Everyone needs to work together to improve healthcare
in India: President Pranab Mukherjee
India needs greater convergence of all stakeholders towards
the common goal of an improved health care delivery system, President Pranab
Mukherjee said on Tuesday. ‘It is also important not to lose focus on the fact
that a powerful driver of health is education,’ the president said after
receiving recommendations from the Healthcare Alliance at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The recommendations list steps needed to improve the health care delivery system
in the country.
Mukherjee said innovative models of partnership between the
public and private sectors can improve the situation in India and also provide
insights for the developing world. ‘As our battle against polio has shown,
collective efforts can really make miracles happen,’ he said. The president
said leading health care providers around the world are exploring the
incredible promise of India’s traditional healing. ‘This is an avenue that
should be further dwelt upon and we may possibly discover new cures for the
new-age medical problems,’ he said.
Source: http://health.india.com
05.03.2014
DASH diet could help prevent kidney
stones too!
A diet
high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts is believed to reduce the risk of
kidney stones in addition to lowering blood pressure, according to a small
new study published in the March issue of the National Kidney Foundation’s
American Journal of Kidney Diseases. This diet is also moderate in low-fat
dairy products and low in meat, refined grains and white sugar.
Researchers
compared a low-oxalate diet, which is frequently prescribed for prevention and
treatment of kidney stones, to a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
(DASH)-style diet, finding the latter potentially more effective in reducing
risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones, the most common type.
Oxalate is
found naturally in a number of nutritious foods, including sweet potatoes,
kale, rice bran, beets, navy beans, almonds, spinach and rhubarb. The National
Kidney Foundation notes that most kidney stones form when oxalate binds to calcium
as urine is being produced by the kidneys. New research suggests that rather
than eliminating oxalate foods from the diet, eating and drinking calcium and
oxalate-rich foods together may be more beneficial. Oxalate and calcium are
more likely to bind in the stomach and intestines when eaten together, making
it less probable kidney stones will form.
Nazanin
Noori, MD, PhD and other researchers studied 41 participants at The Hospital
for Sick Children in Toronto over an eight-week period and found those who
followed the DASH diet decreased their kidney stone risk by 35%, while those
who went the low-oxalate route reduced their risk by 14%. Levels of calcium,
oxalate, citrate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, uric acid, pH and calcium
oxalate in urine were studied as kidney stone ‘risk markers.’
‘Most
people do not eat single, isolated nutrients, such as oxalate, but rather meals
consisting of a variety of foods,’ says Noori. ‘So a practical diet plan for
kidney stone prevention should be based on the cumulative effects of foods and
the impact overall dietary patterns have on risk for stone formation rather
than single nutrients.’
What is
the DASH diet?
DASH
stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a form of diet which
is not only meant for existing patients of hypertension but also for people who
have a family history or high chances of developing it. This diet is also
great for people who want to lose weight as it contains fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, low-fat dairy products, etc. According to the DASH diet, salt
intake of 1500-2300 mg is allowed depending on the person’s age, race,
activity, health problems, genetics, etc. It also recommends cutting back on
processed foods, cured and smoked meats. It increases potassium intake
which helps lower blood pressure through foods like potato, sweet potato, dals,
coconut water, banana, etc. DASH diet is a great option for Indians whose
diets are high in fats and processed foods as it not only helps in controlling
blood pressure but also weight and other lifestyle issues like diabetes.
Source: http://health.india.com
05.03.2014
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’
Audrey Hepburn
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