Dr Beecher’s March 2 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 2nd, 2015
Mental Attitude: Are Girls Around the World Smarter Than Boys? After analyzing educational data collected during a ten-year period concerning 1.5 million 15-year-old boys and girls from around the world, an international team of researchers from the University of Missouri and the University of Glasgow claims that girls outperform boys in reading, math, and science in 70% of the countries they studied. This finding challenges the widely-held belief that boys generally perform better in these subjects. Study author Dr. David Geary adds, “Even in countries where women’s liberties are severely restricted, we found that girls are outperforming boys in reading, mathematics, and science literacy by age 15, regardless of political, economic, social, or gender equality issues and policies found in those countries.” Intelligence, January 2015
Health Alert: Colon Cancer Rates on the Rise Among Americans Under 50. An analysis of National Cancer Institute data reveals that overall colon cancer rates fell by roughly 1% every year between 1975 and 2010. However, the rate of colon cancer among people ages 20 to 34 actually rose 2% annually and individuals between ages 35 and 49 saw a half-percent yearly increase during the same time period. Study co-author Dr. Jason Zell writes, “Multiple research organizations have shown that colon cancer is rising in those under 50, and our study found the same, particularly among very young adults… Which means that the epidemiology of this disease is changing, even if the absolute risk among young adults is still very low.” Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, December 2014
Diet: Green Tea Ingredient May Help Kill Oral Cancer Cells. Scientists have found that a compound in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving other cells alone, though the precise mechanism is unknown. Because this process appears to happen without causing any damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, this findings may lead to treatments for oral as well as other types of cancer in the future.
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, January 2015
Exercise: Talk Yourself Up! Cyclists who underwent motivational self-talk training experienced enhancements in their power output and breathing capacity that led to improvements on time trials that were not achieved by cyclists in a control group that received no such training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, March 2015
Chiropractic: New Study Demonstrates Positive Changes Following Chiropractic Care. Using a special x-ray process called video fluoroscopy, researchers were able to produce real-time video images that demonstrate the benefits of spinal manipulation performed by chiropractors. In the study, they identified spinal joint fixations and then observed the joint’s behavior after a chiropractic physician adjusted that region of the spine. The video showed a significant improvement in motion on the treated vertebrae, supporting the use of chiropractic care to restore joint motion. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, February 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Good Bedtime Habits Result in Better Sleep for Kids. Sleep researchers say that children obtain better sleep in the presence of household rules and regular sleep-wake routines. Researchers evaluated 1,103 American households with children ages 6 to 17 years old and found that within the family dynamic, a consistent bedtime routine improved sleep, whereas television use in the bedroom generally was associated with reduced sleep. Researcher Dr. Orfeu Buxton adds, “Good quality and sufficient sleep are vital for children. Just like a healthy diet and exercise, sleep is critical for children to stay healthy, grow, learn, do well in school, and function at their best.” Sleep Health, January 2015
Quote: “Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” ~ Margaret Thatcher
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 December 23 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, December 23rd, 2013
Mental Attitude: Meditation May Slow Progression of Dementia. A small study of adults with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (which may progress to dementia) divided participants into two groups. One group participated in Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) using meditation and yoga. The other group served as a control. The MBSR group participated in a day-long retreat, met as a group for two hours a week, and was encouraged to meditate at home for 15-30 minutes per day. After just eight weeks, brain scans of MBSR group participants showed positive improvements related to memory and cognitive function. This may indicate a slowing in dementia progression. Neuroscience Letters, November 2013
Health Alert: Depression Worldwide! When compared to other diseases and injuries, “major depressive disorder” (MDD) ranked as the second leading cause of global disability and 11th leading cause of global burden (quality years lost to disability). PLoS Medicine, November 2013
Diet: Green Tea Slows Prostate Cancer Progression. New research shows that green tea polyphenols may help slow or prevent some types of cancer. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that premalignant prostate lesions were three times less likely to progress to malignant tumors in men who took a 600mg green tea catechins supplement daily for a year (9% vs. 30% in the control group). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2013
Exercise: Combat Health Conditions! No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and falls. Mayo Clinic, November 2013
Chiropractic: Herniated vs. Bulging Disks? Disks act as cushions between the vertebrae in your spine. They’re composed of an outer layer of tough cartilage that surrounds softer cartilage in the center. A bulging disk extends outside the space it should occupy. The bulge typically affects a large portion of the disk, so it may look a little like a hamburger that’s too big for the bun. A herniated disk results when a tear in the outer layer of cartilage allows some of the inner cartilage to protrude out of the disk. The protrusion of inner cartilage in a herniated disk usually happens in one distinct area. Herniated disks are also called ruptured disks or slipped disks. Mayo Clinic, November 2013
Wellness/Prevention: Stressed Mothers and Offspring. Female rats born to mothers who had been through stressful life events prior to pregnancy showed increased expression of the CRF1 gene (a gene that mediates the body’s response to stress) in the frontal cortex, the part of the brain involved in emotional regulation and decision making. When the female offspring were exposed to stress, they behaved differently than female offspring whose mothers were not stressed prior to pregnancy. This finding is a part of a growing body of evidence that a parent’s experiences can affect their offspring, even before conception takes place. Biological Psychiatry, November 2013
Quote: “There is little success where there is little laughter.” ~ Andrew Carnegie
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 March 4 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 4th, 2013
Mental Attitude: Young Adults Are Stressed-Out! A recent study shows adults ages 18-33 years old are more likely to report higher stress levels than those outside of their age range. Furthermore, 53% said they received little or no support for stress management from their health care provider.
American Psychological Assoc, February 2013
Health Alert: Mini Stroke? Each year 500,000 Americans experience mini strokes called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Symptoms usually go away within an hour, but 10-15% of people who experience TIAs will experience full-blown strokes within 3 months, and 40% of these strokes will occur within the first 24 hours! A TIA is caused by a temporary blockage, typically a blood clot, in a blood vessel in the brain. Symptoms are similar to a stroke and include numbness or paralysis on one side of the body, vision changes, trouble speaking, difficulty with balance or walking, and sudden severe headache.
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, February 2013
Diet: Low-Calorie Meals and Restaurant Finances. Restaurants that introduced more low-calorie options had a 5.5% increase in sales compared to a 5.5% decline among the restaurants that didn’t offer such options. In
fact, they had a 10.9% growth in customer traffic versus a 14.7% decline in the other restaurants.
Hudson Institute, February 2013
Exercise: More Reasons. Regular exercise reduces the likelihood of developing low-back problems, as well as improving balance and coordination. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996
Chiropractic: Colic and Chiropractic. A review of six randomized trials involving 325 infants suggests infants who received gentle, low-velocity manipulation treatments had a reduction in crying an average of one hour and twelve minutes a day, and had no adverse effects. Cochrane Review, December 2012
Wellness/Prevention: Tea and Wine. Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer’s disease pathway. In early-stage experiments, researchers identified the process which allows harmful clumps of protein to latch on to brain cells, causing them to die. They were able to interrupt this pathway using the purified extracts of EGCG from green tea and resveratrol from red wine.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, February 2013
Quote: “Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many.” ~ Mark Twain
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 .
