Vitamin D Proves as Alternative Treatment for Tuberculosis, Study Suggests
There has been a great deal of information surfacing lately about vitamin D deficiency and how it impacts health. Curious about how tuberculosis has been treated in the past, researchers from Queen Mary, University of London set out to examine the effects of sun exposure on patients, given this was the traditional treatment for this lung infection. Sun Rays Improve...
Early Childhood Diet of Processed Foods Substantially Lowers IQ
"Jenny's in a fix/With her arithmetics/Poor concentration/Boys in the classroom cause agitation/ She's a junk food junky/Blame it on the food, yeah/Blame it on the food." Almost 30 years ago, X-ray Spex got it right with those lyrics. When toddlers eat chips, sweets and soft drinks, their IQ at age 8 is several points lower than kids with a healthier diet....
There’s a Link Between Sleep Apnea and Diabetes, Sort of
Q. I've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Is there any connection between the two? A. There's one sure connection between type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea -- if you're overweight, you have an increased risk of developing both conditions. But it's an unsettled question whether sleep apnea might somehow increase your chances of getting type...
Chemotherapy Long-term Effects Compromise Cognitive Function
Researchers at the prestigious Moffitt Cancer Center reviewed existing studies regarding the impact chemotherapy has on cognitive function in cancer patients. They discovered that while chemotherapy is often part of the standard treatment for most forms of cancer, the long term effects of this treatment can have substantial effects on a patient’s thinking abilities. Study Shows Patients Lose Cognitive Abilities Cancer...
Discover How to Get ‘Plant-Powered’
Power your life with plants for optimal health. That's what Sharon Palmer, R.D., encourages you to do in "The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today" (The Experiment, 2012). Palmer, a registered dietitian and food and nutrition journalist, starts by highlighting the many benefits of a plant-based diet. These include living longer, weighing less, having...
Learn From Olympians: Practice Safe Sex Too!
The Olympics are over, and the athletes have returned to their home countries. They left behind moments of glory, moments of disappointment and, apparently, more than 150,000 condom wrappers. That's the number of contraceptives that were supplied to the London Olympic villagers (up from 100,000 in Beijing). This prompts us to point out that safe sex - whether it's safety...
Zero Health Benefits From Energy Drink Use in Children
If you have recently visited a local youth baseball diamond, basketball court, or soccer field, you have undoubtedly seen children and adolescents consuming energy drinks prior to and during athletic events. Unlike soft drinks, the FDA does not regulate the amounts or ingredients listed in energy drinks which are classified as dietary supplements. This means the actual caffeine concentrations can...
Stanford’s Organic-bashing “Study” Fuels Media Frenzy
There was a media frenzy yesterday when Stanford researchers released a study to be published in the Annals of Internal Medicine which outlines their findings of an analysis of existing studies on the benefits of organic foods. Yes, that confused us too. Basically it was a "study of studies." While the Stanford researchers intended to discover whether or not...
Dr. Oz: Meditation Reduces Loneliness and Health Problems for the Elderly
Q: I visited my 84-year-old grandmother in her assisted-living home recently, and she seemed lonely. I visit as often as I can, but what else I can do for her? - Irene, S., Tucson, Ariz. A: Visiting your grandmother is worth your weight in gold (and platinum), Irene. It's important that you help your grandmother feel less isolated. An AARP...
Healthy Middle-Aged Adults Pay 38% Less in Medical Costs
Fit middle-age adults have medical costs that are 38 percent lower later in life, compared with their unfit counterparts, according to a study that analyzed data from Medicare and insurance claims. Researchers from the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute screened more than 20,000 men and women, average age 51, from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, which...
