Author: Staff (Page 24 of 157)

Caffeine May Lower The Risk Of Common Skin Cancer

July 2, 2012 / Staff

The caffeine in coffee as well as in tea, soda and chocolate may be responsible for lowering the risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma ( BCC ).

A twenty year study has shown an inverse relationship between coffee drinkers and those who develop BCC.

“These results really suggest that it is the caffeine in coffee that is responsible for the decreased risk of basal cell carcinoma associated with increasing coffee consumption,” Jiali Han, associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston as well as the study’s lead author, said in a press release. “This would be consistent with published mouse data, which indicate caffeine can block skin tumor formation. However, more studies in different population cohorts and additional mechanistic studies will be needed before we can say this definitively.”

Along with sunscreen, limiting sun exposure and regular check-ups, caffeine could be an enjoyable way to help prevent skin cancer.

Research, Wellness

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Will Eating After Dark Pack On The Pounds?

July 1, 2012 / Staff

Does eating late make you gain weight?

There are those who would say that calories are calories and as long as you don’t consume more than you use then you won’t gain weight.

But the research has shown that it is a bit more complicated than that.

There are optimal times for our body to burn fat and one is at night.

New studies reveal that to burn the most fat, you need to go 12 hours without eating—say, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. So it’s smart to time your calorie intake accordingly.

You’re most likely to make healthy food choices when you’re not tired.

Choose nutritious foods and don’t eat when it’s dark outside.

Pretty simple.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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The Squat May Be The Best Exercise Of All

July 1, 2012 / Staff

Weight training becomes important as we age and becomes crucial it helping us to maintain strength and the ability to perform simple tasks.

Keeping muscles strong improves skeletal health and helps to support balance and good posture.

The loss of muscles mass can be remedied with strength training and the squat seems to be the best exercise to engage all the muscle groups.

Research, Wellness

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Panal Suggests Screening Patients For Obesity

June 30, 2012 / Staff

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has suggested that patients be screened for obesity by physicians.

The panel has suggested measuring the BMI ( Body Mass Index ) of adult patients.

A BMI of 30 or more would indicate that a patient is obese while a BMI of 25 or less is normal.

For patients whose BMI is 30 or higher, the task force advises physicians to refer them to weight-loss programs that use multicomponent behavioral interventions — in other words, those that combine nutritional counseling with exercise and support groups. In reviewing current studies on such programs, the government panel found that on average, they helped participants lose up to 11 lbs. over a year, or 4% of their starting weight. Even such seemingly modest reductions in initial weight can significantly improve health for obese people.
Overall, the task force found that the best weight-loss programs include 12 to 26 sessions of behavioral counseling during the first year; help patients self-monitor their eating and exercise, using food diaries or a pedometer, for instance; focus on setting realistic weight-loss goals; and help patients understand what may be preventing them from meeting those goals.

While it is projected that by 2030 forty percent of American adults will be overweight or obese, doctors are not trained to counsel patients on matters of nutrition or weight management.

Doctors who are struggling with weight issues of their own have even greater difficulty addressing weight with their patients.

Doctors, Health Care Policy, Nutrition, Quality Control, Wellness

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Americans Are Eating Less Red Meat For Many Different Reasons

June 28, 2012 / Staff

Health concerns top the list of reasons many gave for consuming less red meat.

With more evidence pointing to environmental factors for the rise in heart disease and many cancers, red meat has been at the center of the debate for quite some time.

“American culture has been a meat-and-potatoes culture for a very long time,” Fabius tells The Salt. “Now we’re in a period of believing that intake of meat should be reduced in this country; we’re talking about a generational transition.”
Among those who are eating less meat, 66 percent said they’re worried about the health effects; 47 percent said cost is a factor, while 30 percent were concerned about animal welfare, and 29 percent have limited their meat intake out of a concern for the environment.
Robert Lawrence, professor of environmental health sciences and director of the Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, says this is consistent with what he found when he asked people in 2002 why they might eat less meat. “Health concerns still remain the No. 1 reason people might consider cutting back on meat,” says Lawrence, who helped launch the Meatless Monday initiative.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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