Nature Hub

  From :- BBC World News   By ;-  Jasmin Fox-Skelly  Editted by  :- Amal Udawatta Getty Images Professional soccer players and American football stars are at much greater risk of developing dementia. What can we do to help them? If you're a football player, there's nothing quite like the rush of leaping towards a ball hurtling towards you at great speed, heading it into the net, and scoring a goal for your team. Yet evidence is mounting that repeatedly doing so can lead to brain damage that manifests decades later as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease. The dangers of contact sports have actually been known about for almost 100 years. In 1928, US pathologist Harrison Martland published a  scientific article  arguing that, "for some time, fight fans and promoters have recognised a peculiar condition occurring among prize fighters which, in ring parlance, they speak of as 'punch drunk'."  Symptoms included a staggering gait and mental...

   From :- BBC News    By :- Srosh Khan and Naomi de Souza Edited by :- Amal Udawatta    Handout Tommy Cole works with nutritionists at football clubs to make sure players get the most out of their meals Many of us have been waiting all year to tuck into our favourite festive treats. Christmas dinner can look very different for each household - but for professional footballers, it is still a time to stay focused on fitness and recovery for matches. Private chef Tommy Cole whips up meals for Premier League players from major clubs - including Fulham, Chelsea and Brighton - all year round. When it comes to the main Christmas meal, he takes a traditional approach, but makes it "a little boujee-r" and healthier. "With roast potatoes, for example, it's just being careful not to roast them in a crazy amount of fat, whilst still trying to make them nice and crispy," he tells BBC Newsbeat. "Also things like your fillings, again, just being careful with the amount o...