‘Moreover, east Asian countries with high incidence of myopia now dominate international rankings of educational performance.’

Recent evidence suggests short-sightedness is to a great extent due to environmental rather than genetic factors.

Numerous studies have shown a link between close reading and intensive study and myopia.
Based on eye experts’ criteria, you are considered myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 2 meters (6.6 ft.), and it is often caused by an elongation of the eyeball that happens when people are young.

According to the research, the problem is being caused by a combination of factors, a commitment to education and lack of outdoor light.

The Sydney Myopia Study of Australia, indicated that children who read continuously or at a close distance were more likely to be short-sighted.

More recent work had shown that increased amounts of time spent outdoors may protect against myopia. “The protective effect seems to be associated with total time outdoors, rather than with specific engagement in sport,” according to experts.

Professor Ian Morgan from the Australian National University in Canberra, argues that many children in South East Asia spend long hours studying at school and doing their homework.

This in itself puts pressure on the eyes, but exposure to between two and three hours of daylight acts as a counterbalance and helps maintain healthy eyes.

Greater exposure to sunlight may protect eyesight by stimulating the release of retinal dopamine, a ‘neurotransmitter’ involved in nerve signalling.

Scientists believe that the chemical could be playing a significant part in preventing elongation of the eyeball that causes myopia.

Cultural factors also seem to play a part. Across many parts of South East Asia, children often have a nap at lunchtime, which is prime myopia prevention time.

More than other groups, children in East Asia ‘basically go to school, they don’t go outside at school, they go home and they stay inside. They study and they watch television,’ the scientist said.

The researchers, collating the findings of studies from around the world, stressed that being a bookworm or computer geek does not in itself put you at risk.

“There are some kids who study hard and get outside and play hard and they are generally fine. The ones who are at major risk are the ones who study hard and don’t get outside,” explained Mr. Morgan.

He said ways must be found to get children to spend more time in reasonably bright daylight without compromising their schooling.

They contain almost half your daily quota of vitamin C, vitamins B5, A and E, potassium and antioxidant polyphenols, plant substances which lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system and help reduce the risk of heart disease and help blood circulation.

Antioxidants also help clean out the arteries, encouraging good blood circulation. This is vital for genital health and enjoyable sex.

Men and women who drank a daily glass of the fruit’s juice for two weeks experienced a surge in the hormone testosterone, which increases libido in both genders.

The latest achievement claimed for pomegranates, will be welcome development among those who would prefer a natural aphrodisiac.

Researchers at Mindlab International at the University of Sussex recently uncovered an unexpected health benefit during a study, pomegranate juice also helps increase sex drive in men and women.

The team asked 14 couples to do different tasks after drinking various fruit juices. Some of the activities were erotic such as kissing and others were everyday tasks. Brainwaves, eye movement and skin sensation were all monitored.

Couples who drank pomegranate juice were found to have increased levels of sexual interest and kissed each other more passionately than the other participants. Both sexes benefited but the results were more noticeable in the men.

In a study by researchers from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, involved 58 volunteers aged between 21 and 64.

By the end of two weeks both sexes had seen ‘significantly increased’ testosterone levels.

For men this affects traits such as facial hair, a deep voice and greater sexual urges.
It is also produced in female adrenal glands and ovaries, raising a woman’s sex drive and strengthening bones and muscles.

As a side effect, increased testosterone can help raise mood and memory and even relieve stress such as ‘pre-match nerves’ or stage fright, said the study.

The Edinburgh research measured testosterone levels, blood pressure and, using a scientific scale, levels of 11 emotions including fear, sadness, guilt, shyness and self-assurance.

Testosterone levels increased between 16 percent and 30 percent among the subjects, while blood pressure plummeted.

The purple root vegetable are eaten either boiled, roasted and cooked vegetable. They used it in salad combined with any salad vegetable adding with oil and vinegar or any other dressing.

Beetroot contains high levels of chemicals called nitrates, which have been shown to enhance physical activity performance, endurance and stamina.

Scientists have discovered athletes who eat baked beetroot before a race run faster than their rivals.

Researchers at St Louis University in the US recruited 11 fit and healthy men and women and got them to twice run five kilometers on a treadmill.

Before the first run, the volunteers consumed a portion of baked beetroot just over an hour before hitting the treadmill.

Before the second run, they ate an equivalent amount of cranberry relish, chosen because it has a similar calorific content to beetroot but without the same nitrate levels.

The results, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showed that after eating the cranberry relish, the runners averaged a speed of 11.9 kilometers per hour (7.3 mph).

But after scoffing beetroot, their average speed went up to 12.3 kilometers per hour (7.6 mph).

Researchers said runners appear to be able to maintain their speed for longer if they have eaten the vegetable.

The findings support earlier research, published in 2009, by British scientists which suggested drinking beetroot juice could have a powerful effect on stamina and endurance, as well as lower blood pressure.

Research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension showed drinking 500 ml of beetroot juice led to a reduction in blood pressure.

The effect is attributed to the high nitrate content of the beetroot where It is thought lead to the blood vessels widening, improving oxygen supply to the muscles.

Researchers asked 716 volunteers with an average age of 82 to wear a device that monitors day to day activity.

After around three years of observation, 71 of the volunteers developed Alzheimer’s disease.

The research showed that the least active were more than twice as likely to develop the disease as those who were most active.

Dr. Aron Buchman, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said: ‘The results of our study indicate that all physical activities including exercise as well as other activities such as cooking, washing the dishes, and cleaning are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

‘These results provide support for efforts to encourage all types of physical activity even in very old adults who might not be able to participate in formal exercise, but can still benefit from a more active lifestyle.’

Dr. Simon Ridley, head of research at the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘There is already some evidence that exercise in mid-life can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

‘One of the strengths of this study is that physical activity was measured using a small monitoring device, rather than relying on self-reported questionnaires which can often be unreliable.

Dr. Anne Corbett, research manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘It is well established that regular physical exercise is an important way to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

‘One in three people over 65 will die with dementia, but as this shows, there are things you can do to help reduce your risk.’

Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and extra weight around the middle part of the body, which occur together and increase the risk of coronary disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.

Women get an average of just 18 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day, compared to 30 minutes for men, resulting in greater odds of developing ‘metabolic syndrome’.

The study, now online in the journal Preventive Medicine, was conducted at Oregon State University (OSU) by Paul Loprinzi and Bradley Cardinal, professor of social psychology of physical activity.

Looking at more than 1,000 men and women from a nationally represented sample, the researchers found that women were getting only about 18 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, compared to men who, on average, were getting 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily.

“The results indicate that regular physical activity participation was associated with positive health outcomes for both men and women; however, there was a greater strength of association for women,” Loprinzi said.

“Those who get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day are less likely to be depressed, less likely to have high cholesterol and less likely to have metabolic syndrome,” Loprinzi said.

Loprinzi is now an assistant professor of exercise science at Bellarmine University. He conducted the research when he was a student in Cardinal’s lab at OSU.

Practicing the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi can boost elderly people’s hearts as well, a study has found.

Researchers said a work-out which can achieve both good heart function and muscle power ‘would be a preferred mode of training’ for this group of society.

The study involved 65 elderly subjects from Hong Kong, 29 recruited from local Tai Chi clubs who had each practiced it for at least 90 minutes hours a week for three years and 36 controls with no such experience.

Initial results showed the Tai Chi subjects were better in almost all medical observations including blood pressure, vascular resistance and pulse pressure.

Measurements also showed that both large and small artery compliance was significantly higher in the Tai Chi group by 40-44 per cent.

Heart pulse measurements showed it improved expansion and contraction of the arteries, known as arterial compliance and increased knee muscle strength.

A number of studies have shown strength training to improve muscle function and offset the effects of aging have also been accompanied by a decline in arterial compliance.

Tai Chi could be a suitable exercise for older people to avoid this problem, according to the findings published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Arterial stiffness – when an artery fails to distend or rebound in response to pressure changes – is closely associated with cardiovascular diseases.

So arterial compliance has been identified as an important predictor of heart health in the elderly and a therapeutic target for physical exercise in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Tai Chi is well known for its aerobic affects. The effect of Tai Chi training in lowering blood pressure has also been extensively reviewed.

And because it can be practiced any time and anywhere without the constraints of equipment or a gymnasium Dr William Tsang from the The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong said it could be a good exercise strategy for older adults, both for heart health and muscle strengthening.

The study findings showed older Tai Chi practitioners have better arterial compliance and knee muscle strength than their healthy counterparts.

‘The improvement in arterial compliance could have resulted from a combination of aerobic training, stretching, mental concentration and calm meditation during Tai Chi movement.’

As people get older cartilage becomes more brittle with age and has less of a capacity to repair itself, so they are more likely to develop arthritis.

Excess body weight can also lead to arthritis, this is because our ball joint is partly dependent on the load the joint has to support. This is especially true of the hips and knees that can be worn quickly in heavier patients.

Food we eat which define our lifestyle can lead to arthritis if we are fond of eating foods rich in uric acid. Uric acid as we know destroy the natural lubrication of our ball joint that can caused pain and inflammation due to friction.

Main symptoms of arthritis include pain, stiffness and restricted movement in the joints, and currently there is no cure yet for the condition, only anti-inflammatory painkillers to relieve symptoms, and in severe cases, costly joint replacements are advised.

Scientists have claimed that a molecule, called kartogenin, encourages damaged cartilage to regenerate.

It is now hoped that the substance could form the basis of a new drug-based therapy, targeting the degenerative joint and bone disease which causes cartilage to wear away.

It is thought that kartogenin would be administered via injection to the areas affected.

During the study, published in the journal Science, 22,000 drug-like molecules were tested using a robotic screen, applying each one to bone marrow stem cells.

When kartogenin was administered to mice with osteoarthritis-like symptoms, it prompted stem cells to change into cartilage cells.

However, more work is needed to understand exactly how the molecule works.

According to Judith Brodie, chief executive of Arthritis Care, ‘We welcome what looks like it could be a very promising development for people with osteoarthritis, however we would want to emphasize that this is very early stage research and it is likely to be some years before any treatments are developed.’

Researchers at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation in San Diego and Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California said, ‘This may ultimately lead to a stem-cell based therapy for osteoarthritis.’

While Dr. Kristen Johnson, added, ‘We’re excited about the biology because it’s a new way of targeting the stem cells.’

The study tracked the use of anti-depressants in 3,500 Finnish people. The study authors highlight the fact that the proportion of one-person households in Western countries has increased during the past three decades, with one in every three people in the US and the UK living alone.

It says the main factors are poor housing conditions for women and a lack of social support for men, who are both equally affected.

They were surveyed in 2000 and asked whether they lived alone or with other people.

Other information about their lifestyle was gathered, such as social support, work climate, education, income, employment status and housing conditions, in addition to details on smoking habits, alcohol use and activity levels.

Researchers found that people living alone bought 80 percent more anti-depressants during the follow-up period, between 2000 and 2008, than those who did not live alone.

“Loneliness and isolation results in people having fewer outlets to talk about how they are feeling, which is something that we know can really help to manage and recover from a mental health problem,” according to Beth Murphy, head of information at mental health charity Mind.

“It is therefore essential that people who live alone are given the most appropriate treatment such as talking therapies, which provide safe, supportive environments to discuss and work through problems, rather than simply being left to rely solely on antidepressants,” she said.

Researchers said that living with other people could offer emotional support and feelings of social integration, as well as other factors that protect against mental health problems.

Living alone, the study said, could be linked with feelings of isolation and a lack of social integration and trust, which are risk factors for mental health.

Dr. Laura Pulkki-Raback, who led the research at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said the real risk of mental health problems in people living alone could be much higher.

“This kind of study usually underestimates risk because the people who are at the most risk tend to be the people who are least likely to complete the follow up. We were also not able to judge how common untreated depression was.”

The study said all the factors involved needed to be addressed in order to understand and reduce depression in working-age people.

Beth Murphy, said the rise in the number of people living alone had had a clear impact on the nation’s mental health.

Now researchers have found that ‘weight training’ appears to pay off more and managed to reduce their symptoms effectively than the recommended exercise program.

Parkinson’s is a debilitating brain disease which causes tremors and can make it difficult to walk.

As the disease progresses, sufferers often find the tremors spread up their arms, while their bodies become more rigid. There is no cure for the condition, caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain.

It has long been known that taking part in some form of exercise helps keeps symptoms at bay to a certain extent.

While the effects of the ‘Fitness Counts’ appeared to wear off over time, volunteers assigned to do weight training instead were better able to control their physical symptoms right until the end of the two-year project.

Professor Daniel Corcos, of the University of Illinois in Chicago, said: “Our results suggest that long-term weight training could be considered by patients and doctors as an important component in managing Parkinson’s disease.”

Explaining why weight training worked better, he said: “The neuromuscular system responds to overload. The progressive resistance program continues to challenge the neuromuscular system Fitness Counts does not.”

Results of the study are to be presented to the American Academy of Neurology annual conference in New Orleans next week.

The study involved monitoring more than 2,400 participants with an average age of 62 over 11 years.

Among the participants who have a slower walking speed were found to be one and a half times more likely to develop dementia over the age of 65 compared with those who were more speedy.

Likewise, people with a stronger grip had a 42 per cent lower risk of stroke or a mini-stroke known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) over the age of 65, although the risk was not cut at younger ages.

Participants in the U.S. study were tested for walking speed, hand grip strength and cognitive function, and had brain scans.

During the follow-up period, 34 people developed dementia and 70 people had a stroke.

Lead researcher Dr. Erica Camargo of Boston Medical Center said this level of testing could be routinely carried out by primary care physicians and GPs. ‘These are basic office tests which can provide insight into risk of dementia and stroke and can be easily performed by a neurologist or general practitioner,’ she added.

Researchers also found that slower walking speed was associated with lower total cerebral brain volume, fewer ‘grey’ cells and poorer performance on memory, language and decision-making tests.

Stronger grip strength was associated with larger total cerebral brain volume as well as better performance on cognitive tests asking people to identify similarities among objects.

Dr. Anne Corbett, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘Before people take stock in the strength of a handshake or the speed you cross the road, more research is needed to understand why and what other factors are involved.

‘The good news is that there are many things to reduce your risk of developing dementia.
‘We recommend you eat a healthy balanced diet, don’t smoke, maintain a healthy weight, take regular exercise, and get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly.’