Green vegetables can reduce stomach aches

Green tea can reduce inflammation in rheumatoid patients

Green tea contains an anti-inflammatory chemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which can help people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The chemical can block TAK1, an important signalling protein from growing without affecting other cellular functions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines use TAK1 to transmit signals to cause inflammation and destroy tissues in rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers from Washington State University used a pre-clinical animal model of human rheumatoid arthritis and administered EGCG for 10 days. After 10 days they observed a significant reduction in swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disorder which initially affects joints in hands and feet. It causes painful swelling and leads to cartilage damage, bone erosion and joint deformity. The study was published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology. Read more here.

Leafy green vegetables can reduce stomach aches

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and cabbage contain a sugar molecule called sulfoquinovose which helps in the growth of gut bacteria, claims a British-Australian study. This makes gut bacteria more dominant and prevents bad bacteria from colonising the stomach. Most stomach aches occur due to bad bacteria.

What makes sulfoquinovose unique is that it is the only sugar that contains sulphur, which plays a critical role in building proteins. Lead researcher Dr Goddard-Borger said, “Every time we eat leafy green vegetables we consume significant amounts of SQ sugars, which are used as an energy source by good gut bacteria." The study was published in Nature Chemical Biology. Read more here.

Poor dental health linked to stroke

Poor dental health can affect the brain and even cause haemorrhagic stroke, a US-Japanese study suggests. When researchers at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka examined stroke patients who had experienced intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), they found a specific bacteria, CNM-positive S. mutans, in the saliva of 26% of the patients. The bacteria is common in the general population and is known for causing dental cavities. Researchers believe S. mutans bacteria targets blood vessels which are weakened by age and high blood pressure, causing arterial ruptures in the brain, which in turn leads to haemorrhages. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Read more here.

Exposure to lead can lead to aggressive crimes

Children living in a neighbourhood with high lead presence in the air are more likely to be involved in crimes of aggression in later life, an Australian study suggests. Lead exposure can affect brain development, academic performance and behaviour in children. It also leads to impulsive behaviour. Researchers from Macquarie University took air samples from six suburbs in New South Wales and examined the data on crime in the region in the last 30 years. The findings showed that lead was the strongest predictor in the study and was responsible for 29.8% of violence 21 years later. The study was published in the Environmental Health Journal. Read more here.

Monetary rewards most effective when it comes to fitness motivation at workplace

Offering monetary rewards instead of bonuses as part of workplace intervention programmes to encourage workers to be more physically active can fetch better results, a US study claims. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania examined 281 overweight or obese employees and divided them into different groups. The participants’ height and weight was taken before the study and a smartphone step-counter app was used to track their activity levels for 13 weeks. The findings show that workers in the monetary award group met their step goal on 45% of days, compared to the bonus group which met their goals on 36% of days. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more here.

Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar