Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, June 18th, 2012

Mental Attitude: Sleep Tight?  Children with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), despite little indication of short sleep from traditional measurements, were more likely to experience problems with learning, attention/hyperactivity and conduct than children without EDS. Obesity, symptoms of inattention, depression, anxiety, and asthma have been found to contribute to EDS.  Penn State, May 2012  Health Alert: Obesity Projections!  At current projections, 42% of the US population will be obese by 2030, with 11% categorized as severely obese. Severe obesity is defined as a body mass index over 40 or roughly 100 pounds overweight. $550 billion could be saved in the next 20 years just by keeping obesity rates at the current level!  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2012  Diet: Protein and Diabetes.  Diabetes risk increases with higher intake of total protein and animal protein. For every 5% of calories consumed from protein instead of carbohydrate or fat, the risk of developing diabetes increased 30%. Increased animal protein intake coincided with increased intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and with increased body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Vegetable protein intake was not associated with diabetes risk.  Diabetes Care, May 2012  Exercise: Cancer and Exercise.  Physical activity is linked to lower rates of breast and colon cancer deaths. Exercise helps moderate insulin levels, reduce inflammation and possibly improve the immune response. Even though direct effects of physical activity on cancer are not definitely proven, given that physical activity is generally safe, improves quality of life for cancer patients, and has numerous other health benefits, adequate physical activity should be a standard part of cancer care.  Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 2012  Chiropractic: Interesting Anatomy.  Every organ, tissue and cell in your body requires a two-way information connection with your brain, via the nervous system. How important is your nervous system? It is the only system/organ encased in solid bone, as your skull houses your brain and your vertebra encapsulate your spinal cord.  Gray's Anatomy  Wellness/Prevention: Commutes Risk Health.  Individuals with the longest commutes are least likely to report frequently engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise, and most likely to show risk factors for poorer cardiovascular and metabolic health. Commuting more than 10 miles to work is linked with high blood pressure.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, June 2012

Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, June 11th, 2012

Mental Attitude: No Emails? 

Being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress and improves focus. Heart rate monitors were attached to computer users in an office setting, while software sensors detected how often they switched windows. People who read email changed screens twice as often and were in a steady "high alert" state. Those removed from email for five days reported feeling better able to do their jobs and stay on task, with fewer stressful and time-wasting interruptions. 

UC Irvine and US Army, May 2012 

Health Alert: Misusing Prescription Drugs At A Young Age! 

The peak risk for misusing prescription pain relievers occurs in mid-adolescence, specifically about 16 years old and earlier. Clinicians and public health professionals are prescribing more pain relievers, and research suggests an increased misuse of these drugs and increased rates of overdose deaths. Each year, 1 in 60 young people (between 12-21 years old) begin using prescription pain relievers outside the boundaries of what their doctor intended. 

Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2012 

Diet: How Much Protein Do I Need? 

For healthy adults, an estimator used for daily protein intake is 0.36 grams per 1 pound of body weight. Formula = 0.36 grams/pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 155 lbs, you should consume 56 grams of protein per day (155lbs x .36g/lbs = 56g). 

Institute of Medicine, 2002 

Exercise: Jogging For Life. 

Jogging 1-2.5 hr/week increases the life expectancy of men by 6.2 years and women by 5.6 years. Jogging improves oxygen uptake, increases insulin sensitivity, improves lipid profiles (raising HDL and lowering triglycerides), lowers blood pressure, reduces platelet aggregation, increases fibrinolytic activity, improves cardiac function, bone density, immune function, reduces inflammation markers, prevents obesity, and improves psychological function. 

EuroPRevent2012 Meeting, May 2012 

Chiropractic: Get A Grip! 

Nationally ranked Judo competitors experienced up to a 16% increase in grip strength after receiving a cervical spinal adjustment. 

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, January 2012 

Wellness/Prevention: Zinc About It! 

People regularly taking oral zinc may experience shorter common cold symptoms than those who do not. Higher doses appeared to have a better effect, but taking zinc for just 2-3 days seemed to have no impact at all. Common adverse events associated with zinc supplements are nausea and a bad taste. 

Canadian Medical Association Journal, May 2012

Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, June 4th, 2012

Mental Attitude: Facebook Addiction?  According to Dr. Cecilie Schou Andreassen, some users of Facebook have developed a dependency to the social networking site. "Facebook Addiction" is more common among young people who are anxious and socially insecure, probably because those who are anxious find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face.  Psychological Reports, May 2012  Health Alert: Infection and Cancer.  Each year, 16.1% of the 12.7 million total new cancer cases in the world are due to infections that are largely preventable or treatable. Most of these cancer-causing infections were of the gut, liver, cervix and uterus.  The Lancet Oncology, May 2012  Diet: Black Pepper and Fat.  Black pepper has been used for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine to treat gastrointestinal distress, pain, inflammation and other disorders. A new study found that Piperin, the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, can block the formation of new fat cells.  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 2012  Exercise: Strong Bones!  Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people worldwide, yet many are unaware they are at risk. The disease has been called the silent epidemic because bone loss occurs without symptoms and the disease is often first diagnosed after a fracture. Osteoporosis is more common in women, but men also develop it, usually after age 65. Young men who play volleyball, basketball or other load-bearing sports for 4 hours a week or more may gain protection from developing osteoporosis later in life. Men who increased their load-bearing activity from age 19-24 not only developed more bone, but also had larger bones compared to men who were sedentary during the same period. Bigger bones with more mass are thought to offer a shield against osteoporosis.  Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 2012  Chiropractic: A Ringing Endorsement!  "I came to the point where I wanted an adjustment every day. I believe in Chiropractic."  ~ Evander Holyfield, 4x World Heavyweight Boxing Champion  Wellness/Prevention: Ancient Remedy Slows Prostate Problems.  Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives. If you feed CAPE to mice with prostate tumors, their tumors will stop growing. After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumors will begin to grow again at their original pace.  Cancer Prevention Research, May 2012