Girls who eat a lot of meat begin having their period at an earlier age than other girls, finds a new study.
U.K. researchers looked at the diets of more than 3,000 12-year-old girls and found that eating a lot of meat at age three (more than eight portions a week) and age seven (12 portions) was strongly associated with early periods, BBC News reported.
A meat-rich diet in childhood may prepare the body for pregnancy, thus triggering an early period, wrote study leader Dr. Imogen Rogers, senior lecturer in human nutrition at the University of Brighton, and colleagues.
The average age at which girls experience their first period fell dramatically during the 20th Century and it’s “plausible” that the trend may be linked with increased meat consumption, Dr. Ken Ong, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Medical Research Council in the U.K., told BBC News.
The study appears in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
Signs of newborn Jaundice
Jaundice in newborn babies occurs when a yellow pigment called bilirubin builds up in the blood. The pigment is a normal byproduct of the body’s destruction of old red blood cells. Removal of bilirubin is the liver’s job.
Symptoms of jaundice often include yellowed skin and eyes.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says risk factors for developing symptoms of jaundice include:
- Having a sibling who required light therapy to treat jaundice.
- High levels of bilirubin in the blood.
- Being fed only breast milk, especially for a large baby.
- Having a red blood cell disease.
- Being of East Asian ancestry.
When to see a doctor for a knee injury
Injuries to the knee -- the body’s largest joint -- lead to more than 19 million visits to the doctor each year, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says.
While not all knee injuries are serious, the academy says these warning signs should prompt a trip to the doctor:
- Your knee made a popping sound and feels like it “gave out” when you hurt it.
- You have significant pain in the knee.
- You are unable to move the knee.
- You limp when you walk.
- Your knee is swollen.
Who’s at greater risk of hip fracture?
A hip fracture can be a very serious injury. People who break a hip are up to 18 percent more likely to die within a year that other people their age, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says.
While some factors are beyond your control, there are things you can do to reduce your risk. The academy offers this list of things that increase your risk of hip fracture:
- Being 65 or older.
- Being female.
- Having a family history of fractures in older age, especially for Asians and whites.
- Having a slender, slim body type.
- Not getting enough dietary calcium.
- Drinking too much alcohol or smoking.
- Having impaired eyesight, arthritis or poor balance.
- Taking certain medications that may make you dizzy or weak.
- Having some forms of dementia.
Keep fingers and toes fungi-free
A fungal infection of the fingernails or toenails can make them hard, brittle and discoloured.
To avoid a fungal infection, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these nail-care suggestions:
- Keep nails trimmed, with thick areas filed down.
- If you have an infection, use different files or cutters on the infected ones to avoid spreading the problem.
- If you have to submerge your hands in water, wear waterproof gloves to keep hands dry.
- Make sure socks are made of 100 percent cotton. Put on a clean pair every day, and change them when socks become damp and sweaty.
- Sprinkle socks with an anti-fungal foot powder, and make sure your toes have plenty of wiggle room inside your shoes.
- Don’t walk barefoot in public places, especially in locker rooms.
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