While the number of highly processed foods have increased, the health stats have declined even further. While processed foods are to blame, there is another item that has been flying under the health raider, sodas. These fizzy drinks may not be a part of your daily life, but they are worse than you think! One of the biggest appeals of sodas and beverages is that sugary and fizzy taste of them. Because they are easier to consume and the sugary taste has an addictive effect, people buy more and more of it, without realizing that amount of sugar.

One thing that made people realize how much sugar they had been consuming was when videos of people boiling these fizzy drinks surfaced. Those videos showed that as soon as all the liquid vapored off, the residue was just burnt sugar.

Sugary drinks like sodas and, energy drinks are popular worldwide, but new research shows they're seriously harming our health. These drinks are linked to millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease each year. Sadly, developing countries are hit the hardest. This study shows how big of a problem sugary drinks are globally and why we need to do something about it. It’s a call to action for better health worldwide.

Sugary Drinks, Diabetes, and Heart Disease

Sugary drinks are beverages with added sugars, like soda, juice drinks, and sweetened teas. While sales are down in some places, they're rising in others. Researchers studied millions of people across many countries and found a strong link between drinking these beverages and developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These drinks contribute to a significant number of new cases each year, especially in certain parts of the world. This means that cutting back on these drinks could greatly improve health globally.

Sugary drinks are quickly digested because they're liquid, causing a fast rise in blood sugar. They also pack a lot of calories without making you feel full, which can lead to overeating. Unlike other treats, they don't offer much nutrition besides sugar. This combination of factors can lead to weight gain, problems with how your body uses sugar (insulin resistance), and other health issues that increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It’s not just about the calories, but the type of calories and how our bodies process them.

Sodas have an addictive nature because the main ingredients are caffeine and sugar. The reason why people like consuming them is because they were built to trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. The hormone dopamine is a feel-good hormone that makes you feel happy and good, which makes you feel like consuming it more!

What We Can Do to Cut Back on Sugary Drinks

To protect our health, we should drink fewer sugary drinks. Healthier options include water, unsweetened tea or coffee, and sparkling water. Even diet soda is a better choice than regular soda, but it's best to limit those too. Reading labels is important to know what you’re drinking. Governments can also help by taxing sugary drinks, putting warning labels on them, and restricting their sale in places like schools. These actions can make a big difference in reducing consumption and improving public health. There are many ways you can avoid getting addicted to sugary drinks,

Avoid Using It As A Reward

When you give the position of a reward to things, you are actively making your brain think it is a good thing and that can trigger a dependence on it.

Don’t Use It To Make You Feel Happy

We all have days when you feel low and do not like how things are going, in days like those you feel like having a comfort food or drink, which can make it a crutch and is a one way street to addiction

Drink A Lot Of Water

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your addiction as bay, sometimes you may as well need some water to keep you straight and not stray from their path.

Eating healthy and protecting your body from processed chemicals has been the goal of many people for the past few years. As more and more people are becoming aware of how junk and processed foods affect our health, they are changing their diet and making healthier choices. However, a point of concern for many people lies in their age. Does it make a difference, changing your diet later in life?

You can start protecting your brain health through your diet at any point in life, according to a new study. People who improved their healthy eating habits in middle age saw a 25% lower risk of developing dementia, compared to those whose diets got worse over time. These exciting findings were shared at a recent meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).

Researchers stated that the study's results confirm that healthy eating patterns in mid to late life, and improving those patterns over time, can help prevent Alzheimer's and related forms of dementia. This clearly suggests that it's truly never too late to adopt a healthy diet as a way to guard against dementia.

How the Study Was Conducted

For this important study, researchers looked at information from almost 93,000 adults who were part of a long-term health study. These people were between 45 and 75 years old when the study began in the 1990s. Over the years, more than 21,000 of them developed Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Everyone in the study filled out food questionnaires, which helped researchers see how closely they followed the MIND diet.

The MIND diet is a special eating plan that combines the best parts of two other healthy diets: the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (which helps lower blood pressure). Both of these diets are known to make people healthier. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the MIND diet focuses on eating more whole grains, vegetables, nuts, beans, berries, chicken, and fish. It also suggests eating less pastries, sweets, red meat, cheese, fried foods, and butter.

Significant Drop In Risk And Visible Changes

The study found that people who followed the MIND diet from the start had a 9% lower chance of getting dementia. Even better, there was a 13% bigger drop in risk for Black, Hispanic, and white people. The researcher noted that healthy eating helped these groups more, but it wasn't as clear for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians. This suggests that advice about diet might need to be different for different groups of people.

Perhaps the most encouraging discovery was that people whose diets got closer to the MIND diet over 10 years had a huge 25% lower chance of getting dementia. This was true even if they didn't follow the diet perfectly at first. This really shows that making positive changes to your diet later in life can still have a big positive impact on your brain health.

Healthier Food Choices For Brain Health

Just like there's no magic pill for a sharp mind, no single food will keep your brain perfect as you age. Harvard Health Publishing says the best approach is to eat a generally healthy diet. This means focusing on lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains for overall brain health.

Green, Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli are packed with nutrients vital for your brain, such as vitamin K and folate. Studies suggest eating these greens can help slow down memory loss and keep your thinking sharp as you get older.

Fatty Fish

Fish like salmon and cod are full of omega-3 fats, which are healthy fats linked to lower levels of a protein that harms brains with Alzheimer's. Aim to eat fish at least twice a week, choosing options low in mercury like light tuna.

Berries

The bright colors in berries come from plant parts called flavonoids, which research shows can also improve memory. Eating berries like strawberries and blueberries regularly may help delay memory problems by a few years.

Tea and Coffee

The caffeine in your daily tea or coffee might do more than just wake you up. Studies suggest that people who consume more caffeine often score better on memory and thinking tests, and it might even help you remember new things.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats. Studies link eating walnuts to better scores on memory and thinking tests. They contain a special omega-3 fat that helps keep your blood pressure down and arteries clean, benefiting both your heart and brain.

The United States is already struggling with immense pressure on its health sector, with the rise in COVID-19 cases and ongoing measles outbreak. In another news, now Salmonella-tainted tomatoes in three southern states have caused severe illness and even death, warned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA has also updated the ongoing recall of tomatoes which have been distributed in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to Class I, which is the highest warning level, also reported in the New York Times.

What Does Class I Recall Mean?

Class I recall means that there is a reasonable change that using the product could lead to "serious adverse health consequences or death".

As per FDA, recalls are classified into three numerical designation, I, II, and III.

Class II recall is for a situation in which the use of or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequence is remote.

Class III is for a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.

Where Were These Tomatoes Distributed?

These tomatoes were distributed under the H&C Farms which were labelled between April 23 and 29. They were also sold in packages which had ranged from small three-pack to 25-pound boxes.

This was also reported in early May, however, at that time, there were no illness which had been recorded. Though now, the FDA says the risk is much more severe.

Shoppers are unlikely to find fresh tomatoes from the recalled batch still on shelves, according to the FDA.

However, The New York Times reports that salmonella can survive for weeks in dry conditions and even longer in wet or frozen environments—meaning contaminated tomatoes might still pose a risk if stored.

The exact source of the contamination remains unclear. Williams Farms Repack, the South Carolina distributor, and H&C Farms have both declined to comment.

Salmonella affects over a million people in the U.S. annually and causes more than 400 deaths, says the USDA. Symptoms typically include fever, diarrhea, and intense stomach pain, lasting several days.

Children under 5, seniors over 65, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk—but the FDA warns that even healthy individuals should avoid the recalled tomatoes.

What Is Salmonella?

As per the FDA, Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis. It can be spread by food handlers who do not wash their hands and/or the surfaces and tools they use between food preparation steps. It can also happen when people consume uncooked and raw food. Salmonella can also spread from animal to people.

FDA notes that people who have direct contact with certain animals, including poultry and reptiles can spread the bacteria from the animal to food if hand washing hygiene is not practiced.

Pets too could spread the bacteria within the home environment if they eat food contaminated with Salmonella.

What Are The Symptoms Like?

FDA notes that most people infected with Salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours of the infection, which lasts for about four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment.

Most people experience these following symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal Cramps

In severe cases of salmonella, you may experience:

• High fever
• Aches
• Headaches
• Lethargy
• A rash
• Blood in urine and stool

As per the CDC, each year, around 450 people die in the United States due to acute salmonellosis.

Seasonal allergies have been on the rise, affecting many people and their quality of life. The American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology explains that seasonal allergies, similar to other allergies, causes our immune system to overreact to something that is present in the environment, especially during spring season like pollen. Hay Fever is a common allergy that causes sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes. One of the causes of hay fever happens to be pollen producing plants, which when it comes in contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat can cause a reaction.

As hay fever season gets worse, lots of people are dealing with annoying symptoms. The pollen floating around from trees, grasses, and weeds can make you feel miserable. However, experts say that just by changing what you eat, you can find a lot of relief from sneezing, itchy eyes, and stuffy noses. This is because some foods can affect how much histamine your body makes, and histamine is the chemical that triggers your allergy symptoms.

Boost Your Diet with Allergy-Fighting Nutrients

According to Push Doctor, a prominent UK-based digital healthcare platform, certain natural compounds can help manage hay fever symptoms. They have also given a smoothie recipe that are effective "allergy-busting" smoothie recipe designed to be rich in beneficial compounds

Quercetin

This powerful flavanol has been shown to suppress histamine release. Incorporate foods rich in quercetin like green vegetables, apples, berries, and beans into your daily diet to potentially soothe symptoms and reduce allergic reactions.

Vitamins and Healthy Fats

Boosting your intake of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids can strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation. Consider adding more carrots, spinach, oily fish, and citrus fruits to your meals to help calm your hay fever.

Ingredients for the smoothie

Two bananas, two clementines, five dates, half an avocado, 120ml of almond milk, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Benefits of the smoothie

This quick and tasty smoothie is packed with quercetin and Vitamin C, both known to support immune health.

Foods to Avoid

While some foods can help your hay fever, others might actually make it worse. This is because they either contain histamine (the chemical that causes allergy symptoms) or they can make your body release more of it. It's best to limit or avoid things like alcohol, cured or smoked meats, cheese, nuts, and pickles. Also, be aware that some fruits might make your mouth tingle or swell if you have hay fever. This is a sign that your body is reacting to hidden allergens.

You might find some relief by drinking chamomile or nettle tea. These herbal teas have natural properties that can act like antihistamines and reduce swelling, helping to calm your body's allergic reaction.

Holistic Approach to Hay Fever Management

Changing what you eat is a great step, but it works even better when you combine it with other practical actions. To cut down on how much pollen you're exposed to and ease your symptoms, remember these tips: keep your windows closed, especially when pollen counts are high. Try to avoid gardening if you can. Rinse your hair often to get rid of any pollen caught in it. Don't forget to use regular hay fever treatments like antihistamines, nasal sprays, or eye drops when you need them. Finally, it's a good idea to wash your clothes and shower right away when you get home to remove any pollen that might have stuck to you throughout the day.