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Research: Does Green Tea Decrease Risk Of Cancer?

1 Jan

“Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

A study recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated the association of regular tea intake (greater than 3 times per week for greater than 6 months) with risk of digestive system cancers.

The study was based on middle-aged and older Chinese women.

Results: Women who consumed ≥150g tea/mo (2–3 cups/day) had a 21% reduced risk of digestive system cancers.  The association was found primarily for colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancers.

Want To Add 4.5 Years To Your Life?

A recent study published in the medical journal PLoS One pooled self-reported data on leisure time physical activities and Body Mass Index (BMI) scores from nearly 650,000 individuals over 40 years old. Their goal was to calculate the gain in life expectancy associated with specific levels of physical activity.

A physical activity level equivalent to brisk walking for up to 75 minutes per week was associated with a gain of 1.8 years in life expectancy relative to no leisure time activity.

Even better, having a physical activity level at or above 150 minutes of brisk walking per week was associated with an overall gain of life expectancy of 3.4 – 4.5 years.

In another study, 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity leisure-time physical activity led to a 14% lower coronary heart disease risk compared with those reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Those engaging in the equivalent of 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity had a 20% lower risk.

What does this mean?  Basically, it’s what we have known for quite some time.  Moderate exercise is good and it can, most likely, extend your life.

But, what’s really important is you do not have to go crazy.  Go for a brisk walk several times per week, or every day if you can, and you should see some healthy results.

Obesity Triggers 

Inflammation In Fat Cells

New research says that obesity can trigger inflammation in the fat cells found just under the skin.  This is very bad because inflammation is believed to be linked to both diabetes and heart disease.

In a related study, researchers found no inflammation in the fat of lean individuals while 70% of obese people in the study showed evidence of inflammation-promoting fat and impaired blood vessel function.

No matter what, if you are obese, the odds are against you.  Losing even small amounts of weight can make a big difference in your overall health.

 

Vitamin D.

1 Jan

For most people, Vitamin D levels drop considerably in the winter (or summer if you live in the Southern Hemisphere).  Vitamin D is very important for both muscle tone and health, and recent research suggests it’s important for the immune system.  Obviously, the winter is an important time to keep your immune system as strong as possible so you can fight off the common cold and the dreaded flu.  Now, some new research shows how much Vitamin D the average person needs to maintain optimal levels. According to the recommended levels in this new research, it is believed that 30-50% of Americans and Canadians are deficient.  In order to raise your Vitamin D levels into the optimum range throughout the year, the Endocrine Society has recommended the following daily intake levels of Vitamin D (from all sources):  Children under one years old: 400-1,000 IU/day; Children 1 to 18 years old: 600-1,000 IU/day; Adults: 1,500-2,000 IU/day.

Is All Vitamin D Created Equal?

Research published in the June edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that Vitamin D3 supplements could provide more benefit than its close relative, Vitamin D2.  This is important because it is difficult for most people to get enough Vitamin D through food and sunshine, especially during the winter months.  Many foods are fortified with Vitamin D, but it is usually in the Vitamin D2 form.  The research shows that Vitamin D3 is better at raising the Vitamin D levels in your blood when given as a supplement. Dr. Laura Tripkovic explains: “We know that Vitamin D is vital in helping to keep us fit and healthy, but what has not been clear is the difference between the two types of Vitamin D. It used to be thought that both were equally beneficial, however our analysis highlights that our bodies may react differently to both types and that Vitamin D3 could actually be better for us.”

To get their results, researchers analyzed the results of 10 studies with a total of over 1,000 people.  They stated, “Vitamin D3 could potentially become the preferred choice for supplementation. However, additional research is required to examine the metabolic pathways involved in oral and intramuscular administration of Vitamin D and the effects across age, sex, and ethnicity, which this review was unable to verify.”

Is Vitamin D Really That Important?

According to the National Institute of Health: “A growing body of research suggests that Vitamin D might play some role in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis, and other medical conditions. Laboratory and animal evidence, as well as epidemiologic data, suggests that Vitamin D status could affect cancer risk. Strong biological and mechanistic bases indicate that Vitamin D plays a role in the prevention of colon, prostate, and breast cancers.”

20 Fun and Amazing Health Facts.

1 Jan

1.) Women have a better sense of smell than men. 2.) When you take a step, you use up to 200 muscles. 3.) Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t. 4.) The human brain has the capacity to store everything you experience. 5.) It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it. 6.) The average person’s skin weighs twice as much as their brain. 7.) Every year your body replaces 98% of your atoms. 8.) On average, there are 100 billion neurons in the human brain. 9.) The lifespan of a taste bud is ten days.  10.) Dentists recommend you keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles caused by flushing.  11.) Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. 12.) Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks so that it doesn’t digest itself. 13.) It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body. 14.) The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing. 15.) Your heart rate can rise as much as 30% during a yawn. 16.) Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood each day. 17.) Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day. 18.) Your hair grows faster in the morning than at any other time of day.  19.) Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second. 20.) You’re born with 300 bones, but when you reach adulthood, you only have 206!

Whiplash Avoidance.

1 Jan

PAY ATTENTION WHILE YOU DRIVE. Too often, we get distracted while driving. Any time our eyes leave the road, the potential for an accident increases significantly. This can occur when changing the radio to a different station, eating while driving, reading while driving, talking on the phone, texting (equals the effects of 2-3 alcoholic beverages), driving under the influence of certain prescription medications (pain killers for example), driving under the influence of alcohol or other chemical agents, and turning your head during conversation. We have a responsibility when we are driving to keep our eyes on the road, as many accidents occur within split seconds of time. If we are not paying attention, we will not be able to avoid a potential collision.

THE CONCEPT OF “NO CRUSH, NO CRASH INJURY” IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. In fact, just the opposite is true. That is, the greater the amount of crushing metal at the time of collision, the greater the amount of energy absorption that occurs, resulting in less force transferred to the contents inside the vehicle (namely you or me). This is why, many times, people are injured in low speed collisions because there is no energy absorbed by crushing metal as noted by the absence of or, minimal damage to the car.

FOLLOWING YOUR DOCTOR’S ORDERS. It is very important that we do not inadvertently hurt or harm ourselves further by NOT following the advice of our health care practitioner. This means initially using ice to reduce inflammation and swelling, possibly wearing a soft cervical collar during the first few days after the injury to “rest” the injured structures, following proper nutritional advice for optimal healing benefits, and following exercise recommendations. This last treatment approach is vital in the prevention of long term, chronic neck complaints. Other ways you can REALLY help are to follow cervical traction orders. Cervical traction is a very effective method of reducing muscle spasm, separating the joint spaces, improving disk nutrient transfer and water content, reduce the pinching effect of the nerves, and as a result, speeding up the recovery process. Follow your treatment schedule; that is, DON’T SKIP APPOINTMENTS! During office visits, it is necessary to discuss not only what is working well, but also what may not be working so modifications to your care plan can occur on a timely basis. The primary goal of whiplash management is to prevent the condition from becoming chronic and long-term, and the first few weeks of treatment are critical!

ERGONOMIC MODIFICATIONS. An important part of managing whiplash injuries is preventing daily irritations from tasks that we have to do. Hence, we will discuss adjusting your work station for optimum positioning and avoidance of poor posture, such as using office chairs with arm rests, sitting posture modifications, and computer monitor positioning. Proper sleep positions and pillow design are also reviewed.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

 

Traction – Does It Help Neck Pain and Headaches?

1 Jan

Traction is defined as, “…the act of pulling a body part.” Therefore, it is commonly used in many regions including legs, arms, low back, mid-back, and the neck. We will be limiting this discussion to cervical or neck traction, and the question of the month is, “…does it help patients with neck pain and headaches?” Though I’m assuming you already know, the answer is YES! You may want a little “proof,” so here it goes!

REDUCES DISK PROTRUSIONS: In 2002, a medically based study found traction to be very effective in the treatment of cervical radiculopathies (pinched nerves in the neck that radiate pain into the arms). A 2008 study using MRI (images) described the effect traction had on the disk protrusions in the neck reporting 25 of 35 (or 71%) were reduced while in traction with a 19% increase in the spacing (disk height) and improved neck range of motion after the traction was applied. They postulated that by pulling the vertebrae in the neck apart, there was a suction-like effect pulling the disk material back in place.

RECOMMENDED BY GUIDELINES: Around the world, guidelines have been published giving doctors information that allows us to know how well certain forms of treatment work for different conditions. In a 2008 publication, it was reported that, “Clinicians should consider the use of mechanical intermittent cervical traction, combined with other interventions such as manual therapy and strengthening exercises, for reducing pain and disability in patients with neck and neck-related arm pain.”

CLINICAL PREDICTION RULES: These help us determine who is most likely to benefit from a certain type of treatment (in this case cervical traction and exercise). If 3 of 5 variables are found, the likelihood of success with traction & exercise was reported to be 79%, and if 4 of the 5 are found, 90%. The 5 variables are: 1. Radiating neck to arm pain in certain positions; 2. Positive shoulder abduction sign; 3. Age >55years old; 4. Positive limb tension test; 5. Relief of symptoms using manual distraction test (if pain is relieved while the neck is being pulled).

INTERMITTENT AND CONTINUOUS TRACTION: Either way, significant improvement in neck and arm pain, neck mobility, and nerve function occurred with both approaches.

TRACTION VS. SURGERY: In this study, patients with radiating arm pain and positive neurological findings on exam were offered a course of traction before surgical options. They reported 63 of 81, or 78%, of the patients experienced significant or total relief, 3 could not tolerate traction and 15 simply didn’t respond. They concluded that when neck and arm symptoms with neurological deficits were present for 6 weeks, that 75% will respond to neck traction over the next 6 weeks.

There are MANY additional studies available that show well beyond doubt that cervical traction is a GREAT option in the management of neck and arm pain and sometimes headaches. Next month, we will discuss “HOW TO” apply cervical traction.

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

 

Fibromyalgia and Neurotransmission.

1 Jan

Neurotransmission is the method by which nerves “speak” to each other so impulses can be sent from one part of your body to the brain and back. For example, when you touch a hot plate by accident, it doesn’t take long before you quickly let go of the plate. The reason you let go quickly is because of neurotransmission. Certain types of neurons or nerves (called afferents) bring information to the central nervous system where the information is processed and then signals are transferred back to the target site (such as your hand touching the hot plate) by different nerves (called efferents) telling you to immediately let go of that hot object. It’s like the flow of traffic into a city during rush hour. People work all day and then drive in the opposite direction on their way home (afferents in the morning going in the city or “brain” and efferents in the evening bringing new information home). This “give and take” process of information coming in, being processed and going out helps coordinate our bodily functions. This allows us to constantly adapt to surrounding changes in temperature, stress, noise, and so on.

Each neuron has as many as 1500 connections from other neurons, but they don’t actually touch one another. Rather, there are “synapses” where nerve impulses stimulate the release of calcium and neurotransmitters, which either inhibit or excite another neuron and each neuron may be connected to many other neurons. If the total excitatory stimuli are greater than the inhibitory stimuli, that neuron will “fire” and create a new connection resulting in an action (like dropping the hot plate).

Okay, sorry for the enthusiastic description and details of neurotransmission. More importantly, how does all this relate to fibromyalgia?  A new study (published May 14, 2012 in NATURE by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College) discovered that a single protein (alpha 2 delta), “…exerts a spigot-like function controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons.” This study shows how brain cells “talk to each other” through these synapses relaying feelings, thoughts, and actions and how this powerful protein plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication in the brain. They found that if they added or decreased this single protein (alpha 2 delta), then the speed of neurotransmission increased or decreased by opening or closing the calcium channels that trigger neurotransmission release.

The relationship between calcium and neurotransmission has been known for 50 years, but how to “turn on or off” the volume is a new discovery. They hope this finding will help in the design of new medications that will help regulate the neurotransmission in the brain, thus help reduce the increased pain perception found in people suffering from fibromyalgia.

Our aim in sharing this information with you is to keep you informed with what is on the cutting edge of research as we’ve said many times before, a “team” of health care provision is the BEST way to manage FM including chiropractic and primary care!

If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

 

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