0 Latest Heath Research

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I drink and take an antacid - so I should be OK:

Frequent heartburn was positively associated with cancers of the throat and vocal cord among nonsmokers and nondrinkers: antacids, but not prescription medications, had a protective effect

I never use cinnamon, but Im good on chocolate, red wine, and blueberries:

Cinnamons potential ability to prevent Alzheimers

Two compounds found in cinnamon –– cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin –– are showing some promise in the effort to fight Alzheimers disease. According to George and Graves, the compounds have been shown to prevent the development of the filamentous "tangles" found in the brain cells that characterize Alzheimers. Epicatechin, which is also present in other foods, such as blueberries, chocolate, and red wine, has proven to be a powerful antioxidant.

BUT:

Cinnamon and cinnamon-based products may be dangerous

“True," or Ceylon, cinnamon is expensive, so most breads, sticky buns and other products in the United States use dried cassia bark, or cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon contains very little coumarin, a naturally occurring substance that has been linked to liver damage in people sensitive to the substance. However, cassia cinnamon can contain larger amounts.

I eat a fair amount of fish and take lots of fish oil supplements:

Fish oil supplements may help fight against Type 2 diabetes

Fish oil may stall effects of junk food on brain

Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have long been thought to protect against cardiovascular disease—so much so that the American Heart Association currently recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty varieties rich in omega 3s.

I’m sticking pretty close to a Mediterranean Diet with added mixed nuts and olive oil:

Mediterranean Diet Boosts Aging Brain

A Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts seems to improve the brain power of older people better than advising them to follow a low-fat diet.A Mediterranean diet is characterized by the use of virgin olive oil as the main culinary fat; high consumption of fruits, nuts, vegetables and pulses; moderate to high consumption of fish and seafood; low consumption of dairy products and red meat; and moderate intake of red wine.

I ordered these supplements (from Amazon) as soon as I read this:

Compound in Mediterranean diet makes cancer cells mortal

New research suggests that apigenin, a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet, takes away cancer cells "superpower" to escape death. Parsley, celery and chamomile tea are the most common sources of apigenin, but it is found in many fruits and vegetables.

Maybe I should order this too:

Common Food Supplement Fights Degenerative Brain Disorders

Widely available in pharmacies and health stores, phosphatidylserine is a natural food supplement produced from beef, oysters, and soy. Proven to improve cognition and slow memory loss, its a popular treatment for older people experiencing memory impairment. Now researchers have discovered that the same supplement improves the functioning of genes involved in degenerative brain disorders, including Parkinsons disease and Familial Dysautonomia (FD). In FD, a rare genetic disorder that impacts the nervous system and appears almost exclusively in the Ashkenazi Jewish population

I am trying to drink more coffee:

Consuming Coffee = Lower Risk of Liver Disease

This is good news:

Candy consumption frequency not linked to obesity or heart disease

Working my way back to physical fitness after recent forced layoff:

Exercise Lowers Risk Of Lung And Colorectal Cancer Among Middle Aged Men

New research conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont reveals that middle-aged men who engage in a lot of cardiovascular exercise are at a reduced risk of suffering from lung and colorectal cancer. In addition, those who exercise are less likely to die from prostate cancer (although their risk of contracting the disease remained the same).

Men who were physically fit at the time they developed cancer had a much higher survival rate and lower risk of dying from the cancers compared to men who were not fit. In fact, a 1MET increase in fitness was associated with a 14 percent reduced risk of dying from the cancer, as well as a 23 percent reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Exercise has been shown to have huge beneficial effects on people diagnosed with cancer and its also been found to help minimize the risk recurrence, or another cancer developing.

I’m a little less likely to put sunblock on my arms and legs after reading this:

Sunshine could benefit health and prolong life

Exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke – and even prolong life, a study suggests. The findings suggest that exposure to sunlight improves health overall, because the benefits of reducing blood pressure far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer.

I don’t eat much fat or carbs, except at dinner, but I do get sleepy midday

Study links diet with daytime sleepiness and alertness in healthy adult

A new study shows that higher fat consumption was associated with increased objective daytime sleepiness, while higher carbohydrate intake was associated with increased alertness. There was no relationship between protein consumption and sleepiness or alertness. These findings were independent of the subjects’ gender, age, and body mass index as well as the total amount of sleep they were getting and their total caloric intake.

Soy and tomato combo may be effective in preventing prostate cancer

Tomatoes and soy foods may be more effective in preventing prostate cancer when they are eaten together than when either is eaten alone, said a University of Illinois study.

I don’t Kava, but I’m not particularly worried about it:

Kava significantly reduces the symptoms of people suffering anxiety

Calcium supplements linked to longer lifespans in women

A healthy lifestyle can help reduce the effects of job stress on coronary artery disease

Eating peppers and tomatoes may reduce risk of developing Parkinsons

Pets may help reduce your risk of heart disease

Exercise-related changes in estrogen metabolism may lower breast cancer risk

Parents who suck on their infants pacifiers may protect their children against developing allergy

Whole walnuts and their extracted oil improve cardiovascular disease risk

0 Latest Health Research

This is very good news for me because I get at least 200 minutes of exercise a week, but only exercise 2-3 days a week and am completely inactive the other days:

Total amount of exercise important, not frequency, research shows

A new study by Queen’s University researchers has determined that adults who accumulated 150 minutes of exercise on a few days of the week were not any less healthy than adults who exercised more frequently throughout the week.

Shorter Bouts of High-Intensity Exercise Improve Physical Fitness

It is a commonly held perception that getting in shape and staying there requires hard work and hours upon hours of training. Now, new research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) shows the opposite -- just four minutes of vigorous activity three times per week is enough to make previously inactive men fitter and more healthy.

Good news for me:


Aspirin for Primary Prevention in Men When Cancer Mortality Benefit Added

While aspirin has been shown to be effective in preventing heart attacks in men, it also increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and possibly stroke, even at low doses. As such, national guidelines suggest that aspirin be used for prevention only in men at higher risk for cardiovascular events, so that the benefits of aspirin are greater than its adverse effects.

Recent data suggest that aspirin may also be effective for reducing cancer deaths. Would the possible combined health benefits of reducing heart attacks and cancer outweigh the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and stroke for middle-aged men?

A research team, including UNC scientists, reports that including the positive effect of aspirin on cancer mortality influences the threshold for prescribing aspirin for primary prevention in men. The benefit of aspirin for cancer mortality prevention would help offset the risks and thus lower the age and increase the number of men for whom aspirin is recommended.

Farmed Salmon Raises Blood Levels of Omega-3s

People who eat farm-raised salmon can increase their intake of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids to levels that may help reduce their risk of heart disease, according to studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

The studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) nutritionist Susan Raatz and physiologist Matthew Picklo address concerns about whether farm-raised salmon have less available omega-3s than salmon caught in the wild. The scientists work at the ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D. ARS is USDAs principal intramural scientific research agency.

Two omega-3 fatty acids—EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—are abundant in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring. Consuming 250 milligrams daily of EPA and DHA—the amount in a 3-ounce farmed salmon fillet—has been associated with reduced heart disease risk.

Statin and Aspirin Use Linked to Improved Survival in Women with Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer patients who took statins and aspirin reduced their chance of death by a highly significant 84 percent, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care. Additionally, women who used only statins saw their risk of dying decline by 45 percent.

4 lifestyle changes will protect heart, reduce your risk of death

A large, multi-center study led by Johns Hopkins researchers has found a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking.

Healthy lifestyle choices mean fewer memory complaints

Research has shown that healthy eating, not smoking and exercising regularly are associated with a lower risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia, but less is known about the potential link between positive lifestyle choices and milder memory complaints, especially those that occur earlier in life and could be the first indicators of later problems.

Coenzyme Q10 Improves Heart Failure Mortality

Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade and should be added to standard treatment, according to lead author Professor Svend Aage Mortensen (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Patients with ischaemic heart disease who use statins could also benefit from CoQ10 supplementation. Professor Mortensen said: "We have no controlled trials demonstrating that statin therapy plus CoQ10 improves mortality more than statins alone. But statins reduce CoQ10, and circulating CoQ10 prevents the oxidation of LDL effectively, so I think ischaemic patients should supplement statin therapy with CoQ10."

Consuming olive oil and nuts may improve survival men with prostate cancer

By substituting healthy vegetable fats – such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados – for animal fats and carbohydrates, men with the disease had a markedly lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and dying from other causes, according to the study.

More good news - things I already do:

Fish oil supplements may protect the heart in stressful situations

Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Hypertension

Fatty acids found in fish linked to lower risk of breast cancer

Higher omega-3 fatty acids in blood = reduced risk of hip fractures


Aspirin may fight cancer by slowing DNA damage


And things I try to avoid:

Eating more red meat associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes



Soda and illegal drugs cause similar damage to teeth

Addicted to soda? You may be shocked to learn that drinking large quantities of your favorite carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to your mouth through the process of tooth erosion.