Diet
Soybean oil linked to metabolic and neurological changes
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago
[image: IMAGE] University of California - Riverside *IMAGE: *Edible fats and oils consumed in the U.S., 2017/18. view more Credit: USDA New UC Riverside research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and depression. Used for fast food frying, added to packaged foods, and fed to livestock, soybean oil is by far the most widely produced and consumed edible oil in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In all likelihood, it is not healthy for humans. It cert... more »
Walnuts may be good for the gut and help promote heart health
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
Walnuts may not just be a tasty snack, they may also promote good-for-your-gut bacteria. New research suggests that these "good" bacteria could be contributing to the heart-health benefits of walnuts. In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers found that eating walnuts daily as part of a healthy diet was associated with increases in certain bacteria that can help promote health. Additionally, those changes in gut bacteria were associated with improvements in some risk factors for heart disease. Kristina Petersen, assistant research professor at Penn State, said the study -- rec... more »
Drinking 1% rather than 2% milk accounts for 4.5 years of less aging in adults
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
A new study shows drinking low-fat milk -- both nonfat and 1% milk -- is significantly associated with less aging in adults. Research on 5,834 U.S. adults by Brigham Young University exercise science professor Larry Tucker, Ph.D., found people who drink low-fat milk experience several years less biological aging than those who drink high-fat (2% and whole) milk. "It was surprising how strong the difference was," Tucker said. "If you're going to drink high-fat milk, you should be aware that doing so is predictive of or related to some significant consequences." Tucker investigated the... more »
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 6 days ago
Sperm are influenced by diet, and the effects arise rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers at Linköping University, in which healthy young men were fed a diet rich in sugar. The study, which has been published in *PLOS Biology*, gives new insight into the function of sperm, and may in the long term contribute to new diagnostic methods to measure sperm quality. "We see that diet influences the motility of the sperm, and we can link the changes to specific molecules in them. Our study has revealed rapid effects that are noticeable after one to two weeks," says Anita ... more »
Tea drinkers live longer
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Drinking tea at least three times a week is linked with a longer and healthier life, according to a study published today in the *European Journal of Preventive Cardiology*, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 "Habitual tea consumption is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death," said first author Dr. Xinyan Wang, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. "The favourable health effects are the most robust for green tea and for long-term habitual tea drinkers." The analysis included 100,902 participants of the China-PA... more »
How diet affects mental health
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A new expert review confirms that diet significantly influences mental health and wellbeing, but cautions that the evidence for many diets is comparatively weak. This, the most up to date overview of the new field of Nutritional Psychiatry, is produced, by the Nutrition Network of the ECNP and is published in the peer-reviewed journal *European Neuropsychopharmacology* (see download details below). Lead author, Professor Suzanne Dickson (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) said: "We have found that there is increasing evidence of a link between a poor diet and the worsening of mood d... more »
Processed foods highly correlated with obesity epidemic in the US
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
As food consumed in the U.S. becomes more and more processed, obesity may become more prevalent. Through reviewing overall trends in food, George Washington University (GW) researcher Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS, concluded that detailed recommendations to improve diet quality and overall nutrition are needed for consumers, who are prioritizing food that is cheaper and more convenient, but also highly processed. Her conclusions are published in a review article in *Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology*. "When comparing the U.S. diet to the diet of those who live in "blue zo... more »
Children who drank whole milk had lower risk of being overweight or obese
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
A systematic review and meta-analysis led by St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto found children who drank whole milk had 40 per cent lower odds of being overweight or obese compared with children who consumed reduced-fat milk. The research, published in *The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition*, analyzed 28 studies from seven countries that explored the relationship between children drinking cow's milk and the risk of being overweight or obese. None of the studies - which involved a total almost 21,000 children between the ages of one and 18 years old - showed that kid... more »
Fewer fats over the festive season may be the perfect formula for men's fertility
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 weeks ago
A diet low in fat and high in egg whites could be the key to boosting male fertility according to a new pilot study. The research, by Dr Karma Pearce from the University of South Australia in collaboration with fertility specialist Prof Kelton Tremellen, Repromed, and Flinders University, presents a direct link between diet and testosterone - showing that what men eat could affect their fundamental male sex hormone. The study is the first to identify that a diet high in any type of fat - including healthy mono-saturated fats such as olive oil - negatively impacts testosterone pro... more »
Medicine and Supplements
Acid reflux drugs may have negative side effects for breast cancer survivors
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago
Acid reflux drugs that are sometimes recommended to ease stomach problems during cancer treatment may have an unintended side effect: impairment of breast cancer survivors' memory and concentration. New Ohio State University research shows an association between breast cancer survivors' use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and reports of problems with concentration and memory. On average, cognitive problems reported by PPI users were between 20 and 29 percent more severe than issues reported by non-PPI users. PPIs are sold under such brand names as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec. Th... more »
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Be wary of online probiotic health-benefit claims
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
Most websites that provide information on probiotics are unreliable and claims of benefits against disease are often based on mice experiments Frontiers The public should be wary of searching for probiotic information online as most webpages originate from unreliable sources and the health-benefit claims are often not supported by robust scientific evidence. A new study, published in *Frontiers in Medicine*, cautions that while Google is adept at sorting the most reliable websites to the top of the list, the majority of websites providing information on probiotics are from commercial... more »
Quercetin can significantly reduce blood pressure
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 days ago
A new paper in *Nutrition Reviews*finds that intake of the flavonoid quercetin can greatly reduce high blood pressure in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. Researchers here consulted multiple studies that assessed the impact of quercetin on blood pressure and glucose levels. Quercetin is a plant pigment commonly found in many plants and foods, such as onions, teas, apples and red wine. Each study utilized here assessed blood glucose, total cholesterol, and/or insulin. 17 studies with a total of 886 participants were included. The pooled result from 13 treatment arms thr... more »
Patients shouldn't be prescribed melatonin for jet lag
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago
Scant evidence that it effectively relieves symptoms of short term, highly variable condition BMJ Patients shouldn't be prescribed melatonin for jet lag on the NHS, and its use for this indication should be added to the list of treatments that are not routinely funded by the health service, concludes an expert review in *Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin* (dtb). Jet lag is a condition that clears up by itself within a few days, and there is scant published evidence that prescription melatonin makes a major difference to symptom relief, finds the review. A previous dtb review of the evid... more »
Aspirin appears to curb colorectal cancer recurrence and tumor growth, study finds
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
The benefits of a daily aspirin may extend beyond heart health to colorectal cancer treatment, say City of Hope researchers who have found aspirin appears to reduce tumor growth and inhibit recurrence of the disease. The trick now, researchers say, is to determine the right dosage of aspirin that can be used as a daily prophylactic without triggering dangerous side effects such as stomach and brain bleeds. "Some might say aspirin is a 'miracle drug' because of its potential to prevent diseases that result from chronic inflammation, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and arth... more »
American College of Physicians issues guideline for testosterone treatment in adult men
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Physicians should prescribe testosterone for men with age-related low testosterone only to treat sexual dysfunction, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says in a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline published today in *Annals of Internal Medicine*. "Physicians are often asked by patients about low 'T' and are skeptical about the benefits of testosterone treatment," said ACP President Robert M. McLean, MD, MACP. "The evidence shows that men with age-related low testosterone may experience slight improvements in sexual and erectile function. The evidence does not suppo... more »
TB vaccine lowers rates of Alzheimer's disease in cancer patients
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 weeks ago
Holidays are a time for family. Festive gatherings with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles create memories that last a lifetime. But when a loved one has Alzheimer's disease (AD), holidays often become painful reminders of loss and deterioration. Currently, Alzheimer's affects one-in-ten adults over the age of 65--a number that is expected to triple by 2030. The need to find a cure is great. Now there may be a glimmer of hope. A research team headed by Hervé Bercovier, Charles Greenblatt and Benjamin Klein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s Department of Microbiology... more »
Higher magnesium intake - reduced fatal coronary heart disease risk in women
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 weeks ago
A new prospective study based on data from the Women's Health Initiative found a potential inverse association between dietary magnesium and fatal coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. The study, which also showed a trend between magnesium and sudden cardiac death in this population, is published in *Journal of Women's Health*, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article on the *Journal of Women's Health* website through January 23, 2020. Charles Eaton, MD, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and a la... more »
FDA approves new treatment for adults with migraine
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 3 weeks ago
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) tablets for the acute (immediate) treatment of migraine with or without aura (a sensory phenomenon or visual disturbance) in adults. Ubrelvy is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine. It is the first drug in the class of oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists approved for the acute treatment of migraine. “Migraine is an often disabling condition that affects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S.,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in... more »
First FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of Ebola virus disease
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 weeks ago
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of Ervebo, the first FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of Ebola virus disease (EVD), caused by Zaire ebolavirus in individuals 18 years of age and older. Cases of EVD are very rare in the U.S., and those that have occurred have been the result of infections acquired by individuals in other countries who then traveled to the U.S., or health care workers who became ill after treating patients with EVD. “While the risk of Ebola virus disease in the U.S. remains low, the U.S. government remains deeply committed t... more »
General Health
Having less sex linked to earlier menopause
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago
Women who engage in sexual activity weekly or monthly have a lower risk of entering menopause early relative to those who report having some form of sex less than monthly, according to a new UCL study. The researchers observed that women, who reported engaging in sexual activity weekly, were 28% less likely to have experienced menopause at any given age than women who engaged in sexual activity less than monthly. Sexual activity includes sexual intercourse, oral sex, sexual
touching and caressing or self-stimulation. The research, published in *Royal Society Open Science*, is based
Healthy lifestyle habits at middle age may increase years lived free of chronic diseases
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Maintaining five healthy habits--eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking--at middle-age may increase years lived free of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study will be published online January 8, 2020 in *BMJ*. It is a follow-up and extension of a 2018 study, which found that following these habits increased overall life expectancy. "Previous studies have found that following a healthy lifestyle improve... more »
Plants can improve your work life
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
The mere sight of an indoor plant can reduce stress American Society for Horticultural Science [image: IMAGE] *IMAGE: *An air plant used in the study on office stress reduction. view more Credit: Masahiro Toyoda A study out of the University of Hyogo in Awaji, Japan, details the stress-reducing benefits to office workers that even a small plant situated within easy viewing can impart. Masahiro Toyoda, Yuko Yokota, Marni Barnes, and Midori Kaneko explored the practical use of indoor plants to boost mental health among employees typically removed from exposure to healthy green environm...
Mindfulness makes it easier to forget your fears
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
A new study shows that brief daily mindfulness training delivered through the HEADSPACE mindfulness app makes it easier to achieve lasting extinction of fear reactions University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences Mindfulness has been shown to reduce negative emotions in both healthy individuals as well as patients with psychological problems. Studies have also shown that mindfulness is effective for treating clinical emotional problems like anxiety, depression, stress and trauma related disorders. The biological mechanisms that underlie these positive effects on emotion... more »
Long work hours at the office linked to both regular and hidden high blood pressure
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 weeks ago
Office workers who spend long hours on the job are more likely to have high blood pressure, including a type that can go undetected during a routine medical appointment, according to a new study published today in the American Heart Association's journal *Hypertension*. High blood pressure affects nearly half of Americans ages 18 and older and is a primary factor in more than 82,000 deaths per year. Approximately 15-30% of U.S. adults have a type of the condition called masked hypertension, meaning their high blood pressure readings are normal during health care visits but elevate... more »
Acid reflux affects nearly a third of US adults weekly
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 weeks ago
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive disorder that causes heartburn and other uncomfortable symptoms, may affect nearly a third of U.S. adults each week, and most of those who take certain popular medications for it still have symptoms, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study. Also known as acid reflux, GERD is caused by gastric acid from the stomach flowing back up into a person's food pipe, or esophagus. This backup can happen when the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that briefly opens to let food into the stomach and closes to take food inside, relaxes too of... more »
Aging
Blood pressure control for people aged 80 and older: What's the right target?
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society research summary American Geriatrics Society The number of people who are 80-years-old and older is on the rise, and will account for nearly 10 percent of the whole U.S. population by 2050. Since the lifetime chance for developing high blood pressure is at least 70 percent by age 80, more and more people will be at risk for the health problems that high blood pressure can cause. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is sometimes called the "silent killer" because it produces few, if any, symptoms. In fact, you might not even realize you ha... more »
Keep exercising: New study finds it's good for your brain's gray matter
Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 2 weeks ago
Cardiorespiratory exercise -- walking briskly, running, biking and just about any other exercise that gets your heart pumping -- is good for your body, but can it also slow cognitive changes in your brain? A study in *Mayo Clinic Proceedings* from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases provides new evidence of an association between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health, particularly in gray matter and total brain volume -- regions of the brain involved with cognitive decline and aging. Brain tissue is made up of gray matter, or cell bodies, and filaments, called whit... more »
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