Health

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) While antibiotics are known to harm the gut microbiome, a new study showed that non-antibiotic drugs can also alter the microbiome and increase the risk of gut infections.However, it has been unclear which of these disruptions might be readily tolerated and which disruptions increase the risk of health complications.In the new study, researchers from Yale University in the US identified several common prescription, non-antibiotic drugs that altered the gut microbiome, and discovered that at least one of these drugs triggers mice to produce anti-microbial agents that target their own gut microbes.The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest the microbiome could influence why some people respond well to drugs, while others don't. And it could be a target for...

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Love to eat potatoes? Consume the starchy vegetable baked or boiled, but not as French fries, according to a study which showed that eating the popular snack item thrice a week may increase the risk of diabetes by 20 per cent.The study, which tracked the diets of more than 205,000 adults over decades, however, showed that other forms of potatoes -- including baked, boiled, and mashed -- do not increase the risk of diabetes.The study, published in the BMJ, also found that swapping any form of potato for whole grains may lower the risk of diabetes."The public health message here is simple and powerful: small changes in our daily diet can have an important impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes," said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nu...

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) More than 1.3 lakh foreign tourists visited India for medical purposes till April, the Centre informed the Parliament on Thursday.In a written reply, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat underlined the steps undertaken to improve India’s rank in global wellness tourism markets.“The total number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) for medical purposes in India during 2025 (up to April) is 1,31,856,” Shekhawat said.“This constitutes approximately 4.1 per cent of the total FTAs during this period,” he added.He informed that the number of FTAs for medical purposes has been increasing in the past five years, with most of them coming from Bangladesh, Iraq, Somalia, Oman, and Uzbekistan.“From 1.8 lakh in 2020, the number of FTAs for medical purpos...

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Women’s leadership is central to driving female development for Viksit Bharat, said Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Thursday.She said this while inaugurating the second edition of UN Women’s flagship capacity-building programme -- SheLeads II: Workshop for Women Leaders, in New Delhi.“Women’s leadership is not just a matter of representation, it is central to driving women-led development for a Viksit Bharat,” Devi said.“Initiatives like SheLeads are pivotal in equipping women with the skills and networks needed to lead from the front, ensuring that our development agenda, be it towards 2030 SDGs or India’s Agenda 2040, is truly inclusive and representative of every voice,” she added.SheLeads is a flagship initiative of UN Women Indi...

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) From the current food security, scientists must now shift focus towards building nutritional security, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.He was speaking at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference at ICAR PUSA to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, the pioneer of India’s Green Revolution.Drawing inspiration from Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, the Prime Minister stated that India’s scientists now have another opportunity to create history.“Building on the legacy of food security, the next frontier for our agricultural scientists is ensuring nutritional security for all,” PM Modi said.“The previous generation of scientists ensured food security, stressing that the current focus must shift towards nutritional security,” he added.Th...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have found that the black scorpion sting injects 25 distinct deadly toxins, which can cause significant damage to the liver and the immune system.Given its considerable mortality and morbidity, the sting of the glossy black scorpion -- found particularly in Eastern and Southern India forests -- constitutes a critical worldwide health concern.“The secret behind the danger of the sting lies in 25 distinct toxins spanning eight different protein families packed in the venom that the scorpion injects,” revealed the study, spearheaded by Prof. Ashis K. Mukherjee, Director of IASST, and Susmita Nath, researc...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) MicroRNAs (miRNAs) -- the discovery of which received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year -- may play a significant role in the treatment and cure of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), said researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).Alzheimer's Disease is a devastating condition that steals away mental faculties and debilitates day-to-day life of patients. Characterised by the accumulation of protein clumps in the brain, memory loss, and cognitive deficits, it is estimated to affect more than 57.4 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to almost triple to 152.8 million cases by 2050.Addressing this, researchers from JNCASR, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), explored ...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The World Health Organization has urged countries to invest in health systems and support breastfeeding mothers to strengthen children’s health, development, and survival in the early stages of life.Breastfeeding is crucial for the babies' health and well-being. It acts as their first vaccine, protecting against diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia.World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in the first week of August.“Investing in breastfeeding is an investment in the future, yet only 48 per cent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed -- well below the World Health Assembly target of 60 per cent by 2030. This is due to the overlapping challenges for new mothers, health workers, and health systems,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adh...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The study undertaken by India that showed the positive impact of nutrition on the outcome of tuberculosis (TB) contributed to global guidance on the world's most infectious disease, said the World Health Organization (WHO), while calling for more research and innovation to fight TB.Led by ICMR, the study conducted in Jharkhand, offered the first evidence that providing extra nutrition is effective in preventing TB cases and mortality in India."The findings from India’s RATIONS study on the impact of nutrition on TB outcomes and incidence of the disease have contributed to the global guidance," said the WHO, during a three-day virtual workshop.The WHO also urged the South-East Asia region -- accounting for the highest share of cases and deaths worldwide -- to urgentl...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Are you someone who reaches for a cup of coffee every night? According to a new study, nighttime caffeine consumption can increase impulsive behaviour, potentially leading to reckless actions, especially among women.The findings could have negative implications for shift workers, health care, and military personnel who consume coffee at night, particularly females, said a team of biologists from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).The study, published in the journal iScience, examined how nighttime caffeine intake affects inhibition and impulsivity in fruit flies.Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly species used in the study, is a powerful model to study complex behaviours due to its genetic and neural parallels with humans.The team designed a series of expe...