Monday, February 28, 2011

Dirt Helps Immune System In Kids

When it comes to avoiding asthma it's better to be a farm kid. And experts say it's because of the dirt.

It turns out the more they play in dirt, the stronger their immune system become, even later in life. And the farm kids are around more dirt and germs than the city kids.

A new study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that children raised on farms didn't suffer from asthma as much. And experts believe it's because of all the germs they're exposed to, especially early in life.

We have known for some time that being exposed early on to germs, like those you get from working with cows, pigs and hay, help develop strong immune systems. It's what I like to call the “dirty kid theory.” In other words the more children get exposed to non-harmful germs, like those in everyday dirt, the more exercise their immune system gets, and the more exercise it gets the stronger it becomes.

The main point is that it's OK to let children play in a less than perfectly clean environment, and they don't always need antibiotics for every sneeze and sniffle. Letting their body fight out the small stuff can help build a much stronger immune system that will stick with them their whole life.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Fighting Alzheimer's With Language

When it comes to fending off Alzheimer's, you might want to learn a new language.

It all has to do with keeping the brain active and working. And that's what seems to be happening when you learn a new language---even later in life. Now here's what we know about Alzheimer's----keeping your brain active can help delay its onset. And once you learn a new language your brain sort of goes into overdrive by keeping both languages going at the same time. By keeping your brain active, you won't necessarily stop the development of Alzheimer's, but you will slow down it's progress.

Learning to be bilingual early in life gives you the biggest benefit, but scientists think that even learning a second language later on as an adult can give you some of the same benefits. This is part of the use or lose it philosophy that can protect you from dementia as you get older. On top of learning a second language, using crossword puzzles, solving soduko challenges and simply getting out and socializing can also help keep you mind health.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Thinning Hair & Prostate Cancer Risk

If you've started thinning a little on top of your head, you need to listen up. This could signal a health problem.

It could signal a greater risk for prostate cancer, especially if you started balding early on. It's what's known as male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia in medical-speak. It's that receding hairline and thinning at the top of the head that is caused in part by male hormones. Specifically DHT, which comes about from testosterone.

This DHT, also known as dihydrotestosterone, causes both hair loss and the growth of prostate cells. According to a new study just published in the Oxford Journal Annals of Oncology, men that began to bald by the age of 20 where also at a higher risk of prostate cancer later in life. The same was not true for men that didn't start experiencing hair loss until they were in the 30s or 40s.

Although experts aren't quite sure what to do with this new information, some feel it could help identify men that could benefit from early screening for prostate cancer.

Monday, February 21, 2011

More Kids Drinking Alcohol

You might be amazed at how many kids are drinking alcohol, but you'll probably be even more amazed to find where they get their drinks.

Surprisingly it looks like many kids don't have to look much further than their own family.

I'm purposefully avoiding the use of the word teenage since it looks like even younger kids are drinking alcohol these days. We know that drinking early on is more likely to lead to serious problems with alcohol after 21, especially if a child starts drinking before they turn 15.

A newly released report form the government shows that right now over 700 youngsters between the ages of 12 to 14 are drinking alcohol. I'm not sure that's a big surprise to most since this has been an issue for years. But what is more shocking is that in the past month alone, over 200,000 of them have gotten their alcohol from a parent, guardian or other family member.

Granted, some of these kids took the liquor on the sly, but over 1/4 of them got their alcohol because a parent or other adult relative gave it to them, using excuses like — “I’d rather them drink at home than on the street, or, at least they aren't using drugs.”

The problem is this can still lead to issues with alcoholism later in life. So your best bet, parents, is to lock up your alcohol and have a frank talk with your kids as to why they can't drink any, no matter where they get it from.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Live Longer, Eat Fiber

Do you want to live longer? Than eat more fiber.

We've known for some time that having enough fiber in our diets is healthy for us and our hearts, but now we're learning it does a lot more.

And it all has to do with not just staying healthy, but actually living longer. A new government study is showing that more fiber in your diet can also cut your chance of dying from infectious diseases, respiratory illness and even cancers. The most benefits come from those fibers we get from grains.

But guess what, most of us aren't getting nearly enough daily fiber in our current diets. The average American eats only 15 grams a day, but the recommendation is for 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. So it looks like most of us are only getting about half of what we need to stay healthy.

Since fiber comes from grains like bread, cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, it's time to bulk up on these items. And that bulking up could prove to be a lifesaver.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Men & Commitment

OK Ladies, listen up. Think your guy is afraid of commitment? Think again!

It might not be men that don't want to commit after all. A new study is showing that men's and women's attitudes are starting to change a bit. And although men are typically stereotyped as not wanting to settle down and have children, this study shows otherwise.

According to the researchers involved, men are just as eager, or maybe even more eager than women, to marry. This was particularly true for the ones you think would be running from commitment the fastest, young men aged 21 to 34.

Of those surveyed in the study, 52% of mean in this age group wanted to have children, but only 46% of women did. The researchers also found that men tend to fall in love faster and are more likely to introduce someone to their parents. And women, especially as there are experiencing more financial independence are valuing their overall independence more than ever.

So guys, first off don't forget it Valentine's day, but secondly, remember, romance is still alive and well. You just might have to work at it a bit more.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Heart Disease & Teens' Diet

This is American Heart Month, so today we are looking at one way to keep your kids from having heart problems later in life.

It comes down to sugar. For kids, sugar now could mean heart disease later. So, helping them cut back on what is normally a teenage main food item can help keep them healthy as adults.

According to the latest research from the American Heart Association, teenagers who consume the most added sugar also had poor cholesterol levels. And those poor cholesterol levels over the years can take their toll and leave these teens with heart problems once they become adults.

Researchers recommend teens limit their added sugar to between 100 and 150 calories per day. That's the amount of sugar in just one soda. Right now teens average around 4 times that much and the concern is that at that level many of them will have heart and other health problems later in life.

Although getting teens to cut back on added sugar isn't an easy task, experts say to start treating added sugars like we do total calorie counts, something most of us know about. And hopefully bringing attention to added sugars in everyday items will help cut back on heart problems decades from now.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Controlling ADHD Through Diet

When it comes to treating ADHD you might not need to look any further than the meals kids eat.

It looks like placing young children on a special diet, just for a few weeks, might do the trick when it comes to controlling their ADHD.

It's what's known as an elimination diet, where certain foods are taken out of what someone is given to eat. We've know that with other issues, like eczema or gastrointestinal problems, these restrictive diets have worked, at least a little bit.

In this case researchers cut processed foods out of the diets of young children, aged 4 to 8. They found that after just a few weeks 78% of them following this type of diet eliminating food additives and preservative, had less ADHD symptoms.
When these same children were placed back on a diet including processed foods their ADHD symptoms tended to return as well. Unfortunately, this isn't an easy diet to follow, especially as kids get older.

Knowing that eliminating processed foods might help cut back on behavior issues associated with ADHD, gives both researchers and parents a bit of hope that we are getting closer to finding more answers and hopefully developing better treatment guides.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Your Heart Health & Your Family

If you want to cut down on your chances of having a heart attack, look no further than you own family.

Have you heard the saying, “an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?” That means things happen in families, and when it comes to heart problems, that’s definitely true.

Many things go into the "great" equation of life that determines whether you’re going to end up with heart disease. Among those are your diet, whether you smoke and your blood pressure. These are things you can change for the better. But one of the ones you can’t change—your genetics or family history—can have an even bigger influence.

Trying to figure out who is going to have a heart attack before it happens is tough, but there is one big thing you can do to help yourself out---look at how your family members are doing.

Looking closely at "their" health can have a huge impact on "your" health. As a matter of fact, experts predict that if all middle aged adults who have a family history of heart disease were tested themselves, then up to 40% of premature heart attacks could be avoided.

What this essentially tells us is that if a family member has a heart attack, then other family members are at a higher risk themselves. And the closer they are to you, the greater your chance. That means that mother, father, sister and brother have the most impact on your heart health. So, if one of those family members has had a heart problem, then your chances go up even more.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

College Students & Stress

College is usually thought of as being a fun-filled 4 years, but new information is showing the toll stress is taking on students.

College has always been stressful, but nowadays it seems even more students are having trouble handling that stress than ever before. UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute has been conducting a survey of college students since 1965. This year the research showed that freshman are experiencing and reporting more stress than anytime in the last 25 years, both for their first year in college and even for their senior year in high school, a time most of them are stressing out trying to get into their choice of colleges.

Only 52%, barely half of college freshman, rated themselves as “above average” when it came to emotional health. And college counselors agree since they report seeing more students because of stress and depression. Plus they say more of them tend to arrive to college already on some type of psychiatric medication.

Part of the reason for this increase in stress is that more than ever before, college students are worried about the bad economy and whether college is even worth it---will they get a job once they graduate? And although this survey just looked at freshman, upperclassmen report even more stress, especially as they get closer to graduation.

If you have a college student, or one about to enter college your best bet is to simply be a great listener and find out what they have to say about the things they are going through at school.