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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
New study finally busts health myth of much-loved tropical fruit
Two new clinical trials have countered conventional dietary wisdom by revealing that eating mango instead of carbohydrates like bread can improve blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes. Around 830 million people have diabetes across the world, the World Health Organisation has said, with 90 per cent diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, meaning the body has become resistant or doesn't produce enough insulin. In India, this amounts to an estimated 77 million adults, while another 25 million are prediabetic. Speaking to the BBC, one Mumbai -based diabetologist said he frequently gets asked if patients can eat mangoes, a fruit that is central to Indian life. "Mangoes, with their rich sweetness and diverse varieties, are a staple of Indian summers, and it's understandable why people want to indulge," says Rahul Baxi. However, there are a number of misconceptions with some believing mangoes should be strictly avoided, while others think the fruit might 'reverse diabetes'. A pilot study involving 95 participants found that three Indian mango varieties, the Safeda, Dasheri and Langra, produced similar or lower glycemic responses than white bread over two hours of glucose testing. A glycemic response refers to how a food or meal affects your blood sugar (glucose) levels after you eat it. Over a period of three days, continuous monitoring of people with and without type 2 diabetes found that post-meal sugar fluctuations were significantly smaller when swapping bread for a mango. Experts say this could be beneficial to the body, with Dr Sugandha Keha, the author of both studies, stating: "These studies show that within prescribed diets, consumption of mangoes are not detrimental to blood glucose and may even be beneficial." A second week trial reinforced these findings, finding that the 35 adults with type 2 diabetes who replaced bread with 250g of mango showed improvements in their insulin resistance, fasting glucose, weight and waist circumference among other positive outcomes. "We showed the benefits of small doses of mangoes in place of carbohydrates (bread) in breakfast in two detailed studies for the first time, laying to rest all speculations regarding adverse metabolic effects of its consumption," says Prof Anoop Misra, senior author and study lead. "But the key is moderation and clinical supervision - this is not a licence for unlimited mango feasts." In India, mangoes occupy cultural, social and even diplomatic influence and are a feature of everyday life. There are over 1,000 varieties grown across the country, while baskets of mangoes are often given to visiting dignitaries as a sign of welcome and respect. In terms of moderation, it is advised that any mango should be part of a person's daily limit of calories. "If your daily limit is 1,600 calories, any calories from mango should be part of that total, not extra. A 250g mango - about one small fruit - has roughly 180 calories. As in the study, you'd replace an equivalent amount of carbs with mango to get the same results," Professor Misra said.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
RFK Jr denies 2028 presidential ambitions after attacks from Trump influencer Laura Loomer
The US health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has fended off an attack by conservative firebrand and Donald Trump influencer Laura Loomer by issuing a statement of fealty to the president which calls it 'a flat-out lie' that he is running for the White House in 2028. Kennedy, 71, had been under pressure since Loomer, 32, expressed concern in a recent Politico interview that Stefanie Spear, a top aide of the HHS secretary, was trying to 'utilize her position to try to lay the groundwork for a 2028 RFK presidential run'. Loomer's vigilante pressure campaigns within the White House have cost a number of Trump administration figures their jobs, including customs and border protection official Monte Hawkins as well as Food and Drug Administration vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad. Hawkins had been accused by Loomer of having an 'anti-Trump, pro-open borders and pro-[diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI] bias'. And she had labelled Prasad a 'progressive leftist saboteur' before he was later reinstated by the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Loomer told Politico that while she is realistic about neutralizing Kennedy, his deputies were vulnerable. 'I'm not naive enough to think that the president is going to get rid of RFK, but I will say that … there are concerns about some of the staffing decisions over at HHS,' she remarked. A White House official told the outlet that they 'would not be surprised if [Kennedy is] thinking about' running again after his 2024 candidacy prior to aligning himself with Trump. But the official claimed they 'don't think anyone thinks it's a real threat'. Kennedy responded on Friday, saying he would not strive for the presidency in 2028. The Kennedy family scion ran in 2024 for the Democratic party nomination before switching to become an independent candidate – and then cast his lot with Trump. Trump – who in the run-up to his second presidential election victory dismissed Kennedy as a 'radical left liberal' – rewarded him with a cabinet level post as well as his 'make America healthy again' (Maha) mandate. 'The swamp is in full panic mode,' Kennedy Jr said in an X post. 'DC lobby shops are laboring fiercely to drive a wedge between President Trump and me, hoping to thwart our team from dismantling the status quo and advancing [the Maha] agenda.' Kennedy added that the so-called swamp, a Republican term for an entrenched Washington bureaucracy, was 'pushing the flat-out lie that I'm running for president in 2028'. 'Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028,' he added. 'My loyalty is to President Trump and the mission we've started.' And he defended Spear. He said 'attacks on my staff, especially Stefanie Spear – a fierce, loyal warrior for Maha who proudly serves in the Trump administration and works every day to advance President Trump's vision for a healthier, stronger America – are proof we're over the target.' Kennedy also offered an overt expression of obeisance to his White House boss and political patron. 'We'll keep moving forward, we'll keep delivering wins, and no smear campaign will stop us,' he wrote. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy was planning to remove all the members of an advisory panel that determines what preventive health measures insurers are obliged to cover, reportedly viewing them as too 'woke', a pejorative Republican term for progressive. The crossover of the administration's anti-DEI campaign into healthcare came after an essay in the American Conservative magazine recommended the removal of taskforce members, saying it was embedded 'left-wing ideological orthodoxy'. Among the points it raised was the taskforce's use of term 'pregnant persons' and mention of a 'lasting psychological impact and stigma of enslaved Black women being forced to act as wet nurses'. HHS announced earlier in August it was halting $500m in mRNA vaccine research. And it has also moved to revive a taskforce on childhood vaccine safety, though vaccine injuries are known to be extremely rare. Known as 'Trump's Rasputin' in some circles, Loomer views Kennedy's vaccine skepticism as surging from the left – and not in pure ideological terms. She disputes that he views the issue correctly as a rightwing one, though the two may act in confluence. She has previously labelled Kennedy, in the New York Times, as 'a very problematic person' who 'is running a shadow presidential campaign' from his office. 'There's been some things that have happened,' Loomer told Politico. 'There's been several things that have happened at HHS that are contradictory to the initial promises made.'
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
My boyfriend won't have sex with me – and says I have to be patient
My boyfriend and I have been together for a few months. The first time we were physically intimate it took him almost an hour to just kiss me because he was shaking so much. He hasn't had physical contact with anyone for four years. He says his last breakup was traumatic. Since then, he has found it hard to maintain an erection, even while watching porn. When we are together, I touch him and myself and, when I'm close to climax, I give him oral sex so we orgasm together. He doesn't kiss me any more and doesn't touch me intimately, apart from my breasts. He says I have to be patient because he hasn't had sex for years. He cannot understand why he is not able to maintain an erection with me. I am starting to feel self-conscious and cheap. I am bigger than his normal type and I feel like this is the problem. I asked him why he's with me; he says it's because he can spend hours talking to me, and he feels comfortable with me. Should I be patient with him or am I setting myself up for heartbreak? You have set yourself up as his caretaker and, while that may be fulfilling for you in many ways, it is probably not erotically inspiring. It has also made you question the unspoken contract between you … which seems to be: you take care of him in every possible way but he does little to reciprocate. If this is correct, I can certainly understand if you are feeling that you deserve more. Would you say you have healthy self-esteem? Some people put up with this kind of contract because, deep down, they do not believe they deserve – or can receive – better. Think carefully about why you have come to be in this position and whether or not it is what you truly want. You can always negotiate for more attention, more kindness, more appreciation or anything else you feel he could give you but withholds. Make him recognise just how special you are, and how lucky he is to have you in his life. Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders. If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to (please don't send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions.
