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Study: Consumers Value Safer Food More Than Current Analyses Suggest

By Guest PostFebruary 9, 2011Economy, Healthassess the value, brian roe, consumer behavior, contamination, cost benefit analyses, cost of illness, deaths, e coli, eat bad food, economic model, food borne illnesses, food safety, government regulators, hamburger, hypothetical scenarios, kidney damage, mario teisl, pathogen, predict, roe and teisl, shiga toxin, usda

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Government regulators could more realistically assess the value of improving food safety if they considered the fact that consumers typically want to avoid getting sick – even if it means they have to pay a little extra for safer food, researchers say.

In the world of food regulation, cost-benefit analyses are a primary tool for assessing the societal benefits of mandating more stringent – and more expensive – processing practices. In most cases, regulators determine a dollar value associated with pursuing new rules by estimating how many illnesses and deaths the safer processing would prevent. (more…)

Intelligence and Personality May Predict Illness and Death

By Guest PostFebruary 8, 2011Culture, Healthalcohol abuse, alexander weiss, better lives, cancer, cardiovascular disease, controlling factors, coronary heart disease, david batty, diet, Environment, fast driving, homicide, ian deary, intelligence, intelligence and personality, key personality trait, live longer, negative emotions, personality types, predictor, premature death, smarter people, traits, type d

Do smarter people live longer and better lives? Are certain personality types more prone to premature death than are others? As our population continues to age in dramatic numbers, these questions become increasingly relevant. A new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, provides an overview of research on possible associations between intelligence and personality traits and various health outcomes.

Although there is not much evidence to date that links intelligence with cancer, low intelligence has been shown to be related to increased risk of hospital admission and death due to cardiovascular disease. In addition, lower intelligence is associated with a greater incidence of accidents and risk of death by homicide than is higher intelligence. (more…)

Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Has More Anti-oxidants than Fruit Juices

By PravdaFebruary 7, 2011Healthacai berries, anti oxidants, cocoa, cranberries, dark chocolate, debra millar, flavanols, fruit juices, polyphenol, pomegranates

Forget fruit juice – chocolate could be an even better way to boost your health, new research shows.

Dark chocolate and cocoa have more anti-oxidant capacity than fruit juice, according to a study released Sunday in the Chemistry Central Journal. (more…)

‘Brain Can Learn to Overcome Sleep Apnea’

By Guest PostFebruary 3, 2011Healthairways, brain, brain chemical, breathe, depth of breathing, enhance breathing, john peever, noradrenaline, normal lung activity, north americans, obstructive sleep apnea, respiratory muscles, sleep apnea

*From sound science to sound sleep*

New research from U of T could provide some restful nights for the 18 million North Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

In a recent study that appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience, U of T scientists demonstrated that repeated obstruction of the airways requires release of the brain chemical noradrenaline. The release of this chemical helps the brain learn to breathe more effectively and purposefully. (more…)

Resolved to Quit Smoking? Brain Scans Predict Likely Success

By Guest PostJanuary 31, 2011Health, Sciencebrain activity, brain scans, carbon monoxide, cigarette, co, danielle whalen, elliot berkman, emily falk, fmri, functional magnetic resonance imaging, heavy smokers, matthew lieberman, medial prefrontal cortex, neural reactions, particular brain region, predict, predict behavior change, quit smoking, resolution, smokers, television ads

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Brain scans showing neural reactions to pro-health messages can predict if you’ll keep that resolution to quit smoking more accurately than you yourself can. That’s according to a new study forthcoming in Health Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal.

“We targeted smokers who were already taking action to quit,” said Emily Falk, the lead author of the study and director of the Communication Neuroscience Laboratory at the U-M Institute for Social Research and Department of Communication Studies. “And we found that neural activity can predict behavior change, above and beyond people’s own assessment of how likely they are to succeed. (more…)

Bartenders May Have Role in Assisting Troubled War Veterans

By Guest PostJanuary 31, 2011Healthtroubled veterans, troubled war veterans, war veterans

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For troubled war veterans, a friendly bartender can be the source of more than just drinks and a sympathetic ear. (more…)

Non-Alcoholic Energy Drinks May Pose ‘High’ Health Risks

By Guest PostJanuary 30, 20111 commentHealthalcohol, alcoholic energy drinks, amelia aria, caffeinated energy drinks, caffeine consumption, energy drinks, four loko, level of caffeine, manufacturers, mary claire o brien, mix alcohol and energy drinks, proactive steps to protect public health, public health, regulatory agencies

*Researchers Recommend Public and Private Action*

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Highly-caffeinated energy drinks – even those containing no alcohol – may pose a significant threat to individuals and public health, say researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

In a new online commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), they recommend immediate consumer action, education by health providers, voluntary disclosures by manufacturers and new federal labeling requirements. (more…)

Research Suggests HIV Causes Rapid Aging in Key Infection-fighting Cells

By Guest PostJanuary 29, 20111 commentHealthhiv, hiv positive people, infected adults, infection, rapid aging

In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, being infected with the virus that causes the disease was considered a virtual death sentence. But with the development of antiretroviral therapy, many with HIV are now living much longer. In fact, it is estimated that by 2015, about half of all HIV-positive individuals will be older than 50. (more…)

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