A 2005 review found people who drank the most coffee were one-third less likely to develop diabetes than those who drank the least, Rachel Huxley of the University of Sydney and colleagues note. Huxley and her team analyzed 18 studies on coffee, decaf, and tea and the risk of type 2 diabetes, including 458,000 people in all.

For every additional cup of coffee a person consumed each day, the authors found, a person’s risk of diabetes was reduced by 7%. In the six studies that looked at decaf coffee, the researchers found, people who consumed more than three or four cups a day were at 36% lower risk of diabetes. And in seven studies that examined tea drinking and diabetes risk, people who drank over three or four cups daily were at 18% lower diabetes risk

Source: The Times of India

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Bananas, worlds most popular fruit, available year-round, are one of nature’s best sources of potassium. Bananas is a rich source of iron, high in fiber and a good source for vitamin C(Red bananas contain more vitamin C than yellow bananas .) Containing three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy (No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes). Banana is good for people who have high blood pressure (it is low in salt and also extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure), anemia (rich source of iron), Stomach ulcer (banana has a natural antacid) and Constipation (high in fiber), Diarrhea (Bananas also contain electrolytes, which are essential for maintaining fluid levels and preventing dehydration).

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Bananas help in reducing Depression (Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood). Bananas can help cure or prevent hangovers. Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking (The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal). If you’re out partying and want to avoid a hangover, drink sixteen ounces of water and eat a banana before heading for bed for a good night’s sleep. Rubbing banana peel inside out is the best remedy for mosquito bites.

When selecting bananas, think about your usage time frame. You may wish to choose some already ripe for immediate use and some still slightly but not overly green to ripen for later use. Select bananas that are bright, even-colored bananas without green tips (which will require further ripening) full and plump, avoiding those with bruises. A dull, gray color indicates they have been chilled or overheated during storage.  If you are waiting for green bananas to ripen you can speed up the process by putting them in a brown paper bag at room temperature or place the bowl in the sun. It’s the tiny seeds within the fruit that release a ripening hormone, a mixture of ethylene gas and carbon dioxide. Never store unripe bananas in the refrigerator! They simply will not ripen properly because the cold interferes with the ripening process. Bringing refrigerated bananas back to room temperature will not reverse the process. However, once bananas are ripe, they can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.. Although the skins of refrigerated bananas will turn brown, the fruit itself will be fine. Allow the refrigerated fruit to come to room temperature before consuming for full flavor. However below 8 degrees Celsius the fruit will decay from the inside.

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The key is allicin, which is broken down into the foul-smelling sulphur compounds which taint breath.These compounds react with red blood cells and produce hydrogen sulphide which relaxes the blood vessels, and keeps blood flowing easily.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham research appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.However, UK experts warned taking garlic supplements could lead to side effects.

Hydrogen sulphide generates a smell of rotten eggs and is used to make stink bombs.But at low concentrations it plays a vital role in helping cells to communicate with each other. And within the blood vessels it stimulates the cells that form the lining to relax, causing the vessels to dilate.

This, in turn, reduces blood pressure, allowing the blood to carry more oxygen to essential organs, and reducing pressure on the heart.

The Alabama team bathed rat blood vessels in a bath containing juice from crushed garlic.

Striking results

This produced striking results – with tension within the vessels reduced by 72%.
The researchers also found that red blood cells exposed to minute amounts of juice extracted from supermarket garlic immediately began emitting hydrogen sulphide.
Further experiments showed that the chemical reaction took place mainly on the surface of the blood cells.
The researchers suggest that hydrogen sulphide production in red blood cells could be used to standardise dietary garlic supplements.
Lead researcher Dr David Kraus said: “Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing.

“Certainly in areas where garlic consumption is high, such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.”

Judy O’Sullivan, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This interesting study suggests that garlic may provide some heart health benefits.

“However, there remains insufficient evidence to support the notion of eating garlic as medicine in order to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

“Having garlic as part of a varied diet is a matter of personal choice.

“It is important to note that large amounts in supplement form may interact with blood thinning drugs and could increase the risk of bleeding.”

Source: BBC News

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Such a round-the-clock Emergency Response Service, titled Arogya Kavacha-108, was launched in Bangalore on Saturday by former President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava Day.

The project, which is taken up by the State Government in partnership with the Hyderabad-based Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), will cover five districts — Bangalore, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Davangere and Bellary — in the first phase. On Saturday, 66 ambulances commenced their operation under the project in Bangalore. Of this, 25 vehicles will operate in Bangalore while the remaining will be used in the other districts where the service will start in about a fortnight.
In the second phase, the project would be extended to 18 districts with 150 ambulances, by March 2009. The entire State will be covered by the project by March 2010, when 517 ambulances will be pressed into service at a rate of one ambulance for a population ranging from one lakh to 1.1 lakh. The programme will have an Emergency Response Centre, which responds to calls from people in need.

All the calls to 108 are toll-free. After collecting the information over phone, a fully equipped ambulance or fire vehicle will be dispatched to the spot.

These vehicles have been fitted with Geographical Positioning System and Geographical Indication Systems to help locate the geographical position of the emergency scene. The ambulances have been fitted with medical equipment ranging from defibrillators and ventilators to extrication tools, to handle any emergency.

Dr. Kalam hailed the project and said it would help save the lives of victims by quickly reaching the emergency scene. Such an emergency service has helped save about 45,000 lives so far in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa termed the service as one of the important schemes being taken up by the State Government. He called upon the people to make use of it.

Source: The Hindu

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