Welcome to Sott.net
Fri, 29 Oct 2021
The World for People who Think

Health & Wellness
Map

Heart

Can you do 40 pushups? Harvard scientists say your risk of heart attack is over 30 times less

Jeff Haden
Inc.
Fri, 07 Jun 2019 00:01 UTC
pushups
© Getty Images


And even if you can't, every pushup you can do over a certain number can reduce your risk.

We all want to live long lives. We all want to live healthy lives. Health and fitness aren't just an outside interest; health and fitness can play a major role in your success. While the physical benefits clearly matter, the mental benefits of improved health and fitness on your professional and personal life -- perseverance, resilience, determination, and mental toughness -- are just as important.

But being healthy and fit is tough when the nature of most work involves sitting at a desk all day -- and, if you're an entrepreneur knee-deep in launching your startup, all evening, too.

But how can you determine the impact of a relatively sedentary professional lifestyle? Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the leading causes of premature death, making physical fitness assessments a strong predictor of health, but routine physicals don't include sophisticated tools like treadmill tests.

Comment: See also:

      Read More...
Pills

Are hair, skin and nail supplements a worthy investment?

Dr. Mercola
mercola.com
Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:51 UTC
beauty model
© karratha
Strong, shiny hair and fingernails (and toenails) that are smooth and uniform in color, and soft, glowing skin are typically viewed as some of the more visible signs of health. Most children have all of the above, but often with factors like stress hormones, oxidative stress and a less-than-healthy diet, your hair and nails can become dry and brittle, and your skin rough and blemished.

If you've ever roamed the aisles where supplements are stocked, no doubt you've noticed - and possibly even tried - vitamins or minerals advertising help for your hair, skin and nails. You also may have noticed that there are dozens of products to wade through. It's hard to know what will work and which will be a waste of money.

How possible is it for something in a capsule to make a difference? Can something that's good for your hair also help your skin, and vice versa? One thing that may make such questions even more complicated is the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't have the authority to regulate dietary supplements before they hit the market.1

While dermatologists may say they aren't in the habit of recommending supplements to healthy people, that doesn't mean they won't be beneficial. In fact, here's where they make themselves useful: Besides lifestyle changes, knowing the nutritional and supplemental choices you need to make can make all the difference.
      Read More...
Info

Understanding constipation

Jeff Glorfeld
Cosmos Magazine
Mon, 10 Jun 2019 05:40 UTC
Constipation
© Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images
Fewer than three bowel movements a week is a key sign that something's a bit wrong.
Have you heard about the new movie about constipation?

It's not out yet.
There is no shortage of jokes about constipation, but it's actually no laughing matter.

It is a common condition that affects people of all ages, with varying degrees of severity. Many people experience it briefly but for others it can be a chronic condition that causes significant pain and discomfort and affects their quality of life.

The US National Institute on Ageing, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, reports that "nearly everyone becomes constipated at one time or another", and that "constipation is a symptom, not a disease".

"Doctors do not always know what causes constipation," it adds.

A further complication is revealed in a new study by researchers from King's College London, in the UK, which finds that what many people see as constipation differs drastically from the definitions applied by doctors and contained in formal diagnosis guidelines.

Their report, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, identified six key sets of symptoms common to both the general public and doctors that could form the basis of a new medical definition for the condition.
      Read More...
SOTT Logo Radio

Objective:Health #18 - Attack of the Soyboys - The Feminization of Men‌‌


Sott.net
Sun, 09 Jun 2019 00:00 UTC
O:H header
We all know the stereotype of the Soyboy - males lacking in manliness, utterly subservient, usually declaring themselves to be a 'male feminist' and generally wallowing in the self-hating guilt of being an oppressive male. It's a clever meme based on the conception that soy consumption leads to a feminization in men. But it's just a meme, isn't it?

As with many examples, stereotypes are sometimes based on truth. Phytoestrogens, plant compounds naturally found in some of the foods we eat that mimic the hormone estrogen, particularly prevalent in soy, have been found in many scientific studies to cause this feminization, as well as playing havoc with the hormones of women. These findings are controversial (mostly because industry funded studies often come to the opposite conclusions), but it's a safe bet that there's at least some validity to the notion. Why take the risk?

On top of soy, there are a whole host of environmental chemicals that also have an estrogen mimicking effect. Called xenoestrogens, these chemicals are found in plastics, food additives, chemicals in body-care products, pesticides and herbicides - we are literally swimming in a sea of gender-bending chemicals 24 hours a day.

Today on Objective:Health, we provide a tentative answer to the proverbial question of our times: Where have all the real men gone? We also talk about how to avoid exposure to these feminizing chemicals, offer some solutions on detoxing foreign estrogenic compounds and give tips on boosting our own testosterone.


For other health-related news and more, you can find us on:
♥Twitter: https://twitter.com/objecthealth
♥Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/objecthealth/


Running Time: 01:13:04

Download: MP3 - 62.8 MB

      Read More...
Health

Twenty-four cases of the mumps confirmed at the University of Florida

Liz Crawford
WLTX
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 17:01 UTC
mumps

Caillin Heron
It all started when Caillin Heron's jaw started to hurt and she found it hard to chew.

That lead to a high fever, aches, pains and a severely swollen face. A few days later, the second army lieutenant and recent UF criminology graduate was diagnosed with the mumps.

As of Tuesday afternoon, University of Florida spokesperson Steve Orlando confirmed there are 24 cases of the mumps on campus. All 24 students were vaccinated.

Herron said it felt like a really bad flu and the worst face pain she'd ever experienced.

"At one point I was sleeping sitting up," said Herron.
      Read More...
Pills

Harvard researchers say certain ADHD medications may increase risk of psychosis

Jessica Bursztynsky
CNBC
Tue, 28 May 2019 14:40 UTC
Adderall
© Jb Reed | Bloomberg | Getty Images
30mg tablets of Shire Plc’s Adderall XR.
Certain medications commonly used to treat ADHD in teens and young adults may increase their risk of psychosis, according to new research from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital.

The potential of developing psychosis was greater in younger patients who take amphetamines, such as Adderall or Vyvanse, than those taking methylphenidates, such as Ritalin or Concerta, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

The researchers studied 13- to 25-year-olds. They defined psychosis as hallucinations, delusional disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features or unspecified psychosis.

Comment: Considering the fact that ADD/ADHD is diagnosed based on entirely subjective criteria, does it make any sense to medicate kids with a drug that has a laundry list of side effects including psychosis? Parents are being conned into drugging their kids into oblivion. God help us when this generation become adults.

See also:

      Read More...
Brain

Low carb and mental health: The food-mood connection

Dr. Georgia Ede, MD
Diet Doctor
Thu, 16 May 2019 00:01 UTC
ketogenic diet
Eating a low-carbohydrate whole-foods diet appears to be a powerful strategy for protecting and improving the health of the body. Could this same nutritional strategy benefit the brain as well? Emerging science and clinical experience suggest that the answer is a resounding yes.1

Many people think of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and ADHD as chemical imbalances that require medication, but how often do we stop to wonder what causes these chemical imbalances? While medications are clearly helpful and important for some individuals, one could argue that the most powerful way to change brain chemistry is through food - because that's where brain chemicals come from in the first place.

This logical idea has given birth to the new and exciting field of nutritional psychiatry, dedicated to understanding how dietary choices affect our mood, thinking, and behavior. Emerging science and real-world experiences are revealing this empowering and hopeful new message: feeding your brain properly has the potential to prevent and reverse symptoms of mental health disorders, and in some cases, help people reduce or even eliminate the need for psychiatric medications.

Comment: While the studies may be lacking for making a definitive recommendation, given the extent of anecdotal evidence, it would appear that low carbohydrate, high fat diets are extremely effective for mental and behavioural symptoms. One can wait for the studies to come in, or one can consider the weight of the evidence beyond studies. A little self-experimentation may be just what the doctor ordered.

See also:

      Read More...
Microscope 1

Anxiety may be alleviated by regulating gut bacteria


Science Daily
Mon, 20 May 2019 00:00 UTC
Gut microbes illustration.
© Credit: nobeastsofierce / Adobe Stock
Gut microbes illustration.
People who experience anxiety symptoms might be helped by taking steps to regulate the microorganisms in their gut using probiotic and non-probiotic food and supplements, suggests a review of studies published today in the journal General Psychiatry.

Anxiety symptoms are common in people with mental diseases and a variety of physical disorders, especially in disorders that are related to stress.

Previous studies have shown that as many as a third of people will be affected by anxiety symptoms during their lifetime.

Increasingly, research has indicated that gut microbiota -- the trillions of microorganisms in the gut which perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism by providing essential inflammatory mediators, nutrients and vitamins -- can help regulate brain function through something called the "gut-brain axis."

Recent research also suggests that mental disorders could be treated by regulating the intestinal microbiota, but there is no specific evidence to support this.

Therefore a team of researchers from the Shanghai Mental Health Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, set out to investigate if there was evidence to support improvement of anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota.
      Read More...
Water

New study shows humans breathe in, eat about 50,000 plastic particles a year

Damian Carrington
The Guardian
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 08:00 UTC
Microplastics in salt crystals
© Paulo Oliveira/Alamy
Tiny fragments and filaments of plastic in table salt crystals.
The average person eats at least 50,000 particles of microplastic a year and breathes in a similar quantity, according to the first study to estimate human ingestion of plastic pollution.

The true number is likely to be many times higher, as only a small number of foods and drinks have been analysed for plastic contamination. The scientists reported that drinking a lot of bottled water drastically increased the particles consumed.

The health impacts of ingesting microplastic are unknown, but they could release toxic substances. Some pieces are small enough to penetrate human tissues, where they could trigger immune reactions.

Microplastic pollution is mostly created by the disintegration of plastic litter and appears to be ubiquitous across the planet. Researchers find microplastics everywhere they look; in the air, soil, rivers and the deepest oceans around the world.

They have been detected in tap and bottled water, seafood and beer. They were also found in human stool samples for the first time in October, confirming that people ingest the particles.

Comment: See also:

      Read More...
Biohazard

Nipah virus case confirmed in Kerala, India - Authorities on high alert following outbreak last year


Sputnik
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 12:02 UTC
virus
© CC0
Last year's outbreak of the virus had a mortality rate of 70% and claimed at least 17 lives. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent it. It has flu-like symptoms that lead to encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain.

The first case of Nipah virus has been confirmed in the southern Indian state of Kerala after a 23-year-old man tested positive for the infection on Tuesday. The same virus claimed the lives of 17 people last year in Kerala, a coastal state in southern India. A state government source said four districts of the state are currently on high alert.

Initial reports suggest at least five people have been hospitalised in Kerala's Ernakulam district; 27 people are under close observation in the city of Thrissur and several others have also been under observation in Kollam and Idukki regions.

Comment: Other outbreaks reported recently:

      Read More...
Amazon Smile
Revolt! T-shirts