Nutritional Health

A “Mediterranean-ish” Diet Can Mean Healthier Bones

Eating more fish and olive oil and less red meat has been shown to preserve bone mass. A study in the journal Nutrition examined whether adherence to a Mediterranean diet or other dietary patterns had any significant impact on bone mass. After looking at 220 Greek women and examining their food intake, results showed that parts of a Mediterranean diet, specifically high consumption of fish and olive oil and low intake of red meat, were positively associated with lumbar spine bone mineral density and total body bone mineral content. Essentially, the study found that this eating pattern could help keep bones strong throughout adult life.

Click here to read the full study abstract in Nutrition: http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007%252808%252900344-4/abstract

Cheers to Your Health—With Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is jam packed with antioxidants and scientists are continuing to discover its health benefits, including treating and preventing dozens of age-related ailments like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and even cancer. Results of a study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research suggest that natural compounds in pomegranate juice, called ellagitannins, may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin in Madison reported that consumption of pomegranate juice could reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells in the lung—or might even prevent the development of lung cancer in the first place. And results of a study conducted at Loma Linda University showed that drinking a glass of the juice each day can reduce the buildup of beta amyloid in the brain by half, helping to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Pomegranate juice has also been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular health, bone density, joint health, and even on erectile dysfunction in men. So, the next time you’re in the juice aisle, you might want to consider a jug of pomegranate.

Click here to read the full ArcaMax story at: http://www.arcamax.com/healthtips/s-685685-653943

Cancer

Symptoms Alone Can’t Be Relied Upon to Predict Ovarian Cancer

Because the symptoms of ovarian cancer are so common, and the disease itself is so rare, the ability to predict who has cancer based on symptoms alone is limited. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, feeling full quickly after eating, and urinary urgency and can often be explained by less serious conditions. A study published in the January 28 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that for every 100 women in the general population whose symptoms matched those in a widely accepted ovarian cancer symptom index, only one would actually have early-stage ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer can found during a pelvic exam, but tumors are often too deep in the body for doctors to detect. In addition, symptoms are frequently missed or misdiagnosed as other less serious conditions, including menopause, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or even depression. Since symptoms are so common, and ovarian cancer is so rare, researchers say there is a need for more precise screening techniques. In the absence of such techniques, though, women should not hesitate to see their doctors if their symptoms are persistent.

Click here to read the full U.S. News and World Report article: http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/cancer/articles/2010/01/28/symptoms-alone-dont-spot-ovarian-cancer-early.html

Mental Health

One More Reason to Keep Blood Pressure in Check

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer, and now researchers are finding that may also be a silent disease in the brain. Hypertension (blood pressure readings of 140 over 90 or higher) weakens arteries, but now it also appears to spur Alzheimer’s disease-like processes, including scarring in the brain known as white matter lesions. White matter acts as the brain’s communication network, a system of axons, or nerve fibers, that allow brain cells to talk to each other. Even slightly elevated blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish white matter, interrupting those signals. One study of women 65 and older published online in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that the worse their blood pressure, the higher volume of white matter damage. Another study found that the longer people spent with uncontrolled high blood pressure, the more white matter damage they accumulated. And while some studies have found hypertension treatment lowered the dementia risk, others haven’t. So a new trial is enrolling 7,500 hypertension patients to test whether aggressive treatment to lower systolic blood pressure below 120 (what’s considered normal)  will prove healthier than today’s guidelines that urge getting it below 140. Researchers advise keeping blood pressure in check in any event, because doing so has little downside.

Click here to read the full USA Today article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-01-27-blood-pressure-dementia_N.htm

Aging

Alcohol and Aging

A new study has found that heavy drinking in old age can lead to more memory and cognitive problems. The study included 419 men and 726 women and found that the heaviest drinkers were men, but the effects of heavy alcohol use were more evident in women. Researchers also discovered that participants who were mild-to-moderate drinkers, especially women, had lower rates of cognitive problems than nondrinkers. This study, which is published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, points out that there is a scarcity of information about alcohol use and the elderly and that more is needed to promote proper health care for this population.

Click here to read the full U.S. News and World Report story: http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/boomer-health/articles/2010/01/27/too-much-alcohol-impairs-seniors-thinking.html

Menopause

What Causes Hot Flashes?

Hot flashes, or hot flushes, are feelings of intense heat followed by sweating even at reasonable temperatures. They may not be life threatening, but they can certainly be annoying. What causes them? Research has found that hot flashes almost always occur as the estrogen production from the ovaries is decreasing or when estrogen is no longer produced at all (like during menopause). Yet the specific levels of estrogen that trigger these hot flashes are unknown. The number of estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus in the brain appears to make a difference. When these receptors are not satisfied, they give off a substance called brain norepinephrine, which seems to be similar to epinephrine (adrenaline) made by the adrenal gland. The presence of this substance seems to narrow the range of temperatures that induce neither sweating nor shivering in the body — making it much more likely to flush and feel hot. Hot flashes seem to occur more often in women with sudden onset menopause.

Click here to read the full New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/02qna.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y