Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Sounds like a miracle -- fatty potato chips made with a fat substitute that doesn't go directly to your hips. But a new study suggests fat substitutes could have an unforeseen downside: They might make the numbers on your bathroom scale climb higher, not lower. Mind-Bending Meal In a laboratory experiment involving animals on high-fat diets, researchers noticed that the group given potato chips made with a fat substitute actually gained the most weight and developed the most fatty tissue over a 28-day period. The reason? Scientists think that when something fatty is tasted, it triggers the brain to prepare the body for a large amount of calories. When the body doesn't get those calories, the systems that regulate food intake become confused, which can result in overeating and weight gain. The study used an animal model and more research is needed to see whether the same result occurs in people, but the scientists note that there are some similarities between hu...

You slather on sunscreen, limit sun time, and keep an eye on those moles. But here's one more thing you could do to prevent skin cancer: pop a calcium and vitamin D supplement. In a large 7-year study of women who'd previously had skin cancer, those who took a calcium and vitamin D supplement every day experienced 57 percent fewer melanomas compared with the women who didn't take the supplement. How D Controls Cells More research is needed to confirm the results of this early study. And researchers are not yet sure whether a calcium and vitamin D supplement could play a role in helping prevent melanoma in people who've never had the disease. But plenty of other research has shown that vitamin D -- which helps control how quickly cells replicate -- has the potential to keep the growth of many different types of cancer cells in check, including colon, breast, and prostate cancer cells. And if you've had another form of skin cancer, you're at high...

Okay, it's no news flash that blueberries are nutritious. But here's something you probably didn't know: They may help keep your arteries from clogging. In an animal study, researchers discovered that blueberries could have the power to cut LDL cholesterol levels almost in half. Blueberry Boost In the study, scientists noted that the blueberry health benefits persisted even when the test subjects were fed a high-fat diet. At the end of the 3-week study period, the blueberry-supplemented diet had reduced LDL (the bad stuff) cholesterol by as much as 44 percent. And total cholesterol had dipped 27 percent. Pretty impressive numbers. More study is needed to see whether the same benefits would hold true in humans, but researchers are optimistic.    How Sweet It Is Researchers think that blueberries may help keep blood fats down because of their liver-supportive nature. The liver is the organ that helps the body get rid of excessive levels of cholesterol . A...

1. Ask for a Thyroid Collar When X-Rayed Thyroid disease affects as many as 59 million Americans, and many experts believe that the number of people affected is only going to rise further in the 21st century. The thyroid is the master gland of metabolism and energy, and problems with the gland affect everything from weight, to mental health, to fertility, heart disease risk, and many other important aspects of our day-to-day health. Are there ways to reduce your risk of developing a thyroid condition? Definitely! Here are 10 suggestions that can help you reduce your risk. Ask for a Thyroid Collar When X-Rayed When you get dental x-rays, or x-rays of the head, neck, or collarbone area, does the x-ray technician use a lead collar on your thyroid? Most likely, your answer is no. And that means, your thyroid is being needlessly exposed to radiation. The thyroid is particularly sensitive to radiation, and excessive radiation exposure is a known risk factor for various thyr...

Next time you feel a little foggy or forgetful, brew yourself a refreshing glass of iced green tea. A recent study provides convincing evidence that the brew may help boost memory performance and attention in older adults who have mild cognitive impairment. A Cognition-Boosting Brew The study involved older adults who were given green tea supplement extract to take twice daily, along with an extra amino acid that's found in green tea -- L-theanine. And compared with a control group given a placebo, the tea takers exhibited sizeable improvements on tests that measured their memory and attention skills. It's not quite clear how green tea enhanced their cognitive functions, but the researchers suspect that it might have something to do with the extra L-theanine. Something about this compound may help produce a jump in theta-wave activity in regions of the brain responsible for memory and attention.    Memory in a Cup? And although the study participants took ...

Pimples are a serious adolescence problem. They appear on the cheeks, forehead and the nose. Six out of ten teenagers suffer from this problem. It is very common among teenagers and people in their twenties. Why do Pimples and Acne flare up in Youth? Acne is not caused by germs. The male sex hormones cause acne. As soon as one crosses childhood and enters the threshold of adolescence, different parts of our body start developing. The oil glands underneath the skin become over-active and ooze grease. This often blocks the pores and pimples sprout. What to do in case of pimples? Use sulfur soap to keep oil glands clean. Clean the day's make-up at night before going to bed. Steam your face once in a week to keep the pores open. A Fuller's earth (Multani mitti) pack is an effective means of controlling pimples. Take a spoonful of honey mixed with rose water daily. Apply cucumber juice mixed with rose water. What to Avoid? Do not neglect pimples. Be ale...

Acne is a problem that affects almost 90% of all adolescents, and many adults as well. The acne treatment industry does billions of dollars of sales annually, but the easiest and cheapest way to treat acne, is to avoid getting it in the first place. This can easily be done in a variety of ways. Here are ten simple ways to avoid acne. 1. Keep your face clean. Make it a habit to wash your face at least three times a day. This is an excellent way to avoid acne. Do not scrub hard, as this will only irritate your skin. Gently wash your face well with a mild cleanser, then pat it dry - don't rub. 2. Keep your hair off your face. Hair has natural oils in it, even if it doesn't appear to be oily. When that oil comes into contact with your skin, it can cause an acne breakout. Keep your hair cut short around your face, or use barrets or other accessories to hold it off your face. Many people don't realize that this is a way to avoid acne. 3. Eat a balanced diet. This...

To feel more satisfied with your food -- and possibly avoid pigging out -- use this mind trick: Just focus on the calories. Doing so could dial down your hunger big-time -- especially if you convince yourself you're indulging in a rich, high-calorie treat. Because new research shows that people's perception of calorie content affects their appetite-control hormones. Mind over Hunger Pangs In a study, researchers gave a small group of college students the same 350-calorie milk shake but told half the students that it was an indulgent 650-calorie treat. The other half thought it was a sensible 140-calorie snack. And what the students thought had a huge impact on how many hunger hormones their bodies produced. For the students who thought they were drinking a creamy, high-cal shake, their bodies' production of hunger-inducing ghrelin totally nosedived. But in the other group? Not as much. Which led researchers to conclude that just the perception of calorie ...

Looking for a pill-free way to ease back pain? A survey recently revealed the top six. And none requires surgery. They are chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, herbal therapy, relaxation training, and stretching-based Eastern exercises (think yoga and tai chi). Ache-Alleviating Alternatives In a large national survey, 60 percent of people who had used one of these therapies in the previous year said that it brought them a "great deal" of relief from their low back pain. And, in fact, more was better. People who used a combination of one or more of these therapies tended to experience even greater back pain relief compared with people who used just one.    Ask Your Doc First Whether your low back pain is mild, or much more problematic, you'll want to check with your doctor before trying any new form of exercise or pain relief therapy. Depending on your situation, certain alternative treatments could aggravate things rather than provide relief. But...

A creamy snack that won't clog your arteries? Yep, it exists. And you're probably familiar. It's yogurt. In a study of senior women, those who ate at least half a cup of yogurt per day had healthier arteries compared with those who ate less of the tangy stuff. Top Dairy Choice Living a healthy life helps reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk at any age, but it's especially important as you get older. Women age 70 and older are expected to have more heart and artery trouble because of their advanced years. But in a recent study of this group, the women who ate at least half a cup of yogurt per day had a heart-protective edge. They exhibited better arterial health compared with the women who ate less yogurt, and they also had higher levels of HDL cholesterol (that's the good stuff).    Smart Nutrition It isn't clear why yogurt might improve artery health. But we do know that yogurt contains beneficial bacteria, and some studies suggest thos...

Study Suggests NSAIDs, Cox-2 Inhibitors May Raise Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Widely used anti-inflammatory pain relievers may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder associated with stroke and heart failure. In a newly published study from Denmark, use of non-selective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Cox-2 inhibitors was associated with a significantly increased risk for atrial fibrillation. Non-selective NSAIDs include the active ingredients in drugs such as Advil, Motrin and Aleve, and Naprosyn. The prescription drug Celebrex is a Cox-2 inhibitor. The researchers also included older Cox-2 inhibitor drugs such as diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), and meloxicam (Mobic). The risk was highest for new users of the drugs. New NSAID users had a 46% increase in risk, and new Cox-2 inhibitor users had a 71% increase in risk compared to people who did not take the pain relievers. WebMD contacted Pfizer -- the m...

Are your ears ringing? Then you might want to take a break from your cell phone. As cell phone ownership has surged in recent years, so have questions about how extended use may affect health. One new potential impact researchers have discovered? Tinnitus -- a little-understood condition that causes distracting ringing, buzzing, humming, or other low-level sounds in the ears. Ring, Ring . . . In a recent study, researchers examined a group of people who already had tinnitus, as well as a group of people of a similar age who didn't. And after doing ear exams and hearing tests and surveying people about their cell habits and history, researchers discovered that the risk of tinnitus was about 71 percent higher among people who used their mobile phones at least 10 minutes a day. The odds of having the condition were also doubled in people who'd been using a cell phone for at least 4 years.    Stay Tuned It's one of the first studies on the topic, and much mo...

To keep your waistline trim, you might want to make sure this flavor enhancer doesn't make its way into your mouth: MSG. Too much monosodium glutamate (MSG) -- an additive used in restaurant and processed foods to boost flavor -- may be a fast track to weight gain, a new study shows. Investigating MSG Have you heard of MSG? It's basically a salt that comes from glutamic acid. Restaurants and food manufacturers use it because it gives flavors a little lift. But that pleasure for your mouth may come at the expense of your hips. People who started a study at a healthy weight but were among the highest MSG consumers -- taking in about 5 grams a day -- were 33 percent more likely to be overweight at the end of the study 5 years later. And, surprisingly, it's not because better-tasting food enticed people to eat more. Eating lots of MSG bumped up the risk of extra pounds, regardless of calorie intake. Weighted Speculations The study researchers suspect MSG m...

Show your heart some love and boost your odds of a longer life by stir-frying this Chinese green: bok choy. A large-scale study found that people who eat the most vegetables have lower mortality rates -- especially from heart troubles. But the strongest protective benefits were tied to intake of cruciferous vegetables, like bok choy. Not All Vegetables Created Equal The study followed over 100,000 middle-aged men and women in Shanghai, China -- a part of the world where people consume lots of veggies, particularly cruciferous ones. And a diet survey there revealed that people whose daily diets included the most vegetables were 15% less likely to have died during the 5-year study period. And the risk of heart disease-related death was particularly low for the vegetable lovers. But the surprising insight? People who consumed the most cruciferous vegetables were the best protected The Cruciferous Quotient Bok choy is just one example from the cruciferous vegetable gro...

Staying Well Hydrated May Lower Risk of Hyperglycemia Drinking about four or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day may protect against the development of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), French researchers report. In a study of 3,615 men and women with normal blood sugar levels at the start of the study, those who reported that they drank more than 34 ounces of water a day were 21% less likely to develop hyperglycemia over the next nine years than those who said they drank 16 ounces or less daily. The analysis took into account other factors that can affect the risk of high blood sugar, including sex, age, weight, and physical activity, as well as consumption of beer, sugary drinks, and wine. Still, the study doesn't prove cause and effect. People who drink more water could share some unmeasured factor that accounts for the association between drinking more water and lower risk of high blood sugar, says researcher Ronan Roussel, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at t...

Go ahead. Fire up the grill and feast to your heart's content on your favorite barbecue fare. Just use these prep-and-cook methods to healthy up things first. Rethink your marinade: Rather than drown meats in spices and high-fat oils, make fruit juice, vinegar, or wine the focus of your marinades. Going light on the oil but heavy on the spices and acids will add plenty of moist flavor to your grilled meats without all the extra calories. Plus, marinated meats produce far fewer carcinogenic by-products during high-heat cooking.    Make over your burgers: Might sound strange, but tart cherries make for juicier, tastier, more healthful burgers. Just mix one-third cup of chopped tart cherries into a pound of ground turkey or beef before forming your patties for the grill. Your burgers will not only have less fat but also produce 90 percent fewer heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) – carcinogenic by-products that form during high-heat cooking.    Turn...