Wellness Report

Vitamin D Deficiency Reduces Lung Volume

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:03:24 +0000

Lack of vitamin D is associated with a long list of ailments including skeletal conditions, several types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, upper respiratory tract infections and even all-cause mortality. This study found that “vitamin D deficiency causes deficits in lung function that are primarily explained by differences in lung volume.” The message is clear, take your vitamin D.

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Not Enough Sleep Can Cause Children to Be Overweight

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:37:49 +0000

“Young children (3 – 5 year olds) who do not get enough sleep are at increased risk of becoming overweight,” says a new study. “This weight gain is a result of increased fat deposition in both sexes rather than additional accumulation of fat free mass.” The average sleep duration was just over 11 hours and “each additional hour of sleep reduced the risk of being overweight.”

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Dairy for Healthy Bones in Older Women

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:33:09 +0000

“Our results support the ability of a healthy diet with adequate dairy intake to promote bone health in aging women,” say researchers in a recent study. Bone loss is a significant problem for older women, but it can be addressed without drugs.

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Zinc for Childhood Diarrhea

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:31:11 +0000

A study comparing different combinations of nutrients for diarrhea confirmed “the clinical benefit of zinc in children with diarrhea.” The study found that zinc is the important ingredient, and was just as effective if mixed with other nutrients or by itself.

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Physical Activity Can Prevent Stroke

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:25:50 +0000

Silent brain infarcts (subclinical strokes) “have an increased risk of dementia and a steeper decline in cognitive function than those without such lesions” for older people. This study found that “engaging in moderate to heavy physical activities may be an important component of prevention strategies aimed at reducing subclinical brain infarcts.”

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MSG May Cause Weight Gain

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:22:22 +0000

A study looking at consumption of food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG) found that those who consumed the greatest amount were 33% more likely to be overweight than those who ate the least amount of MSG. Something more to be thinking about when you dine out.

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Social Activity Slows Cognitive Decline

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:19:02 +0000

A recent study found that “the rate of global cognitive decline was reduced by an average of 70% in persons who were frequently socially active compared to persons who were infrequently socially active.” These findings are supported by similar studies that emphasis activity as a way to slow cognitive decline.

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Lower Aspirin Dose to Reduce Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:16:39 +0000

All drugs should be avoided if possible due to potential side effects, aspirin included. Research has already established that “regular aspirin use is associated with gastrointestinal bleeding” which can result in death. A new study found that “risk (of gastrointestinal bleeding) seems more strongly related to dose than duration of aspirin use. Efforts to minimize adverse effects of aspirin therapy should emphasize using the lowest effective dose among both short- and long-term users.”

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L-Arginine Reduces Incidence of Pre-Enclampsia in Pregnant Women

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:14:23 +0000

Pre-Enclampsia is a condition that impacts many pregnant women. It includes high blood pressure as well as potential damage to the blood vessel lining, kidneys, and liver. A new study found that “supplementation during pregnancy with a medical food containing L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins reduced the incidence of pre-eclampsia in a population at high risk of the condition.” L-Arginine is a natural amino acid found in dairy products, grains, nuts and legumes. These findings are another reason for women to eat healthy during pregnancy.

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Exercise to Control Diabetes

Donald M. Petersen, Jr. — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:45:44 +0000

Studies have already shown that regular exercise improves glucose control for those with diabetes. A new study found that “structured exercise training of more than 150 minutes per week” showed significantly greater benefit than less time per week. “Structured exercise training that consists of aerobic exercise, resistance training, or both combined.”

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