Sunny Health

Getting sufficient, good-quality sleep in a fast-paced society is a challenge, more so if it is hampered by nightly disruptions by a full bladder. Many people who suffer from this mild disturbance may shrug it off as a mild disturbance and attribute it to drinking too much water before bedtime, or to ageing. However, it could be an indication of potentially serious health issues. Moreover, frequent disruption of sleep can eventually lead to problems arising from poor sleep quality.

According to a study by the Nagasaki University in Japan, a high salt intake could be the reason for these nightly trips to the loo. While larger studies will have to be conducted to further validate the results, it is no news that a diet high in sodium intake is bad for general health in any case and should be avoided. Certainly, kidneys and excess sodium do not get along with each other, and excess sodium intake is often a recipe for kidney stones and kidney disease.

If you often dine out or consume processed foods (i.e. canned food, preserved food, instants, basically food that was made to be kept and is not fresh like bacon and ham), your sodium intake may well be on the high side. The good news is that reducing sodium intake isn't difficult.

The most obvious tip would be to cut down on the processed foods. Food is usually processed not only for better taste, but also for a longer shelf life. A far-off expiry date is often a pretty good indication that a lot of preservatives have gone into its preservation, which means it would have high sodium content.

Always read the food labels; they will list the sodium content. Compare and contrast products from different brands and get the one with the lowest sodium content. In Singapore, the healthier choice label is a pretty reliable indicator and you may count on it to help you make an informed choice. Nevertheless, the label does state "healthier choice", not "healthy choice". So just because a certain brand of cup noodles has the label does not mean you can make healthy daily meals out of it! It simply means it is healthier compared to other cup noodles.

Taste isn't an accurate indicator of sodium content. A product that isn't particularly salty does not necessarily equate to low sodium levels. Food labels are your best friend!

If you're eating out, do some research on the sodium content of the eatery's dishes. The eatery's website may carry information on the ingredients and nutrition content. With more Singaporeans being health-conscious these days, more eating places are becoming upfront about the contents in their food. There are also some that will highlight healthier dishes or let you choose to have less salt and sugar in your meal.

Do consume more fresh fruit and vegetables, these always have much lower natural sodium compared to meat.

For those who adore salty food, everything may taste bland when you embark on your less-salt diet. However, taste preferences can be quickly unlearned. It takes about 2 months for your taste buds to get used to it. Eventually, you'll start finding your old salty favourites too salty for you, and that's good news for your kidneys, and quite possibly the solution to deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Last week, a study released by the National University of Singapore declared that tea can prevent Alzheimer's disease, commonly known as dementia. With dementia becoming increasingly common, and its devastating symptoms, this is certainly a welcome piece of news. Is it really reliable though? The study was after all, only conducted on 950 seniors aged 55 years and above for seven years.

Results indicated that regular consumption of tea lowers risk of cognitive decline by 50 per cent. Those who genetically at risk of developing dementia may experience up to 86 per cent reduction in their risk of getting dementia.

The even better news is that this is in fact not the first time that such a study on the effects of caffeine has been conducted, and results have been consistent. According to Psychology Today, consumption of tea and coffee lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, which is a type of dementia, if you drink five to six cups of coffee per day for many years. Tea is found to have a better effect than coffee, though the difference between both is really minor. For reducing the chance of developing Alzheimer's, you'd just require at least two to three cups a day.

In fact, caffeine might not even be the substance that leads to the reduction in risk of dementia, for both beverages also contain biologically active substances like trigonelline and pyrogallic acid and antioxidants chlorogenic, coumaric, ferrulic, and sinapic acids and silverskin. These are all healthy substances.

The catch is that you should be drinking tea brewed from tea bags, and coffee brewed from coffee beans. So instants and fancy drinks like mocha might not really count due to the added number of numerous other substances.

Then there is also another study done in the UK, whereby those who drank two or three cups of black tea a day were less than half as likely to have early signs of dementia as those who never or rarely drank it. The article said that it was polyphenols in tea that had a beneficial effect against dementia, and green tea happens to be rich in these. It is assumed that Polyphenols work against dementia by preventing oxidation of brain cells, and blocking the build up of brain deposits. This study, however, states that coffee has no effect against dementia.

 So why aren't healthcare institutions and authorities encouraging the consumption of more tea?

The Alzheimer's Society in the UK warns against taking these studies at face value. The studies are often only done on a specific group of people, and media often exaggerates the impact.The best way to research the impact of tea on Alzheimer's is to have a randomnised controlled trial. Participants would be randomly split into two groups, one that drinks tea regularly, and one that doesn't, and they will be monitored over time. This is the only way to accurately determine the cause and effect. To date, there has been no such study done, despite numerous observation studies on caffeine and tea.
That is certainly a damper. But in any case, tea and coffee, especially tea, are generally harmless and far healthier beverages than soda and alcohol. There is no harm in drinking some tea everyday, as long as you don't do so before bedtime when it could cause insomnia. Green tea especially is renowned for a myriad of health benefits, from weight loss to bringing down cholesterol. Who knows, perhaps there is some truth in those studies.

Many women suffer from a certain degree of pain during their periods. If you have been relying on Panadol Menstrual to relieve your period pains, you may be devastated, like me, to find that it has been discontinued. And as I am allergic to NSAIDS, other popular painkillers for period pains, like nurofen and ibuprofen are out of question.

Nevertheless, generic paracetamol works just as well for relieving muscle soreness and cramps from period pains, according to Professor Paul Ho from the pharmacy department in the National University of Singapore's science faculty. There is also Panadol Extra, which has an extra 65mg of caffeine for better pain relief of really bad cramps. However, if your cramps are so excruciating that they affect your work and daily activities, then it is advisable for you to see a doctor.

For those who have mild cramps and can tolerate them without medication, it is in your best interests to do away with painkillers. According to thehealthsite.com, prolonged use of ibuprofen/paracetamol may cause serious side effects such as bleeding disorders and damage to the liver. Other common side-effects include:

• Gastric problem
• Stomach pain
• Irregular heartbeat
• Tightening of the chest
• Dizziness
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhoea
• Nausea or vomiting

Incidentally, from the above list, a few are also common symptoms that accompany period cramps. So if you still experience some of these while the pain is alleviated, your painkiller could be responsible for it!

Here are some things that can give a little immediate relief for your period pains:

1) Heat has always proven to be good for soreness. In this case, a hot shower or soak in a warm bath, or a hot compress over your stomach are helpful.

2) Massage your lower abdominal area with light circular motions using your fingertips. Use medicated oil or tiger balm oil for better effect; the heat generated will come as a soothing relief.

3) Hot ginger tea is a popular home remedy and helps relief the bloated feeling that you may get. You can get instant ones at the supermarkets.

The reduce the intensity of menstrual cramps, you should incorporate more exercise in your daily regime. It does not have to be anything intensive. Even a daily walk or slow jog goes a long way in keeping your body healthy and relaxed.

If you are a smoker, then you should consider quitting smoking. Chemicals from cigarettes makes your blood composition thicker. It constricts your blood vessels, thus hindering blood flow and increasing the likelihood of pain during your periods.