Beef jerky, processed meats linked to manic episodes: Study
New Delhi, July 19: Love to gorge on beef jerky, salami, hot dogs and other processed meat as part of your evening snacks daily? Beware, these processed meats laced with chemicals such as nitrates, to preserve them from spoilage, may contribute to mania -- an abnormal mood state characterized by hyperactivity, euphoria and insomnia, a study has found.
The findings showed that people hospitalised for an episode of mania had more than three times the odds of having ever eaten nitrate-cured meats than people without a history of a serious psychiatric disorder.
"We looked at a number of different dietary exposures and cured meat really stood out. It wasn't just that people with mania have an abnormal diet," said lead author Robert Yolken, Professor at the Johns Hopkins University in the US.
Nitrates have long been used as preservatives in cured meat products and have been previously linked to some cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, so Yolken suspected they may also explain the link to mood states such as mania.
Further, in experiments on rats, those who received the jerky showed irregular sleeping patterns and hyperactivity similar to that seen in patients with mania -- increased activity during normal sleep times and in new environments.
However, when the animals were fed on nitrate-free meat, they behaved similarly to a control group.
"It's clear that mania is a complex neuropsychiatric state, and that both genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors are likely involved in the emergence and severity of bipolar disorder and associated maniac episodes," explained Seva Khambadkone, doctoral student at the varsity.
"Our results suggest that nitrated cured meat could be one environmental player in mediating mania," Khambadkone added.
Moreover, the animals with nitrate in their diet had different patterns of bacteria living in their intestines than the other rats and had differences in several molecular pathways in the brain that have been previously implicated in bipolar disorder.
"Future work on this association could lead to dietary interventions to help reduce the risk of manic episodes in those who have bipolar disorder or who are otherwise vulnerable to mania," Yolken said.
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Rupee dips after India-US trade rally; falls 22 paise to 90.54/USD
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 22 paise to 90.54 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, following a sharp rally after India and the US agreed to a trade deal on suspected dollar buying by corporates and importers.
Forex traders said despite the positive sentiment post the India-US trade deal, caution still remains as there is no signed or officially released trade agreement yet — no framework text or final documentation.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.35 against the US dollar, then lost ground and fell to 90.54, registering a loss of 22 paise over its previous close.
On Tuesday, the Indian rupee emerged as the best-performing Asian currency, registering a record gain of 117 paise or 1.28 per cent in a single trading session to settle at 90.32 against the US dollar, after India and the US agreed to a trade deal.
"After Tuesday's good news the rupee was back to its own self of weakening as RBI bought dollars towards the end to take the dollar up to 90.2650," said Anil Kumar Bhansali Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Forex traders said investors are trading with caution as the India-US trade deal still awaits formalisation.
"Any sustained turnaround in FII flows will depend on greater clarity around the final structure and commitments within the deal," CR Forex Advisors MD – Amit Pabari said.
President Trump stated that India will end purchases of Russian crude over an undefined timeline, while increasing imports of US energy, including oil and coal, and potentially Venezuelan crude with US approval.
"Moving away from discounted Russian oil could prove challenging for India, given its long-standing commercial and strategic ties with Moscow, and may have implications for India’s energy costs and external balance," Pabari added.
According to Pabari, the 89.80–90.00 zone should act as strong support. "Ultimately, the directional cue for the rupee will hinge on confirmation of the final trade agreement and its specifics. That clarity will determine whether this move extends — or pauses for consolidation," he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.02 per cent lower at 97.41.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 67.77 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex advanced 68.49 points to 83,816.96 in early trade, while the Nifty was up 51.90 points to 25,779.45.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 5,236.28 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
