Month: March 2012 (Page 3 of 13)

Popcorn Is Full Of Health Benefits

March 26, 2012 / Staff

Air popped popcorn is packed with antioxidants.

Who knew that this treat was actually good for your health?

Now, we’re not talking about butter soaked, salt laden, carmel or chocolate covered confections but rather air popped corn.

Polyphenols have been linked to a reduction in heart disease and certain cancers. And, since it’s 100% whole grain, popcorn is also a great source of fiber — you get 5 grams in a 4-cup portion. That’s pretty darn impressive for a snack food.
Popcorn will never be a replacement for produce, which is brimming with essential nutrients and antioxidants not found in grains. But it’s still a terrific, low-cal munchie. And you do need to steer clear of varieties doused in butter, oil, and/or salt, ingredients that negate the health perks.

Low in calories, at only 30 per cup, this satisfying snack is nutritious and filling.

Experiment with flavors like olive oil, sea salt, pepper and spices to turn up the taste on this healthy snack.

Nutrition

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Generic Or Not Generic?

March 26, 2012 / Staff

Whether choosing generics because of cost or availability you would think that their safety and efficacy would be guaranteed by the maker, much like brand name products.

It seems like this is not the case.

Across the country, dozens of lawsuits against generic pharmaceutical companies are being dismissed because of a Supreme Court decision last year that said the companies did not have control over what their labels said and therefore could not be sued for failing to alert patients about the risks of taking their drugs.
Now, what once seemed like a trivial detail — whether to take a generic or brand-name drug — has become the deciding factor in whether a patient can seek legal recourse from a drug company. The cases range from that of Ms. Schork, who wasn’t told which type of drug she had been given when she visited the hospital, to people like Camille Baruch, who developed a gastrointestinal disease after taking a generic form of the drug Accutane, as required by her health care plan.

Health Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

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A Little Dirt Is A Good Thing

March 25, 2012 / Staff

Moms can relax. Dirty little children aren’t such a bad thing.

Exposure to germs as a kid seems to be helpful, while living in an environment that’s squeaky clean seems to pose risks for some illnesses. Still, nobody knew precisely why. But now some scientists say they think they’ve figured out the details of the “hygiene hypothesis.”
They found that microbes in the gut keep a rare part of the immune system reined in. No microbes, and the immune cells go crazy in the lungs and intestines, increasing the risk of asthma and colitis. Add in the microbes, and cells in question, invariant natural killer T cells, retreat.

Aside from toxic waste, getting grimy and being exposed to a variety of germs in the environment can actually improve immunity.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Add Elderberry To Your Diet

March 25, 2012 / Staff

It’s no wonder that this little berry is becoming more popular.

Elderberries are used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis.

Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C.

They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic.

Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries.

According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage.

In the study, various bio-markers of stress, including glucose, magnesium and other plasma chemical levels, were analyzed. “What we found was that elderberry has this extraordinary effect for reducing stress,” notes Porta. It is for this reason that researchers from the US Air Force sit with us. Elderberry may hold promise for stress reduction among military personnel.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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Oncologists Call For An End To Tanning Beds

March 24, 2012 / Staff

Skin cancers constitute nearly half of all new cancers in the United States, with more than 3.5 million new cases annually.

In the past 3 decades, melanoma-related mortality has risen in the United States by 690%.

The scientific case against tanning beds is strong. Of note, a recent study linked tanning-bed use during adolescence and early adulthood with a 2-fold increased risk for melanoma (Int J Cancer. 2011;128:2425-2435). A study of nearly 1200 melanoma patients presented at the 2012 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting provided even more convincing evidence linking indoor tanning with invasive cutaneous melanoma, as reported by Medscape Medical News.

Nearly 26 bills intended to limit tanning bed use in the U.S have been vehemently challenged by the tanning bed industry. Nearly all were defeated.

Public safety, once again, takes a back seat to special interest.