Key takeaways:
Good - A plant-based whole food diet, Pets, Coffee!!, Thinking about coffee, Moderate amounts of alcohol, Walking, Kindness to others,Exercise!!, Colorful fruits and vegetables,
Bad - Sugar, Acetaminophen(Tylenol), Red and processed meats, Sitting, Eating later in the day
Diet
More than half of gluten-free pizza and pasta dishes in restaurants tested positive for the presence of gluten
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 13 hours ago
Even tiny amounts of gluten in foods are troublesome for people with celiac disease, and restaurants may be the hardest places to avoid the protein, finds a study by Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, MS, Celiac Disease Center at NY-Presbyterian Hospital and assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School. More than half of gluten-free pizza and pasta dishes in restaurants tested positive for the presence of gluten; about one-third of supposedly gluten-free foods had detectable gluten. Results are published in the *American Journal of Gastroenterology*. "Patients have... more »
Sugar worsens mood rather than improving it
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 20 hours ago
Sugar does not improve mood and it can make people less alert and more tired after its consumption -- according to a new study by the University of Warwick, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Lancaster University. The research team set out to examine the myth of the 'sugar rush': can sugar really put you in a better mood? Using data collected from 31 published studies involving almost 1300 adults, Dr Konstantinos Mantantzis at Humboldt University of Berlin, Dr Sandra Sünram-Lea at Lancaster University, and Dr Friederike Schlaghecken and Professor Eliza... more »
Anti-inflammatory plant-based diet helps reduce gingivitis
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
A plant-based whole food diet reduced gingivitis in a recent randomized trial published in the *Journal of Clinical Periodontology*. For the trial, 30 patients with gingivitis were randomized to an experimental and a control group. The experimental group changed to a diet low in processed carbohydrates and animal proteins, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin D, antioxidants, plant nitrates, and fibers for four weeks. The control group did not change their diet. All participants suspended the use of dental floss and other tools to clean between their teeth. Although... more »
People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 days ago
*The 90+ Study* was initiated in 2003 to study the oldest-old, the fastest growing age group in the United States. *The* *90+ Study* is one of the largest studies of the oldest-old in the world. More than 1,600 people have enrolled. Because little is known about people who achieve this milestone, the remarkable increase in the number of oldest-old presents a public health priority to promote the quality as well as the quantity of life. The 90+ Study participantsInitial participants in *The* *90+ Study* were once members of The Leisure World Cohort Study (LWCS), which was started i... more »
Omega-3 fatty acids tied to fewer childhood asthma symptoms
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A six-month study of children from Baltimore City by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has added to evidence that having more omega-3 fatty acids in the diet results in fewer asthma symptoms triggered by indoor air pollution. The same study suggests that higher amounts of dietary omega-6 fatty acids may have the opposite effect, and be associated with more severe asthma. The researchers say results of the study, published online March 29th in *American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine*, suggest that families and health care providers may be able to protect childre... more »
Liquid meal replacements contributed to greater weight loss than low-calorie diets
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Liquid meal replacements helped overweight diabetes patients lose an average of about five pounds more than others who tried a conventional low-calorie diet, according to a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The analysis, which was commissioned by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, compared outcomes of patients on various diets after 24 weeks and also found liquid meal replacements contributed to better reductions of body mass index and systolic blood pressure. The review is published in *Diabetes Care*, a journal of the American Diabetes Association. ... more »
Just seeing reminders of coffee can stimulate the brain
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Just looking at something that reminds us of coffee can cause our minds to become more alert and attentive, according to a new University of Toronto study. "Coffee is one of the most popular beverages and a lot is known about its physical effects," said Sam Maglio, an associate professor in the department of management at U of T Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management. "Much less is known about its psychological meaning -- in other words, how even seeing reminders of it can influence how we think." The study, co-authored by Maglio and published in the journal *Consciousness ... more »
Eating small amounts of red and processed meats may increase risk of death
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A new study out of Loma Linda University Health suggests that eating red and processed meats -- even in small amounts -- may increase the risk of death from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease. Saeed Mastour Alshahrani, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, said the research fills an important gap left by previous studies that looked at relatively higher levels of red meat intake and compared them with low intakes. "A question about the effect of lower levels of intakes compared to no-meat eating remained unansw... more »
On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day,
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
The often embraced 'cheat day' is a common theme in many diets and the popular ketogenic diet is no exception. But new research from UBC's Okanagan campus says that just one 75-gram dose of glucose--the equivalent a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries--while on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet can lead to damaged blood vessels. "The ketogenic--or keto--diet has become very common for weight loss or to manage diseases like type 2 diabetes," says Jonathan Little, associate professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBCO and study senior author. "It consists of ea... more »
Antioxidants the key to lowering risk of age-related cataracts
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A $5.7 billion global medical bill to restore sight for the estimated 45 million people with cataracts could be slashed in half by a diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables, according to an international study. Researchers from China and the University of South Australia have published the first study of its kind to verify the link between foods high in antioxidants and a lower risk of age-related cataracts (ARC). UniSA Senior Research Fellow Dr Ming Li and colleagues from Xi'an Jiaotong University analysed 20 studies from around the world looking at the impact of vitamins and ... more »
Eating later in the day may be associated with obesity
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Eating later in the day may contribute to weight gain, according to a new study to be presented Saturday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La. Previous studies have suggested that later timing of eating and sleeping are related to obesity, said lead author Adnin Zaman, M.D., of the University of Colorado in Denver, Colo. "However, few studies have assessed both meal and sleep timing in adults with obesity, and it is not clear whether eating later in the day is associated with shorter sleep duration or higher body fat," she said. The study used thre... more »
Aging
Poll: Pets help older adults cope with health issues, get active and connect with others
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
A curled-up cat, a tail-wagging dog, a chirping parakeet or even a serene goldfish may help older adults cope with mental and physical health issues, according to a new national poll. While pets come with benefits, they can also bring concerns, and some people may even put their animals' needs ahead of their own health, the poll finds. In all, 55 percent of adults ages 50 to 80 have a pet, according to the new findings - and more than half of those have multiple pets. More than three-quarters of pet owners say their animals reduce their stress, and nearly as many say pets give the... more »
Treating diabetes in older adults requires simpler medication regimens, looser glycemic targets
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Simplifying medication regimens and tailoring glycemic targets in older adults with diabetes improves adherence and avoids treatment-related complications, according to a Clinical Practice Guideline issued today by the Endocrine Society. The Society debuted the guideline during a press conference on the opening day of ENDO 2019, its annual meeting in New Orleans, La. The guideline, titled "Treatment of Diabetes in Older Adults: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline," was published online and will appear in the May 2019 print issue of The *Journal of Clinical Endocrinolog... more »
Antioxidants the key to lowering risk of age-related cataracts
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A $5.7 billion global medical bill to restore sight for the estimated 45 million people with cataracts could be slashed in half by a diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables, according to an international study. Researchers from China and the University of South Australia have published the first study of its kind to verify the link between foods high in antioxidants and a lower risk of age-related cataracts (ARC). UniSA Senior Research Fellow Dr Ming Li and colleagues from Xi'an Jiaotong University analysed 20 studies from around the world looking at the impact of vitamins and ... more »
NIH study finds no evidence that calcium increases risk of AMD
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
Eating a calcium-rich diet or taking calcium supplements does not appear to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the findings of a study by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness among people age 65 and older in the United States. The study findings are published in *JAMA Ophthalmology*. The findings contradict an earlier study indicating that high levels of calcium were associated with increased prevalence of AMD, but they are consistent with another suggesting that calcium has a prot... more »
Eating breakfast with parents is associated with positive body image for teenagers
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
Parents hoping to raise teenagers with positive body image might just find helpful tools in the kitchen every morning. A new study from the University of Missouri says consistently eating breakfast as a family might promote positive body image for children and adolescents. "We know that developing healthy behaviors in adolescence such as eating breakfast every day and eating family meals can have long-term effects into adulthood," said Virginia Ramseyer Winter, assistant professor in the School of Social Work and director of the MU Center for Body Image Research and Policy. "Childr... more »
Polyphenols, found in coffee, reduce cardiovascular disease risk
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
A new report from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) titled 'Coffee, polyphenols and cardiovascular disease' highlights the potential role of polyphenols - which are found in coffee, cocoa and wine, as well as other plant-based foods - in reducing the risk of CVD. The report, authored by Professor Kjeld Hermansen, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark discusses the research that suggests that there is an association between the consumption of polyphenols and a reduction in CVD prevalence.1,2 Coffee is one of th... more »
Medications and Supplements
Liver injury in men taking body building supplements
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
In a study reported in *Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics*, 44 men with liver injury, attributed to over-the-counter bodybuilding supplements, experienced a uniform and distinctive pattern of signs and symptoms that were often prolonged, difficult to treat, and accompanied by disability and weight loss. All participants in the study, who were enrolled in the National Institute of Health-supported Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, had jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes and skin) and most had generalized itching leading to hospitalization in 71 percent of patients, although none... more »
Sleeping pill use linked to greater need for blood pressure medications
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
In a *Geriatrics & Gerontology International* study of 752 older adults with hypertension followed from 2008-2010 through 2012-2013, using sleeping pills on a regular basis was linked with use of an increasing number of blood pressure medications over time. The association was observed regardless of sleep duration and quality, body mass index, diet, physical activity, and hypertension control. Although additional research is needed to understand this link, the findings suggest that sleeping pill use may be an indicator of a future need for greater hypertension treatment and the nee... more »
Acetaminophen may increase stroke risk for those with diabetes
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 days ago
Acetaminophen (otherwise known by brand names such as Tylenol) is one of the most widely used pain relievers. Almost 60 years of widespread use have made acetaminophen a household product. It's distributed over the counter (OTC) in most countries and judged safe by the scientific community. However, acetaminophen is also one of the most common medications involved in overdoses (the medical term for taking more of a medicine than you should) and is the most common cause of drug-induced liver failure. Surprisingly, we are only now coming to understand how acetaminophen works--and rece... more »
General Health
U.S.: Medical guidelines may be biased, overly aggressive
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 13 hours ago
Dr. Sunita Sah practiced general medicine for several years in the United Kingdom's National Health Service. When she came to the United States, she noticed something strange. The U.K. guidelines for tests such as mammograms and colon cancer screenings drastically differed from those in the U.S. - even though they were based on the same medical evidence. "Having colonoscopy at the age of 50 - that struck me as rather odd when I moved to the U.S., because you don't really hear about people having colonoscopies as a screening procedure in the U.K.," said Sah. "It's much less invasive... more »
Visualization strategies may backfire when pursuing health goals
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 20 hours ago
------------------------------ Using visualization as motivation is a common technique for achieving goals, but consumers who are pursuing health goals such as eating healthy or losing weight should use caution when using perspective-based visualizations, a new study has found. Adopting a third-person perspective, by viewing one's self through an observer's eyes, may backfire when the goal is not a core part of the person's identity, said Jason Stornelli, an assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business at Oregon State University and one of the study's authors. "Third... more »
Sunscreen application has better face coverage than SPF moisturizers
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
Application of sun protection factor (SPF) moisturizers tends to miss more of the face, especially around the eyelid regions, compared with sunscreen application, according to a study published April 3 in the open-access journal *PLOS ONE* by Kevin Hamill of the University of Liverpool, and colleagues. Moreover, people applying these products are unaware that they are failing to cover regions vulnerable to skin cancer. Many moisturizers contain SPF equivalent to those found in sunscreens, but there is a lack of research into how SPF moisturizer application compares to sunscreens in ... more »
Poor lung function in shorter people linked to increased risk of heart disease
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
------------------------------ ------------------------------ Results from a study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London has found that an association between shorter stature and higher risk of heart disease is mainly attributed to our lungs. In the study, published in the journal *Communications Biology*, researchers examined over 800 places in the human genome known to be associated with adult height and also evaluated data suggesting that lower height increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. The authors found no evidence of a c... more »
Hands spread flame retardants, plasticizers throughout homes
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 days ago
Hundreds of everyday items, from furniture to cell phones to floor wax, contain organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers. Some of these semi-volatile compounds make their way into the air, onto surfaces and even inside our bodies, with uncertain health effects. Today, researchers report that hands play a central role in transferring OPEs and other flame retardants and plasticizers throughout the indoor environment. The researchers will present their results today at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition. ACS, the world's l... more »
Excess body weight before 50 is associated with higher risk of dying from pancreatic cancer
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 days ago
Excess weight before age 50 may be more strongly associated with pancreatic cancer mortality risk than excess weight at older ages, according to results of a study presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2019, March 29-April 3. Pancreatic cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for just over 3 percent of all new cancer cases. However, it is an extremely deadly type of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 8.5 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. In the United States, pancreatic cancer is the third leading... more »
Compression-only CPR increases survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 days ago
A Swedish review of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest data shows rates of bystander CPR nearly doubled; compression-only (or Hands-Only CPR) increased six-fold over an 18 year period; and the chance of survival was doubled for any form of CPR compared with no CPR, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal *Circulation*. Because of the emergence of compression-only CPR as an alternative to standard CPR - chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths, researchers analyzed the impact of the simpler Hands-Only CPR technique and the association between the... more »
Cannabis during pregnancy bumps psychosis risk in offspring
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Pregnant women who use cannabis may slightly increase the risk their unborn child will develop psychosis later in life, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis. "Our research shows that prenatal marijuana exposure after maternal knowledge of pregnancy is associated with a small increase in psychosis proneness during middle childhood or about age 10," said Jeremy Fine, an undergraduate majoring in psychological & brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University and the study's lead author. The findings come on the heels of several national studies docum... m
A simple strategy to improve your mood in 12 minutes
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
[image: IMAGE] - We all have a remedy - a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate - for lifting our spirits when we're in a bad mood. Rather than focusing on ways to make ourselves feel better, a team of Iowa State University researchers suggests wishing others well. "Walking around and offering kindness to others in the world reduces anxiety and increases happiness and feelings of social connection," said Douglas Gentile, professor of psychology. "It's a simple strategy that doesn't take a lot of time that you can incorporate into your daily activities." Gentile, Dawn Sweet, senior... more »
For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
------------------------------ For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches and improve quality of life, researchers from Italy and the United States report. The results of their meta-analysis will be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La. "If you suffer from migraine headaches and are obese, losing weight will ameliorate the quality of your family and social life as well as your work and school productivity. Your overall quality of life will greatly improve," said lead study author Claudio P... more »
Paternal smoking is linked to increased risk of congenital heart defects
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
------------------------------ Fathers-to-be who smoke may increase the risk of congenital heart defects in their offspring, according to a study published today in the *European Journal of Preventive Cardiology*, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). For mothers-to-be, both smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke were detrimental. "Fathers-to-be should quit smoking." said study author Dr Jiabi Qin, of Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China. "Fathers are a large source of secondhand smoke for pregnant women, which appears to be e... more »
Exercise
Just an hour of weekly walking staves off disability
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 days ago
Just one hour a week of brisk walking -- as if you are late to an appointment or trying to make a train -- staves off disability in older adults with arthritis pain, or aching or stiffness in a knee, hip, ankle or foot, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. "This is less than 10 minutes a day for people to maintain their independence. It's very doable," said lead author Dorothy Dunlop, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "This minimum threshold may motivate inactive older adults to begin their path toward a physically active ... more »
Exercise is more critical than diet to maintain weight loss
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
s A new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus revealed physical activity does more to maintain substantial weight loss than diet. The study, published in the March issue of *Obesity*, was selected as the Editor's Choice article. "This study addresses the difficult question of why so many people struggle to keep weight off over a long period. By providing evidence that a group of successful weight-loss maintainers engages in high levels of physical activity to prevent weight regain - rather than chronically ... more »
Does running cadence matter? Not as much as previously thought
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Contrary to long-standing popular belief, running at a prescribed, one-size-fits-all "optimal" cadence doesn't play as big a role in speed and efficiency as once thought. Since the 1980s, when running coach Jack Daniels noted that the step rate for runners in the 1984 Olympics was about 180 per minute, it's been widely touted as a means to reduce injury or improve speed, said Geoff Burns, an elite marathoner and University of Michigan doctoral student in kinesiology. "It's one of the few biomechanical measures we have that is a gross system-level output for running," he said. To fi... more »
Exercise helps prevent cartilage damage caused by arthritis
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Exercise helps to prevent the degradation of cartilage caused by osteoarthritis, according to a new study from Queen Mary University of London. The researchers show for the first time how mechanical forces experienced by cells in joints during exercise prevent cartilage degradation by suppressing the action of inflammatory molecules which cause osteoarthritis. The study, published in the journal *Osteoarthritis and Cartilage*, demonstrates the benefits of exercise on the tissues that form our joints and how this is down to tiny hair-like structures called primary cilia found on li... more »
Replacing sitting time with physical activity associated with lower risk of death
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
------------------------------ For those who get the least amount of physical activity, replacing a half hour of sitting time with physical activity was associated with up to a nearly 50% reduction in mortality, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society. The study, appearing in the *American Journal of Preventive Medicine*, suggests that replacing modest amounts of sitting time with even light physical activity may have the potential to reduce the risk of premature death among less active adults. Regular moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is ass... more »
Exercise adds up to big brain boosts
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Anyone who trains for a marathon knows that individual running workouts add up over time to yield a big improvement in physical fitness. So, it should not be surprising that the cognitive benefits from workouts also accumulate to yield long-term cognitive gains. Yet, until now, there was has been little research to describe and support the underlying neurobiology. In new work being presented this week about the effects of exercise on the brain at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) in San Francisco, researchers are finding that brain changes that occur after a single workout ar... more »
Team sports associated with less depression in boys as young as 9
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
Adult depression has long been associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region that plays an important role in memory and response to stress. Now, new research from Washington University in St. Louis has linked participation in team sports to larger hippocampal volumes in children and less depression in boys ages 9 to 11. "Our findings are important because they help illuminate the relationships between involvement in sports, volume of a particular brain region and depressive symptoms in kids as young as nine," said Lisa Gorham, lead author of the study and a senior ma... m
No comments:
Post a Comment