Monday, 19 November 2012

20 November, 2012 Clippings


Dysfunctional kidneys can affect mental processes!
Faltering kidneys can hit mental processes involved in thinking, understanding, reasoning or remembering, according to a American study. ‘The brain and kidney are both organs that are affected by the cardiovascular systems,” said Adam Davey, associate professor of public health in Temple’s College of Health Professions and Social Work, who led the study,
Researchers from the Temple, Maine and Maryland Universities examined longitudinal data, five years apart, from 590 people, according to a Temple statement. What the researchers found was the greater a person’s decrease in renal functioning, the greater the decrease in overall cognitive functioning, particularly abstract reasoning and verbal memory.
“They are both affected by things like blood pressure and hypertension, so it is natural to expect that changes in one organ are going to be linked with changes in another,” says Davey. ”Those two tracked together, so this study provides us with evidence that the rate of cognitive decline is associated with deterioration in kidney function” adds Davey. Davey said that this information emphasizes two important points: the importance of diagnosing and managing chronic kidney disease and the extent of decrease in cognitive functioning.
“As we get older, our kidney function tends to decrease naturally, so if there’s an extra issue involved in renal function like chronic kidney disease, we need to know about it as soon as possible,” he said. ”That is something that needs to be managed, just like you would manage hypertension.”
20.11.2012
Why washing chicken before cooking it is injurious to health
If you wash your chicken before you cook it, think again.
Washing chicken puts you at a higher risk of getting food poisoning, spreads bacteria around the kitchen, a study has revealed. “Home cooks are probably following what their parents or grandparents did in the past by washing poultry, not to mention probably patting it dry with a tea towel,” Food Safety Information Council Chairman, Dr Michael Eyles, said.
“But washing poultry splashes these bacteria around the kitchen cross contaminating sinks, taps, your hands, utensils, chopping boards and foods that aren’t going to be cooked like salads or desserts,” he said. The Newspoll survey also found that the washing phenomenon isn’t just restricted to chicken. 68% of respondents wash turkey and 74% wash duck before cooking, News.com.au reported.
Doctors believe this could be one of the reasons why notified cases of illness from Campylobacter and Salmonella - bacterias associated with food poisoning - have almost doubled over the last 20 years in Australia.
But the zealousness of trying to rid chicken of bacteria isn’t entirely unfounded.
According to the survey, 84% of raw chicken carcasses tested positive to Campylobacter, and 22% to Salmonella. This is similar to the findings of other surveys overseas. However, all you really need to do to make sure you don’t get sick from your chicken is cook it: “Cooking poultry right through kills these bacteria, making it safe,” Dr Eyles insists.
To reduce the risk of getting sick from poultry, one is advised to not wash raw poultry before cooking as this will spread any bacteria throughout your kitchen. Instead, mop up any excess moisture with a paper towel.
Always wash and dry hands and clean surfaces after contact with raw poultry.
Be careful not to let raw poultry juices contaminate other foods, especially things like desserts or salads, which won’t be cooked again. You are also advised to use clean plates and utensils, and wash and dry thoroughly between using for raw and cooked poultry.
Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw poultry. Cook any poultry meat to 75°C and use a meat thermometer to check if juices run clear and are no longer pink rather than popping a piece in your mouth.
Make sure frozen poultry is defrosted right through to the centre in the fridge or microwave in a sealed container before cooking.
20.11.2012





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