 Researchers at Shahid Beheshti Medical Science University in Tehran, Iran report it was effective. Continue reading Ginger for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
Category Archives: K. SPECIAL GROUPS
Intake of omega-3 in nursing home residents
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada tell us that increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids “is associated with the decreased risk and incidence of several morbidities afflicting the elderly, including cognitive decline, dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, and macular degeneration.”
With that information, one would think maintaining omega-3 intake would be a priority. But is it? Continue reading Intake of omega-3 in nursing home residents
Vitamin D does not protect from prostate cancer
File this under the category, “how little we really know.”
Results from a study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland do “not support the hypothesis that vitamin D is associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer; indeed, higher circulating 25(OH)D [vitamin D] concentrations may be associated with increased risk of aggressive disease.” Continue reading Vitamin D does not protect from prostate cancer
Using probiotics to protect kids from infection
 Researchers from Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan report that long-term administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus T cell-1 decreased the incidence of bacterial infection in children.
Well, maybe it did… but maybe it didn’t. Continue reading Using probiotics to protect kids from infection
Walking vs stretching in high-risk pregnancy
This study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill compared the response to each activity in high-risk women who were sedentary and had experienced pre-eclampsia previously. Continue reading Walking vs stretching in high-risk pregnancy
Preventing falls in the elderly
Back in 2004, Dr. John Chang from the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles reported, “Interventions to prevent falls significantly reduce the proportion of older people who fall at least once.”
Reviewers since then have disagreed. Continue reading Preventing falls in the elderly
CAM for procedural pain
 It’s the discomfort experienced by patients during medical procedures required to give drugs or conduct tests (eg, heel stick, circumcision, or inserting a needle in a blood vessel).
The evidence for several CAM options in infants was reviewed by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in California. Continue reading CAM for procedural pain
Giving magnesium to women at risk for preterm birth
Babies born too early (preterm) have a higher risk of dying in the first weeks of life, and those who survive often have damage in the form of cerebral palsy
This Cochrane review identified positive effects of magnesium sulphate when given to women at risk of preterm birth. Continue reading Giving magnesium to women at risk for preterm birth
Food allergy and intolerance week
It started January 19th, but it’s never too late to join in.
Here are several summaries posted over the past 2 years related to food preferences and the risk of allergy in infants. Continue reading Food allergy and intolerance week
An innovative way to get elderly people to exercise
Exercise, or simply expending energy through an activity that is a regular part of a person’s lifestyle may provide survival advantages, according to National Institute on Aging. The challenge is that about 75% of Americans over the age of 75 years live sedentary lives.
Here’s an innovative way to meet that challenge.
Continue reading An innovative way to get elderly people to exercise
Does vitamin D reduce the risk of diabetes in infants?
Vitamin D treatment during infancy might protect from the development of type 1 diabetes, according to this review of the medical literature by researchers from the Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals in the UK. Continue reading Does vitamin D reduce the risk of diabetes in infants?
Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency
 Since fortification of flour with folic acid started 10 years ago in the US, efforts have been taken to fortifying flour with vitamin B-12.
So, how prevalent is B-12 deficiency? Continue reading Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency
Massage therapy for cancer palliative care
 Massage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation.
And, Prof. Ernst says “the evidence is encouraging. Continue reading Massage therapy for cancer palliative care
Soy and the risk of peanut allergy
Peanut allergy is associated with a severe food-related allergic reaction. It tends to present early in life, usually does not resolve; and trace quantities can induce an allergic reaction in highly sensitized people.
This study by researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia looked at the relationship between soy consumption and peanut sensitization in children. Continue reading Soy and the risk of peanut allergy
Treating perinatal depression with omega-3
Perinatal depression includes major and minor depressive episodes during pregnancy or within the first 12 months following delivery.
Researchers from Taiwan report that taking omega-3 fatty acids might be beneficial. Continue reading Treating perinatal depression with omega-3
What’s zinc good for?
Dr. Désirée Lie from the University of California at Irvine Medical Center has reviewed the literature.
She presents case histories and guidelines for its use. Here are the highlights. Continue reading What’s zinc good for?
Update on vitamin D
Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston have published a detailed review.
Their interest relates to the needs of vitamin D in the breastfeeding mother and her infant and child, but they also present a detailed and well-referenced review. Continue reading Update on vitamin D
Hip protectors fail to protect the elderly from fracture
That’s the finding from a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Dr. Douglas Kiel of Hebrew SeniorLife and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Continue reading Hip protectors fail to protect the elderly from fracture
Using zinc to treat diarrhea
Giving zinc tablets reduces the duration and severity of diarrhea in children, according to researchers from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Continue reading Using zinc to treat diarrhea
Soy isoflavones in the elderly
 The benefits of isoflavone depend on converting soy foods and supplements to biologically active compounds such as equol, which occurs in the intestines and is altered by age-associated conditions.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison studied the effects of soy in older nondemented men and women. Continue reading Soy isoflavones in the elderly