|

|
| Click on photo to respond to Wellness & Relationship Blog or subscribe to Free Wellness e-Newsletter |
This blog presents the latest research findings on wellness and relationships.
Topics are alphabetized by date so you can find what you're looking for...starting with abuse and aging to skin problems
and weight loss. Scroll down to find what interests you.
abuse, June 5 2008
aging, June 1, 28,29, 2008
Alzheimer's, July 26, August 15, 2008
appetite May 29 2000
arthritis prevention, May 22, 2008
asthma/allergies, July 11, 14, 15, August 9, 2008
cancer, May 24, 29 2008, June 4, 6, 11, 14, 19, 20, 21, 27, July 1, 3, 5,
13, 21, 29, August 1, 2008
cesarean rates, June 9, July 14, August 5, 2008
cherries (tart), heart disease & diabetes, May 20 2008
cough, May 29 2008
circulation/heart/stroke May 28, 30, 31, 2008, June 17, 21, 22, 30, July
7, August 7, 15, 2008
depression: July 9, 2008
digestion: July 12, 2008
dizziness/vertigo June 10 2008
environment, August 8, 10, 2008
exercise, June 16 2008
falls, June 3, August 17, 2008
fatigue, July 28, 2008
fibroids, May 21& 25, July 19, 2008
goals, June 26 2008
infection, July 16, August 5, 18, 2008
liver/hepatitis, June 2, 18, 2008
memory loss, June 12, 13, July 2, August 2, 2008
mouth sores, May 29 2008
osteoporosis, June 8 2008
PMS: July 9, 2008
pregnancy: July 20, August 9, August 15, 2008
problem-solving, July 17, 2008
relationships: May 27 008, June 8,9,23,24,25,
July 6, 8, 14, 23-25, 31, August 3, 11,12, 14, 2008
skin: May 23, July 10, 2008
teeth: July 18, 2008
weight: May 26 2008, June 7 2008, July 4, 22, 27, 30, August 4, 7, 16, 19, 20, 2008
August 20, 2008
Overweight and MSG
People who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their
food are more likely than people who don't use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical
activity and total calorie intake, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health study
published this month in the journal Obesity.
Researchers at UNC and in China studied more than 750 Chinese men and women, aged between 40 and
59, in three rural villages in north and south China.
The majority of study participants prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods. About 82 percent of
the participants used MSG in their food. Those users were divided into three groups, based on the amount of MSG they used.
The third who used the most MSG were nearly three times more likely to be overweight than non-users.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other health organizations around
the world have concluded that MSG is safe," He said, "but the question remains – is it healthy?"
To read the article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164638.htm
August 19, 2008
Your Neighborhood Could be Hampering Your Ability to Stay Thin
Does your neighborhood have a lot of fast food outlets, few sidewalks, and
no parks? If yes, your physical neighborhood may be hampering your ability to be physically active and placing you at increased
risk for obesity. According to a research study conducted in Portland,
Oregon by scientists at Oregon Research Institute (ORI), neighborhoods with lower
mixed-land use and higher densities of fast-food outlets were more likely to have residents who were overweight/obese.
In contrast, residents living in neighborhoods with higher mixed-land use,
high street connectivity, better access to public transportation, and more green and open spaces were more likely to engage
in some form of neighborhood-based walking.
To read more about the study, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200345.htm
August 18, 2008
Antibiotics Have Serious Side Effects
Adverse events from antibiotics cause an estimated 142,000 emergency department
visits per year in the United States, according to a study published in the September 15, 2008 issue of Clinical Infectious
Diseases.
"This number is an important reminder for physicians and patients that antibiotics
can have serious side effects and should only be taken when necessary," said study author Daniel Budnitz, M.D., at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Half of the visits were for reactions to penicillins and the other half were
from reactions to other antibiotics used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. After accounting for how often antibiotics
were prescribed, children less than one year old were found to have the highest rate of adverse drug events.
Almost 80 percent of all antibiotic adverse events in the study were allergic
reactions, ranging from rash to anaphylaxis, and the remaining 20 percent were caused by errors and overdoses. Unlike errors
and overdoses from other drugs, allergic reactions to antibiotics typically can only be prevented by avoiding exposure to
the drug in the first place.
Previous studies have suggested that half of the estimated 100 million antibiotic
prescriptions written in the community setting each year for respiratory tract infections may be unnecessary. "For conditions
in which antibiotics have questionable benefit, such as many mild upper respiratory tract infections, weighing the benefits
of antibiotics with the risks of a serious adverse event will be especially important," said Budnitz. "Because antibiotics
are frequently used, both appropriately and inappropriately, if doctors would reduce the number of antibiotics they prescribe
to their patients by even a small percentage, we could significantly reduce the number of emergency visits for antibiotic
adverse events. Physicians need to communicate to their patients that antibiotics are not harmless," he added.
For more on the study, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135515.htm
August 17, 2008
Tai Chi Prevents Falls
In the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health, Oregon Research
Institute (ORI) senior scientist Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., describes how senior community centers in Lane County, Oregon successfully
adopted an evidence-based Tai Chi program to prevent falls among older adults. Based on this success, the Oregon Department
of Human Services, in partnership with 4 counties in Oregon,
has now adopted the Tai Chi program as part of its efforts to disseminate evidence-based interventions to promote physical
activity and reduce falls among community-living older adults.
"Our results are very important from a public health perspective," says Li.
"The U.S. population is aging rapidly and falls are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among adults age 65 and older.
Falls are associated with an enormous burden to individuals, society, and to the health care system. Tai Chi, as a proven
fall intervention, may have much to offer in terms of reducing the public health burden of falls and the benefits accrued
for prevention."
Twice-weekly 1-hour classes were held in local senior centers in for 12 weeks.
Trained tai chi instructors delivered the program. Li and his team assessed several factors including how many centers adopted
the program, whether teachers and staff were successful in implementing key elements of the program, and whether participants
in the tai chi sessions experienced healthy benefits. Also of critical importance is whether the community center was willing
to consider tai chi as part of its regular programs, and the extent to which participants continued their tai chi practice
once the 12 weeks were over.
Results indicated that the all centers invited agreed to participate and all
participating centers successfully implemented the program. Program participants showed significant improvements in health-related
outcome measures such as balance, reduction in falls, and increased functional independence. Tai chi has been considered a
low-cost exercise activity because no equipment and few facilities are needed. These results indicate that an evidence-based
tai chi program can be implemented in urban and rural community settings.
To read the full article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200343.htm
August 16, 2008
Combat Childhood Obesity with the Right Snacks
Providing fruits for snacks and serving vegetables at dinner can shape a preschooler's
eating patterns for his or her lifetime.
To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying
how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. According to researchers at Washington
University in St. Louis,
one way is early home interventions — teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana
instead of potato chips.
"We know that parents have tremendous influence over how many fruits and vegetables
their children eat," says Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. "When parents
eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children. When parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks,
children learn these eating patterns instead."
Haire-Joshu and researchers at Saint Louis University School of Public Health
tested a program that taught parents in their homes how to provide preschool children easy access to more fruits and vegetables
and examined whether changes in what the parents ate affected what their children consumed. The study was published in the
July issue of the journal Preventive Medicine.
"This research shows that it's important to communicate with parents in real
world settings," Haire-Joshu says. "They control the food environment for their young child. This environment is key to not
only what children eat today but how they will eat in the future."
Past research has shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated
with a lower risk of obesity. Previous studies also have established that children learn to like and eat vegetables at a young
age — before they turn five years old.
Haire-Joshu says many children today are taught patterns that lead to obesity.
"We want families to provide their child with an environment in which they not only learn how to eat healthy but have the
opportunity to practice what they learn," she says. "And by partnering with Parents As Teachers, we now can disseminate this
program to their sites nationwide. This further impacts healthy eating patterns in parents and their preschool children."
For the full article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200425.htm
August 15, 2008
Fish Can Prevent Silent Brain Lesions
Eating fish that contain high levels of DHA and EPA nutrients including salmon,
mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies, may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults,
according to a new study.
Eating these fish 3 or more times a week was associated with a nearly 26 percent
lower risk of having silent brain lesions that can cause dementia and stroke compared to people who did not eat fish regularly.
Eating just one serving of this type of fish per week led to a 13 percent lower risk.
But not fried fish; that provides no protection.
For more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804165312.htm
August 14, 2008
The decision to undergo surgery can be particularly difficult and confusing
for older adults. In a study published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Richard M. Frankel,
Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues report that older patients and their surgeons do not communicate
effectively when exploring surgical treatment options.
What to do if surgery is suggested?
Here are some questions to ask the surgeon:
*What is the expected quality of life after surgery?
*How many of these surgeries have you conducted and what have been the outcomes?
*What other treatments are available that are less intrusive?
Because the idea of surgery can be frightening and create high anxiety, most
people do not ask these questions. The best method may be to write them down and recite them when speaking with the surgeon,
and then re-ask them if the answer isn’t complete.
For more information on the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140135.htm
August 13, 2008
Pregnancy and Drinking Linked to Cleft Lip/Palate
A new study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, shows that pregnant women who drink 5 or more drinks at a sitting
in early in their pregnancy increase the likelihood that their babies will be born with oral clefts (lip or palate).
Women who drank at this level on three or more occasions during the first trimester
were
three times as likely to have infants born with oral cleft.
For more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140032.htm
August 12, 2008
Living with a Partner Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s
Living with a spouse or a partner decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s
by 50% and other dementia diseases according to a study presented for the first time yesterday at the Alzheimer’s Association
International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2008), the world’s largest in the field, held in Chicago.
Previous research has shown that an active lifestyle, both intellectually and
socially, can decrease the risk of developing dementia; since a shared life often entails considerable social and intellectual
stimulation, the point of inquiry of this present study was whether living with a spouse or a partner can help to ward off
dementia.
Living alone their entire adult life doubles the risk
Divorce in midlife and remaining single triples the risk
Widows and widowers who continued to live alone ran the greatest risk; they
were six times more apt to show signs of Alzheimer’s
Social and intellectual stimulation and trauma appear to be the important factors.
What to do to prevent some of the considerable costs of dementia care?
* obtain counseling for unresolved trauma
* attend social functions
* engage in intellectually stimulating activities such as doing crossword
puzzles, reading, learning a language or other new information
For more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731073549.htm
August 12, 2008
Eating Meals with Daughters May Lessen Their Risk for Substance Abuse
Past studies have shown that family meals provide many benefits, including
offering a venue for parents to communicate with their adolescents about their daily activities, as well as monitor their
moods and whereabouts.
In one survey, girls who had reported five or more family meals per week had
significantly less substance use than did the females who did not have regular family meals. The girls who had regular meals
had about half the odds of substance use.
“Some of the factors related
to substance use in teens are linked to family conflict,” one of the researchers said. “So, if you have a kid
that is sharing that much time with his or her family, it would suggest they have better family relationships, more protective
factors and fewer risk factors.”
What to do:
Despite the challenges of bringing a family together every day, try to do it
because you may prevent substance abuse in children or grandchildren.
For more about the study, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723192444.htm
August 10, 2008
Toxic Chemicals in Laundry Products and Air “Fresheners”
A University
of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners
found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated
as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels.
She studied three common air fresheners (a solid deodorizer disk, a liquid
spray and a plug-in oil) and three laundry products (a dryer sheet, fabric softener and a detergent), selecting a top seller
in each category. She bought household items at a grocery store and asked companies for samples of industrial products.
For instance, a plug-in air freshener contained more than 20 different volatile
organic compounds. Of these, seven are regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws. The product label lists no ingredients,
and information on the Material Safety Data Sheet, required for workplace handling of chemicals, lists the contents as "mixture
of perfume oils."
Two national surveys published by Steinemann and a colleague in 2004 and 2005
found that about 20 percent of the population reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and about 10 percent complained
of adverse effects from laundry products vented to the outdoors. Among asthmatics such complaints were roughly twice as common.
Manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients used in laundry products
and air fresheners.
What to do?
- Work to have all ingredients
listed on laundry products and air fresheners.
- Avoid products that contain
fragrance
- Use ventilation instead of
fragrance
The European Union recently enacted legislation requiring products to list
26 fragrance chemicals when they are present above a certain concentration in cosmetic products and detergents. No similar
laws exist in the United States.
For more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134438.htm
August 9, 2008
Exposure to Cigarette Smoking
Linked with Asthma in Children
Babies exposed to cigarette
smoke before birth or during the first months afterwards run a greater risk of developing asthma and allergy.
Children of mothers who had
smoked while pregnant ran double the risk of developing asthma before the age of four. There was also a clear correlation
between the number of cigarettes smoked and the risk of developing asthma.Four-year olds who were exposed to tobacco smoke
when they were two months old had IgE antibodies (allergy antibodies) against one or more allergens in the blood more often
than their coevals from non-smoking homes. The strongest correlation was observed for antibodies against cat allergens, which
were twice as common in these children.
“This is particularly
worrying as cat allergens are almost everywhere and are hard to avoid,” says Dr Lannerö,
who completed the study. “We can’t say how many, but some of these children will definitely develop chronic asthma.”
What to do?
To protect an unborn child,
do not smoke when pregnant and for the first few months after birth, and avoid being around smokers or other forms of secondary
smoke.
For more about the study,
click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723170835.htm
August 8, 2008
Eating Less Meat and Junk
Food Can Cut Fossil Fuel Use
Worried about global warming
and dependence on foreign oil for fuel? There are many things you can do to reverse this!
A new study finds that a
healthier diet and a return to traditional farming can help reduce energy consumption in US
food system by 50 percent.
An estimated 19 percent of
total energy used in the USA is taken
up in the production and supply of food. Currently, this mostly comes from non-renewable
energy sources which are in short supply. It is therefore of paramount importance
that ways of reducing this significant fuel consumption in the US
food system are found.
This is totally under control
of you, the consumer!
What to do?
*Eat less. The average American
consumes an estimated 3,747 calories a day, a staggering 1200-1500 calories over recommendations. Traditional American diets are high in animal products, and junk and processed foods in particular, which
by their nature use more energy than that used to produce staple foods such as potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables. By just reducing junk food intake and converting to diets lower in meat, you can have
a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as improving your health.
*Move towards more traditional,
organic farming methods by buying only organically produced foods. This would
help because conventional meat and dairy production is extremely energy intensive. Similarly,
in crop production, reduced pesticide use, increased use of manure, cover crops and crop rotations improve energy efficiency.
* The most dramatic reduction
in energy used for food processing would come about if you reduced your demand for highly processed foods. This would also help cut down food miles and its related fuel cost as US food travels an average of 2,400 km before it is consumed.
This study argues strongly
that the consumer is in the strongest position to contribute to a reduction in energy use.
As individuals embrace a ‘greener’ lifestyle, an awareness of the influence their food choices have on
energy resources might be added encouragement for them to buy good, local produce and avoid highly processed, heavily packaged
and nutritionally inferior food. As well as leading to a cleaner environment,
this would also lead to better health.
For more information, click
on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723094838.htm
August 7, 2008
Fish Oil and Red Yeast Rice
Good Alternative to Taking Statins
A group of researchers examined
whether an alternative approach to treating high blood cholesterol (red rice yeast and fish oil plus a lifestyle program)
could provide an effective treatment option for patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins.
The researchers noted that
there was a reduction in LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol levels in both groups but the alternative group reduced their
levels more (42.4 percent vs. 39.6 for statins).The alternative treatment group also had a substantial reduction in triglycerides,
another form of fat found in the blood (and considered by some experts to be more important than cholesterol), and lost more
weight.
For more about the study,
click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708122441.htm
August 6, 2008
What Causes Girls to Gain Weight?
Researchers in a new study found that more Internet time, more
alcohol consumption, and less sleep resulted in extra weight gain during the study year. Girls aged 18 years or older who
consumed 2 or more alcoholic beverages a week or slept less than 6 hours a night gained more weight than other study participants.
In fact, when combined with Internet use, girls in this group have the potential to gain four extra pounds a year. The researchers
did not find a link between coffee consumption and weight gain, although they point out that this information was collected
before high calorie coffee drinks became popular.
What
to do?
Encourage your daughters and granddaughters to sleep more hours, reduce
their Internet time and alcohol consumption if they want to maintain a healthy weight.
For
more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709084033.htm
August 5, 2008
Women who have Caesarean
Deliveries should Ask for Manual Placental Removal
The way the placenta is removed
in Caesarean births may affect a woman's chance of complications such as endometritis (infection of lining of the womb) and
post-operative bleeding. One possible cause of endometritis is that bacteria on the surgeon's gloves are carried into the
womb during manual removal of the placenta. In cord traction, the surgeon's hand doesn't enter the womb. Instead the woman
is given oxytocin and external massage, which detach the placenta and it is then pulled from the womb by gentle traction on
the umbilical cord.
A new study compares the
advantages of the two techniques. Researchers reviewed 15 trials involving a total of 4,694 women and found that there was
an increased risk of endometritis and high blood loss in caesareans where the placenta was removed by hand. Women who had
manual removal also stayed in hospital longer after their operations.
Although cord traction may
take a little bit longer, there are clear health benefits of this method over manual removal of the placenta," says lead researcher
Rose Anorlu, a gynaecologist at the College of Medicine
of the University of Lagos in Nigeria.
What to do?
Ask for a manual placental
removal if you’re having a Caesarean delivery.
For more information on the
study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715204812.htm
August 4, 2008
Overweight Infants Associated
with Child Care
According to a new study
co-written by University of Illinois community
health professor Juhee Kim and Karen Peterson, a professor of nutrition and society at Harvard
University’s School
of Public Health, child-care factors and feeding practices may indeed
play a role in infant overweight.
Only starting solid foods
before 4 months of age was associated with increased overweight among infants.
“Infants who initiated
child care before 3 months of age had lower rates of ever having been breastfed and higher rates of early introduction of
solid foods,” the researchers wrote. “Infants in parental care were more likely to have breastfeeding initiated
and solid foods introduced after 4 months of age compared with those in child-care settings.”
Infants in part-time child
care gained more weight by 9 months of age, compared with those receiving only parental care. Those being cared for by relatives
also showed a weight gain.
What to do to keep your child
a healthy weight and avoid obesity?
If you’re a parent
you may want to have enough communication with child-care providers about when, what and how to feed your baby during their
stay in day care. When do you want solid foods introduced?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080711125729.htm
August 3, 2008
Increasing your Child’s or Grandchild’s Self-Esteem
A new study reveals that mothers who controlled their child’s activity
choices as well as the pace and duration of activities by preventing the child by using physical negative touch (restraining
a child by the shoulder or the wrist) to prevent reaching for a toy.
These parenting behaviors are associated with highly verbally aggressive parenting
and can affect the child’s self-esteem.
How to make play periods
that build your child self-esteem?
*Avoid making toy choices
or play choices for your child
*Follow your child’s
lead and read the child’s signals instead of taking over the play periods
For more information about
the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709155312.htm
August 2, 2008
Dangers of coal-fired power plants
Closing coal-fired power plants can have a direct, positive impact on children's
cognitive development and health according to a study released by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental
Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University's
Mailman School of Public Health. The study allowed researchers to track and compare the development of two groups of children
born in Tongliang, a city in China's Chongqing Municipality -- one in utero while a coal-fired power plant was operating in
the city and one in utero after the Chinese government had closed the plant.
"This study provides direct evidence that governmental action to eliminate
polluting coal-burning sources benefits children's neurodevelopment," said Frederica Perera, DrPH, professor of Environmental
Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, director of the Columbia
Center for Children's Environmental Health, and lead author of the study.
"These findings have major implications for environmental health and energy policy as they demonstrate that reduction in dependence
on coal for energy can have a measurable positive impact on children's development and health -- in China and elsewhere."
The Center's prior research findings have shown that exposure to air pollutants
are associated with an increase in risk for developmental delays among children living in New
York City. Today's findings contribute to a further understanding of how air pollution impacts child
health.
For more about the study, click on
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151525.htm
What to do in your city/state?
Let legislators know you don’t want more coal power plants. Encourage
them to explore solar, wind and ways to conserve energy.
August 1, 2008
X-rays linked to prostate cancer
A new study showed that men who had a hip or pelvic X-ray or barium enema 10 years previously were two
and a half times more likely to develop prostate cancer than the general population. And the link appeared to be stronger
in men who had a family history of the disease.
The exposure to radiation was part of normal medical procedures which were performed 5, 10 or 20 years before diagnosis.
Procedures included hip and leg X-rays, for example taken after an accident, and barium meals and enemas which are used to
diagnose problems with the digestive system.
The results of the study have been published online in the British Journal of Cancer.
July 31, 2008
Protecting your children and grandchildren from obesity, heart disease and
diabetes
A new study found that children older than 11 aren’t getting the recommended
level of 60 minutes or more of physical activity
What to do?
- Make sure local school systems
by ensuring children receive periodic recess breaks and daily active physical education.
- Ask local governments to provide
safe biking and walking routes around schools.
- Institute family walks with
your children or grandchildren. Even 15 minutes a day
Can provide health benefits. On weekends go on family outings centered
on longer walks or biking.
4. Obtain a copy of the We Can! (Ways to
Enhance Children's Activity and
Nutrition), a science-based national education program from
the National Institutes of Health to help children ages 8-13
maintain a healthy weight. We Can! provides
tips, evidence-based curricula and other resources for parents
and community
programs to help children and their families make better food choices, increase physical activity,
and reduce recreational screen time. More information
is available at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
or toll- free at 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226).
Spending active time with your kids/grandkids can also improve your relationship
with them as well as enhance your health!
For more information on the study, click on
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715161927.htm
July 30, 2008
Losing weight...What's the best for you?
Low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets may be just as effective in achieving weight loss as the standard,
medically prescribed low-fat diet, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Looking to reduce cholesterol? The low-carbohydate food regime may be for you.
Are you diabetic and want to decrease your fasting glucose? The Mediterranean
diet is the best.
Looking to reduce inflammation and improve liver function? Low-fat, low-carbohydrate
and Mediterranean food plans will do the trick.
According to the researchers who compared these three methods, “The improvement
in levels of some of these biomarkers continued until the 24-month point, although maximum weight loss was achieved by 6 months.
This suggests that healthy diet has beneficial effects beyond weight loss."
For more about the study, click on http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080716171134.htm
July 29, 2008
Breast self-exams don't reduce deaths...
It is a staple of women's health advice and visits to the OB/GYN: the monthly
breast self-exam to check for lumps or other changes that might signal breast cancer. However, a review of recent studies
says there is no evidence that self-exams actually reduce breast cancer deaths.
Instead, the practice may be doing more harm than good, since it led to almost
twice as many biopsies that turned up no cancer in women who performed the self-exams, compared to women who did not do the
exams.
"At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination [by
a trained health worker] cannot be recommended," Jan Peter Kosters, Ph.D., and Peter Gotzsche, Ph.D., of the Nordic Cochrane
Centre, conclude in the review.
"We suggest that the lack of supporting evidence...should be discussed with
these women to enable them to make an informed decision," he said.
In the two large studies of 388,535 women in Russia and China included in the review, women who used self-breast exams
had 3,406 biopsies, compared with 1,856 biopsies in the group that did not do the exams. At the same time, there was no significant
difference in breast cancer deaths between the two groups.
For more about the study, click on
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715204852.htm
July 28, 2008
Fatigue
Cognitive behaviour therapy is effective in treating the symptoms of chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS), according to a recent review of 15 studies involving a total of 1,043 patients with CFS. The studies
compared the effects of CBT with those of usual care and other psychological therapies and suggest that in both cases CBT
is more effective at reducing the severity of symptoms, but you must persist with the treatment.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) uses psychological techniques to balance
negative thoughts that may impair recovery with more realistic alternatives. In treating CFS, these techniques are combined
with a gradual increase in activity levels.
Further research is required to determine whether CBT is more beneficial than
other forms of treatment, such as exercise and relaxation therapies. The researchers also suggest that CBT could be more effective
if used as part of a combination treatment approach.
To read more details of the study, click on
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715204816.htm
For more information on cognitive behavior therapy, click on
http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm
July 27, 2008
89 Percent Of Children's Food Products Provide Poor Nutritional Quality, Study
Finds
Most kids' foods provide poor nutritional quality, but packaging claims and
healthy images could be misleading parents, according to a Canadian study.
Professor Charlene Elliott used US guidelines to review 367 products. 70 percent
of the products had higher than recommended sugar levels, 23 percent had high fat levels and 17 percent had high salt levels.
Cereals and fruit snacks were particularly likely to make nutritional claims
and have high levels of sugar, peanut butter mixed with chocolate claimed to be a "source of six essential nutrients" and
a pizza product claimed to be a "source of calcium". Crackers and pizza products were among the worst offenders.
A fifth of the products featured a cartoon image engaged in some sort of healthy
physical activity on the front and a quarter showed these on the back or side of the box. Activities included skateboarding,
basketball and biking.
Excess body weight affects up to 35 per cent of children across Canada,
the United States and Europe and is linked
to a range of health problems including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Overweight
children can also suffer from psychological and social consequences because of their weight.
What to do:
If you see a product that makes specific nutritional claims, don’t assume
that the whole product is nutritious. “…Our study has shown that
that is definitely not true in the vast majority of cases" concludes Professor Elliott. "Using cartoon characters engaged
in sport can also create the illusion of a healthy product."
For more about the study, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714102439.htm
July 26, 2008
Exercise & Alzheimer's
Exercise May Prevent Brain Shrinkage In Early Alzheimer's Disease
Mild Alzheimer's disease patients with higher physical fitness had larger brains
compared to mild Alzheimer's patients with lower physical fitness, according to a study published in the July 15, 2008, issue
of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of
Neurology.
For the study, 121 people age 60 and older underwent fitness tests using a
treadmill as well as brain scans to measure the white matter, gray matter and total volume of their brains. Of the group,
57 were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease while the rest of the group did not have dementia.
"People with early Alzheimer's disease who were less physically fit had four
times more brain shrinkage when compared to normal older adults than those who were more physically fit, suggesting less brain
shrinkage related to the Alzheimer's disease process in those with higher fitness levels," said study author Jeffrey M. Burns,
MD, of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City and member of the American Academy of Neurology.
The results remained the same regardless of age, gender, severity of dementia,
physical activity and frailty. There was no relationship between higher fitness levels and brain changes in the group of people
without dementia.
"People with early Alzheimer's disease may be able to preserve their brain
function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost. Evidence
shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into
better cognitive performance," Burns said.
To read the full article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714162632.htm
July 25, 2008
Parents Should Limit Young Children's Exposure To Background TV
Despite the fact that pediatricians recommend no screen media exposure for
children under age 2, three-quarters of very young children in America live in homes where the television is on most of the
time, according to research.
A new study has found that leaving your TV set on disrupts young children while
they are playing, even if the channel is tuned to adult shows. This means that simply having the TV on, even in the background,
may be detrimental to children's development.
"Background TV, as an ever-changing audiovisual distractor,
disrupts children's efforts to sustain attention to ongoing play behaviors," according to Marie Evans Schmidt, who is now
a research associate at the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston and is the lead author of the study.
"Background TV is potentially a chronic environmental risk factor affecting most American children. Parents should limit their
young children's exposure to background television."
The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.
to read the full article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715071452.htm
July 24, 2008
Keeping Relationships Strong
Temptation may be everywhere, but it's how the different sexes react to flirtation
that determines the effect it will have on their relationships.
In a new study, psychologists determined men may not see their flirtations
with an attractive woman as threatening to the relationship while women do.
Researchers found that women protect their relationship more when an attractive
man enters the picture but men look more negatively at their partner after they've met an available, attractive woman.
What to do?
Men can learn to resist temptation when trained to think that flirting with
an attractive woman could destroy their relationship, said lead author John E. Lydon, PhD, of McGill University
in Montreal.
"One interpretation of these studies is that men are unable
to ward off temptation. We do not subscribe to this. Instead, we believe men simply interpret these interactions differently
than women do," said Lydon.
"We think that if men believed an attractive, available woman was a threat
to their relationship, they might try to protect that relationship."
"These findings show that even if a man is committed to his relationship, he
may still need to formulate strategies to protect his relationship by avoiding that available, attractive woman. The success
rate of such strategies may not be 100 percent but it is likely to be significantly higher than if the man was not made aware
of the specific consequences of his actions."
To read the full article, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715114145.htm
July 23, 2008
Bullying And Being Bullied Linked To Suicide In Children, Review Of Studies
Suggests
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found signs of an apparent connection
between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries.
"While there is no definitive evidence that bullying makes
kids more likely to kill themselves, now that we see there's a likely association, we can act on it and try to prevent it,"
said review lead author Young-Shin Kim, M.D., assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center.
Almost all of the studies found connections between being bullied and suicidal
thoughts among children. Five reported that bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to report suicidal thoughts
than other children were.
Not just the victims were in danger: "The perpetrators who are the bullies
also have an increased risk for suicidal behaviors," Kim said.
According to international studies, bullying is common and affects anywhere
from 9 percent to 54 percent of children. In the United States, many have blamed bullying for spurring acts of violence,
including the Columbine High School
massacre.
In the United States,
many adults scoff at bullying and say, "Oh, that's what happens when kids are growing up," according to Kim, who argues that
bullying is serious and causes major problems for children.
For now, Kim said, the existing research should encourage adults to pay more
attention to bullying and signs of suicidal behavior in children. "When we see kids who are targets of bullying, we should
ask them if they're thinking about hurting themselves," she said. "We should evaluate and prevent these things from happening."
To read the full article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717170428.htm
July 22, 2008
Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain
A recent study published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health found that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are an increasingly large part of children and
teens' diets. Teens who consume SSBs, which include sodas, fruit drinks and punches, and sports drinks, drink an average of
356 calories per day, a significant increase from 10 years earlier. The findings suggest that reducing empty caloric intake
by limiting these drinks may be a key strategy for promoting healthy eating and preventing excess weight gain.
Not surprisingly, the most common sugar-sweetened beverage was soda (55 percent
of sugar-sweetened beverage calories), followed by a wide variety of fruit punches and fruit drinks. Together these accounted
for 92 percent of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed by children and youth. The fastest growing category was sports drinks,
increasing threefold among adolescents during the study period.
"Parents can be easily misled by the labels on fruit punch and sports drink
bottles because they make these sugar-sweetened beverages seem essential for good health, when in fact they are nothing more
than different forms of sugar water," notes Steven Gortmaker, PhD, professor of the Practice of Health Sociology at the Harvard
School of Public Health and co-author on the study.
Most of the sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (55 to 70 percent) occurs
in the home environment, whereas 7 to 15 percent of consumption occurs in schools.
For the whole article, click on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602112340.htm
Parents and grandparents can do a lot to reduce weight gain in their kids and
grandkids. Don't buy sodas, punches or fruit juices! Offer kids good old-fashioned water (make sure you use a reverse osmosis
filtering system) or make peppermint tea or lemonade using stevia as a sweetener (no calories). You can also put frozen berries
in a glass of water or orange slices; they're healthy and refreshing.
July 21, 2008
Magnesium and wellness...
The more calcium and magnesium in drinking water, the lower the risk of death from breast cancer.
For details, click on:
People with esophageal cancer had a nutritional deficit in fresh fruit, vegetables, dietary fiber, and carbohydrates.
They ate more protein, fat, and milk.
The people without cancer of the esophagus had a higher daily intake of calcium, magnesium and iron.
For details, click on:
Children with lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma have a chronic magnesium deficiency (and zinc deficiency).
For details, click on:
Women with high intake of dietary magnesium were 24% lower for CRP, a measure of inflammation and blood vessel dysfunction.
For details, click on:
Low dietary intake of magnesium is associated with increased risk of lung cancer.
For details, click on:
What does this mean?
I'd say, if you want to protect yourself and your children, start eating more high magnesium foods, including: apples,
apricots, avocadoes, bananas, blackstrap molasses, brown rick, cantaloupe, garlic, grapefruit, green leafy vegetables, kelp,
lemons, lima bena, millet, nuts, peaches, black-eyed peas, salmon, sesame seeds, soybeans, tofu, watercress, and whole grains.
Herbs that also contain magnesium include peppermint tea, paprika, and parsley.
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Balch and Balch.
July 20, 2008
Why pregnant women may need more
|