Briefly Speaking

Drinking too much water is harmful

Water is one of the best healing elixirs for any ailment. It helps flush out toxins that may be harmful for your body and keep it going. While drinking eight to 10 glasses of water every day may be advised by many health experts, there is a chance that over-consumption of water may lead to certain problems. According to old guidelines published in the Clinical journal of Sport Medicine, you should drink water only when you are thirsty in order to avoid exercise associated hyponatremia. According to these guidelines, drinking excess water is not good for your health as it weakens the ability of the kidneys to excrete excess water load and sodium in the body becomes diluted. This further leads to swelling in the cells, which can be life threatening. As per Dr. Shikha Sharma, Wellness and Nutrition Expert in New Delhi, consuming too much water indicates improper functioning of kidneys. Consuming water more than required can lead to overload on the cardiac muscles and can lower down the blood pressure.

Zika threat in indian mosquitoes

Zika virus is an emerging threat unless contained especially in areas where the vector Aedes aegypti mosquito is in large numbers, including India. At Pune’s National Institute of Virology, scientists have demonstrated in their study how Indian mosquitoes, when infected with African strain of the zika virus (ZIKV), can easily transmit the infection to suckling mice. In their study published on March 29 this year in Intervirology, a team of scientists from National Institute of Virology, National Jalma Institute of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial diseases and others research institutes have shown how the Indian Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya viruses is  susceptible to the virus.

Painkillers unsafe in pregnancy

Think twice before taking painkillers during pregnancy as researchers have found that they could affect the fertility of the unborn child in later life. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, showed that these drugs could affect the fertility of both unborn boys and girls. They may also affect the fertility of future generations, by leaving marks on DNA, said the study which adds to a growing body of evidence that certain medicines, including paracetamol, should be used with caution during pregnancy. “We would encourage women to think carefully before taking painkillers in pregnancy and to follow existing guidelines — taking the lowest possible dose for the shortest time possible,” said lead researcher Rod Mitchell from University of Edinburgh in Britain.