Topics:
You are here: Home / Health and Wellness

Probiotics and antibiotics: A good combo?

May 15, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
Probiotics

If you have taken antibiotics or cared for a small child taking them, you have likely seen first-hand the effects the medicines can have on the digestive system.  The problem comes from the antibiotics – which are designed to kill bacteria – wiping out the productive bacteria that help the digestive system function properly. One treatment doctors have explored is using probiotics - live microorganisms that can be consumed – to replenish the body’s productive bacteria. But what does the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: alternative treatments, Health and Wellness, research translation, science in the media

Zinc lozenges to treat a cold? Worth a try

May 10, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
zinc-lozenges

The phrase on the front of the packaging for Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges says it all: “Clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold.” While I always give them a try when I feel a cold coming on, I’ve always wondered if the package is referring to one small study, or if there’s conflicting evidence. So this week, I was excited to see a systematic review on zinc for the treatment of the common cold.  The authors found 17 randomized controlled trials comparing orally administered … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: evidence-based practice, Health and Wellness

Energy drinks: Bad for kids, bad for your teeth

May 8, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
kids-and-sports-drinks

Brightly-colored, sugar-filled energy and sports drinks are everywhere - in vending machines, cafeterias and gas stations. While they may seem like a healthy alternative - athletes drink them, after all - most lack nutritional value, and many contain caffeine. The evidence actually shows these drinks can be detrimental to kids and harmful to teeth. First off, a systematic review commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that sports drinks - which don't contain caffeine, but do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, Youth Development Tagged With: children and youth, evidence-based practice, food and nutrition, Health and Wellness, science in the media

The link between happiness and health

May 3, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
Health-Happy

A positive mood can certainly make for a brighter day, but now there’s new evidence that is also makes for a healthier heart. A systematic review by researchers at Harvard University looked at more than 200 studies on cardiovascular risks and emotional state – the largest ever reviewed in one paper. They found that patients who reported a positive mental state were less likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke. Feeling such as optimism, happiness and hope seemed to protect against … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: aging, behavior change, Health and Wellness

Building and maintaining relationships is one key to healthy aging

April 30, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
aging

There are some clear risk factors that lead to an earlier death such as smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity. But are there other factors that influence health and wellness later in life - behaviors that researchers have yet to study? Until recently, one of those unknown factors was social relationships. Anecdotal evidence suggested that people with strong social relationships reduced their risk of mortality, but there was little evidence to back up the suggestion. While many medical studies … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: aging, alternative treatments, behavior change, Community, Health and Wellness

Are antipsychotic medications helpful for nursing home patients?

April 21, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
nursing-home

A systematic review published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at medical records nearly 84,000 nursing home patients in 45 states to determine if taking antipsychotic medications increased the risk of other medical problems, specifically heart attack, stroke, serious bacterial infections and hip fracture. The review found that within 180 days of starting antipsychotic medicines, nursing home patients were at higher risk for bacterial infections, heart attack and hip fracture, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: aging, Health and Wellness

More evidence: Pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

April 12, 2012 By Sheri 1 Comment
pesticide-300_tcm18-60750

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body responsible for our movement, behavior and personality. Medical conditions that originate in the brain are some of the most difficult to understand and treat. Among these conditions in Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder that includes symptoms of shaking, rigidity, difficulty walking, as well as cognitive and behavioral problems. The review analyzed 45 different studies looked pesticide exposure and risk for disease.  It found … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: agriculture, Health and Wellness

New evidence on running shoes

April 10, 2012 By Sheri 2 Comments
barefoot running

If you frequent a trail or neighborhood that is popular with runners, you’ve most likely noticed a new trend: people running barefoot or with very odd-looking shoes that place for each toe. And if you’re a runner yourself, you’ve certainly come across – maybe even experimented with – the trend of barefoot running. Books like ChiRunning and Born to Run make the case for lower-profile, less-cushioned shoes or none at all. Here at EBL, we’ve written about the phenomenon before – specifically … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media Tagged With: behavior change, evidence-based practice, Health and Wellness, science in the media

BPA: The answer is in the details

April 2, 2012 By Sheri 1 Comment
bpa_free_logo

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided not to ban the chemical bisphenol A, also known as BPA, in food packaging last week. The decision may seem like a surprising one since so many water bottles and serving utensils are sold as "BPA-free." So let's look at the evidence behind their decision. National Public Radio offered a good overview of the evidence available on the health effect of BPA. The story noted that evidence from government agencies typically weighs heavier in FDA decisions. One … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media Tagged With: Health and Wellness, policy, research translation, science in the media

What we know about mindfulness and meditation

March 29, 2012 By Sheri Leave a Comment
meditation(

The phrase "living in the moment" is a buzz word in our modern society that denotes a life well-lived. With its roots lie in Buddhism, the idea of "mindfulness" and "living in the moment" has taken root in modern American culture. From best-selling books like Eat, Pray, Love to yoga classes offered at nearly every gym in the country, the idea of living in the moment is en vogue. But does it really lead to a happier life? A systematic review of the evidence found  that mindfulness-based therapy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media Tagged With: alternative treatments, behavior change, evidence-based practice, Health and Wellness, social trends
« Older Posts