Category: Research (Page 28 of 93)

The Snake Oil That Is Energy Drinks

March 20, 2012 / Staff

When it comes to energy drinks and potions you may be wasting your money.

Sugar, caffeine, B-12 and herbal concoctions do little to truly increase your energy level.

In fact, hospital visits related to energy drinks have surged more than tenfold since 2005, reports the U.S. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. And most of those amped-up patients are men.

Regular sleep of 7-8 hours, a healthy diet and moderate exercise are the best ways to maintain an energy level which will allow you to stay awake and alert, productive and energized throughout your day.

“We don’t use our bodies the way they’re built to be used,” says Dr. Edlund. “We guzzle energy drinks and then can’t sleep at night. We sit all day and then read e-mails at 3 a.m.” It’s no wonder we walk around like zombies, and treat these drinks like liquid life support. As sales and heart rates spike, it’s a good time to question the trends and find healthier ways to power up.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Private Payer Insurance Is Not Cost Effective And Highly Inefficient

March 19, 2012 / Staff

A review of private payer insurance shows an inefficient system.

Compare that to the U.S., where an estimated 137,000 people died over seven years because they were uninsured. Of course, the Brits do pay for their health care in another way – with taxes. their sales tax is a whopping 20% and income taxes are as high as 50%.
All of that money feeds a health care behemoth. The NHS is Europe’s largest employer, with well over 1 million people on the payroll. So you’d think it would be inefficient.

Health Care Policy, Health Insurance, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Daydreaming Is Actually A Good Thing For Your Brain

March 18, 2012 / Staff

When your mind drifts it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Daydreaming is often associated with creativity, flightiness or a lack of focus.

In fact, your mind wandering is a sign that your brain is capable of meaningful activity and memory while planning for the future.

The findings add to past research suggesting these mind drifts can be positive moments. For instance, daydreaming has often been associated with creativity — researchers think that our most creative and inventive moments come when daydreaming. It’s likely that the most intelligent among us also have high levels of working memory.

Research, Resources

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Sun Alone Doesn’t Give You All The Vitamin D Your Body Needs

March 18, 2012 / Staff

It takes more than a little sunshine to correct a vitamin D deficiency.

“Clearly solar exposure is an influence — there is no doubt about that — but you cannot predictably say that a certain amount of exposure will normalize vitamin D deficiency,” said Dr. Gallo, chief of dermatology and professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, in an interview with Medscape Medical News.

Food sources such as sardines with the skin and bones, eggs with yolks, and beef liver among a few others.

A supplement may be necessary if you can’t consume a diet rich in vitamin D.

Screening for deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D is easily done in your doctor’s office.

Your physician can recommend the best supplement for you.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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Get The Scoop On Lactose Intolerance

March 17, 2012 / Staff

Lactose intolerance can be confused with lactose allergies.

Whatever your ailment you can still enjoy dairy products. There are many brands of lactose-free dairy products and lactose digestive aids.

Many people who are lactose intolerant (or malabsorptive) can eat yogurt and have no gastrointestinal issues because of the active live cultures, like lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Hard cheeses like parmesan, Swiss, cheddar and colby have smaller amounts of milk sugar and great quantities of milk solids which make them easier on the digestive system.

Lactose intolerance has several causes. In rare cases, it is caused by a rare-autosomal recessive trait, in which the body cannot create the enzyme lactose at all. Primary lactase deficiency tends to occur in adults, in which they lack the lactose persistence gene. Just as it sounds, the body loses its ability to produce the enzyme lactase over time.
However, as humans “domesticated” dairy animals and continued to consume dairy products, the gene for lactose persistence has prevailed for survival. In many cultures, dairy products from various mammals, such as cows, sheep and goats, can feed more individuals than the meat of the animal alone.