Isabel Rangel Baron – The virus that threatens Latin America

What is mayaro?

Mayaro is the new virus that concerns scientists. According to the World Health Organization, this virus is transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that spreads dengue, zika, and chikungunya.

The symptoms of mayaro are similar to those of chikungunya. These include fever, joint pain, dizziness, and headache. For this reason, doctors can confuse mayaro with chikungunya.

Recently, researchers from the University of Florida announced a case of hemorrhagic fever similar to chikungunya. The case was registered in Haiti, and it is the first case in this country.

Isabel Rangel Baron – Mayaro’s symptons

The virus was first detected in 1954, but until now just some outbreaks had been registered in the Amazon and surrounding areas such as Brazil and Venezuela. Experts considered that this case could be a signal that the virus is spreading in the Caribbean.

Doctor John Lednicky, from the investigating team at the University of Florida explained that “there is no any symptom that distinguishes chikungunya from the fever of mayaro.”

Patients with mayaro experienced the rash and joint pain. The symptoms seem to be a case of zika or chikungunya, but the medical tests revealed it is a case of mayaro.

“We do not know if this is a new virus or if it is a new strain of different types of virus. What concerns is that the virus detected in Haiti is genetically different from those detected in Brazil, added doctor Lednicky.

The case of mayaro was found in an eight-year-old boy from a rural area in Haiti. The child presented symptoms of fever and abdominal pains, but not rash or conjunctivitis, which are associated to chikungunya.

This new virus is  concerning because the Matthew hurricane that affected Haiti could spread the mosquitoes responsible for the virus throughout the Caribbean.

The virus was originally transmitted by mosquitoes from the Amazon forest, and only affected the people from that area. But in the case of chikungunya, the virus changed and is affecting people from urban areas.

-Isabel Rangel Baron

Important! Do you eat enough proteins?

5 signals you need to eat more proteins

Proteins are essential in our daily diet. The muscles, ligaments, skin, hair, and nails are mainly composed of proteins, which are set up in chains of amino acids.

Proteins contributed to the tissue repair, the oxygenation of the organism and the immune system. Also, they provide energy.

Muscular aches, lack of energy and hair loss are signals that could indicate you are not eating enough proteins. If the body does not receive the necessary amount of proteins to its normal functioning, warning signals will appear.

Isabel Rangel Baron – Proteins are esential to stay healthy

1. Fatigue

Excessive fatigue is the first signal of a protein deficit. The fatigue appears because the person has a low-calorie diet and the body does not have enough energy to do the daily activities.

2. Weakness on hair and skin

The hair and its follicles are made of proteins.  For this reason, a protein deficit can produce hair loss or weak hair  because proteins maintain it healthy and make it grow.

The nails and skin also depend on proteins to its regeneration. The skin is composed by three proteins: collagen, elastin, and keratin. The skin could loose strength if we do not eat enough proteins.

3. Loss of muscle mass

A protein deficit reduces the muscle mass, which avoids doing physical activity as usual. At an advanced level, this could lead to cramping of muscles.

There is an amino acid that maintains the muscle mass. It is called L-Leucine and is mainly found in food from animal origin. Also, it is found in soybean, nuts, and seeds.

4. Getting sick frequently

 Proteins contribute to the functioning of the immune system. If we have a low-protein diet, we are exposed to infections and colds.

5. Gas and constipation

The amino acids are essential to have a proper digestion. A lack of proteins is associated with digestive problems.

For those who follow a vegan diet, products such as soybean, quinoa, and lentils are good to obtain the essential amino acids.

Isabel Rangel Baron – Veganism and its potential risks to health

Nowadays the word “veganism” has become very popular. Veganism refers to the diet free from animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese. Veganism also refers to a lifestyle where the animals and nature are respected.

Veganism is on the rise. In the UK, the number of vegans has increased 350% in the last decades. Experts are concerned by this situation because a poorly designed vegan diet can cause potential risks to health.

Isabel Rangel Baron – Vegan diet based on vegetables

 

Many people are following a vegan diet just for fashion. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, and Gwyneth Paltrow adopted this diet. “People see Gwyneth Paltrow’s pictures and a bowl full of pomegranates, and they want to do the same. It is like being in the latest fashion, but the person is putting in danger health in the long-term”, explained Catherine Collins, a member of the British Association of Dietetics.

Some vegans go further and adopt a raw vegan diet, which is basically not cooking the vegetables. This practice could even kill you if not done properly.

People who support veganism affirm this diet has many health benefits. However, dieticians say a vegan diet means not consuming enough proteins, vitamins, and nutrients needed for health.

“If someone decides to adopt a vegan diet, it must have enough knowledge about it. When a food group is removed from the daily diet; in this case, those from animal origin, it is very difficult to gain nutrients through vegetables”, explained Jesus Roman, the president of the Spanish Society of Dietetics and Food Science.

Isabel Rangel Baron

Isabel Rangel Baron – Beans

Proteins help to build and maintain the muscles, organs, skin and bones. Vegans need to eat products such as nuts, legumes, and whole grains to obtain enough proteins in their daily diets. Vitamin B-12 is essential for the normal brain functioning and for having healthy red cells. This vitamin is found only in products from animal origin. “Vegans must take Vitamin B-12 supplements to survive for a long time”, said Jesus Roman.

If you want to follow this diet, make sure you go to a dietician who will indicate you how to eat properly without endangering your health.

Karoshi: death by overwork

Karoshi is a Japanese word that means death by overwork. Japanese people are known for being hard workers. They work long hours and most of the time they don’t get enough rest. This lifestyle had generated hundreds of deaths associated with heart attacks, strokes, and suicides. Karoshi was recognized by the Japanese government in the 80s, when the health ministry realized that many workers had died due overworking.

According to the Japanese Labour Ministry, in 2015 over 2,310 people died for medical, emotional, and psychological disorders derived from karoshi. However, The National Defense Council for Victims of Karoshi claimed the true figure can reach 10,000 victims per year.

A Japanese survey supported by the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, determined about 10.8 percent of companies have employees who work 80 to 100 hours per month.  Another 11.9 percent of companies have employees working more than 100 hours of overtime.

Isabel Rangel Baron – Karoshi syndrome

 

A person who works more than 80 o 100 hours of overtime during consecutive months could die from karoshi. Many factors can cause the death by overwork, but the most common are stress and lack of sleep. Insomnia will not kill you immediately, but in the long-term can increase the risk of heart illnesses, disorders of the immune system, diabetes and some types of cancer.

The causes that could produce death by overwork are bad habits that people develop when they spend long hours in the office. These habits increase the possibilities of suffering from different diseases.

Nowadays, Karoshi is not a phenomenon that only affects Japanese. In 2015, statistics showed Mexico took the first place in overwork. People work 2,246 hours of overtime. In China, around 1,600 people died from guolaosi, the local term for karoshi.

Suicide is another problem derived from overwork. According to the Japan Times, 2,159 people committed suicide due to stress produced by overwork. If the Japanese government determines someone died for karoshi, the victim’s family receives compensation from the company and the government.

Isabel Rangel Baron . Death by overwrk