Bipolar disorder also known as Manic Depressive disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses that affects about 60 million people over the globe.

Bipolar disorder also known as Manic Depressive disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses that affects about 60 million people over the globe. The other important feature of this disease is that it usually appears in the severe form!

People with the Bipolar disorder are known to have drastic changes in mood and energy levels, thus making the daily routine of the individuals tough! The treatment of this illness is also difficult because it is only supportive, as the cause of the disease is unknown!!

A new study was conducted and this study identified a molecule which is known to be associated with the causation of Bipolar disorder. The gene that encodes the cellular protein Phospholipase CY1 has found to be associated with the Bipolar disorder. Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) regulates several synaptic functions leading to PLCY1. Individuals deprived of PLCY1 are to know to suffer from Bipolar!

To sum up there appears to be a neurochemical chain reaction which leads to disease. The synapses that have less PLCY1 will not be able to fulfil inhibitory function properly in excitatory neurons because BDNF is not working properly either. This causes disproportion between excitatory synapses and inhibitory ones, eventually leading to bipolar symptoms!!

Studies are still in process to establish the cause!!

Causes Of Baldness And Grey Hair Identified

Hair is one of the important structure which denotes or considered as a symbol of one’s beauty and physique!! Irrespective of age, everyone gives a lot of importance to hair and wish to have the black, thick, long and shiny!!

Unfortunately, hair is one of that structure which picks up the signs of ageing early and turns grey in colour. It is also one of the structures which lay off due to various reasons and results in baldness in men and partial baldness or decreased volume of hair in women!!

Hair loss or greying of hair in younger individuals is highly a matter of concern and requires immediate intervention. Before we think over the management of the hair conditions, let us understand the causes of baldness and grey hair! Various studies were conducted and the causes of baldness and grey hair were identified!!

Causes are –

• An absence of SCF, Stem Cell Factor which is responsible for the pigment of the hair
• An absence of KROX20, protein which promotes hair growth

The study was not aimed at finding the cause of baldness or grey hair, but the study ended up finding the cause of both!

Knowing the cause, helped for recent advancement and better treatment options for those suffering from baldness and grey hair!!!

Cinnamon May Reduce The Harms Of High Fat Diet

Cinnamon is one of the common spices increasingly used in foods especially Indian foods! Cinnamon adds to the taste and hence preferred in most of the spicy foods. Cinnamon as multiple benefits including medicinal ones, wherein it is used in the treatment of certain conditions!

Apart from those benefits which we all know, cinnamon is known to have an important benefit which we were not aware of! Various studies have been conducted and a few are still in process to understand the observed results!

Rats were considered for the study. Increased consumption of cinnamon in foods was found to not causing weight gain and even developed less abdominal fat. It was also found to have healthier blood glucose levels and insulin levels, better lipid profile when compared to those rats fed with fewer cinnamon foods! Rats were also found to have increased anti-oxidant property and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties protect from various free radical based diseases such as heart attack, stroke, soon!

These results thus suggested that cinnamon reduces hyperlipidemia, inflammation and oxidative stress through activating transcription factors!!

Thus even high fat diet is consumed, cinnamon counteracts the side effects. However, studies are yet to be confirmed!!

If you are a cinnamon eater, you haven’t consumed something that is not healthy!!!

Scientists May Have Found a Way To Stop Cancer From Metastasizing

Cancer is one of the leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries. In most of the patients, cancer itself leads to death and in few cases, metastasis or the spread of cancer cells leads to death. Here the question arises if spreading of cancer or metastasis is curtailed, does it improve probabilities of life??

The answer is, of course, is a YES!! When the cancer is treated either by surgery or by chemotherapy or by radiotherapy, the only factor that still endangers a person’s life is spread of cancer, when this is halted then definitely the life of a patient can be prolonged!!

Various studies were conducted to know if there is a way to stop the spread of cancer cells and finally the scientists have found a way!! Here is the way found by scientists to stop the spread –

Cancer cells move from one place to other with the help of leg-like structure called FILOPODIA and by LAMELLIPODIA. These structures are found in healthy cells as well whereas they are found in excess in cancer cells. The excess number results in an easy and rapid spread of cancer cells. Scientists used nanorods made of gold nanoparticles to obstruct these leg like structures!!

Nanotechnology helps to reduce the size of certain structures to nanoscale meaning billionth part of a meter. Nanorods had certain molecules which targeted specifically on Integrin component of a cell, thus reducing the overproduction of Filopodia and Lamellipodia!!!  This, in turn, reduced the movement of cancer cells and thus spread of cancer cells!!

During Chemotherapy, cancer cells had no ability to absorb light wherein nanorods absorbed light and caused tangling of Filopodia and Lamellipodia. Even this helped in stopping the spread of cancer cells!!

These were the methods identified and proved by Scientists to stop the metastasizing or spreading of cancer cells, thus increasing the longevity of cancer patients!!!

Stress – Its Surprising Implications For Health

Stress has become part and parcel of our lives. There are so many triggers for
stress. In a survey, around 75% of the population reported experiencing stress
in the last month!
It’s not surprising that stress can have negative effects on our health. The most
common and the most well-known symptoms being a headache, sleep deprivation
and depression. Because stress can trigger a ‘fight or flight’ response, it can
actually be helpful in emergency situations. However, more often it keeps us
from accomplishing what we need to and from enjoying our lives.
There are some very serious negative health consequences to chronic stress.
These include –
 Increased risk of heart disease
 Increased risk of diabetes
 Increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease
 Decreased fertility rate
How can we better manage stress to avoid these health issues? Some of the
coping mechanisms can include –
 Positive self-talk
 Countdown 10
 Relaxation techniques
 Pleasure activities

Stress may be inevitable, but the results of stress need not be. Identify your
stress triggers, avoid them if possible, and initiate proper coping strategies. By
taking these steps, you can minimize the negative impact of stress on your life.

What Happens If You Consume Too Much Of Fibers

To be honest, we all are aware of a balanced diet but we never follow consuming balanced diet!! The common constituent that we miss in our diet is Fibers!! Every time you visit the doctor, the common advice with your illness apart is to consume enough water and fibre rich foods!!

Has this advice made us consume a lot of fibres?? Definitely not!!! As most of the times, we don’t follow our doctor’s advice and stick with our friends or Google’s advice!! Unfortunately or fortunately, we are consuming more fibres than needed and it’s true!!

So what, it would keep me healthy might be your say but you are absolutely wrong!!! Too much of consumption of fibers is not good for health and results in various health issues. Various studies have been conducted and proved that, consumption of fibers beyond the recommended daily allowance results in certain health disorders which includes –

• Bloating sensation
• Abdominal pain
• Flatulence or Gas
• Loose stools or diarrhea
• Constipation
• Weight gain
• Effect on blood sugar levels
• Blocks intestine in people with Crohn’s disease
• Mineral deficiency – Iron, Calcium, Zinc in particular
• Dehydration
• Acid reflux
• Decreased appetite

How much fibre is needed? The recommended daily allowance of fibers varies according to age and gender. RDA are –

• Adult male – 38 gm per day
• Adult female – 25 gm per day
• Kids based on age

How much is too much? You will get your RDA if you consume one serving of fibre rich food in your meals either in divided portions or as a single portion. If you consume anywhere beyond this, then it considered to be too much!!

Be cautious of what you eat, eating excess harms you, eating less harms you, eating right keeps you healthy and right!! Have an eye on the portion size, don’t get carried away by the myth that eating more keeps you healthier!!!

Ways To Get Rid Of NAUSEA

Sometimes it would be so tough for us to explain what is going wrong in our body! One such feeling tough to explain nor to feel is being nauseated!! Nausea is just not a symptom, it actually affects your body as a whole!!

Nausea is the uneasy sensation that you need to vomit, however, it does not lead to vomiting always. Nausea can happen due to various reasons like during pregnancy, gastritis, food poisoning, eating too much or too less, motion sickness and so on. Most of the times it would not be so severe to pop in a pill and would not be so mild to neglect!!! In such tricky situations, one has to be aware of home remedies or natural ways to get rid of it!! Here are the non-medical ways of getting rid of nausea –

• Sit up, walk around as much as possible and avoid squeezing your tummy – Squeezing just worsens nausea
• Open a window or sit in front of a fan – Fresh air is known to reduce nausea. Avoid Air conditioner as much as possible
• Apply a cool compress – Place a cool compress over the back of the neck as it helps to ease nausea
• Take deep breaths as it helps in relieving the stress, anxiety and thus nausea
• Concentrate or change your focus onto something that fascinates  or attracts you
• Opt for tea over coffee or milk
• Lemons work wonder!! Either squeeze fresh lemon to water and sip it frequently or just smell fresh lemon till  you feel better
• Ginger – Either consume ginger tea or bite on raw ginger for instant relief
• Avoid carbonated drinks
• Eat something bland and never skip your meal
• Consume banana as it neutralizes the acid and helps to relieve nausea
• Cumin Seeds – Crush some cumin seeds and eat them to get immediate relief
• Baking soda – Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda in one glass of water, and consume as a whole
• Sip on apple juice

These symptoms are effective and against nausea and a few offers instant relief as well. However, avoid these remedies and stick on to your doctor’s advice if your nausea is related to pregnancy!!

What Happens To The Brain As We Age

Ageing is a natural physiological phenomenon. Any living thing on this universe grows old and as we grow old, numerous changes are expected! The changes are just not limited to the external appearance of humans but also applies to the internal organs!!

Here is a brief note on the changes in the brain as age –

• Mass of the brain – Brain mass shrinks especially the frontal lobe and hippocampus
• Cortical density – the  outer ridged surface of the brain thins out thus slowing cognitive function
• White matter – Shrinkage of white matter results in loss of memory
• Neurotransmitter substances – Decreased production of neurotransmitter substances like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine results in various neurological disorders

These are the common changes in the brain as we age, these changes are responsible for the age-related neurological changes!!

Polio Virus Kills Off Cancer Cells, Stops Tumour Regrowth

The characteristic feature of cancer cells that makes cancer disease dreadful is their ability to proliferate and rapidly spread in the body! Most of the cancer types have the ability to regrow even after complete removal or excision!!

Various studies have been conducted and researchers had been working on to find out if there is a solution to stop the growth of cancer cells or a factor that hinders the regrowth of a tumour!!

Clinical trials or the studies conducted in 2011 reaped the results. The studies found that Poliovirus has the ability to kill off cancer cells and even stop regrowth. The study was conducted on a group of patients suffering from a brain tumour – Recurrent Glioblastoma!!!

Poliovirus kills off the cancer cells by the following mechanism – Poliovirus attaches itself to the cancer cells, as they are rich in CD155 Protein. Once attached, poliovirus starts attacking the malignant cells, thus triggering the release of antigens. Antigens are toxic substances, which are not recognised by the body and thus initiates an immune attack system!! Once started, the process is continuous. The cancer cells continue to be attacked by the poliovirus, thus killing them eventually and even stopping the tumour regrowth!!

This didn’t mark the end of cancer therapy, this needs to be combined with the conventional treatment!!

Studies are still in progress to establish the conclusion!!

Do’s And Don’t’s During Pregnancy

Congratulations!! You are going to be a mommy!! Do any married woman expect a better good news than this?? Definitely not!!! Every woman would be waiting for this special moment in life!! Having the apple of your eye in your hands in 9 months is exciting, is it not??

Well, you would start receiving advice, precautions from every other person you come across and from every nook and corner of your friends and relatives circle!! You would be in dilemma to understand which has to be followed and which needs to be ignored!! Of all the advice you receive, here is the list from our end which demarcates on what to be followed – DO’S and what not – DON’T’S!!

Do’s during pregnancy – It is important to know what are the things ideal to do first than those that have to be avoided, hence first let us know the do’s –

• Do consume a well-balanced nutritious diet
• Do take the multivitamin prescribed by your doctor on a regular basis as advised
• Do sleep whenever your body needs!
• Do workouts, but stick onto only those exercises which are suitable during pregnancy! Sort help from your trainer or doctor if you are not sure
• Do include seafood in your meals
• Do practice yoga which are safe during pregnancy
• Do get your vaccine shots without fail
• Do gain weight smartly
• Do get all the tests as suggested by your doctor and make sure you visit the doctor as advised
• Do get your first child prepared for the sibling

Don’ts during pregnancy – Having understood does it is equally important to know don’ts as well. Skipping a few do’s will not have a toss on your health provided you start them soon but following don’t will harm your baby!! Be sure, you don’t do the following –

• Don’t drink alcohol
• Don’t smoke
• Don’t eat raw foods
• Don’t eat from outside frequently
• Don’t eat smoked, burnt meat
• Don’t consume unpasteurised milk and milk products
• Don’t sit in hot tub
• Don’t drink lot of coffee
• Don’t be with your pets or clean their waste
• Don’t forget seatbelt while driving
• Don’t choose to deliver based on astrology or numerology
• Don’t take over the counter medicines
• Don’t be in close contact with sick and infectious people
• Don’t get exposed to chemicals or dyes of any type
• Don’t use heels or stilettos
• Don’t get exposed to radiations!!

Pregnancy is a special part of your life, it’s the stage where you will be having a life within you! Take a proper and good care and have a healthy and fruitful pregnancy!!