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Monday, July 28, 2025

Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in elderly

  

Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in older people by changing oral microbiome, study 

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice in older people may be due to specific changes in their oral microbiome, according to the largest study of its kind.

Researchers at the University of Exeter conducted the study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, comparing responses between a group of older adults to that of younger adults. Previous research has shown that a high nitrate diet can reduce , which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. The paper is titled "Ageing modifies the oral microbiome, nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular responses to dietary nitrate supplementation."

Nitrate is crucial to the body and is consumed as a natural part of a vegetable-rich diet. When the older adults drank a concentrated beetroot juice shot twice a day for two weeks, their blood pressure decreased—an effect not seen in the younger group.

The new study provides evidence that this outcome was likely caused by the suppression of potentially harmful bacteria in the mouth.

An imbalance between beneficial and harmful oral bacteria can decrease the conversion of nitrate (abundant in vegetable-rich diets) to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is key to healthy functioning of the blood vessels, and therefore the regulation of blood pressure.

Study author Professor Anni Vanhatalo, of the University of Exeter, said, "We know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits, and older people produce less of their own  as they age. They also tend to have higher blood pressure, which can be linked to cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke

"Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long-term . The good news is that if you don't like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives, like spinach, arugula, fennel, celery and kale."

The study recruited 39 adults aged under 30, and 36 adults in their 60s and 70s through the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility. The trial was supported by the Exeter Clinical Trials Unit.

Each group spent two weeks taking regular doses of nitrate-rich beetroot juice and two weeks on a placebo version of the juice with nitrate stripped out. Each condition had a two-week "wash out" period in between to reset. The team then used a bacterial gene sequencing method to analyze which bacteria were present in the mouth before and after each condition.

In both groups, the make-up of the oral microbiome changed significantly after drinking the nitrate-rich beetroot juice, but these changes differed between the younger and older age groups.

The older age group experienced a notable decrease in the mouth bacteria Prevotella after drinking the nitrate-rich juice, and an increase in the growth of bacteria known to benefit health, such as Neisseria. The older group had higher average blood pressure at the start of the study, which fell after taking the nitrate-rich beetroot , but not after taking the placebo supplement.

Co-author Professor Andy Jones, of the University of Exeter, said, "This study shows that nitrate-rich foods alter the  in a way that could result in less inflammation, as well as a lowering of blood pressure in older people. This paves the way for larger studies to explore the influence of lifestyle factors and biological sex in how people respond to dietary nitrate supplementation."

Dr. Lee Beniston FRSB, Associate Director for Industry Partnerships and Collaborative Research and Development at BBSRC, said, "This research is a great example of how bioscience can help us better understand the complex links between diet, the microbiome and healthy aging.

"By uncovering how dietary  affects oral bacteria and blood pressure in , the study opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition. BBSRC is proud to have supported this innovative partnership between  and industry to advance knowledge with real-world benefits."

More information: Anni Vanhatalo et al, Ageing modifies the oral microbiome, nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular responses to dietary nitrate supplementation, Free Radical Biology and Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2025.07.002

Journal information: Free Radical Biology and Medicine 
Provided by University of Exeter 

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Domino effect when calls go unanswered

 

 

Government agencies urgently need to dial up responsiveness when serving the public



RECENTLY, I had to sort out a matter at the National Registration Department (JPN).

I took a day off work and drove to UTC Seremban in Negri Sembilan, where it took a bit of time to find parking.

Upon reaching the service counter, I discovered that the system was down and was told to return the following day.

When I asked how to check whether the system would be operational before making another trip, I was given a phone number to call.

Fair enough, except no one answered the phone despite my repeated attempts at calling the next day.

At around 3pm, I rang the state JPN headquarters to lodge a complaint.

The officer who took my call assured me that they would look into the matter.

About 10 minutes later, the officer called back and told me to go to UTC Seremban again and proceed directly to a specific officer, with no need to queue.

I went the next day and at the end of the process, the officer at the counter asked if I could leave positive feedback for the fast service I had received that day.

I explained that while the final step had been swift, it had taken me three days to resolve an issue that should have taken less than two hours.

There had been no effort by the branch to inform the public of the system failure.

having people show up at the counter only to be turned away, is simply poor practice.

I offered to write constructive feedback on how the department could improve its communication, but I was not given the relevant form.

This was not an isolated incident with a government agency.

Recently, I needed to speak to an officer from a national research institute regarding a news story I was working on.

I called the number listed on their website at various times over the course of several days.

Not once did anyone pick up. There was no alternative number, no automated message, just ringing until it stopped.

Frustrated and with no other option, I visited in person.

Again, more time spent, more resources used, when a simple phone call should have sufficed.

I shared my frustrations with an employee manning the front desk.

out of curiosity, I dialled the number in front of him but the phone on that desk did not ring.

When I asked for the number that connected to the front desk, he said he did not know as he was just sitting in temporarily.

Before leaving, I told the officers how inconvenient it was for the public when phones went unanswered and no other way was given to reach them.

The office is in Kuala Lumpur, which isn’t far from where I work in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

But what if someone from Johor or Penang wanted to get in touch?

When dealing with government agencies, we often have to take leave from work, travel long distances, arrange childcare and cancel meetings, only to discover that our arrangements had been all for nothing.

This lack of responsiveness not only wastes our time, but also reflects poorly on the professionalism and accountability of public institutions.

It is high time something as basic as answering the phone is given the attention it deserves, as for many, it is the most practical way of reaching out to a government agency.

on that note, I rang the national research institute again recently and this time, the call was answered promptly.

By VIJENTHI NAIR vijenthi @thestar.com.my

Protests in Malaysia: Calls for prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to step down https://youtu.be/qduneQNbKtc?si=MlgWZw2xZtOK2ChN via @YouTube

The rise of e-wallets in Asean

QR-based payment systems are now widely used and integrated across Asean, with each country adopting its own system.


E-WALLETS have been around for more than 25 years, ever since Coca-Cola introduced its SMS-based vending machine payments in 1997 and emergence of PayPal in 1998.


In Malaysia, cash was king, until the unthinkable happened—a pandemic that stopped the world in its tracks for two years. Within that timeframe, Covid-19 caused not only a major shift in how people lived but their attitudes as well.


According to a survey done by PwC Malaysia in September 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, it charted that the average transactional frequency done on e-wallets almost doubled as compared to May 2018, with weekly transaction values increasing more than three-fold.


In fact, the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study 2024 showed a surge in e-wallet adoption across the region in 4Q2023, with 79% of respondents reporting they use this payment method, outpacing cash (77%), debit and credit cards (70%) and Internet banking (70%).


Furthermore, the region’s digital economy made good progress last year. The 2024 e-Conomy SEA report showed a 15% increase year-on-year (YoY) of US$263bil for gross merchandise value, a revenue of US$89bil—a 14% increase YoY, and profits of up to US$11bil—a 24% increase year YoY.


However, even with such glowing reports, there is still the disconnect between the high digital transactions and still trails behind the more developed international countries when it comes to providing basic financial services.


An article in Asian Banking & Finance stated that in countries, such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, more than half of their population were still unbanked or underbanked.


Even so, a Bain & Co report remained positive that those who are underbanked are the target market. Although they do not have full access to traditional financial services, their predilection for technology, as shown with the high smartphone penetration within the region, could be the answer.


Technology enabled business models would most likely bethe best way to serve this segment, which creates new market opportunities. The report stated that this segment is the biggest potential and the true growth engine in digital financial services.


Consumer tech platforms are ideally positioned to capture a larger share of the underbanked segment due to their extensive, growing, and engaged customer base. These platforms can enhance customer lifetime value by offering a more comprehensive range of consumer services.


But the potential of these transactions need not be confined within the countries they operate in. Thanks to the Regional Payment Connectivity (RCP), which was initiated by the central banks of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in 2022, cross-border transactions allow payments to be made in local currencies. It also cuts down the costs and time of performing that transaction in the conventional way.


This solves the long-standing problem of having to rely on multiple banking intermediaries and the use of the US dollar. It also makes the transaction more affordable as it skips intermediary fees and long processing times to clear the payments. It also bypasses the regulatory differences that would have hampered the development of a unified payment system and the limited interoperability between different banking systems.


According to a Juniper Research report, such connections allow e-wallet transactions for cross-border payments, with tourism and remittances being the major consumer drivers. From a business standpoint, the benefits of instant payments are less apparent. The report noted that challenges still persist, which include fluctuating exchange rates and regulatory discrepancies between jurisdictions.


In a blog post, ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office mentioned the rising importance of using Quick Response (QR) payments. Popular during the pandemic, this form of payment gained widespread appeal, even over the near field communication (NFC) system and has integrated into the systems of participating central banks to standardise national payment systems.


Asean countries that have embedded this form including Cambodia’s KHQR, Indonesia’s QRIS, Lao PDR’s Lao QR, Malaysia’s DuitNow, the Philippines’s QR Ph, Singapore’s PayNow, Thailand’s PromptPay and Vietnam’s VietQR. Even Japan is reported to consider integrating its QR payment system into RPC, with full implementation by the end of 2025.


Locally, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) launched the Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework in 2019, which allows significant progress in the nation’s efforts to migrate to e-payments and reduce the usage of cash.


The framework establishes a shared payment infrastructure that connects bank and non-bank accounts while managing the resultant risks.


As Tan Sri Dr Zeti Aziz said in her keynote address during the Eminent Persons’ Dialogue, entitled Asean Financial Integration in a Multipolar World on Apr 9, more than 20 years ago, the pivotal decision was made for Asean economies to come together and pursue regional financial integration.


She said the drive for enhanced regional financial integration was aimed at enabling the efficient channeling of funds within the region for reinvestment. It was anticipated that this would lead to more stable financial flows, helping to counteract destabilising financial movements.


“Being high savings economies, it would also facilitate some part of our domestic savings to be reinvested in the region. Additionally, it would also support the development of domestic financial markets, enhance the overall resilience of regional financial systems and contribute towards the financing of growth and development in the region,” she said.


The Asean region may not be ready for a single unified currency like the European Union, but the economic interdependence between each state can be realised with the cross-border transactions afforded by linked e-payment systems

Getting MyKads in order

 Many visit NRD ahead of R100 assistance

Aid on the cards: Malaysians rushing to replace their identity card at the Petaling Jaya NRD branch. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

PETALING JAYA: As the government prepares to roll out the RM100 aid for all adult citizens, many are heading to National Registration Department (NRD) offices to update their MyKad.

This is because the one-off RM100 assistance for Malaysians aged 18 and above will be credited directly to their MyKad under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative from September.

Among those eager to renew their identification card was Chua from SS2, who has not renewed his MyKad for over 20 years.

“It was high time for a change,” he said at the NRD office here yesterday where he came to pick up his new MyKad, following a system glitch on Wednesday. 

Retiree K. Gunaseelan, 71, said he lost his MyKad recently.

“But I have a replacement and it is just in time for the government’s aid,” he said.

Gunaseelan said he is keen to find out more about how to use the RM100 aid.

“I’ve heard about the purchase scheme using the MyKad, but I’m not entirely sure how or where I can use it,” he added.

A civil servant, who identified herself as Atiqah, came to renew her MyKad which was damaged.

The 32-year-old said she appreciated the RM100 aid.

ALSO READ: Don't belittle RM100 cash aid under Sara, says Anwar

“Middle-income earners usually don’t receive much from the government,” she added.

She urged the government to do more to help those in need, such as tax rebates.

Business development manager GK Lim, 55, said he was happy with the process of replacing his MyKad.

“The crowd was manageable and the queue not long as many counters were opened. Everything was done in under 45 minutes,” he said.

Lim said he took leave from work to sort things out after realising the chip in his MyKad was faulty last week.

Nurul Najwa, a 29-year-old freelance graphic designer from Ampang, said everyone should take good care of their MyKad.

“I’m happy about the RM100 government aid.

“As a freelancer, every bit helps. I hope the government will consider long-term solutions for freelancers and small-scale business owners,” she added.

Rela

The Star
https://www.thestar.com.my › nation › 2025/07/25 › sta..

Stakeholders await details on RON95 targeted subsidy


Friday, July 25, 2025

Malaysia PM announces cash handout for all adult citizen, Govt offering much-needed relief measures to ease living cost of rakyat

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Prime Minister (PM) Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday announced new measures to address growing public disquiet about the rising cost of living, including a cash handout for all adult citizens and a promise to lower fuel prices.

The announcement came ahead of a planned protest to be held in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, calling for Anwar to step down over escalating prices and a failure to deliver on promised reforms, among other concerns.

Anwar’s administration has carried out a number of measures to boost revenue and productivity this year, including a minimum wage hike, increased electricity tariffs on heavy power users, and new sales taxes on some imported fruits and luxury goods.

Anwar has said the moves were mainly targeted at large businesses and the wealthy, but critics have voiced fears that higher costs would eventually be passed down to consumers, including lower and middle income earners.

On Wednesday, Anwar said all adult Malaysians above 18 years old will receive a 100 ringgit ($23.67) one-off cash aid to be disbursed from Aug. 31.

The government will spend a total 15 billion ringgit ($3.55 billion) in cash aid in 2025, up from 13 billion ringgit originally allocated for the year, he said.

Police have said they expect between 10,000 and 15,000 people to attend the Saturday protest, which has been organized by opposition parties.

“I acknowledge the complaints and accept that the cost of living remains a challenge that must be addressed, even though we have announced various measures thus far,” Anwar said.

He added that further initiatives to aid those in poverty will be launched on Thursday.

Anwar said the government will also announce details on a long-awaited plan to remove blanket subsidies on the widely used RON95 transport fuel before the end of September.

Once the subsidy changes are implemented, Malaysians will see fuel prices at the pump drop to 1.99 ringgit per liter, compared to the current price of 2.05 ringgit, Anwar said.

Foreign nationals however will have to pay unsubsidized market prices for the fuel, he added.

Anwar also announced additional allocations for a government program aimed at increasing access to affordable goods and necessities, and vowed to improve other existing aid measures.

Malaysia has seen inflation fall this year, but worries persist over increasing prices of basic necessities like food.

Data released this week showed consumer prices rising 1.1% from a year earlier last month, but the costs of food and beverages were up at a faster pace of 2.1%.

Govt offering much-needed relief measures to ease living cost of rakyat

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians can look forward to a series of measures aimed at easing cost of living, including a one-off RM100 cash aid for those 18 years and above, and cheaper RON95 soon.

The cash assistance will be credited directly into their MyKad under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced these measures in a special announcement aired live on his social media platforms yesterday.

Offered in conjunction with National Day on Aug 31, he said the incentives were aimed at easing the rising cost of living and a token of appreciation for the people.

“With this announcement, the combined allocation for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sara rises from RM13bil to RM15bil this year, marking the first time in history that cash aid is extended to all adult Malaysians,” he said.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said this initiative would benefit 22 million Malaysians with an allocation of RM2bil.

This assistance, said Anwar, can be used from Aug 31 to Dec 31 this year, to buy essentials at over 4,100 outlets nationwide, including major supermarkets such as Mydin, Lotus’s, Econsave, 99Speedmart and participating grocers.

“It will be distributed on individual basis, not by household. So, for example, a household with a husband, wife and two adult children will receive a total of RM400,” he said.

Less is more: The price of RON95 petrol will soon be reduced to RM1.99 per litre under a targeted subsidy scheme with further details to be announced by the end of September. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The StarLess is more: The price of RON95 petrol will soon be reduced to RM1.99 per litre under a targeted subsidy scheme with further details to be announced by the end of September. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

Anwar said the cost of living remained a pressing challenge that must be addressed wisely and urgently.

He added that while overall inflation in June 2025 dropped to 1.1%, the lowest in 52 months, food and beverage prices continued to rise above the national average.

“There may be some among us who are financially secure and do not need this aid. The government intends to reallocate any unspent funds by year-end towards assistance programmes for vulnerable groups next year,” he added.

In a separate statement, the Finance Ministry said collectively, households have the potential to receive a higher amount of Sara credit.

“For example, a family comprising a husband, wife, and two children aged 18 and above would receive a total of RM400, instead of just RM100,” it said.

The Sara credit can be used to buy over 90,000 essential items across 14 categories, including rice, egg, household cleaning products, medicine and school supplies.

“The RM100 credit is valid until its expiry date of Dec 31, 2025.

“Any unspent balance will be redistributed to vulnerable groups through a programme to be determined later,” said the ministry.

Sara complemented the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) initiative, which provided monthly credits specifically for purchasing basic necessities, it added.

The initiative was introduced by the government in its first Madani Budget in 2023 and currently benefits 5.4 million active recipients.

“Both initiatives are a token of appreciation from the government to all Malaysians who continue to support the nation’s fiscal reform agenda.

“They also reflect the Madani government’s commitment to redistributing the nation’s growing wealth, a result of bold fiscal reforms and more efficient economic management, guided by the Madani Economic Framework.

Anwar also highlighted that the Jualan Rahmah Madani initiative will be enhanced to assist the public in managing living costs.

The government, he added, will double the initiative’s allocation from RM300mil to RM600mil.

This funding will increase the frequency and expand the Jualan Rahmah Madani to include all 600 state constituencies nationwide, said Anwar, who is also Finance Minister.

“The additional allocation will, among others, increase the frequency and expand the number of locations nationwide, covering all 600 state constituencies,” he said.

Anwar also said the price of RON95 petrol will soon be reduced to RM1.99 per litre under a targeted subsidy scheme with further details to be announced by the end of September.

The government, he said, was committed to optimising national subsidy spending by ensuring that ordinary Malaysians continued to benefit from subsidies, while curbing leakage to those not eligible.

“Once the targeted RON95 subsidy is implemented, the government will reduce the price of RON95 petrol to RM1.99 per litre exclusively for Malaysian citizens, while foreign nationals will have to pay the unsubsidised market price.”

The initiative, he said, would benefit about 18 million motorists, including youths as young as 16 and gig economy workers.

“In 2023 and 2024 alone, subsidies for RON95 were estimated to cost nearly RM20bil annually.

“Even this year, despite a drop in global oil prices, the unsubsidised price of RON95 remains around RM2.50 per litre, significantly higher than the subsidised rate Malaysians currently enjoy,” he said.

He explained that the move aims to ensure that ordinary citizens continued receiving fuel subsidy while leakage to ineligible groups, including foreigners, are addressed.

To address the critical need for doctors in hospitals and government healthcare facilities, Anwar also announced that over 4,000 positions for government doctors, including contract medical officers, would be available this year.

He confirmed that 4,352 new doctors, including those on contract, would be hired this year.

According to projections released in 2023 by Dr Hirman Ismail, deputy director of the Health Ministry’s medical development division, the public healthcare sector would require 63,040 doctors by 2025 and 79,931 by 2030.

As of last year, there were nearly 52,000 doctors employed in government service.