Michelle Obama and mum to feature in Mother’s Day issue of Essence

Washington, April 6 (ANI): U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, will feature with her in the May issue of Essence magazine.

Marian joined her daughter for a joint interview and cover shoot for the U.S. Mother’s Day issue of the magazine.

The interview was conducted in Michelle’s East Wing Office at about a month after the inauguration.

The mother-daughter duo discussed family, life in the White House, and the importance of good role models.

Marian, 71, said her role model was her daughter.

“Michelle has always been Michelle. And she has always accomplished whatever it was she set out to accomplish,” Politico.com quoted Robinson as saying in the interview, which is not yet posted online.

“I have always looked up to Michelle because she has been able to do things that I couldn’t do emotionally, psychologically or physically. I think she is amazing,” she said.

Michelle was also all praise for her mother.

“She made me who I am,” said the First Lady.

She also discussed her growing platform, giving it a global spin.

“We have to talk about flex hours and exercise and nutrition and health and what that means. And we have to talk about values, and our relationship with men. All of those are part of the conversation that I think we need to have, not just in this country, but around the world,” she said.

The mother-daughter team also discussed parenting.

When Marian was asked whether she planned to write a parenting book, her daughter jumped in with a laugh, and she said: “We are working on it.” (ANI)

‘No clear evidence that fish oil can ward off dementia in old age’

London, Mar 9 (ANI): A new study, conducted by British researchers, has cast doubt on claims that fish oil can ward off dementia in old age.

Initially, data from a trial of more than 800 older people showed that those who eat plenty of oily fish seem to have better cognitive function.

However, factors such as education and mood explained most of the link and researchers need to explain what, if any, benefits fish oil has on the ageing brain.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in diet as a way of protecting against dementia.

Much focus has been on omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel.

And there are biological reasons, supported by tests in the laboratory, why in theory, these fatty acids would be neuroprotective.

The latest study, conducted by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found a significant association between eating a couple of portions of fish a week and better scores on tests of cognitive function.

However, when they took into account education and psychological health the link almost disappeared.

Experts recommend eating a couple of portions of fish a week, with at least one being an oily fish, because there are proven benefits on the heart.

Lead author of the study, Dr Alan Dangour, said that claims about the benefits of oily fish in warding of dementia in older people seemed to have been oversold.

“The evidence on this has always been sporadic,” the BBC quoted Dangour, as saying.

“What this shows is there is a link between people who eat oily fish and better cognitive function, but if you adjust for education and mood this relationship goes, so it’s not at all clear that healthy older people get any benefit from eating fish oil,” Dangour added.

The new study has been published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing. (ANI)