Antibiotics Not Needed for Sinus Infections
Have a sinus infection? Think twice before filling that prescription for antibiotics. A study by the Washington University School of Medicine in the February issue of JAMA found that amoxicillin does not cure the infection or reduce symptoms any more than a placebo.
The results of the study showed that antibiotics aren’t necessary for an acute sinus infection. Most people simply get better on their own. Dr. Jane Garbutt who was the study’s lead author said she and her colleagues believe antibiotics are overused in primary care. They hope this study will help doctors prove to patients that antibiotics are not likely to help these types of illnesses.
Because of overuse of antibiotics we are seeing an alarming rise in the number of drug resistant bacteria. Decreases the public’s demand for antibiotics and the medical profession’s willingness to prescribe them would go a long way in decreasing the threat of new superbugs.
The researchers said those dealing with a sinus infection should simply do what they can to treat the symptoms like pain, cough, and congestion with rest and nutritious foods.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241670.php
Trans Fats Make People Angry
With no exaggeration needed, trans fats increase the likelihood of death by any cause. They’re nasty stuff. Turns out there’s another, more immediate reason to avoid them. They make you cranky.
Besides increased insulin resistance, heart disease, and inflammation, a University of California-San Diego School of Medicine study showed that consuming dietary trans fatty acids is significantly tied with increased aggression and irritability.
Even when adjusted for variables like age, sex, education, and the use of alcohol and tobacco, the study showed several unpleasant results of trans fats consumption. The behaviors ranged from basic impatience to overt aggression.
Trans fats are found in any food that contains anything hydrogenated as well as MSG containing foods. Daily I see my colleagues add trans fats to their coffee by using the powdered “creamer.” Now I know why so many of them are so grumpy all the time!
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressreleases/more_trans_fat_consumption_linked_to_greater_aggression/
Carcinogenic Shrimp
More reasons to avoid farmed shrimp. Texas Tech researchers found antibiotics of farm-raised shrimp found in U.S. grocery stores. The antibiotics found included the known carcinogen nitrofuranzone. Two of the samples tested showed nitrofuranzone levels at 28 and 29 times higher than the FDA’s limits.
All of the samples from the Texas Tech study came from overseas suppliers. But don’t get too cozy with the domestic shrimp just yet. A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found excessive levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 53% of shrimp harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. This is attributed to the use of dispersant chemicals used after the BP oil spill.
With 50 to 60 percent of shrimp farms world wide built on cleared mangrove forest areas, farmed shrimp is hardly sustainable. According to research by J. Boone Kauffmann, shrimp produced in these former mangrove areas have a carbon footprint up to ten times higher than beef raised on cleared Amazon rain forest areas.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/research-gulf-shrimp-widely-contaminated-carcinogens
Vitamin D and African American Cancer Mortality
Sadly, there is a large desparity between African-Americans and Caucasians diagnosed with cancer. A study published in Dermato-Endocrinology suggest that much of the increased mortality of African-Americans can be tied to decreased production of vitamin D.
African-Americans on average have 40% less serum vitamin D levels than Caucasians. This is due to the dark skin pigmentation that impairs production of the vitamin from sunlight. Vitamin D is a key nutrient in preventing cancer cell formation in the first place as well as preventing cancer cells from metastasizing after they have begun growing.
According to the study, “All cancers for which a disparity in cancer-specific survival was reported also have evidence for a beneficial role of vitamin D.”
Everyone should make daily vitamin D intake a priority, either through being in the sunlight directly or through a daily vitamin D supplement. Because cancer takes years to reach a detectable stage, maintaining a high blood level of vitamin D throughout your lifetime is needed to reduce risks.
http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/dermatoendocrinology/article/19667/
Take Your Vitamin D With Fat
Continuing on with the discussion of vitamin D, a study conducted at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Bone Clinic highlights the importance of taking vitamin D supplements with a large meal.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that doesn’t absorbe well on an empty stomach. In the study the participants at first were instructed to take vitamin D on an empty stomach. After a period of time of time they were then told to take the vitamin D with the largest meal of they day. Lab tests showed a 56% increase in blood levels after the switch was made.
If you’re taking vitamin D on an empty stomach or in fat-free fortified foods, yet stil can’t get your vitamin D blood levels up, now you know why. Be sure to take your vitamin D with a meal that contains a decent amount of fat. (One more reason why fat-free foods and diets are destructive to health.) Fish oil is another nutrient that should be taken with a heavy meal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20200983
Few Caesarean Births at Midwife-Led Birth Centers
In 2010 the number of Caesarean birth in the United States was 32% of the total. This concerns many in the medical field because of the short- and long-term health implications for the newborns and the mothers, including future pregnancies.
A study by the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) showed that births at midwife-led birth centers decreased medical costs and are much less likely to occur by Caesarean compared to births at hospitals.
Studying the records of 15,500 women who gave birth at 79 birth centers in 33 states from 2007 to 2010, researchers found that fewer than 6% of the women delivered via Ceasarean section, compared to 24% of low-risk women who gave birth in hospitals.
If a baby delivery is in your future, delivering at a midwife-led birth center could be worth your time.
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/02/20/new-study-shows-birth-centers-are-a-quality-option-for-low-risk-births/
