Older adults in developing countries who regularly eat fish seem to have a lower risk of dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among nearly 15,000 older adults living in China, India or one of five Latin American countries, the odds of having dementia generally declined as fish consumption rose.

For each increase in participants' reported fish intake -- from never, to some days of the week, to most or all days of the week -- the prevalence of dementia dipped by 19 percent.

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Asthma and allergic bouts have considerably increased during the last couple of years. The Asthma statistics indicate a jump of 74% among children in the age group 5 to 14 years and 160% among the four-year olds, reveal the National Institute of Health. Apart from this, about one in every four U.S. children also suffers from allergy. A recent study has revealed that Spanish children, who eat minimum 40gms of fruity-vegetables, such as cucumber, tomatoes, green beans, eggplants, and zucchini, were less likely to develop Asthma and other respiratory disorders. Fruity-vegetables are grown from a blossom in the plant, which comes from seed.

A study, carried out on 500 Spanish children, in a period of seven years, in the Spanish Island of Menorca, was published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, also stating that those consuming more than 60gms of fish a day, were less likely to develop childhood allergies. In another study, conducted by the University of Crete, Greece, the Lead Author, Dr. Leda Chatzi, studied children below six years of age, and noted that there was specific evidences of dietary effects, and that other groups, such as bread, meat and diary, provides the same protective effect, along with fruits and vegetables.

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Saffron the common spice used in Indian, Spanish and Italian cuisine (also called the golden spice) has now been found to prevent loss of eye sight in old age, according to a new Australian study. The researchers at the University of L’Aquila in Italy, and Sydney University in Australia, found that eating saffron on a daily basis helps in protection against some common forms of blindness, by making the delicate eye cells more resilient against the disease.

The study carried out in animals, confirmed that a diet containing saffron can protect eye from damage caused by bright sunlight, and slow down the progress of genetic diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa. The researchers also found that saffron had a beneficial effect in humans suffering from age-related macular degeneration, one of the most common forms of blindness in old age.

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A natural supplement extracted from tomatoes can help protect against heart diseases and stroke, says a new study. The active ingredient in the tomato pill, lycopene, helps in blocking bad LDL cholesterol, which clog the arteries.

Ateronon, made by a biotechnology spin-out company at Cambridge University, is being launched as a dietary supplement and will be made available in markets shortly. About a dozen preliminary trials have been conducted on about 150 people suffering from heart disease. Ateronon has the ability to reduce oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to zero level within eight weeks time, it has been found.

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Yogurt is made by adding culture of bacteria to milk. The bacteria consume sugar in the milk, and excrete lactic acid, which curdles the milk. Yogurt contains active cultures or live bacteria, with organisms such as Lacto-bacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacilluys bulgaricus, known as pro-biotics brimming with health benefits that protect the body from harmful bacteria.

Hence, it is a good idea to store fresh yogurt in the refrigerator. Although yogurt has been long considered to be a multi-purpose healer, it is only during the last two decades that researchers have discovered the real benefits of yogurt.

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