HEALTH NEWS.

OLIVE OIL. PREVENTING DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY.

A study conducted by researchers from the ‘Hospital Clínico San Carlos’ in Madrid, Spain and published in PloS One, have shown that if a pregnant woman consumes more than four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a handful of nuts per day, such as pistachios, the probability of developing diabetes during their pregnancy reduces by 30%. The study also showed that the dose of insulin was halved in the cases of pregnant women that we already suffering from diabetes.

Other benefits that were found were:

• A reduction of the number of urinary infections, which are so frequent during pregnancy.

• A reduction of perineal incidents in labour.

• An improvement of the postnatal period, for both the woman and the child.

The four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil would be used as salad dressing, as part of the Mediterranean ‘Sofrito’ (made with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion) as part of salsas, etc.

The reason as to why pistachios were used within this study, as opposed to any other type of nuts, was because they have a shell. The fact that you have to take the shell off the nut before eating it, meant that the feeling of satiety reached the brain quicker in comparison to the other types of nuts that didn’t have any.

The study also showed that pregnant women that followed this diet did not gain any weight whilst those that ate foods rich in trans fats, i.e. snacks, did. 

To conclude, this study showed that all the ingredients that compose the Mediterranean diet contributed to improving everyone’s overall state of health but that of pregnant women in particular. The Mediterranean diet has a range of health benefits that make it a real gem, which including its richness in antioxidants and its incredible anti-inflammatory qualities amongst others.

NOTICIAS DE SALUD.

ACEITE DE OLIVA. PREVINIENDO LA DIABETES EN EL EMBARAZO.

El estudio llevado a cabo por un grupo de investigadores del Hospital Clínico San Carlos en Madrid, España y publicado en PloS One, han demostrado que si una mujer consume durante el embarazo, más de cuatro cucharadas de aceite de oliva extra virgen y un puñado de frutos secos diarios, como por ejemplo pistachos, reduciría un 30% la posibilidad de adquirir diabetes durante el embarazo. Además las embarazadas ya diabéticas y que utilizaban insulina, disminuían la mitad de la dosis de ésta.

Otros de los beneficios que encontraron fueron:

• Disminución de las infecciones urinarias, tan frecuentes en el embarazo.

• Disminución de los accidentes perineales en el parto.

• Mejora de la salud en el período postnatal, tanto para la madre como para el niño.

El aceite de oliva extra virgen se utilizaría como aderezo de ensaladas, en el sofrito mediterráneo (tomate, pimiento, ajo y cebolla), en salsas, etc.

Entre los frutos secos, se utilizaron los pistachos, porque al llevar cáscara estos y tener que quitársela para comerlos, la sensación de saciedad llegaba antes al cerebro que los frutos secos que no la llevasen.

En el estudio se comprobó también, que las embarazadas que seguían esta dieta no ganaban peso, en comparación a las que tomaban alimentos ricos en grasas trans contenidos en productos de snacks y otros tipos de comidas.

En resumen, este estudio demostró que los ingredientes que constituyen la dieta mediterránea contribuían a mejorar la salud en general y de las embarazadas en particular. El poder antiinflamatorio de esta dieta y su riqueza en antioxidantes la hacen ser una joya de la salud por sus innumerables efectos beneficiosos.

BIPOLAR DISORDER. FROM MANIA TO DEPRESSION AND FROM DEPRESSION TO MANIA. WARNING SYMPTOMS.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this pathology is suffered by approximately 60 million people worldwide and consists of a mood disorder that can evolve from depression to mania and from mania to depression. It usually emerges in both men and women, from the age of 25 upwards.

MANIC STAGE.

The cases that begin with mania present the following symptoms:

• Extreme euphoria without an apparent cause, that can last anywhere from days to weeks.

• Verbiage or speech acceleration.

• Irritation of minimum stimuli.

• Insomnia with nocturnal hyperactivity.

• Starting jobs but never finishing them.

• Racing thoughts. They jump from one idea to the next without their being a connection in between them.

• Delirious or grandiose ideas. They believe themselves to be something they are not.

• Visual or auditory hallucinations.

• Extreme sociability. They talk to everybody with no limit, something that they had never done previously.

• Sexual disinhibitions, beginning multiple high-risk sexual relationships.

• Exorbitant spending, which could lead to theirs and their families’ bankruptcy.

• Tendency to consume drugs and alcohol.

The patient in this phase has to hospitalized urgently, and if does not taken place, then the patient will progress onto the second stage, depression.

DEPRESSIVE STAGE

These are the symptoms present when this pathology begins in the depressive stage or has evolved to it from the manic stage.

• Slowing of speech, movements and thoughts.

• Extreme tiredness, that makes them wish that they were constantly in bed.

• Changes in appetite and weight.

• Feelings of guilt, they feel as though they are a hindrance, that they always do everything wrong, that it is their fault that they are the way they are.

• They lose the desire to live.

• Tendency to suicide.

If the patient begins in this stage, they will end up evolving into mania. Urgent hospitalisation is required.

HYPOMANIA

This is a mild form of mania with more moderate symptoms that has to always be treated, although hospitalization is not needed.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic pathology that if diagnosed early and with treatment, could allow patients to live a normal life. Awareness of its symptoms will allow us to do so.  

TRANSTORNO BIPOLAR. DE LA MANÍA A LA DEPRESIÓN, DE LA DEPRESIÓN A LA MANÍA. SÍNTOMAS DE ALERTA.

Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, esta patología es sufrida por alrededor de 60 millones de personas en el mundo, y consiste en un trastorno del ánimo, que va desde la depresión a la manía o desde la manía a la depresión. La edad de aparición más frecuente es alrededor de los 25 años, dándose tanto en hombres como mujeres.

FASE DE MANÍA.

Los episodios que comienzan con manía presentan los siguientes síntomas:

• Euforia extrema sin causa aparente, y que pueden durar desde días a semanas.

• Verborrea, o aceleración en el habla.

• Irritabilidad ante mínimos estímulos.

• Insomnio con hiperactividad nocturna.

• Comienzan trabajos que nunca terminan.

• Fuga de ideas. Saltan de una idea a otra y sin interconexión.

• Ideas delirantes o de grandiosidad. Se creen lo que no son.

• Alucinaciones visuales y auditivas.

• Sociabilidad extrema. Hablan con todo el mundo y sin control, algo que antes nunca habían hecho.

• Desinhibición sexual, iniciando múltiples relaciones sexuales y de riesgo.

• Gasto desorbitado de dinero, pudiendo incluso ocasionar la ruina de ellos y de sus familias.

• Tendencia al consumo de drogas y alcohol.

El tratamiento en esta fase es hospitalario y de urgencia, y si no se lleva a cabo, se pasa a la siguiente fase, la de depresión.

FASE DE DEPRESIÓN.

SÍNTOMAS

• Enlentecimiento en el habla, movimientos y pensamientos.

• Cansancio extremo, lo que les hace desear estar siempre en cama.

• Cambios en el apetito y en el peso.

• Sentimientos de culpa, se sienten que estorban, que todo lo hacen mal, que ellos son los culpables de estar así.

• Pérdida de las ganas de vivir.

• Tendencia al suicidio.

Si se comienza en esta fase, terminan evolucionando a manía, así que requieren un ingreso hospitalario urgente.

HIPOMANÍA

Es la forma leve de la manía con síntomas más moderados y que siempre hay que tratar, aunque no necesite ingreso hospitalario.

El trastorno bipolar es una patología crónica que diagnosticada a tiempo y con tratamiento puede hacer que los pacientes lleven una vida normal. El conocimiento de sus síntomas ayudará a conseguirlo.

PROSTATE CANCER. RISK FACTORS.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most frequent type of cancer found in men.

The most commonly known risk factors are:

AGE.

Even though it can be diagnosed in young men, 70% of cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men over the age 50.

RACE.

This type of cancer is more frequent in African American and Caribbean men than in any other race. The cause has not yet been found.

LOCATION.

North America, Northeast Europe and Caribbean have the largest incidence of prostate cancer in the world. The cause is unknown.

GENETICS.

Even though there is a genetic predisposition, the majority of cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men that do not have any prior family history. However, the risk doubles if a father or a brother has suffered from it.

DIET.

Even though, the influence of the diet is considerably less than any of the other factors listed above, it should also be taken into consideration.

Men that ingest a large proportion of red meat, saturated and trans fats have a higher probability of developing prostate cancer.

Studies have also shown that men that ingest an excess of calcium in their diets could also have a slightly higher risk of suffering from this disease. Nevertheless, researchers highlight the importance of eating foods rich in calcium in order to have healthy diet.

OTHER FACTORS.
Research studies have shown that abdominal obesity and smoking contribute to the development of a tumour as they increase the secretion of hormones.