When you are doing things you love, such as eating your favourite food or meeting someone you like, these happy hormones- known as dopamine, will be released in large amounts in the brain, making you feel good and rewarded. In contrary, low levels of dopamine can make you feel less motivated and enthusiastic. Dopamine levels are typically regulated within the nervous system, but there are some things we can do to naturally boost our dopamine levels.     5 Ways to Boost Your Dopamine Levels     1. Eat more protein   Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids. Tyrosine, one of a type of amino acid plays a role in the production of dopamine. Studies have found that eating food high in tyrosine such as milk, yogurt, beans, fish and chicken can increase dopamine levels in the brain; while a diet low in tyrosine can lead to a reduction in dopamine levels.     2. Eat less saturated fat     When in a bad mood, people tend to reach for snacks. However, a diet high in saturated fat, such as fried food, cakes, biscuits and animal fat may disrupt dopamine signalling in the brain. Choose to consume food rich in unsaturated fat instead, such as nuts and avocados to minimize dopamine disruption (not to mention that they are more heart-friendly).     3. Eat more antioxidant rich foods   Dopamine is easily oxidized enzymatically. Eating food rich in antioxidants such as vegetables, fruits, onions, garlic and turmeric can protect dopamine from damage by oxidative stress.      4. Maintain gut health   Gut is known as the ‘second brain’, as it contains large amount of nerve cells that produce neurotransmitter signalling molecules, including dopamine. Keeping your gut environment healthy and increasing probiotics in your gut may help to boost dopamine levels and improve mood.     5. Get enough sleep   Dopamine levels tend to decrease naturally at night when we fall asleep and rise in large amounts in the morning, making us feel awake. However, lack of sleep can reduce dopamine levels, leading to reduced concentration and possibly bad mood.  Hence, ensure adequate sleep of at least 8 hours a day is crucial in keeping dopamine levels balanced.     Reference: Heho health Healthline

  People nowadays can’t seem to find the time to exercise due to busy lifestyles. However, stretching is a great form of exercise as it can simply be done at home under ten minutes and is relatively less intense compared to outdoor exercises such as jogging, swimming and cycling. Not only can stretching help to relax your muscles, it can also improve posture, helps to improve back pain, relief stress and more.     6 Benefits of Stretching     1. Improves flexibility   Regular stretching can help to increase flexibility, which not only allows you to perform everyday activities with relative ease, but also helps in maintaining balance, delaying reduced mobility caused by aging and reducing the risk of falling.     2. Improves blood circulation   Stretching can help to improve blood circulation by allowing more blood to flow to your muscles. This helps to relieve muscle tension and stiffness, reduce muscle recovery time and even reduce muscle soreness.     3. Improves posture   Long term poor sitting habits or repetitive motions can cause muscle imbalance, which can lead to poor posture. However, stretching a specific muscle groups helps to encourage proper alignment, which in turn help to reduce muscle imbalance and improve posture.     4. Helps to heal and prevent back pain   Having tight muscles can lead to decreased range of motion, increasing the risk of straining your back muscles. Stretching can help to heal back pain by strengthening the muscles, prevent future back pain and reduce the risk of muscle strains.     5. Relieves stress   Sometimes physical and emotional stress can tighten up your muscles. Try stretching the area of your body where you tend to hold your stress, such as your neck, shoulders and upper back.     6. Helps to reduce tension headaches   Tension and stress headaches can seriously affect your daily life. Besides having a well-balanced diet, staying hydrated and having adequate rest, stretching may also help to relieve headaches.     6 Simple Stretching Exercises     Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. It is normal to feel some tension while stretching your muscles; however, if the area you are stretching starts to hurt, back off the stretch until you don’t feel any discomfort.     Reference: Healthline Heho Health  

  It is a popular belief that white meats (such as chicken, duck or fish) are better for cardiovascular health than red meats (such as pork, lamb or beef), as red meats generally have higher amount of saturated fats than white meats. Food with high saturated fat can raise the blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.     Red meats and white meats have equal effects on blood cholesterol levels     A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has challenged these claims. This research study has found that surprisingly, consuming both types of meat raised blood cholesterol levels more than consuming the same amount of plant-based proteins. Regardless of the type of meat, their effects on blood cholesterol levels are the same given that the saturated fat levels are equivalent.     Non-meat protein sources are the best for cholesterol levels     According to Dr. Ronald Krauss, the senior author of the research team, the results indicated that restricting meat altogether, whether red or white meats is more advisable in lowering cholesterol, and that non-meat protein sources such as vegetables, dairy, legumes, nuts and toufu are the most beneficial for cholesterol levels.   Reference: Science Daily: Red and white meats are equally bad for cholesterol

Both COVID-19 and dengue has been a double health threat in Malaysia. While staying at home during the pandemic, beware of the mosquitoes too. With the arrival of rainy season, the Ministry of Health has predicted a second wave of dengue fever in the 2nd half of the year and urged Malaysians to not let their guard down in preventing dengue despite the pandemic.   Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus, which is primarily transmitted by female mosquitoes of the Aedes type. Dengue is a common tropical disease worldwide and has been affecting the lives of many in Malaysia throughout the years.   The incubation period of dengue usually ranges from 4-7 days. Symptoms of dengue include high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, eye pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and rash. People infected with dengue virus usually recover within 2-7 days.   However, it is a concern that people who have previously been infected with dengue have a greater risk of having severe dengue disease if they were infected again. Dengue virus has four serotypes, meaning one who recovered from initial dengue infection (and is believed to have lifelong immunity to it) will still have the chance of getting infected by the other three serotypes and has a higher risk of developing severe dengue fever on subsequent infections, which can damage the lungs, liver or heart and can be deadly.   Currently, there is no specific treatment for dengue and the symptoms usually resolve on its own. Preventive measures such as avoid mosquito bites, clear stagnant water on items such as containers, jars or pots regularly, avoid going to high risk areas, use of insecticides and maintaining a balanced immune system are crucial to avoid getting infected by dengue virus.   A balanced immune system is the key to prevent infection and faster recovery.  The best ways to maintain a healthy, balanced immune system include having a well-balanced diet, ensure adequate sleep, exercise regularly and relax.   References: Oriental Daily News Sin Chew Daily

Milk is a white, nutrient-rich liquid food which has been enjoyed throughout the world for thousands of years and is loved by many for its smooth and rich mouthfeel. Drinking a glass of milk at the start of the day helps to replenish the nutrients and energy needed to sustain throughout the day; while drinking before bed helps to relax and improve sleep quality. Dubbed as a complete food, here’s 5 health benefits of drinking milk:     1. Milk is rich in nutrients   Milk is packed with vitamins and minerals and is a great source of nutrients which are often under-consumed by the population, such as calcium, vitamin B12 and potassium.     2. Milk as a great source of quality protein   Proteins are essential elements in the body for vital functions such as growth and maintenance. Milk is known as great source of quality protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for the body to function at optimal level and is better absorbed in the body compared to plant-based protein.     3. Milk benefits bone health   Milk is rich in nutrients which benefits bone health, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. According to studies, drinking milk may help to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of bone fractures.     4. Milk helps in weight control   The high protein content in milk helps to make you feel fuller, which helps to prevent overeating and control calorie intake.     5. Milk as a versatile ingredient   Adding milk to oatmeal, coffee, smoothie and soup helps to improve nutrition value and flavour. As for those with lactose intolerance, drinking milk with other solid food, drink in small and frequent amount slowly and warmly helps to reduce gastrointestinal comfort.     References: Healthline Evergreen

Normally, a person’s blood pressure can vary throughout the day depending on factors such as activity and mood;   but hypertension (or high blood pressure) is different.   Hypertension is a chronic disease, in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated with systolic pressure of ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure  of ≥ 90 mm Hg,   known as an even deadlier disease than cancer, hypertension can be dangerous with the various life-threatening complications it can cause.   Uncontrolled high blood pressure in the long term can affect organs such as the heart, brain and kidneys, leading to complications such as   · Stroke · Coronary heart disease · Heart failure · Renal failure · Vision loss · Dementia   Hypertension is one of the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases-Malaysia’s leading cause of death as it can damage the endothelium, leading to atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.   Hence, regular checkup, maintaining a healthy diet (limit salt and oil intake, increase fiber intake) and lifestyle (maintain a healthy weight, moderate alcohol consumption and increase physical activity) are important to prevent hypertension and its other complications.   Stolle ImmNuPlus contains patented bioactive factors, which are clinically proven to stabilize cardiovascular by reducing blood pressure and inhibiting atherosclerosis development. Protect your cardiovascular health with Stolle ImmNuPlus today!

High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. On average, one in every two Malaysian has high cholesterol.   People often associate cholesterol with cardiovascular diseases when in fact, there are good and bad cholesterol. The two forms of cholesterol in blood include:   High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol   Known as ‘good cholesterol’, in which HDL transports cholesterol from the peripheral tissues to the liver for disposal.     Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol   Known as ‘bad cholesterol’, in which LDL transports cholesterol to peripheral tissues.   Having high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood can lead to fatty deposits in the blood vessels and cause atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.   Do you know? Stolle ImmNuPlus contains patented bioactive factors, which are clinically proven to be able to reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in the blood as well as inhibiting atherosclerosis development. Protect your cardiovascular health with Stolle ImmNuPlus today!

In every three seconds, an osteoporotic fracture happens somewhere around the world. Osteoporosis is a common bone disease, but it should not be overlooked. Because 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 experience osteoporotic fracture.   Osteoporosis, also means porous bone is a disease characterized by low bone density, resulting in weak bones and increased risk of bone fracture.  Osteoporosis is asymptomatic and painless, but its resulting bone fracture can be painful, fatal and lead to long term disability. The most common fracture include wrist, hip, pelvis, vertebral and upper arm fractures.     Most people reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 35. But as we age, our bone mass begin to lose, which can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Not to mention that women are more likely to get osteoporosis than men.   According to a study done by International Osteoporosis Foundation, women tend to lose bone at a faster rate within 5 years of menopause. This is caused by the decline in estrogen level during menopause, which protects women’s bone. Hence, bone health is important for women above the age of 50.   Some other risk factors for osteoporosis include family history, poor diet and lifestyle.   Bone health is important at every age and stage of life.     How to prevent Osteoporosis?     1. Adequate Calcium intake   Milk, yogurt, cheese, toufu, soybean, sardines, salmon, broccoli and kale are food rich in calcium.     2. Adequate Vitamin D   Sun is a natural source of Vitamin D, other food sources include egg yolk, mushrooms, tuna, salmon and mackerel, which helps in calcium absorption.     3. Avoid unhealthy lifestyle and diet   Excessive alcohol intake, smoking and high salt diet can lead to bone loss, which promotes osteoporosis     4. Exercise   i) Weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, climbing stairs and dancing can help to strengthen muscle and bones.   ii) Yoga and Taichi are great to improve balance, coordination and flexibility, reducing the risk of falling.   Milk is the best source of calcium, but there is no other milk like Stolle ImmNuPlus- which protects not only your bones, but your overall health.   Stolle ImmNuPlus contains milk nutrients and patented bioactive factors: specific IgA and IgG antibodies, anti-inflammatory factors, macrophage-activating factors and anti-atherosclerosis factors, which help you to achieve immune balance as well as protecting your gut and cardiovascular health.   Prevention is better than cure, so beware of your bone health before it’s too late!

Without our mothers, we won’t be here today. The love and protection she gave us started way back since pregnancy.   Placenta- the bridge between mother and infant, plays such a huge role in delivering maternal nutrients to the infant, gas exchange and providing maternal immunity. IgG antibodies, the only antibody class that can be transferred to infants via placenta, circulate in the blood circulation, protecting the infants from infections.   Breast milk- a baby’s first food, is the most precious gift a mother can give. Not only it supports newborn’s growth and development with its rich nutrient content, breast milk is also rich in antibodies, mainly the IgA antibodies. These antibodies provide long lasting protection to the newborns’ respiratory and gastrointestinal systems while their immune system is still in development, providing immunity against harmful microorganisms.   Antibodies are part of the adaptive immunity, which is not present at birth. Hence, specific antibodies are produced by the immune system via encounter with pathogens after birth or vaccination. The antibodies present in breast milk provides maternal immunity to newborns and is beneficial for their growth and health.   This Parent’s Day, let’s return our love and protect our parents’ health with Stolle ImmNuPlus, which contains specific IgA and IgG antibodies. Stolle (M) wishes all parents a happy parent’s day!