Pregnancy is usually a time of happiness and hope, but it also brings in the unexpected. While there is much talk placed on the health of the expectant mother, the quality sperm coming from the father could dramatically change the outcome of pregnancy. The latest study suggests the risks of sperm DNA damage, even increasing the risks of complications preeclampsia and birth prematurity.

In a groundbreaking research study conducted by scientists from Lund University in Sweden, scientists discovered that DNA damage in sperm increases the risk almost up to double that of preeclampsia, this is a dangerous condition that may arise during pregnancies characterized by high blood pressure. In addition, DNA anomalies also increase the risk of premature births, and this further entails increased related adverse health outcomes for infants born through such conditions.

The next step would be to find out which group of men respond best to methods to prevent and treat sperm DNA damage, and to test these methods to prevent pregnancy complications," said Dr. Amelie Stenqvist, a lecturer at Lund University. According to this study, a significant message is put forward that paternal health assumes an important role in a successful pregnancy.

It focused its research on men, specifically whose sperm contained high levels of DNA fragmentation. For instance, some 20% to 30% of babies born via in vitro fertilization have fathers whose sperm contains damaged DNA. The DNA fragmentation index, an indicator to assess the percentage of DNA damage in sperm, indicated that when the percentage of sperm with a DFI above 30% was observed, they had almost no chance of resulting in natural conception. Even a DFI greater than 20% showed that the chances of getting pregnant are highly risky as the risk factor for pregnancy complications like preeclampsia is much high.

Uncommon Complications during Pregnancy

The most alarming complication during pregnancy is preeclampsia. It affects approximately 5% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide, which can cause fatal conditions for both the mother and the baby. The new findings now point out that sperm DNA damage may contribute to this condition, especially if it is due to assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF pregnancies. The research found that a DFI above 20% doubled the risk of preeclampsia from a mere 5% to almost 11% per.

Apart from causing preeclampsia, DNA fragmentation in sperm is also known to increase the risk for prematurity. Most premature babies experience respiratory, neurological, and developmental complications. Therefore, some degree of early intervention might be important for prospective parents.

Some of the rarer, though serious complications include placental abruption, which is the separation of the placenta from the uterine wall and intrauterine growth restriction, a condition by which the baby does not grow normally in the womb. These conditions though rare are potentially catastrophic both to the mother and the child. Results from this study may help in establishing the contribution of the father in such pregnancies.

Further study into sperm DNA damage is of urgent interest with regard to its consequences for pregnancy outcomes. According to Professor Aleksander Giwercman of Lund University in the field of Reproductive Medicine, "the analysis of DFI should be introduced as routine test in all fertility clinics.". "It could give answers to couples who are having difficulties with infertility, but our latest result also shows that DFI analysis can be a method to identify high-risk pregnancies, explained Giwercman.

For many, DNA fragmentation in sperm is often treatable. Common causes are oxidative stress, age, smoking, being obese, and infections. Addressing these elements will likely reduce DNA damage in sperm for men, raising the chances for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Overall, the study importance should take into consideration paternal as well as maternal health towards reaching for a healthy pregnancy. Though DNA fragmentation in the sperm is supposed to increase the risk factors for complications in pregnancies, the advances into novel treatment approaches and tests are likely to alleviate complications in many families. Thus the findings of this study offer optimism and pave a pathway to more holistic fertility treatments in the future.

Amid increasing contamination and adulteration of food products, India’s food regulator has introduced new safety standards across a wide range of foods such as besan (gram flour), edible and cold-pressed seed oils, as well as prawns.

The draft regulations by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) cover heavy metals, toxins, antibiotic residues, and quality standards for both commonly used foods and emerging edible products, the Times of India reported.

The new regulations are expected to come into force on December 1.

What Has Changed Under The New Rules?

Under the new rules, the FSSAI has:

• Expanded contamination standards related to lead and cadmium to include pulse flours such as besan and packaged mixes in addition to pulses.
• Updated limits for aflatoxins — toxic substances produced by certain fungi — in oils, oilseeds, and ready-to-eat oilseed products.
• Revised testing norms for arsenic in fish oils and updated standards for saffrole, a naturally occurring substance found in foods and beverages containing nutmeg and mace.
• Introduced residue limits for antibiotics such as trimethoprim and oxolinic acid in seafood products, including shrimps, prawns, and fishery products.

New Standards For Seed Oils And Edible Seeds

In a separate draft notification, the FSSAI proposed quality and safety standards for lesser-used edible oils made from chilli, tomato, muskmelon, and okra seeds as demand rises for cold-pressed oils, seed-based snacks, and plant-based nutrition products.

The proposed norms require these oils to remain free from adulteration, harmful impurities, rancidity, and mineral oil contamination, while also prescribing limits for moisture, acidity, and metal content.

Also read: Can Beetroot Juice Help Lower Blood Pressure?

The draft rules also cover edible seeds such as watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and flaxseed sold in raw, roasted, or salted forms, requiring them to be clean and free from insects, fungus, and visible contamination before sale.

FSSAI has invited public comments on the draft regulations for 60 days before finalization.

Crackdown On Food Adulteration

In Ghaziabad, the state food regulator seized 10 quintals of suspected paneer stored in unhygienic conditions. With contamination risks high, the joint team swiftly sampled the batch and destroyed the entire 1,000 kg consignment.

In Muzaffarnagar, food safety officials inspected an ice cream outlet. The drive focused on ice creams and ice candies to ensure they met regulatory standards. A total of three legal samples were collected.

Read More: Are Mangoes Safe for Oral Cancer Patients?

How Adulterated Foods Can Affect Your Health?

The FSSAI noted that hidden adulterants in everyday food can create serious concerns for consumers.

Food adulteration happens when there is an intentional addition of foreign or inferior substances to original food products.

A 2024 study published in SAGE Open Medicine noted various health impacts of adulterated food, including:

• Cancer
• Lathyrism
• Liver disease
• Cardiac failure
• Kidney disease
• Nervous system-related diseases

The study also noted that adulteration could lead to allergic reactions. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly are more prone to developing illnesses if adulterated food is consumed.

Do you smoke herbal cigarettes believing they are “natural”, “chemical-free”, and “tobacco-free”? You may be mistaken. New research, ahead of World No Tobacco Day 2026, has raised concerns over the growing popularity of herbal cigarettes, suggesting that herbal cigarettes are not safer than conventional cigarettes and may be equally harmful to health.

The new joint study by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), US, has found that herbal cigarettes can produce emissions comparable to — and in some cases more harmful than — those generated by tobacco cigarettes.

The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, highlight significant health concerns surrounding herbal smoking products, many of which currently fall outside India’s primary tobacco control laws.

Leaf-wrapped Herbal cigarette Most Hazardous

The study compared emissions from two of India’s best-selling tobacco cigarette brands and four popular herbal cigarette varieties containing ingredients such as basil, clove, cinnamon, mint, green tea, water lily, and chamomile.

Two of the herbal products also used tendu (ebony) leaves as wrappers — the same material commonly used in bidis, India’s most consumed smoking product.

Also read: Global Temperatures Likely To Stay Near Record Levels For Next Five Years: WMO

Researchers analyzed the physical, chemical, and oxidative properties of mainstream smoke generated from the products. According to the study, herbal cigarette smoke released extremely fine particles and toxic compounds at levels similar to or exceeding those found in tobacco smoke.

“Our findings challenge the widely held belief that tobacco-free means risk-free. Emissions from herbal cigarettes are comparable to or exceed those from tobacco cigarettes on nearly every metric we measured. Leaf-wrapped herbal variants turned out to be the most hazardous of all the samples tested,” said Prof. Sameer Patel, Assistant Professor at IITGN’s Department of Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Fine Particles And Oxidative Stress

Further, the researchers combusted each cigarette inside a sealed automated two-chamber system designed to mimic human inhalation patterns, to decode particle size, chemical composition, and oxidative potential.

Shockingly, the team found that particles smaller than 500 nanometers — associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases — were emitted at nearly 20 per cent higher concentrations in herbal cigarette smoke compared to tobacco smoke.

The study also measured the “oxidative potential” (OP) of smoke particles — a marker of their ability to generate reactive oxygen species that contribute to inflammation, lung damage, and vascular disease.

According to the researchers, particulate matter from herbal cigarettes showed significantly higher oxidative potential than tobacco cigarettes. Tendu-leaf-wrapped variants recorded OP levels nearly 49 per cent higher than paper-wrapped products.

Notably, one basil-filled herbal cigarette marketed as “100% natural” and “chemical-free” showed the highest lead concentration among all products tested.

Prof. Vishal Verma, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at UIUC and co-author of the study, said the results are particularly significant because many consumers believe nicotine-free products are less harmful.

“That finding is important because many consumers associate nicotine-free products with reduced harm,” he said.

Concerns Over Regulatory Gaps

Read More: Can Sugary Drinks Cause Brain Aging?

Researchers also pointed to regulatory loopholes surrounding herbal cigarettes. India’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, regulates tobacco products through health warnings, advertising restrictions, and public smoking rules. However, many products marketed as tobacco-free do not fall under the same regulatory framework.

Lead author Dr. Alok Kumar Thakur said several herbal cigarette brands claim therapeutic benefits, including relief from cough, anxiety, and sleep problems, despite limited scientific evidence on their safety.

“However, there is limited scientific evidence evaluating the emissions and toxicological impacts of these products,” he said.

The findings also align with the World No Tobacco Day 2026 under the theme, “Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.”

The researchers stressed the urgent need for evidence-based regulation and stricter oversight of alternative smoking products to prevent misleading health claims and protect public health.

Digestive disorders are becoming a global health issue affecting millions of people of all ages all over the world. Conditions such as acid reflux, fatty liver disease, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, and colorectal cancer are becoming more prevalent on a steady basis, fueled by changing diets, sedentary lifestyles, stress, poor sleep, alcohol consumption, and increasing obesity rates.

Early Symptoms Often Ignored

But digestive symptoms are often ignored until they are severe. Bloating, ongoing acidity, irregular bowel habits, abdominal discomfort, unexplained weight loss, or chronic fatigue are often brushed aside as temporary problems. In many cases, these early signs are reflective of an underlying gastrointestinal disease that is amenable to timely intervention.

Why Digestive Health Matters

This is a particularly important problem because digestive health impacts far more than just the stomach or intestines. The gut is key to immunity, metabolism, nutrient absorption, hormone regulation, and even mental health.

Damage to the gut can therefore impact many systems in the body. Colorectal cancer is diagnosed more frequently in younger adults worldwide, and fatty liver disease is one of the fastest-growing metabolic disorders worldwide. The increase in ultra-processed foods, reduced intake of fiber, and sedentary lifestyles have also played a part in digestive dysfunction in developed and developing countries alike.

This shift is also changing the way health care systems address preventive care and patient engagement.

Early screening, continuous monitoring, digital health tools, and data-driven care models are gaining importance in identifying digestive disorders before complications escalate.

Growing Role Of Preventive Care And Technology

As healthcare moves towards being more personalized and preventive, technology-enabled patient engagement and longitudinal health tracking are taking on a greater role in improving outcomes and supporting long-term disease management. Late diagnosis is still a big problem.

Many GI diseases develop silently for years before complications arise. For example, fatty liver disease can progress to liver inflammation or fibrosis without symptoms.

Similarly, inflammatory bowel diseases and gastrointestinal cancers are often more challenging to treat when diagnosed late. Diet also continues to be central to digestive health. Eating a diet high in fiber, staying well hydrated, getting enough physical activity, and eating less ultra-processed foods will promote healthy gut function and reduce risk over the long term.

World Digestive Health Day

World Digestive Health Day is a reminder that digestive symptoms shouldn’t be ignored or normalized. Early attention, timely diagnosis, and preventive care can greatly reduce the long-term burden of digestive disease worldwide.

(By Dr. Ashish Gautam, Principal Director, Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, New Delhi)