According to a new study, having too much body fat makes arteries become stiff after middle age.

In young people, blood vessels appear to be able to compensate for the effects of obesity. But after middle age, this adaptability is lost, and arteries become progressively stiffer as body fat rises – potentially increasing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers suggest that the harmful effects of body fat may be related to the total number of years that a person is overweight in adulthood. Further research is needed to find out when the effects of obesity lead to irreversible damage to the heart and arteries, they said.

Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for heart disease, but the reasons for this are not fully understood.

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Scientists led by an Indian origin have linked perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – chemical found in things such as nonstick cookware and packaged foods like microwave popcorn – to cardiovascular disease.

West Virginia University (WVU) School of Public Health, Morgantown, researchers looked at the health data of 1,200 Americans and compared their PFOA serum levels with the heart disease incidence.

The results of the study showed that greater the PFOA amounts in the bloodstream, the greater is the cardiovascular disease risk -regardless of factors like age, race, smoking, BMI, diabetes, and even hypertension, Fox News reported.

Lead study author Dr. Anoop Shankar, chair of the department of epidemiology in the WVU School of Public Health, said that they can’t yet be certain that PFOA causes heart disease, but suggested that the two could be related in another way, like people suffering from heart disease tending to retain more PFOA in their blood.

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Looking to add more fibre in your diet? A diet rich in dietary fibre will keep your digestive tract clean and healthy, in addition to reducing risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Choose high fibre foods.

Fibre, an essential food component

Fibre is a significant component of your diet, as it helps move the food you eat relatively easily through the digestive tracts, helping your digestive system function efficiently.

A diet that is rich in fibre is also known to reduce the risk of health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

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Did you know that a new research indicates that sitting for long hours may lead to early death? Sitting a lot does not mean you will die early but it definitely increases the risk.

A research conducted by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge has reported that “sitting is a dangerous factor for early death” and in fact on par with smoking and being obese!

We’ve all been told time and again that sitting for long hours comes with several health risks. You may develop serious health problems such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes and not just stiffness and muscle fatigue.

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Eat more carrots to keep your eyes healthy and a lot more

Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses? No, right? It is  because carrots are vegetables packed with nature’s goodness. Apart from boosting your eyesight carrots have various nutrients which make it a must-have in your regular diet.

Health benefits of carrots:

1. They work wonders on the skin: Carrots contain beta- carotene, a form of vitamin A called retinoic acid, potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamin B, vitamin E, iron and phosphorus. These vitamins and minerals have powerful anti-oxidant properties. Hence carrots are an effective natural remedy for dry skin, chapped lips and dry skin conditions like eczema. A fresh grated carrot makes for a superb beauty face mask.
2. Help fight cancer: Carrots also have anti-cancer properties. They cut down cancer risk by preventing and helping in treating cancers of the lung, throat, stomach, intestine, breast, bladder and prostate.
3. Immunity builder: Carrot juice is beneficial as the indigestible fibre is removed by juicing. It is a miracle drink which boosts immunity, provides a daily dose of vitamins and minerals and is naturally sweet as compared to colas and artificially flavoured commercial drinks. The amount of beta carotene available in carrot juice is almost 100% as compared to only 10%  in a raw carrot.
4. Good for your eyes: Carrots contain a form of vitamin A which prevents night blindness. They also reduce the risk of developing a condition called Age Related Macular degeneration (AMD) due to carotenoids present in them. They don’t improve your eyesight but they keep the eyes healthy. They also fight eye infections like conjunctivitis and blepharitis (inflammation of eyelash follicles).
5. Prevent and treat lifestyle diseases: Carrots are beneficial in various lifestyle diseases like diabetes mellitus, heart disease, gout and dyspepsia. They are known to reduce blood cholesterol levels, reduce stroke and reduce symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in which the prostate grows in size and causes urinary problems in older men.
6. Soothes your stomach: Carrots are a wonder cure for gastro-intestinal ailments and have been used for these conditions since ancient times. They relieve gastritis, an upset stomach, peptic ulcers, coeliac disease (seen in children where digestion is affected) and Crohn’s disease (a chronic inflammatory disorder of the entire alimentary tract). Carrot juice combined with spinach juice and lime juice helps in curing constipation. Carrot soup is also used to treat diarrhoea. It has also been used in olden times to remove worms from the body as a vermicide.
7. Improves fertility and more: Coupled with the fact that carrots have absolutely no fat that make it a dieter’s delight, raw carrots help in improving fertility and stimulate the secretion of milk in breast-feeding mothers. They also help if a woman has excessive bleeding during menses, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and combat vaginal and urinary tract infections due to their antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties. They are  considered anti-anaemic and helpful for osteoporosis.

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A group of students from University of Karachi has explored health benefits of papaya and discovered some facts about the delicious tropical fruit, including its usage in lowering chances of heart attack and controlling diabetes.

During the research, final year students of BS, Agriculture and Agribusiness Department, KU – Mariam Naseem and Muhammad Kamran Nasir – also discovered numerous advantages of papaya seeds.

Speaking to Pakistan Daily Times, Naseem explained that juice of papaya seeds is every essential to protect kidney from becoming dysfunctional because seeds contains flavonoids and phenotic, which provides prevention from germs of such diseases.

Besides this papaya seeds can also protect from number of infections and could also be used to clean intestines insects, she added.

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A week of bad sleep could “switch off” hundreds of genes and raise the risk of a host of illnesses including obesity and heart disease, scientists have claimed.

According to the new study, getting fewer than six hours’ sleep per night deactivates genes which play a key role in the body’s constant process of self-repair and replenishment, the Telegraph reported.

Our bodies depend on genes to produce a constant supply of proteins which are used to replace or repair damaged tissue, but after a week of sleep deprivation some of these stopped working.

The findings suggest that chronic lack of sleep could prevent the body from fully replenishing itself and raise the risk of a host of diseases, the researchers said.

Scientists from Surrey University divided 26 volunteers into two groups, one of which slept for less than six hours per night for an entire week, and one which slept for ten hours per night.

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As many as a half a million American lives could be saved if they all ate a fraction of a teaspoon of salt less every day, according to a new study.

The study found that a gradual decrease in salt consumption over a decade — ending in a 40 percent reduction — would prolong the lives of between 280,000 and 500,000 people by decreasing the risk of hypertension and heart disease.

“It certainly confirms the enormous potential value in reducing the consumption of sodium,” Michael Jacobson, executive director of the consumer watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest said.

The study is novel in that three groups of researchers using different methods all came to the same conclusion, he said.

Americans ingest, on average, 3,600 milligrams of sodium daily, compared with 1,500 recommended by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Dr.Priyam Ahuja is an anti obesity expert, a passionate diet and health consultant. She is practicing dietician and founder of ‘Diet of a Dietician’ TM, having extensive experience in nutrition counseling in fitness center, hospitals, community and sports professionals.

Priyam deals with obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, Heart diseases, stroke, forgetfulness, thyroid, PCOD, post pregnancy weight gain, eating disorders and lifestyle modifications.

Priyam answered Sify readers’ queries related to the above in an exclusive chat. Read the transcript below.

I m over all slim but i have a bulged out belly. kindly advice how to get rid of it?

Healthy Diet along with Yoga and Massage helps in enhancing the circulation and toning up your body. Have good fibres , protein and fluids in your diet.

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A new study from the University of Oxford has found that the risk of hospitalisation or death from heart disease is 32 percent lower in vegetarians than people who eat meat and fish.

Heart disease is the single largest cause of death in developed countries. The new findings suggest that a vegetarian diet could significantly reduce people’s risk of heart disease.

“Most of the difference in risk is probably caused by effects on cholesterol and blood pressure, and shows the important role of diet in the prevention of heart disease,” explains Dr Francesca Crowe, lead author of the study at the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford.

This is the largest study ever conducted in the UK comparing rates of heart disease between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

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