Antioxidants May Help Prevent Influenza Damage to Lungs
As the U.S is coping with the widespread activity of the H1N1 influenza virus, a team of Alabama researchers may have found what could be an answer for all strains of the flu. They've shown that antioxidants - the same compounds found in plant-based foods - might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from causing damage to our lungs. The study was published in the FASEB journal.
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30% of Multivitamins Don't Provide What They Say
More than 30 percent of a medicine chest of multivitamins failed to contain what they said they did, or were contaminated with lead, according to a report by the private company ConsumerLab.com
Among the 46 multivitamins analyzed, those that failed the test had far more or less of an ingredient than stated on the label. And several, including three supplements for children, contained more than the upper limit recognized as healthy by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Unhealthily excessive dosages were found for ingredients such as vitamin A, folic acid, niacin and zinc, according to the report by ConsumerLab.com, a White Plains, N.Y., firm that provides consumer information and independent evaluations of health and nutrition products.
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Severe Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Achiness
Most people with persistent, unexplained muscle and bone pain have low levels of vitamin D in their blood, a recent study discovered. Other studies have found vitamin D to be crucially important for healthy bones, bone marrow and blood vessels, and for protecting against various cancers, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
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High Dose Vitamin D Can Prevent Falls For Seniors Over 65
Elderly people taking a daily supplement of vitamin D at a dose of 700-1000 IU (international unit of measurement) reduce their risk of falling by 19%, according to a study published on bmj.com. Every year, one in three people over aged 65 experiences at least one fall, with around 6% resulting in a fracture. As the population begins to age, fall prevention is becoming a public health goal.
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Binge Drinking Can Temporarily Weaken Immune System
Binge drinking can weaken the immune system and undermine the body's ability to fight infection for at least 24 hours afterwards by inhibiting certain signaling molecules that launch pro-inflammatory responses, according to research published in the journal BMC Immunology.
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Genetic 'Switch' Can Trigger Insulin-Producing Cells
Researchers have discovered a way in mice to convert another type of pancreas cell into critical insulin-producing beta cells lost in patients with type I diabetes, according to a new report in the journal Cell. The key to the discovery is a single transcription factor called the Pax4 gene.
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Expert Commentary: Robert Kritzler MD 11/06/09
Diabetes mellitus affects close to 21 million Americans, both children and adults, representing over 7 percent of the US population (source: American Diabetes Association 2009). Unfortunately, close to one-third of these individuals are unaware that they have the disease. They may be in a pre-diabetic phase or, if actually diabetic, do not have symptoms. Awareness among that one-third is as important as compliance, since lifestyle modification can largely prevent the onset of the disease. Within the other two- thirds, many are not getting the treatment they need.
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Alcohol's Acetaldehyde May Be a Significant Cancer Risk
An organic chemical in alcoholic beverages that's the culprit behind hangovers also makes drinking the biggest risk factor for cancers that are linked to the chemical, a recent study suggested. The study, published in the journal Addiction, said the hangover chemical acetaldehyde represents a considerable risk to heavy drinkers in particular, especially combined with the many sources of the chemical in the environment.
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The Challenges of Children's Sleep Apnea
Children spend almost 40% their childhood asleep. It is an important factor in a child's physical and mental development. Good quality sleep is as important as proper nutrition and exercise for a child's healthy development. But what happens when children can't get sound sleep? Children's Sleep apnea is a serious health condition that can result in devastating health consequences.
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Gene Mutations Linked to Autism
Several common genetic mutations have just been found that are parts of the complex "jigsaw puzzle" of autism, three recent studies revealed. The mutations increase the risk for the psychoemotional developmental disorder that affects about one in 170 American children.
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