Health - The Purbottar

11 Feb

Not All Sugar Swaps Are Healthy: What a Nutritionist Recommends

editorHealth

As more people try to cut down on refined sugar, alternatives like jaggery, brown sugar and monk fruit are gaining popularity. But are they truly healthier? A nutritionist says the answer isn’t as simple as it seems.Excess sugar intake has been linked to serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, weight gain and reduced insulin sensitivity. While replacing white sugar may seem like a smart move, not all substitutes offer real benefits.Palm jaggery, a traditional favorite in Indian households, is often considered natural and nutritious. Though it contains small amounts of minerals like iron, experts say…

10 Feb

Study highlights cranberries’ impact on microbial harmony

Banasree SarkarHealth

The majority of discussions about gut health center on probiotics, fiber, or yogurt. Cranberries seldom ever make an appearance. According to the research, dried cranberries reduce harmful germs and enhance beneficial ones. Consuming dried cranberries has been connected to an increase in Bacteroidetes, which are beneficial bacteria. Consuming them has also been demonstrated to reduce Firmicutes, bacteria linked to adverse health outcomes, such as poor energy absorption in obesity. Polyphenols, which are plant chemicals that have long been hailed for their antioxidant qualities, are abundant in cranberries. Studies show that these polyphenols also have prebiotic properties, which helps to maintain…

04 Feb

It might be detrimental to your health to skip meals

Banasree SarkarHealth

Frequent meal skipping can have a detrimental effect on your health by causing blood sugar problems, mood changes, exhaustion, and poor focus. This behavior may eventually impair digestion, interfere with metabolism, and raise the risk of long-term conditions including diabetes and heart problems. Addressing these problems is essential to preserving general wellbeing. Severe blood sugar swings brought on by missing meals, especially breakfast, might result in symptoms including weariness, shakiness, and dizziness. Type 2 diabetes risk may rise as a result. Frequent meal skipping slows down metabolism, which makes burning calories more difficult and may result in weight gain. Overeating…

22 Jan

Teen exercise may lower breast cancer risk markers

Banasree SarkarHealth

A new study suggests that recreational physical activity during the teenage years may play a protective role in breast health by influencing breast tissue composition and reducing biological markers linked to stress. Researchers found that teenage girls who regularly took part in leisure-time physical activities such as sports, dance, or gym workouts had lower water content in their breast tissue — a marker associated with lower breast density — along with reduced levels of stress-related biomarkers. Lower breast density has previously been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer. The findings, published in Breast Cancer Research, highlight adolescence as…

13 Jan

Not getting enough sleep? It could shorten your life

Banasree SarkarHealth

For decades, sleep has often been treated as expendable — something to be trimmed to make room for longer workdays, late-night scrolling, or packed schedules. But a major new U.S. study suggests that chronic sleep deprivation may come at a far greater cost than previously thought: a shorter life. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) report that communities where people regularly get less than seven hours of sleep per night have noticeably lower life expectancy. The association, published in SLEEP Advances, was stronger than links tied to poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity, or social isolation — surpassed only…

06 Jan

It might be detrimental to your health to skip meals

Banasree SarkarHealth

Frequent meal skipping can have a detrimental effect on your health by causing blood sugar problems, mood changes, exhaustion, and poor focus. This behavior may eventually impair digestion, interfere with metabolism, and raise the risk of long-term conditions including diabetes and heart problems. Addressing these problems is essential to preserving general wellbeing. Severe blood sugar swings brought on by missing meals, especially breakfast, might result in symptoms including weariness, shakiness, and dizziness. Type 2 diabetes risk may rise as a result. Frequent meal skipping slows down metabolism, which makes burning calories more difficult and may result in weight gain. Overeating…

29 Dec

Morning coffee habit may boost longevity

Banasree SarkarHealth

Coffee, one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages, is gaining renewed attention for its potential long-term health benefits. Emerging research indicates that how and when coffee is consumed plays a significant role in the advantages it may offer. Large observational studies suggest that moderate coffee intake, particularly in the morning and with minimal additives, is linked to improved heart health and lower mortality risk. Morning coffee drinkers were found to have a notably reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed coffee later in the day, possibly due to better alignment with the body’s natural…

23 Dec

The appendix: not as useless as we once thought

Banasree SarkarHealth

Researchers now believe the appendix plays a role in the immune system, particularly during childhood and adolescence. The small, tube-shaped organ attached to the large intestine contains a high concentration of lymphoid tissue, which helps the body recognize and respond to harmful microbes. This has led scientists to see the appendix as part of the gut’s immune defense network rather than a biological accident. One of the most discussed discoveries involves gut bacteria. The appendix appears to act as a “safe house” for beneficial microbes. When illness, antibiotics, or digestive upset disrupts the balance of bacteria in the intestines, the…

20 Dec

It might be detrimental to your health to skip meals

Banasree SarkarHealth

Frequent meal skipping can have a detrimental effect on your health by causing blood sugar problems, mood changes, exhaustion, and poor focus. This behavior may eventually impair digestion, interfere with metabolism, and raise the risk of long-term conditions including diabetes and heart problems. Addressing these problems is essential to preserving general wellbeing. Severe blood sugar swings brought on by missing meals, especially breakfast, might result in symptoms including weariness, shakiness, and dizziness. Type 2 diabetes risk may rise as a result. Frequent meal skipping slows down metabolism, which makes burning calories more difficult and may result in weight gain. Overeating…

09 Dec

Diabetes cases missed as early signals resemble daily discomforts

Banasree SarkarHealth

Health experts are sounding the alarm over the growing number of diabetes cases that go undiagnosed for months — and sometimes years — because early symptoms are often mistaken for everyday health issues. Doctors say this delay in recognising the warning signs is leading to late detection and avoidable complications. According to endocrinologists, Type 2 diabetes typically begins with subtle changes in the body that do not appear alarming. Many patients initially attribute these signs to stress, ageing, workload or seasonal fatigue, and therefore do not seek timely medical evaluation. A senior diabetologist explained that one of the most commonly…