Brussels: According to a study, women who eat bananas, avocados, and salmon may be able to lessen the detrimental effects of salt in their diet (ESC).The findings of the research were published in the journal 'European Heart Journal'.The study discovered that potassium-rich meals were related to reduced blood pressure, especially in women who consumed a lot of salt. "It is well known that high salt consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and a raised risk of heart attacks and strokes," said study author Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the Netherlands."Health advice has focused on limiting salt intake but this is difficult to achieve when our diets include processed foods. Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine. In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women."The study included 24,963 participants (11,267 men and 13,696 women) in the EPIC-Norfolk study, which recruited 40 to 79-year-olds from general practices in Norfolk, UK, between 1993 and 1997. The average age was 59 years for men and 58 years for women. Participants completed a questionnaire on lifestyle habits, blood pressure was measured, and a urine sample was collected.Urinary sodium and potassium were used to estimate dietary intake. Participants were divided into tertiles according to sodium intake (low/medium/high) and potassium intake (low/medium/high). The researchers analysed the association between potassium intake and blood pressure after adjusting for age, sex and sodium intake. Potassium consumption (in grams per day) was associated with blood pressure in women - as intake went up, blood pressure went down.When the association was analysed according to sodium intake (low/medium/high), the relationship between potassium and blood pressure was only observed in women with high sodium intake, where every 1 gram increase in daily potassium was associated with a 2.4 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure. In men, there was no association between potassium and blood pressure.During a median follow-up of 19.5 years, 13,596 (55 per cent) participants were hospitalised or died due to cardiovascular disease. The researchers analysed the association between potassium intake and cardiovascular events after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, sodium intake, use of lipid-lowering drugs, smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes and prior heart attack or stroke. In the overall cohort, people in the highest tertile of potassium intake had a 13 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those in the lowest tertile.&nbsp;When men and women were analysed separately, the corresponding risk reductions were 7 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. The amount of salt in the diet did not influence the relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events in men or women.Professor Vogt said: "The results suggest that potassium helps preserve heart health, but that women benefit more than men. The relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events was the same regardless of salt intake, suggesting that potassium has other ways of protecting the heart on top of increasing sodium excretion." The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume at least 3.5 grams of potassium and less than 2 grams of sodium (5 grams of salt) per day.2 High potassium foods include vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, dairy products and fish. For example, a 115-gram banana has 375 mg of potassium, 154 grams of cooked salmon has 780 mg, a 136-gram potato has 500 mg, and 1 cup of milk has 375 mg.Professor Vogt concluded: "Our findings indicate that a heart-healthy diet goes beyond limiting salt to boosting potassium content. Food companies can help by swapping standard sodium-based salt for a potassium salt alternative in processed foods. On top of that, we should all prioritise fresh, unprocessed foods since they are both rich in potassium and low in salt."&nbsp;—ANI

According to a study, women who eat bananas, avocados, and salmon may be able to lessen the detrimental effects of salt in their diet (ESC).

Women Encouraged To Eat Potassium-Rich Meals To Improve Heart Health: Study

Moscow: India is considering resuming purchases of Russian wheat with the aim of processing and re-exporting it, the TASS news agency reported.
This is reportedly seen as a way for India to increase its own exports, RT reported.
New Delhi previously bought wheat from Ukraine, Russia, and Australia but has currently stopped importing grain, according to the source. The decision to halt the purchases was said to have nothing to do with the ongoing military conflict.
"Starting from 2018, India launched a state programme on boosting national exports and sharply limited agricultural imports in order to support domestic producers," the source told Tass, adding that since then his country had completely stopped the imports of wheat and yellow peas.&nbsp;
Instead, India is reportedly looking to establish joint ventures in the country to process Russian wheat into flour and other goods, such as pasta, and resell them to the neighbouring countries. It may also import goods manufactured in Russia that are ordered by Indian retailers, according to the outlet.
The source told the agency that in the financial year of 2017-2018, overall volumes of wheat imported by India were worth $364.5 million. Russia's share of that came in at $86.87 million, while Ukraine and Australia accounted for a respective $148.93 million and $125.63 million.&nbsp;
—IANS

India is considering resuming purchases of Russian wheat with the aim of processing and re-exporting it, the TASS news agency reported. This is reportedly seen as a way for India to increase its own exports, RT reported.

 India looking to process and resell Russian wheat to boost its own exports

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Sunday ordered border security to ensure 'fast' Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions that are now under the control of Moscow, TASS, a Russian News Agency reported. in his address on the occasion of Border Guards Day, Putin said, "Securing the border in close proximity to the field of operations is a separate and very important task. At the same time, it is vitally important to ensure fast movement of both military and civil vehicles and cargo, including food, humanitarian aid, and construction materials on their way to new constituent entities of the Russian Federation - the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, and the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions." Putin also noted the necessity of close cooperation between border guards and other units of the Federal Security Service, the Armed Forces and the National Guard of the Russian Federation, as well as regional government bodies, reported TASS. "I have great confidence in you, your professionalism and bravery, and know that you will do everything in your power to securely protect our Motherland's borders from any threat," Putin emphasized. Meanwhile, Ukraine officials said that a wave of Russian drone attacks on the capital Kyiv left one person dead and sparked fires around the city, CNN reported on Sunday.  Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitshko said Ukrainian air defence forces had "already intercepted more than 20 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)" heading toward the capital and warned that "a new wave of drones is on its way." The Ukrainian Air Force said later that 54 Iranian Shahed drones had been launched by Russia overnight and that 52 of them had been destroyed by Ukrainian forces, as per the report in CNN. "The enemy launched another overnight attack on military facilities and critical infrastructure in the country's central regions, specifically Kyiv Oblast. Near the zone Air Command 'Center', most of the attack drones were destroyed!" the air force said in a Twitter post. A 41-year-old man died in the city's Solomyanskyi district following the attacks, while falling drone debris at a gas station injured a 35-year-old woman, Mayor Klitshko said. Falling drone debris also sparked fires in buildings across the capital, the mayor said on Telegram, reported CNN. (ANI)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Sunday ordered border security to ensure 'fast' Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian

Putin orders border security to ensure "fast movement" into Ukraine

Jan 01: Parts of Sakhalin island's western coast, the mainland Primorsk and Khabarovsk regions which are situated close to Japan on Russia's Pacific seaboard, are under threat of tsunami, Russia's news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing officials.
A massive earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck central Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami warning and advisories for residents to evacuate.  Russian media cited authorities in the Primorsk region port city of Vladivostok as saying that anyone sailing in local waters should "urgently return to the shore".
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/north-korea-issues-tsunami-warnings-after-massive-japan-quake" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/north-korea-issues-tsunami-warnings-after-massive-japan-quake</a>&nbsp;
TASS cited authorities in Sakhalin and Khabarovsk regions as saying that the wave would not be life threatening.  It also quoted Russia's emergencies ministries as denying earlier reports that an evacuation of the population of at-risk areas on Sakhalin was underway.
—Reuters

Parts of Sakhalin island's western coast, the mainland Primorsk and Khabarovsk regions which are situated close to Japan on Russia's Pacific seaboard

Russia declares tsunami warnings in far eastern regions

Washington DC: According to recent research by scientists from UCL, the University of Edinburgh, and the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology, potassium deficiency in agricultural soils poses a largely unknown but potentially serious threat to world food security if allowed unchecked. The study, published in Nature Food, found that more potassium is being removed from agricultural soils than is being added, throughout many regions of the world. It also gives a series of recommendations for how to mitigate the issue. Potassium is a vital nutrient for plant growth that helps with photosynthesis and respiration, the lack of which can inhibit plant growth and reduce crop yields. Farmers often spread potassium-rich fertilisers over their fields to replenish the depleted nutrient, but supply issues can inhibit its use, and there are lingering questions about its environmental impact. The researchers report that globally, about 20% of agricultural soils face severe potassium deficiency, with particular regions likely to experience more critical shortages, including 44% of agricultural soils in South-East Asia, 39% in Latin America, 30% in Sub-Saharan Africa and 20% in East Asia, largely due to more intensive agricultural practices. Co-author Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Geography) said: "Potassium is critical to sustaining the crop yields that keep the world fed, and its depletion poses a significant threat to the food security of millions of people around the world. This is an overlooked issue that needs to be addressed with a range of actions as the world population continues to grow." Farmers often rely on potash as a fertiliser to replenish their field's potassium, but the price of the mineral can be quite volatile. Potash production is highly concentrated, with just twelve countries dominating the nearly £12 billion international market for potassium fertilisers, with Canada, Russia, Belarus and China producing 80% of the world's total raw potash. The researchers highlight how in April 2022, the price of potash increased 500% above the previous year following a "perfect storm" of factors, including rising fertiliser demand, escalating fuel prices, recovery from the pandemic, a range of government actions around the world, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Belarus together export about 42% of the word's potash supply, but following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK, US, Canada and the EU imposed import sanctions on the two countries, disrupting global supplies and exacerbating the price spike. Since the initial price spike, the cost of potash has fallen by about 50%, but remains elevated, raising concerns that farmers will not be able to access sufficient fertiliser to maintain food supplies under the current system. Co-author Dr Peter Alexander of the University of Edinburgh said: "The volatility of potash prices has major implications across the global food system. Access to potassium is vital for farmers to maintain their crop yields, but the recent high cost of potash makes it more difficult for the most vulnerable to obtain." This market concentration and vulnerability is one of the reasons the researchers have called for better potassium management and a robust intergovernmental coordination mechanism. Currently there are no national or international policies or regulations governing the sustainable management of soil potassium akin to the systems that are being established for other vital crop nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. In 2021, global potash consumption reached 45 million tonnes, with global production projected to rise to about 69 million tonnes in 2025 with new projects starting up in Belarus, Canada, Russia, Australia, Eritrea and the UK. However, potash mining has raised human rights concerns and has significant impacts on the environment. Potash mining generates millions of tonnes of refuse mostly composed of sodium chloride salts, which can leach into soils and salinise soil and water tables, harming plants and animals. The impacts of potassium fertiliser runoff into local ecosystems are poorly understood, and the researchers recommend more study about its effects. Lead author Will Brownlie of the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology, said: "The environmental impact of potash mining and use in agriculture is something that needs greater scrutiny. There's much that we still don't understand about the effects that artificial potassium enrichment has on nearby ecosystems. By wisely handling nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium together, we can reap multiple benefits, prevent pollution, boost crop yields, and minimise nutrient loss. It's about coordinating our approach for better farming outcomes." The researchers put forward six recommendations for policies and practices to prevent potential crop yield declines, safeguard farmers from price volatility and address environmental concerns. The recommendations include: 1. Setting up a global assessment of current potassium stocks and flows to identify the most at-risk countries and regions. 2. Establishing national capabilities for monitoring, predicting and responding to potassium price fluctuations. 3. Helping farmers maintain sufficient soil potassium levels with further research about the yield implications of limited potassium in various crops and soils. 4. Evaluating the environmental effects of potash mining and developing sustainable application practices. 5. Developing a global circular potassium economy that minimises the use and maximises the reuse and recycling of the nutrient. 6. Increasing intergovernmental cooperation through the UN and other agencies to develop global policy coordination akin to what's been developed for nitrogen. —ANI

According to recent research by scientists from UCL, the University of Edinburgh

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Women Encouraged To Eat Potassium-Rich Meals To Improve Heart Health: Study

Inam Ansari

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Women Encouraged To Eat Potassium-Rich Meals To Improve Heart Health: Study

Inam Ansari

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