New evidence that popular dietary supplement may help prevent, treat cataracts – The popular dietary supplement carnosine may help to prevent and treat cataracts, revealed by researchers. Cataract a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide.
Component of vegetable protein glutamic acid may be linked to lower blood pressure in hypertension. – Consuming glutamic acid – an amino acid commonly found in vegetable protein – may be associated with lower blood pressure, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Your arteries on Wonder bread — Landmark study from Tel Aviv University shows how high carb foods cause heart attacks. – High carb foods like white bread, corn flakes, french fries, and sweetened soda, with high glycemic index, increase the risk for heart problems and are not good for heart health.
Women are under too much pressure to lose weight quickly after giving birth, according to German institute – Gaining weight in pregnancy is not only normal, it is necessary. The mother’s body has to nourish the growing baby. Her body needs to take on more fluid to support the extra circulation the placenta and baby need.
Study suggests obese women should not gain weight. Findings challenge American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. – For years, doctors and other health-care providers have managed pregnant patients according to guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Report updates guidelines on how much weight women should gain during pregnancy – Calls on health care providers to help women achieve a healthy weight before and during pregnancy. – A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.
Low levels of vitamin D linked to common vaginal infection in pregnant women – Findings may explain higher rates of infection among African-Americans. – Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) ? a common vaginal infection that increases a woman’s risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.
Following a healthy lifestyle is on the decline in the US – Researchers urge individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, particularly in middle age. – Despite the well-known benefits of having a lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of adults follow this healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining, according to an article published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Folic acid to prevent congenital heart defects – Researchers at the MUHC show the effectiveness of folic acid in preventing congenital heart defects. – The Canadian policy of fortifying grain products with folic acid has already proved to be effective in preventing neural tube defects. And the latest study shows that folic acid also decreases the incidence of congenital heart defects by more than 6%.
Climate change is the biggest health threat of the 21st Century, researchers claim. – A major report on managing the health effects of climate change, launched jointly by The Lancet and UCL (University College London) today, says that climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st Century.
Study in pregnant women suggests probiotics may help ward off obesity – One year after giving birth, women were less likely to have the most dangerous kind of obesity if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, found new research that suggests manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help fight obesity.
US Secretary Sebelius Highlights Two New Reports on Health Care Quality, Says Improving Quality is Key Component of Health Reform. – At a speech before the AFSCME Nurses Conference Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed two new HHS reports on the quality of health care in America and challenged hospitals to work to reduce health care associated infections.
