Ever wondered why your grandmother used to tell you to have almonds daily? The answer lies in the simple reason that almonds are one of the healthiest super food you can ever get. They are encumbered with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and dietary fibres which are necessary for a healthy mind and body. Almonds are usually eaten raw, but people also use them as an ingredient in making salads.

So, we bring to you six best health benefits of almonds:

Regulates cholesterol: Regular consumption of almonds help maintain the cholesterol level as they help raise high density lipoproteins (HDL) or 'good' cholesterol levels and lower the amount of low density lipo proteins (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol levels.

Good for a healthy brain: If you want good memory, then consume at least four to five almonds daily as they help sharpen memory.

Skin care: Almond oil is used widely for skincare. The human skin tends to lose its essential oils due to the hectic city life and winter dryness. But a body massage done with almond oil works wonders for the skin by restoring its lost sheen.

Prevention of constipation: Almonds are a rich source of fibre. Thus, they help in preventing constipation and aid in proper bowel movement.

Protection against diabetes: Almonds control the unwanted rise in blood sugar and insulin levels after every meal we consume thereby serving as a protective wall against awful diseases.

Helps prevent Birth defects: Folic acid present in almonds play an important role in healthy growth of cells and tissues. Consuming almonds act as a strong defense system against birth defects. Therefore, these wonder nuts are very necessary for a healthy growth of the foetus.

Vitamin D is associated with a 50 per cent reduction in tooth decay, according to new research.

The new review of studies of children in several countries highlighted the potential role for vitamin D in helping to prevent tooth decay or dental caries.
The review, published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, encompassed 24 controlled clinical trials, spanning the 1920s to the 1980s, on approximately 3,000 children in several countries.

These trials showed that vitamin D was associated with an approximately 50 per cent reduction in the incidence of tooth decay.

In the trials Dr Philippe Hujoel from University of Washington reviewed, vitamin D levels in children were increased through the use of supplemental UV radiation or by supplementing the children`s diet with cod-liver oil or other products containing the vitamin.
The clinical trials he reviewed were conducted in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Austria, New Zealand and Sweden.
Trials were conducted in institutional settings, schools, medical and dental practices, or hospitals. The subjects were children or young adults between the ages of 2 and 16 years, with a weighted mean age of 10 years.

Hujoel`s findings come as no surprise to researchers familiar with past vitamin D studies.

According to Dr Michael Hollick, professor of medicine at the Boston University Medical Center, "the findings from the University of Washington reaffirm the importance of vitamin D for dental health".

"Children who are vitamin D deficient have poor and delayed teeth eruption and are prone to dental caries," he said.

"Whether this is more than just a coincidence is open to debate. In the meantime, pregnant women or young mothers can do little harm by realising that vitamin D is essential to their offspring`s health. Vitamin D does lead to teeth and bones that are better mineralised," Hujoel said in a statement.

While vitamin D`s role in supporting bone health has not been disputed, significant disagreement has historically existed over its role in preventing caries, Hujoel noted.
The American Medical Association and the US National Research Council concluded around 1950 that vitamin D was beneficial in managing dental caries.
The American Dental Association said otherwise - based on the same evidence. In 1989, the National Research Council, despite new evidence supporting vitamin D`s caries-fighting benefits, called the issue "unresolved".

Current reviews by the Institute of Medicine, the US Department of Human Health and Service and the American Dental Association draw no conclusions on the vitamin D evidence as it relates to dental caries.

Researchers have come up with a new drink that could not only help you lose weight, but could also treat epilepsy, diabetes and possibly even Alzheimer's, it has been revealed.

It might also be an incredible energy booster. When a group of international rowing champions took it, one of them beat a world record.

It's been developed by Kieran Clarke, professor of physiological biochemistry at Oxford University and head of its Cardiac Metabolism Research Group, at the behest of the U.S. Army.

Equally amazing is that the drink doesn't involve a new drug but contains something our bodies produce all the time.

This key ingredient is ketones the tiny, but powerful sources of energy our bodies make naturally when we start using up our fat stores for energy because there are no carbohydrates around.

We all have slightly raised ketone levels before breakfast because we haven't eaten for a while. And if you fast for a few days or go on an Atkins-type high-fat diet, your body will start pumping out ketones. They are nature's way of keeping you supplied with energy especially your brain and muscles.

The clever trick Professor Clarke has pulled off is to have found a way to make ketones in the lab. This means that instead of having to follow difficult you can just add ketones to a normal diet in the form of the drink.

It's a radical new approach, which flies in the face of more than 30 years of advice that a low-fat diet with lots of carbohydrates is the best way to lose weight, treat diabetes and protect your heart.

It also raises questions about the demonising of diets like Atkins, which are blamed for causing constipation and kidney failure.

Ketones are the reason why high-fat diets such as Atkins seem to work so well. Without the energy from carbohydrates, your body starts releasing stored fat, which the liver turns into ketones for energy.

The pounds drop off faster than with a low-fat diet because you are actively burning up stored fat. But there are other benefits of these ketogenic diets, as they are called. Blood sugar levels come down because you are eating hardly any carbohydrates.

In the first trial Professor Clarke has run on humans with diabetes, completed within the past few months, the effects were also impressive. In the week-long study, eight people with diabetes had three ketone drinks a day as well as their normal diet.

As with the rats, their weight dropped, but so did their glucose levels, cholesterol and the amount of fat in the blood. The amount of exercise they did went up as they had more energy. However, the study was small and as yet unpublished.

The Drink has its roots in ketogenic diets, which are designed to raise ketone production. One medical area where a very high-fat ketogenic diet is used as standard treatment is in childhood epilepsy.

Professor Clarke had been working on ketones as a high energy source for more than a decade when she approached DARPA, who funded the research that allowed her to discover a way to make ketones in the lab.

"No one had done it before," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"We called it DeltaG, which is the biochemical name for energy, but also has a military ring to it Delta Force and all," she said.

She tried the new compound on rats and found it boosted physical and mental performance.
But that wasn't all. The rats became much healthier. They lost body fat, had lower levels of triglycerides (fatty acids) in their blood and lower blood sugar levels. There were no signs of harmful side-effects.

So how does a drink that adds ketones help you lose weight if you're not burning fat to produce those ketones in the first place?

It is because ketones make you less hungry they damp down hunger centres in the brain. This means you eat less and so you have the same weight loss as on a high-fat diet.

Dietary minerals are inorganic elements necessary for building strong bones and teeth, blood, skin, hair, nerve function, muscle, metabolic processes; basically for overall maintenance of bodily functions.

Different amounts of these minerals are required on a daily basis. Those minerals that require higher intake are known as macro-minerals or major minerals and those that are needed in smaller amounts are known as micro-minerals or trace elements.

Minerals are found naturally in foods but sometimes supplements in the form of pills and foods which have been fortified and enriched with minerals can be taken under medical supervision to counter deficiency.

Macro minerals:

Calcium: It is needed for promoting strong bones, blood clotting, muscle contraction and the transmission of nerve signals. Excessive calcium may lead to stone formation and tissue hardening.

Calcium is found in dairy products like yogurt, cheese and milk; fishes like sardines, tuna and salmon and green vegetables like spinach, broccoli.

Adults age 19-50 need 1,000 milligrams/day and adults age 51 and up: 1,200 milligrams/day

Potassium: It is important for maintaining normal fluid balance and functioning of muscle and nervous system. It also helps in controlling blood pressure and reducing the risk of kidney stones.

Foods that are rich in Potassium are sweet potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, beans and legumes, green vegetables, yogurt, yellowfin tuna and soybeans.

An average adult needs 4,700 milligrams of potassium per day and breastfeeding women need 5,100 milligrams/day.

Magnesium: It helps in transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, carbohydrate metabolism and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

Magnesium deficiency symptoms include hyperexcitability, dizziness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, fatigue and irregular heartbeat.

Green leafy vegetables, avocados, bananas, legumes, tofu and other soy products, brown rice, beans, Brazil nuts, almonds and quinoa are good sources of magnesium.

Pregnant women require 350-360 milligrams/day; breastfeeding women: 310-320 milligrams/day; for adult men age 19-30: 400 milligrams/day; adult men age 31 and up: 420 milligrams/day; adult women age 19-30: 310 milligrams/day; adult women age 31 and up: 320 milligrams/day



Sodium: It is helpful in maintaining bodily fluid balance but the intake should be minimal as it raises blood pressure.

Tomatoes, pickled foods, table salt, salted meats, nuts, butter, and processed foods are good sources of sodium.

Adults from age 19-50 need 1500 milligrams/day, adults age 51-70: 1,300 milligrams/day and adults age 71 and up: 1,200 milligrams/day.

Chloride along with sodium helps in maintaining body fluid balance. It also aids digestion process.



Chloride is found in salt, tomatoes, rye, olives, egg yolk, coconut, milk products, green leafy vegetables, radish, lentils and rice.

Lack of it may cause loss of appetite, muscle weakness, lethargy, dehydration and alkalosis. High intake may lead to symptoms such as acid-base (pH) imbalance, fluid retention, and high blood pressure.

Phosphorus helps in bone growth, cell functioning and muscular activity. Deficiency can lead to weak bones or teeth, joint pain and stiffness, less energy and lack of appetite.

Foods rich in phosphorus are pulses, cereals, milk, eggs, meat and peas.

An average adult needs 700 milligrams/day; adults up to age 70: 4,000 milligrams/day; adults over age 70: 3,000 milligrams/day; pregnant women: 3500 milligrams/day; breastfeeding women: 4,000 milligrams/day.

Trace or micro minerals: Iron: It is necessary for the production of hemoglobin, myoglobin and many enzymes. Iron deficiency leads to anemia resulting in fatigue and lack of coordination of mind and body. Overdose of iron supplements can cause iron poisoning.

Foods like like red meat, eggs, beans, dried fruits like raisins, potato, broccoli, lentils and wheat are rich in iron.

Men in general need 8 milligrams/day; women age 19-50: 18 milligrams/day; women age 51 and up: 8 milligrams/day; pregnant women: 27 milligrams/day; breastfeeding women: 9 milligrams/day.

Zinc helps in maintaining the body`s immunity and nerve function and is important in reproduction. Lack of zinc in diet leads to a condition called Hypozincemia, wherein sufficient zinc is unavailable for metabolic needs.

Foods that are rich in Zinc are red meat, legumes like peas, beans and peanuts.

RDA for men is 11 milligrams/day; women: 8 milligrams/day; pregnant women: 11 milligrams/day; breastfeeding women: 12 milligrams/day.

Iodine: It regulates the functioning of thyroid gland which produces hormones essential for metabolic processes in the body.

Iodine deficiency causes goiter in which the thyroid gland becomes enlarged.
Foods rich in iodine are egg yolk, pineapple, citrus fruits, turnip, garlic, all sea foods, processed foods and iodized salt.

Adults: 150 micrograms/day; pregnant women: 220 micrograms/day; breastfeeding women: 290 micrograms/day.



Fluorine: It is important for the formation of strong teeth and stimulates the growth of bone.

Ground water, some sea fishes, toothpastes and mouth rinses contain fluorine. Excess fluorine is toxic.

Adult men need 4 milligrams/day; adult women (including pregnant and breastfeeding): 3 milligrams/day.

Manganese: Important in forming bones and enzyme functions. Deficiency may cause joint pain, inflammation, arthritis, bursitis and dermatitis.



Foods rich in manganese are beans and other legumes, tea, spelt grain, brown rice, spinach, pineapple, rye, soybean, thyme, raspberry, strawberry, garlic, squash, eggplant, cloves, cinnamon and turmeric.

Adult male requires 2.3 milligrams/day; adult women: 1.8 milligrams/day; pregnant women: 2.0 milligrams/day; breastfeeding women: 2.6 milligrams/day.

Selenium helps protect cells from damage and controls the activity of thyroid hormone. It can also prevent cancer.

Selenium in found in Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, fish like tuna, halibut, sardine, flounder, salmon; shellfish, meat, eggs, mushrooms, grains and onion.
Adults: 55 micrograms/day; pregnant women: 60 micrograms/day; breastfeeding women: 70 micrograms/day.

Chromium:It helps in regulating blood sugar levels and also metabolizes carbohydrates.

Foods rich in chromium are poultry, meat, fish, whole grain, cheese and brewer's yeast.

Adult women age 19-50 need 25 micrograms/day; adult women age 51 and up: 20 micrograms/day; pregnant women: 30 micrograms/day; breastfeeding women: 45 micrograms/day; adult men age 19-50: 35 micrograms/day and adult men age 51 and up: 30 micrograms/day.

Copper is important for the metabolism of iron and is used by the body to produce many redox enzymes.

Rich sources of copper are sea foods, mushroom, spinach, seeds, nuts, wheat bran cereals and whole grains.

An adult requires 900 micrograms/day; pregnant women: 1,000 micrograms/day; breastfeeding women: 1,300 micrograms/day.

Teens involved in activities such as music, drama and painting after school may become more depressed or sadder than peers who are not so inclined, says a new study.

"This is not to say that depression is a necessary condition for either a teen or an adult to become an artist, nor are we showing that participating in the arts leads to mental illness," said Laura N. Young, from Boston College, who led the study.

"However, previous research has revealed higher rates of mental illness symptoms in adult artists. We were interested in whether this association is present earlier in development," added Young, the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts reports.

While girls were more likely to take part in the arts after school and reported somewhat greater degree of blues than boys, the study found that both boys and girls involved in arts reported more depressive symptoms than those who were not involved in these extracurricular activities, according to a Boston statement.
Teens involved exclusively in sports were the least likely to report depressive symptoms. However, there was no difference in depressive symptoms between teens involved in the arts who also did sports and teens involved in the arts who did not also participate in sports.

This suggests that arts participation rather than a lack of sports participation was linked with depression, the authors said.

Researchers looked at US teens` involvement in art activities in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 using data from the US. Longitudinal Survey of Youth, collected from 2,482 students aged between 15 and 16 years.