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Stun Guns Can Cause Sudden Cardiac Arrest

2012-05-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine reported that stun guns, also called tasers, when applied on the chest can cause a sudden cardiac arrest.

Lead researcher Dr. Douglas P. Zipes examined the electrocardiogram results of eight adult males who were stunned with the TASER X26, the most common stun gun used by the police in the U.S.

According to Dr. Zipes:

"An ECD shock delivered through the chest wall can 'capture' the heartbeat, taking over the heart's natural ability to regulate itself.

A fighting, fleeing individual might have a normal heart rate of 150, but the ECD shock may increase that rate substantially, leading to ventricular tachycardia, which can progress into ventricular fibrillation that stops normal blood flow."

At this point, the individual will have a sudden cardiac arrest and will faint, accompanied by an irregular/abnormal breathing pattern. If this situation occurs the patient needs urgent CPR to pump blood to the heart and brain, according to the American Heart Association.

"Law enforcement and other individuals using a stun gun need to be aware that cardiac arrest can occur, however infrequently, and therefore it should be used judiciously, and an unconscious individual should be monitored closely and resuscitated if necessary." He added.

Seven of them died while the only survivor had impaired memory.

Jogging For More Than An Hour A Week Increases Lifespan By More Than Five Years

2012-05-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study done in Denmark, jogging on a regular basis can increase an individual's lifespan by more than 5 years.

The research led by chief cardiologist Peter Schnohr said to the European Society of Cardiologists in the Dublin found that doing jogging between an hour and two-and-a-half hours a week could increase a person's lifespan approximately 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women.

The study started in 1976, which involved 2,000 individuals - 1,116 men and 762 women joggers between the ages of 20 to 93 years old. They were asked about how much time they spent jogging per week and their own perception of pace.

Results showed that the risk of death decreased approximately 44 percent to both female and male joggers, particularly increasing lifespan 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women.

In the 1970s, the use of jogging as an exercise routine was questioned when a few men died while running. However, Copenhagen City Heart suggest that jogging really boosts longevity and is not strenuous.

“You don't actually need to do that much to reap the benefits,” said Schnohr. “a little breathless, but not very breathless.” he added.

In addition to long lifespan, jogging also had other health benefits which includes lowering blood pressure, preventing obesity, improving mental functions, and improving cardiac functions.

"We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity,” Schnohr added.

Energy and Sports Drinks Can Cause Irreversible Damage To Teeth

2012-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

A new study published in General Dentistry, found that drastic consumption of sports and energy drinks, particularly among teens is causing irreversible damage to their teeth, particularly the enamel layer.

The research included 13 known energy and sports drink wherein the acidity levels varied between the flavors and brands of beverages. To test its effect on human teeth, researchers made a simulation. They have immersed a number of human teeth in each beverage for 15 minutes, which was followed by immersion in artificial saliva. The cycle was repeated for five days.

The study revealed that using these drinks significantly damaged the enamel of the teeth within just five days exposure, wherein energy drinks had caused twice greater damage than the sports drinks did.

"Teens regularly come into my office with these types of symptoms, but they don't know why," said dentist Jennifer Bone.

"They don't realize that something as seemingly harmless as a sports or energy drink can do a lot of damage to their teeth." Bone added.

Approximately 50 percent of the U.S. teens are consuming energy drinks, and 62 percent who consume sports drinks per day. We must understand the risks and benefits of using these drinks. A tooth with little or no enamel can be easily damaged which can become sensitive, prone to cavities and lead to tooth decay.

Garlic 100 Times More Effective Than Antibiotics

2012-05-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

A new compound found in garlic has 100 times more potency than the two common types of antibiotics against bacterias causing food poisoning.

A new study published online in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy discovered a new substance found in garlic that is 100 times more effective than antibiotics erythromycin and ciproflaxin. The ingredient called diallyl sulfide found in garlic, targets a specific enzyme found in biofilms that protects colonies of Campylobacter which makes the bacteria 1,000 times more resistant to the antibiotics.

Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of food-borne diseases. In the U.S. alone, approximately 2.4 million individuals are affected each year. Campylobacter is also responsible for causing nearly a third of cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare paralyzing disorder.

Most of these infections are mainly caused from eating raw or undercooked foods that were contaminated with the Campylobacter bacterium.

Although eating garlic is generally considered a healthy advantage, it didn't totally prevent Campylobacter food poisoning. However, the authors suggests diallyl sulfide can reduce the levels of Campylobacter in the environment particularly in food processing equipments.

"Diallyl sulfide could make many foods safer to eat," according to co-author, Dr. Barbara Rasco.

"It can be used to clean food preparation surfaces and as a preservative in packaged foods like potato and pasta salads, coleslaw and deli meats." Rasco added.

They suggest it may lead to a new method of treating raw and processed foods and food preparation materials, where most bacterial infections originate.

Exposure To Sunlight Can Treat Heart Attacks And Speed Up Recovery

2012-04-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

Findings published in the journal, Nature Medicine suggests exposure to sunlight can significantly decrease the risk of patients developing cardiovascular problems.

Research authors Dr. Eckle and Holger Eltzchig from the University of Colorado Denver suggests that it has something to do with the circadian rhythm of the body, which is regulated by a certain protein called Period 2. This protein has been found to have a vital role in defending the heart against cardiovascular diseases.

During a heart attack, only a small amount of oxygen reaches the cardiac cells. Without oxygen, the heart shifts its metabolism from glucose to fat, to protect heart cells from dying. In daylight, the circadian rhythm initiates the production of Period 2. This protein enhances the hearts metabolism from using fat, instead of glucose. This effect minimizes the damage created by heart attack seizures.

Although researchers suggest more evidence is needed to verify the claim,

"The study suggests that strong light, or even just daylight, might ease the risk of having a heart attack or suffering damage from one," according to Dr. Eckle.

Using Splenda May Cause Cancer, Research Suggests

2012-04-26T00:54:00.001-07:00

According to a new study done on lab mice, the British-made low-calorie artificial sweetener sucrolase (splenda) may increase the chances of suffering from cancer.

Billions of people around the world consume artificial sweeteners found in soft drinks, cakes as well as medicine. Due to the increased incidence of obesity among developed countries, increased the demand for the use of these artificial food which reduces calorie intake. However, there has been a rising concern about the safety and potential long-term effects of these artificial flavors, in particular, to cancer risks.

Earlier studies led by Dr. Soffritti, approximately 3,000 lab mice were fed with aspartame, an artificial sweetener, had higher risks of developing cancer. But up until now, food scientists still revere aspartame to be safe for consumption. This concerned the European Food Safety Authority which led them to begin a new investigation.

In their study, they used Splenda, another artificial sweetener, on 843 lab mice, from the time they were conceived up to the time of their death, in varying doses of sucrolase. According to the post-mortem, the more sucrolase the mice consumed, their chances of developing cancer significantly increased, in particular leukemia.

Dr. Soffritti strongly suggest to all the consumers, to avoid eating artificial sweeteners wherever and whenever possible until further studies provide evidence that can disprove the findings.

New Developed Vaccine Can Cure All Types Of Cancer

2012-04-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

A new vaccine, ImMucin, has been developed to treat a specific molecule which is present in 90 percent on all types of cancer. Researchers found that all their treated patients had greater immunity to the disease after receiving the drug.

In essence, the vaccine works by priming the body's immune system which aims to prevent cancer diseases. "ImMucin educates the patient's immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells where the MUC1 marker is present," according to drug makers from Vaxil Biotherapeutics and Tel Aviv University.

Although the MUC1 protein marker is present in all cells of the body, the vaccine only initiates the defense mechanism for cells (particularly on cancer cells) which have large amounts of MUC1 as compared to normal cells which has too low concentrations of the marker.

The clinical trial was held at the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem which consisted 10 patients all diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a unique blood cancer that affects the plasma cells of the bone marrow. Researchers have stated that seven of the patients had greater immunity against the cancer cells, wherein three of them in the study are now free of the disease.

"ImMucin generated a robust and specific immune response in all patients which was observed after only 2 to 4 doses of the vaccine out of a maximum 12 doses." said the researchers.

Results still needs to be published, but when the findings are confirmed in future trials, the vaccine will be in the market in the next six years.

Left Side of The Face More Pleasing Than The Right

2012-04-23T01:59:00.000-07:00

Researchers found that the left side of an individual's face is more likely to be perceived as more pleasing than their right side.

Researchers, Blackburn and Schirillo examined if there was a difference in the perception between the left side of the face in real-life photos of people. In the study, volunteers were asked to rate the pleasantness of 56 female and male faces, with each having a mirror image of the other.

Pupil dilation was used as a preference as it is unbiased and unconscious. When pupils dilate, an individual feels something he sees more attractive to him. They dilate when they see something unpleasant.

They found most participants rated the left side of the faces (both male and female) to be more pleasing than the right side, although the right-sided face was the original orientation of the faces. According to the authors, "the poser's left cheek exhibit greater intensity of emotion, which observers find more pleasing."

"...These results are consistent with the view that the underpinning of human facial beauty is complex and that bilateral symmetry does not constitute a principle factor in beauty assessment,” according to Dahlia W.Zaidel and Marjan Hessamian of the Department of Psychology, University of California, LA.

Their research is published online in the journal, Experimental Brain Research.

New Cure Developed For Cocaine Overdose

2012-04-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have developed a new injectable drug which could protect experimental mice from cocaine overdose. These findings could lead to a new drug treatment for human clinical trials designed to reverse the effects of cocaine overdose.

According to senior researcher Dr. Kim Janda,"This would be the first specific antidote for cocaine toxicity."

"It's a human antibody so it should be relatively safe, it has a superior affinity for cocaine, and we examined it in a cocaine overdose model that mirrors a real-life scenario," Janda added.

Janda and his colleagues have been developing experimental vaccines against cocaine. However most of these vaccines take weeks to stimulate proper immune response.

In 2005, they tested another vaccine, a ready-made solution of specific antibodies (GNC92H2) for cocaine, on mice overdosed with cocaine. The tests showed positive results, however, mouse antibodies were not ideal for human clinical trials.

In their new study, researchers have made a genetically engineered mouse that produced human antibodies against cocaine molecules. These antibodies, GNCgzk, had ten times greater affinity than the last antibody, in their previous study.

In their preliminary tests, they found the new antibody vaccine reduced mice mortality rate to 20 percent. Those that were not given treatment died within a few minutes after given cocaine overdose. Furthermore, a version of GNCgzk - F(ab')2-gzk, reduced the mortality rate to zero, and also reduced the signs of cocaine overdose.

Janda and her team are now finding a way to produce the antidote (F(ab')2-gzk) economically and in large quantities.

Adding Lime Juice May Help Keep Drinking Water Safe

2012-04-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

In addition to exposing drinking water to sunlight, scientists at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine suggests adding lime juice can make water a lot safer to drink.

According to senior author, Dr. Kellogg Schwab:

"For many countries, access to clean drinking water is still a major concern. Previous studies estimate that globally, half of all hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from a water-related illness."

In developing countries, one of way of treating drinking water is by exposing it to sunlight, known as Solar water disinfection. In this method, water is poured onto a liter of transparent plastic bottles and then exposed to the sun for at least 6 hours.

In their study, Schwab and his team found that when 30 milliliters of lime juice was added to water that underwent solar disinfection, the amount of bacteria, particularly E. coli, was significantly reduced in less than 30 minutes. This brings the whole new method on "par with boiling and other water treatment methods," added Schwab.

"Many cultures already practice treatment with citrus juice," said Schwab. However, more studies need to be conducted as persian limes are not easy to find in some countries.

Schizophrenia Associated With Childhood Trauma

2012-04-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Research Study from the University of Liverpool discovered children who experienced trauma had three times higher risk of suffering from schizophrenia.

Although in recent studies, biological factors have always been the focus behind mental conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychosis, there has been increasing evidence which suggests these mental conditions can be fully understood by first looking into the person's life experiences.

The research is first of its kind which gathered information from 27,000 research studies linking child trauma and the development of psychosis. These studies were mainly grouped into three types: (1) addressing the progress of children who had adversities; (2) studies of randomly selected population; (3) and studies on psychotic patients who were questioned about their childhood.

All the three types of study had similar conclusions. People who had experienced childhood trauma before the age of 16 had three times higher risks of becoming psychotic in adulthood as compared to those who experienced it to a lesser extent.

According to Richard Bentall from the University of Liverpool, "the cause of psychotic disorders...are still a controversy amongst psychiatrists, psychologists and physicians," which results to different interpretations. For example, one psychiatrist may define the illness to be bipolar, and the other schizophrenia.

"Our findings suggest that studies on the neurological and genetic factors associated with these conditions, which are not yet fully understood, are more like to advance our knowledge if we take into account a patient's life experiences." added Bentall.

"Now that we know environment is a major factor in psychosis and that there are direct links between specific experiences and symptoms of the condition, looking at the brain or genes only is unlikely to tell us what we need to know in order to treat a patient effectively."

Drinking Water During Exams May Improve Test Results

2012-04-19T07:28:00.001-07:00

New research from the University of East London and University of Westminster, suggests students who drink water during tests may improve their exam's results. One explanation might be due to the fact that water keeps the body hydrated.

Although researchers didn't take into account the details of their findings, Dr. Chris Pawson speculate that there might be several physiological and psychological effects which could possibly explain the findings of the study. One is that water might have an overall effect on the physiology of the brain's thinking capability and on the other, water might help relieve students from anxiety and stress which is known to lower exam performance.

The study included 447 undergraduate students which were monitored whether they took a drink during their exams or not. The type of drink was also taken into account. Although the research didn't determine whether the students actually drank, their research found that those students who had taken a drink during the exam had higher test results as compared to those who didn't.

No matter what the result is, Pawson still suggests students should drink during exams to keep them hydrated.

Eye Condition Linked To Memory Decline And Thinking Capability

2012-04-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

Study shows that people who have minimal damage on their retina's blood vessels due to vascular diseases are more prone to memory decline. According to researchers, the condition of blood vessels found in the eye are important factors in determining the functionality of the brain.

It has been known that retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes and high blood pressure, which causes blindness among adults in the United States and to another degree, has also been linked to a higher risk of suffering from memory loss and thinking decline.

To determine whether retinopathy can be a useful tool for detecting early signs of vascular-related mental issues, researchers examined a large study which included over 500 elderly women who annually underwent eye examination, brain scans and mental testing for 10 years to evaluate memory and cognitive skills.

Overall, only 39 women (7.6%) were found to have retinopathy. Compared to those who didn't have the disease, these women had lower average test scores on memory and thinking skills. Also, brain scan results revealed more proof of blood vessel damage within the brain.

These findings suggest that detecting early signs of retinopathy may prove to be an important indicator for vascular-mental related memory and thinking declines, according to researcher Mary Haan, Ph.D. of the University of California, San Francisco.

Skin Cancer Increasing Among Young Adults

2012-04-16T18:37:00.001-07:00

Developing melanoma may be six times higher among young adults today than it was 40 years ago, particularly among women. Researchers examined a number of people diagnosed with melanoma age 18 to 39 from 1970 to 2009. They have found that women under '40s had eight times increased chance of suffering from skin cancer and men who also had four times increased chance.

This dramatic rise in incidence of melanoma was mainly due to frequent exposures to tanning procedures such as tanning machines, frequent exposure to the sun, unsafe exposure to ultraviolet light, and severe childhood sunburns.

However, it was also observed that the rate of mortality due to melanoma significantly increased.

"People are now more aware of their skin and of the need to see the doctor when they see changes," according to researcher Dr. Jerry Brewer, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist.

"As a result, many cases may be caught before the cancer advances to a deeper melanoma, which is harder to treat." Brewer added.

Women Experience Longer Labor Today

2012-04-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

According to the analysis of National Institute of Health researchers, pregnant women today have longer labors than women did 50 years ago. First-time mothers had an average of 2.6 hours added time during labor as compared to women who only had 4 hours of labor, 50 years ago. Also, women who had multiple labors also had increased labor time by an average of 2 hours.

Researchers found that longer labors today were primarily due to changes in the delivery practices used today.

According to Dr. Michael Cabbad, "during active labor, women were placed on monitoring devices which they didn't had back in the '60s. They were given IV fluid for hydration, which tend to slowdown labor. These women were also placed in bed which reduced mobility, another way of slowing down the labor process.

Although the study didn't take into account the anxiety levels of women in labor, Cabbad speculates that it could play a role in the labor process. "People were more relaxed about labor and the process of childbirth 50 years ago," he added.

This was published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Frequent Exposure to Dental X Rays May Lead To Brain Tumors

2012-04-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

New studies have led to a conclusion that there exists a link between brain tumor and dental x-rays.

Meningioma starts with the meninges, that covers the brain. This type of tumor accounts for approximately 33 percent of brain tumors in the United States. And the most consistent outside risk factor that causes meningioma is exposure to ionizing radiation, which is common in dental x-rays.

Researchers from the School of medicine at Yale University in New Haven compared 1,433 patients who were diagnosed with meningioma, the most common brain tumor in the US, to a group of 1,350 matched controls.

The study found that people who had a history of frequent dental x-rays at a young age have an increased risk of suffering from meningioma, as compared to the controls.

Head researcher Dr. Elizabeth Claus said:

"...Although dental x-rays are an important tool in maintaining good oral health, efforts to moderate exposure to this form of imaging may be of benefit to some patients."

However, Claus does not refer to the dental x-rays of today.

"It is important to note that the dental x-rays performed today use a much lower dose of radiation than in the past." Claus added.

Clause and her team pointed out that dentists should first weigh the risks versus the benefits when performing dental x-rays on patients.

Unroasted Coffee Beans May Help Reduce Weight, Research Found

2012-04-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

According to a new research, ground green coffee beans (unroasted), when taken on a daily basis, seems to have a steady impact on weight loss.

Researcher Joe Vinson Ph.D., and his team from the University of Scranton have found a new way of loosing weight. In their small, 22-week old study, they found a significant loss of weight among their participants. Among them, 16 overweight men and women lost, on the average, 17 pounds in comparison to when taking a placebo.

During the study, Vinson and his colleagues gave two separate doses to each of the participants - 700 mg and 1,050 mg of ground unroasted coffee beans. They were also given placebo. The use of the coffee and the placebo were cycled every six weeks in order to compare the differences among themselves.

Their diets remained the same all throughout the study. Their calories were also monitored.

On the average, the participants lost 17 pounds throughout the study. Some lost only 7 pounds while others 26.

Overall, their body weight decreased by an average of 10.5% and body fat decreased by up to 16%.

In comparing the dosages, participants who used higher doses of the coffee beans lost more weight as compared to the lower dosages and the placebo. However, researchers are still not sure how the coffee bean extract affects weight loss.

According to Vinson, "We don't think it's the caffeine in it."

They suspect the coffee bean has chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid, which is found in plants, may have an effect in keeping down glucose absorption. But once the coffee beans are roasted, the acid will also break down.

There have been no reported side effects, Vinson says. Although the extract tastes extremely bitter, it's best to take it together with lots of water.

The results might prove to be significant but still needs to be further investigated, says Connie Diekman.

Kids Snoring During Sleep Linked To Behavioral Problems

2012-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Children who snore or don't breathe for a moment during sleep are more likely to develop behavioral problems, a new study suggests.

A comprehensive study was done to examine the relationship between children's sleep-disorder breathing problems and their behavior. Researchers from Albert Einstein College of New York followed 11,000 children from the time of birth up to 7 years old. The study asked the mothers to answer questions about their children's sleeping habits and behavior up to 7 years of age.

According to the study, 45 per cent of the children slept normally. Of the rest, children had breathing problems.

After taking into account 15 factors linked to behavioral problems, researchers found that children who had sleep breathing problems had 40 to 100 per cent increased chance of experiencing behavioral problems at the age of 7 as compared to the children who breathed normally.

The greater the sleeping problem, greater is the risk of a child suffering from aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, rule-breaking and difficulty getting along with peers.

According to researcher Karen Bonuck M.D., if parents suspect their children to be having any sleep breathing problems, they should consult to an ears, eyes, nose and throat physician or a sleep specialist.

Risk of Death From Heart Failure Lower in Females

2012-04-09T02:32:00.001-07:00

According to a study, women who have heart problems are more likely to survive longer than men.

Based on the analysis of 31 studies which included approximately 28,000 men and 14,000 women, gender proved to have a significant impact on the risk of dying from heart failure. But because men had double the population of the study, little has been known about the effect of gender on heart failure patients.
To remedy the issue, researchers have been teamed up to examine three years follow-up data on more than 40,000 heart failure patients, which was published in the European Journal of Heart Failure.

The findings included:

1. Overall death rate was similar in both sexes.

2. When age was taken into account, men had a 31% higher death risks than females.

3. Women who had heart failure tended to be older than men.

Although the findings were significant, researcher Manual Martinez-Salles M.D. and his team still concluded that more studies with greater number of women patients must be done to better understand why women who had heart failures survive longer than men.

BMI and Height Linked to Ovarian Cancer, Study Suggests

2012-04-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

A new research from other published and unpublished studies found a link between ovarian cancer, height and body mass index.

A Group comprised of 100 researchers on Epidemiological Studies of Ovarian Cancer at Oxford University, collaborated together, found that the risk of ovarian cancer is associated with increasing height and body mass index among women. These findings were significant since height and BMI in developing countries have been increasing by up to 1 cm and 1kg/m2 respectively every decade.
According to the group, the increase in height and weight would be associated with a 3 per cent increased risk of ovarian cancer each decade. But since the results were somehow gathered from incomplete information, the group collected more data from published and unpublished reports.

Altogether, they research gathered were 47 epidemiological studies from 14 different countries - a total of 25, 57 women with ovarian cancer and 81, 311 women without ovarian cancer.

The results were consistent, even taking into account, age, whether menopause or not, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, use of oral contraceptives, having close relatives with ovarian and breast cancer and use of menopausal hormone therapy.

The risk of suffering from ovarian cancer increased per 5 cm increase in height. However, for BMI, the risk depended on whether the women had taken menopausal hormone therapy or not.

Findings showed that for every 5-point increase of BMI, ovarian cancer increased up to 10 per cent in women who had undergone menopausal hormone therapy.

Heavier Baby Girls More Likely To Develop Health Risks Than Their Male Counterparts

2012-04-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

According to a recent research, newborn baby girls have more chances of developing diabetes and other related metabolic problems when they grow up as compared to the male population.

Since previous studies have shown a link between cardiovascular risk factors and birth weight, the research lead by Rae-Chi Huang, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Australia investigated another relationship between birth weight and body fat distribution in early childhood with future metabolic risk factors such as diabetes and obesity.

In the study, they have found an increased incidence of diabetes more imminent among female newborns than in the male newborns.

According to Dr. Huang:

"We found that female babies are particularly prone to this increased risk and females who are at high risk of obesity and diabetes-related conditions at age 17 are showing increased obesity as early as 12 months of age."

The study examined 1035 17-year-olds from an Australian birth cohort. In addition to birth weight and Body mass index, they also measured blood pressure, glucose levels, insulin levels, cholesterol and triglycerides.

Their Key finding was:

1. Girls were more obese than their male counterparts.

2. Girls with higher levels of measurements also had higher birth weights. As compared to the girls, boy's birth weight had no statistical impact metabolic risk factors.

According to Huang, "The findings are significant...girls are born heavier than their age." "The results could be applied to the public for targeting maternal health and early prevention regarding childhood obesity," Huan added.

Knowledge Over Food's Nutritional Value Linked To Healthy Eating Habits, Study Suggests

2012-03-31T02:32:00.001-07:00

Research shows that knowledge over food's nutritional content is associated with healthy eating habits.

A study from the Universite Laval's Maurice Doyon states that the rate of obesity among the French are higher than their American counterparts. This means that people who have more knowledge over what they eat are more conscious about the foods nutritional value.

Dr. Doyon and his team examined over 300 French, Quebec, and American consumers about what they know about their food's nutritional value. These questions mainly focused on dietary fat among various food products and their recommended dietary intake as well.

The findings were:

1. French participants had the lowest knowledge over food's nutritional value (43 per cent of the questions they did not know what to answer), followed by the Quebec respondents (12 per cent) and the Americans ( only 4 per cent), respectively. This meant that the french participants did not know the percentage of fat in whole milk, as compared to the Quebecs and the Americans.

2. When answering the questions, American participants were almost always right as compared to the Quebecs and the French.

According to Professor Doyon, although there is a note saying the food's nutritional content, most people (preferably the consumers) don't read it.

The correlation between extensive knowledge over nutritional value and high obesity rates suggests that putting detailed information on the food produce may not be the best strategy to encourage healthy eating habits.

Low Bad Cholesterol Linked To Cancer Risks

2012-03-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Us researchers suggests having low bad cholesterol (LDL) implies higher cancer risks over a longer period of time.

Although using anti-cholesterol drugs such as statins proved to be effective against heart diseases, a research headed by Dr. Paul Michael Lavigne of Tufts Medical Center in London discovered a link between low bad cholesterol levels to risks of suffering from cancer over the years.

The study has yet to conclude a direct implication about the issue because they are not yet sure whether the cause of cancer came from using drugs or from low LDL levels in the body. Lavigne and his team examined the relationship between low LDL levels and the occurence of cancer on patients with no known history of using cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The study examined 201 participants who had cancer and 402 participants who were cancer free. All of the participants had no history of using any statin or cholesterol-lowering drug.

They found that:

1. Participants who had cancer had lower cholesterol levels as compared to those who had none.

2. Throughout the study, those who developed cancer had low levels of cholesterol levels as compared to those without.

Although the study was consistent, Lavigne still pointed out that the findings do not imply having low LDL leads to cancer. He said, there is still an unknown third party mechanism lying behind this process which they intend to find out in the future.

Depression During Pregnancy Retarded Growth In Newborn Babies

2012-03-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

A recent study concluded depression during pregnancy had a significant impact on the newborn's brain and body growth.

Dr. Hanan El Maurron at Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital discovered that babies whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy had a greater risk of suffering from retarded growth resulting in slower growth of mental and body development.

The study also found antidepressants also increased the risk of slow growth in the newborn's brain. Although antidepressants were safe for treating depression, pregnant women who took antidepressants, had lesser symptoms of depression, however, their newborn's growth significantly differed from those normal babies.

According to Dr. Marroun, the drug can pass through the placental barrier and disrupt serotonin levels an important factor in brain development. Animal models have already showed the adverse effect on the development of the brain.

In the study three groups of women were examined: those who showed no signs of depression, those who had the symptoms and those who took the antidepressant drug. The unborn babies were examined through ultrasound every trimester.

Upon examining, the researchers concluded that those mothers who had no depression had normally growing babies as compared to those who had depression. Mothers who took antidepressants had babies with the slowest brain and body development.

The authors explain that a slow growth of the head meant slow mental development, as well.

Marijuana-like Compound That Inhibits HIV in Late-Stage AIDS Could Lead to New Drug Treatment

2012-03-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a Marijuana-like compound that can directly inhibit a certain type of HIV.

Based on clinical studies, Cannabinoid drugs such as medical marijuana is used to treat pain, suppress weight loss and increase apetite, which are common side effects in advanced AIDS but they did not know exactly how it influenced the spread of the virus, according to co-author Cristina Costantino Ph. D., at the Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The study found marijuana receptors on immune cells called cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 had a direct impact on the spread of the virus. By understanding these effects, researchers can develop an effective way of combating AIDS.

HIV only infects immune cells such as Memory T-cells that carry CD4 receptors which induce the immune system of the body. It does so by using a signaling receptor called CXCR4. But by treating these cells with a cannabinoid compound, the CB2 receptors, the researchers discovered, were triggered causing the signaling process to be blocked, which in turn suppressed further infection of other CD4 cells.

By developing a drug that triggers only CB2 receptors, HIV can be suppressed thus slowing down the process of infection. As a result of the study, the team headed by Benjamin Chen, M.D., Ph. D., plans to use a mouse model of late-stage AIDS for them to test the impact of a certain cannabinoid drug that triggers CB2 receptors only.