Author: Staff (Page 105 of 157)

      Lifestyle Trumps Bad Genes

      October 17, 2011 /

      If you feel that you have gotten a bum deal in the genetic lottery then take heart; a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet can undue bad genes.

      Research shows that a healthy diet may undue a genetic predisposition to heart disease.

      A diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to mitigate the genetic risk of a heart attack,” says researcher Sonia S. Anand, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

      The finding, if it bears out, could affect many people at risk for heart disease because of a genetic variant that researchers have only recently linked with heart attack. It could also call into question the suggestion that you can’t help your genes.

      Nutrition, Research, Wellness

      Caregiving Benefits the Giver

      October 16, 2011 /

      The benefits of caregiving have come as a surprise to researcher, Dr. Lisa Fredman and Rosanna Bertrand.

      Although stronger women may be the type of individual predisposed to taking on this kind of work, the unquantifiable benefits both spiritual and from an inner sense of peace and purpose impact the lives of caregivers in a positive way, as well.

      Along with what’s called “caregiver burden,” gerontologists and psychologists use the phrase “caregiver gain” to reflect the fact that this role, which often exacts such high costs, can bring rewards. But they’ve typically described those rewards in psychological, emotional and even spiritual terms: growing confidence in one’s abilities, feelings of personal satisfaction, increased family closeness. That caregivers can walk faster or recall more words on a memory test — that’s news.

      Research, Wellness

      Prostate Tests Do More Harm Than Good

      October 16, 2011 /

      Men who receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer are faced with a frightening array of options.

      To live with cancer might seem to be unthinkable, however, in light of the alternatives a slow growing cancer may be easier to live with than the side effects of cancer treatment and in the worse case, death from infection and other surgical complications.

      Many men who agree to a PSA test do not understand what it is. Some common misconceptions:

      — It shows cancer. In fact, PSA is just a measure of inflammation, and it can be elevated for many reasons besides cancer: normal enlargement of the prostate with age, an infection, even recent sex, a strenuous bike ride or horseback riding.

      — It’s been proven to save lives. Only two large, well-done studies have looked at this, the task force says. The American study found annual screening did not lower the chances of dying of prostate cancer. However, cancer fear is so great, and belief in the value of screening so ingrained, that half the men assigned to the group not offered PSA tests got one anyway. That made comparisons to the group given annual screening difficult. For that reason, some doctors don’t believe the study’s conclusion.
      The other study, conducted in Europe, found a small benefit for certain age groups screened every two to seven years — not annually. However, one Swedish center had such rosy results that scientists think it may have biased the whole study. If that center is excluded, no benefit from the PSA test is seen.

      — The task force’s stance goes against past advice. Routine PSA testing has been supported by some advocacy groups and by urologists, the doctors who do the tests and treatments. But it has not been pushed by major scientific groups, the American Cancer Society or the government.

      — It finds cancer early so you’re more likely to survive. About 90 percent of prostate cancers found through screening are early-stage. Most will grow so slowly they will never threaten a man’s life, but there’s no good way to tell which ones will. Research suggests that tumors causing symptoms are more likely to warrant treatment than those that are not. Also, finding aggressive prostate tumors early may not affect how lethal they prove to be; the PSA test may just let men learn of them sooner than they otherwise would.

      Health Care Policy, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

      Keeping Your Kitchen Free of Disease is as Simple as Cleaning Your Refrigerator

      October 16, 2011 /

      Keeping your refrigerator clean is more than just a good idea.

      It could save your health.

      Clean your refrigerator as a matter of disease prevention and sanitary food preparation practice.

      It’s amazing how many illnesses and bacteria can grow in your refrigerator.

      A few simple tips can safeguard your health and help you manage your food inventory and reduce waste.

      Wrap foods tightly with two layers of freezer wrap before putting in the freezer or use shrink
      wrapping for an air-tight seal around the food.

      Store eggs in their cartons — and don’t keep them on the refrigerator door.

      Don’t wash fresh produce until you’re ready to use it. Store it in perforated plastic bags, and use
      within a few days. Bananas should not be refrigerated.

      To allow for air circulation in either your fridge or freezer, don’t overfill the compartments.

      Without good circulation, it’s difficult to maintain the proper temperatures.

      Store leftovers in tightly covered containers within two hours after cooking. Use in 3-5 days.

      Store food and cleaning supplies separate.

      Keep potatoes and onions in a cool, dry location. Don’t refrigerate them or keep them under the sink, where moisture from pipes can cause damage.

      Check use-by or sell-by dates on food packages. Remember, these dates don’t apply once the package is opened.

      Best-if-used-by dates are the most reliable ones to follow. They take normal handling into account.

      Put raw meat on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, in a plastic bag. This will keep the juices from dripping onto other foods.

      Quality Control, Wellness

      “Frankenfoods” in a World of GMO’s

      October 13, 2011 /

      Genetically modified food may look like the answer to food shortages but the dangers might just outweigh the benefits.

      But now the concern that these genetically manipulated foodstuffs are harming human health is growing. Inserting a gene into a plant’s genome is a random and haphazard process that allows no control over where the gene actually ends up in the plant’s otherwise carefully constructed DNA. Insertions can show up inside other genes, can delete natural genes or permanently turn them on or off, and can cause significant mutations near the insertion site. For instance, one study found that a gene known to be a corn allergen was turned on in GM corn, though it was turned off in its conventional parent.

      “It’s genetic roulette,” says Smith. “You can create carcinogens, anti-nutrients, toxins. We don’t understand the language of DNA enough to predict what might happen. It’s an infant technology, and we’re making changes that are permanent in the gene pool of species.”

      Nutrition, Quality Control, Research

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