May is National Salad Month

Due to all the benefits of having a salad, United States celebrates National Salad Month in the month of May

May 18, 2016

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Salad_bar-02 — Salad Bar, Wikimedia Commons

By Shipra John

National Salad Month is celebrated in the month of May in the United States. When we think of the word ‘salad’ the first thing that comes to our mind are, green veggies such as lettuce or a side salad that can be eaten as a way to maintain your diet. With the climate being warmer in the month of May, people prefer to have something light and thirst quenching, rather than having dry and hot food items such as burgers, roasted meat or grilled items. One can enjoy this meal, as it is light and healthy too. You can experiment by adding flavors such as dressings, fruits and nuts to make it a delicious meal. The bliss of having a salad is that it can be eaten anytime during the day and it boosts up your nutrition.

There are a variety of salads that can be experimented with, using kale, iceberg lettuce and also using dark green veggies such as spinach or red leafy lettuce. You can also have fish or cheese or whole grains as an addition to your appetizer. Knowing that it is good for you, this combination of fresh fruits and vegetables can be accompanied with a glass of fresh juice or a glass of wine.

Some of the benefits of having a salad are listed below:

They are visually attractive since they have varieties of shapes, colors and sizes that are very much eye appealing and also stops your tummy from cravings.
Salads contain low calories that make your meal ideal and perfect for your physique and your digestive system. Having fried food items only increases your body fat. You can gain good fat from salads, as spinach gives you iron, tomatoes give you lycopene and other nutrients are absorbed by the body.
Salads can be made easily and quickly, and can stop you from craving. You don’t need to cook and you can have it at anytime of the day, as it will be refreshing for you and it also re-energizes your body.
Salads help you to digest your meal easily. You may feel heavy and full after having a fatty meal, but a salad helps you to fill your stomach and does not make you feel lazy and sleepy after having your meal.
It prevents diseases. A salad helps you to prevent various diseases especially cancer and heart diseases, since it is rich in fiber that boosts up your digestive system.
The diverse varieties of salads prevent you from getting bored with your food. With an assortment of salads and dressings to choose from and adding a combination of fruits and vegetables you can enjoy eating a tasty healthy meal.

Due to all the benefits of having a salad, United States celebrates National Salad Month in the month of May, as it makes you Health conscious and also re- energizes your immune system.

Related Article: Magical benefits of Cumin Seeds

Therefore, everyone can also start celebrating National Salad Month by eating from a variety of salads. Salads will make you healthier, cooler and appeal to your taste buds as well.

Shipra John is a Journalism student at Delhi University, currently working as an intern at Newsgram. Twitter @mjsj_96

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Immunotherapy Drugs Show Significant Improvement Against Breast Cancer: Study

Side effects need a close look, both doctors said. Nearly all study participants had typical chemo side effects such as nausea or low blood cell counts.

NewsGram Desk

October 21, 2018

For the first time, one of the new immunotherapy drugs has shown promise against breast cancer in a large study that combined it with chemotherapy to treat an aggressive form of the disease. But the benefit for most women was small, raising questions about whether the treatment is worth its high cost and side effects.

Results were discussed Saturday at a cancer conference in Munich and published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors have transformed treatment of many types of cancer by removing a chemical brake that keeps the immune system from killing tumor cells. Their discovery recently earned scientists a Nobel Prize. Until now, though, they haven’t proved valuable against breast cancer.

In the study

The new study tested one from Roche called Tecentriq plus chemo versus chemo alone in 902 women with advanced triple-negative breast cancer. About 15 percent of cases are this type, their growth is not fueled by the hormones estrogen or progesterone, or the gene that Herceptin targets, making them hard to treat.

Women in the study who received Tecentriq plus chemo went two months longer on average without their cancer worsening compared with those on chemo alone, a modest benefit. The combo did not significantly improve survival in an early look before long-term follow-up is complete.

Failed protein test

Previous studies found that immunotherapies work best in patients with high levels of a protein that the drugs target, and the plan for the breast cancer study called for analyzing how women fared according to that factor if Tecentriq improved survival overall.

The drug failed that test, but researchers still looked at protein-level results and saw encouraging signs. Women with high levels who received the combo treatment lived roughly 25 months on average versus about 15 months for women given chemo alone.

That’s a big difference, but it will take more time to see if there’s a reliable way to predict benefit, said Dr. Jennifer Litton of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She had no role in running the study but enrolled some patients in it and oversees 14 others testing immunotherapies.

“We’re really hopeful that we can identify a group of women who can get a much bigger and longer response,” she said.

Another breast cancer specialist with no role in the study, Dr. Michael Hassett at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said he felt “cautious excitement” that immunotherapy may prove helpful for certain breast cancer patients.

Side effects and cost

Side effects need a close look, both doctors said. Nearly all study participants had typical chemo side effects such as nausea or low blood cell counts, but serious ones were more common with the combo treatment and twice as many women on it stopped treatment for that reason.

Three of the six deaths from side effects in the combo group were blamed on the treatment itself; only one of three such deaths in the chemo group was.

Also Read: New DNA Tool To Predict People’s Height And Risk For Cancer

Cost is another concern. Tecentriq is $12,500 a month. The chemo in this study was Celgene’s Abraxane, which costs about $3,000 per dose plus doctor fees for the IV treatments. Older chemo drugs cost less but require patients to use a steroid to prevent allergic reactions that might interfere with the immunotherapy. Abraxane was chosen because it avoids the need for a steroid, said one study leader, Dr. Sylvia Adams of NYU Langone Health.

The study was sponsored by Roche and many study leaders consult or work for the company or own stock in it. (VOA)

Akanksha Sharma

Salads are low on calories, high in fiber and rich in nutrien. And it is tasty.
Shubhi Mangla

It should be celebrated in India also…salad is indeed an important part of our diet. In summers, it should be eaten daily to avoid dehydration
Pritam Go Green

Exactly !!! India should definitely look forward to celebrate National Salad Day. After all our present generation needs to understand the importance of having Salad in their diet list.Many people are still unaware of the fact that ‘Salad’ is highly nutritious for our health.
Vrushali Mahajan

Salads are the main source of fiber in one’s body. It should not be avoided at any cost. To make salads interesting, you can add your favorite toppings and dressings and you’re good to go.