Monthly News Archives



		Watermelons Are Healthier When Served Warm For many, nothing is better on a hot day than biting into an ice-cold slice of watermelon. But scientists now say the juicy summer fruit is most nutritious when stored and served at room temperature. Diet and Exercise: The Real Fountains of Youth You can take every pill and rue your parents for passing on their genes, but if you want to live long and well there are two things you must do -- eat right and exercise. Homeopathy: Natural Approach to Medicine or Placebo? To believers, homeopathy is a natural approach to medicine, a holistic therapy that takes the entire patient into account. But debate over homeopathy's effectiveness -- or lack thereof -- rages, with kinder critics calling homeopathy nothing but a placebo effect and harsher ones labeling it just plain fake. Obesity Weighs More Heavily On Women Than Men Being overweight puts a greater burden on women's health than men's, a new study shows. Weight Contributes To Illness Overweight people are sicker late in life than normal-weight people and die prematurely, a new study shows. Air Fresheners Damage Your Lungs A chemical found in air fresheners, toilet deodorizers, and mothballs -- and in the blood may harm the lungs. Weight Lifting Can Help Overweight Teens Reduce Risk Of Diabetes Teens at risk of developing diabetes can prevent or delay its onset through strength training exercise, a University of Southern California study has found. The Myths And Science Of Drink Scientists say drinkers who smoke don't get as drunk. Really? How do other central tenets of drinkers' wisdom bear up to scrutiny? Babies Finding Early Voice Through Sign Language They may be too young to speak, but some babies are joining the growing numbers of hearing babies who are learning sign language to tell their parents what they are thinking. To Heal A Wound, Turn Up The Voltage It may sound like something out of Frankenstein, but electric currents applied to the skin could potentially speed up wound healing. Ironically, though the phenomenon was reported 150 years ago by the German physiologist Emil Du Bois-Reymond, it has been ignored ever since. Should We Worry About Soy In Our Food? Whether you know it or not, you'll probably be eating soya today. It's in 60% of all processed food, from cheese to ice cream, baby formula to biscuits. But should it carry a health warning? Warning Over Common Asthma Drugs A class of commonly prescribed asthma drugs may actually cause severe asthma attacks and even death, doctors have said. Power plants Major Influence In Mercury Emissions The amount of mercury emitted into the atmosphere in the Northeast fluctuates annually depending on activity in the electric power industry, according to researchers at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Stress Worsens Cancer Stress causes ovarian cancer tumors to grow and spread more quickly in mice, U.S. researchers reported in a study that provides one of the first biological links between stress and cancer. Bigger Tableware Helps Widen Waistlines Want to lose weight? Try downsizing your tableware. That's the conclusion of a new study that found that the size of bowls, spoons and other tableware influences how much people eat. Diabetes Study Has Warning For Obese Youngsters Type 2 diabetes before age 20 leads to a high risk of kidney disease and death by middle age, a significant finding because worldwide obesity is exposing more children to the disease, researchers said. Proteins Hold Clues to Chronic Pain Low blood levels of two anti-inflammatory proteins could be key to chronic pain, researchers report. Low Glycemic Index Diet Best At Reducing Weight A diet rich in carbohydrates with a low glycemic index appears to be more effective in reducing fat mass and lowering the chances of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than diets with a high glycemic index or high in protein, an Australian research team reports. Fish In Diet May Help Maintain Heart Rhythm Eating tuna or other broiled or baked fish appears to have a beneficial effect on the electrical system of the heart, which may help prevent life-threatening heart rhythm disorders, according to a new report. Dads More Likely Than Moms to Pass on MS Men with multiple sclerosis are more than twice as likely than women with the illness to pass it on to their children, U.S. researchers report. Tamoxifen For Breast Cancer Prevention Does Not Benefit Most Women Most women at high risk for breast cancer do not increase their life expectancy by taking the drug tamoxifen, according to a new analysis by researchers from UC Davis, UCSF, the University of Pittsburgh and McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Candy Lovers Also Partial To Fruit Cookie lovers seem more likely to eat apples and other fruits than salty snacks, suggests a new study. If true, that finding might be useful in encouraging healthier eating, according to the lead author of the study. In other words, maybe that sweet tooth could be satisfied by fruit instead of sugar. Don't Just Sit There Watching Calories � Exercise! Most of us say we're trying to control our weight, but we are sabotaging themselves, a study shows. 40% of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Develop Complications A growing number of people opt for surgery as a way to lose weight, but four in 10 develop complications within six months after surgery, according to a new U.S. government report. FDA's Own Scientists Report Safety Concerns More than a third of Food and Drug Administration scientists who responded to a survey said agency officials cared more about speeding new drugs and medical devices to market than ensuring the products were safe. Elderly Gain Little From Flu Shot Flu shots provide only modest protection for people over age 65, and there's little evidence that giving flu shots to health workers protects their elderly patients from the flu, two new studies find. Breastfeeding 'Kills Baby's Pain' Breastfeeding may be the ultimate natural painkiller for newborn babies. A review of research found that breastfeeding newborns helps relieve the pain from a needle prick used to screen their blood for disease. Food Websites Tempt Kids Children are getting a bellyful of food marketing through Internet games and websites touting products such as Snickers, Lucky Charms and Cheetos, according to a study released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. High-Sugar, Low-Caffeine 'Energy' Drinks Don't Work People who think sugary drinks are a pick-me-up may be in for a letdown: New research finds sweetened beverages actually boost sleepiness. Discrepancies in Human Behavior Being Too Easily Categorized The suits were filed by parents of children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. They claimed the disorders were created and put into the DSM to stimulate sales of the Novartis drug Ritalin, a common treatment for both conditions. Exercise Works Wonders in Middle Age Even if you only start to exercise after age 40, you can still greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, suggests a study in the current issue of Heart. The Poor Age Faster Than The Rich People with lower socio-economic status appear to age faster than their better-off counterparts, British researchers said. Exercise Reduces Cancer Treatment Side Effects Exercising can help cancer patients feel better mentally and physically, a new analysis of data from published research shows. Fruit And Fiber Key To Weight Management By studying the diets of 52 normal-weight adults and 52 overweight or obese adults, researchers found that normal-weight adults ate more fiber and fruit each day than their overweight and obese counterparts. Journal Says Docs Misled Over Industry Ties Just days after announcing a crackdown on researchers who do not disclose drug company ties, the editor of a prestigious medical journal says she was misled again � this time by the authors of a study linking severe migraines to heart attacks in women. Impotence Could Be Sign Of Heart Disease Men suffering from impotence should be screened for cardiovascular disease because it could be an early sign of the illness, Italian researchers said. Simple Precautions Prevent Cancer Nearly half of all cancer deaths are preventable. That remarkable news comes with an equally stunning corollary -- the key to success doesn't rest with some undiscovered therapies or treatments. Much of cancer's toll can be reduced with simple precautions, such as lifestyle changes and routine screenings. Heavy Teens Have Higher Risk Of Early Death The heavier a woman is at the age of 18, the greater is her risk of dying prematurely, according to a large study recently published. Prediabetes Raises Risk For Alzheimer's A "silent" condition called prediabetes might put otherwise healthy seniors at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study suggests today. Weight Loss May Yield Alzheimer's Clues Gradual weight loss can precede dementia and begin as early as 10 years prior to memory loss, concludes a Mayo Clinic study involving women with and without dementia. We Should Avoid The Word "Diet" More health experts are suggesting that mere use of the word "diet" in our vocabulary and its association with caloric restriction, is detrimental to our health. Blood Test May Find Early Lung Cancer A blood test that looks for the body's own immune response to tumors may provide an easy way to find lung cancer in patients long before an X-ray or CT scan could, U.S. researchers reported. Diet, Exercise OK For Breastfeeding Women Overweight women who are breastfeeding and want to lose weight can do so safely by decreasing the amount of sweetened drinks, snack foods, sweets and desserts in their diet and walking briskly for 45 minutes per day, four days per week, a new study indicates. Autism More Common Than Thought Autism and related disorders in Britain may be twice as widespread as previously thought, according to research published. "Precooling" Before Exercise Helps Beat The Heat Cooling down before warming up may help exercisers keep going during the dog days of summer, according to a small study. Women More Prone to 'Stress Eating' Than Men Women are more likely than men to develop unhealthy habits such as smoking, snacking on high-sugar, high-fat snacks, and drinking caffeine when they work long hours, a British study finds. Sleep Strengthens Memories Researchers have uncovered new evidence that sleep improves the brain's ability to remember information. Their findings demonstrate that memory is improved if sleep intervenes between learning and testing. More Evidence Medical Journals Have Used Scientists With Ties to Big Pharma One of the world's most influential medical journals is tightening its conflict-of-interest policy in response to scientists' failure to disclose all financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. Drinking Tea May Prevent Cancer Results of a study conducted in China indicate that drinking tea reduces the risk of bile stones and cancer, especially among women. Weight Gain After Menopause Ups Breast Cancer Risk Women who gain weight after menopause increase their risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Conversely, weight loss reduces the risk, researchers report. Move Around, You'll Live Longer Elderly people who load the dishwasher, climb stairs or just keep moving are bound to live longer than their sedentary counterparts, a study said. Radiation Therapy Might Harm Bone Mice that received a single therapeutic dose of radiation -- comparable to a single dose of radiation received by human cancer patients -- lost as much as 39 percent of the spongy portion of their inner bone, researchers report. Tobacco May Kill 1 Billion This Century Curbing tobacco use and taking other steps to eliminate some of the most common risk factors for cancer could save millions of lives over the next few decades, health officials said. Circumcision May Stop Millions of HIV Deaths Circumcising men routinely across Africa could prevent millions of deaths from AIDS, World Health Organization researchers and colleagues reported. Eating Fish Helps Protect Eyesight Two new studies give one more reason to eat a diet rich in fish: prevention of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in old age. Sleep Strengthens Memory Sleep seems critical to memory, particularly the ability to recall recently learned fact and events, researchers report. Calcium Supplements Help Curb Weight Gain in Middle Age A new study finds that calcium may do double duty in middle age, building bone strength while helping prevent weight gain. The Power of Negative Thinking Seeking to assess the effect of third-party prayer on patient outcomes, investigators found no evidence for divine intervention. They did, however, detect a possible proof for the power of negative thinking. Mediterranean Beats Low- Fat Diet For Heart Health Mediterranean-style diets, rich in healthy fats from olive oil or nuts, may be better for the heart than low-fat regimens, a new study shows. Obesity Links Depression And High Blood Pressure Research suggests there is a significant association, mediated through obesity, between symptoms of depression and high blood pressure. Activity Cuts Death Risk From Artery Disease Physical activity appears to reduce the risk of death in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), a serious life- and limb-threatening condition caused by plaque build-up in the arteries of the legs, according to findings in the journal Circulation. Pomegranate Juice May Be Cancer Weapon A daily glass of pomegranate juice showed potential for slowing the growth of prostate cancer in a small study but more evidence is needed before doctors recommend it, U.S. scientists said. Breast Feeding Wards Off Bed-Wetting Children breast-fed as infants are less likely to wet the bed later on, researchers reported, probably because they have a developmental edge. Cherry Juice May Help Ease The Pain Of Sore Muscles Drinking a glass of cherry juice after exercising may help ease those aching muscles, hint results of a small study. New Enzyme Efficiently Degrades Gluten In 'Human Stomach' Environment A new enzyme originally developed for commercial food processing turns out to also quickly and nearly-completely break down whole gluten molecules as well as the T cell stimulatory peptides that cause celiac disease, a digestive disease with no current effective treatment other than avoiding wheat, barley or rye products. Lifestyle Trumps Drugs For A Healthy Heart Even men who take medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol can dramatically cut their risk of heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle, U.S. researchers reported. Fat People Not More Jolly, Study Says Fat people are not more jolly, according to a study that instead found obesity is strongly linked with depression and other mood disorders. Marinating Meat May Cut Cholesterol Compounds Just in time for holiday grilling, scientists have found that marinating meats may help reduce unhealthy cholesterol compounds that form during cooking. Scientists Confirm Folk Remedy Repels Mosquitoes Swatting mosquitoes and dodging other biting bugs is nearly a year-round chore in the Southeast, but such pests are swarming across the country with the advent of summer weather. And with warnings about West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases out, keeping the pests away has taken on new urgency. Mushrooms As Good An Antioxidant Source As Colorful Veggies Portabella and crimini mushrooms rank with carrots, green beans, red peppers and broccoli as good sources of dietary antioxidants, Penn State researchers say. Diabetes Brings Earlier Heart Disease, Death People with type 2 diabetes can expect to suffer from fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events about 15 years earlier than non-diabetics, a new study shows.