oil with onions, herbs (oregano, thyme etc) and garlic for pasta sauces. Use olive oil to marinate your meat dishes as this allows better penetration ofthe flavour into the food.