Mental Attitude: Growing Up Near Green Spaces Is Good for You. Following a review of data from a nationwide
database, Danish researchers report that individuals who lived near a park, forest, or other green space as children appear
to have up to a 55% lower risk for mental health issues later in life. Lead researcher Dr. Kristine Engemann notes,
“Ensuring access to green space and enhancing opportunities for a diverse range of uses, especially in densifying urban
environments, could be an important tool for managing and minimizing the global burden of disease increasingly
dominated by psychiatric disorders.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, February 2019
Health Alert: Smokers Fare Worse Against Melanoma. A study of more than 700 melanoma patients in the United
Kingdom revealed that smokers or those who had recently quit were 40% less likely to survive the disease than patients
who hadn’t smoked for at least ten years before their diagnosis. Cancer Research, February 2019
Diet: An Unhealthy Diet Linked to Poor Mental Health. A review of data of more than 240,000 telephone surveys
conducted between 2005 and 2015 has identified an association between consuming an unhealthy diet and an elevated risk
for moderate or severe psychological distress. Researcher Dr. Jim E. Banta writes, “This and other studies like it could
have big implications for treatments in behavioral medicine… Perhaps the time has come for us to take a closer look at the
role of diet in mental health, because it could be that healthy diet choices contribute to mental health. More research is
needed before we can answer definitively, but the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction.”
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, February 2019
Exercise: Just a Little Resistance Training Benefits Older Individuals. Resistance training is a form of exercise that
improves muscular strength and endurance by using body weight, gravity, bands, or weights. A new study found that
resistance training as little as just once a week can offer seniors a number of health benefits including improvements in
blood values, muscle strength, and mental well-being. Frontiers in Physiology, February 2019
Chiropractic: Neck Pain & Dizziness. Among a group of 236 patients with dizziness, researchers found that 59% also
suffered from neck pain. Furthermore, those with neck pain reported a lower quality of life and worse dizziness
symptoms. The findings suggest that dizziness may be a symptom associated with cervical dysfunction. Doctors of
chiropractic are trained to assess patients with both neck pain and dizziness and can offer conservative treatments to
manage these conditions. Disability and Rehabilitation, February 2019
Wellness/Prevention: At-Home Test May Be Alternative to Colonoscopy. A simple at-home stool test may soon be a
reliable way to screen for colon cancer. An analysis of over 30 studies, which looked at the effectiveness of fecal
immunochemical tests, found that a one-time screen caught up to 91% of colon cancers among those at average risk for
the disease. The finding offers more support for at-home stool screening tests as an alternative to the usual colonoscopies.
Annals of Internal Medicine, February 2019
Quote: “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.” ~ Sophia Bush

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