Health News
Study Shows Estrogen Does Not Increase Heart Risk in Women
February 14, 2006
Estrogen does not increase the risk of heart disease for women in their fifties and may even be protective, according to a new analysis that reassures women it is safe to use the hormone. Millions of women stopped taking estrogen after earlier research concluded it was dangerous. The new findings should ease their concerns about heart disease.
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Bill Clinton's Plan to Fight Obesity in Kids
February 13, 2006
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and former President Bill Clinton have developed a plan in hopes of fighting childhood obesity in America. The alliance plans to work with food suppliers to provide low-cost healthy meals and snacks for students, and sporting goods suppliers to provide lower cost athletics equipment. The program will initially work with 253 schools in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
More than 9 million U.S. children over the age of 6 are considered obese, and during the past three decades, obesity rates tripled among U.S. children aged 6 to 11, according to data from the Johnson Foundation.
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High Mercury Levels Found in Californians
February 10, 2006
Californians who volunteered for a nationwide study of mercury contamination had among the worst levels, with nearly one-third of those tested having concentrations in their tissues that exceeded safe levels. Experts say that mercury exposure has little to do with proximity to pollution sources. Instead, it is determined by diet. Mercury concentrations in the study were strongly linked to how frequently the volunteers ate fish and other seafood, a finding that has been documented in other studies worldwide.
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Annual U.S. Cancer Deaths Fall for First Time in Seven Decades
February 9, 2006
In 2003 the number of U.S. cancer deaths fell for the first time in over 70 years. It is believed that prevention, detection and treatment of cancer are all improving survival rates. The cancer society provided year-by-figure figures from government records beginning in 1930.
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Older Women May Not Benefit From Low-Fat Diets
February 8, 2006
Recent results from a controlled dietary modification trial shows that low-fat diets failed to reduce certain health risks in postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 to 79 years. The findings were reported in three separate studies in the Feb. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Teflon Causes Concern
February 7, 2006
The chemical used to make Teflon and other products, known as PFOA, is already found in the blood of most Americans. PFOA is a suspected carcinogen and consumer groups have wanted it off the market for years, saying it's dangerous to people. A CBS News correspondent is reporting that scientists are now studying whether it is harming newborn babies.
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Red Meat and Bowel Cancer Link Explained
February 1, 2006
British scientists believe they have discovered why eating a diet rich in red meat seems to increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Diets high in red meat result in higher levels of damage to DNA, leaving the genetic code at greater risk of mutating and causing cancer, compared with vegetarian or higher fiber eating habits.
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Second-Hand Smoke Declared Toxic in California
January 27, 2006
A California agency voted to classify second-hand tobacco smoke as a "toxic air contaminant." This is the first agency to make such a move that could lead to further smoking bans in California, the state that has lead the way to health and environmental regulations on cigarette smoking.
Scientific studies in recent years have warned about the health impact from second-hand smoke and linked it to a wide array of ailments including heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory ailments, and breast cancer.
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Study Reveals Omega-3s May Not Reduce Cancer Risk
January 25, 2006
Studies suggests that Omega-3s may help reduce cardiovascular risk. It was hoped that these benefits may also help in reducing cancer risk. Research published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the evidence of such a benefit is weak. Similarly, the evidence that people who eat a diet rich in omega-3s suffer less from cancer is weak.
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Soy Protein May Not Offer Heart-Health Benefits
January 24, 2006
The American Heart Association has in the past strongly agreed that soy protein and soy products offered your heart health benefits. The isoflavones present in soy products were believed to help lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
The American Heart Association's new statement, which was published in the January 24 issue of Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association, states that there is no benefit for soy protein or isoflavones in lowering LDL cholesterol, improving HDL or triglycerides, or lowering on blood pressure.
Although soy protein may not play the role of reducing cardiovascular risk factors, it does still offer a source of protein that is low in saturated fat and high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fats. Soy products are still a great alternative to high fat proteins.
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Vary your fruit choices because different fruits offer different nutrients.
