Family & Health
World Hijab Day: Muslims debate where the headscarf belongs
By Ilene Prusher | Correspondent | 04 Sept 2012
The roots of "World Hijab Day" were planted on this day in 2002, marking the day that France banned the wearing of the headscarf in schools. Ten years later, the presence of the veil in public life remains a lighting rod issue, from Europe to the Middle East to Asia.
Curry compound may curb diabetes risk: study
Source : Reuters | 30 Jul 2012
Supplements containing a compound found in curry spice may help prevent diabetes in people at high risk, according to a Thai study.
Researchers, whose results were published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that over nine months, a daily dose of curcumin seemed to prevent new cases of diabetes among people with so-called prediabetes - abnormally high blood sugar levels that may progress to full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Raising children with deen and dunya
By Hina Khan-Mukhtar | SeekersGuidance | 21 Jun 2012
I still vividly remember the first night I spent by myself in the hospital after delivering my eldest son Shaan. The guests were gone for the day, the hallway lights were dimmed, the nurses were speaking outside my room in muted tones.
“Knock, knock!” came a cheerful voice from the doorway. “Someone’s hungry and wants his mommy!”
Global Temperatures Rising on a Devastating Trajectory
By Stephen Leahy | IPS | 28 May 2012
Climate-heating carbon emissions set a record high in 2011, in a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year, the International Energy Agency reported this week. The main reason for this dangerous increase is that governments are failing to implement policies to prevent catastrophic increases of global temperatures.
Scientists turn skin cells into beating heart muscle
Source : Reuters | 22 May 2012
Scientists have for the first time succeeded in taking skin cells from patients with heart failure and transforming them into healthy, beating heart tissue that could one day be used to treat the condition.
The researchers, based in Haifa, Israel, said there were still many years of testing and refining ahead. But the results meant they might eventually be able to reprogram patients' cells to repair their own damaged hearts.
Study suggests lower death risk for coffee lovers
Source : Reuters | 17 May 2012
Older people who reported drinking a few daily cups of coffee were less likely to die over the subsequent 14 years than were those who abstained from the beverage or rarely drank it, according to a U.S. study of 400,000 people.
In particular, coffee was tied to a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, infections, injuries and accidents, the researchers said in a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fasting can help protect against brain diseases, scientists say
By Robin McKie | Guardian.co.uk | 18 Feb 2012
Fasting for regular periods could help protect the brain against degenerative illnesses, according to US scientists.
Tiny electrical shocks to the brain enhance memory: study
Source : Reuters | 10 Feb 2012
Lightly shocking a person's brain just before they learned a new task appeared to strengthen memory in a handful of patients with epilepsy, a tantalizing result that could have implications for Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
Pacemaker devices known as deep brain stimulators made by Medtronic and St. Jude Medical are already used to calm muscle tremors in patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, and are being tested for a host of other conditions such as treatment-resistant depression.
