Health Periodical Corner

Monday, April 2, 2012

Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Also Help Fight Cancer

Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Also Help Fight Cancer
SATURDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- A diabetes medication used by millions is now showing promise against a variety of different cancers.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Depression And Fast Food Link Confirmed

The link between the consumption of fast food and depression has been confirmed

Eating fast foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza and baked commercial goods like fairy cakes, croissants and doughnuts is linked directly to depression, it has been confirmed.

The study, headed by scientists from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada, found that fast food consumers, compared to those who eat little or none, are 51% more likely to develop depression.

Published in the Public Health Nutrition journal, the results also found the more fast food consumed, the greater the risk of depression.

The study demonstrates that those participants who eat the most fast food and commercial baked goods are more likely to be single, less active and have poor dietary habits, which include eating less fruit, nuts, fish, vegetables and olive oil. Smoking and working more than 45 hours per week are other prevalent characteristics of this group.

Of commercial baked goods, Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, lead author of the study, said: "Even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression,"

The study sample belonged to the SUN Project (University of Navarra Diet and Lifestyle Tracking Program). It consisted of 8,964 participants that had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants. They were assessed for an average of six months, and 493 were diagnosed with depression or started to take antidepressants.

This new data supports the results of the SUN project in 2011, which were published in the PLoS One journal.

The project recorded 657 new cases of depression out of the 12,059 people analysed over more than six months. A 42% increase in the risk associated with fast food was found, which is lower than that found in the current study.

Sánchez-Villegas concludes that "although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health (obesity, cardiovascular diseases) and mental well-being."

Depression affects 121 million people worldwide. This figure makes it one of the main global causes of disability-adjusted life year. Further still, in countries with low and medium income it is the leading cause.

However, little is known about the role that diet plays in developing depressive disorders. Previous studies suggest that certain nutrients have a preventative role. These include group B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil. Furthermore, a healthy diet such as that enjoyed in the Mediterranean has been linked to a lower risk of developing depression.

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Childbirth takes longer now than 50 years ago: study

Many tasks can be tackled more quickly now than 50 years ago, but delivering a baby naturally it seems is not one of them, according to a U.S. government study. Compared with the 1960s, U.S. women have in recent years spent two to three hours longer in labor, according to researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, who said the findings suggest doctors may need to rethink the definition of "normal" labor. ...

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Melanoma Rates On the Rise Among Young Adults: Study

SUNDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- New research highlights a dramatic increase in the rates of melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, among young adults, with young women being hit the hardest. Read more

Stressed At Work? How Fido Can Help

Here's a way to de-stress at work that we can get behind: Bring your dog to work!

New research from Virginia Commonwealth University showed that bringing dogs to work could lower stress and increase employee satisfaction. The study was published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.

"Pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support," study researcher Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University, said in a statement. "Of course, it is important to have policies in place to ensure only friendly, clean and well-behaved pets are present in the workplace,” he said.

Researchers conducted their study on the employees of a manufacturing retail company called Replacements, Ltd., that allows employees to bring pets to work. There are about 550 people who work at the Greensboro, N.C. company.

The employees of the company were designated into three different categories: those with dogs, who brought them in to work during a workweek; those with dogs who did not bring them into work; and those who don't have a dog. All the employees filled out surveys and produced samples of their saliva to gauge levels of stress hormones.

In the mornings, all three groups' stress hormone levels were about the same. However, as the day went on, the people who brought their dogs in had lower levels of self-reported stress. Meanwhile, self-reported stress increased for the people who didn't bring in their dogs, and for those who don't have dogs.

The researchers also noted that the employees were making positive comments like "pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale … " and " "having dogs here is great stress relief."

USA Today reported in 2009 on a survey showing that 20 percent of companies are pet-friendly. Some include Urban Decay, in California, and Healthwise, a nonprofit based in Boise.

Mother Nature Network reported that Google, Ben and Jerry's and Build-A-Bear Workshop also are dog-friendly. And of course, HuffPost's LA office allows dogs to come in to work, too!

For more health benefits of pets, click through this slideshow from HuffPost blogger Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph.D:

They Can Help Your Allergies

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Pets can help prevent eczema and some allergies in children. Babies and toddlers who live with dogs -- but not cats -- have lower rates of childhood eczema than those raised without dogs. And young children who've had a cat or dog since their first year of life have fewer pet allergies than other kids their age.