Health snippets.

Summary: New research suggests frequent night shifts and jet lag increase your risk of diabetes and weight gain.

Sleeping sickness 

New research suggests frequent night shifts and jet lag increase your risk of diabetes and weight gain.

Can working in shifts and constant jet lag increase your risk of obesity and diabetes? Yes, according to a new survey. 21 men and women volunteered for a Harvard Medical School study which controlled how and when they slept, ate and exercised for five weeks.

Participants first started with 10 hours of sleep each day, which was then gradually reduced. Over time, they were also asked to sleep and wake up later to mimic change in time zones. Eventually, the participants were sleeping during the day and awake at night. Researchers had effectively simulated both working in shifts and frequent time zone changes.

Tests confirmed the worrying hypothesis. Over the five weeks, participants' metabolic rates fell 8%. Over a year, this metabolic slowdown could mean a four kilo weight gain if diet and exercise habits remain the same. There was another fallout. The reversed sleep cycle (sleeping during the day) and reduced sleep time also hit insulin levels. After three weeks, participants produced about a third less insulin in response to meals. Bloodglucose levels rose sufficiently to lable the participants' pre-diabetic.

So if you travel abroad often or sleep fewer than 6-8 hours, try and change the pattern. Besides waking up groggy, the long-term effects are dangerous for your health.

Supplement mythbuster

Are you considering taking supplements? Here's a checklist to do so safely.

First, watch for extravagant claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Remember, most celebrity testimonials are paid for. The endorser may only be making claims for the pay-check.

While a little is good, more is not always better. In fact, having too much of some vitamins and minerals can also result in diseases or side-effects.

Finally, don't fall for terms such as "all-natural", "antioxidantrich", "clinically proven" or "antiageing".

Check scientific data of these products to verify their claims.

POWER BREAKFAST IDEAS

Veggie Omelette and Berries

Use two eggs, a little spinach and chopped tomatoes. Also eat half a cup of berries. This meal is rich in protein. The berries add a sweet touch and are chockful of anti-oxidants.

Oats and milk

Cook half a cup of oats in one cup of low-fat milk. Top with dried fruits and nuts. Oats are full of carbohydrates, vitamins and fiber to keep you energised longer. Milk adds protein and calcium, while the toppings provide flavour, natural sugars and the good kind of fats.

Fruit and Milk

A bowl of fruit is the most nutritious start you can get. They're full of vitamins, fiber and natural sugars. A glass of low-fat milk (with a bit of flavouring, if you like) gives you protein and calcium, without extra calories. What's more, it needs zero cooking skills.

Fruit & oatmeal

Blend an apple, banana, three tablespoons oatmeal, a tablespoon honey and half-a-cup of milk. This drink is loaded with nutrients and fibr to keep you full through the morning. It's also ready in less than five minutes.

ARE E-BOOKS BAD FOR YOUR MEMORY?

A study at the University of Leicester in England has found that good ol' paperbacks may hold a small edge over e-books when it comes to learning. Researchers found e-book users required more repetitive reading of the same text and more testing to imbibe what was on 'page'. The reason is something scientists call 'method of loci'. For example, remembering the location on a page where a particular anecdote or data point was mentioned helps in remembering the fact itself. E-books, such as the early Kindle, for example, simply scrolled through text and only showed the percentage already read. The page itself was endless. Printed books instead, give physical reference points -the page number or position on a page. "Human short-term memory is extremely volatile and weak," says one of the scientists.

"That's why there's a huge benefit from being able to glance [across a page or two] and see [everything] simultaneously.

Exercise can help fight Parkinsons

Here's another incentive to exercise regularly. Recent studies have found that regular physical activity can aid in the fight against dreaded Parkinson's disease. Specifically, scientists identified two benefits.

One benefit helped reduced the risk of the disease, while the other benefit helped sufferers live a more normal life for longer periods.

First, physical activity-particularly in early stages-helps build strength, balance and endurance.

These help patients later on when the disease takes reaches particularly debilitating stages. Scientists also found that patients who were in good shape scored better on thinking and muscle control tests and had a higher chance at a longer life. Finally, they found that vigorous exercise has a "protective effect" on brain tissue.

Reproduced From Business Today. Copyright 2012. LMIL. All rights reserved.

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