Spices and herbs may do more than add a flavorful touch to food – researchers say it’s possible that they may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Penn State nutritionists said that spices and herbs do that by improving triglyceride concentrations and other blood lipids. It’s well known that triglyceride levels rise after eating… Continue reading Herbs, Spices and Heart Disease
Tag: Staying Current
Hearing Aids: What’s New – And Right for You
By Jennifer Gehlen, Educational Specialist at Siemens Hearing Instruments After a certain age, we sometimes avoid invitations to what we anticipate will be noisy social gatherings. This isn’t because we’ve suddenly lost interest in our friends and family — rather, we’d like to avoid the frustration and embarrassment of not being able to hear and… Continue reading Hearing Aids: What’s New – And Right for You
A New Cause of Alzheimer’s?
Blocking a key brain–cell receptor may eventually lead to neutralizing some consequences of Alzheimer’s, according to a new study from Temple University. The brain cells are used by “oxygen free radicals” that are linked to “oxidative stress.” That “stress” occurs when the production of the free radicals is greater than the body’s ability to detoxify… Continue reading A New Cause of Alzheimer’s?
Study: Walnuts May Have Lifesaving Benefits
The heart-health benefits of nuts have been known for some time, but now researchers say that walnuts slow the growth of prostate and breast cancer as well. Investigators from the University of California, Davis, and other institutions also found that both walnuts and walnut oil helped to reduce cholesterol and increased sensitivity to insulin. The… Continue reading Study: Walnuts May Have Lifesaving Benefits
Going Gluten-Free: A Mayo Clinic Expert Explains The Most Common Myths
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Misinformation abounds when it comes to celiac disease and gluten-free eating. But an estimated 1 in 141 Americans has celiac disease, and countless more may be sensitive to gluten. Unfortunately, many people with celiac disease are misdiagnosed or do not know they have the condition because its symptoms are often varied and subtle. Moreover, “gluten-free”… Continue reading Going Gluten-Free: A Mayo Clinic Expert Explains The Most Common Myths
“Health Literacy” and the Internet
Internet “health literacy”, including electronic health records, may not be as helpful for senior citizens as was first thought. Instead, people who are 65 and older and who aren’t familiar with, or regular users of, the Internet, may not be able to put electronic health records to full use. Researchers from the University of Michigan… Continue reading “Health Literacy” and the Internet
The Brain’s Dilemma: Fear or Reward?
When it comes to learning tricky tasks, it seems we’re motivated more by avoiding punishment than by getting a reward. The discovery indicates that circuits in the frontal cortex of the brain, which calculate the degree of conflict, effort and difficulty of actions, are connected with another part of the brain that govern perceptions of… Continue reading The Brain’s Dilemma: Fear or Reward?
How a Local Disease Becomes a Global Epidemic
Researchers tracking the global path of illnesses such as Ebola say that the frequency of long distance travel, not a high concentration of sufferers in one area, is a crucial factor in changing an outbreak into a worldwide epidemic. The biophysicists, from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University, found that if fewer people… Continue reading How a Local Disease Becomes a Global Epidemic
A Newly Discovered Culprit in Aging
Researchers have zeroed in on a protein, found in both humans and insects, that plays a key part in systemic inflammation and chronic inflammatory disorders. Both those conditions are associated with aging as well as many cancers. The discovery, by investigators from the Carnegie Institute of Science, in Washington, DC, used fruit flies to focus… Continue reading A Newly Discovered Culprit in Aging
Should You Worry About Ebola Virus?
The Ebola virus made its first appearance in 1976. If you fast-forward 38 years, March 2014 was the start of the current Ebola outbreak. More than 1,700 cases of infection have resulted in more than 1,000 deaths. Clearly, the Ebola virus is a deadly epidemic, creating panic in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.… Continue reading Should You Worry About Ebola Virus?
Walking During Work Helps Your Body and Your Mind
“Walking workstations,” or desks that are attached to a treadmill, can improve mental as well as physical health during the workday, according to a new study. Researchers from the Department of Psychology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) said they hoped the research would help employers look at ways to… Continue reading Walking During Work Helps Your Body and Your Mind
What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
Editor’s note: No matter what prescription drugs you’re taking, there are several issues you should be aware of: how effective the drugs are, whether they interact with any other medicines you might be taking, and whether a chaper generic is as good as a more expensive brand name. The generic-vs.-name brand issue can be especially… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
A Possible Treatment for Binge Drinking
Scientists have discovered profound changes in proteins that could lead to treatment for alcohol-related liver diseases. The researchers, from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, said the changes occur because of binge drinking. The National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse defines binge drinking as five drinks over a two-hour period for men, and… Continue reading A Possible Treatment for Binge Drinking
Passengers Can Help Drivers with Directions, Not Safety
A driver can get good help for directions from a passenger in the car – but there’s also an increased risk of a collision, according to new research. That conclusion comes from a study performed by experts at the University of Illinois who used a simulator to judge drivers’ responses while talking to passengers, driving… Continue reading Passengers Can Help Drivers with Directions, Not Safety
Do Natural Bedbug Remedies Really Work? Sometimes
Some natural pesticides can help against bedbugs, but only if you manage to actually spray the bugs and eggs directly. Non-synthetic pesticides, containing ingredients such as geranial, cedar extract, rosemary oil and cinnamon oil, have proliferated in recent years because of concerns over human exposure to synthetic pesticide. Researchers from Rutgers University looked at nine… Continue reading Do Natural Bedbug Remedies Really Work? Sometimes
CDC: The Facts About Ebola
Editor’s note: Americans have become increasingly concerned about the possibility of an outbreak of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in this country following the death of Thomas Eric Duncan on October 8th 2014 in Dallas and the CDC confirmation on October 12th that a nurse who had cared for Duncan has tested positive for the deadly disease.… Continue reading CDC: The Facts About Ebola
A New Therapy to Help with “Complicated Grief”
Targeted therapy may help millions of older women afflicted with a kind of grief that could lead to suicide. “Complicated grief,” as it’s known, affects an estimated 4 million women in the U.S. Beginning after the loss of a spouse or a close relationship, the condition can lead to an increased risk of suicide. Symptoms… Continue reading A New Therapy to Help with “Complicated Grief”
An Over-The-Counter Remedy Could Eventually Fight TB
An over-the-counter remedy can help reduce age-related lung inflammation, according to a new study. Researchers from The Ohio State University found that ibuprofen helped the immune cells of older mice fight tuberculosis bacteria just as effectively as the immune cells of younger mice. The ibuprofen didn’t have any effect on the immune response of younger… Continue reading An Over-The-Counter Remedy Could Eventually Fight TB