Health

Kids Need To Use More Sunscreen

A study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that most pre-adolescent children do not regularly use sunscreen, and worse, many suffer from sunburn at some point during their childhood.

Figures show that people having suffered a major sunburn incident in their childhood are at double the risk of developing amelanoma later in life, so protecting children from too much sun is something parents and carers should pay more attention to.

The study, which is entitled "Prospective Study of Sunburn and Sun Behavior Patterns During Adolescence," looked at 360 children in the Massachusetts area and found that at least 50% of them experienced sun burn before their 11th birthday. They followed up with the participants three years later and found rates of sunburn still alarmingly high; and as children grew into their teens fewer reported using sunscreen, most thought they spent more time in the sun, than as children. 

At the conclusion of the study, only 25% of children used sunscreen routinely and half the children who reported using sunscreen at the beginning of the study no longer used it three years later. 

- Fernanda G

Mangosteen ; Sweet, Tangy and Delicious.

Mangosteen plant is an evergreen, it commonly found in tropical rainforest of Indonesia, Malaysia and Phillippines and etc. Each tree bears several deep purple colored round shaped fruits. Internally the fruit feautures 4 till 10 juicy 'snow-white' color and the taste of the fruit itself are sweet, fragrant and delicious.

Health benefits of mangosteen

• Delicious, juicy mangosteen is one of the popular tropical fruits that contain an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.
• This fruit is very low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but rich in dietary fiber which can be very important for individuals who are concerned about putting on excess body weight.
• Mangosteen is good in vitamin C; provides about 12% of per 100 g. Vitamin-C is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against flu-like infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• Fresh fruit is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin and folates. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
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It also contains a very good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids help control heart rate and blood pressure; thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases

Preparation and Serving tips

Wash fruit in water to remove surface dust. Fresh fruit has thick soft rind quite like pomegranate but thicker in size. In general, the fruit is scored through the rind around the equatorial circumferential line using paring knife and the upper half pulled up gently using thumb to expose delicious arils inside.

Prolonged exposure to warmer conditions causes the outer skin to dry and hard and becomes difficult to open.

Here are some serving tips:

• Fresh mangosteens are wonderfully delicious. Enjoy this exotic juicy fruit all alone without any additions.


• The fruit segments complement well with other fruit sections like      papaya,watermelon, pineapple, grapes etc.


• Mangosteen juice is very tasty thirst quenching cool drink to beat summer heat.


• Mangosteen clafouti prepared using corn flour and coconut milk is a delicious desert.

Purple Mangosteen

Mellisa Sugiharto

 TEA IS HEALTHY!


The way scientific studies and health gurus alike have touted the perks of tea over the past few years, you'd think the stuff was some kind of all-powerful magical elixir. Improving heart health, reducing cancer risk, warding off dementia and diabetes—there's barely a health benefit that hasn't been credited to tea. It's true that the brew has disease-fighting antioxidants, and, as far as anyone can tell, should be great for us. "The science is certainly promising," says David L. Katz, MD, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But the hype goes beyond it and tends to make promises which the science can't yet deliver." (No, tea probably will not cure depression, eliminate allergies, or boost your fertility!) We talked to the experts and weighed the studies to separate the truth from the hype.

Why tea is so hot
First, a definition: When scientists talk about tea, they mean black, green, white, or oolong teas—all of which are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal brews, like chamomile and peppermint, are not technically considered tea; they're infusions of other plants with different nutritional characteristics. If you're not sure what kind you're drinking, check the ingredients for the word "tea."

What makes the four tea types different from each other is the way the leaves are prepared and how mature they are, which affects both flavor and nutritional content. Black tea is made from leaves that have been wilted (dried out) and then fully oxidized (meaning that chemicals in the leaves are modified through exposure to air). Green tea's leaves are wilted but not oxidized. Oolong tea is wilted and then only partially oxidized, and white tea is not wilted or oxidized at all.

All four types are high in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that seems to protect cells from the DNA damage that can cause cancer and other diseases. It's the polyphenols that have made tea the star of so many studies, as researchers try to figure out whether all that chemical potential translates into real disease-fighting punch. Most research has focused on black tea, which is what about 75% of the world drinks, and green tea, the most commonly consumed variety in China and Japan. Green tea contains an especially high amount of antioxidants—in particular, a type of polyphenol called a catechin, the most active and abundant of which is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). That's why there are five times more studies on green than black tea each year—and likely why you're always hearing about the power of the green stuff, says Diane L. McKay, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.


- Maria Regina Tjowari