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How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution
Dr. Marianne Legato explains that the male "Y chromosome", which at one point was called a wasteland, has genes responsible for the "housekeeping issues" in tissues. It's not just dedicated exclusively to male fertility and determining the male sex in the developing fetus. The aspect that is not appreciated about the Y chromosome, is that because it's exterior, and because so many sperm are produced in any given day, the mutations are enormous. And It is the Y chromosome, actually, that is driving evolution. It gives us a huge palette of mutations to choose from as we go on from generation to generation. It's the Y chromosome that drives evolution in a very important way. (Read more about How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution)
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Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women
Research conducted by The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition finds that women who eat yogurt frequently are less likely to be overweight and more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of important nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. The fourteen day study followed the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older. Thirteen percent of these women ate three or more servings of yogurt over a two week period. In this group, the women on average had a 15% lower body mass index compared with women who consumed no yogurt. (Read more about Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women)
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American Children Are Not Consuming Enough Milk
A recent study from Penn State has found that American children are drinking insufficient amounts of milk and the dairy they are choosing to consume are very high in fat. The study examined a children's daily dairy intake and compared it with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid dairy recommendations. The findings revealed that only 2 to 3 year olds met the MyPyramid dairy recommendations. It was also observed that most children choose to eat more of the highest fat varieties of cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and dairy based toppings. (Read more about American Children Are Not Consuming Enough Milk)
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All Types of Alcohol Linked to Breast Cancer Risk
A recent study by Kaiser Permanente Researchers has found that the effects of alcohol on breast cancer are the same, regardless of whether a woman drinks wine, beer, or liquor. The ethyl alcohol found in those drinks and the quantity consumed are the factors that weigh heavily on breast cancer risk. Researchers believe the increased risk from three or more drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or more. They claim that "Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer, but until now there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independant role played by the choice of beverage type." (Read more about All Types of Alcohol Linked to Breast Cancer Risk)
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Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems
A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events." (Read more about Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems)
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Yoga Is a Possible Treatment For Depression
Yoga may offer solutions for depression, anxiety and epilepsy.
Reports from the World Health Organization and elsewhere estimate that mental illness comprises fifteen percent of the global disease burden. Depression and anxiety disorders contribute heavily to these numbers. One treatment approach is offered by various medications designed to stimulate the brain's primary inhibitory neuro transmitter, gamma-aminobutyric (or GABA) levels. Findings released by Boston University School of Medicine report that yoga may elevate these GABA levels in the brain and may provide a way to treat these disorders. (Read more about Yoga Is a Possible Treatment For Depression)
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Health Wrap: Reports on Snoring, Fetuses and Pain, Forgetfulness and Baseball
A new study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index—a marker of fatness-- and age.
Overall, 7.6 percent of women snore.
The frequency of snoring reaches its peak in women ages 50 to 59.
Frequent snoring was found to increase with alcohol dependence, smoking and physical inactivity.
-- (Read more about Health Wrap: Reports on Snoring, Fetuses and Pain, Forgetfulness and Baseball)
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Women & Heart Centers
“My grandmother died at 67 of heart disease and she was a diabetic, my mother died at 59 from heart disease, my sister who was two years older than me died at 51 from heart disease, my oldest sister who is five years older than me had her first heart attack in 91,” says Cheryl Walters.
Having tragically lost so many loved ones to heart disease, Cheryl Walters refuses to be its next victim. She had a pulling sensation in her chest and was completely fatigued…doctors dismissed her complaints. But, instinctively Cheryl knew something was wrong. She went for a comprehensive heart health check-up at the Women’s Heart Center at St. Joseph’s. (Read more about Women & Heart Centers)
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EXERCISE REDUCES DEPRESSION
“It’s just like getting a caffeine kick. I don’t need my coffee because exercise is my caffeine,” says exerciser, Rodney George.
“When I come here in the morning, I’m depressed and tired. But once I start I don’t feel like stopping, they have to kick me out!” says Irene Petrakis.
Rodney’s and Irene’s obsession with exercise might have something to do with the connections between exercise and depression, specifically, the positive effects of exercise on depression. (Read more about EXERCISE REDUCES DEPRESSION)
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Valentine's Chocolate Heart Benefits
Recently there has been considerable focus on the health benefits of chocolate, pointing out that chocolate contains substances that can help prevent various diseases. There is a small but growing body of evidence that flavanols in chocolate might be responsible for the health benefits of chocolate on the cardiovascular system. (Read more about Valentine's Chocolate Heart Benefits)
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