As awareness spreads about the detrimental effects of oils on health, the focus has shifted to ghee. Not only is it used for cooking vegetables, but it is also being added to beverages. While adding a spoonful of ghee to your morning beverage can offer a range of health benefits, choosing between ghee tea and ghee coffee may come down to your personal health goals and preferences.

Understanding The Basics

Ghee Tea: This drink, inspired by Tibetan butter tea, combines tea with a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter). The result is a creamy, rich beverage that boasts several health benefits. Research published in the *Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine* links ghee to improved cardiovascular health, wound healing, and skin health.

Ghee Coffee: A variation of bulletproof coffee, ghee coffee blends coffee with ghee and sometimes coconut or MCT oil. Studies featured in *Current Developments in Nutrition* suggest that high-fat coffee beverages like ghee coffee can enhance satisfaction and cognitive function.

Benefits of Ghee Tea

1. Improves Digestion: Ghee's healthy fats and vitamins, combined with the antioxidants from tea, can promote digestive health and overall well-being.

2. Promotes Bowel Movement: The butyrate in ghee supports gut health and may help with regular bowel movements. Adding milk can further aid in preventing constipation.

3. Alleviates Period Pain: Ghee’s anti-inflammatory properties may reduce menstrual cramps and help regulate menstrual cycles.

4. Enhances Cholesterol Levels: Butyric acid in ghee helps increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol, improving overall cholesterol levels.

5. Acts as a Natural Lubricant: Ghee nourishes bones, joints, and muscles, potentially alleviating arthritis symptoms. Tea, especially black tea, can also provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Benefits of Ghee Coffee

1. Sustained Energy: The healthy fats in ghee slow down caffeine absorption, providing a steady release of energy without the typical caffeine crash.

2. Improved Mental Clarity: Ghee’s saturated fats, combined with caffeine, may enhance alertness and concentration.

3. Supports Gut Health: Ghee contains butyric acid, which can help reduce inflammation and support gut health.

4. Promotes Satiety: The fats in ghee can increase feelings of fullness, potentially aiding in weight management by curbing cravings.

Ghee Coffee vs. Ghee Tea: Which is Healthier?

The choice between Ghee Coffee and Ghee tea depends upon what benefit you want from it. Ghee Coffee is ideal for those looking for sustained energy and improved focus. It may also assist in weight management due to its appetite-suppressing effects. On the other hand, ghee tea is better suited for digestive health and hydration. Also, it supports gut function and may reduce inflammation.

Eating healthy and protecting your body from processed chemicals has been the goal of many people for the past few years. As more and more people are becoming aware of how junk and processed foods affect our health, they are changing their diet and making healthier choices. However, a point of concern for many people lies in their age. Does it make a difference, changing your diet later in life?

You can start protecting your brain health through your diet at any point in life, according to a new study. People who improved their healthy eating habits in middle age saw a 25% lower risk of developing dementia, compared to those whose diets got worse over time. These exciting findings were shared at a recent meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).

Researchers stated that the study's results confirm that healthy eating patterns in mid to late life, and improving those patterns over time, can help prevent Alzheimer's and related forms of dementia. This clearly suggests that it's truly never too late to adopt a healthy diet as a way to guard against dementia.

How the Study Was Conducted

For this important study, researchers looked at information from almost 93,000 adults who were part of a long-term health study. These people were between 45 and 75 years old when the study began in the 1990s. Over the years, more than 21,000 of them developed Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Everyone in the study filled out food questionnaires, which helped researchers see how closely they followed the MIND diet.

The MIND diet is a special eating plan that combines the best parts of two other healthy diets: the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (which helps lower blood pressure). Both of these diets are known to make people healthier. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the MIND diet focuses on eating more whole grains, vegetables, nuts, beans, berries, chicken, and fish. It also suggests eating less pastries, sweets, red meat, cheese, fried foods, and butter.

Significant Drop In Risk And Visible Changes

The study found that people who followed the MIND diet from the start had a 9% lower chance of getting dementia. Even better, there was a 13% bigger drop in risk for Black, Hispanic, and white people. The researcher noted that healthy eating helped these groups more, but it wasn't as clear for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians. This suggests that advice about diet might need to be different for different groups of people.

Perhaps the most encouraging discovery was that people whose diets got closer to the MIND diet over 10 years had a huge 25% lower chance of getting dementia. This was true even if they didn't follow the diet perfectly at first. This really shows that making positive changes to your diet later in life can still have a big positive impact on your brain health.

Healthier Food Choices For Brain Health

Just like there's no magic pill for a sharp mind, no single food will keep your brain perfect as you age. Harvard Health Publishing says the best approach is to eat a generally healthy diet. This means focusing on lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains for overall brain health.

Green, Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli are packed with nutrients vital for your brain, such as vitamin K and folate. Studies suggest eating these greens can help slow down memory loss and keep your thinking sharp as you get older.

Fatty Fish

Fish like salmon and cod are full of omega-3 fats, which are healthy fats linked to lower levels of a protein that harms brains with Alzheimer's. Aim to eat fish at least twice a week, choosing options low in mercury like light tuna.

Berries

The bright colors in berries come from plant parts called flavonoids, which research shows can also improve memory. Eating berries like strawberries and blueberries regularly may help delay memory problems by a few years.

Tea and Coffee

The caffeine in your daily tea or coffee might do more than just wake you up. Studies suggest that people who consume more caffeine often score better on memory and thinking tests, and it might even help you remember new things.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats. Studies link eating walnuts to better scores on memory and thinking tests. They contain a special omega-3 fat that helps keep your blood pressure down and arteries clean, benefiting both your heart and brain.

The United States is already struggling with immense pressure on its health sector, with the rise in COVID-19 cases and ongoing measles outbreak. In another news, now Salmonella-tainted tomatoes in three southern states have caused severe illness and even death, warned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA has also updated the ongoing recall of tomatoes which have been distributed in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to Class I, which is the highest warning level, also reported in the New York Times.

What Does Class I Recall Mean?

Class I recall means that there is a reasonable change that using the product could lead to "serious adverse health consequences or death".

As per FDA, recalls are classified into three numerical designation, I, II, and III.

Class II recall is for a situation in which the use of or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequence is remote.

Class III is for a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.

Where Were These Tomatoes Distributed?

These tomatoes were distributed under the H&C Farms which were labelled between April 23 and 29. They were also sold in packages which had ranged from small three-pack to 25-pound boxes.

This was also reported in early May, however, at that time, there were no illness which had been recorded. Though now, the FDA says the risk is much more severe.

Shoppers are unlikely to find fresh tomatoes from the recalled batch still on shelves, according to the FDA.

However, The New York Times reports that salmonella can survive for weeks in dry conditions and even longer in wet or frozen environments—meaning contaminated tomatoes might still pose a risk if stored.

The exact source of the contamination remains unclear. Williams Farms Repack, the South Carolina distributor, and H&C Farms have both declined to comment.

Salmonella affects over a million people in the U.S. annually and causes more than 400 deaths, says the USDA. Symptoms typically include fever, diarrhea, and intense stomach pain, lasting several days.

Children under 5, seniors over 65, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk—but the FDA warns that even healthy individuals should avoid the recalled tomatoes.

What Is Salmonella?

As per the FDA, Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis. It can be spread by food handlers who do not wash their hands and/or the surfaces and tools they use between food preparation steps. It can also happen when people consume uncooked and raw food. Salmonella can also spread from animal to people.

FDA notes that people who have direct contact with certain animals, including poultry and reptiles can spread the bacteria from the animal to food if hand washing hygiene is not practiced.

Pets too could spread the bacteria within the home environment if they eat food contaminated with Salmonella.

What Are The Symptoms Like?

FDA notes that most people infected with Salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours of the infection, which lasts for about four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment.

Most people experience these following symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal Cramps

In severe cases of salmonella, you may experience:

• High fever
• Aches
• Headaches
• Lethargy
• A rash
• Blood in urine and stool

As per the CDC, each year, around 450 people die in the United States due to acute salmonellosis.

Seasonal allergies have been on the rise, affecting many people and their quality of life. The American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology explains that seasonal allergies, similar to other allergies, causes our immune system to overreact to something that is present in the environment, especially during spring season like pollen. Hay Fever is a common allergy that causes sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes. One of the causes of hay fever happens to be pollen producing plants, which when it comes in contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat can cause a reaction.

As hay fever season gets worse, lots of people are dealing with annoying symptoms. The pollen floating around from trees, grasses, and weeds can make you feel miserable. However, experts say that just by changing what you eat, you can find a lot of relief from sneezing, itchy eyes, and stuffy noses. This is because some foods can affect how much histamine your body makes, and histamine is the chemical that triggers your allergy symptoms.

Boost Your Diet with Allergy-Fighting Nutrients

According to Push Doctor, a prominent UK-based digital healthcare platform, certain natural compounds can help manage hay fever symptoms. They have also given a smoothie recipe that are effective "allergy-busting" smoothie recipe designed to be rich in beneficial compounds

Quercetin

This powerful flavanol has been shown to suppress histamine release. Incorporate foods rich in quercetin like green vegetables, apples, berries, and beans into your daily diet to potentially soothe symptoms and reduce allergic reactions.

Vitamins and Healthy Fats

Boosting your intake of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids can strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation. Consider adding more carrots, spinach, oily fish, and citrus fruits to your meals to help calm your hay fever.

Ingredients for the smoothie

Two bananas, two clementines, five dates, half an avocado, 120ml of almond milk, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Benefits of the smoothie

This quick and tasty smoothie is packed with quercetin and Vitamin C, both known to support immune health.

Foods to Avoid

While some foods can help your hay fever, others might actually make it worse. This is because they either contain histamine (the chemical that causes allergy symptoms) or they can make your body release more of it. It's best to limit or avoid things like alcohol, cured or smoked meats, cheese, nuts, and pickles. Also, be aware that some fruits might make your mouth tingle or swell if you have hay fever. This is a sign that your body is reacting to hidden allergens.

You might find some relief by drinking chamomile or nettle tea. These herbal teas have natural properties that can act like antihistamines and reduce swelling, helping to calm your body's allergic reaction.

Holistic Approach to Hay Fever Management

Changing what you eat is a great step, but it works even better when you combine it with other practical actions. To cut down on how much pollen you're exposed to and ease your symptoms, remember these tips: keep your windows closed, especially when pollen counts are high. Try to avoid gardening if you can. Rinse your hair often to get rid of any pollen caught in it. Don't forget to use regular hay fever treatments like antihistamines, nasal sprays, or eye drops when you need them. Finally, it's a good idea to wash your clothes and shower right away when you get home to remove any pollen that might have stuck to you throughout the day.