Topic: Health & Healing

A small, tantalizing new study shows that dark chocolate may help reduce hypertension.

The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter highlights a recent German study that found eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day reduces the top (systolic) blood pressure number by almost 3 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and the bottom (diastolic) blood pressure number by about 2 mm Hg.

A dash or two of herbs and spices might offer health benefits, according to the November issue of "Mayo Clinic Health Letter."

Studies are exploring the therapeutic benefits of many herbs and spices, for example, turmeric as an anti-inflammatory to help regulate the immune system, ginger to prevent or relieve postoperative nausea and garlic to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A collaborative group from the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, CA and in Japan, report that the herb rosemary contains an ingredient that fights off free radical damage in the brain. The active ingredient in rosemary, known as carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain from stroke and neurodegeneration that is due to injurious chemical free radicals.

Rosemary not only tastes good in culinary dishes such as Rosemary chicken and lamb, but scientists have now found it is also good for your brain. A collaborative group from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham Institute) in La Jolla, CA and in Japan, report that the herb rosemary contains an ingredient that fights off free radical damage in the brain. The active ingredient in rosemary, known as carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain from stroke and neurodegeneration that is due to injurious chemical free radicals. These radicals are thought to contribute not only to stroke and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, but also to the ill effects of normal aging on the brain.

A new Mayo Clinic study shows that massage therapy decreases pain levels for patients after heart surgery.

During a five-month period in 2005, 58 patients undergoing surgery participated in a pilot study to examine the effect of massage on pain after surgery. Of the 30 who received massage, the mean pain scores were less than 1 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the most painful.

University at Buffalo geologists are studying the surface characteristics of a broad range of naturally occurring antimicrobial clays, including some clays from France, to determine why they are such effective killers of bacteria, including MRSA.

What makes some clays such powerful antimicrobial agents capable of killing MRSA and other virulent bacteria? It's a question that University at Buffalo researchers have been studying for several years.

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UB professor Rossman Giese and colleagues
are studying the surface characteristics of
naturally occurring antimicrobial clays, some
of which have been shown to kill MRSA.

Vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements can help complement a healthy diet and lifestyle, but consumers shouldn’t count on them to boost their immune response, says the new edition of a Harvard Medical School report, "The Truth About Your Immune System: What you need to know."

The immune system defends the body against invading microbes such as bacteria and viruses. Many supplement manufacturers claim their products “support” immunity. But so far, there is not enough scientific evidence to back up the claims. The reason, according Michael N. Starnbach, Ph.D., the Harvard Medical School expert who edited The Truth About Your Immune System, is that science has not yet determined what level of immune system cells will best help the body resist disease. While some proponents of vitamins and supplements claim that boosting the number of immune cells improves immunity, that link has yet to be established. The variety of immune cells is vast, and their interactions remain largely unknown.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the topical use of an extract from broccoli sprouts can protect you skin in ways that mere sunscreens can't.

A team of Johns Hopkins scientists reports in this week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that humans can be protected against the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation — the most abundant cancer-causing agent in our environment — by topical application of an extract of broccoli sprouts.

A new study has found that, on average, European-Americans claim to be happy in general – more happy than Asian-Americans or Koreans or Japanese – but are more easily made less happy by negative events, and recover at a slower rate from negative events, than their counterparts in Asia or with an Asian ancestry.

Are you happy? Well don't try to be happier; you might become less happy. That is the gist of a multi-cultural study published this month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

New books share a young woman's journey and celebration to find peace of mind, body and soul. After 32 years of physical and mental abuse, deep depression, drug abuse, homelessness, and four suicide attempts, a young woman discovers the power and beauty of her mind and soul to find peace, and heal a broken spirit.

Why? and Windows of the Moment are companion books written by Shaheer Sehyogi and represent a testament to the inner strength and power of the human spirit to overcome insurmountable odds.

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A panel discussion hosted by the UCLA School of Public Health on the potential impact changes in climate could have on people’s health warned of a rise in water-and food-borne illness and infectious diseases. The panelists discussed what individuals, the public health community, and state and local government can do to prepare.

Preparedness was a recurrent theme during a panel discussion hosted by the UCLA School of Public Health on the potential impact changes in climate could have on people’s health. More than 300 people attended the Climate Change Summit, where climate change and environmental health experts provided insight on ways climate change such as rising temperatures and severe weather-related events could increase the rates of water- and food-borne illness, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by air pollution, and heat-related illness and death. The panelists discussed what individuals, the public health community, and state and local government can do to put in place preparedness plans to prevent weather-related illness and mortality.