Monthly Archives: April 2013

‘One soft drink a day increases Type 2 diabetes risk by a fifth,’ The Independent warns, reporting on a European study that has examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes and sugary drinks.

The study – one of the largest of its kind – found strong links between sugary drink consumption and an increase in a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It attempted to assess the potential effects of various soft drinks on diabetes risk, including:

• sugar-sweetened drinks, such as cola
• artificially sweetened drinks, such as diet cola
• fruit juices and nectars (diluted fruit juices that may contain sugar or sweeteners)

The researchers found that people who drank sugar-sweetened drinks were at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For every additional regular can-sized, sugar-sweetened drink per day, there was an 18% risk of developing the disease. However, drinking artificially sweetened drinks, juices and nectars was not…

Most people know that the way to stay healthy is to exercise and eat right, but millions of Americans struggle to meet those goals, or even decide which to change first.

Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that focusing on changing exercise and diet at the same time gives a bigger boost than tackling them sequentially. They also found that focusing on changing diet first — an approach that many weight-loss programs advocate — may actually interfere with establishing a consistent exercise routine.

Their findings were published online April 21in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

“It may be particularly useful to start both at the same time,” said Abby King, PhD, lead author of the study and a professor of health research and policy and of medicine. “If you need to start with one, consider starting with physical activity first.”

The few published studies on…

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that eating mushrooms containing Vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing and maintaining vitamin D levels (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. These findings will be presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Microbiology annual meeting in Boston on April 22 and also concurrently appear in Dermato-Endocrinology on line open access.

Vitamin D is crucial for good bone health and muscle strength; adequate amounts help the body maintain bone density reducing the risk of fracture, osteomalacia, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. The nutrient also plays an integral role in modulating the immune system to help fight infections like the flu and reduces the risk of many common diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes.

The study to be presented consisted of 30 healthy adults who were randomized to take capsules containing 2000 International Units (IU)…

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) analysis results suggest that people do not meet dietary recommendations for key nutrients and that consumption of white potatoes increases intake of potassium

Consumption of white potatoes is linked to increased intake of potassium, according to a new study released today at the Experimental Biology 2013 Annual Meeting. For each additional kilocalorie of white potatoes consumed, there was a 1.6 mg increase in potassium intake among adults 19-years-old and older, and a 1.7 mg increase among children and teens from 2 to 18 years of age. Gender, age, race/ethnicity and educational attainment, but not income or body mass index, were also highly predictive of potassium intake.

Potassium is considered a shortfall nutrient of public health concern because 97% of Americans do not have an adequate intake of potassium. Maureen Storey, PhD, co-author of the study and president and CEO of the Alliance for…

Many women at my workplace are practicing yoga. It started with only few women, but now there is a big group that’s started taking yoga classes. My coworkers praise it and say they couldn’t be without it now, knowing all the benefits of it. They say it makes them feel so good, but never mention what it is exactly that is so great about it. Since I’m curious by nature and wondering whether I should try it out myself or not. I have been reading a lot of articles about yoga and now I’m going to share my findings here.

Yoga is nothing new it has been practiced for more than 5,000 years.  Yoga usually include some form of breathing technique, physical poses and possibly a meditation technique. Yoga combines both body and soul. The main focus is to maintain balance between your body, mind and spirit. There are many…