AUG – 15: SNIPPETS
Deficiency of salt also harmful
It is common knowledge that excess salt intake aggravates hypertension and elevates your risk of heart diseases. Researchers have found that people who consume more than 8,000mg of sodium per day are 50-70% more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those with normal intake.
However, not everyone knows that taking too little salt can also be harmful. According to a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, a lower sodium intake, between 2,000-3,000mg per day, has also been linked to a 20% higher risk of cardiovascular-related death as well as hospitalisation for congestive heart failure.
Fatter and happier?
Fat people have a reputation of being more jovial. This is proven true by a recent study conducted at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. The study has found that a gene mutation that is associated with obesity is also linked to an 8% decrease in the risk of depression.
However, researchers clarified that the study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, does not advocate the fact that getting fatter makes you happier. The effect was seen merely with the presence of one copy of this mutant in your genome, irrespective of whether you are actually obese.
Second brain in our stomach
A research conducted at the University of California, US, revealed that our guts exert control over our mood and appetite. You must have often experienced butterflies in your stomach. The sensation is apparently caused because of a network of neurons lining our gut, which is so extensive that scientists have termed it as the ‘second brain’ of our stomach.
The second brain can control gut behavior independently of the brain. According to the study, a big part of our emotions are probably influenced by the nerves in our gut. Butterflies in the stomach are a signal of physiological stress response.
Indian recipes retain most iodine
Indian recipes, whether cooked with iodised or non-iodised salt, are likely to retain most of the iodine during cooking, found a study at the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, reports Down to Earth. The researchers found that on an average 65.9% iodine was retained in Indian recipes in both cases.
However,the researchers warned that the amount of iodine in food made with non-iodised salt is much lower. Informatively, the iodine level in iodised salt is so adjusted that a person gets 150 microgram per day which is safe, as prescribed by WHO.
Women glow on interaction with men
A study published in Biology Letters found that even non-sexual contact with men raised the temperature of a woman’s face. Researchers at University of St. Andrews, UK, used thermal imaging to detect the changes in heterosexual women during their meetings with other people and found that a woman’s face would heat up in the company of the opposite sex.
The research was carried out with a view to using the findings in the development of thermal imaging technique to monitor the levels of stress and emotion.
Nanoparticles in soil affect crop growth
Nanoparticles, measuring a millionth of a millimetre are now found in many products of daily use, ranging from cosmetics to fabrics to diesel fuel. They penetrate into the soil and may retard crop growth reports a study published in PNAS.
Researchers at Cornell University in the US grew soybeans in a soil infused with nanoparticles and found that the crop yield as well as quality significantly deteriorated. They concluded that nanoparticles affect the growth of bacteria that naturally fertilise the soil.
