5 Essentials Foods To Boost Your Immunity Upcoming Monsoon

Top 5 Essentials Foods To Prepare Your Body For The Upcoming Monsoon

Monsoon diet: With the onset of monsoon, it is essential to boost your immunity to prevent infections. Here are some essential foods you can add to your diet for a healthy immune system.

Most of the cities have already started to experience the pre-monsoon showers and it's predicted that the monsoons should be here in full swing anytime! While this season is such a respite from the heat, the monsoon season comes with its own set of problems like viral fever, cough, cold, stomach infections, dengue, and malaria. Usually, with the onset of heavy reasons, your immune system tends to get compromised due to bacterial or viral infections. It goes without saying that a strong immune system and taking precautions is what's going to help you recover quickly and protect you against infections.

Whether it's prevention, recovery, healing - all that matters is your immune system as it's the first and last line of defense. Your immune system is made up of immune cells and each of these cells needs to have the right amount of energy through the food you eat, the water your drink, and the air you breathe. This is how one maintains a strong immune system.

There are foods that can help you enhance your immune system through this season, but these don't magically boost your immunity. They assist. Your immune system is a function of your overall lifestyle - right nutrition, quality and quantity of water, rest, recovery, sleep, emotional detox, and an active lifestyle to help circulate all the nutrients to all the trillions of cells in your body.

Simple, easily available, and inexpensive foods you can add to your diet this monsoon season

1. Hot Soups

Think monsoons, think hot soups. You can make pumpkin soup, tomato soup, moringa soup, green pea soup, mixed vegetable soup, or even something as simple as rasam. Pumpkin is a fantastic immunity booster due to a high concentration of beta carotene; vitamin C. Make sure you add garlic and ginger as they are highly anti-inflammatory and garlic literally works as an antibiotic and antifungal food. To this preparation, you can also add chilies, unless you have an acidity issue. Chilies are extremely rich in vitamin C too. In case you are a non-vegetarian, a simple chicken broth with spices and vegetables is fantastic immune-boosting food.

2. Oregano

Do you know why? Because of its extremely potent antifungal properties. Monsoons bring the risks of even acquiring fungal infections because the dampness and moisture provides a perfect and conducive environment for them to thrive.

You could simply brew oregano tea or season your salad and food with dried/fresh oregano leaves depending on what's available. Even 1-2 drops of edible oregano essential oil mixed in your water or soup works great. Oregano also benefits the respiratory system and helps loosen up the mucus and phlegm, especially when sipped warm.

3. Nuts and seeds

Whether it's hot or cold, you cannot go wrong with unsalted almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. Make sure you have some amount of these in a day. It could be a handful or less than that, but do not overdo them. Keep them balanced.

4. Cooked Crucifers

These are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, radish and are fantastic for controlling inflammation, fighting bacterial infections, and powerful immune boosters. Make sure they are well cleaned and cooked/steamed/blanched especially if you have a thyroid condition due to its goitrogenic effect. You can turn them into soups, stir-fries, soups, or vegetable preparations. 

5. Masala box/spice kit

Stock up on common kitchen spices because these are your go-tos during monsoons. Make use of common kitchen spices to boost immunity, such as turmeric, cumin, methi seeds, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, tulsi/basil leaves, and black pepper. You can make a concoction or a water infusion, or simply add these to your daily cooking.

You can also brew all of it together into a steaming cup of chai, without refined sugar. Instead, replace that with jaggery and you will notice how it only enhances the taste. So, in case your body craves that cup of chai this monsoon, you know you can go for it. Only make it the right way and add spices!

Bharat Biotech says it received no advance payment from Brazil govt for Covaxin

Bharat Biotech says it received no advance payment from Brazil govt for Covaxin

Reacting to the Brazil government nixing the Covaxin deal, Bharat Biotech on Wednesday 30 June 2021 said the company followed all step-by-step procedures and the vaccine price in the international market too was in public knowledge.

As the Brazil government suspends the deal to purchase 20 million doses of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin over allegations of graft in the the deal, the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker on Wednesday issued a statement and said as of June 29, the vaccine maker has not received any advance payment from the Brazil government. "In the case of procurement of Covaxin by Brazil, a step-by-step approach was followed towards contracts and regulatory approvals, during the 8-month-long process. EUA received was received on June 4. As of June 29, we haven't received any advance payments nor supplied vaccines to Brazil," the company said in a statement.

Brazil suspends Covaxin deal as Bolsonaro faces graft charges

"The pricing of Covaxin has been clearly established between $15-20 per dose for supplies to Governments outside India. The pricing for Brazil has also been indicated at $15 per dose," Bharat Biotech said.

The ₹2,400 crore has turned the heat up for the Jair Bolsonaro government as it was alleged that the government struck a deal with Bharat Biotech to acquire about 2 crore doses of Covaxin at a higher price, and at a time when the vaccine was not approved by the regulator of Brazil. Covaxin received emergency use authorisation in Brazil in the first week of June, though the negotiation process has been going on for the last seven-eight months.

Here's what happened

1.       Brazil Health Ministry official Luis Ricardo Miranda who acted as a whistleblower in this case raised suspicion about the deal as Pfizer was reportedly offering Brazil its Covid-19 vaccine at a lower price.

2.       Miranda looks after the imports of the health ministry and when he had to approve an import license, he refused to do so as the company mentioned in the invoice was not Bharat Biotech, the company with which the deal was signed, but some Singapore-based Madison Biotech.

3.       Luis Ricardo Miranda also told senators that he was under pressure to clear the deal.

4.       Bolsonaro defended the allegation saying that there was no corruption as the government did not pay any money and did not receive any vaccine.

5.     Covaxin was granted emergency use approval on June 5. Bharat Biotech also corroborated Bolsonaro's statement that no vaccine has been sent and no money has been received.

6.      Bharat Biotech has, however, said that Madison Biotech is its global sales and marketing arm.

7.     An investigation into the deal began in April.

8.     Brazil's newspapers reported that Bharat Biotech had initially quoted a price of $1.34 per dose, the government agreed to pay $15 per shot.

9.     Whistleblower Miranda and his brother who is a lawmaker met Bolsonaro “The President looked me in the eye and said, ‘This is serious’,” adding, “'If I interfere with this thing, you know what kind of shit it’s going to stir up. This must be so-and-so’s deal.’” the whistleblower has told the investigators.

10. Bharat Biotech said it followed all processes in Brazil as in other countries while the price of the vaccine in the international market was made public beforehand.

Explaining the process of how a country can procure vaccines from Bharat Biotech, the vaccine maker said that the company first received a letter of intent, following which it applues for emergency use authorisation in the country. Once the vaccine gets approval, the health ministry of that country releases a purchase order. Even if the order is placed before the approval, the procurement happens only after the approval.

Once the purchase order is released, the company raises a Pro Forma Invoice based on which the ministry makes the payment. Once the payment is received, the company proceeds to supply the vaccines. In this case, the company received no money from the health department of Brazil, Bharat Biotech said

Green Tea Might Help Tackle Covid

Green Tea Might Help Tackle Covid: Indian-Origin Researcher

Green Tea 

As India continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, a team of researchers is investigating how green tea could give rise to a drug capable of tackling Covid-19.

The initial findings suggested that one of the compounds in green tea could combat the coronavirus behind Covid-19, said lead author Suresh Mohankumar, who researched during his time at JSS College of Pharmacy in Ooty before taking up his current role at Swansea University Medical School.

"Nature's oldest pharmacy has always been a treasure of potential novel drugs and we questioned if any of these compounds could assist us in battling the Covid-19 pandemic?" said Mohankumar.

"We screened and sorted a library of natural compounds already know to be active against other coronaviruses using an artificial intelligence-aided computer program," he added.

Mohankumar emphasized that the research was still in its early days and a long way from any kind of clinical application, in the study published in the journal RSC Advances.

"The compound that our model predicts to be most active is gallocatechin, which is present in green tea and could be readily available, accessible, and affordable," the researcher said.

There now needs to be further investigation to show if it can be proven clinically effective and safe for preventing or treating Covid-19.

"This is fascinating research and demonstrates that natural products remain an important source of lead compounds in the fight against infectious diseases," said Andrew Morris, Professor, Swansea University.

"I am also really pleased to see this international research collaboration continuing now that Mohankumar has joined the Pharmacy team," Morris added.

Green Tea Video Link 

Plastic Shields Don’t Stop Aerosol Transmission of Coronavirus

Plastic Shields Don’t Stop Aerosol Transmission of Coronavirus

Plastic Shields

• New researchTrusted Source finds that while wearing a surgical face mask can provide protection against airborne infection, face shields offer little or no protection.
• EvidenceTrusted Source suggests that SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is transmitted when people expel virus-containing droplets when they sneeze or cough.
• StudiesTrusted Source has found that breathing and talking can expel droplets containing the virus. These particles remain airborne and may spread widely through a room.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, people have used plastic visors and face shields for protection against potential infection in shops and other places where crowds gather.

However, a new researchTrusted Source presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases finds that while wearing a surgical face mask can provide similar protection against airborne infection as wearing a respirator, face shields offer little or no protection.

The study, conducted by researchers at Philipps University Marburg in Marburg, Germany, compared 32 types of masks intended for use in hospitals, including cloth and surgical masks, respirators, and face shields.

Researchers found that surgical face masks had the lowest drop in pressure, providing the least resistance to breathing. Respirator-type masks had the highest pressure drop.

The cloth masks and the noncertified surgical masks performed the worst, only filtering out between 11.3 and 14.2 percent of particles. Surprisingly, a type II surgical face mask had similar “as worn” filtration results at 47 percent as KN95 respirators at 41 percent. The FFP2 respirators showed the best filtration, blocking 65 percent of particles.

Face shields were found to have no significant effect at all. the public should wear certified surgical face masks of good quality rather than cloth masks or face shields, which performed poorly in our study.

Flowers can Help you in Improving your Skin

Flowers are widely used in the production of cosmetics which plays a crucial role in alleviating skin as they are high in vitamins and antioxidants. Flowers can also moisturize and minimize acne in addition to healing and repairing our skin.

Here are some flowers which you can include in your skincare routine and get that flawless skin:

Chamomile:-

Chamomile flower comes with relaxing properties along with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. These properties present in Chamomile flowers can be very effective in the preparation of a skin-calming face pack. 

How to Use

1.     Make a brew 100ml of chamomile tea in water and let it cool down. 

2.     Apply the mixture using a cotton ball all over your face and leave for 6-7 minutes.

3.     Rinse your face with clean water.

Jasmine:-

Jasmine is used in a variety of cosmetic products like lotions, soaps, and even face creams. Adding jasmine to your skin routine can help in repairing damaged skin.

 How to Use

1.     Soak some jasmine flowers in mineral water and strain the liquid into a spray bottle.

2.     Put it in the fridge and use it every day as a face mist.

3.     Repeat the process for a week.

Marigold:-

Marigold flower is available in the months of winter and it has anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used to alleviate skin when used regularly.

How to Use

1.     Grind the leaves and make a paste out of them.

2.     Apply the paste on your face and leave for 15 minutes.

3.     Rinse your face with clean water.

Rose:-

Roses are very hydrating and cooling in nature. When distilled in water, roses can help lock moisture in the skin and tighten the pores.

How to Use

1.     Mix a few tablespoons of rose water with warm milk, honey, and wheat flour to make a face pack.

2.     Apply the pack and leave it for an hour.

3.     Wash it off.

Lotus:-

The sacred lotus flower is hydrating and full of vitamins. It also has anti-aging and brightening effects on the skin. Vitamins present in the lotus can help to get rid of acne.

How to Use

1.     Grind a few lotus leaves and add a pinch of turmeric.

2.     Add few drops of water to make a thick paste.

3.     Use it as a spot treatment to decrease the inflammation that acne has left on your face.

Flowers can help you in Improving your Skin

Second Made-In-India vaccine soon

Second Made-In-India vaccine soon: Centre finalizes advance to deal with Hyderabad-based firm for 30 crore doses

The COVID-19 vaccine of Biological-E is currently undergoing Phase-3 clinical trials after showing promising results in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.

The Union Ministry of Health has finalized arrangements with Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Biological-E to reserve 30 crores of COVID-19 vaccine doses. These vaccine doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by M/s Biological-E from August-December 2021. 

For this purpose, the Union Ministry of Health would be making an advance payment of Rs. 1500 crore to M/s Biological-E. 

The COVID-19 vaccine of Biological-E is currently undergoing Phase-3 clinical trials after showing promising results in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. The vaccine being developed by Biological-E is an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine and is likely to be available in the next few months.

The proposal of M/s Biological-E was examined and recommended for approval after due diligence by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC). 

The arrangement with M/s Biological-E is part of the wider government's endeavor to encourage indigenous vaccine manufacturers by supporting research & Development (R&D) and financial support.  

Biological-E COVID Vaccine candidate has been supported by the government from the Preclinical stage to Phase-3 studies. Department of Biotechnology has not only provided financial assistance in terms of grant-in-aid of over Rs 100 cr but has also partnered with Biological-E to conduct all animal challenge and assay studies through its Research Institute Translational Health Science Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad.

This has been undertaken as part of the government's ‘Mission COVID Suraksha- the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission’ which was launched to reinforce and accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development efforts as part of the third stimulus package, Atmanirbhar 3.0.

The Mission aims to bring to the citizens a safe, efficacious, affordable, and accessible COVID-19 Vaccine. The Mission is supporting the development of 5-6 COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Some of these are now closer to licensure and introduction in public health systems. It has accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine development efforts and fostered a robust end-to-end vaccine development ecosystem in the country that will be available for other ongoing and future research and developmental activities for other vaccines.

Vitamin D May Not Prevent COVID-19 Risk

Vitamin D May Not Prevent COVID-19 Risk

A New Study Says Vitamin D Supplement May Not Prevent COVID-19 Risk

A study made by Bonnie Patchen, a Ph.D. student at Cornell University finding the link between vitamin D and COVID-19. In her findings of the new study are similar to what she and her colleagues found with their research, which was published May 4 in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. Patchen said that in their research, she and her colleagues looked at how well the genetic variants predicted vitamin D levels across different populations. Their results were consistent for people of European ancestry, she said, even when taking into account other factors that can affect vitamin D levels such as body mass index (BMI) and older age. But the associations were less consistent in African ancestry individuals. Patchen said the level of variation is similar to a change that might be seen with taking a low-level supplement, around 400 to 600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D. But it doesn’t necessarily address the kind of acute changes in vitamin D levels that you might get with a high-dose treatment, Patchen explained. In another study, which was published on June 1 in the journal PLOS Medicine researchers at McGill University in Canada focused on genetic variants that are linked to increased vitamin D levels. People whose DNA contains one of these variants are more likely to naturally have higher levels of vitamin D, although diet and other environmental factors can still affect those levels. 

This type of analysis called Mendelian randomization study is like a genetic simulation of a randomized controlled trial, the “gold standard” for clinical research. Researchers found that people who have one of these variants - who are more likely to have higher vitamin D levels didn’t have a lower risk for coronavirus infection, hospitalization, or severe illness due to COVID-19.

Dr. Martin Kohlmeier, a professor of nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, said “If you feed somebody a vitamin D supplement, it doesn’t matter how much you change the bound amount, it’s how much you change the free amount that matters for innate immunity.” The problem, he explained, is that the genetic variants used in Mendelian randomization studies of vitamin D are mainly related to the gene-binding protein for vitamin D.

Another study that was published February 17 in the journal JAMA, was carried out in Brazil. Where doctors gave patients COVID-19 patients a single oral dose of 200,000 IU of vitamin D, which is a very high dose, one that should only be taken under medical supervision or an inactive placebo. Researchers found that the large dose of vitamin D had no effect on patients’ length of stay in the hospital.

Dr. David Meltzer, a professor of medicine at The University of Chicago Medicine and his colleagues did their own analysis of the data from this study. They found that for people with low vitamin D levels, there was no effect of vitamin D levels on COVID-19 outcome. But it was a different story for people who entered the hospital with higher levels. The people with high vitamin D who were given additional vitamin D actually did better. 

Like Kohlmeier, Meltzer thinks it’s important to test the effect of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 risk, rather than just look at the levels in the blood. The vitamin D intake that you have on a daily basis or the amount you produce through sun exposure probably matters to some degree, he said, independently of your blood levels.

The results from these studies, which may not be available until later this year may provide a better idea of whether vitamin D can prevent respiratorily infections such as COVID-19.

Benefits of Olive Oil For Dry Skin

Olive Oil For Dry Skin

Benefits Of Olive Oil: Get rid of that flaky and dry skin with the goodness of olive oil

Benefits of Olive Oil For Dry Skin 

One of the best kept beauty secrets in Italy is olive oil, which is used in everything, from kitchen recipes to beauty products. When we talk about any skin type, it's essential to know which ingredient works best for each skin type. Dry skin is equally sensitive as any other skin type. When it comes to choosing ingredients for dry skin, olive oil is one pick that can work like magic for people with dry skin. Olive oil has endless benefits which help in healing the skin. Olive oil is loaded with nutrients and is a natural humectant that attracts moisture to dry skin. Olive oil contains numerous antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin K and other wonderful ingredients that also offer anti-aging benefits. It works as a natural moisturizer for the skin, olive oil is one beauty ingredient that we definitely need in our skincare regimen. And to help you with that, here's a guide on all the benefits of olive oil for dry skin.

Doctor Killed the Patient and then makes the patient alive

Doctor Killed the Patient and then makes the patient alive

Now the doctor can make death patience alive. Don’t worry if you have a serious injury, a heart attack, or a serious head injury. You can be saved even after death. 10 patients have been successfully getting their life back. Doctors at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore, USA, has done this amazing thing. The report of the experiment was published in the New Scientist magazine. The test was performed by Dr.Samuel Tisherman, MD, professor of Surgery and director of the Division of Critical Care and Trauma Education, and his surgical team. According to the doctors, many people brought to the hospital with critical injuries and few are saved due to lack of time. In this situation, patients are made to be dead for this doctor gets the time to save people. This technique is called Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation or EPR.

According to EPR techniques, the severely injured are kept at 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. The blood of the whole body is replaced by saline. The blood is removed and stored in a safe place. The brain then stops working. In this case, the person goes to the dead. After 2 hours of treatment, the patient's body is again kept at a temperature of 36 degrees Celsius, and blood is released into the body. With the help of heat, the patient's body begins to function and the blood reaches the brain. In this way, patients improve slowly and return to normal condition, and get recovered.