Dr Beecher’s May 25 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, May 25th, 2015
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Mental Attitude: Leafy Greens May Protect Aging Brains. An evaluation of the eating habits and mental abilities of over 950 older adults revealed that eating a single serving of leafy green vegetables per day may reduce an individual’s risk for dementia. The study found that those who consumed one or two servings of spinach, kale, mustard greens, collards, or similar vegetables on a daily basis experienced slower mental deterioration than those who ate no leafy greens at all. Dr. Yvette Sheline, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine writes, “It makes sense that leafy green vegetables would have an effect on mental health… We know generally that what you eat, or don’t eat, can affect your risk for high blood pressure and vascular disease, which can both then worsen the course of dementia.” American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting, March 2015
Health Alert: Depression and Diabetes Both Increase Dementia Risk! Previous research has shown that both type 2 diabetes and depression can independently increase an individual’s risk for dementia, but what happens when they co-occur? Danish researchers analyzed data collected from 2.4 million adults and found that while depression increases a person’s risk for dementia by 83% and the presence of type 2 diabetes results in a 20% greater risk, those with both type 2 diabetes and depression are 117% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. This suggests that the presence of both conditions has a synergistic effect on dementia risk, not just an additive effect. JAMA Psychiatry, April 2015
Diet: New Broccoli Reduces Cholesterol. Eating ten or more weekly servings of a new variety of broccoli has been demonstrated to reduce Low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels by about 6%. This new broccoli variety known as Beneforte was bred to contain two to three times more glucoraphanin, a compound that is converted to sulphoraphane inside the body. Previous research has observed that sulphoraphane activates genes that keep the body from converting excess dietary fat and sugar into bad cholesterol. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, April 2015
Exercise: Exercise Helps Fibromyalgia Patients. An 18-week functional training program for women with fibromyalgia (FM) resulted in reductions in both pain and tender points along with a positive impact on their overall quality of life. If further studies verify these findings, such training (which consisted of two sessions of in-water exercise and one session of on-land exercise each week) could play an important role in helping FM patients maintain an independent lifestyle. Modern Rheumatology, April 2015
Chiropractic: Could Migraines and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Be Linked? Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center suggest that carpal tunnel syndrome can increase an individual’s risk for migraine headaches, and migraines may increase the likelihood of one developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 26,000 Americans and found that the risk of migraine was 2.6 times higher in people with carpal tunnel syndrome. Similarly, the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome was 2.7 times higher among migraine sufferers. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, March 2015
Wellness/Prevention: What Part of the Day Do Teens Become Less Active? While adolescents have been observed to be less physically active and spend more time performing sedentary activities as they grow older, no previous studies have analyzed how these changes occur during the course of a teen’s average week. In this study, 363 teens wore accelerometers at both age 12 and age 15, and researchers recorded how much time was spent each day being inactive or performing either light physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. They found that by age 15, participants were sedentary 7-8% more often during school hours and both after school and on weekends. Across the board, students spent about 7% less time performing light physical activities while moderate-to-vigorous activity levels remained largely unchanged. Due to the increase in sedentary time across all aspects of an adolescent’s week, the investigators recommend that future interventions intended to help teens become more active need to focus on both their in-school and after-school/weekend activities. Int’l Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, April 2015
Quote: “Go on with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all.” ~ Rick Riordan
Dr Beecher’s July 28 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, July 28th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Brain Abnormalities in Youths Who Commit Homicide. A new study suggests that adolescents who have committed one or more homicides have significantly different brain structures than those who have not. The results were gathered using MRI findings on 20 brains of youths who committed at least one homicide and 135 youth offenders (criminals) who had not committed a homicide. Among homicide offenders, the MRI scans revealed a significant reduction in gray matter in the areas of the brain associated with impulse control and emotional processing. NeuroImage: Clinical, May 2014
Health Alert: 1 in 8 American Kids Mistreated. More than 12% of kids in the United States experience beatings, neglect, or sexual or emotional abuse. Although lower than 25 years ago, the number of affected children is higher than researchers anticipated. The authors of the study note that the risk of childhood maltreatment is approximately four times higher during their first year of life and to reduce the risk of mistreatment, they recommend that friends and family pay special attention to the needs of parents of very young children. JAMA Pediatrics, May 2014
Diet: Does Variety in Diet Hamper Microbial Diversity in the Gut? Contrary to expectations, fish with more diverse diets have a less diverse population of gut microbes. If this holds true for humans, it could mean that the variety of foods individuals eat can impact their gut microbe diversity. Ecology Letters, May 2014
Exercise: Vibration Exercise Helps Fibromyalgia Patients. Researchers at the University of Indiana have found that whole-body vibration exercise may reduce pain symptoms as well as improve the quality of life of individuals with fibromyalgia. Regular exercise is one of the best known therapies for fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Unfortunately, many fibromyalgia patients are reluctant to exercise due to fear of pain increasing with physical activity. Whole-body vibration exercise involves standing, sitting, or lying on a machine with a vibrating platform that causes muscles to contract and relax as the machine vibrates. Indiana University, May 2014
Chiropractic: Positive Expectations Improve Outcomes. Regardless of symptom severity, low back pain patients with more positive expectations appear to achieve better outcomes than patients who are neutral or negative about what to expect from chiropractic treatment. European Spine Journal, June 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Blood Test May Identify Patients at Risk of Cardiovascular Death. A study has identified a gene expression profile associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular death. Combined with other indicators such as biochemical markers and family history, a simple blood test may identify patients who could benefit from early treatment and counseling to reduce their heart attack risk. Senior author Dr. Gregory Gibson explains, “We envision that with our gene expression-based marker, plus some biochemical markers, genotype information and family history, we could produce a tiered evaluation of people’s risks of adverse coronary events.” Genome Medicine, May 2014
Quote: “The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.” ~ John Green
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s September 9 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, September 9th, 2013
Mental Attitude: Feeling Left Out? People who feel isolated are more inclined to make riskier financial decisions for bigger payoffs. The more often people felt excluded, the more they chose the longer odds for bigger lottery payoffs, took greater risks with their finances, bet on horse races, and gambled in casinos. In the absence of social support, forlorn consumers place more value on the power of money to secure what they want socially.
American Psychological Association, August 2013
Health Alert: Gluten-Free? The Food and Drug Administration explained that a new regulation regarding “gluten-free” foods is aimed at helping in the voluntary labeling of food products. Three million Americans have celiac disease. People with celiac disease have to avoid eating foods containing gluten, otherwise the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, affecting the proper absorption of vital nutrients into the bloodstream. For a food to be labeled as gluten-free, it must contain no more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Patients with celiac disease can tolerate this trace amount without experiencing adverse health effects. Food and Drug Administration, August 2013
Diet: Grape News! Compared to people who don’t eat grapes, consumers of fresh grapes (including raisins and 100% grape juice) eat more whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also had lower intakes of added sugars, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Journal of Food Science, August 2013
Exercise: Moderate Exercise Does Not Worsen Fibromyalgia Pain. While fibromyaglia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskelatal pain, moderate exercise (such as a brisk walk or light jog) for 20 minutes per day can actually help patients over the long term by improving sleep quality, decreasing fatigue, and decreasing pain levels.
Arthritis Care & Research, July 2013
Chiropractic: Meet The Average Patient. After a 2005 survey of over 200 chiropractic practices, researchers revealed the average chiropractic patient is a 44-46 year old female with back pain. Back pain accounted for 41-46% of chief complaints with other common complaints including neck pain and headaches. The average patient either sought out care on her own (self-referral) or was referred by a friend, family member, or acquaintance.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, November-December 2005
Wellness/Prevention: Pregnancy Food Risk! Laboratory tests on rats found that pregnant females who ate too many fatty and sugary foods while pregnant produced offspring that exhibited hyperactivity and stronger responses to alcohol and commonly abused drugs, like amphetamines. American Psychological Association, August 2013
Quote: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” ~ Greek proverb
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s June 17 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, June 17th, 2013
Mental Attitude: Stress and Problem Solving. People under high levels of chronic stress appear to have impaired problem-solving skills. In a study setting, they solved 50% fewer problems than their non-stressed peers. PLOS ONE, May 2013
Health Alert: Texting While Driving. Teens in the United States receive hundreds of text messages a day, but one message they aren’t getting is that they shouldn’t text and drive. 43% of high school students of driving age reported texting while driving at least once in the past 30 days. The specific act of texting while driving has been found to increase the risk of a crash by 23 times, leading many to conclude that texting while driving is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013
Diet: Low Vitamin D Levels and Cardiovascular Problems. Increased levels of vitamin D in the body result in lower levels of CRP (c-reactive protein) in the blood. High levels of CRP are associated with the hardening of blood vessels and a greater risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
American Journal of Medicine, May 2013
Exercise: Fibromyalgia and Exercise. For many people who have fibromyalgia, the thought of exercising is painful. However, a recent study shows that light to moderate exercise (light jogging or brisk walking for 20 minutes a day) over a prolonged period of time improves overall symptoms, such as fatigue and trouble sleeping, without increasing pain. Arthritis Care & Research, May 2013
Chiropractic: Recommended For Low Back Pain. According to a study based in the United Kingdom, chiropractic patients with low back pain improved markedly during the first three months of care with high patient satisfaction scores. Considering all costs of care, the study’s author suggests that chiropractic care be considered “in the wider context of health care delivery in the United Kingdom” for all patients with low back pain. University of Portsmouth, May 2013
Wellness/Prevention: Helmet Laws. 900 Americans die each year in bicycle crashes, with three-quarters of the fatalities from head injuries. Bicycle helmets save lives but only 21 US states have laws requiring bicyclists to wear helmets. States with mandatory helmet laws have lower rates of fatalities/incapacitating injuries after bicycle-motor vehicle collisions than states without helmet laws. Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013
Quote: “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.” ~ Lao Tzu
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
