Importance of Calcium

Many people know that adequate calcium intake is important to health. However, national nutrition surveys show that less than 50 per cent of adults aged 20 and older are consuming the calcium they need to maintain bone health and minimise bone loss that occurs with ageing. Unfortunately, many do not know how much calcium they need and many mistakenly believe that they are consuming enough.

Calcium is an essential nutrient your body needs every day. And, it's not just important for women. Optimal intake is crucial for children, adolescents, men and the aged too. The majority of calcium in the body makes up your bones and teeth and keeps them strong. However, beyond bone health, calcium is also needed to regulate certain body functions. Without calcium, muscles would not contract normally, blood would not clot and nerves would be carry messages.

Calcium and bone health go hand-in-hand. Increasing scientific evidence indicates that adequate calcium intake reduces the risk of several major chronic diseases, most notably osteoporosis, a potentially crippling disease of thin and fragile bones. If you do not get enough calcium from your daily diet to regulate body functions, your body will leech or “rob” the calcium from your bones to make up the difference. Over time this can reduce bone strengh and lead to osteoporosis. Optimal of calcium throughout life, from early childhood and adolescence though the postmenopausal and late adult year, reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

Research suggests that calcium also helps protect against colon cancer, high blood pressure and recurring premenstrual sydrome, and possibly cardiovascular disease and kidney stones. Your calcium needs extend throughout your lifetime. It is essential during childhood to young adulthood, the year that bones are forming and growing. The calcuim that you provide to your bones when you are young is one factor in determining how well they will hold up later in life. Gender plays a significant role in the need for calcium too. Pregnancy increases calcium requirements because of the needs of the devloping baby and because alterations in calcium absorption and metabolism occur throughout pregnancy. Lactating women need calcium to meet their needs and the requirements for milk production. During menopause and post menopause, the body produces much lees estrogen the risk of osteoporosis, which in turn increases calcium needs.

Both women and men over the age of 65 years need more calcium to combat calcium deficiencies. ''A certain amount of loss is a normal consequence of ageing," stated Nancy Wellman, Ph.D., R.D., professor and director, National Policy & resource Center on Nutrition and Ageing at the Florida International University. For instance, the age-related decline in the body's ability to absorb calcium can interfere with calcium levels. Also, lactose intolerance can lead to avoidance of calcium-rich foods.

Most adults need between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium every day. Requirements for young children and adolescents range from 800 mg to 1500 mg daily. Some good food sources with their calcium content are:

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6 Real-life Scenarios to Train Your Tiny Tot's Brain

“Mummy, are we there yet?” “Mummy, are we there yet?” “Mummy, are we there yet?”

Travelling with kids can be, well, definitely an experience! Let’s look at some examples that one will commonly encounter especially when you have parents travelling with young kids (read: birth to 10 years).

1. Young child excited about first trip abroad enters the airplane and starts pulling the mother towards the inside of the aircraft all the while asking nonstop questions,
•   'Where is our seat mom?'
•   ‘Check for 23’,
•   ‘Where is 23?’
•   ‘After 22?’
•   ‘Where is 22?’
•   ‘Check for the seat number.’
•   ‘Where are the seat numbers?
•   ‘Check for the seat number.’
•   ‘Where….?’
… And it goes on.

2. Young toddler wailing as he does not want to wear the seat belt. Both parents cajoling, "See daddy is also wearing the seat belt." Takes a whole 30 minutes of cajoling, threatening, bribing before the kids wears the seat belt.

3. Kid wants to run around in the aisle and go greeting all passengers. Parents are heard whispering veiled threats through clenched teeth. No impact on kid. Sounds familiar?

4. Version 2 of the same kid wants to run up and down the aisle and eat from others food tray while refusing to eat from his own. Parents have a ‘why did I have a child’ expression on their face. Mother  now holds the child and gives a soft (read: clutching the upper arm of the child in a vice like grip) shake and threatens dire consequences on landing or uses the airhostess as a threat, ‘she will take you to the police if you don’t stop doing that and sit down.’

5. Announcement at Heathrow and other international airports, "Parents are requested not to allow their kids to play on or near the escalator or walk ways, this is for their safety."

6. Snacks commonly seen with kids during travel- chocolates, wafers, soft drinks. “What to do he just won’t listen, so I only allow while we are traveling.” (read: traveling as any ride in a car, bus, train, plane)

The above is a common scenario with kids especially during travel. So what is the secret mantra to use if you want to avoid or at least reduce the above tensions of travelling with kids. The secret is in understanding the brain development of children. The only difference between us humans and apes is the presence of the ‘thinking brain’ or ‘prefrontal cortex’ that makes us human and the others, well, apes! So if your kid is behaving like a little monkey, the clue is right there for you. Maybe you need to give her some information and ‘appeal to her thinking brain.’ It’s easy if you try and will become easier with practice. So instead of kids asking us ‘are we there yet?’ let’s ask ourselves, ‘are we there yet, in understanding our kids?’

Let’s see how the above examples could have turned out differently if we use our knowledge of child development and how the ‘little’ brain works:

1. Children’s brain thrives on routine and needs to be prepared for the next activity, so while entering the plane the mother could have said, “Our seat number is 23 and this is seat number one, so why don’t we count and we will stop when we reach 23.” Because if you are going to tell the child to look up for the seat numbers then your child will be constantly tripping, stumbling and falling while looking up.

2. Young toddlers who have never been on an airplane need to be prepared for the same, days in advance. You need to talk about what will be part of the journey. An involved parent who is a keen observer of the child will also know the points that can lead the child to have a tantrum so it is important to have talked to the child beforehand that, “We will be sitting in a plane, it is like a car and like cars have seatbelts so do planes. The pilot wants us to be safe so we will put on our seat belts.” The child’s reluctance to put on a seat belt also shows that the parents have never ever spoken about seat belts, even while in a car. Because a child used to wearing seatbelts would not have found it so difficult.

3. Making an agreement with kids is a better way to ensure socially acceptable behavior. So before boarding a plane, have your mutual agreement of dos and don'ts in place. It sounds complex but it is very easy because if kids know what to expect they are better behaved. Young children especially need boundaries set firmly and informed to them.

4. Threatening kids never works, you are in fact increasing fears in your child and this can rebound on you by kids starting bed wetting, nail biting etc. as you have now introduced the concept of fear in your child. Threats also make the kids brain give only three reactions- Fight (where they fight back and repeat their tantrum) Flight (they run away from you) and Freeze (they stop listening to you).

5. Isn’t it sad that airports have to guide parents to keep their kids safe?

6. Sugar, salt and food with additives increases hyper activity in children. So yes a box of chips or a bar of chocolate will keep them quiet while they are eating it but then you will have double the activity! Most parents feed kids a lot of salt and sugar at the airport and by the time the child has boarded the plane, he is raring to go! So, for every chip, a carrot stick, for every chocolate bite a fruit slice. And absolutely no colas, lots of water for kids, it will help give them hydration during the flight and they will get their movement up and down the toilet.

Having kids is not the goal, it is the beginning of a beautiful journey. The goal is raising them to be happy, healthy people, and that is what every parent should aim for. Let’s ask ourselves often, “Are we there yet?”

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Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola virus disease) facts

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by four different strains of Ebola virus; these viruses infect humans and nonhuman primates.

It is also referred to as Ebola virus disease.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever has a short history since it was discovered in 1976. There have been a few outbreaks, including the current (April 2014) "unprecedented epidemic" in Africa.

Ebola viruses are mainly found in primates in Africa and possibly the Philippines; there are only occasional outbreaks of infection in humans.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever occurs mainly in Africa in the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Sudan, Ivory Coast, and Uganda, but it may occur in other African countries.

Ebola virus can be spread by direct contact with blood and secretions, by contact with blood and secretions that remain on clothing, and by needles and/or syringes used to treat Ebola-infected patients.

Risk factors for Ebola hemorrhagic fever are travel to areas with endemic Ebola hemorrhagic fever and/or any close association with an infected person.

Symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever include an incubation period of two to 21 days, starting with abrupt fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness; progression of symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, hiccups, and rash with more devastating symptoms of internal and external bleeding in many patients.

Early clinical diagnosis is difficult as the symptoms are nonspecific; however, if the patient is suspected to have Ebola, the patient needs to be isolated and local and state health departments need to be immediately contacted.

Definitive diagnostic tests for Ebola hemorrhagic fever are ELISA and/or PCR tests; viral cultivation and biopsy samples may also be used.

There is no standard treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever; only supportive therapy is available.
There are many complications from Ebola hemorrhagic fever; the prognosis for patients ranges from fair to poor since many patients died from the disease (death rate equals about 25%-100%).

Prevention of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is difficult; early testing and isolation of the patient, plus barrier protection for caregivers (mask, gown, goggles, and gloves), is very important to prevent others from getting infected.

Researchers are trying to understand the Ebola virus and pinpoint its ecological reservoirs to better understand how outbreaks occur. Researchers are actively trying to establish an effective vaccine against Ebola viruses by using several experimental methods, but there is no vaccine available currently.

Prof Dora Akunyili begins treatment in India

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Lactose intolerant? Not all dairy is off limits

Myth: If you’re lactose intolerant, dairy is a no-no.

Truth: Chances are, you can tolerate some milk products.

Wait, what? If you have trouble processing lactose, a type of sugar found in dairy products, you’ve probably avoided milk, ice cream, and yogurt for good reason — namely, the uncomfortable symptoms that appear when you consume them. But it turns out, to the surprise of many people with lactose intolerance, that all dairy need not be off limits.

In most cases, lactose intolerance is caused by low levels of the enzyme lactase. Lactase helps your body break lactose down into the simple sugars glucose and galactose, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. If lactose is not broken down, it travels to your colon where intestinal bacteria ferment it, resulting in gas, bloating, and diarrhea. You are more likely to have lactose intolerance if you are of Black, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent; have an intestinal disorder like Crohn’s Disease or Colitis; were born prematurely; or have undergone chemotherapy. Your chances of developing lactose intolerance also increase as you get older.

Since in most cases a person with lactose intolerance has a limited ability to break down lactose rather than no ability at all, that person can tolerate some dairy — with a few considerations. Everyone has a different threshold, so the exact cutoff point for you is something you’ll have to learn by trial and error. But here are a few ways you — yes you, the one with lactose intolerance — can get some dairy back into your diet:

Yogurt: The healthy bacteria in yogurt and kefir (a yogurt-like drink) help your body to digest the lactose, meaning that many people who normally have trouble with dairy can actually handle a serving of yogurt. Strained Greek yogurt has even less lactose than regular yogurt, which makes it an extra good choice for a person with lactose intolerance. Just make sure the yogurt you’re eating has live active cultures.

Hard cheese: Thanks to the fermentation process used in cheesemaking, many aged cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and asiago are virtually lactose free, meaning many people with lactose intolerance can eat it without experiencing any symptoms. Fresh cheeses, however, like mozzarella and cottage cheese, are higher in the milk sugar.

Lactose-free products: Several brands now offer lactose-free versions of dairy foods like milk, sour cream, and yogurt. How do they do it? Easy cheesy: They add lactase, the enzyme your body needs to break down lactose to the foods themselves.

Lactase pills: If you can’t find or don’t like products with the lactase added in, you can supplement with your own lactase any time you eat regular dairy products. This is any easy fix to safely enjoy a dairy-rich meal out or at a friend’s house; just be sure to carry lactase caplets with you so you can be ready at any time.

What about goat’s and sheep’s milk? While some people with lactose intolerance say they find it easier to process goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese, the milk from both animals contains roughly the same amount of lactose as cow’s milk. Still, it may be worth experimenting with in small amounts to see if it has the same impact on you.

Since everyone is different, and tolerance levels can change over time, only you can decide how much lactose is too much for you. Luckily, there are loads of non-dairy alternative products on the market now to make your low-lactose or lactose-free diet an easy one to adhere to. Almond-, coconut-, and soy-based nondairy milks can be a smart (and tasty) way to keep dairy to a minimum throughout your day so you can comfortably enjoy a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese on your pasta, or a yogurt for snack.

Nigeria’s Wealthiest Own Private Jets, Avoid Spotlight

It’s difficult to estimate exactly how many private jets there are in Nigeria because most are registered in other countries, says Rady Fahmy, the executive director of the African Business Aviation Association, in a BBC report.
Aircraft in Nigeria and most of Africa are owned by individual businessmen and women, unlike North America and Europe, where private jets are usually corporate owned.
“The choice to put it under (Nigerian) individuals’ names is due to financing requirements,” Fahmy told BBC.
Most Nigerian jet owners avoid the spotlight, especially when it comes to discussing

their wealth, although within aviation circles it is common knowledge who owns what, the report said.
Nigerians have spent $6.5 billion on private jets, BBC reports. The country’s wealthiest are buying them to avoid flying on commercial airlines. Even traveling in business class can be problematic, with frequent delays and rerouting an inconvenience for everyone.
At ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria, Peter de Waal showed a BBC reporter jets lined up in a hangar with a team of engineers working on them.
ExecuJet is now authorized by major aviation companies to do maintenance on business aircraft. Previously, maintenance was done in Europe and the U.S, “but our services here can help save time and an enormous cost,” De Waal told BBC.
So who owns what? The long-range Bombardier Global Express XRS (ticket price: $50 million) is preferred by those at the top of the rich list, including Africa’s wealthiest businessman Aliko Dangote, oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija, and the mobile phone tycoon Mike Adenuga, according to CNN.
Other popular models with owners ranging from politicians to clergymen cost $39 million to $57 million including the Gulfstream G550, Bombardier Challenger 605, and Dassault Falcon 900.
BBC reporter Tomi Oladipo got a tour inside a private plane, custom upholstered in polished dark wood trim with a mini-bar and gray leather seats.
The passenger area was divided into several parts, including an area for business meetings, a private area with a large couch that can be converted into a bed, and a bathroom.
The billionaire businessman owner asked not to be identified, BBC said.
The planes are also mostly registered overseas in the U.S., Bermuda, Channel Islands,
Isle of Man and Mauritius.

Some industry insiders say they think Nigeria’s private jet owners prefer it this way because aircraft lose their resale value if they are registered in Nigeria over fears of maintenance standards.
It is difficult to ignore the tens of millions of Nigerians who cannot afford commercial air
travel, never mind owning aircraft, the BBC reports. Many Nigerians have never flown in their lives. Nigeria boasts steady economic growth but the general perception is that few are benefiting from this boom apart from its 500-plus wealthiest citizens with estimated assets of more than $50 million.

For those who can’t afford their own planes, Nigeria’s chartered flights business is also booming, attracting international companies such as Hanger8 and VistaJet, BBC reports.
Manufacturers such as Beechcraft Corp. have entered the African market and are focusing on Nigeria as the the air transport industry and business aviation boom.
“We have seen a large number of deliveries of business aircraft across the continent over the past decade,” said Scott Plumb, Beechcraft’s vice president of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa, in a BBC interview. “We fully expect this trend to continue as a greater number of entrepreneurs and corporate entities seek to take advantage of the benefits of business air travel on the back of Africa’s strong economic growth.”
Nigeria’s larger-than-life VIPs often travel with huge entourages of friends and aides, BBC reports.
“You can sometimes see five or six cars at the same time to receive one person,” De Waal
said.

In 2013 the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority ordered a luxury tax of $3,000 every time a private jet departed. Jet owners said it was unfair and the senate quickly suspended the order, according to BBC — proof that Nigeria’s wealthy businessmen and women wield political influence.