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Showing posts from August, 2022

Dementia: problem, risks, effects, and management

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I had met my classmate around 4 months back and informed her also about my mom's death. But in a recent email, she wrote to me that I had met her a couple of years back. She also enquired about my mom. Seeing her email, the first thought that came to my mind was: is she suffering from early dementia. I hope not. Maybe, she just forgot about the time that I had met her a few months back. Maybe because it was a hurried and surprise visit.  Nonetheless, dementia is on the rise. It affects people after 60 years of age. The increased life expectancy means that one will see more of such cases in the near future.  India has around 10 million dementia cases out of the world total of 57 million. This is a huge percentage. It affects not only an individual but the whole family. There is this individual who is physically okay but mentally absent. The person needs custodial care and it could turn out to be expensive. It is also emotionally disturbing to see your loved one in that state of...

10 different types of colorful tea in the world!

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 We do know black tea, green tea, and milk tea. But are you aware that there is more to tea than just these three colors? There is a whole lot of colorful teas available in different parts of the world. Some are varieties of the same tree plants but other colored teas are from different plants. Thus, those are not true teas but are infusions or concoctions or tisane. Below is a summary of these colorful tea types. 1. Black tea- This is the tea from the regular tea plant or Camellia sinensis. The tea leaves are processed by drying and oxidation and curled and twisted to form this tea powder. This is without milk or sugar. When milk is added it is milk tea.  2. Green tea- We are a aware of this tea thanks to the celebrity endorsement of it for weight loss. If is made from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. But the tea leaves are semi-oxidized. The processing is different and if yields green solution on brewing.  3. White tea- This also comes from tea plant, Camellia sin...

Vitamin B12 deficiency: 9 symptoms and signs for diagnosis

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 The body requires a lot of different kinds of food components to keep functioning normally. Often, one or more vital nutrients fall short of the requirements and this leads to certain symptoms and signs. Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that the body needs. Its deficiency is common especially in the older age group and in people on plant based foods. But the condition remains undiagnosed. What are the symptoms and signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency that should make one suspect the condition? Vitamin B12 deficiency in the USA Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that the body requires for energy production, DNA synthesis, and also for proper brain and nervous system function. Humans procure it from the daily foods. Yet the deficiency is common at all ages. But the absorption of this vitamin decreases with age. Therefore, deficiency of this vital nutrient is more often seen in the older age group. In the USA and in the UK, deficiency of vitamin B12 is found in 20% of those over the a...