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Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women

Research conducted by The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition finds that women who eat yogurt frequently are less likely to be overweight and more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of important nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. The fourteen day study followed the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older. Thirteen percent of these women ate three or more servings of yogurt over a two week period. In this group, the women on average had a 15% lower body mass index compared with women who consumed no yogurt.



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What is Renal Stenosis?

It is very interesting that a lot of people don't know that blocking the arteries of the kidney can be a cause for hypertension. Particularly someone who is young and becomes hypertensive suddenly, one should make sure there is no blockage in the renal arteries. There are millions of people with hypertension, so it's easy to think that we should simply give them medications. But it's important to understand that there is a very small segment of the population, who develop hypertension at a young age, particularly in their twenties, thirties, forties. They need to be looked into. All we need to do is a scan of their kidneys. What is called a duplex scan or an ultrasound of their arteries. With this methodology we can actually pick up a narrowing of the arteries.



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Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems

A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events."



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Crib Bumpers Are Deemed Unsafe by Experts

A recent study in the current issue of the Journal of Pediatrics has found hidden dangers in using soft cushioned bumpers around cribs and bassinets. These bumpers supposedly stop babies from banging or trapping their heads against the bars of the crib, but researchers say they can lead to suffocation for the infant. Pediatric researchers found that 27 babies and toddlers up to age 2 were accidentally strangled or suffocated by bumper pads and another 25 children were injured. The research team examined database reviews from three U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissions on deaths related to crib bumpers and other crib-related injuries from 1985 to 2005. According to lead author of the study, Dr. Bradley Thach, many babies lack the motor coordination to free themselves when they become wedged between the bumper and another surface. In some instances, if the bumper is too soft the baby's face can get pressed up against it, leading to suffocation. If the bumper is too firm the baby can climb up the pads and fall out of the crib.



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Resistance and Aerobics Exercise for Blood Sugar Control

A recent randomized controlled trial published in latest edition of "Annals of Internal Medicine" found that both aerobic and resistance exercise improved glycemic and blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes. The study observed over 250 adults between ages 39 and 70 who were not exercising regularly and had type 2 diabetes. The study participants were divided into four groups: 45 minutes of aerobics three times a week, 45 minutes of resistance training three times a week, 45 minutes each of both three times a week, and no exercise. Each participant was evaluated for changes in their A1C value - a percentage that reflects changes in blood sugar concentrations.



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Cleanlier Lifestyles Potentially Linked to Children's Allergies

Staying clean and germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, but this type of lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children. Pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System, Marc McMorris claims that with the advent of vaccines and antibiotics, the immune system is no longer burdened to the extent it was in the past. As a result, the immune system has turned away from fighting constant infection to developing allergic tendencies. The immune system is designed to battle infectious bacteria, viruses, and parasites but it can also recognize foreign substances as allergens. Allergies are the body's immune reaction to foreign substances such as pollen, mold, animal dander, dust, insect stings and certain foods that it deems harmful. Inside our homes, air tight doors and windows have increased the concentration of certain indoor allergens.



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Childhood Obesity Linked to Sugar Levels During Pregnancy

Each year, it is estimated that 8% of pregnant women in the US develop gestational diabetes, where hyperglycemia and insulin resistance develop as a result of pregnancy. The childhood obesity rate has doubled in the last two decades and it is estimated that 7 million overweight or obese children will grow into overweight or obese adults. A study in the September issue of Diabetes Care has found the risk of childhood obesity increases in line with the pregnant mother's blood sugar levels. The research team of Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Research analyzed records of nearly 9,500 mother-child pairs who were members of the organizations health plan through the years of 1995 and 2000. The evidence found that diabetes in pregnant women resulted in an 89 percent higher risk of the child becoming overweight and an 82 percent higher risk of the child becoming obese between the ages of 5 and 7 years.



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Link Found Between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Diabetes

A study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University found that soft drinks containing high fructose corn syrup had high levels of reactive compounds that have been shown by other studies to potentially trigger diabetes. High fructose corn syrup is the primary sweetener found in numerous foods and beverages such as non-diet soda, baked foods, and condiments. Many food manufacturers prefer the syrup because it is economical, sweeter and easy to blend into beverages. Head researcher, Chi-Tang Ho, conducted chemical tests among 11 carbonated drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. He found high levels of reactive carbonyls that are believed to cause tissue damage through unbound fructose and glucose molecules. By comparison, table sugar does not have reactive carbonyls because its chemical compounds are bound and stable.



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Células Madre Humanas Devolvieron la Función Motora

Investigadores de la Universidad de California en San Diego, informaron que ratas de laboratorio se recuperaron de una parálisis después de recibir injertos de células madre espinales humanas.



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For Women, Silence Can Be Hazardous to Health

A recent study finds that women who freely express themselves during disagreements are less likely to have serious long term health problems than those who silence their emotions. Women who suppress thoughts and feelings and force themselves to remain silent during marital disputes have a higher risk of depression, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as death. Dr. Elaine Eaker of Eaker Epidemiology Enterprises in Maryland claims that self-silencing during conflict may have had advantages long ago where short term survival outweighed long term problems.



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