ISLAMABAD – In this hectic schedule and busy lifestyle of the present day, most of us have become victims of stress due to various reasons.
Chronic stress not only affects your physical and mental health, but it also makes you feel miserable and blue. Stress is accompanied with increased cellular activity and poor digestion, leading to lack of nutrients in the body. However, a diet rich in nutrients can help fight off stress.
So, if you want to stay happy and fit, go for a diet loaded with anti-oxidant and minerals, since it is the best way to stave off pressure and anxiety. Dieticians suggest that consuming these food items in small portions, five to six times a day will help in combating stress.
Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and flavonoids, which are effective in fighting stress:
Oatmeal breakfast: Including oats in your breakfast is a good option for fighting stress. Oatmeal provides carbohydrates which help to produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety’s negative effects. It has plenty of fibre to keep you full and satisfied. Studies show that oatmeal also reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels and fights against heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and obesity.
Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is a rich source of flavonoids, which are lauded for relaxing properties. Chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that improves your mood. So, you should look for bars that are 70 percent cacoa or higher as the darker the chocolate, the more healthy substances you’re getting in your diet.
Avoid coffee: Drink water, herbal teas and fresh fruit juices instead of sipping on coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and cola, which can overly stimulate the body.
Fruits: Fresh or dried fruits like apricots, dates and figs are a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals as they can help stabilise your system. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts (particularly walnuts) are also good source of anti-stress foods. Antioxidants in blueberries thwart the effects of stress hormones like cortisol on your body.
Green vegetables: Eating lots of dark green vegetables are probably your best source to fight stress.
Studies show that greens leafy stuff like spinach contain magnesium which improves your body’s response to stress.Milk: Milk is a rich source of calcium and contains minerals - magnesium and potassium, which help in fighting stress.
Fish: Fish like salmon has abundant omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids can help reverse stress symptoms by enhancing serotonin levels (Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter, popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness). An omega-3-rich diet can also help restrain the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Eggs: Eggs help in fighting against stress as they contain pantothenic acid.
Pantothenic acid is sometimes called the “anti-stress” vitamin because it supports the adrenal glands, which produce hormones that help the body respond to stress.
To stay happy and content in life, health experts also recommend moderate work out or meditation besides taking healthy balanced and anti-stress diets.
Chewing betel leaf may help fight cancer`
Chewing betel leaf (paan) could help fight a form of bone marrow cancer, a group of researchers say. A molecule derived from betel leaf may be beneficial to patients suffering from a cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells and the body refuses to respond to common drugs, said a study by scientists.
An alcoholic extract of the betel leaves helps patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) - the most common form of leukaemia in adults in India - holding out hope of improved treatment.
“We have conducted a study and seen that the compound hydroxychavicol (HCH) is the major component of the alcoholic extract of the betel leaves and it might contribute, at least in part, to the observed anti-CML activity of the leaf extract,” Santu Bandyopadhyay.
The research was based on a 2011 report in journal Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition).
According to the study, published this year in the Cancer Science journal - the official journal of the Japanese Cancer Association - HCH and its analogues not only induced killing of the cancerous CML cells but also led to the death of the drug-resistant cancer cells with minimal harm to normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
PBMC are blood cells that are an important component of the immune system.
CML is principally an adult disease with a yearly incidence of one in 100,000. Men are affected more often than women. The slow-progressing blood and bone marrow disease usually occurs during or after the middle age, and rarely occurs in children.
The leukaemia cells can build up in the blood and bone marrow.
So there is less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. When this happens, infection, anaemia or easy bleeding may occur.
So far, the drug imatinib has been used successfully to treat CML, but mutations have made the leukaemic cells unresponsive to the medicine.
None of the available approved drugs has been effective in dodging the responsible mutation - called T315I.
According to the report in Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition), the alcoholic extract of paan leaves causes the imatinib-resistant cells to undergo a self-destructive process called apoptosis.
The extract also shows activity against T315I mutation, the report said.
Citrus fruit Bergamot could be key to beat cholesterol
An Italian fruit Bergamot reduces “bad” cholesterol and improves “good” cholesterol, researchers say.
Scientists have claimed that it could even help patients taking heart pills to slash their dose, the Daily Express reported.
Research led by the University Magna Graecia in southern Italy showed that the could offer an effective alternative for people unable to tolerate statins, which have been hailed as a wonder drug for reducing cholesterol, the fat-like substance that furs up arteries, triggering heart attacks and strokes.
Trials in Italy on 237 patients showed that after 30 days using the fruit, total cholesterol levels were reduced by 38 percent.
Citrus bergamot has a distinctive aroma and is used in Earl Grey tea and perfumes.
The study has been published in the International Journal of Cardiology.a