Vitamins A, C and E don't help you live longer

Antioxidant vitamins, including A, E and C, don’t help you live longer, according to an analysis of dozens of studies of these popular supplements.
The new review showing no long-life benefit from those vitamins, plus beta carotene and selenium, adds to growing evidence questioning the value of these supplements. ...more

Health Tip: Sterilize Your Child's Toys

HealthDay News) -- Children's toys can harbor plenty of bacteria and viruses. To reduce the spread of illness, children's toys should be regularly disinfected.
To disinfect washable, color-safe toys, the Mississippi Department of Health says you should wash them thoroughly in warm, soapy water. Then fully rinse the toys of the soap-and-water solution.
Next, soak the toys for five minutes in a solution of 3/4 of bleach diluted in one gallon of water. Be sure to rinse the toys thoroughly, then dry. ...more

Low-fat dairy food may hurt fertility

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women who eat low-fat dairy foods may have a higher risk of infertility than those who treat themselves to full-fat ice cream or cheese, surprised U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They found that women who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy foods a day had an 85 percent higher risk of a certain type of infertility than women who ate less than one serving of low-fat dairy food a week. ...more

1 in 4 women have STD linked to cervical cancer

One in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with the sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer, according to the first broad national estimate.
The figure is mostly in line with previous assessments. The highest prevalence — nearly 45 percent — was found in young women within the age range recommended for a new virus-fighting vaccine, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ...more

10 things your hospital won't tell you

Oops, wrong kidney."
In recent years, errors in treatment have become a serious problem for hospitals, ranging from operations on wrong body parts to medication mix-ups.
At least 1.5 million patients are harmed every year from being given the wrong drugs, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. That's an average of one person per U.S. hospital per day.
One reason these mistakes persist: Only 10% of hospitals are fully computerized and have a central database to track allergies and diagnoses, says Robert Wachter, the chief of medical service at UC San Francisco Medical Center. ...more

Spit Tobacco No Substitute for Quitting Smoking

Men who switch from cigarettes to spit tobacco aren't getting the same benefits as they would if they quit, new research from the American Cancer Society. Men who gave up cigarettes for chewing tobacco or snuff still had higher death rates from lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke than men who quit smoking without taking up another form of tobacco. They also had higher death rates from these tobacco-related illnesses than men who never smoked.
The study, published in the latest issue of Tobacco Control, is the first to compare men who quit smoking with those who switched from smoking to spit tobacco. It shows that switching to spit tobacco isn't a good alternative to quitting smoking. ...more

Strong exercise may cut breast cancer risk

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Strenuous exercise -- such as lap swimming, aerobics and running -- appears to cut the risk of some breast cancers in women, a study said on Monday.
While it is still not clear how hard or long women need to exercise, the study adds to a growing body of evidence that rigorous activity lowers breast cancer risk.
The team at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said exercise may reduce cancer risk through changes in metabolism and the immune system, and by reducing weight gain.
The study, appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 110,599 women in California whose health histories were tracked from 1995 onward. ...more

Want to stop disease from spreading? Open a window

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Preventing the spread of disease in a hospital may be as simple as opening a window, an international team of researchers reported on Monday.

The low-tech solution could help prevent the spread of airborne infections such as tuberculosis -- and ironically, old-fashioned hospitals with high ceilings and big windows may offer the best design for this, they reported.
They worked better than modern "negative pressure" rooms, with expensive design aimed at pumping out infected air, the researchers report in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine. ...more

Study: Garlic won't lower cholesterol

CHICAGO - Garlic doesn't do much for the breath and it stinks for lowering cholesterol. That's the conclusion of the most rigorous, head-to-head study of raw garlic and popular garlic supplements, despite promoters' claims to the contrary.

Whether it was eaten raw in heart-healthy sandwiches, or in pills made of powdered or aged garlic, the strong-smelling herb had no effect on cholesterol in people whose levels were already elevated, the government-funded study found. ...more

Common painkillers raise heart risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Popular painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can raise blood pressure and thus the risk of heart disease among men, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Men who took such drugs for most days in a week were about one-third more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure than men not taking them, the researchers found.
Their findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reinforce a study published in 2002 that these commonly used drugs raise blood pressure in women ...more

Pig-Out Picks

When the nation’s unofficial food police, the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, evaluated popular restaurant dishes such as fettuccine Alfredo (“heart attack on a plate”) and Kung Pao chicken (“more than a day’s worth of salt”), the results made headlines and turned heads. But—how does that saying go?—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Make that you ain’t eatin’ nothin’ yet.

On Monday, Feb. 26, CSPI announced its eight “X-treme Eating” nominees from various chain restaurants. This selection includes appetizers, entrées and desserts that each has almost a day’s worth of calories and several days’ worth of unhealthy fats. Here’s an MSN Health & Fitness exclusive look at the gut-busting choices.

Pizza Skins: The Center for Science in the Public Interest calls appetizers “the most treacherous territory on a restaurant menu.”...more

BJ's recalls mushrooms on E. coli suspicion

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. said Tuesday it was recalling packages of fresh mushrooms after it a routine inspection revealed the possible presence of the deadly bacteria E. coli.
The warehouse club operator said the products affected were Wellsley Farms brand fresh mushrooms purchased between February 11 and February 19, 2007.
Video
More video
Simple safety steps can help prevent one of the most serious food borne illnesses. CNN's Judy Fortin reports (February 2)
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The company, which had not received any reports of illness, said it had removed all the potentially affected products from its shelves as a precaution.
Customers who had purchased the product are encouraged not to eat it and may return the unused portion for a full refund. ...more

Q & A with T. Colin Campbell

Curing Depression using diet

Whats the Healthiest Diet?

Raising Your HDL Levels

Increasing the GOOD cholesterol
While it has been known for a number of years that high HDL cholesterol levels (the "good" cholesterol) seem to confer some degree of protection from heart disease, until relatively recently almost all the attention in the "cholesterol wars" has been focused on lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels (the "bad" cholesterol.) Click here for a quick review of cholesterol and triglycerides.
It was not until the last few years that low HDL cholesterol levels have been recognized as an independent risk factor for heart disease. That is, even if their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels are normal, people with reduced levels of HDL have an increased risk of early coronary artery disease. (HDL levels, to be considered "normal," should be at least 35 - 40 mg/DL.) ...more

The future of Robot Arms

Stealth Salt

Your salad dressing has a dirty little secret. (Your bran muffin and ham sandwich are in on it, too.) These foods—and, indeed, nearly everything you might eat in a day—are loaded with a mineral that some experts fear may be slowly killing you. It's sodium, and even if you don't have high blood pressure, you need to start thinking about it. ...more

The 20 Best Medicines for Men

Talk to any user and he'll say the same thing: If you want the inside dope on drugs, you go to a drug dealer. And there's none more knowledgeable about over-the-counter drugs than a pharmacist. Well, there is actually one source that's smarter: 3,000 pharmacists. ...more

Women's HealthPrintThe Best and Worst Drugs for Women

Don't look now, but you have a drug problem.
Yes, you—and your mother, too. In fact, all women do. We're 50 to 70% more likely to suffer bad reactions to the drugs we take, studies show—and our side effects tend to be more serious. We're close to a third more likely than a man to quit taking the medicine we've been prescribed, at least for some diseases—even if stopping increases the risk of death. Just as bad, says Marianne Legato, MD, founder and director of the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine in New York City, some of the drugs we take simply may not help us get well. "Doctors need to pay attention to this," she says. "But too often, they don't ...more

9 Ways to Make Your Kids Smarter

Is intelligence an inherited gift or can it be nurtured and enhanced by the right environment? The answer appears to be both. While intelligence clearly has a genetic component, scientific research is beginning to show that certain approaches boost learning and mental development in young minds. The following slides summarize proven strategies for building your child's brainpower.

Make music: Listening to your child play the trombone isn't always a pleasurable experience, but music lessons can be a fun way to engage in right-brain learning. According to a study by University of Toronto researchers, organized music lessons appear to benefit children's IQ and academic performance—and the more years the student takes lessons, the greater the effect. The study found that taking music lessons in childhood was a clear predictor of better grades in high school and a higher IQ in adulthood. So help your children release their inner Mozart, sign them up for the school band or private lessons.

By Korey Capozza for MSN Health & Fitness ...more

Full Copy Of Coke's "Fat-Burning" Enviga Study

We've got a a copy of the study Coke based its controversial fat-burning claims for Enviga, the quaintly titled, "Effect of a Thermogenic Beverage on 24-Hour Energy Metabolism in Humans." The study, published in the February issue of Obesity, says it,
...provides evidence that consumption of a beverage containing green tea catechins, caffeine, and calcium increases 24-hour EE by 4.6%, but the contribution of the individual ingredients cannot be distinguished. Although this increase is modest, the results are discussed in relation to proposed public health goals, indicating that such modifications are sufficient to prevent weight gain. When consumed regularly as part of a healthy diet and exercise regime, such a beverage may provide benefits for weight control.(emphasis added)
We're no scientists but this sounds like the same marketing speak that makes eating only Special K an effective diet strategy....more

Cooked Chicken Breasts Join Tainted-Food Recalls

MONDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The drumroll for tainted food continued Monday with a nationwide recall of Oscar Mayer chicken breast strips for bacterial contamination.
The recall by Carolina Culinary Foods of West Columbia, S.C., involves 52,650 pounds of fully cooked chicken breasts produced on Jan. 9 and distributed nationwide to retailers.
The six-ounce packages are labeled "OSCAR MAYER/LOUIS RICH CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS WITH RIB MEAT, GRILLED, FULLY COOKED -- READY TO EAT." Each package has the number "P-19676" inside the USDA inspection mark on front and a use-by-date of "19 Apr 2007" on back.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a sample of the meat tested in Georgia was contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, a rare but serious infection. There have been no reported cases of illness linked to the recalled chicken, the agency said....more

Cantaloupes tested positive for salmonella

The Dole Fresh Fruit Company recalled several thousand cartons of imported cantaloupes after the fruit tested positive for salmonella. The recall, which covers the eastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec, is the second prompted by salmonella fears this week. On Wednesday, ConAgra Foods recalled its Peter Pan brand and certain batches of Wal-Mart’s Great Value house brand of peanut butter after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 300 people in 39 states. Dole said there had been no reports of illness as a result of the contaminated cantaloupes, which were grown in Costa Rica.

Slow Burn: How Aging Affects Metabolism

If you think you’ve put on a few extra pounds because your metabolism has slowed down, you may be only half right. It could be you who’s slowed down. Does metabolism really slow with age? Can things like green tea or diet aids speed it up? What works? Here’s a refresher on how your body burns energy and what you need to do to take those pounds off.....more

Recalled Peanut Butter On Local Shelves

The government has issued a massive recall of some of the more popular brands of peanut butter.The Food and Drug Administration is warning that it could make people very sick, WESH 2 News reported.All varieties of Peter Pan peanut butter and Great Value peanut butter, which are both manufactured by ConAgra, are being recalled. The questionable jars all start with the product code No. 2111....more

Cardio Exercises to Burn Major Calories!

The best cardio exercise is simply the one you will do day in and day out consistently. Choose one which you enjoy doing and don't be afraid to mix the exercises up. Interval cardio work consists of moving from one exercise to another in set time intervals. For example, you could do the elliptical trainer for 15 minutes, then switch to the stationary bike for another 15 minutes and finish off on the treadmill for the last 15 minutes. Interval training is a great way to keep everything fresh!

There are two schools of though when it comes to cardio training. The "slow & steady" group and the "high intensity" group. These two groups breakdown like this:

Slow & Steady Cardio
Long duration (45min - 1 hour)
Low intensity
Burn fat and not carbs
Preserve joints
High Intensity Cardio
Short duration (20min - 30min)
High intensity (interval training)
Burn tons of calories & rev up your metabolism throughout the day
Treat cardio like weights - explosive movements (sprinting, etc)

Our advice is to try both for at least 6 weeks and make sure to monitor your progress with a journal and take weekly photos of yourself to see if you're truly losing body fat.
Which Cardio Exercise Burns the Most Calories?Below are the top 10 cardio exercises which burn the most calories in 30 minutes.

1. Step Aerobics - one of the most favorite cardio exercises preferred by women. Step Aerobics mainly target your legs, hips and glutes, and can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

2. Bicycling - stationary or outdoors is a great cardio exercises, depending on resistance and speed can but 250 to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

3. Swimming - like cross-country skiing is an excellent cardio exercises as it is a full body exercises. Swimming is a great cross-training for other cardio activities. Doing the breast stroke can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

4. Racquetball - side to side sprinting makes racquetball and excellent cardio exercises. A 145-lb person burns over 400 calories in 30 minutes.

5. Rock Climbing - is not only a cardio exercises, but also uses arm and leg strength and power. Rock Climbing can burn up to 380 calories in 30 minutes.

6. Cross-Country Skiing - whether on a machine or outdoors on snow, is an incredible cardio exercises as it involves both upper and lower body. A 145 lb person can burn approx 330 calories in 30 minutes.

7. Running - Running is an excellent cardio exercises because all you need is a pair of quality running shoes. Running burns serious calories. A 145 LB person can easily burn 300 calories in 30 minutes.

8. Elliptical Trainer - is an excellent cardio exercises and a great way to build endurance. A 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

9. Rowing - is both a cardio exercises as well as giving your arms an incredible workout. 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

10. Walking - Brisk walking is a less strenuous form of cardio exercises. Walking can burn up to 180 calories in 30 minutes. Sprinting, adding hills or an incline can increase amount of calories burned.

For the real high intensity cardio people out there who love the H.I.I.T training (High Intensity Interval Training), below are the top three cardio exercise which will provide amazing results!

1. Jumping Rope - This is one of the simplest, yet most effective exercises one can do. In just 15 to 20 minutes, jumping rope will give you an unparalleled total body workout. Jumping rope is ideal for cardiovascular endurance and enhances performance in virtually any sport - tennis, basketball, football, skiing, volleyball and more. This simple exercise is also great for eye-hand coordination, lateral movement, foot and hand speed and agility.

2. Sprinting - Sprinting not only burns HUGE amounts of calories while sprinting, it also keeps your metabolism flying for days after. Sprinting combined with running / jogging can bring amazing results

3. Spinning - These high-intensity workouts to music simulate a challenging bike ride, complete with hills, valleys and varying speeds, all dictated by the group instructor.

Get Moving!

By Carol Krucoff for PreventionProfessor Frank Booth, Ph.D, was out for his daily run one spring morning in 2000, pondering one of the toughest problems facing public health officials these days: how to get the nearly 70 percent of Americans who don't regularly exercise to start moving. "Everyone knows exercise is good for them, but many don't realize it's a matter of life and death," says Dr. Booth, who teaches biomedical science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. "My father was in advertising, so I know how important a short, catchy name is to grab people's attention and change the way they think and behave. Running always helps my creativity, and the name Sedentary Death Syndrome just popped into my head." Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS) may be a little too scientific to be catchy. But it needs to catch on. Because what it means, says Dr. Booth, is that "inactivity kills."Dead Man SittingIn fact, sitting kills more than 300,000 Americans annually. If it were a real disease, that would make SeDS the third leading cause of death in the United States, right after heart disease and cancer. But SeDS is more than one disease. Being sedentary is linked to a wide range of debilitating ailments -- from diabetes and depression to osteoporosis, certain cancers, and even sexual dysfunction. It affects nearly three out of four adults and a growing number of children and is projected to cost the United States $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.Though it's not yet a household word, the SeDS concept has caught on with a growing number of exercise scientists. Dr. Booth used his own money to start "Researchers against Inactivity-Related Disorders," or RID, an organization advocating governmental support for research into the disorders associated with sedentary living. A founding group of 40 RID members unveiled the concept of SeDS on Capitol Hill in 2001. Today, the group has more than 400 members in 19 countries. (Just sitting around is apparently a worldwide phenomenon. Last year, the World Health Organization announced that about 2 million deaths annually worldwide are attributed to sedentary lifestyles and chose physical activity as the theme for World Health Day.)

Study links depression with early heart disease symptoms

Depression and its physical symptoms, such as loss of appetite and fatigue, can increase the risk of the early signs of heart disease, according to a new study. Researchers looking at 324 men and women found that those who had mild or moderate depression had greater progression of hardening of the arteries and increase of the artery wall. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (2/6)

Report: Americans consuming heart-healthier diets

Americans came closer to following heart-healthy diets between 1980 and 2002, but there has been either little improvement or trends in the wrong direction for the areas of energy balance, sodium intake and fish intake, according to a new study. The areas in which Americans have shown improvement, however, include eating more fruits and vegetables, total grain, and whole grain and drinking less alcohol. Reuters (2/8)

Study: Diabetics urged to exercise, but many don't

Fewer than 40% of people with Type 2 diabetes get exercise, despite doctors' common advice to them to get active, according to a new study. A previous study found that nearly three-quarters of diabetics said their doctors advised them to exercise, and research released today shows those with the strongest warnings to get exercise were those least likely to comply. The Washington Post/Associated Press (free registration) (1/26)

Research shows possible new health benefit of olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil may have the potential to prevent or treat Helicobacter pylori infections that are known to cause gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, Spanish researchers said. The study found the oil's healthful phenolic compounds had a strong antibacterial effect against multiple H. pylori strains, including antibiotic-resistant strains. United Press International (2/7)

Review finds no proof of diabetes benefit from zinc

A review of randomized clinical trials offers no evidence that zinc supplements can help prevent Type 2 diabetes, however researchers assert that zinc does assist in the production and action of insulin, according to a new report. The authors of the report say that among the 192 clinical trials they analyzed, only one met their content and quality criteria for inclusion in the review and that study showed no effect from zinc on diabetes. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (1/24)