Mental Attitude: Green Space May Help Students’ Academic Performance. Students in high school who can gaze upon a green landscape from their classroom are better able to both cope with stress and focus on their studies than students in a windowless room or a room without a green view. The research team behind this finding hopes it will lead to policy changes in areas such as school design and recess. Landscape and Urban Planning, April 2016
Health Alert: Asthma Increases the Risk of Abdominal Aneurysm. Individuals age 50 and older who have had recent asthma-related health issues appear to be at an elevated risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weak spot in the body’s main artery, which can rupture, causing massive bleeding. It’s speculated that a specific inflammation-related protein called IgE, which the body makes in response to allergens, contributes to the stiffening of arteries, and this stiffening can lead to a possible aneurysm. Due to the fact that an abdominal aortic aneurysm can rupture and be deadly, the researchers behind this finding recommend screening men 50 and older with asthma for aneurysms.
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, February 2016
Diet: Prenatal Diet with Increased Vitamin D May Reduce Allergy Risk in Kids. According to a new report, children born to women who ate vitamin D-rich foods during pregnancy have a 20% lower risk of hay fever. Dietary sources of vitamin D include fish, eggs, dairy products, mushrooms, and cereals. Vitamin D is believed to benefit the immune system, and researchers are interested in its potential role in reducing the risk of asthma and allergies. Study leader Dr. Supinda Bunyavanich comments, “This study may influence nutritional counseling and recommendations to expectant moms to include vitamin D-rich foods in their diets.”
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, February 2016
Exercise: Lifelong Physical Activity Increases Bone Density Among Men. A University of Missouri researcher has found that men who continuously participated in high-impact activities during adolescence and young adulthood had greater hip and lumbar spine bone density than those who did not perform high impact activities in their younger years. Dr. Pamela Hinton writes, “The most important take-away is that if you are healthy, it is never too late to begin high-impact activities or resistance training to improve bone mineral density… While activity during skeletal growth is significant, we also saw positive associations between such physical activity and bone density at all ages. So even middle-aged men who spent their teenage years sitting on the couch could see benefits from beginning a bone-strengthening exercise program.” American Journal of Men’s Health, November 2015
Chiropractic: The UK Is Onboard with Chiropractic. Researchers from the United Kingdom (UK) have concluded that chiropractic services are appropriate for private and government healthcare-referred patient groups and that chiropractic services should be considered when medical physicians make decisions concerning the referral of patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The conclusion was based on subjective outcomes concerning 8,222 patients, which revealed improvement in low back and neck pain during the course of chiropractic care. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, January 2016
Wellness/Prevention: Is Ulcerative Colitis Treatable with Vinegar? A study involving mice suggests that vinegar—or its main ingredient, acetic acid—may alleviate ulcerative colitis. This condition is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract that can cause abdominal pain and other symptoms. In the study, researchers found that vinegar reduced inflammation in the colon by suppressing proteins and molecular processes that trigger inflammation. They also found acetic acid exposure resulted in an increase in beneficial bacteria in the gut. The findings may lead to a simple way of treating ulcerative colitis in the future. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, January 2016
Quote: “You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying. To the best you can do every day.” ~ Marian Wright Edelman

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Worse Among Those Abused as Children. New research suggests that individuals
with bipolar disorder who have a history of childhood abuse or neglect may have an increased risk for more severe manic, depressive,
and psychotic symptoms as well as a higher risk of suicide than bipolar disorder patients with a less traumatic upbringing. The study
also found that those with bipolar disorder who were abused as children have a higher risk for anxiety disorders and substance and
alcohol abuse disorders. Study author Dr. Jessica Agnew-Blais writes, “This information could be valuable for identifying patients
with bipolar disorder who may benefit from greater support and treatment.” The Lancet Psychiatry, February 2016
Health Alert: Common Air Pollution May Increase the Risk of Preterm Birth. An analysis of 225,000 births reveals that exposure
to high levels of small particle air pollution from car exhaust, burning wood, coal, and other fossil fuels during pregnancy can increase
the risk of early birth by up to 19%. Study author Dr. Emily DeFranco explains, “Although the risk increase is modest, the potential
impact is robust, as all pregnant women are potentially at risk… We estimate that decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the
air below the [Environmental Protection Agency’s] standard threshold could decrease preterm birth in women exposed to high levels
of small particulates by about 17 percent, which corresponds to a 2.22 percent decrease in the preterm birth rate in the population as a
whole.” Environmental Health, January 2016
Diet: Seafood, Mercury, and the Brain. Though scientists have long warned against eating large quantities of fish known to contain
high levels of mercury, a new study finds the brains of individuals with greater mercury exposure did not exhibit the kind of brain that
is typically seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Study author Dr. Martha Clare Morris writes,
“Everybody’s saying seafood has so many health benefits, but everybody’s afraid of the mercury… We saw absolutely no evidence
that higher levels of mercury in the brain were associated with any of the neuropathologies associated with dementia.”
Journal of the American Medical Association, February 2016
Exercise: Exercise During Pregnancy Improves Health for Mom & Baby. A large, randomized trial revealed that without exercise
during pregnancy, women are three times more likely to develop hypertension, 1.5 times more likely to gain excessive weight, and 2.5
times more likely to give birth to a baby that is large for its gestational age. Study co-author Dr. Michelle Mottola recommends that
pregnant women should aim for 10,000 steps per day during pregnancy.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, December 2015
Chiropractic: Conservative Care vs. Surgery for Stenosis. A recent research review investigated the effectiveness of different types
of surgery compared with different types of non-surgical interventions in adults with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis—a condition
that is often debilitating and associated with degeneration of the spine. The investigators found both surgical and non-surgical
treatment approaches produced similar outcomes; however, the rate of side effects ranged from 10% to 24% in surgical cases, while
the researchers found no reported side effects for any of the conservative treatments they reviewed in the study. They recommend
further high-quality research to compare surgical versus conservative care in the management of lumbar spinal stenosis.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, January 2016
Wellness/Prevention: My Heel Hurts! If you suffer from painful heels, the American Podiatric Medical Association offers these
preventive tips: wear shoes with sturdy soles that absorb shock and offer support, choose shoes designed for your activity preference,
warm-up and stretch before exercising, get plenty of rest, provide your body with good nutrition, and lose excess weight.
American Podiatric Medical Association, April 2016
Quote: “A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” ~ Italo Calvino

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Being Lazy Shrinks Your Brain. Less active individuals appear to have smaller brains later in life. This study included 1,583 participants who took a treadmill test to rate their fitness at around age 40 and again at around age 60. After the second treadmill test, they also underwent an MRI. The results revealed those who were less physically fit during both tests had lower brain volume than those who maintained high physical fitness levels during the course of the study. Researcher Dr. Nicole Spartano writes, “From other studies, we know that exercise training programs that improve fitness may increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and improve neuroplasticity over the short term. Over the course of a lifetime, these mechanisms may have an impact on brain aging and prevent cognitive decline in older age.” Neurology, February 2016
Health Alert: Acetaminophen Use Before Birth Linked to Childhood Asthma. Women who experience pain, fever, or the flu during pregnancy commonly use acetaminophen. Now, a new study finds that exposure to acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, before birth and during infancy increases a baby’s risk of developing asthma during childhood. Lead study author Dr. Maria Magnus notes, “Uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance, as paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller among pregnant women and infants.” International Journal of Epidemiology, February 2016
Diet: Eating Eggs Does Not Increase the Risk of Heart Disease. Researchers analyzed the dietary habits of 1,032 men and found a relatively high intake of dietary cholesterol (from eating eggs daily, for example) is not associated with an increased risk of incident coronary heart disease, not even in people genetically predisposed for higher blood cholesterol levels via the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele (APOE4 allele), which impacts cholesterol metabolism. The findings suggest that cholesterol consumption at high levels is not as dangerous to our health as is currently perceived. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2016
Exercise: Does Arial Yoga Offer Any Health Benefits? The latest trend in yoga involves the use of circus hammocks to lift people off the floor to achieve yoga poses and align the body in the air. Researchers recruited 16 female volunteers to participate in a six-week intervention with three 50-minute aerial yoga sessions per week. Their analysis found that a single 50-minute session of aerial yoga burned an average of 320 calories and yielded cardiovascular effects similar to low- to moderate-intensity exercise. The American Council on Exercise’s Dr. Cedric X. Bryant writes, “We are pleased to announce that even though aerial yoga does not include traditional cardio exercises, a single session… offered participants many of the benefits associated with low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise like brisk walking or leisurely cycling.” American Council on Exercise, February 2016
Chiropractic: Musculoskeletal Problems Among Hospital Staff. Musculoskeletal pain is an extremely common complaint among hospital workers. A review of questionnaires completed by 416 hospital staff regarding musculoskeletal pain complaints found 74% experienced an episode of low back pain during the previous year while between 50-60% of participants also experienced neck, upper back, and/or shoulder pain during the same time frame. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, January 2016
Wellness/Prevention: National Smoking Bans Improve Health. A review of 77 studies indicates that in countries with national bans on smoking in public places, there has been a corresponding decrease in hospital admissions for nonsmokers related to cardiovascular disease. Review author Dr. Cecily Kelleher adds, “The current evidence provides more robust support for the previous conclusions that the introduction of national legislative smoking bans does lead to improved health outcomes through a reduction in secondhand smoke exposure for countries and their populations.” Cochrane Library, February 2016
Quote: “While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.” ~ Chinua Achebe

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Do Horses Know What You Are Feeling? It appears that horses can distinguish between positive and negative human facial expressions. Psychologists analyzed the reactions of 28 horses when they looked at images of happy or angry male faces and noticed that the horses tended to use their left eye more when looking at photos of angry faces, which is an equine behavior typically associated with negative stimuli. Study co-author Dr. Karen McComb theorizes that “horses may have adapted an ancestral ability for reading emotional cues in other horses to respond appropriately to human facial expressions during their co-evolution. Alternatively, individual horses may have learned to interpret human expressions during their own lifetime.” Biology Letters, February 2016
Health Alert: New Lyme Disease Bacteria Discovered. Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report they have identified a new Lyme disease-causing bacteria, and it may cause even worse symptoms than the current known Lyme disease-causing bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. The newly discovered bacteria is called Borrelia mayonii and appears to be closely related to B. burgdorferi. The CDC says that besides the usual symptoms, the new bacteria seems to cause nausea, vomiting, diffuse rashes (rather than the single so-called “bull’s-eye” rash typically associated with Lyme disease), and a higher concentration of bacteria in the blood. CDC microbiologist Dr. Jeannine Petersen notes, “This discovery adds another important piece of information to the complex picture of tick-borne diseases in the United States.”
The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal, February 2016
Diet: Iron-Rich Foods. Iron is essential for healthy red blood cells, and if you fail to get enough from your diet, your health can suffer. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises eating the following iron-rich foods: lean beef and pork, chicken, turkey, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils, iron-fortified cereals, rice, and other iron-enriched breads and whole grains. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, February 2016
Exercise: Do Compression Stocking Work? A new study investigated the effects of wearing compression stockings on physical performance in men with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Using multiple measurements and techniques, investigators found no evidence of any beneficial effects caused by wearing compression stockings either at rest or while performing moderately intense exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine, February 2016
Chiropractic: Manipulation for Headaches. A study that included 130 individuals compared cervical and thoracic manipulation to mobilization and exercise for the treatment of cervicogenic headaches (headaches caused by cervical dysfunction). The results of the study revealed that six-to-eight sessions of cervical and thoracic manipulation provided greater reductions in headache intensity, frequency, and duration than a course of treatment involving only mobilization and exercise. The authors of the study add that the benefits of manipulation persisted when the patients were re-examined three months later.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, February 2016
Wellness/Prevention: Can Flashes of Light Prevent Jet Lag? A light-based therapy involving short flashes of light during sleep appears to be a faster and more efficient way to prevent jet lag by tricking the body’s internal clock into adjusting to a different wake/sleep routine. The researchers behind this discovery believe their technique may also help people with other kinds of sleep cycle disruptions. Journal of Clinical Investigation, February 2016
Quote: “You’re never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true.” ~ Richard Bach

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.