1. Dark Chocolate May Reduce Hypertension
A small, tantalizing new study shows that dark chocolate may help
reduce hypertension.
The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter highlights a
recent German study that found eating a small amount of dark
chocolate every day reduces the top (systolic) blood pressure number
by almost 3 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and the bottom
(diastolic) blood pressure number by about 2 mm Hg.
Dark chocolate is a good source of flavonoids — an
antioxidant that’s thought to improve the function of blood vessels.
The study, published in the July 4, 2007, issue of the Journal of
the American Medical Association, included 44 adults with high blood
pressure. Participants were assigned to eat 6 grams (30 calories) of
either dark or white chocolate every day for 18 weeks. The white
chocolate group saw no change in blood pressure.
While the study adds to the growing body of knowledge on
chocolate and potential health benefits, Mayo Clinic doctors say
there’s not enough evidence to recommend eating dark chocolate as a
treatment for hypertension.
Editor's Note:
2. Herbs and Spices — A Dash of Good Health
A dash or two of herbs and spices might offer health benefits,
according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Studies are exploring the therapeutic benefits of many herbs and
spices, for example, turmeric as an anti-inflammatory to help
regulate the immune system, ginger to prevent or relieve
postoperative nausea and garlic to reduce the risk of cardiovascular
disease.
Much is yet to be learned about the effectiveness and safety of
large dosages of herbs and spices. In some cases the purported
benefits of spices are based on taking a supplement or extract that
has a much higher amount of the spice’s active ingredient than would
be available in food. While the small amounts of herbs and spices
used in the kitchen won’t provide therapeutic levels, regular use
offers a wide array of bioactive substances that have nutritional
value.
Herbs and spices in foods may offer these benefits:
Serving as a salt substitute: It’s easy to reduce salt
consumption by substituting spices.
Providing antioxidants: Allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger,
oregano, sage, thyme and turmeric powders are high in antioxidants.
These plant chemicals may play a role in helping prevent conditions
such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Having cancer-fighting properties: Research suggests that
antioxidants and other phytochemical substances found in garlic,
rosemary, saffron, turmeric and other flavorings may have
anti-cancer properties.
Mildly lowering blood sugar: Limited evidence indicates that
cinnamon, fenugreek and turmeric may mildly affect glucose levels in
people with diabetes. (Herbs and spices don’t replace proven
diabetes medications.)
Editor's Note:
3. Cervical Cancer Survivors Prone to Other
Cancers
Women who survive cervical cancer are at increased risk for
developing other cancers decades later, according to a report in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The increased cancer risk
is primarily seen in women who were treated with radiation therapy
and involves organs that lie near the cervix.
"Previous studies have indicated that the risk of second cancers
is increased among cervical cancer survivors, but overall and (body)
site-specific risks among very long-term survivors were unclear,"
Dr. Anil K. Chaturvedi, from the National Cancer Institute in
Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues note.
The findings are based on an analysis of data for 104,760
cervical cancer survivors drawn from several Scandinavian countries
and the U.S. The researchers calculated the rate of second cancers
over more than 40 years of follow-up.
On the overall analysis, the survivor group was 30 percent more
likely to develop a cancer than were women in the general
population. Further analysis showed that the rates of human
papillomavirus (HPV)- and smoking-related cancers were elevated in
survivors who had radiotherapy and those who did not.
Survivors treated with radiotherapy had an elevated risk for
cancers in close proximity to the cervix, including cancers of the
colon, rectum, anus, bladder, ovaries and genitals. By contrast, no
increased risk for these cancers was seen in survivors who did not
receive radiotherapy.
The 40-year cumulative rate of a second cancer was higher for
survivors diagnosed with cervical cancer before rather than after
they were 50 years old: 22.2 vs. 16.4 percent, respectively.
"The most important finding is that even 40 years after a
diagnosis of cervical cancer, survivors remain at increased risk of
second cancers. These results are consistent with previous studies
that showed increased second cancer risks beyond 30 years of
follow-up, but that did not have sufficient data on time periods
beyond 30 years," Chaturvedi told Reuters Health.
"The increased second cancer risk among cervical cancer survivors
underscores the need for screening or regular medical surveillance,"
he emphasized.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, November 7,
2007.
Copyright Reuters
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4. Exercise Improves Balance at Any Age
As people age, balance sometimes gets shaky. Vision problems,
loss of strength, side effects of medication or some medical
conditions can result in unsteadiness in older adults.
But with practice, people of any age can improve balance,
according to a report in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health
Letter.
A recent study that measured balancing ability of 130 older
adults found that those who routinely exercised or had been
physically active throughout life had the best balance. But, the
study found, latecomers to exercise also benefit. Older adults who
started exercising after retirement had balance nearly as good as
those who had always been active. Those who had once been active and
then stopped had balance nearly as poor as those who had never been
active.
The newsletter offers these suggestions to exercise the sense of
balance:
Many types of physical activity: Walking or any exercise that
gets a person’s arms and legs moving in coordination improves
balance. Exercise helps work the muscles and stimulate the nerve
communication needed for balance and coordination.
Everyday balance exercises: Balancing on one foot and then the
other is good practice. A good time to do this is while doing dishes
or brushing teeth. A more advanced exercise is to walk heel-toe,
heel-toe as if walking on a line.
Advanced balance training: A personal trainer or physical
therapist may suggest more advanced balance exercises, which can
incorporate a large, inflatable “stability” ball or a balance
trainer, such as a half-ball attached to a flat base.
Strength training: Exercising to strengthen muscles also benefits
balance and coordination. Some variations of strength training could
improve balance even more, such as standing on one leg doing arm
curls.
Tai chi: This gentle form of Chinese martial arts consists of a
series of gentle, graceful movements that help improve balance and
coordination. Classes are often available at community centers or
health clubs.
Editor's Note:
5. Device May Eliminate 'Red Wine Headache'
The effects are all too familiar: a fancy dinner, some fine wine
and then, a few hours later, a racing heart and a pounding headache.
But a device developed by University of California, Berkeley,
researchers could help avoid the dreaded "red wine headache."
Chemists working with NASA-funded technology designed to find
life on Mars have created a device they say can easily detect
chemicals that many scientists believe can turn wine and other
beloved indulgences into ingredients for agony.
The chemicals, called biogenic amines, occur naturally in a wide
variety of aged, pickled and fermented foods prized by gourmet
palates, including wine, chocolate, cheese, olives, nuts and cured
meats.
"The food you eat is so unbelievably coupled with your body's
chemistry," said Richard Mathies, who described his new technology
in an article published Thursday in the journal Analytical
Chemistry.
Scientists have nominated several culprits for "red wine
headache," including amines like tyramine and histamine, though no
conclusions have been reached. Still, many specialists warn headache
sufferers away from foods rich in amines, which can also trigger
sudden episodes of high blood pressure, heart palpitations and
elevated adrenaline levels.
The detector could prove useful to those with amine sensitivity,
said Beverly McCabe, a clinical dietitian and co-author of "Handbook
of Food-Drug Interactions," a book cited by the article for its
descriptions of the effects of amines on the brain.
The prototype — the size of a small briefcase — uses a drop of
wine to determine amine levels in five minutes, Mathies said. A
startup company he co-founded is working to create a smaller device
the size of a personal digital assistant that people could take to
restaurants and test their favorite wines.
The researchers found the highest amine levels in red wine and
sake and the lowest in beer. For now, the device only works with
liquids.
Mathies suggests the device could be used to put amine levels on
wine labels.
"We're aware of the consumer demand for information. But that has
to be tempered by the manner in which wine is made," said Wendell
Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute, a California industry
trade group.
Copyright AP
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