How Your Attitude Can Affect Your Health

Thoughts are powerful. When they become actions, of course, they can change the world. But even when we keep them inside our own heads, they can affect not only the way we see the world but our very health and well-being. A new study on attitudes toward aging gives a powerful reminder of this. Researchers …

Biosis #45: Responsible Optimism, What to Do about Root Canal Teeth & More!

The November 2014 issue of Biosis, our quarterly newsletter, is now online. In this issue: JoAnne’s Motivational Minute: Responsible Optimism The sound of rain on the roof was a common one when I was a kid growing up on the farm in northwestern Washington. It was the sound that meant “The Evergreen State” would live …

How to Look at Diet & Aging through the Eyes of Captain Obvious

Get dietary data from more than 10,000 older American women with no major chronic diseases. Use the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) and Alternate Mediterranean diet scores to assess diet quality. Evaluate the women’s health data 15 years later. If a participant has “no major chronic diseases or major impairments in cognitive or physical function …

Possible Antibiotics-Asthma Link & Other News of Note

Antibiotic Use May Be Linked to Kids’ Asthma Risk (WebMD) Infants who take antibiotics during the first year of life may be at a slightly increased risk of developing asthma by age 18, a study shows. The study also suggests a similar risk of asthma for children whose mothers took antibiotics during pregnancy. The study …

The Good Role of “Bad” Cholesterol, & Other News of Note

“Bad” Cholesterol Not as Bad as People Think, Study Shows (ScienceDaily) The so-called “bad cholesterol” – low-density lipoprotein commonly called LDL – may not be so bad after all, shows a Texas A&M University study that casts new light on the cholesterol debate, particularly among adults who exercise. Steve Riechman, a researcher in the Department …

Yoga’s Effect on Inflammation & Other News of Note

Yoga Shows Potential to Ward Off Certain Diseases (LiveScience) Practicing yoga may do more than calm the mind — it may help protect against certain diseases, a new study suggests. In the study, women who had practiced yoga regularly for at least two years were found to have lower levels of inflammation in their bodies …

Trauma Affects the Immune System & Other News of Note

Trauma Leaves Its Mark on Immune System (New Scientist) Traumatic experiences can scar for life, both mentally and physically. Now it seems they even leave chemical marks on DNA – in areas responsible for immune functions and memory. The result could help explain why people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including some soldiers and victims …

Stopping Gum Disease and Other News of Note

Study: Malnutrition Can Prompt Gum Disease (DrBicuspid.com) Haitian children who were exposed to protein-energy malnutrition during the first five years of their lives had a higher occurrence of periodontal disease by adolescence than children who had sufficient nutrition during those years, according to a study presented at the recent International Association for Dental Research (IADR) …

Oral Care Key to Transplant Success and Other News of Note

Oral Care Key to Successful Organ Transplants (MediLexicon News) Study after study point to the connection between oral health and a person’s general well-being. However, for thousands of Americans waiting for an organ transplant each year, maintaining good oral health, free of infection, is critical for successful organ transplantation and requires specialized dental care. In …

Quick Links: Omega 3s, B12, Obesity, Drugs in the Water & the Health Benefits of Stress Hardiness

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Linked to Denser Bones in Men (Reuters) In the study, men who had the highest levels of omega-3s in their blood as 22-year-olds showed the greatest bone mineral density, and also built the most bone between their late teens and their early 20s, Dr. Magnus Hogstrom and colleagues from Umea University in …