Sleep may no longer be, as Dr. Ellen Hughes once put it, “the forgotten key to health and wellness,” at least not among researchers. Through recent years, there have been quite a few interesting studies on the impact of sleep quantity and quality (and the lack of it!) on health. Here’s a round-up of the …
Tag Archives: immune system
One Way Bacteria Make Themselves at Home in Your Mouth
As said, oral microbes are ingenious little bugs. And the more research that’s done, the more clever they seem! To wit, A new research report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows how the bacteria known for causing gum disease – Porphyromonas gingivalis – manipulates the body’s immune system to disable normal processes that …
Continue reading “One Way Bacteria Make Themselves at Home in Your Mouth”
How Stress Triggers Immune System, & Other News of Note
Study Shows How Stress Triggers Immune System (USA Today) Shedding some light on why stress might be bad for you, a new study finds that parts of your immune system ramp up when you get into personal conflicts with others. It’s not clear how this effect of stress may make you sick, but the activated …
Continue reading “How Stress Triggers Immune System, & Other News of Note”
BPA Saturation in the US & Other News of Note
BPA Levels Highest in the US, Study Finds (Consumer Reports) People in the U.S. have more exposure to bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease—than other studied populations, according to a new report from the Canadian Medical Association. The analysis included prior studies that had measured exposure to …
Continue reading “BPA Saturation in the US & Other News of Note”
Triclosan, BPA & Your Immune System, & Other News of Note
Study: You Can Be “Too Clean” (Detroit News) A study published online this week in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal shows overexposure to triclosan, a chemical compound commonly found in antibacterial soaps, is linked to increased allergies in young people. What’s more, excessive exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) — a common chemical in plastics including …
Continue reading “Triclosan, BPA & Your Immune System, & Other News of Note”
Boost Your Immune System – for Cold & Flu Season, or Anytime
Is Insomnia Harming Your Immune System? (Guest Post)
Marquette La/Flickr I recently heard a celebrity doctor say 7 hours of sleep per night is ideal; more than that, we are shortening our life spans. But not long after, I read an article in a health journal advising 8 hours of sleep for optimal health. Obviously, there are conflicting views about how much …
Continue reading “Is Insomnia Harming Your Immune System? (Guest Post)”
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 …
Continue reading “Trauma Affects the Immune System & Other News of Note”
Routine Breast Scans Don’t Affect Mortality & Other News of Note
Routine Breast Scans Don’t Affect Mortality (Globe & Mail) Screening programs in which post-menopausal women undergo routine mammography to help detect tumours have virtually no impact on reducing breast-cancer deaths, a new study concludes. The research, published in today’s [Mar. 24] edition of the British Medical Journal, says that while breast-cancer mortality has fallen sharply …
Continue reading “Routine Breast Scans Don’t Affect Mortality & Other News of Note”
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 …
Continue reading “The Role of Communication in Healing & Other News of Note”