12 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally

See all 12 foods that can improve your cholesterol.

 

 

1. Oats

If you’re looking to lower your cholesterol, the key may be simply changing your morning meal. Switching up your breakfast to contain two servings of oats can lower LDL cholesterol by 5.3% in only 6 weeks. The key to this cholesterol buster is beta-glucan, a substance in oats that absorbs LDL, which your body then excretes.
Heart-healthy breakfast: Banish bland oats with this Blueberry Almond Oatmeal recipe from Flat Belly Diet.

2. Red wine

High-fiber Tempranillo red grapes, used to make red wine like Rioja, may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. When individuals consumed the same grape supplement found in red wine, their LDL levels decreased by 9%. In addition, those who had high cholesterol going into the study saw a 12% drop in LDL.
Cholesterol-lowering dinner: Prepare this Red Wine with Chicken recipe any night of the week—only six ingredients required.

3. Salmon & fatty fish

Omega-3 fats are one of the natural health wonders of the world and have been shown to ward off heart disease, dementia, and many other diseases. Now these fatty acids can add yet another health benefit to their repertoire: lowering cholesterol. Replacing saturated fats with omega-3s like those found in salmon, sardines, and herring can raise good cholesterol as much as 4%.

Omega-3-rich pasta dish: Become a fan of fish with this delicious Penne with Salmon and Roasted Vegetables recipe.

4. Nuts

People who noshed on 1.5 ounces of whole walnuts 6 days a week for 1 month lowered their total cholesterol by 5.4% and LDL cholesterol by 9.3%. Almonds and cashews are other good options. However, while nuts are heart healthy, they're also high in calories, so practice portion control—1.5 ounces is about a shot glass and a half. Use a shot glass to measure out your portion so you can see exactly how it looks.

Satisfying snack: Sprinkle toasted walnuts onto this sweet yogurt parfait for an afternoon treat.

5. Beans

Beans are good for your heart. 1/2 cup of beans to soup lowers total cholesterol, including LDL, by up to 8%. The key to this heart-healthy food is its abundance of fiber, which has been shown to slow the rate and amount of absorption of cholesterol in certain foods. Try black, kidney, or pinto beans; each supplies about one-third of your day's fiber needs.
Heart-smart speedy supper: Get dinner on the table fast with this almost-instant black bean chili.

6. Tea

While tea has become well known for its cancer-fighting antioxidants, it is also a great defense against LDL cholesterol levels. Black tea has been shown to reduce blood lipids by up to 10% in only 3 weeks. These findings were concluded in a larger study of how tea may also help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Better beverage: Swap out your latte for black tea twice a week, or add brewed tea to this frosty, tea-infused dessert.

7. Chocolate

This powerful antioxidant helps build HDL cholesterol levels. Cocoa powder had a 24% increase in HDL levels over 12 weeks, compared with a 5% increase in the control group. Remember to choose the dark or bittersweet kind. Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than 3 times as many antioxidants, which prevent blood platelets from sticking together and may even keep arteries unclogged.
Guilt-free dessert: Whip up a batch of dark chocolate–covered strawberries for a heart-healthy treat.

8. Margarine

Switch to a margarine with plant sterols, such as Promise activ or Benecol, to help lower cholesterol. Plant sterols are compounds that reduce cholesterol absorption. Women who had a higher plant sterol–based diet were able to lower total cholesterol by 3.5%.
Side dish swap: Trade butter for Promise activ Light Spread in these whipped sweet potatoes.

9. Spinach

This popular green contains lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Lutein already has a "golden" reputation for guarding against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. Just 1/2 cup of a lutein-rich food daily also guards against heart attacks by helping artery walls "shrug off" cholesterol invaders that cause clogging. Look for bags of baby spinach leaves that you can use for salads or pop in the microwave for a quick side dish.
Superstar salad: Start your meal with this spinach and mandarin orange recipe.

10. Avocado

Avocados are a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that may actually help raise HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL. And, more than any other fruit, this delectable food packs cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol, a beneficial plant-based fat that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. Since avocados are a bit high in calories and fat (300 calories and 30 g fat per avocado), use them in moderation.
Heart-smart soup: Try a new spin on a chicken soup recipe. Add spices and creamy avocado for a Mexican flair.

11. Garlic

Aside from adding zing to almost any dish, garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against infections. Now research finds that it helps stop artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage by keeping cholesterol particles from sticking to artery walls. Try for two to four fresh cloves a day.
Very good veggie: Take a fresh spin on your basic green bean side dish by adding garlic and ginger.

12. Olive oil

This common cooking ingredient can help your health. Olive oil is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which lower LDL cholesterol—and have the welcome side effect of trimming belly fat! Use it to make your own salad dressings, marinate chicken and fish, or roast vegetables.

Perfect Pasta: Linguine pairs with tender scallops and crisp asparagus in a lemon and olive oil sauce for a healthy pasta dinner.

കുട വയർ ഒതുക്കാൻ പറ്റിയ ചില ആഹാര സാധനങ്ങൾ

കുടവയർ മിക്ക ആളുകളെയും അലട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പ്രശ്നമാണ്. ഭക്ഷണത്തിൻറെ അളവ് കൂടുന്നതും വയർ ചാടാൻ ഒരു കാരണമാണ്. വയർ കുറയ്ക്കാനായി ഓടുകയും നടക്കുകയും മാത്രം ചെയ്തിട്ട് കാര്യമില്ല.നമ്മുക്ക് എത്ര ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട ഭക്ഷണ സാധനമാണെങ്കിലും അത് വാരിവലിച്ച് കഴിക്കാതിരിക്കുക. വയർ കുറയ്ക്കാൻ വ്യായാമങ്ങൾ ചെയ്യുന്നതിനൊപ്പം അതിനു പറ്റിയ ചില ആഹാര സാധനങ്ങൾ കൂടിയുണ്ട്.അവയിൽ ചിലത് ഇതാ..

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1. വെജിറ്റബിൾ സൂപ്പ്
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പച്ചക്കറികളായ വെണ്ടയ്ക്ക, തക്കാളി,കാരറ്റ്,ബീൻസ് എന്നിവ ആവശ്യത്തിന് ഉപ്പും മുളക് പൊടിയും ഇട്ട് കുറച്ച് വെള്ളവും ചേർത്ത് പുഴുങ്ങി സൂപ്പാക്കി ഭക്ഷണത്തിനു മുമ്പ് കഴിച്ചാൽ വയർ നിറയുകയും ഇത് മൂലം മറ്റ് ആഹാരത്തിൻറെ അളവ് കുറയുകയും ചെയ്യും. ഇത് മൂലം അമിത വണ്ണം ഇല്ലാതെയാക്കാം.
2.സ്ട്രോബറി
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വളരെയധികം നാരുകൾ അടങ്ങിയ പഴമാണ് സ്ട്രോബറി. നമ്മൾ കഴിക്കുന്ന ആഹാര പദാർഥങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് നല്ലൊരു ഭാഗം നാരുകൾ ആഗിരണം ചെയ്യുകയും പൂർണ്ണമായും ദഹിച്ച് ശരീരത്തോട് ചേരുന്നതിന് മുമ്പ് തന്നെ അവയെ വിസർജ്ജ്യങ്ങളിലൂടെ പുറന്തള്ളുകയും ചെയ്യും. ഇത് മൂലം മറ്റ് ഭക്ഷണം കൂടുതൽ ശരീരത്തിലെത്തിയാലും അവ അടിഞ്ഞു കൂടി അമിത വണ്ണത്തിന് കാരണമാകുമെന്ന ഭയവും വേണ്ട. ഇവ കഴിക്കുന്നത് മൂലം രക്തയോട്ടം സുഖമമാക്കുകയും പേശീ തന്തുക്കളുടെ പ്രവർത്തനം ആയാസ രഹിതമാക്കുകയും അർബുദ രോഗത്തെ ചെറുക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
3. പച്ചിലക്കറികൾ
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കാത്സ്യ സമ്പുഷ്ടമാണ് പച്ചിലക്കറികൾ. അർബുദത്തെ തടയാനുള്ള കരോട്ടിനോയിഡ്സ് ഇലക്കറികളിൽ അടങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. അതുകൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ആരോഗ്യ ദായകമാണ്‌ ഇലക്കറികൾ.
4.ചോളം
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പ്രോട്ടീനും വൈറ്റമിൻ ബിയും മൂലകങ്ങളും ധാരാളമടങ്ങിയിട്ടുള്ള ചോളം ഉപയോഗിച്ച് റൊട്ടിയോ,ഉപ്പ് മാവോ ഉണ്ടാക്കി കഴിക്കുന്നത് നല്ലതാണ്. അധികം കഴിക്കുന്നതിന് മുമ്പ് തന്നെ വയർ നിറയുന്ന സാധനമാണ് ചോളം.
5. മത്സ്യം
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ചാള,മത്തി,അയല എന്നീ മീനുകളിൽ ഒമേഗ3 ഫാറ്റി ആസിഡുകൾ ധാരാളം അടങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഈ മത്സ്യങ്ങൾ കഴിക്കുന്നത് മൂലം ശരീരത്തിലടങ്ങിയിരിക്കുന്ന കൊഴുപ്പുകൾ ഇല്ലാതാക്കുകയും ഉപാപചയ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളെ സുഖമമാക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഈ മത്സ്യങ്ങൾ സ്ഥിരമായി കഴിക്കുന്നവരുടെ രക്തത്തിലെ ഗ്ലൂക്കോസ് ഇൻസുലിൻ ബന്ധത്തിൽ ആരോഗ്യപരമായ മാറ്റമുണ്ടാകുന്നതായി ഓസ്ട്രേലിയയിൽ നടത്തിയ പഠനത്തിൽ കണ്ടെത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.
6.ആപ്പിൾ
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ഒരു ആപ്പിളിൻറെ 85 ശതമാനവും ജലാംശമാണ്. ഇത് കഴിക്കുന്നത് മൂലം വിശപ്പ് മാറുകയും ജലാംശം കൂടുതൽ അടങ്ങിയിരിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ അമിതവണ്ണവും വരികയുമില്ല. മാത്രമല്ല കൊളസ്ട്രോൾ കുറയ്ക്കുന്നതിനും ശ്വാസകോശങ്ങൾക്ക് കരുത്ത് പകരാനും ആപ്പിളിന് കഴിവുണ്ട്.
7.തൈര്
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അജ്ജീർണ്ണം, ഗ്യാസ്ട്രബിൾ,എന്നിങ്ങനെ സാധാരണയായുണ്ടാകുന്ന പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ പരിഹരിച്ച് വീർത്തിരിക്കുന്ന വയറിനെ ചുരുക്കാൻ അത്യുത്തമമാണ് തൈര്. കൊഴുപ്പ് നീക്കിയ തൈര് ദിവസവും മൂന്ന് കപ്പെങ്കിലും കഴിക്കുന്നത് നല്ലതാണ്.
8.മുട്ട
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മനുഷ്യ ശരീരത്തിനാവശ്യമായ എല്ലാ മൂലകങ്ങളും അടങ്ങിയിരിക്കുന്നതാണ് മുട്ട. കാർബോ ഹൈഡ്രേറ്റുകൾ നിറഞ്ഞ പ്രഭാത ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കുന്നവരെക്കാൾ മുട്ട ഉൾപ്പെടുന്ന കാർബോ ഹൈഡ്രേറ്റ് കുറഞ്ഞ പ്രഭാത ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് വിശപ്പ് കുറവായിരിക്കുമെന്ന് പഠനം പറയുന്നു. പ്രോട്ടീൻ, അമിനോ ആസിഡ്,സിങ്ക് എന്നീ മൂലകങ്ങൾ ഒരു മുട്ടയിൽ അടങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

How to get instant relief from cough !

 Simple substances in your kitchen can help you find an almost instant relief from cough. 

1. Gargles

As soon as you feel soreness in your throat, make it a point to gargle with salt dissolved in warm water. The salt in the water can help drain excess fluid from inflamed areas in the throat reducing the symptoms. The gargling also removes irritants in the throat and thins the mucus.

2. Drink Warm Liquids

 

Drinking warm water is a good way of soothing the inflammation in the throat; but this does not have any taste and may be unappetizing for most people. A warm soup is a much better solution as is a glass of hot herbal tea. 

3. Turmeric Remedies

 

A traditional remedy that most people swear by is the use of hot milk with turmeric. it is shown to even have antibacterial properties. 

Heat a glass of milk, mix in half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and drink warm to find relief from cough. A turmeric gargle also gives good results. To one cup of hot water, add in half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and half a teaspoon table salt. Use this liquid as a throat gargle and you are sure to experience relief from cough.

For a dry cough, turmeric powder mixed with a teaspoon of honey taken three to four times a day is effective.  You could also try preparing turmeric tea by adding one tablespoon of turmeric powder into 4 cups of boiling water. Keep for a few minutes, strain and mix in some lemon and honey to the liquid and drink. Read more about why you have a dry cough and how you can recognise its symptoms.

Inhaling the smoke of burning turmeric (dhooma paan) is also considered to be an effective remedy for cough and cold. Take a dried turmeric root, burn it and inhale the smoke. Another way out is to place a few pieces of red hot charcoal in a small mud pot that has been placed on a cup of water. Add a few dried leaves of turmeric over the charcoal and a spoonful of turmeric powder over the leaves. Gently blow to ignite the turmeric powder and inhale the smoke emitted. 

4. Honey Remedies

 

Since ages, honey has been known to soothe the irritated throat linings and reduce cough.  honey helped cough less and sleep better.

There are different ways of using honey besides the one mentioned in combination with turmeric. A dry cough responds to a mixture of honey with juice from grapes. A glass of hot milk with some honey added just before going to bed is effective at relieving night time cough. Mix in honey and lemon juice to a glass of warm water and drink this three times per day for relief from cough. People suffering from diabetes can have honey too. Here is why. 

If you have a particularly nasty cough, try this remedy. Take about 3 tablespoons of flaxseeds in 1 cup of water and boil. When the water starts thickening, strain the liquid and mix in 3 tablespoons each of lemon juice and honey. Swallow about 1 tablespoon of this mixture when you experience a severe coughing fit. Honey also works well in combination with betel leaf (paan). Grind a few washed betel leaves and extract the juice; add 1 teaspoon of honey to 2 teaspoons of this juice, mix and consume about half an hour after meals. Repeat for about 5 days to find relief from cough.

5. Ginger Remedies

Ginger has a number of amazing benefits, it is also great to treat a cough. For a dry cough, one of the easiest ways of finding relief is to cut a piece of fresh ginger, sprinkle some salt on it and chew on it for a few minutes. However, not everyone likes the strongly aromatic taste of ginger and in such cases, a tea made with ginger is equally good. Chop ginger into fine pieces, add into a vessel containing one cup of water. Keep boiling the liquid till the volume reduces to half the original quantity. Strain the liquid, add one teaspoon of honey and drink when warm to give a soothing effect against cough. ginger seems to work by ‘promoting salivation and mucus secretion and will help relieve cough symptoms’.

Ginger in combination with tulsi is also an effective remedy for cough. Crush about 10 leaves of tulsi, mix with juice extracted from a small ginger piece. Add in an equal quantity of honey and mix; swallow about a single teaspoon of this about thrice a day to get relief from cough.

People who don’t mind the strong spicy flavour of pepper can also add in some black pepper powder and turmeric into a mixture of ginger juice with honey. When this paste is slowly licked for 10 to 15 minutes thrice a day, it helps reduce congestion in the throat and reduces cough. A simple ginger tea is easy to prepare by boiling ginger with water; then add tea leaves or tea powder, drop in some tulsi leaves and pepper powder, strain and drink for relief from cough.

6. Garlic Remedies

 

Garlic is an effective antimicrobial and expectorant and this makes it a valuable agent to fight cough. garlic might help prevent colds and lessen their symptoms. People who took a garlic supplement for 12 weeks caught 63 percent fewer colds than people who took a placebo.

Lightly crush about 5 cloves of peeled garlic and sauté in a teaspoon of ghee; consume when still warm for relief from cough and cold. Include crushed garlic sautéed in ghee in other dishes where possible. Do this with rasam, and you have a medicinal soup that soothes your throat and also helps liquefy the thick mucus, making it easier to cough out the phlegm.

7. Throat Lozenges

 

Who took zinc lozenges every two to three waking hours cut the duration of a cold by almost half. The irritation caused by constant coughing can also be overcome by using throat lozenges. They are also known to prevent the progression of a sore throat to a cough. While some lozenges are medicated and contain ingredients such as dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) or benzocaine (an anesthetic), others contain natural soothing ingredients such as honey, menthol, peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil. In many homes, it is also quite common to make small children suck on the red-colored variety of rock candy to stop cough. 

8. Use Vaporubs

Children above 2 years of age had symptomatic relief and could sleep better after applying vaporubs. While the exact reason how vaporubs work remains a mystery, the ingredients such as menthol, camphor and eucalyptus may have a role in relieving congestion.

9. Sleep With the Head Elevated

In some persons, a productive cough results when mucus drips from the back of the nose into the throat. This tends to grow worse at night when the body posture is conducive for such dripping. Sleeping with the head at a higher position helps to reduce such drainage and many people find this position helps reduce coughing at night and improves sleep.

10. Jaggery Remedies to Get Rid of Sputum

Sputum buildup can lead to a feeling of congestion in the chest and the entire respiratory tract; expelling this sputum therefore provides relief from cough and congestion.Make a decoction by boiling a few corns of pepper with water for about 20 minutes; mix in a little cumin and jaggery and drink. Cut a quarter part of an onion, keep a small bit of jaggery in the middle of it and chew on this for expelling sputum. 

11. Over the Counter Medications

Relief from cough is even faster if you use over the counter (OTC) cough medications along with home remedies. Besides medicated lozenges, you could also try cough suppressants that contain ingredients like dextromethorphan. These are particularly useful if you have a hacking or dry cough. If you have productive cough, an OTC product with ingredients that have expectorant properties can help to clear out the mucus in the airways. Often, OTC products of both types – suppressants as well as expectorants – contain an antihistamine and this can help you sleep better at night.

Coughs are of different types, so are their solutions. Using home remedies or OTC products can help provide relief from cough. However, it is equally important to remember that if you find the cough persisting for an extended period of time, it is best to see a doctor to identify if there is any underlying serious problem that is causing the cough. 

7 ways to choose the right life partner

Selecting the right life partner is necessary to lead a happy married life. Here's how you can select your perfect one.

There are many factors that one needs to consider when choosing a life partner. The most important aspect is to consider things that are crucial to you.

Find someone who you can connect with easily

It is very important to choose somebody who you can easily strike a conversation with. This way, you can enjoy doing things and talking about them together without getting bored.

Potential partner with same interests

Selecting someone who shares a lot of common interests with you will work in your favour. Remember that all your interests don't really have to be the same, but some would do. Says clinical psychologist and relationship expert Seema Hingorrany, "When you decide to spend your life with someone, you must look at things that the two of you would love to do together. For example, if you are a movie buff, you would ideally like to be with someone who enjoys movies as well. This will make your life interesting."

Consider your partner's intellect

If you are a laid-back person and your partner is an over-achiever, that could lead to a threat in your marriage. You must see eye to eye on how both of you are able to think and process things.

It's okay to have standards

While choosing a life partner, you need to consider your and your family's standards. Though it's okay to choose someone who probably does not belong to the same strata of society as yours, make sure that he/she's not completely off the mark.

You should have respect for one another

You obviously cannot spend your life with someone who has no respect for you or your dreams/goals or your personality. So, choose someone who will acknowledge you for the rest of your life.

Is your potential trustworthy

In this day and age, it is extremely important to choose someone you can trust. You definitely cannot lead a happy marriage if you cannot trust each other or have faith.

Spend time together

Just as important as it is to have similar interests, it is also crucial to be with someone who gives you enough time and who you would love to spend time with.  

World’s oldest masks go on display in Israel

A rare collection of 9,000-year-old masks -- considered among the most ancient human portraits from Stone Age -- is set to be on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

The exhibition titled 'Face to Face: The Oldest Masks in the World' runs March 11-Sep 13 at the Israel Museum.

The 12 neolithic masks, originated from the Judean Hills and nearby Judean desert in Israel, have the same striking features resembling the spirits of dead ancestors.

"It is extraordinary to be able to present this rare group of ancient stone masks, all originating from the same region in the ancient Land of Israel," James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum, was quoted as saying.

Stone Age people who carved the masks were among the first humans to abandon nomadic life and set up home in permanent settlements, said a report in the Times of Israel.

It is thought the masks were used in religious and social ceremonies and in rites of healing and magic.

They have the same large eyes and gaping mouths but are all different to represent the individual spirits of ancestors.

Each carved limestone mask weights one or two kg and would likely have been painted.

"Given their origins in the region, their display carries special meaning, underscoring their place in the unfolding history of religion and art," James Snyder said.

Aamir made warring Mammootty and Lal strike peace” — the reality

Aamir Khan rushed to down South to make truce between warring Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal, that is what a Mumbai tabloid and couple of copy-paste Bollywood gossip sites made out of a dinner meeting between the three. 

The tabloid, which removed the news from their website later, wrote that the meeting took place at Mohanlal's house. Contrary to the claims of the tabloid and other gossip sites, it was Aamir, in Kerala to announce signing Mohanlal for the promotions of 'Satyamev Jayate', who threw the dinner party at Taj Malabar in Kochi. The invitees included not just two superstars, but three and two media persons, including yours truly. Dileep was the third superstar Aamir had called to celebrate after roping in Mohanlal for the promotions of his programme. 

Waiting for Lal – who had a shoot on the day, Aamir shared his experience during the making of 'Satyamev Jayate' with rest of the invitees. Once Lal came in, the “warring south stars” together choose the day's specials for Aamir. Mohanlal left Taj at 11.30 pm and Mammootty after an hour, both times Aamir went to the reception to see them off. 

When Mohanlal and Mammootty shared stories about their life and struggling days in the industry, Aamir sat there listening eagerly. After dinner before the gang dispersed, Aamir suggested having a family photoshoot and modestly adding that it was his luck to be amongst the three stars of Malayalam cinema. All the four actors treasured this moment in their mobile phones and thus ended a dinner and a "war".

The tabloid even compared this dinner party with Aamir's attempts to resolve issues between Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. 

Antibodies hold promise for effective HIV vaccine

Washington: In a path-breaking finding, researchers have discovered how the immune system makes a powerful antibody that blocks HIV infection of cells by targeting the V1V2 site on the virus.

It is believed that if a vaccine could elicit potent antibodies to a specific conserved site in the V1V2 region, then the vaccine could protect people from HIV infection. The V1V2 is a region on the virus envelope which increases the susceptability to neutralistion by antibodies.

"The new findings point the way toward a potentially more effective vaccine that would generate V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies," said scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health.

Scientists from Columbia University, the Centre for AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, were part of the research.

The team began its work by identifying an HIV-infected volunteer, who naturally developed V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies after several months of infection.

Using techniques similar to those employed in an earlier study of HIV-antibody co-evolution, the researchers analysed blood samples donated by the volunteer between 15 weeks and four years after getting infected.

This enabled the scientists to determine the genetic make-up of the original form of the antibody.

They also identified and defined the structures of a number of the intermediate forms taken as the antibody mutated toward its fullest breadth and potency.

The study revealed that after relatively few mutations, even the early intermediates of V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies can neutralise a significant proportion of known HIV strains.

According to the scientists, this improves the chances that a V1V2-directed HIV vaccine developed based on the new findings would be effective.

They have now started working on a set of vaccine components designed to elicit V1V2 neutralising antibodies and guide their maturation, said NIH in a press release.

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion

In a play to dominate messaging on phones and the Web, Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion.

That's a stunning sum for the five-year old company. But WhatsApp has been able to hold its weight against messaging heavyweights like Twitter (TWTR), Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) and Microsoft's (MSFT, Fortune 500) Skype. WhatsApp has upwards of 450 million users, and it is adding an additional million users every day.

Referring to WhatsApp's soaring growth, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on a conference call, "No one in the history of the world has done anything like that."
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app for smartphones, according to OnDevice Research.
Buying WhatsApp will only bolster Facebook's already strong position in the crowded messaging world. Messenger, Facebook's a standalone messaging app for mobile devices, is second only to WhatsApp in its share of the smartphone market.

Related: 5 key moments that changed Facebook
 
Similar to traditional text messaging, WhatsApp allows people to connect via their cellphone numbers. But instead of racking up texting fees, WhatsApp sends the actual messages over mobile broadband. That makes WhatsApp particularly cost effective for communicating with people overseas.

That kind of mobile messaging services have become wildly popular, with twice as many messages sent over the mobile Internet than via traditional texts, according to Deloitte. But most of the messaging industry's revenue is still driven by text messaging.

On the conference call, Facebook said it is not looking to drive revenue from WhatsApp in the near term, instead focusing on growth. Zuckerberg said he doesn't anticipate trying to aggressively grow WhatsApp's revenue until the service reaches "billions" of users.

WhatsApp currently charges a dollar a year after giving customers their first year of use for free. WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said on the conference call that WhatsApp's business model is already successful.

That indicates Facebook bought WhatsApp to add value to its existing messaging services, as well as for the long-term potential of the company.

Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 for similar reasons: As young social network users gravitated towards photo-sharing, Facebook wanted to scoop up what could have eventually become a big rival.

Like Instagram, WhatsApp will function as an autonomous unit within Facebook, with all the existing employees coming in as part of the deal.

Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) said it will pay WhatsApp $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in stock. WhatsApp's founders and staff will be eligible for for another $3 billion in stock grants to be paid out if they remain employed by Facebook for four years. Koum will also join Facebook's board of directors.

ചെറിയ പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ മാത്രം: പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍

 

Filim News: സംവിധായകനായ പ്രിയദര്‍ശനും ഭാര്യയും മുന്‍ നടിയുമായ ലിസിയും തമ്മില്‍ വിവാഹമോചിതരാകുന്നു എന്ന വാര്‍ത്ത കഴിഞ്ഞ കുറച്ച ദിവസങ്ങളായി സോഷ്യല്‍ മീഡിയകളില്‍ വലിയ ചര്‍ച്ചയാണ്. എന്നാല്‍ വിവാഹമോചനവാര്‍ത്ത കെട്ടുകഥകളാണെന്ന പ്രതികരണവുമായി പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍ രംഗത്തെത്തി.

എല്ലാ കുടുംബത്തിലുമുണ്ടാകുന്ന പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ മാത്രമാണ് തനിക്കും ഭാര്യ ലിസിക്കും ഇടയിലുള്ളതെന്ന് പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍ വ്യക്തമാക്കി. കുടുംബത്തില്‍ ചില അഭിപ്രായവ്യത്യാസങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ട്. എന്നാല്‍ ഇത് വേര്‍പിരിയല്‍ വരെ എത്തിയിട്ടില്ലെന്നും പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു.

ഞങ്ങള്‍ തമ്മിലുള്ള പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ രമ്യമായി പരിഹരിക്കാനുള്ള ശ്രമങ്ങള്‍ നടത്തിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുകയാണെന്നും വിവാഹമോചനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ചിന്തിച്ചിട്ടു പോലുമില്ലെന്നും പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍ വ്യക്തമാക്കി.

സെലിബ്രിറ്റി ക്രിക്കറ്റ് ലീഗുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കാര്യങ്ങളാണ് പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ക്കു പിന്നിലെന്നും ഇരുവരും വേര്‍പിരിയലിനെക്കുറിച്ച് ആലോചിക്കുന്നതായുമാണ് ഓണ്‍ലൈന്‍ മീഡിയകളിലും സോഷ്യല്‍ മീഡിയകളിലും കഴിഞ്ഞ ദിവസങ്ങളില്‍ വാര്‍ത്ത പരന്നത്.

Maruti Celerio - Automatic with 23.1 kmpl

After a remarkably quiet 2013 Maruti Suzuki has begun spreading its gigantic wings all over 2014. They begin the year with a brand new offering aimed squarely at the Indian market. The Celerio, if you aren’t aware of it by now, is a hatchback that will eventually replace the A-Star and the Estilo.

The Celerio is built on an all-new platform that has been in the making for close to three and a half years. A team of around 175 designers, engineers, product planners, visualisers, marketeers etc from both India and Japan have combined their efforts to this end. Except whoever came up with a name that sounds like a veggie in a salad mated to Mahindra’s favourite alphabet is anyone’s guess. According to Mayank Pareek, COO Maruti Suzuki, Celerio means a ‘celestial river’, but don’t ask me what’s the connect, I’m as clueless as you and many Maruti Suzuki employees are!

But get past the name and what you can clearly see its antecedents in the Alto, there are definitely faint hints of inspiration from Maruti’s largest selling car.

Exteriors

From various angles the Celerio brings to mind the Toyota Etios Liva, especially that smiling grille with the twin smiling slats flanking the Suzuki Logo. In fact, if you took off the Suzuki logo and replaced it with a Toyota badge you could easily fool anyone into mistaking this car for the latter. As it is, driving this car on the busy roads around Jodhpur did not elicit much interest from the very people who would in the near future be buying this car, the aam janta! And let me tell you in the past there hasn’t been a single new car that hasn’t grabbed attention on these drives.

At the front, the bumper is a strong element of the design and looks sturdy and well-sculpted, though the inverted curve to the lower air dam and the single fog lamps scooped inside the bumper continue to remind you of the Etios Liva. I like the hood which has this slight clamshell effect to it and gives the Celerio a sporty character.

The side profile is sculpted with two sweeping character lines that appear running parallel to each other. The one running along the shoulder starts at the fender and sweeps upwards towards the rear window with a sculpted kink. The outside rear view mirrors with integrated turn lamps and smaller indicator lamps on the fenders are the only ornaments that give this profile a sparkle. The rear is my least favourite area. The tallish tail lamps look a bit out of place, though the chunky bumpers look quite in sync with the rest of the body shell. The rear tail gate can only be accessed from the outside and not from within the car.

Where dimensions are concerned, the Celerio is comfortably long and wide, though to put it in comparison, it’s shorter in length than the Hyundai Grand i10 though taller by a few inches. At 2.425 metres, however, both hatchbacks share the same wheelbase and that also means the Celerio has substantial amounts of interior space, especially knee room, just like the Grand i10.

Interiors

The cabin like every contemporary Maruti is outstanding. The quality levels are top notch and the design and layout is simple, effective and yet stunning to look at. The centre console is a smart-looking unit surrounded by a chrome bezel within which the music player and the air-con controls are housed. The steering wheel too looks pleasing, but it’s the top-end variant, the ZXi, that gets the audio and Bluetooth telephony controls on the steering wheel.

The slim seats with the integrated headrests liberate loads of interior space, though I can’t say for certain how comfortable these will be over long distances. The ZXi (optional) variant gets height adjustable seats as well as front fog lamps and alloy wheels as standard.

Now for the mechanicals and the driving bit, the Celerio at present comes only with a 998cc 3-cylinder petrol engine. A diesel will follow but nothing has been set in stone yet. This petrol motor is an updated engine that uses aluminum in its construction and is named the K10B; it’s also called as the K-Next engine. Maruti has worked hard to lower the NVH levels, and while at idle this engine is impressively quiet, as speeds rise it has that typical whine I’ve heard in every small displacement Maruti as you push the engine harder and harder.

The 4-valve per cylinder arrangement allows it to make 68PS of max power and 90Nm of max torque. Now those figures aren’t as hearty as those pumped out by the Grand i10, which has a larger displacement engine, but it’s the transmission that makes all the difference in the Celerio.

The transmission has been big news for some time as Maruti claimed to offer a clutchless driving experience in the Celerio. I’d like to point out at this moment that it’s not because of an automatic transmission. Innovatively, Maruti is using what is called an automated manual transmission, which basically is a sort of a gadget that takes care of the duties of the clutch without there being a clutch pedal in the driver’s foot well. So instead of a manual gear shift stick you get something that looks like an automatic shifter, except if you look closely you won’t see a park mode.

So what may appear to be an automatic transmission, is essentially a manual gearbox cleverly tricked out to perform as an automatic. Is there any harm in that? Actually not, and I do firmly believe this will help a lot of people appreciate the convenience of using an automatic transmission and help them graduate to automatics, especially those driving in crowded urban areas.

With this technology, Maruti has achieved a fuel efficiency of nearly 23.1 kmpl which, they claim, is the same as what you get in the manual transmission, and I don’t dispute that since this is a manual transmission. On long vacant stretches of highway skirting Jodhpur, the transmission feels reasonably smooth. But in urban areas it’s jerky, and unlike a torque convertor, the shift quality isn’t seamless — you can actually feel the clutch being actuated every time a gear needs to be engaged. That also influences you to try and modulate throttle to reduce the sensation of that clutch kicking in and it could never give you that incredible efficiency figure. Nonetheless, for having taken away the effort of having to use a clutch several hundred times even over short distances is something Maruti should be applauded for.

Onto dynamics then. The front wheel drive Celerio runs 14 inch wheels and tyres suspended on a reworked suspension. Ride quality is good, certainly not in the league of older sibling the Swift but it’s comfortable. The Celerio has impressive stability at high speeds and never for a moment felt like it was too light or unsecure. The steering, on the other hand, is an electronic power assisted type and like most EPS systems it’s absolutely dead where feedback is concerned. It feels like it has some heft but has no variable ratio so the weight does not increase as speeds rise. Yet in the city this steering is light and precise enough to let you go scampering through crowded streets.

For a new car that we expect will be priced close to the Grand i10 (Rs 4-4.5lakh), the Celerio packs in quite a lot of simple yet innovative solutions. I think that is what is appreciable in this package. And the automated manual transmission is simply a brilliant idea. Maruti would like to usher in a new era of progress, they firmly believe that like the air conditioning and power steering became essentials over the last couple of decades in cars, automated transmissions will take over the future and they are going to focus their energies in that direction. India’s largest car manufacturer has even larger plans!