Health & Wellness

Ordinary school cleaning supplies can expose children to a wide variety of chemicals that can harm their health. That's the finding of an Environmental Working Group study, which found that an average assortment of cleaning supplies released 457 different chemicals, some linked to asthma, cancer, and other health problems.

Pregnant women who have diet-induced obesity may predispose their children to have high blood pressure at an early age. The researchers, who conducted the study at King’s College London, noted that maternal obesity may actually “hardwire” the developing infant’s brain for later development of hypertension.

A new study completed in Canada is showing that the power of the mind can influence the perception of pain. The finding confirms that complimentary or alternative approaches can help alleviate or diminish pain.

Texting has become a major form of communication. It is a nice way to update friends, family, and colleagues – running late, meeting delayed, etc. However, the prevalence of texting has been shown by a new study to increase the risk of neck or shoulder pain.

The bacteria living in your gut thrive on fat and sugar, and so when they get the food they want and need, their good fortune can result in obesity. That is what researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis discovered when they transplanted human intestinal (gut) bacteria into germ-free mice and fed them a junk food diet.

New research shows that high selenium levels in the body can also cause increased cholesterol levels. In a study of 1042 participants aged 19-64 in the 2000-2001 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, higher selenium levels from supplements, or food intake, were found to increase non-HDL cholesterol levels by ten percent. The study authors say the findings could have public health implications for raising risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

For many of us, food is an important part of the holiday season. Thanksgiving family gatherings feature meals consisting of high-fat, high-calorie temptations that can sabotage even the most dedicated of otherwise healthy eaters. TOPS Club recommends strategies that will allow you to navigate common food-centered traps while still enjoying festive celebrations without regret.

A compound in coffee called trigonelline (or “trig”) may have a role in estrogen-dependent breast cancer but also be helpful against the development of colon cancer. The bottom line at this point, according to Texas AgriLife Research investigators, is that trigonelline can act like a hormone.

The American Cancer Society is encouraging smokers to use November 19th, 2009, the annual Great American Smokeout, as a date to make a plan to quit smoking.

After analysis of a dozen published studies testing possible new uses for a Pfizer’s epilepsy drug, it was discovered that Pfizer drug studies were misleading-again.