Author: Bhavana Das

Activists from Greenpeace International, an environmental NGO, have launched a peaceful protest against deepsea mining. The company has accused the activists of disrupting their research expedition by boarding its vessel on the ship. As a result of the clash, the UN’s International Seabed Authority might expel Greenpeace from the group’s observer status. Greenpeace International has been a part of the UN body responsible for overseeing controversial deep-sea mining plans. Why Deepsea Mining? The protest is against a ship from The Metals Company (TMC) doing deepsea mining around the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) between Mexico and Hawaii. The company wants to…

Maintaining good gut health is crucial for digestion, breaking food into nutrients your body assimilates and averting digestive issues. Why is a healthy gut important?  The gut includes the stomach, intestines, and the colon. It is responsible for digestion, absorption of nutrients, and waste elimination in the body. “Gut health” refers to having a good mix of gut bacteria and avoiding digestive problems.  The large intestine contains around 200 types of bacteria, fungi, and viruses known as gut microbiome. These microorganisms in your body help break down the food into nutrients for the body to absorb.  Studies suggest a strong…

A new study reveals neurological disorders like stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease are the leading causes of illness globally, affecting around 3.4 billion people. The study published by The Lancet Neurology shows that the measurement known as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), i.e., the amount of disabilities, illnesses, and deaths, has increased by 18% over the past three decades. The number rises from 375 million lives lost in 1990 to 443 million in 2021. The researchers say several factors contribute to the increasing number of DALYs globally. Factors include population growth, increasing life expectancy, and more exposure to environmental and lifestyle…

World Sleep Day 2024 is celebrated annually to raise awareness about sleep and its impact on society, highlighting the benefits of sleep. This year it will take place on 15 March. The World Sleep Society organises the event to improve the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders to reduce its effects.  The theme of World Sleep Day 2024 is “Sleep Equity for Global Health.” Sleep equity enables people to access adequate sleep for overall well-being.  The differences in sleep health vary prominently across the globe, which creates a base for sleep disorders and health inequalities. Through awareness, World Sleep Day…

A recent Harvard study points out a healthy food crisis in India, mentioning around 6.7 million Indian children are starving. The study looks at the number of infants between six and 23 months who have not consumed food for a day. Though the study talks about the importance of breastfeeding, it mentions that breastfeeding itself is not sufficient to provide nutrition to infants or children. The study talks about ‘zero-food children’ sourcing data from various government sources and researching the number of children receiving food except breastfeeding for a day.  It has revealed some alarming results regarding the number of…

No Smoking Day is an annual event observed on the second Wednesday of March. In 2024, we will observe this day on 13 March. Initially, it originated in the United Kingdom in 1984. The day is marked significant as a campaign to raise awareness about tobacco control efforts and the need to quit smoking.  The Global Adult Tobacco Survey reveals that 28.6% of adults in India above 15 years use tobacco in any form. Given the health risks associated with tobacco use, such studies reveal how crucial it is to create greater awareness about the benefits of quitting smoking. Effects…

In this fast-paced digital world, where information flows at an overwhelmingly high speed, it brings in ways that affect your mental health more than ever before.  The term Popcorn Brain is becoming popular among GenZ these days. It refers to the constant shifts in one’s thoughts into another, similar to how popcorn pops in while making. Psychologists use this term to refer to the inability to focus on one task, which can be caused by anxiety, stress, or an information load from social media. Cause of Popcorn brain Experts say the leading cause of popcorn brain is the use of…

This Monday, the Karnataka government banned the use of food coloring agents in cotton candy and gobi manchurian. However, Karnataka’s Health Minister, Dinesh Gundu, has announced a complete ban on selling cotton candy and gobi manchurian. Artificial food colors contain chemicals like Rhodamine-B, Carmoisine, Tartrazine, and Sunset Yellow. The government has urged buyers to refrain from preparing food items using synthetic colors. “The artificial colors are harmful and unsafe,” says Dinesh Gundu. After Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Karnataka becomes the third stance to take such action. Why ban on Cotton Candy and Gobi Manchurian? The Public Health Department recently conducted…

A national-level summit on cervical cancer was held on 9th March 2024 to call #CervicalCancerMuktBharat. Organizations like ARTIST for Her, ECHO India, FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India), and HSSC (Healthcare Sector Skill Council) have come forward to gather policymakers, healthcare experts to spread the facts about the HPV vaccine. The discussion led to the conversation around taking preventive measures for cervical cancer by introducing the HPV vaccine. It also aims to make the vaccine affordable and accessible to the public, building skilled healthcare professionals and practical screening tests. The vaccine targets girls between 9 to 14…

In a pre-print published in bioRxiv- scientists dive into 50,000 years of history in Indian ancestry. The genome study reveals astonishing facts about the evolutionary relationships between Neanderthals and the present-day Indian population. It is yet to be peer-reviewed. India is home to extraordinary genomic diversity in people of 1.5 billion population. It comprises people of varying ethnicities, religions, castes, and languages. Despite being a collective of a diverse population, India is often backed out from representation genome studies. As a result, there are many unanswered questions about its evolutionary history. The study is South Asia’s most prominent modern whole…