Follow-up: Antidepressants, Obesity & Cancer Edition

Often it happens that soon after we post on one topic or another, we stumble upon related material and think, “Damn, wish we could’ve included that in the post!” A few such item we’ve bookmarked in recent weeks: After “News Flash, Pharmacological Edition” and its short list of recommended reading on antidepressants“A Glut of Antidepressants” …

Protein (Not Sugar) for Energy, & Other News of Note

Mid-Afternoon Slump? Why a Sugar Rush May Not Be the Answer (ScienceDaily) A new study has found that protein and not sugar activates the cells responsible for keeping us awake and burning calories. The research, published in the Nov. 17 issue of the scientific journal Neuron, has implications for understanding obesity and sleep disorders. Wakefulness …

The Cutting Edge of Antioxidant Research & Other News of Note

Newsweek Slams Antioxidants: Yawn! (nutraingredients-usa.com) On January 25, Newsweek published an article entitled “Antioxidants Fall From Grace: The popular dietary components may not do any good, and may actually harm.” The article treads the same old path of “antioxidant supplements do not work, and one big meta-analysis indicated they may increase your risk of mortality.” …

Late Night Nosh Can Damage Your Teeth & Other News of Note

Midnight Snacking Damages the Teeth, Experts Warn (BBC) Eating food in the middle of the night can seriously damage your teeth, Danish experts have warned. Researchers examined medical records of 2,217 Danes and found midnight snacking ups the risk of tooth loss, regardless of the type of food eaten. The University of Copenhagen team blamed …

The Role of Communication in Healing & Other News of Note

Communication Is the Best Medicine (Futurity) Efforts to improve communication between patients, family doctors, and specialists can have a crucial impact on patients – in some instances working as effectively as drugs. * * * [According to lead researcher Bobbie Foy, professor of primary care at the University of Leeds,] “The results were impressive. In …

Little Evidence Tamiflu Works & Other News of Note

British Researchers: Little Evidence Tamiflu Works (PhysOrg) Researchers at the Cochrane Review, an international nonprofit that reviews health information, looked at previously published papers on Tamiflu as used for seasonal flu. They found insufficient data to prove whether the antiviral reduces complications like pneumonia in otherwise healthy people but concluded the drug shortens flu symptoms …

Monday Morning Funny: pHARMa Wars

Via Before You Take That Pill

Dental Stress, Stress About the Dentist and Other News of Note

tvol/Flickr Worries About Money Can Take a Toll on Your Teeth (Daily Herald) Does the sinking stock market cause you to clench your teeth? Do you wake up with a headache, sore teeth or a sore jaw? Millions of people clench and grind their teeth without realizing it, particularly while they’re sleeping. Both habits can …

Stat!: Health Conditions Most Apt to Keep You from Work

Top five health conditions causing people to miss work for 10 or more days each year: Heart disease Diabetes Depression High blood pressure Stress/anxiety Notably, these are overwhelmingly preventable conditions, brought on or aggravated by lifestyle choices. Could the bad economy spur more of us to make better health choices? There’s certainly financial incentive. After …

Daydreaming and Other Things to Do…

Lots of great articles out there that we’ve read over the past few weeks. Rather than recapping everything, we’ll just give you the links in this handy to-do list form. (Why a to-do list? Why not?!) Enjoy! TO DO Daydream Cultivate mindfulness Know the truth about Prozac Treat depression without drugs Learn to be happy …