Body Weekly - November 2011 Archives

Physical activity impacts overall quality of sleep (11/30/2011)

People sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, a new study concludes. ...> Full Article

Critical molecules for hearing and balance discovered (11/29/2011)

Researchers have found long-sought genes in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that, when mutated, prevent sound waves from being converted to electric signals -- a fundamental first step in hearing. The team, co-led by Jeffrey Holt, Ph.D., in the department of otolaryngology at Children's Hospital Boston, and Andrew Griffith, MD, Ph.D., of the NIH's National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), then restored these electrical signals in the sensory cells of deaf mice by introducing normal genes. ...> Full Article

Exercise helps us to eat a healthy diet (11/28/2011)

A healthy diet and the right amount of exercise are key players in treating and preventing obesity but we still know little about the relationship both factors have with each other. A new study now reveals that an increase in physical activity is linked to an improvement in diet quality. ...> Full Article

As probiotics use grows for gut health, VSL3 has designations for specific GI issues (11/28/2011)

A growing US market for probiotics indicates that the healthcare community and consumers recognize the value of these beneficial microorganisms for intestinal health. As the category matures, however, one probiotic preparation -- VSL#3 -- stands apart and ahead because it has been classified as a refrigerated medical food designated for the dietary management of three specific GI conditions: Ulcerative Colitis, Ileal Pouch and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). ...> Full Article

The scoop on the dangers of snow shoveling (11/27/2011)

Urban legend warns shoveling snow causes heart attacks, and the legend seems all too accurate, especially for male wintery excavators with a family history of premature cardiovascular disease. However, until recently this warning was based on anecdotal reports. Two of the most important cardiology associations in the US include snow -shoveling on their websites as a high risk physical activity, but all the citation references indicate that this warning was based one or two incidents. ...> Full Article

Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury (11/27/2011)

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that taking a probiotic before radiation therapy can protect the intestine from damage -- at least in mice. Their study suggests that taking a probiotic also may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers. ...> Full Article

Gobbling extra stuffing: Willpower no match for cheap food, big portions, say Cornell nutritionists (11/26/2011)

Ditching the diet for Thanksgiving? Turkey with all the fixings isn't the only temptation causing would-be dieters to miss their goals, according to a new Cornell University review article that finds powerful environmental cues are subconsciously bending willpower every day. ...> Full Article

On track to getting even fatter (11/25/2011)

In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to projections presented by Northwestern Medicine researchers at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Orlando. ...> Full Article

3 p.m. slump? Why a sugar rush may not be the answer (11/24/2011)

A new study has found that protein and not sugar activates the cells responsible for keeping us awake and burning calories. The research, published in the Nov. 17 issue of the scientific journal Neuron, has implications for understanding obesity and sleep disorders. ...> Full Article

Psoriasis is associated with impaired HDL function, study finds (11/23/2011)

In two new studies presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Penn researchers show that the systemic inflammatory impact of psoriasis may alter both the makeup of cholesterol particles and numbers, as well as impair the function of high density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol. ...> Full Article

Garlic oil component may form treatment to protect heart (11/22/2011)

A component of garlic oil may help release protective compounds to the heart after heart attack, during cardiac surgery, or as a treatment for heart failure. ...> Full Article

Female marathoners have less plaque than male counterparts, sedentary women (11/21/2011)

While elite female marathon runners have fewer coronary plaques than their sedentary counterparts, they developed the same plaque volume and percent stenosis when it occurs, according to study findings presented Nov. 14 at the at the American Heart Association scientific sessions in Orlando, Fla. This differs from their counterpart elite male runners who developed significantly more plaque volume than their sedentary counterparts. ...> Full Article

Enzyme boosts metabolism, prevents weight gain in mice (11/20/2011)

Male and female mice engineered to express the inflammatory enzyme IKKbeta in their fat tissue ate more but gained less weight. They burned sugar and fat more effectively than mice who were left unaltered. The research may shed light on how obesity and inflammation affect insulin resistance and sensitivity. ...> Full Article

More fiber, but not necessarily less fat, good for teen diets (11/19/2011)

A diet high in fiber - but not necessarily one low in saturated fat or cholesterol - is tied to a lower risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes in teenagers, according to new findings from Michigan State University. ...> Full Article

Looks do matter, according to new study (11/18/2011)

People with birthmarks, scars and other facial disfigurements are more likely to receive poor ratings in job interviews, according to a new study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Houston. ...> Full Article

No need to shrink guts to have a larger brain (11/17/2011)

The so-called expensive-tissue hypothesis, which suggests a trade-off between the size of the brain and the size of the digestive tract, has been challenged by researchers at the University of Zurich. They have shown that brains in mammals have grown over the course of evolution without the digestive organs having to become smaller. ...> Full Article

Researcher provides further evidence that slow eating reduces food intake (11/16/2011)

Two new studies are providing additional insights into the role that eating rate plays in the amount of food one consumes. The studies found that men eat significantly faster than women, heavier people eat faster than slimmer people, and refined grains are consumed faster than whole grains, among other findings. ...> Full Article

Benefits of working from home depends on family demands (11/15/2011)

If you work from home part of the week as a teleworker, does it help reduce work exhaustion caused by juggling work and family commitments? The answer may depend on the level of conflict you have between work and home and your ability to recharge your batteries adequately, according to Professor Timothy Golden, from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. His work is published online in Springer's Journal of Business and Psychology. ...> Full Article

Why cooking counts (11/14/2011)

In a first-of-its kind study, Harvard researchers have shown that cooked meat provides more energy than raw meat, a finding that suggests humans are biologically adapted to take advantage of the benefits of cooking, and that cooking played a key role in driving the evolution of man from an ape-like creature into one more closely resembling modern humans. ...> Full Article

Vegetarian diet, physical activity protect against diabetes in black population, study shows (11/13/2011)

A vegetarian diet and regular exercise significantly reduced the risk of diabetes in African Americans, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. Compared to non-vegetarian blacks, vegan blacks had a 70 percent reduced risk of diabetes, and lacto-ovo vegetarian blacks a 53 percent reduced risk. Exercising three or more times a week, compared to once a week or never, showed a 35 percent reduced risk of diabetes. ...> Full Article

Skin 'sees' UV light, starts producing pigment (11/12/2011)

In a new study, biologists report that melanocyte skin cells detect ultraviolet light using a photosensitive receptor previously thought to exist only in the eye. This eye-like ability of skin to sense light triggers the production of melanin within hours, more quickly than previously thought, in an apparent rush to protect against damage to DNA. ...> Full Article

Exercise provides clue to deadly ataxia (11/11/2011)

When Dr. John Fryer and Dr. Huda Zoghbi prescribed mild exercise for mice with a neurodegenerative disorder called spinocerebellar ataxia 1, they did not know what to expect. What they found was the mice that exercised lived longer than those that had not. A report on their research appears online today in the journal Science. ...> Full Article

Caucasians who avoid sun exposure more likely to be vitamin D deficient, Stanford study suggests (11/10/2011)

Light-skinned people who avoid the sun are twice as likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency as those who do not, according to a study of nearly 6,000 people by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Surprisingly, the use of sunscreen did not significantly affect blood levels of vitamin D, perhaps because users were applying too little or too infrequently, the researchers speculate. ...> Full Article

Mediterranean diet and exercise can reduce sleep apnea symptoms (11/9/2011)

Eating a Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity can help to improve some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, according to new research. ...> Full Article

Some answers about orthotics (11/8/2011)

University of Calgary kinesiologists used a new method of examining the effectiveness of shoe inserts. The new study is published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. ...> Full Article

Trance stare led researchers to discover a genuine hypnotic state (11/7/2011)

An international team of researchers have found the existence of a genuine hypnotic state. The researchers studied the 'trance stare', a glazed look in the eyes that has often been associated with hypnosis in the popular culture but rarely studied scientifically. These findings have major implications for psychology and neurosciences, as they confirm the existence of a novel mental state in humans. ...> Full Article

More power to the cranberry: Study shows juice better than extracts at fighting infections (11/6/2011)

With scientific evidence now supporting the age-old wisdom that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections, people have wondered if proanthocyanidins or PACs, a group of flavonoids found in cranberries, if extracted and condensed, perhaps in pill form, would be as effective as drinking the juice or eating cranberry sauce. A new study from researchers at Worcester Polytechnic shows that the juice is far better at preventing biofilm formation, the precursor of infection, than PACs alone. ...> Full Article

Study finds specific gene linked to cold sore susceptibility (11/5/2011)

Investigators have identified a human chromosome containing a specific gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex labialis, the common cold sore. Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online, the study looks at how several genes may affect the severity of symptoms and frequency of this common infection. The findings, if confirmed, could have implications for the development of new drugs to treat outbreaks. ...> Full Article

Betcha won't eat just one: Study shows people consume more candies when they're indivdually wrapped (11/4/2011)

If you believe that good things always come in small packages, University of Alberta researcher Jennifer Argo's new study may change your mind -- especially this close to Halloween. ...> Full Article

Watermelon reduces atherosclerosis (11/3/2011)

In a recent study by University of Kentucky researchers, watermelon was shown to reduce atherosclerosis in animals. ...> Full Article

You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slowed growth of human prostate cancer cells (11/2/2011)

A low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed down the growth of prostate cancer cells -- the number of rapidly dividing cells -- in human prostate cancer tissue compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet. ...> Full Article

Strawberries protect the stomach from alcohol (11/1/2011)

In an experiment on rats, European researchers have proved that eating strawberries reduces the harm that alcohol can cause to the stomach mucous membrane. Published in the open access journal Plos One, the study may contribute to improving the treatment of stomach ulcers. ...> Full Article