Medical Tidbits
25 May 2009
During long plane flights I always ask for a glass of wine with dinner. Wine helps me to catnap and relieve the boredom of night travel. But why does red wine cause drowsiness? In the past we understood that melatonin, a soporific, was only produced by mammals. Now, a report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture claims that melatonin is also produced by plants. Italian scientists report that the skin of grapes used to make red wine contains high levels of melatonin. So enjoy your merlot or cabernet sauvignon for relaxation and sleep.
Obesity : Threat To U. S. Security?
The U.S. army won the Battle of the Bulge 60 years ago. But Major General Thomas Bostick says tens of thousands of army recruits are being rejected due to obesity. This comes at a time when the army is struggling to meet recruiting quotas. Bostick’s solution? He says there should be an army-run fat camp for new recruits which would include a strict dietary and fitness program. This is sad commentary on the state of young people when 30 percent of recruits are unfit for military service and another 30 percent need to lose weight before being accepted. Luckily for the U.S. its enemies are also facing the battle of the bulge. All countries need a major wake-up call to stop this insidious epidemic.
Do CT scans Increase The Risk Of Cancer From Radiation?
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that the increased use of CT scans with higher doses of radiation means that the general population is receiving a marked increase in radiation exposure. It states that at the moment the risk is not large, but is measurable. Diagnostic procedures that require CT scans are necessary, but there’s reason to suspect some are not needed. And down the road I believe increased exposure to radiation will result in adverse results for some patients.
Eat Apples To Prevent Brain Damage
The old saw that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” needs an upgrade. Researchers at Cornell University suggest that an antioxidant, quercetin, that occurs in apples, helps to protect against brain damage. Antioxidants remove free radicals, the garbage that’s left over after food is metabolized by the body. Dr. C.Y. Lee, food science professor at Cornell, says that the highest levels of quercetin are found in the apple skins. So drinking apple juice is not the best source of this antioxidant. Moreover, red apples have higher levels of quercetin than yellow or green ones. Quercetin is also present in blueberries, cranberries and onions.
A Surprising New Way to Prevent Osteoporosis
A report from Tufts University, Boston, shows there’s much more to having healthy bones than taking calcium , vitamin D and exercising. Researchers at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging studied the BMD (bone mineral density) on 344 men and 540 women. They also investigated their intake of vitamin C from food and supplements for four years. Men taking 250 milligrams of vitamin C daily had less bone loss. Most people do not know that vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen that constitutes 90 percent of bone matrix. Moreover, vitamin C, like quercetin, is an antioxidant and this also helps to protect bone from the stress of aging.
Cranberry Extract May Decrease Risk of Colon Cancer
Studies show that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. Now researchers report that cranberry extracts may have the same effect. In the study, colon cancer cells were exposed to cranberry extract and like NSAIDs cranberry extract also triggered an anti-inflammatory response. Further research is needed to see if cranberry extract will help to decrease the number of people dying of large bowel malignancies. Since writing about how effective Cranberry Women’s Formula is in decreasing the risk of recurrent urinary infections, I continue to get inquiries about it . For more information see the web site www.fruitessentials.com or call the toll free number1-877-328-3784
