Which arm is best for Blood Pressure measurement

If you are one of those who think that blood pressure can be measured through any arm, then you might be mistaken. Usually medical professionals measure blood pressure through left arm of the patient. But why is it done so ? Why can't we measure it through right hand ? These are very simple questions that can appear in mind of any person of scientific attitude. BetterHealthFacts.com will try to answer them and increase your knowledge about your body.

Blood Pressure is higher in dominant arm

Blood Pressure can be measured through any arm. However it is little bit higher in dominant arm. Most of the people are right-handed, hence left arm is preferred to measure blood pressure to get the better reading. Sometimes you should get BP checked in both of your arms to check the arm-to-arm difference.

More difference between arm-to-arm blood pressure

Small difference between arm-to-arm blood pressure is normal. If you observe that the difference between blood pressure in both of your hands is more, then you should get yourself checked by a specialist. Difference of around 5 points in systolic pressure is normal. But if it is more than 10 points then you should be more aware about your heart health, as your chances of heart diseases is more than an average person. 

If you are ever diagnosed with more arm-to-arm blood pressure difference then you should always get your blood pressure checked with that arm which shows higher blood pressure and get appropriate treatment. Usually higher arm-to-arm difference may be an indication of :

• Blocked arteries in your arms (peripheral artery disease)
• Kidney disease
• Heart defect

Blocked arteries in your arm may show some visible symptoms like tightness, weakness, heaviness or cramping in that arm. Finger pain and sensitivity to cold are some of the other symptoms. Rarely fingers of the affected arm may turn pale or blue due to blockage. So such symptoms should not be ignored. Measuring blood pressure in both of your arms can be used to diagnose this disease at home.

Our kidneys perform blood filtration and high blood pressure is directly related to their performance and capacity. Some researches have shown that high blood pressure in any one arm may be a symptom of kidney disease.

Heart defect like narrowing of the aorta (main artery that comes out of heart) may result in a selective elevation in blood pressure. So you should consult a cardiologist if higher blood pressure is found in one arm only.

Conclusion: In a healthy person there is a very minor difference in arm-to-arm blood pressure. Usually dominant arm shows little bit higher BP. If the difference is more than 10 points (systolic) then you should consult a cardiologist and consider the higher BP as the actual blood pressure for further treatment or as suggested by the specialist.

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Best Position to measure Blood Pressure (Sitting or Lying Down posture)

Are you one of those people who want to know the best posture to measure blood pressure ? Usually a medical professional measures your blood pressure after you sit comfortably on a chair. But is it the right body position to measure the accurate blood pressure ? Some people believe that blood pressure is measured best while lying on back, as it is the most comfortable position. Here we will try to find if such beliefs really have some actual facts behind it.

Best Position to measure Blood Pressure

Sitting vs Lying Blood Pressure

Mostly blood pressure is measured while sitting on a comfortable chair, and rarely while lying on your back. These two are the most preferred body postures to measure BP. Here the main fact to known is the placement of cuff. In both of these postures, the medical professional places the cuff on your arm after adjusting your arm's height in level of your heart. Even if you are sitting on a chair, your arm is usually placed on a table so that the cuff can be wrapped at the level of your heart. If the heart-level factor is adjusted properly then either you measure the blood pressure while sitting or lying down, your results will be almost same.

Lying vs Standing Blood Pressure

In a healthy person there is nominal difference in blood pressure either lying or standing, if it measured by taking care of heart-level factor. But in older people and diabetic people this statement might not be true. If the person is suffering from postural hypotension then the difference can be quiet high.

Sitting vs Standing Blood Pressure

Usually our blood pressure drops a little bit as we stand up from sitting or lying posture. This difference usually increase as a person gets older. So sitting blood pressure and standing blood pressure might not differ much in a healthy young adult, but it can create more difference in readings of older people or those who are suffering from other medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.

Several researches have been done on measurement of blood pressure and upper arm is the best place to measure it while sitting on a comfortable chair with proper support for your back and feet on floor. In our last article we listed some common mistakes often done while measuring blood pressure. You must read it to get the most accurate readings even while measuring BP at home.

Conclusion : Your body position causes very minor difference in your blood pressure if you are a healthy young adult. This statement is applicable only if you are not above 50 years of age and not suffering from lifestyle diseases or cardiovascular diseases.

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Common mistakes while measuring Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure monitors are now being used at home and every person seems to be an expert in taking the BP readings. Instead of being overconfident one must read about the following common mistakes that are made while measuring blood pressure. Some of these mistakes are not just made at home but also at the hospitals. If you read this article then you can easily pin-point such mistakes and correct the error commonly made while measuring blood pressure.

Regular inaccurate readings can make you misdiagnose your normal health as hypertension. So don't fall prey to inaccuracy in blood pressure measurement. Here is a list of common mistakes made while measuring blood pressure along with the impact that those mistakes make in the readings.

• Never stop your urge to urinate just before a blood pressure measurement. A full bladder can increase your readings by 10 to 15 points.
• Talking while measuring your blood pressure can increase readings by 10 points. Even talking on phone have the similar effect. Sit quietly for 5 minutes beforehand to get the best BP readings.
• Smoking should be avoided for 30 minutes before blood pressure measurement. 
• Unsupported back or feet can increase your readings by 6 to 10 points. Make sure that you are at rest for a few minutes before measurement, so that your BP can lower itself to normal state. If you measure it just seconds after sitting, then your readings will still be higher than actual. If you are in sitting posture than make sure that your feet are flat on floor (not swinging in air).
• An undersized or over-sized cuff can also give inaccurate blood pressure readings by 2 to 10 points.
• Unsupported arm can increase the blood pressure readings up to 10 points. Make sure that your arm is properly supported and is at the level of your heart.
• Never measure your blood pressure just after waking up in morning. At that time your blood pressure might be lower that normal. So if you don't want to fool yourself with lower readings, then don't measure your BP at that time. However you can measure it after getting fresh and drinking water, so that your body comes out of sleep mode. Best time to measure BP
• If you wrap the cuff over some clothing on arm, then it can increase your BP readings by 5 to 50 points, depending on the type of clothing. So any type of cloth on your arm can make a huge error in blood pressure measurement. So nothing should be between your bare arm and the cuff.
• Sitting with crossed legs while getting your blood pressure measured can increase it by 8 points. So always uncross your legs at such time and put them on floor for proper support.
• If you measure it just after having a meal of caffeine drink then your blood pressure will be on higher side and these things keep your BP high for at least 30 minutes.
• If you measure your blood pressure after a workout session then it might be most inaccurate, unless your intentionally wanted to check it. 

Note: Our blood pressure is very dynamic as it can change 10 to 20 points within seconds. So sitting quietly for at least a minute before measurement is extremely important. Rechecking the blood pressure after a few minutes is also a good practice. If the first number (systolic) differs by 10 points in second measurement, then you should go for third measurement. Average of these readings is the most accurate blood pressure. 

If you take care of the about points while getting your blood pressure measured then most probably you will get the accurate result unless there is a fault in the equipment. Avoiding these common mistakes while measuring your blood pressure can save you from unnecessary medication.

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When to measure Blood Pressure (Best time to measure BP)

Our blood pressure have got a pattern. Usually it goes up during daytime and lowers during night. It is highest just after the afternoon and lowest in the early hours before sunrise. Our blood pressure begins to rise even before we get up. So you can say that it goes up and down with our biological clock. If you are struggling to find the best time to measure your blood pressure to get to best possible readings then that time will be 1 hour before you get up in the morning. How to get it measured at that time is a real challenge.

If you don't want to fool yourself and really conscious about your heart health, then we will tell you when you should measure you BP. Instead of focusing on getting the minimum possible readings, your motive should be to get that reading which shows your actual heart health.

When to measure Blood Pressure ?

Instead of searching for "when to measure your blood pressure", your first priority should be to measure blood pressure properly. Especially if you are a device at home, then make sure that it measures the blood pressure properly. To do so either get it checked by a medical practitioner, or take at least 2 to 3 readings at the same time, and check if all those readings are nearly same.

Now come to the "When". Best time to measure blood pressure is twice in a day. Once in morning before having breakfast and once in evening.

Measuring Blood Pressure in Morning

• Never measure it just after getting up. Give yourself some time, drink water, answer the natural calls and give your body sometime to come out of sleeping mode and then measure your blood pressure. 
• If you workout in morning then measure you blood pressure before workout.
• Make sure that you measure BP before eating anything or drinking any caffeine drink or alcohol.

Measuring Blood Pressure in Evening

• Try to measure it at the same time every evening.
• Don't eat or drink (apart from water) for 30 minutes before taking measurement.

Record your blood pressure readings on regular basis and take the following precautions.

• Use same arm everyday for measuring blood pressure.
• While measuring your BP you should sit quietly and don't think about anything that makes you aggressive.
• During measurement your arm should be placed at heart level. If you are sitting then place your hand on a table of appropriate height. You may use a pillow under your hand to properly adjust the height.
• While putting the cuff on your arm, make sure that it is not wrapped above any cloth. Cuff should be wrapped on bare skin.

Note: Never make any changes in your mediation if you find your blood pressure readings normal at home. You should consult your doctor before making any changes in medication. However you may show your blood pressure records to the doctor, which may help him/her in understanding your heart health better.

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N95 Masks can be dangerous !

N95 mask is one of the most used protective gear against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that caused COVID-19). But most of us don't know about its efficiency and dangers. Few major thing we are going to discuss here are

• 300nm is the size of pores in a normal N95 mask, while coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2) ranges from 65 to 125nm. Is it really doing the job ?
• Wearing N95 mask reduces oxygen supply upto 20%.
• It also increases the carbon-dioxide concentration in blood.
• Is it safe for people with heart disease?
• Can you do a physically hectic activity after wearing N95 mask?
• How long is it safe to wear such masks?
• N95 Masks with valves are not safe for others.

The Pores Size

Pores size in a normal N95 mask is around 300nm, while the size of coronavirus is just 65 to 125nm. It does not mean that it can't filter this fatal virus. According to some researches 85% of coronavirus can be blocked by N95 mask. It means that only 15 out of 100 coronavirus can penetrate through it. So even if it can't fully protect you from virus, it can definitely reduce the risk to a great extent. Nobody knows how much quantity of this virus is needed to make you sick, so N95 might be saving you 100% from this virus.

Reduction of Oxygen supply

Yes, wearing an N95 mask can reduce oxygen supply by 5 to 20%. A healthy human being can bear this shortage under normal circumstances, but for how long is the real question. You can check it yourself. If you start feeling tired under normal conditions, or shortness of breath then it might be a sign of reduced oxygen level in body or increase of carbon dioxide concentration.

Is N95 safe for people with Heart Disease?

As N95 mask causes oxygen shortage, our body try to cope with it by increasing the heart beat and breathing rate, which also increases our body temperature. These changes in a heart patient can be dangerous. So we advise such people to not wear N95 masks for longer duration or you may consult a doctor for some other alternative.

Physically Hectic Activity after wearing N95 mask

Some incidents have been reported where people running or jogging with masks have collapsed or even died. Still research is being done if it due to mask or not. But even if we look at a general running activity, then you must have noticed that breathing rate increase while running/jogging as our body remand more oxygen to get the energy, but N95 masks can create a shortage upto 20% in that demand, which is a large gap. So doing a hectic activity with mask-ON can be dangerous. Again we would suggest you to listen to your body while running/jogging with a mask, and remove it immediately if you feel complications. Its better to do spot-point running at home without any mask till this COVID-19 era is over.

N95 Masks with valves

All N95 masks are not equal. Some of them come with valves, which are actually one-way valves, that filter only the air you are inhaling, but not what you are exhaling. Such masks may protect you from others but put others at risk when you sneeze or cough. If a COVID-19 patient wears the "N95 mask with value"then it is equivalent to not covering mouth as all of his/her water droplets will be expelled out through valve. Some countries have banned usage of such masks as they put others at risk. It should be our moral duty not to wear such masks. 

However N95 masks reduce the COVID19 infection rate by 75%.  But wearing it also causes shortage of oxygen upto 20 percent. Their usage during a hectic activity is also controversial, and usage of N95 mask with valve is immoral. Several countries have recommended usage of simple cloth or face mask and leave the N95 mask for healthcare professionals. Don't wear a mask when you are at safer places like home and try not to wear the masks for longer durations.

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Living with Blood Thinners

Blood thinners are medication usually recommended to people with diseases like DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis known for blood clot in leg), PE (Pulmonary Embolism known for blood clot in lung),  Atrial fibrillation and some heart diseases. Apart from medication that is prescribed by doctors, our life style also plays an important role in regulating the stats of blood. Those who take blood thinners get their blood tested at regular intervals. Blood INR (international normalized ratio) value is often measured to estimate the blood thickness.
Note: If you have ever had DVT then you can't donate blood.

Both over thickness of blood and over thinner blood is dangerous for human body. Thicker blood increases the chances of formation of blood clots, while over thin blood increases the risk of bleeding (both internal and external). Blood INR value of a healthy human being remains under 1.1, while those who depend on blood thinners should keep it between 2 to 3. Blood INR value of above 4.5 is considered too thin and increases your chances of bleeding.

What makes blood thicker ?

• Health of your liver and digestive system: Our liver is a major organ when it comes to digestion of food and extraction of vitamins and minerals from our diet. Proper balance of nutrients in our body is necessary to maintain the correct thickness of blood. More amount of heavy proteins in our blood can make our blood thicker. Deficiency of protein S or C can also make it thicker.
• Heredity: Sometimes inherited genetic disorders result in thicker blood. For example, protein-S deficiency may occur due to inherited genetic disorder from any one of the parents, which makes our blood thicker and cause DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).
• Too much RBC, WBC and Platelets: Too much blood in circulation can cause blood thickness. Similarly more amount of red blood cells (RBCs)(often caused by polycythemia vera), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets in blood makes it thicker.
• Other Diseases:  Some types of cancer and lupus can also make blood thicker.
• Mutations: mutations in factor V or prothrombin 20210 mutation can cause blood thickness.

Apart from medication there are several other factors that can control your blood thickness. If you are on blood thinners then you should take extra precaution about these factors.

Diet influence Blood Thickness

• Vitamin K : High amount of Vitamin K in our diet or supplements can make our blood thicker and lessen the effect of blood thinners. Similarly lack of Vitamin K in diet can boost the effect of blood thinners. So proper balance of Vitamin K in your diet is necessary. Vitamin K is found in broccoli, chickpeas, green tea, kale, turnip greens, soybeans and liver.
• Natural Blood thinners: Some food items act as natural anticoagulants thus increase the effect of blood thinners. Some of these food items are garlic, ginger, celery seed and aniseed.
• Vitamin E: It is a natural blood thinner. Oils of olive, soybean, corn and wheat germ are rich souurce of Vitamin E, hence should be consumed with caution. Other rich source of vitamin E are tomatoes, mangoes, spinach, almond, broccoli and sunflower seed.

Lifestyle

• Alcohol Intake: Usually people think that moderate amount of alcohol is good for heart as it saves from heart disease, which is achieved by blood-thinning effect of alcohol. But what most people don't know is that alcohol can interact with blood thinning medication and cause dangerous results, even if you are being moderate.
• Smoking : Smoking makes our blood thicker by damaging the tissues.
• Drinking water: Drinking adequate amount of water is also necessary to maintain correct thickness of blood. Don't think that drinking some extra water will make your blood thinner as your kidney will instantly send it to your urinary bladder. So just keep hydrated throughout the day.

Other Medications

• Estrogen-containing medications, such as birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can make your blood thick.
• Some antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs increase the risk of bleeding.
• Some pain relievers and acid-reducer make your blood thinner.

Type of Blood Thinners

From over 5 decades people are using warfarin as blood thinner. A newer type of medication for the same purpose is direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). DOACs users don't need to think much about food restrictions and regular blood tests, but their cost is upto 20 times higher and only a person with health kidney function can consume them. So if you want to use DOACs then consult a specialist regarding this matter. Still a number of people prefer warfarin due to lesser cost and lesser risk factor. Missing a warfarin dose does not posses any threat as it acts for longer duration, while missing a DOACs dose increases your stroke risk.

If you are living with blood thinners then you must make some changes in your diet, lifestyle and other medication after consulting a specialist. Don't be your own doctor and get your blood regularly checked and get your reports examined.

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Dermatologically Tested, Recommended and Approved - Terminologies Explained

Makeup is an important part of a woman's life. After all everybody have a right to look good, but is it acceptable at the cost of damaged skin. Most of the beauty products in the market are labelled as "Dermatologically Tested", "Dermatologically Recommended" or "Dermatologist Approved". After reading these scientific terms, especially reading a term with "dermatologist", we assume that it is well tested on skin by a team of doctors and will definitely not harm. Is this assumption correct ?

Dermatologically Tested / Recommended / Approved

These terms often confuse the end user. If you even just google these terms, you will find that these terms have no scientific ground. There are no fixed laws about the standards of the scientific study to be conducted before labeling a product as Dermatologically Tested. Even if a dermatologist has seen the list of ingredients and found that all ingredients are OK as per his/her knowledge, then the manufacturer can easily label the product as Dermatologically Approved or Recommended. These are no laws to govern the testing of these products, and no rule to test these products on a minimum number of users for a minimum period of time.

Note: Even if there are some laws and rules then they vary greatly from country to country. So if you are using an imported beauty product, then you don't know if complies with laws of your country. 

Some beauty products are even tested only o animal skins, while they are meant to be used on human skin as the final product. Lack of laws to test these products on humans saves a lot of money and increase the profits.

Most of the manufacturers spend more on advertisements rather than testing. The actual testing is done on customers skin. If it harms the skin, then actual dermatologists in the market earn by treating the infections and the sale decreases, and thus the manufacturer goes for some other product. But if the sale goes up then it means that testing on customers skin is successful and thus production is increased. So both way either beauty product manufacturer is earning or the dermatologist is earning.

Kind to skin, Mild for skin, Safe for skin

These are some other common terms written on beauty products just to please the customers, as they are equally delusional. There are no norms for usage of these terms as well.

How to choose a good beauty product ?

If you are really health conscious then never buy a beauty product just by getting impressed by its packaging. Instead take a look at the ingredients and compare those ingredients with other creams. If you are going to try a new cream, then make sure that the ingredients are not at very high concentration, so go for a milder version to test if its OK for your skin and then if it suits then gradually go for upper versions. 

Whenever you have some free time, take a look at the ingredients of the beauty products that you have got. Google those ingredients to find their pros and cons, and check if you have faced them. Every cream is not meant for everybody, as we have different skin types. So a product which suited your friend might not suit you. Be a little curious about the beauty products that you use and hopefully you will be an expert for your skin type. It is also possible the most of your beauty products will land into a dustbin and you will opt for some natural homemade beauty therapy.  Our looks should always be secondary, first is our health.

Note : A happy mood is the best ingredient to make you look better. So stay happy and stay healthy. 

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Treadmill vs Running Outdoor ! What is better ?

Most of the technology loving people around the world prefer treadmill as a good option to enjoy running at the comfort of your home. Various modern treadmills are equipped with features like speed control, elevation control, calorie count and numerous features on a touch screen that can connect to your smartphone to show your daily report. These eye-catching features make people spend thousands of dollars to get this luxury in your home. But are these treadmills better than running outdoor ? Lets analyze.

Every step is new while running outdoor : This is one of the major drawbacks of treadmill and one of the major benefits of running outdoor. The terrain where you are running matters a lot. Running on treadmill is repetition of same steps, except that you can adjust the elevation. While running outdoor every step is on a new surface, especially when you are not running on road. You take a lot of twists and turns which provide a complete workout for your complete body, while it is not so in a treadmill.

You push lesser on a treadmill : Most of you might not be aware of the fact that running on a treadmill require lesser push compared to an actual running. While running outdoor ground never moves backwards, while the surface of the treadmill starts moving backwards as soon as you start running on it. Even if you do a spot-point running on the floor, you will exert lesser pressure. So actual running is a better exercise than treadmill.

Your eyes and brain : Your eyes and brain don't do much of a work on a treadmill. At most you just look at the touch screen to know your speed and calorie count. But in actual running your eyes constantly scan to upcoming ground and your brain adjusts you steps accordingly. Even saving your foot from a stone on ground is an exercise of your eyes and brain. It improves reaction time and your decision making ability.

You can't go downhill on a treadmill: You may go uphill using the inclined treadmill, but there is no option to go downhill on a treadmill which is equally important. Downwards movement exercises our anterior tibialis muscles at the front of your legs. So using treadmill avoids the proper exercise of all leg muscles.

Outdoor fresh air : Some people think that outdoor air pollution can be avoided by using treadmill, but reality is that such conditions arise only for a few weeks during a whole year, otherwise outdoor air quality remains much better than indoor closed rooms. Better air quality while running provides better health results.

Mistakes are repeated in treadmill : If due to some reason your leg movement is not proper on a treadmill, then most probably you will keep repeating the same mistake. Outdoor running saves you from such mistakes as every step is new in outdoor running, so chances of repeating the same mistake is greatly reduced.

Running on treadmill is a lot easier and gives you more speed with lessor effort, but it is a good training tool. At least it is better than not running at all. Most of the people make false excuses like bad air quality, waking up late, bad weather and a lot more to avoid outdoor running. Treadmills can at least give those people a reason to run. One of the best things about treadmill is that you don't need to worry about your clothing and sunscreen.

BetterHealthFacts.com would suggest you to prefer outdoor running to get proper overall exercise. If you are preparing for half-marathon then it is better to run outside to let you experience the real effort in advance, otherwise directly jumping into half-marathon from a treadmill can put you in extreme discomfort. If you want to be high-tech then you may use smart wrist bands that can track your pulse rate, blood pressure, step count and a lot more. Choice is yours, but keep running and improving your health.

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Body Hacks to control your Pee

Controlling your urge to pee is not a healthy habit, but sometimes we need to control it as you can't go at that particular time. Holding it for a few minutes can be made easier if you follow certain body hacks. Some of the common conditions where you might need to control the bladder-full sensation are:

• You are out on a long drive and can't find a public toilet to get the relief.
• You are in middle of a meeting and going out to answer the natural call might make a bad impression on others and your seniors might get upset due to it.
• You are in middle of a class or training session and don't want to disturb anybody by going out. 

During such time these body hacks can definitely help you. Lets go to main points without wasting any more time.

You must have noticed that the urge to pee occur more often during winters. It is because our body don't sweat during those days. During summers sweating removes the water automatically so lesser water reaches our urinary bladder. So the easiest way to hold your pee is by wearing warm clothes as it let the water out through sweating and pressure in your bladder remain less for longer duration.

You can't wear warm clothes during summer, then what you should do to control the urge to urinate. Here are some easier tips:

• Listen to music
• Sing some song or just mutter
• Solve some puzzle
• Do some calculations

Overall motive of the above activities is to indulge your brain in some activity and divert its attention from urination. Just make your brain forget peeing.

Note: If you practice pelvic floor exercises regularly, then your bladder muscles get strong and help you better in controlling your pee.

Everybody faces such situations where he/she need to control the natural call. You can share your experiences in comments section. We won't encourage you to control your pee regularly as it may harm your body.

Following pee table will help you understand how much time it takes for an average bladder to get full.

Age	Avg. Bladder Size	Time to get full
Infant (0-12 Months)	1-2 ounces	1 hour
Toddler (1-3 Years)	3-5 ounces	2 hours
Child (4-12 Years)	7-14 ounces	2-4 hours
Adult	16-24 ounces	8-9 hours

The data in above table might not fit every person, as it heavily depends on your metabolic system, your water intake, your clothes and the climate / temperature in your locality.

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Carrots don't improve your Eye-Sight !

Carrots are good for eyes, but they can't improve your eye sight. Usually we think that carrots are much rich in Vitamin A, thus improves our eye-sight, which is not true. Vitamin A is found in Milk, Cheese, Egg yolk, orange and yellow vegetables. Carrots are not better than any of these food products. Carrots can help a person only if a person is suffering from malnutrition, but gulping excess of carrots, just to improve eye-sight won't help. Vitamin A is good for eyes, but excess of it won't provide you superhuman eyes.

But how this myth is popularized around the world that Carrots can improve your eye-sight ? The answer to this question might make your laugh.

During second world war, Royal Air Force of UK used some secret Radar Technology to detect enemy fighter planes even during night. Usage of that technology was a success and they shot down a number of enemy fighter planes using it, but they were not in mood to reveal about this technology. So they popularized a myth that their fighter-pilots ate carrots to improve their night vision.
Further this myth popularized beyond imagination. Enemy nations started to add carrots in diet of their pilots. Even the general public believed this myth, and ate carrots to get ready with night vision to see during blackouts.

 At that time, when sugar was an expensive item, carrots were promoted as sweetener in desserts. Dr Carrot was also shown in advertisements to improve carrot consumption. A Disney cartoonist designed a whole family of carrots named Dr. Carrot, Carroty George, Pop Carrot and Clara Carrot.

What shall i eat to improve eye sight ?

Carrots or any other Vitamin A rich food item can definitely help you in improving eye sight only if it is degraded due to lack of Vitamin A in your diet. Eating excess of carrots won't help any better, as your body flushes out any vitamin or mineral in excess. To improve your eye-sight, a balanced diet with grains, vegetables and dairy products is must. Apart from that some exercises prescribed by your specialist can also help. You must know that our eye sight changes with age as our facial muscle change, so nutrient rich proper diet is must for kids.

You must be surprised to know that :

• Sweet potato contains 4 to 5 time more Vitamin A than carrot.
• Winter Squash have 3 times more Vitamin A than carrot.
• Kale and Collards have twice more Vitamin A that carrots.

But still Carrots got all the limelight. Carrots are good as a starter if your kids don't eat vegetables, but with time you should go for a balanced diet with all nutrients in mind, not just Vitamin A.

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