A deficiency of dietary omega-3 may explain depressive behaviors

ΩHow maternal essential fatty acid deficiency impact on its progeny is poorly understood. Dietary insufficiency in omega-3 fatty acid has been implicated in many disorders. Researchers from Inserm and INRA and their collaborators in Spain collaboration, have studied mice fed on a diet low in omega-3 fatty acid. They discovered that reduced levels of omega-3 had deleterious consequences on synaptic functions and emotional behaviours. Details of this work are available in the online version of the journal Nature neuroscience, which can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2736In industrialized nations, diets have been impoverished in essential fatty acids since the beginning of the 20th century. The dietary ratio between omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid and omega-3 polyunsaturated...

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Super Bowl losses can increase cardiac death

ΩA new study published in the journal Clinical Cardiology reveals that a Super Bowl loss for a home team was associated with increased death rates in both men and women and in older individuals.Sports fans may be emotionally involved in watching their favorite teams. When the team loses, it can cause some degree of emotional stress.Led by Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, of the Heart Institute, Good Samaritan Hospital and Keck School of Medicine at USC in Los Angeles, researchers assessed how often this emotional stress may translate to increases in cardiac death. They ran regression models for mortality rates for cardiac causes for the 1980 Los Angeles Super Bowl loss and for the 1984 Los Angeles Super Bowl win.Results show that the Los Angeles Super Bowl loss of 1980 increased total and cardiac...

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Moderate aerobic exercise in older adults shown to improve memory

ΩA new study shows that one year of moderate physical exercise can increase the size of the brain's hippocampus in older adults, leading to an improvement in spatial memory.The project—conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Illinois, Rice University, and Ohio State University—is considered the first study of its kind focusing on older adults who are already experiencing atrophy of the hippocampus, the brain structure involved in all forms of memory formation. The study, funded through the National Institute on Aging, appears in the Jan. 31 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).The scientists recruited 120 sedentary older people without dementia and randomly placed them in one of two groups—those who began an exercise regimen of walking around...

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Consumption of red wine or other sources of polyphenols) should begin earlier in life to slow down the endothelial dysfunction that occurs with aging

ΩYoung rats given polyphenols show less endothelial function deterioration with agingThe endothelium is the inner lining of our blood vessels and normal functions of endothelial cells include enabling coagulation, platelet adhesion and immune function. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with reduced anticoagulant properties and the inability of arteries and arterioles to dilate fully.The gradual decrease in endothelial function over time is a key factor in the development of diseases associated with ageing, especially cardiovascular disease (CVD). Many epidemiologic studies suggest protection against CVD from moderate intake of alcoholic beverages, especially those rich in antioxidants, such as red wine, which is high in polyphenols (RWPs).This study examined whether intake of red wine...

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Trans-Fats Increase Risk of Depression, While Olive Oil Helps Avoid Risk

ΩResearchers have demonstrated that the ingestion of trans-fats and saturated fats increase the risk of suffering depression, and that olive oil, on the other hand, protects against this mental illness.They have confirmed this after studying 12,059 SUN Project volunteers over the course of six years; the volunteers had their diet, lifestyle and ailments analyzed at the beginning of the project, over its course and at the end of the project. In this way the researchers confirmed that despite the fact that at the beginning of the study none of the volunteers suffered from depression, at the end of the study 657 new cases had been detected.Of all these cases, the participants with an elevated consumption of trans-fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced pastries and fast...

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How to boost broccoli's cancer-fighting power

ΩA new University of Illinois study provides convincing evidence that the way you prepare and consume your broccoli matters, and also suggests that teaming broccoli with broccoli sprouts may make the vegetable's anti-cancer effect almost twice as powerful."Broccoli, prepared correctly, is an extremely potent cancer-fighting agent—three to five servings a week are enough to have an effect. To get broccoli's benefits, though, the enzyme myrosinase has to be present; if it's not there, sulforaphane, broccoli's cancer-preventive and anti-inflammatory component, doesn't form," said Elizabeth Jeffery, a U of I professor of nutrition.According to Jeffery, many people destroy myrosinase by overcooking their broccoli. And health-conscious consumers who use broccoli powder supplements in recipes to...

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VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED LUNG FUNCTION

ΩNew research shows that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), with the largest prevalence seen in patients with concurrent connective tissue disease (CTD). Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine evaluated vitamin D levels in 67 patients with CTD-ILD and 51 patients with other forms of ILD. Results showed the overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was 38 percent and 59 percent, respectively. Those with CTD-ILD were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency (52 percent vs 20 percent) and insufficiency (79 percent vs 31 percent) than other forms of ILD. Among patients with CTD-ILD, reduced vitamin D levels were strongly associated with reduced lung function. Researchers conclude that vitamin D may...

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Estrogen - The Good, Bad and Ugly

Estrogen can protect against dementia and other neurological disorders by decreasing inflammatory responses and by enhancing cells' ability to survive damage. It's a natural way for the brain to protect itself, since the brain normally makes neuroprotective estrodial in response to injury.But there also are risks. The Women's Health Initiative found that taking estrogen plus progestin increased women's risks of heart disease, blood clots, stroke and breast canc...

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Why Almost Everything You Hear About Medicine Is Wrong

ΩIf you follow the news about health research, you risk whiplash. First garlic lowers bad cholesterol, then—after more study—it doesn’t. Hormone replacement reduces the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women, until a huge study finds that it doesn’t (and that it raises the risk of breast cancer to boot). Eating a big breakfast cuts your total daily calories, or not—as a study released last week finds. Yet even if biomedical research can be a fickle guide, we rely on it.But what if wrong answers aren’t the exception but the rule? More and more scholars who scrutinize health research are now making that claim. It isn’t just an individual study here and there that’s flawed, they charge. Instead, the very framework of medical investigation may be off-kilter, leading time and again to findings...

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Statins should be prescribed with caution in those at low risk of cardiovascular disease

ΩThere is not enough evidence to recommend the widespread use of statins in people with no previous history of heart disease, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. Researchers say statins should be prescribed with caution in those at low risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).CVD is the most common cause of death, accounting for nearly a third of all deaths worldwide. Cholesterol-lowering statins are first line treatments for heart patients and the benefits are well established. However, there is less evidence that statins are beneficial for preventing heart problems in those who have no history of CVD. Given that low cholesterol has been shown to increase the risk of death from other causes, statins may do more harm than good in some patients.The researchers reviewed data from 14 trials...

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Vitamin E may increase the life expectancy of older men

ΩDepending on the level of smoking and dietary vitamin C intake, vitamin E supplementation may extend the life-span of restricted groups of men, according to a study published in the Age and Ageing.Several large randomized trials of humans found that vitamin E supplementation does not reduce mortality. However, the average effect on mortality in a group of people with a wide age range may mask an effect of vitamin E on the life-span.Dr. Harri Hemila, and Professor Jaakko Kaprio, of the University of Helsinki, Finland, studied the age-dependency of vitamin E effect on mortality in the large randomized trial (Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study) which was conducted in Finland between 1985-1993. Their study was restricted to follow-up period over 65 years and 10,837 participants...

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Positive Emotions ARE Good for Your Health

ΩThe notion that feeling good may be good for your health is not new, but is it really true? A new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reviews the existing research on how positive emotions can influence health outcomes in later adulthood. “We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives,” said Anthony Ong of Cornell University, author of the review article. The data he reviews suggest that positive emotions may be a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and illness. There are several pathways through which a positive attitude can protect against poor health later in life. For example, happier people might take a proactive approach to aging by regularly exercising and budgeting...

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Inaccurate Negative Statin News Reports

ΩMany newspapers are reporting on new research about statins - this report is typical:But not according to the most recent review of the many trials investigating their effectiveness, published yesterday. It suggests that for three quarters of those taking them, they offer little or no value, while exposing millions to the hazard of undesirable side-effects.But this is lousy reporting - the actual research conclusion is: "All cause mortality. coronary heart disease and stroke events were reduced with the use of statins....Taking statins did not increase the risk of adverse effects such as cancer." No mention of undesirable side-effects.The researchers mainly criticized the quality of the research, and advised exercising caution:"There was evidence of selective reporting of outcomes, failure...

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Eating More Fruit and Vegetables Is Linked to a Lower Risk of Dying from Ischemic Heart Disease

ΩA European study investigating the links between diet and disease has found that people who consume more fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease -- the most common form of heart disease and one of the leading causes of death in Europe. However, the authors point out that a higher fruit and vegetable intake occurs among people with other healthy eating habits and lifestyles, and that these factors could also be associated with the lower risk of dying from IHD.The study is published online on January 19 in the European Heart Journal.Data analysed from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Heart study has shown that people who ate at least eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from IHD...

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Antioxidants May Improve Chances of Conceiving in Male Subfertility

ΩAntioxidant supplements may benefit couples who have difficulty conceiving naturally, according to a new systematic review published January 18 in The Cochrane Library. The review provides evidence from a small number of trials that suggest the partners of men who take antioxidants are more likely to become pregnant.Male subfertility affects one in 20 men. Chemicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS) are said to cause damage to cells, and in particular sperm cells, which may result in lowered sperm counts and interfere with their ability to fertilise eggs. Antioxidants include natural and synthetic chemicals, including certain vitamins and minerals, which help to reduce the damage caused by ROS.The review focused on 34 trials involving 2,876 couples undergoing assisted reproductive techniques...

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Birth Control Pills Do Not Cause Weight Gain

ΩAccording to research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, the commonly held belief that oral contraceptives cause weight gain appears to be false. The results of the study are published online and will appear in next month's edition of the journal Human Reproduction."A simple Google search will reveal that contraceptives and the possibility that they may cause weight gain is a very highly debated topic," said Alison Edelman, M.D., a physician and researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at OHSU and lead author of the study."Issues surrounding weight are hard to study in humans, and the research thus far has been insufficient to demonstrate whether or not oral contraceptives cause weight gain or loss. But this...

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Plenty of breaks, even if they are as little as one minute, seem to be good for people's hearts and their waistlines

ΩIt is becoming well accepted that, as well as too little exercise, too much sitting is bad for people's health. Now a new study has found that it is not just the length of time people spend sitting down that can make a difference, but also the number of breaks that they take while sitting at their desk or on their sofa. Plenty of breaks, even if they are as little as one minute, seem to be good for people's hearts and their waistlines.The study, which is published online on January 12 in the European Heart Journal, is the first in a large, representative, multi-ethnic population to look at the links of the total amount of time spent sitting down and breaks in sedentary time, with various indicators of risk for heart disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and inflammatory processes...

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Green Tea Extracts Are Safe

ΩFor postmenopausal women with osteopenia (low bone mineral density), practicing tai chi and/or taking green tea polyphenols appears to be safe. Further, practicing tai chi by itself or in combination with green tea polyphenol supplements may improve quality of life; however, taking green tea supplements by themselves has no significant improvement in quality of life. This is according to a recent NCCAM-funded study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Osteopenia may precede osteoporosis, a bone disease characterized by reduced bone strength that can lead to fractures—a significant cause of disability in older people.Previous clinical studies have suggested that tai chi—a traditional Chinese practice involving physical movement, mental focus, and deep breathing—has...

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Possible Link Between Antioxidants and Infertility in Females

ΩAntioxidants are sold over the counter everywhere. They’re added to food, drink, and face cream. But according to Prof. Nava Dekel of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Biological Regulation, we still don’t have a complete understanding of how they act in our bodies. New research by Prof. Dekel and her team, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has revealed an unexpected possible side effect of antioxidants: they might cause fertility problems in females.Common antioxidants include vitamins C and E. These work by eliminating molecules called reactive oxygen species that are produced naturally in the body. Stress can cause these chemically active molecules to be overproduced; in large amounts they damage cells indiscriminately. By...

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Olive Oil's Healthy Pain

ΩNSAID Receptor Responsible for Olive Oil’s ‘Cough’ and MoreCombination of sensory and molecular approaches identify receptor sensitive to anti-inflammatory compoundsScientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that a receptor known as TRPA1 is activated by two structurally unrelated anti-inflammatory compounds. The first, oleocanthal, is a natural polyphenolic anti-inflammatory agent uniquely found in extra virgin olive oil; while the second, ibuprofen, is an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).The researchers also demonstrate that the TRPA1 receptor is spatially localized to the back of the throat, which is exactly where the distinctive irritating sting from olive oil is felt. This unique sensation and the accompanying ‘cough’ are regarded among connoisseurs...

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Big breakfast bunkum

ΩDoes eating a big breakfast help weight loss or is it better to skip breakfast altogether? Available information is confusing but new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal clears a path through these apparently contradictory reports.Dr Volker Schusdziarra, from the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine, conducted a study on over 300 people who were asked to keep a journal of what they usually ate. Within the group sometimes people ate a big breakfast, sometimes small, and sometimes skipped it all together.Schusdziarra said that "the results of the study showed that people ate the same at lunch and dinner, regardless of what they had for breakfast", this means that a big breakfast (on average 400kcal greater than a small breakfast) resulted...

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Jon's Health Tips - Latest Health Research

Ω1. This is the wrong time of the year (NFL playoffs, UConn basketball, snow, cold, early darkness) to find this out:Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause. People who devote more than four hours to screen-based entertainment like watching TV, using the computer or playing video games, are more than twice as likely to have a major cardiac event that involves hospitalization, death or both.Question - why would working in front of a computer, or reading for work or leisure be any different? If not I'm in big trouble year round....

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Resistance Training Benefits Cardiovascular Health

Ω Exercise – it will cure what ails you, or at least some of the most common ailments. Research conducted in the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University has shown that resistance training has some similar effects as aerobic exercise in lowering a person’s blood pressure. Dr. Scott Collier was the lead investigator of the study published in the October 2010 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The study is part of the growing body of research being conducted at Appalachian on the effects of exercise, supplements and health. Collier looked at changes that occurred to arteries and blood flow following 45 minutes of moderate intensity resistance exercise using machines like those typically...

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Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure

ΩEating blueberries can guard against high blood pressure, according to new research by the University of East Anglia and Harvard University.High blood pressure – or hypertension – is one of the major cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It leads to stroke and heart disease and costs more than $300 billion each year. Around a quarter of the adult population is affected globally – including 10 million people in the UK and one in three US adults.Published next month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the new findings show that bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins offer protection against hypertension. Compared with those...

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Coffee, Tea and Milk The Most Healthy Drinks

Sports drinks and enhanced waters have become extremely popular among athletes and consumers who want to live a healthy lifestyle. Yet a growing body of evidence points to old-school beverages—tea, coffee and low-fat or chocolate milk—as the best elixirs for nutrition, health and workout recovery. For hundreds of years, ancient cultures have relied on tea for medicinal purposes, and modern science is now verifying why. Tea is an antioxidant-rich beverage containing more polyphenols than many fruits and vegetables. Besides being rich in compounds that combat cell-damaging oxidative stress, tea has a chemical makeup that includes enzymes, carbohydrates, protein, and lipids. Oxidative stress is a molecular imbalance that interferes with the body’s ability to detoxify harmful compounds...

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Coffee protects against diabetes

Researchers discover molecular mechanism behind drink's prophylactic effectCoffee, that morning elixir, may give us an early jump-start to the day, but numerous studies have shown that it also may be protective against type 2 diabetes. Yet no one has really understood why. Now, researchers at UCLA have discovered a possible molecular mechanism behind coffee's protective effect. A protein called sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) regulates the biological activity of the body's sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, which have long been thought to play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. And coffee consumption, it turns out, increases plasma levels of SHBG. Reporting with colleagues in the current edition of the journal Diabetes, first author Atsushi Goto, a UCLA doctoral student...

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Room light before bedtime may impact sleep quality, blood pressure and diabetes risk

ΩNew study shows indoor lighting has profound suppressive effect on the hormone melatoninAccording to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), exposure to electrical light between dusk and bedtime strongly suppresses melatonin levels and may impact physiologic processes regulated by melatonin signaling, such as sleepiness, thermoregulation, blood pressure and glucose homeostasis.Melatonin is a hormone produced at night by the pineal gland in the brain. In addition to its role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, melatonin has been shown to lower blood pressure and body temperature and has also been explored as a treatment option for insomnia, hypertension and cancer. In modern society, people are routinely...

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Exercise Could Help Prevent, Treat Eating Disorders

Ω When treating an eating disorder, exercise is rarely considered therapeutic; it's more likely to be viewed as dangerous for patients already obsessed with their weight. But a new University of Florida study shows that the psychological benefits of exercise could be used as an intervention for -- or even a way to prevent -- eating disorders. Despite the documented mental and physical benefits of exercise, health care practitioners have long assumed that people with eating disorders shouldn't be encouraged to burn calories through physical activity. While it's true that compulsive exercisers risk further harm, healthy exercise that's not compulsive could help people with eating disorders or people who are at risk for eating disorders, said Heather Hausenblas, a UF exercise psychologist...

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Skin Cancer

ΩI used to be a sun worshiper - 1:00 p.m. (Daylight Savings Time) on June 21st was a holy moment each year - the time when the sun was closest to the earth. I got lots of tans, but rarely burned. It all added up, however. In recent years, I have had two skin cancers removed in operations, and many pre-cancerous growths burned off. I now am checked by a dermatologist every 6 months - I highly recommend it for all my readers.Here are some statistics for skin cancers in Connecticut.A 2004 survey found that 43.1% of white adults in Connecticut had at least one sunburn in the past year—an increase from 33.3% in 1999. Sunburns are a significant risk factor for the development of skin cancer.■■ New Cases of Melanoma. The rate of new melanoma diagnoses—responsible for75% of all skin cancer deaths—was...

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Shingles Vaccine Associated With 55 Percent Reduced Risk of Disease

ΩKaiser Permanente Research Strengthens National RecommendationsReceiving the herpes zoster vaccine was associated with a 55 percent reduced risk of developing shingles, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 300,000 people that appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.This retrospective study observed the outcomes of the effectiveness of the herpes zoster vaccine in a large, diverse population of men and women ages 60 years and older. Researchers found a significant reduced risk of shingles across all sub-groups -- those who are healthy as well as those with chronic conditions including diabetes or heart, lung or kidney diseases.These study findings differ from the clinical trial of the vaccine, which observed its effectiveness on 38,000 participants...

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Looking good on greens

ΩNew research suggests eating vegetables gives you a healthy tan. The study, led by Dr Ian Stephen at The University of Nottingham, showed that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a more healthy golden glow than the sun.The face in the middle shows the woman's natural colour. The face on the left shows the effect of sun tanning, while the face on the right shows the effect of eating more carotenoids. Participants thought the carotenoid colour looked healthier.The research, which showed that instead of heading for the sun the best way to look good is to munch on carrots and tomatoes, has been published in the Journal Evolution...

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Low Vitamin D = Increased Risk of Hip Fracture

New Delhi researchers show that vitamin D levels may be a useful index for the assessment of hip fracture risk in elderly people.A study in New Delhi India has revealed high rates of vitamin D deficiency among hip fracture patients, confirming the conclusions of similar international studies which point to vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for hip fracture.A group of 90 hip fracture patients was compared to a matched control group of similar age, sex and co-morbidity. Of the patients who had suffered hip fractures, 76.7% were shown to be vitamin D deficient as measured by serum 25(OH)D levels of less than 20 ng/ml. In addition, 68.9% had elevated PTH levels. In comparison, only 32.3% of the controls had vitamin D deficiency and 42.2% had elevated PTH levels (secondary hyperparathyroidism).Vitamin...

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Alcohol Abstinence = Increased Risk of Cognitive Impairment

ΩSo does heavy drinkingPrevious research regarding the association between alcohol consumption and dementia or cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to moderate alcohol consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of the research has been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the start of the follow-up.A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease addresses this problem with a follow-up of more than two decades.The study, conducted at the University of Turku, University of Helsinki and National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland based on subjects from the Finnish Twin Cohort, shows that midlife alcohol consumption is related to the risk of dementia assessed some 20 years later. The study indicates that both...

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Too much time spent watching TV is harmful to heart health

ΩSpending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets, according to a new study published in the January 18, 2011, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Data show that compared to people who spend less than two hours each day on screen-based entertainment like watching TV, using the computer or playing video games, those who devote more than four hours to these activities are more than twice as likely to have a major cardiac event that involves hospitalization, death or both.The study – the first to examine the association between screen time and non-fatal as well as fatal cardiovascular events – also suggests metabolic...

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