|
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
July, 2008 |
|
Coffee Could Lower Death
Risk |
|
Having that
morning cup of coffee every day could help protect you from heart
disease. New research finds drinking coffee regularly – up to six
cups a day – actually reduces your risk of dying from heart
disease.
The study analyzed data of 84,214 women who were in the Nurses’
Health Study and 41,736 men from the Health Professionals
Follow-up Study. Participants answered questionnaires every two to
four years about how frequently they drank coffee, other diet
habits, smoking and health conditions.
Researchers found women who had two to three cups of coffee per
day had a 25 percent lower risk of death from heart disease during
the follow-up period – from 1980 to 2004 – compared with those who
didn’t drink coffee, and an 18 percent lower risk of dying from
something other than cancer or heart disease. Men who drank the
same amount of coffee had neither a higher nor a lower risk of
death from 1986 to 2004.
Results also show there was no association between drinking
coffee and dying of cancer. This does not seem to be related to
caffeine because people who drank decaf also had lower death rates
than those who did not drink coffee. |

The editors of Annals of Internal Medicine caution the design of
the study does not make it certain that coffee reduces the chances
of dying sooner than expected. They say something else about
coffee drinkers might be protecting them. There might also be some
errors in how much coffee participants drank because the estimated
consumption came from self-reports.
SOURCE: Annals of Internal
Medicine |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
June, 2008 |
|
Cup of Cocoa Good
for Diabetic Health |
|
Sipping a hot cut
of cocoa might do more than just warm you up if you have diabetes.
It could also be helping improve your blood vessel functioning.
German researchers have found a key ingredient in cocoa called
flavanols makes it easier for the arteries to expand in the face
of increased demand for blood. Since people with diabetes
generally have problems with artery expansion, anything that helps
open up the flow could reduce their risk for cardiovascular
complications.
The study involved 41 type 2 diabetics who were randomly
assigned to drink specially formulated cocoa with either high or
low concentrations of flavonols over a 30-day period. All the
participants underwent regular tests to measure blood flow in the
arteries. While the initial tests showed diabetics had
significantly lower expansion of arterial diameter in the face of
increased demand for blood, results improved significantly
following the consumption of high flavonol cocoa, and by the end
of the study, were at normal levels.
|
The researchers are quick to note that the cocoa used in the
study is not available in stores, so people shouldn’t rush out and
begin drinking hot chocolate to achieve the same results. The take
home message is flavonols – which are also found in tea, red wine,
and some fruits and vegetables – may have a role to play in
promoting heart health in people with diabetes.
“This study is not about chocolate, and it’s not about urging
those with diabetes to eat more chocolate. This research focuses
on what’s at the true heart of the discussion on ‘healthy
chocolate’—it’s about cocoa flavanols, the naturally occurring
compounds in cocoa,” study author Malte Kelm, M.D., was quoted as
saying. “While more research is needed, our results demonstrate
that dietary flavanols might have an important impact as part of a
healthy diet in the prevention of cardiovascular complications in
diabetic patients.”
SOURCE:
Journal of the American College of
Cardiology |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
May, 2008 |
|
Alzheimer’s:
Vitamin for Longer Life |
|
Taking high doses
of vitamin E appears to extend the life of people with Alzheimer’s
disease. The findings are the result of a study authored by
Valory Pavlik, Ph.D. of Baylor College of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s
Disease and Memory Disorders Center in Houston, Texas.
After receiving 1,000 international units of vitamin E twice a
day for five years, the patients were 26 percent less likely to
die than those who did not take the vitamin. Whether they were
also taking an Alzheimer’s drug (cholinesterase inhibitor) did not
make a difference. Dr. Pavlik notes the dosage was much higher
than what is currently recommended for the general public.
Previous studies showed vitamin E can delay the progression of
moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease. |
“Now, we’ve been able to
show that vitamin E appears to increase the survival time of
Alzheimer’s patients as well,” Dr. Pavlik was quoted as saying.
“This is particularly important because recent studies in heart
disease patients have questioned whether vitamin E is beneficial
for survival.”
According to the study, patients who took vitamin E plus an
Alzheimer’s drug appear to get a greater benefit than those taking
either one alone. However, people who took the drug but not
vitamin E did not have any survival benefit. Dr. Pavlik says more
research is needed to find out why.
SOURCE:
Presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 60th Annual
Meeting in Chicago |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
April, 2008
|
|
Take a Snooze, Boost
Your Memory
|
|
A catnap during
the day can boost our ability to remember specific tasks learned
beforehand -- but only if we’ve learned them well.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School found a 45-minute
snooze following a memory task training session only benefited
people who mastered the tasks.
The study involved 11 men and 22 women with an average age of
about 23 who arrived at the sleep lab at 11:30 in the morning,
went through the training at 12:15 p.m., and then were randomly
assigned to take a 45-minute nap at 1 p.m. or stay awake. At 4
p.m., all the participants were retested on the memory tasks.
“These results suggest that there is a threshold acquisition
level that has to be obtained for sleep to optimally process the
memory,” study author Matthew A. Tucker, Ph.D., was quoted as
saying.
|
“The importance of this finding is that sleep may not
indiscriminately process all information we acquire during
wakefulness, only the information we learn well.”
Still, getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone.
The following do’s and don’ts come from the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine:
· Do establish a consistent bedtime routine.
· Do make bedtime relaxing.
· Do plan to get a full night’s sleep every night.
· Do keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
· Do get up at the same time every morning.
· Don’t consume caffeine or medicines containing stimulants
prior to bedtime.
· Don’t take your worries to bed.
· Don’t go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal right before
bedtime either.
· Don’t engage in rigorous exercise within six hours of bedtime.
SOURCE:
SLEEP |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
March, 2008 |
|
Hit the Weights to Lose
Weight |
|
Trying to lose
weight? A new study says instead of spending all of your time at
the gym doing cardiovascular exercise, you need to start weight
lifting. The study found weight training helps improve and control
your metabolism.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine conducted
the research in mice. They found the mice with more muscles lost
fat and showed other signs of metabolic improvement throughout the
body. The benefits were seen even though the mice were on a high
fat and sugar diet and didn’t increase any other physical
activity.
Researchers say type II muscle is what allows you to pick up
heavy objects and it may also be key in weight loss. |
Researchers write,
“These findings indicate that type II muscle has a previously
unappreciated role in regulating whole-body metabolism through its
ability to alter the metabolic properties of remote tissues.
These data also suggest that strength training, in addition to the
widely prescribed therapy of endurance training, may be of
particular benefit to overweight individuals.”
Study authors conclude increasing muscle mass in humans may
prove to be critical in the fight against obesity, diabetes, heart
disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer.
SOURCE:
Cell Metabolism |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
February, 2008 |
|
Food Deprived Households Harmful to Children’s Health |
|
A new study urges
parents to keep their refrigerators stocked full. Researchers
found children who live in homes where food may be scare are
two-thirds more likely to experience developmental risks in their
first three years of life than those living in homes with food
readily available. Even children who weigh the age-appropriate
amount are not free from possible health, development and behavior
problems. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine
(BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) teamed up with researchers
in Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania to study 2,010
families in five major cities in the United States. Twenty-one
percent of the families they observed lacked a secure amount of
food.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in
2005, 16.7 percent of all households with children younger than
age six did not have the amount of food required for an active,
healthy life. “When looking at household composition, single
parent families have the highest prevalence of food insecurity,
especially those that are female-headed,” John Cook, Ph.D.,
associate professor at BUSM, research scientist at BMC, and
co-author of the study, told Ivanhoe.
|
Doctors say one way families can fight food insecurity and the
associated health risks is by using federal food programs.
“Interventions for food insecurity and developmental risk are
available and overall have been successful,” Ruth Rose-Jacobs,
Sc.D., lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at BUSM
and a research scientist at BMC, was quoted as saying.
“Linking families
to the Food Stamp Program and/or the Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children is an important
intervention that should be recommended if indicated by risk
surveillance or developmental screening.”
According to
the USDA, the Food Stamp Program serves approximately one in 11
Americans or just over 26 million low-income people each month.
About half of the food stamp recipients are children.
“Unfortunately a relatively small proportion of those eligible for
food stamps actually do participate because of various factors
that deter them from applying. These can include the stigma
associated with receiving assistance, the effort required to
apply, or lack of awareness that they are eligible,” Dr. Cook
said.
SOURCE:
Pedriatrics, 2008 |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
January, 2008
|
|
Cystic Fibrosis Finding Holds Gastrointestinal Clues |
|
New understanding
of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis (CF) may lead to better
treatments not only for that disease, but for other diseases of
the digestive track as well. While most people think of CF as a
disease that impacts the lungs, it impacts the digestive system
too. CF results when children inherit defective copies of the CFTR
gene, which codes for a protein found in the lungs, sweat glands,
and digestive system that’s responsible for transporting chloride
in and out of cells and regulating important pathways involved in
the passage of fluid and bicarbonate across cell membranes.
When the gene is defective, either due to CF or another
digestive disease, such as inflammation of the pancreas, problems
arise. But until now, researchers weren’t sure what was happening
to cause those problems.
|
Investigators from New York and Rhode Island found a new
regulatory element in a region of the gene that controls the
gene’s expression in the digestive tract. Now that they know what
is happening, they hope to be able to find new treatments
targeting the process and relieving people from their symptoms.
“We hope that
these findings will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of
how CFTR gene dysfunction can cause such a wide range of disease,
eventually enabling us to develop effective treatments for cystic
fibrosis and other gastrointestinal diseases,” lead author Thankam
Paul, M.D., was quoted as saying.
SOURCE:
Biochemical Journal |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
December, 2007 |
|
Thinning Hair? Blame
Smoking! |
|
We know smoking
damages our lungs. New research suggests it doesn’t do our hair
any good either. A study conducted among Asian men shows smoking
increases the risk for hair loss.
Investigators from Taiwan looked at a type of hair loss called
androgenetic alopecia in 740 middle aged and older men.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss in men
and is generally considered to be hereditary. But environmental
factors may also come into play, and these researchers decided to
see how smoking status would affect the condition.
All the men were surveyed during in-person interviews about
their risk for androgenetic alopecia, when they first began losing
their hair, and smoking status.
|
Age was a major predictor of hair
loss, but results also showed men who smoked were significantly
more likely to have the condition, especially if they reported
smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day.
The investigators speculate smoking may increase the risk for hair
loss by either destroying hair follicles or damaging bodily
functions responsible for maintaining a healthy head of hair.
The researchers note the Asians in the study generally had a
lower risk for androgentic alopecia than Caucasians.
SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
November, 2007 |
|
Sleep-Deprivation’s Impact on Emotions |
|
Too little sleep
can have a significant effect on your emotions, and now, new
research gives evidence to prove it.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and
Harvard Medical School embarked on the first neural study into
what exactly happens to a person’s “emotional brain” when he or
she is sleep-deprived. Researchers used functioning magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) to study 26 people ages 18 to 30. Those
assigned to the sleep-deprived group stayed awake for day one,
night one and day two. Those assigned to a control group stayed
awake both days, but slept normally during the night.
Results show the amygdala -- the key part of the brain involved
with processing emotions -- became hyperactive when sleep-deprived
patients were shown negative visual stimuli, like mutilated bodies
or other gory images. However, brain scans of people in the
control group who had a full night’s sleep had normal activity in
the amygdala when shown the same negative visual stimuli.
|
Scientists report the amygdala tells the body to protect itself
in times of danger and with no sleep, it goes into overdrive. As a
result, the prefrontal cortex -- the logic center of the brain --
shuts down, preventing the release of chemicals needed to calm our
body’s fight-or-flight response.
In the current
study, researchers found the emotional centers of the brain were
more than 60 percent more reactive under conditions of sleep
deprivation than in people who had got a normal night of sleep.
Matthew Walker,
Ph.D., from UC Berkeley, was quoted as saying, “This is the first
set of experiments that demonstrate that even healthy people’s
brains mimic certain pathological psychiatric patterns when
deprived of sleep. Before, it was difficult to separate out the
effect of sleep versus the disease itself. Now, we’re closer to
being able to look into whether the person has a psychiatric
disease or a sleep disorder.”
SOURCE:
Current Biology, published
October 22, 2007 |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
October, 2007 |
|
Energy Drinks and
Alcohol Do Not Mix |
|
New research shows
popular energy drinks and alcohol just don’t mix. Energy drinks,
which include ingredients like caffeine, taurine and
carbohydrates, have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Many students and young adults mix energy drinks with alcohol.
Researchers from the University of Messina in Italy report the
practice of mixing these energy drinks with alcohol occurs at an
alarming rate among students in Italy.
Researchers interviewed 500 medical school students in Italy
about their use of energy drinks alone or in combination with
alcohol. Nearly 60 percent of the students reported consuming
energy drinks and nearly half of them reported mixing those energy
drinks with alcohol. Researchers found 35.8 percent of those
students had consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol three times
in the previous month.
|
Authors of the study write, “This means that roughly 27 percent
of the total sample of students interviewed mixed energy drinks
and alcohol.” They say they’re surprised by the popularity of
energy drinks among students and even more surprised by how often
the students mix energy drinks with alcohol. Mixing energy drinks
with alcoholic drinks can reduce the adverse symptoms of alcohol
consumption, including alcohol’s depressive effects.
Researchers
write, “The principal reason of utilization seems to be linked to
a common sensation of pleasure.” They continue, “As consequence,
users of energy drinks and alcoholic beverages might not feel the
signs of alcohol intoxication, thus increasing the probability of
accidents and/or favoring the possibility of development of
alcohol dependence.”
SOURCE:
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental
Research |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
September, 2007 |
|
Cranberries may Improve
Chemo |
|
Drinking cranberry
juice or taking cranberry extract may enhance the effectiveness of
chemotherapy drugs used to fight ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy
using platinum-based drugs is a mainstay treatment for ovarian
cancer. However, cancer cells tend to develop resistance to
platinum therapy over time, and higher doses of the drugs can
cause unwanted side effects, including nerve damage and kidney
failure. Researchers have tried to find ways to make cells more
sensitive to platinum therapy, and the answer may be in your
refrigerator right now.
Researchers demonstrated human ovarian cancer cells resistant
to platinum drugs became up to six-times more sensitized to the
drugs after exposure to cranberry compounds than unexposed cells.
The amount of juice extract given to the cells was the human
equivalent of about one cup of cranberry juice.
|
Though these early results are promising, some doctors
cautioned it is too soon to recommend all patients stock up on the
red juice. "If a patient of mine saw the study and said, 'I love
cranberry juice. Should I keep on drinking it?' I would say, 'By
all means! Drink it.'" Dwight Im, M.D., co-director of the
gynecological oncology center at Mercy Medical Center in
Baltimore, Md., told Ivanhoe. "On
the other hand, I wouldn't go and say you should drink cranberry
juice even if you're not a cranberry juice drinker."
Study researchers said animal studies of the treatment therapy
will begin soon and if successful, cranberry extract could be used
as part of an injectable chemotherapy regimen or as a beverage
supplement to be consumed during chemotherapy.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Dwight Im, M.D.; American
Chemical Society 234th National Meeting in Boston, Mass. |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
August, 2007 |
|
Curb Cravings, Lose Weight |
|
Many dieters will
do everything in their power to steer clear of calorie-rich foods
like cookies, cakes and candies, but that doesn't mean they don't
still crave these sinfully satisfying treats! A recent study
reveals finding a way to keep food cravings in check may result in
greater weight loss and could play a key role in successful weight
management. When researchers at Tufts University in Medford,
Mass., studied 32 overweight women ages 20 to 42, they found 94
percent of the participants reported having food cravings up to
six months after their dieting began. To learn more about food
cravings and their impact on weight loss, researchers regularly
asked each participant what kind of food they craved, how often
they craved it, how badly they craved it, and how often they
actually ate the desired food. According to researchers, the
participants who lost the most weight were those who craved
high-calorie foods and rarely gave into their cravings.
"Allowing yourself to have the foods you crave, but doing so
less frequently may be one of the most important keys to
successful weight control," Susan Roberts, Ph.D., a professor at
the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts
University, is quoted as saying.
|
Tara Gidus R.D., a registered dietician and national
spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association in Orlando,
Fla., agreed one piece of candy probably wouldn't have the power
to make or break a person's waistline.
"If you eat a dark Hershey kiss, that would be 25 calories. That
one little piece is not going to be a significant contribution of
calories to your diet, so you're not going to gain weight from
that," she said. "The only potential danger is some people just
can't stop at one."
Roberts advised people with low levels of self-control to
satisfy their hunger for calorie-rich foods by finding low-calorie
substitutes, since a food craving can be satisfied with any food
that has a similar taste.
SOURCE:
International Journal of Obesity
|
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
July, 2007 |
|
Make Weight Loss a
Family Affair |
|
The best way to
slim down overweight kids may be through a program that gets the
whole family involved. A new study out of Yale University
compared weight, body mass index (BMI) and other factors in
children who received usual care at a pediatric obesity clinic and
those who participated in the Bright Bodies program. Bright Bodies
involves intensive lifestyle interventions specially designed for
children and their families.
At the end of the one-year study, children in the Bright Bodies
group maintained their incoming weight -- good for kids, because
they are growing taller all the time -- and actually lowered their
BMIs by about 1.7 units.
By contrast, kids in the usual care group gained an average of
about 17 pounds and increased their BMIs by 1.6 units.
Children taking part in Bright Bodies also improved their
cholesterol levels and their insulin sensitivity, a key marker of
diabetes risk.
|
"As illustrated by the outcomes in the control group in this
study, simple education about health risks of obesity and routine
counseling regarding diet and exercise are insufficient to prevent
the seemingly inexorable increases in BMI, body weight, and body
fat observed in traditionally treated overweight children," the
authors write.
Bright Bodies, on the other hand, shows kids can achieve healthier
weights with the right guidance and a family-centered approach.
"We have shown that a family-based program that uses nutrition
education, behavior modification, and supervised exercise can
lower BMI, improve body composition, and increase insulin
sensitivity."
SOURCE: The
Journal of the American Medical
Association |
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
June, 2007 |
|
Exercise Can
Reverse the Aging Process |
|
Hitting the gym
may help seniors find the fountain of youth. A new study from
Ontario, Canada finds exercise, specifically resistance training,
rejuvenates muscle tissue in healthy senior citizens.
Researchers looked at gene expression profiles in tissue
samples from 25 healthy men and women older than age 65 before and
after they did six months of resistance training twice a week and
compared them to tissue samples from younger healthy men and women
age 20 to 35.
The gene expression profiles or molecular "fingerprints"
focused on the function of mitochondria -- the "powerhouse" of
cells. Previous research suggests mitochondrial dysfunction has
something to do with the loss of muscle mass and functional
impairment, which is commonly seen in older people.
|
The study showed there was a decline in mitochondrial function
with age in older adults. However, exercise reversed the genetic
fingerprint back to levels similar of younger adults. Results also
show before exercise training, the older adults were 59 percent
weaker than the younger ones. After strength training, the older
adults became only 38 percent weaker than the young adults.
"We were very
surprised by the results of the study," lead researcher Simon
Melov, Ph.D., was quoted as saying. "We expected to see gene
expressions that stayed fairly steady in the older adults. The
fact that their 'genetic fingerprints' so dramatically reversed
course gives credence to the value of exercise, not only as a
means of improving health, but of reversing the aging process
itself, which is an additional incentive to exercise as you get
older."
SOURCE:
PLoS One, published online May 22, 2007
|
| 1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
May, 2007 |
|
Sleep Does a Brain Good |
|
Ever feel like you
think more clearly after a good night’s sleep? Chances are, you
aren’t just imagining it, report Harvard Medical School
researchers. In a new study, people were tested to see how well
they remembered word pairs after being awake all day and after a
good night’s sleep. Those who get a good night's sleep had
significantly higher scores than those who were awake all day.
The finding was most pronounced when people were asked to
remember the original list of word pairs just after being
presented a new list in which the first word in each pair was the
same, but the second one was different. The researchers believe
this shows sleep not only improves memory, but also helps protect
memories from competing information or interference.
The research involved 48 healthy people between the ages of 18
and 30 who were divided into four groups: two groups were
presented with word pairs at 9 a.m. and then tested at 9 p.m.,
with one of the groups also receiving the new list of word pairs
immediately before the testing. |
The other two
groups followed the same pattern, but were presented with the list
first at 9 p.m. and then tested at 9 a.m. after a full night’s
sleep.
The sleep group tested without the competing word list performed
12-percent better than the wake group tested without the
interference. The sleep group tested after the interference scored
44 percent better than the wake group tested after the competing
list was presented.
“These results provide important insights into how the sleeping
brain interacts with memories,” study author Jeffrey Ellenbogen,
M.D. was quoted as saying. “It appears to strengthen them.”
The finding suggests sleep disorders may play a role in
worsening the memory problems seen in people with dementia.
SOURCE:
Presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual
Meeting in Boston, April 2007 |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
April, 2007
|
|
Copper Helping Heart
Disease
|
|
Could something
people associate with the lowly penny help ward off heart disease?
Maybe, report researchers who studied the effects of dietary
copper on the hearts of mice. Their results suggest diets higher
in copper may promote the production of a protein involved in
growing new blood vessels, a key to keeping the heart healthy.
The study was conducted in mice whose hearts were stressed.
Mice who were fed diets high in copper avoided a form of heart
thickening called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and saw a
normalization of their heart function. Mice who didn't receive
extra copper ended up with heart failure.
|
Current recommendations call for people to take in 0.9
milligrams of copper per day. Based on their study results, these
researchers estimate the beneficial human dose would be about 3.0
milligrams per day.
They write, "Should similar effects of [copper] supplementation
be found in controlled studies in human patients, this will point
the way to a simple, nontoxic and extraordinarily economical
therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."
Foods rich in copper include organ meats, seafood, green
vegetables, prunes, beans, potatoes, nuts, seeds, and wheatgerm.
SOURCE:
The Journal of Experimental
Medicine |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
March, 2007
|
|
Black Soybeans
Could Prevent Diabetes |
|
The next time you
go to the grocery store, you might want to stock up on black
soybeans. Apparently, the darker variety of the legumes has even
more health benefits than yellow soybeans. A new study from
Korea reveals a diet rich in black soybeans could help control
weight, prevent diabetes, and lower fat and cholesterol levels.
Researchers let 32 rats pig out on black soybeans and fatty
foods. After two weeks, the rats getting 10 percent of their
energy from black soy gained half as much weight as rat not
getting any black soy in their diets. The total cholesterol also
dropped by 25 percent, and LDL cholesterol fell by 60 percent in
the black soy group.
|
Experts say soy protein may have an effect on fat metabolism in
the liver and fatty tissue, keeping new fatty acids and
cholesterol from forming together. This metabolic effect may
explain the traditional Asian use of black soy to treat diabetes
"The key problem
in type 2 diabetes is impairment of insulin action, mainly as a
result of excess abdominal adipose tissue, so loss of weight often
improves glycemic control," reports David Bender, M.D., from
University College Medical School in London.
SOURCE:
Journal of the Science of Food and
Agriculture |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
February, 2007
|
|
Periodontal Disease Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
|
|
Here's a new
reason you may not want to miss your dental cleanings. A new study
reveals periodontal disease increases your risk for pancreatic
cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer
death in the United States. The only confirmed risk factor for
this disease is cigarette smoking. Previous research has suggested
a connection between periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer,
but those studies did not control for smoking. Researchers from
Harvard School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute in Boston led a study to look at the association between
periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer.
Investigators used data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up
Study. The study began in 1986 and includes more than 51,000 men
working in health professions. The men answered questions about
their health every two years.
|
Study authors report 216 cases of pancreatic cancer between
1986 and 2002. They found 67 of those patients reported also
having periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is inflammation of the gums that overtime
causes loss of bones that support the teeth.
After adjusting for other factors, researchers report men with
periodontal disease had a 63-percent higher risk of developing
pancreatic cancer compared to men with no periodontal disease.
They also found never-smokers with periodontal disease had a
two-fold increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer.
So far, the researchers report they can only speculate why
there is an increased risk for pancreatic cancer in men with
periodontal disease. More studies are needed to better understand
the role of periodontal disease in pancreatic cancer.
SOURCE:
Journal of National Cancer
Institute |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
January, 2007
|
|
Treat Heartburn, Break a
Hip?
|
|
People who take
common medications like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid to suppress
stomach acid may be trading bone health for heartburn relief.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania find use of proton
pump inhibitors (PPIs) increased the odds of breaking a hip by
about 44 percent in people who took the drugs for about a year.
People who took higher doses for longer periods were about
two-and-a-half-times more likely to suffer a hip fracture.
Previous studies have linked PPIs to decreased absorption of
calcium and lower bone density in some people, and this could
explain the higher rate of hip fractures among those who take
them, report the investigators.
The authors write these findings suggest doctors should more
carefully discuss bone health with patients taking these drugs and
possibly recommend calcium supplements. |
They also call on
physicians to prescribe the lowest possible effective doses.
The study was
based on a review of the medical records of more than 13,000 hip
fracture patients and 135,000 people without hip fractures, all of
who were age 50 and older. The investigators note hip fractures,
which are common among older people, lead to death in about 20
percent of cases. One in five of those who survive are likely to
require nursing home care.
SOURCE: The
Journal of the American Medical
Association |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
December, 2006
|
|
Avoiding Holiday Heartburn
|
|
Rich holiday foods
may taste good, but they can make you feel miserable. Fatty meals
and sugary treats can lead to painful acid reflux, but there are
ways to enjoy the holiday feast and avoid heartburn. Fat and
sugar trigger acid reflux because they weaken the esophageal
sphincter. This muscle at the end of the esophagus acts as a
one-way valve to the stomach. Normally, this muscle relaxes when
you swallow to let food enter your stomach. It closes to prevent
stomach acid from reentering the esophagus. Fat and sugar can
inhibit the function of this valve.
Fatty foods also delay emptying of the stomach. Food sits in
the stomach longer than it ordinarily would. The combination of
food in the stomach and a weak muscle at the end of the esophagus
can lead to acid reflux. Large, fatty holiday meals can quickly
trigger acid reflux problems.
But you don't have to go hungry just because you're avoiding
discomfort.
"I think the best advice I can give you is to do everything in
moderation," Stuart Spechler, M.D., professor of internal medicine
at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, told
Ivanhoe. "I wouldn't say, 'don't enjoy the holidays,' but eat
things in moderation and try to minimize the intake of fatty
foods."
Pop a Pill
Dr. Spechler said histamine H2-blockers can bring relief to those
with mild acid reflux problems by slowing the production of
stomach acid. Several histamine receptor blockers can be found
over-the-counter, like Pepcid, Tagament, Zantac and Axid.
"If you know you get heartburn and you know eating fatty foods
will precipitate heartburn, you can get some of those medications
and take it a half-hour before the meal and it might help to
prevent heartburn," Spechler said.
Make Simple Substitutions
Traditional holiday foods don't have to make you miserable if you
suffer from acid reflux. Registered dietician Sara Simard of Johns
Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Baltimore pinpointed some meal
pitfalls and simple substitutions:
- Turkey: Opt for light meat over dark meat when picking your
portion.
- Gravy: Use chicken broth or fat-free gravy to moisten your
turkey and stuffing. For a refreshing twist, try a cranberry or
mango chutney.
|
- Vegetables and other side dishes: Moisten foods with stock
broth instead of extra fat.
- Desserts: Instead of using heavy cream or whole milk,
substitute with an evaporated skim milk. Also, sugar substitutes
like Splenda or Equal could be used to sweeten desserts.
"Keeping the food lower in fat and lower in sugar will help
prevent heartburn," Simard said.
Practice Moderation
Eating too much can overextend the stomach and weaken the
esophageal sphincter, possibly leading to acid reflux. Simard
offered a few suggestions to keep your appetite and consumption
under control:
- Eat small meals throughout the day of the holiday party or
main meal to control hunger and prevent overeating at the main
event.
- Skip second helpings. Monitor your appetite so you don't
overstuff your stomach.
Slow the rate of eating and savor every bite. This will help
trigger fullness.
- Grab a small plate instead of a large plate. It's easier to
control portion sizes when you have space limitations on your
plate.
- Get chatty. Think of holiday meals and parties as social
events. People eat less when they're talking.
Take a Hike
After a large turkey dinner, it's tempting to stretch out on the
couch for a nap, but this can make acid reflux worse. If you lie
in a horizontal position following a meal, stomach acid is more
likely to reenter your esophagus and cause heartburn.
"When you eat a big meal, try to not go to sleep or lie down
immediately after that meal," Spechler said. "Try to stay upright
for a couple of hours. That helps."
Staying awake and on your feet has additional benefits. By
taking a brisk walk after dinner, you can offset some of the
calories consumed at the holiday feast.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Stuart Spechler, M.D.,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Ivanhoe interview
with Sara Simard, R.D., Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital. |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
November, 2006
|
|
New Tennis Elbow Treatment |
|
The newest way to relieve the pain of tennis elbow may not come
from pills in a bottle. Now, doctors may be able to treat the
condition using your own blood. A small pilot study done by
researchers at Stanford University Medical Center in Menlo Park,
Calif., reveals a component of blood, when specially treated and
re-injected into the affected elbow, can give more relief than
more commonly-used therapies like cortisone shots.
"Cortisone injections do tend to work early on, but a fair
number of patients will recur with their symptoms and cortisone
itself is fairly toxic," study author Allan Mishra, M.D., told
Ivahoe.
For this treatment, researchers tested the new treatment on
patients with tennis elbow -- a condition not limited to tennis
players. It is a degeneration of the tendon above the elbow. For
patients who do not respond to treatments like anti-inflammatories
and physical therapy, surgical repair of the tendon is sometimes
necessary.
|
For this treatment, researchers tested the new treatment on
patients with tennis elbow -- a condition not limited to tennis
players. It is a degeneration of the tendon above the elbow. For
patients who do not respond to treatments like anti-inflammatories
and physical therapy, surgical repair of the tendon is sometimes
necessary.
Researchers injected 15 patients with platelet-rich plasma.
Platelets are red blood cells and contain powerful growth factors
-- chemicals that help the body repair its own damage. Researchers
used each patients' own blood and concentrated the blood cells
until a half teaspoon of the material had 500 percent more
platelets than normal blood.
"Your body has an excellent ability to heal itself," said Dr.
Mishra. He also says the treatment needs more testing before it
can be made available to the public.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe
interview with Allan Mishra, M.D., Stanford University Medical
Center, Menlo Park, Calif.; The
American Journal of Sports Medicine |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
October, 2006
|
|
Soy
Protein Helps Control Cholesterol
|
| Filling
up on foods that contain soy protein may help your heart.
A new report from Tulane
University in New Orleans reveals soy protein helps lower your
total cholesterol, bad cholesterol (low-density lipid or LDL)
and triglycerides while at the same time slightly raises your
good cholesterol (high-density lipid or HDL).
Researchers analyzed data from 41
studies that took place between 1982 and 2004 and included 1,756
adults.
Results reveal including soy
protein in the diet is associated with a significant reduction
in the levels of total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides and a
significant increase in HDL.
|
"Our results support the
notion that soy protein should be an important component of a
comprehensive dietary intervention for the prevention and
treatment of hypercholesterolemia [high blood
cholesterol]," write the authors. Researchers conclude replacing
foods high in saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol with soy
protein may help reduce the risk factors of heart disease.
SOURCE: The American Journal of
Cardiology |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
September, 2006
|
|
Acupuncture
Helps; Massage Benefits Unclear
|
| Acupuncture
can offer chronic neck pain sufferers effective relief, while
whether massage helps or not is unclear, according to
researchers conducting a review of studies.
Researchers from Canada report,
however, that acupuncture does not "cure" neck pain
and the benefits seem to be short-lived -- only a few weeks or
months. They do add that the effects of acupuncture have
"important clinical treatment benefits."
They also report for some
patients with mechanical neck disorders acupuncture may be the
best treatment, while different options may be better for
others. This, however, has not been proven.
|
Many people have preconceived
notions about alternative therapies, according to study
investigators. They report people tend to believe acupuncture is
ineffective, while massage is helpful. However, their findings
suggest the opposite is closer to the truth.
Ten percent of men and 17 percent
of women report neck pain that lasts longer than six months,
according to a study cited in the review.
SOURCE: The Cochrane Database of
Systematic Reviews |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
August, 2006
|
|
Pomegranate
Juice Prevents Prostate Cancer
|
| This
year, an estimated 232,090 men will be newly diagnosed with
prostate cancer. A new study reveals a preventative measure for
fighting prostate cancer may already be in your
refrigerator.
According to a three-year study
by researchers at Jonsson Cancer Center at UCLA, drinking an
eight-ounce glass of pomegranate juice daily can keep PSA levels
stable up to four-times longer than normal. PSA, or
prostate-specific antigen, are biomarkers that indicate the
presence of cancer. So, can a glass a day keep the cancer at
bay? Researchers are saying yes. While pomegranate juice is not
a cure for prostate cancer, it can delay the growth of future
cancer.
Dr. Allan Pantuck, M.D.,
professor of urology at UCLA, reports, "We don't know if
it's one magic bullet or the combination of everything we know
is in the juice. My guess is that it's probably a combination of
elements, rather than a single component."
|
Pomegranate juice is a major
source of antioxidants and is also known to have an
anti-inflammatory effect. It also contains ellagic acid,
poly-phenols, or natural antioxidants, and isoflavones commonly
found in soy. All of these factors prevent cancer by supporting
antioxidation and gene-nutrient interactions.
This study involved 50 men who
had already undergone surgery or radiation for prostate cancer
but had quickly experienced increases in PSA. Researchers
measured "doubling time" to track results. Doubling
time is indicative of how long it takes for PSA levels to
double, a clear sign of cancer progression. Of the 50 men
enrolled, more than 80 percent experienced improvement in
doubling times.
"Doubling time is crucial in
prostate cancer, because patients who have short doubling times
are more likely to die from their cancer," reports Dr.
Pantuck. None of the men experienced side effects.
SOURCE: Clinical Cancer Research,
2006 |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
July, 2006
|
|
Vegetables
may Stop Artery Hardening
|
| A recent
study from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in
Winston-Salem, N.C., reveals a diet high in vegetables may
decrease the hardening of arteries.
Researchers looked at the effects
of a 30-percent vegetable diet compared to a non-vegetable diet
in a group of mice bred to quickly develop atherosclerosis, the
formation of plague on blood vessel walls that causes decreased
blow flow.
The mice were fed the two diets
for 16 weeks, and researchers approximated the degree of
atherosclerosis by measuring cholesterol levels.
Researchers found the mice that
ate the vegetable diet had 38-percent smaller plaques within
their vessels than the control group.
|
"Although the pathways
involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich
in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of
hardening of the arteries and may reduce the risk of heart
disease," said head researcher Michael Adams, D.V.M.
Data also revealed the mice on
the vegetable diet had a 37-percent decrease in an indicator of
inflammation, which is connected to atherosclerosis development.
Adams noted, "While everyone
knows that eating more vegetables is supposed to be good for
you, no one had shown before that it can actually inhibit the
development of atherosclerosis." He added, "This
suggests how a diet high in vegetables may help prevent heart
attacks and strokes."
SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
June, 2006
|
|
Sleep
Patterns Influence Weight
|
| A study
of middle-aged women revealed weight gain was linked to the
amount of sleep they received each night.
Beginning in 1986, a group of
68,183 women was asked every two years about their sleep
patterns as well as their weight. The women supplied this
information for 16 years.
Women who slept five hours or
less each night weighed 5.4 pounds more than women who slept
seven hours according to data gathered at the beginning of the
study. Those women who slept less also gained more weight in the
following years.
Additionally, women who slept
five hours per night were found to be 32 percent more likely to
have major weight gain than women who slept for seven hours a
night. Those who slept for six hours were 12 percent more
likely.
"There have been a number of
studies that have shown that at one point in time, people who
sleep less weigh more, but this is one of the first studies to
show reduced sleep increases the risk of gaining weight over
time," said Sanjay Patel, M.D., Assistant Professor of
Medicine at Case-Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
|
The women who slept less were not
only more threatened by major weight gain but obesity as
well.
Compared to women who slept seven
hours each night, those who slept five hours were 15 percent
more likely to become obese, while those who slept six hours
were 12 percent more likely.
Researchers considered other
factors throughout the study such as diet and exercise but found
them to be little help in providing answers.
Dr. Patel said despite the
study's lack of explanations about the cause of weight gain and
its relationship to sleep, possibilities remain to be studied
such as the correlation of sleep to basal metabolic rate and
NEAT (non-exercise associated thermogenesis).
SOURCE: American Thoracic Society
International Conference |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
May, 2006
|
|
Possible
New Weight Loss Treatment
|
| Researchers
discover what could potentially be a promising new weight loss
treatment.
A new study led by a Canadian
researcher reveals how a small protein acts directly within
muscles to increase the body's metabolism to burn fat while at
the same time suppressing appetite. The protein is knows as the
ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF).
Results show CNTF protects
against some of the effects of obesity by activating an enzyme
-- skeletal muscle AMP kinase -- that increases the body's
ability to metabolize fat and sugar.
The protein activates
similar pathways to those stimulated by exercise. This could
lead to new treatments for metabolic abnormalities linked to
excess weight.
|
"While hormones such as
leptin were initially thought to be the cure-all for weight
loss, they were later found to be ineffective in obesity due to
the presence of proteins which inhibit their ability to
stimulate fat metabolism," says lead researcher Dr. Greg
Steinberg, of the University of Melbourne in Australia.
"Fortunately, CNTF's effects on fat burning are
maintained."
Dr. Diane Finegood, scientific
director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute
of Nutrition, adds, "This research is an important step in
the unraveling of the complex biological systems controlling
body weight, including mechanisms regulating blood sugar levels,
food intake, and satiety -- a feeling of fullness -- which are
crucial to tackling the worldwide epidemic of obesity."
Using nerve nourishing factors
such as CNTF as obesity treatments are several years away, but
this research will lead to further studies on the subject.
SOURCE: Nature Medicine |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
April, 2006
|
|
Is
Fear of Death Keeping you From Exercising?
|
| Women who
avoid exercise because they believe it may lead to a sudden and
fatal heart attack will have to come up with a better excuse.
According to a new study out of
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the risk of experiencing
sudden cardiac death during exercise is extremely small in
women. What's more, researchers found regular exercise may
actually help avoid such an occurrence.
Their analysis looked at data
from the long-running Nurses Health Study, a national project
that began in 1976 to gauge a variety of health issues among
women. This research included nearly 85,000 participants who
were followed every two years since 1980.
Results showed 288 cases of
sudden cardiac death in the group. Of that number, only nine
occurred while the women were engaged in moderate to vigorous
exertion and only three during actual exercise.
|
The authors note this incidence
of sudden cardiac death during exercise translates to just one
death for every 36.5 million hours of exertion. Previous studies
have documented much higher risks for men, with between 6
percent and 17 percent of all sudden cardiac deaths chalked up
to exertion.
While the overall risk for sudden
cardiac death during exertion was higher than that observed when
the women were not exercising, the authors note women who were
regular exercisers actually had a lower risk of sudden cardiac
death than those who reported no regular exercise.
The investigators conclude these
findings should reassure women that "moderate to vigorous
levels of exercise can be prescribed in a safe fashion" and
that, if performed regularly, "may even lower long-term
risk of sudden cardiac death."
SOURCE: Ivanhoe.com |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
March, 2006
|
|
Skip
fad Dieting
|
| "Low-carb,"
"low-fat" and "geared to your body type" are
catch phrases University of South Florida researcher Barbara
Hansen, Ph.D., says don't need to be part of your weight-loss
regimen.
Hansen's latest studies in rhesus
monkeys reveal lifetime calorie restraint to prevent obesity is
the most effective way to lower your risk of age-related health
problems like high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels.
Hansen says, "Our studies have unequivocally demonstrated
that if you prevent excess fat deposits in the body through
excess calorie restraint, you'll improve health and postpone
death."
Hansen and colleagues are working
to understand the underlying mechanisms of obesity that may lead
to new drugs that more specifically target centers in the body
that regulate weight.
Scientists are continuing to learn about
how different factors interact to predispose someone to obesity. |
Previous studies support the notion that each person has an
age-related "set" point for weight somehow regulated
by physiology and genetics. This helps explain why most people
gain back the weight after losing a lot.
Hansen says, "Basically,
while your weight may fluctuate throughout life, your body's
natural tendency is to return to its individually programmed
body composition."
Hansen's advice for weight
monitoring? Using the "bathroom scale model of weight
loss." She explains: "If you see your weight creeping
up, then cut back on your portions. A 10-percent daily reduction
in the total calories you consume may produce a small, but at
least sustainable, weight loss."
SOURCE: The American Association
for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Feb.
16-20, 2006 |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
February, 2006
|
|
Aspirin
Benefits Differ in Men & Women
|
| Aspirin
can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
Major benefits differ, however, between men and women, according
to a recent study.
In an analysis of six previous
trials, researchers performed a sex-specific meta-analysis of
aspirin therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular
events to better understand the association of gender with the
response to aspirin.
Jeffery S. Berger, M.D., M.S., a
Duke University cardiology fellow, and colleagues found aspirin
lowered the risk of a heart attack by 32 percent in men, but did
not affect stroke risk. On the other hand, there was no
significant effect on heart attacks observed in women, but
aspirin did reduce their risk of stroke by 17 percent.
Aspirin is a drug that has been
used for many years. It is well-understood, effective,
inexpensive and widely available," Dr. Berger says.
|
Researchers also found a 12-percent reduction in cardiovascular
events in women and a 14-percent reduction in cardiovascular
events in men.
The use of aspirin, however,
poses a 70-percent increased risk of bleeding among both men and
women.
For this reason, Dr. Berger says
it is important for patients and physicians to discuss the
benefits and potential drawbacks to aspirin therapy.
He also stresses aspirin should
never replace other methods of reducing cardiovascular disease,
such as a proper diet and exercising.
SOURCE: The Journal of the
American Medical Association |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
January, 2006
|
|
Yoga
for Back Pain
|
| People
suffering from lower back pain may find relief in an ancient
art, report researchers from Group Health Cooperative's Center
for Health Studies in Seattle.
The first-of-its-kind study on
back pain and yoga revealed yoga can significantly ease the
condition and is better than conventional exercise or reading a
self-help book.
The research involved about 100
adults with lower back pain who were randomly assigned to either
a yoga exercise group, a conventional exercise group, or a group
that received a self-help book on coping with lower back
pain.
Each of the exercise groups
participated in 12 weekly sessions lasting 75 minutes
each.
The yoga group learned 17 poses
generally considered easy to perform and suitable for various
body types.
|
The conventional exercise
group did standard aerobic, strengthening and stretching
exercises.
Both exercise groups practiced
what they learned at home in-between sessions.
At the end of the study and at a
follow-up, people in the yoga group were significantly better
able to function than those in either the conventional exercise
group or self-help group.
They also reported less use of
standard pain medications for treating lower back pain.
SOURCE: Annals of Internal
Medicine
|
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
December, 2005
|
|
Artificial
Sweeteners Cause Cancer
|
| A recent
study by the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center in Italy and
the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental
Sciences in Bologna, Italy, shows a significant increase in the
incidence of malignant tumors, lymphomas and leukemias in rats
exposed to varying doses of aspartame.
Aspartame is the second most
widely used artificial sweetener in the world and is found in
more than 6,000 products ranging from sodas and hot chocolate to
yogurt and vitamins.
More than 200 million people
worldwide consume aspartame.
In the study, researchers
administered aspartame by adding it to rats' normal diet. The
study began when the rats were 8 weeks old and ended when all
the rats had died. Treatment groups received feed containing
concentrations of aspartame at dosages simulating daily human
intake as compared to body weight.
|
The results showed the treated
animals had extensive evidence of malignant cancers including
lymphomas, leukemias, and tumors in multiple organs.
One of the researchers stated,
"Our study has shown that aspartame is a multi-potential
carcinogenic compound whose carcinogenic effects are also
evident at a daily dose of 20 milligrams per kilogram of body
weight notably less than the current acceptable daily intake for
humans."
The acceptable daily intake for
humans is set at 50 milligrams per kilogram in the United States
and 40 milligrams per kilogram in Europe. The researchers say
this study calls for an urgent re-evaluation of the current
guidelines for the use and consumption of this substance.
SOURCE: The National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences. |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
November, 2005
|
|
E-mails
promoting healthy lifestyles
|
| Can
regular e-mails on health related topics impact people’s
behavior? Yes, according to a study of 2,598 Canadian workers in
the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health
Promotion.
The 12-week study looked at the effectiveness of workplace
e-mails promoting healthy exercise and eating regimes.
The research team, led by Ronald Plotnikoff, PhD, and Linda
J. McCargar, PhD, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton,
divided participants into an intervention group, which received
health-related e-mails, and a control group, which did not.
The e-mail group received weekly messages highlighting the
worth of physical activity and good nutrition while offering
suggestions on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
|
The intervention group showed an increase in physical
activity levels and had more confidence in being able to
participate in physical activity at study’s end, recognized
more pros and fewer cons to physical activity and were more open
to making dietary changes, actually reduced, although
marginally, its mean BMI over the course of the study.
By contrast the control group’s mean BMI slightly
increased.
E-mail deliveries of health promotion messages can have small
yet beneficial effects on health behaviors over a short time
frame, the researchers concluded.
They also noted that e-mail is unobtrusive, cost-effective
and practical.
SOURCE: IDEA Fitness Journal |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
October, 2005
|
|
Sleeping
Connected to Diabetes Risk
|
| Researchers
have found an association between getting too little or too much
sleep and an increased risk of diabetes.
A study in the April 25 issue of Archives of Internal
Medicine set out to learn more about the "metabolic effects
of habitual sleep restriction."
Scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine looked
at the sleep patterns of 722 men and 764 women between the ages
of 53 and 93.
The subjects answered questions regarding their slumber
habits and underwent fasting glucose and glucose tolerance
testing.
For those who slept 5 hours or less and 6 hours per night,
the diabetes risk increased 2.5- and 1.66-fold respectively.
|
Subjects who slept 9 hours or more per night also had
increased odds ratios.
According to the study, these findings continued when
insomniacs were excluded.
The conclusion: Sleeping less than 6 or more than 9 hours per
night is associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes and
impaired glucose tolerance.
Authors suggested getting at least 7 hours of sleep per
night.
SOURCE: IDEA Fitness Journal |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
September, 2005
|
|
CLA
and Body Fat Mass
|
| The
dietary supplement conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) have suggested
that it may reduce body fat mass (BFM) and increase lean body
mass.
However, until recently, little was known about the long term
effects of CLA.
That led a team of scientists from Norway to observe how CLA
affected body composition and safety variables in healthy men
and women with a body mass index between 25 and 30.
As reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
study participants were randomly given either a type of CLA or a
placebo.
|
After 1 year of supplementation, those who received the CLA
had a significantly lower BFM than those in the control group;
these changes were not associated with diet or exercise, and
adverse events did not differ between the groups.
This led the researchers to conclude that long term CLA
supplementation reduces BFM in healthy overweight adults.
SOURCE: IDEA Fitness Journal |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
August, 2005
|
|
Guidelines
for Drinking Before and After Exercise
|
| After a
long workout, when you lose a pound or two of weight, you may
think this is fat loss.
However, rapid weight loss is an indicator of fluid loss and
not of desirable body-weight change.
When you lose this type of weight, you’re losing fluids
that your body needs to perform and function properly.
That’s why it’s important to replace the amount of fluid
lost in sweat so you are able to feel and perform at your best.
Before Exercise:
|
Drink 17-20 oz. Two to three hours before activity and drink
an additional 7-10 oz. Of fluid 10-20 minutes before working
out.
During Exercise:
Drink approx. 7-10 oz. Every 15 minutes.
After Exercise:
Drink at least 20 oz. per pound of weight loss within two
hours.
SOURCE: Gatorade Sports Science Institute |
|
1-WORKOUT DELIVERY HEALTH NEWS
July, 2005
|
|
The
10 Best and Worst States to Raise a Fit Child
|
| Many
parents feel challenged by the prospect of raising a fit and
healthy child.
Is it easier or harder than average, depending on where you
live?
Child.com spent 5 months studying mandated school fitness and
nutrition policies.
They also looked at other factors related to healthy
lifestyles, including accessible, safe playgrounds; rates of
participation in youth sports; and the number of fast-food
restaurants.
Here are the 10 best and worst states, according to the
analysis:
Best
1. Connecticut
2. New York
3. Vermont
4. Massachusetts
5. Missouri
|
6. Maine
7. West Virginia
8. Wisconsin
9. Arkansas
10. Illinois
Worst
1. Alaska
2. Nebraska
3. Nevada
4. Mississippi
5. Kansas
6. Alabama
7. Idaho
8. Wyoming
9. Iowa
10. Arizona
SOURCE: IDEA Fitness Journal |
|