Healthy Tidbits
“Learning from experience is a faculty almost never practiced.” ~ Barbara Tuchman
Mental Attitude: Being Lazy Shrinks Your Brain. Less active individuals appear to have smaller brains later in life. This study included 1,583 participants who took a treadmill test to rate their fitness at around age 40 and again at around age 60. After the second treadmill test, they also underwent an MRI. The results revealed those who were less physically fit during both tests had lower brain volume than those who maintained high physical fitness levels during the course of the study. Researcher Dr. Nicole Spartano writes, "From other studies, we know that exercise training programs that improve fitness may increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and improve neuroplasticity over the short term. Over the course of a lifetime, these mechanisms may have an impact on brain aging and prevent cognitive decline in older age" (Neurology, February 2016).
Health Alert: Acetaminophen Use Before Birth Linked to Childhood Asthma. Women who experience pain, fever or the flu during pregnancy commonly use acetaminophen. Now, a new study finds that exposure to acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, before birth and during infancy increases a baby's risk of developing asthma during childhood. Lead study author Dr. Maria Magnus notes, "Uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance, as paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller among pregnant women and infants" (International Journal of Epidemiology, February 2016).
Diet: Eating Eggs Does Not Increase the Risk of Heart Disease. Researchers analyzed the dietary habits of 1,032 men and found a relatively high intake of dietary cholesterol (from eating eggs daily, for example) is not associated with an increased risk of incident coronary heart disease, not even in people genetically predisposed for higher blood cholesterol levels via the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele (APOE4 allele), which impacts cholesterol metabolism. The findings suggest that cholesterol consumption at high levels is not as dangerous to our health as is currently perceived( American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2016).
Exercise: Exercise During Pregnancy Improves Health for Mom & Baby. A large, randomized trial revealed that without exercise during pregnancy, women are three times more likely to develop hypertension, 1.5 times more likely to gain excessive weight, and 2.5 times more likely to give birth to a baby that is large for its gestational age. Study co-author Dr. Michelle Mottola recommends that pregnant women should aim for 10,000 steps per day during pregnancy (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, December 2015).
Alternative Medicine: Manipulation for Headaches. A study that included 130 individuals compared cervical and thoracic manipulation to mobilization and exercise for the treatment of cervicogenic headaches (headaches caused by cervical dysfunction). The results of the study revealed that six-to-eight sessions of cervical and thoracic manipulation provided greater reductions in headache intensity, frequency, and duration than a course of treatment involving only mobilization and exercise. The authors of the study add that the benefits of manipulation persisted when the patients were re-examined three months later (BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, February 2016).
Wellness/Prevention: Is Ulcerative Colitis Treatable with Vinegar? A study involving mice suggests that vinegar or its main ingredient, acetic acid, may alleviate ulcerative colitis. This condition is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract that can cause abdominal pain and other symptoms. In the study, researchers found that vinegar reduced inflammation in the colon by suppressing proteins and molecular processes that trigger inflammation. They also found acetic acid exposure resulted in an increase in beneficial bacteria in the gut. The findings may lead to a simple way of treating ulcerative colitis in the future (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, January 2016).
This information should not be substituted for medical advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions should be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional.
Dr. William Mihin is a chiropractic physician. His practice is the North Idaho Spine & Wellness Clinic in Sandpoint Idaho. He can be reached at 208.265.2225.
