18, June 2014

Too much chocolate leads to weight gain

A new study suggests that the instant gratification and the pleasure derived from consuming excessive chocolate and deep-fried foods can lead to a double-edged sword of negative consequences ranging from weight gain to feelings of low self-esteem. 

According to the study, combating this type of self-destructive behavior may be achieved simply by making a person feel sad. "We found that when people who are sad are exposed to pictures of indulgent food or indulgent words, their sadness highlights the negative consequences of indulging and encourages them to indulge less," authors Anthony Salerno, Juliano Laran (both University of Miami), and Chris Janiszewski (University of Florida), wrote. Study results showed that when people were first exposed to pleasurable information and then made to feel sad, they decreased their consumption of indulgent foods.

The authors also found that these participants were more likely to indicate how consuming indulgent foods could lead to health problems. In contrast, when people were exposed to neutral information and made to feel sad, they increased their consumption of indulgent foods. "Our research has important implications for consumers, particularly as obesity remains a major health concern in the United States. For brands looking to understand what triggers help and hinder people in their ability to eat healthy foods, we provide insight into when sadness might aid consumers in becoming less prone to indulging in unhealthy foods on a daily basis," the authors wrote.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

18.06.2014

'Nicotine gums too may cause cancer'

Nicotine patches may have helped many to kick the butt, but these can be equally dangerous as smoking as nicotine itself is carcinogenic, a new study shows.

Nicotine is such a powerful carcinogen that nicotine-infused products designed to help people give up smoking may not be safe, the findings showed.

Nicotine is one of 4,000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

While many of these chemicals are recognised as carcinogens, nicotine has, until now, only been considered addictive rather than carcinogenic.

Nicotine exposure causes thousands of mutations in a cell's DNA and this could be a precursor to cancer.

"These results are important," Harold Garner from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute in the US was quoted as saying.

"This is because for the first time they directly measured large numbers of genetic variations caused only by nicotine, showing that nicotine by itself can mutate the genome and initiate cancer," Garner added.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

18.06.2014

The best way to defeat an enemy is to make him a friend…

Abraham Lincoln