Dr. Ashima Jindal

Drinking in teenage years linked to memory problems and other health issues in later life.

• Binge drinking during teenage years could lead to thinning of certain areas of the brain causing problems with memory and other serious health implications later in life suggests a study.
• As per a recent study conducted by the oregon state university in the us, binge drinking is linked to shrinking of certain areas of the brain that are associated with memory, attention and language in teenagers. This, in turn, could lead to increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder later on in life.
• The researchers studied six parameters to determine the hazardous impact of heavy drinking on the brain in early years. These include response inhibition, working memory, verbal learning and memory, decision making and reward processing, alcohol cue reactivity, and socio-cognitive/socio-emotional processing,
• Teenage is a period where the brain is still undergoing biological and psychological behaviour development.
• Considering the fact that more and more teenagers are involved in binge drinking and heavy drinking, understanding the effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol on neural development and the impact on cognitive skills is very important.
• Binge or heavy episodic drinking is defined as four or more standard drinks within a two-hour drinking session for females and five or more drinks for males.
• As per the study, binge drinking among young people is associated with a thinning or reduction of areas of the brain that are known to play a key role in memory, attention, language, awareness and consciousness.
• This type of brain alteration in young life could lead to increased risk of alcohol use disorder in later years of life.

Know how Homeopathy helps to manage Childhood diseases

During the first few years of life, it's vital to meet nutritional needs in order to ensure proper growth and also to establish a lifelong habit of healthy eating.

Eating a meal should be both a healthy and enjoyable occasion- a fact that many parents overlook when planning a meal for their growing children. Instead of a fast meal (especially one short in nutritional value) that family members eat at different hours, mealtimes should promote family togetherness whenever possible. If mealtime is a pleasant event, children may practice healthful eating habits in later life.

• Do set a good example for your child to copy. Share mealtimes and eat the same healthy food.
• Do discourage snacking on sweets and fatty food. Keep plenty of healthy foods, such as fruits, raw vegetables, low-fat crackers, and yogurt, around for children to eat between meals.
• Do allow children to follow their natural appetites when deciding how much to eat.
• Do encourage children to enjoy fruits and vegetables by giving them a variety from an early age.
• Don't give slim or 1-percent fat milk to children under the age of 5 unless your doctor prescribes it; at this stage, children need the extra calories in whole milk.
• Do ask children to help prepare meals. If parents rely mostly on convenience foods, children may not learn to enjoy cooking.
• Don't add unnecessary sugar to drinks and foods.
• Don't accustom children to extra salt by adding it to food placing the shaker on table.
• Doon't give whole nuts to children under the age of 5, who may choke on them. Peanut butter and chopped nuts are fine as long as the child is not allergic to them.
• Don't force children to eat more than they want.
• Don't use food as a bribe.
• Don't make children guilty about eating any type of food.

Toothpicks can be an alternative to use for flossing if dental floss is not available. Remember not to be too harsh while using it.