Mental Attitude: Vitamin D Levels May Affect Progress of Parkinson’s.
In this study, researchers in the United Kingdom followed 145 newly-diagnosed Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients for 36 months and found that those with poorer vitamin D levels at baseline experienced more severe motor difficulties by the end of the study.
Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, October 2017
Health Alert: Working the Night Shift May Increase Your Waistline.
An in-depth review of 28 studies revealed that, on average, routinely working a night shift increases the risk of being overweight or obese by 29%. Connie Diekman, the director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, believes that sleep disruption is to blame because it affects eating habits and metabolism. She explains, “When people are awake when they should be sleeping, the hormones related to hunger and satiety appear to be thrown off, resulting in changes in eating, changes in metabolism, and a tendency to eat more than we need.” The findings should raise concerns, as 20% of the global workforce currently works at night.
Obesity Reviews, October 2017
Diet: Does Black Tea Boost Weight Loss?
A new study involving mice has revealed that compounds found in black tea increase the population of gut bacteria associated with lean body mass while reducing the presence of gut bacteria associated with obesity.
European Journal of Nutrition, October 2017
Exercise: How to Keep Running During Colder Months.
When cold weather approaches, you don’t have to give up jogging or head indoors to run on a treadmill. To keep your outdoor running on track in the chillier months, the American Podiatric Medical Association recommends the following: wear warm, light-weight, moisture-wicking clothing to keep yourself warm and dry, including a hat and gloves; shorten your running stride to increase stability and help prevent slipping on icy roads or sidewalks; stretch before and after each run to make sure your muscles are warmed up; and wear warmer appropriate running shoes that fit properly.
American Podiatric Medical Association, October 2017
Chiropractic: Trigger Point Pain Linked to Childhood Migraines.
Past research has demonstrated that dysfunction in the neck may play a role in the migraine headache process. In this study, researchers applied manual pressure to trigger points and non-trigger points in the trapezius muscle of 26 early adolescents with a history of migraines. Half of the subjects experienced a migraine headache when pressure was applied to a trigger point and none reported a migraine when researchers targeted a non-trigger point on the same muscle. The findings indicate that treatment aimed at resolving trigger points in the neck and upper back may reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches. Doctors of chiropractic commonly treat trigger points with manual therapy techniques.
European Journal of Pain, September 2017
Wellness/Prevention: Risk Factors for Sepsis.
Bloodstream infections, known as sepsis, claim the lives of six million people worldwide each year. To determine risk factors for this condition, Norwegian researchers reviewed records of nearly 2,000 sepsis patients and found that smoking, obesity, and an inactive lifestyle are a significant threat for blood poisoning. When these factors are combined, individuals face nearly a five-times greater risk of sepsis than their non-smoking, normal-weight, and active peers.
International Journal of Epidemiology, October 2017