Antibiotics not an Answer for Asthmatic Kids
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new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco,
reveals that some antibiotics may be over- prescribed for children with asthma. Of the 5,198 outpatient visits included in the analy- sis, antibiotics were routinely ordered during nearly one in six visits, although national health guidelines do not currently recom- mend them as a therapy. However, when best practices for treating asthma and preventing attacks were discussed by pediatricians during office visits, patients were less likely to re- ceive antibiotic prescriptions. The researchers suggest that doctors spend more time educat- ing their patients about alternatives, as well as potential side effects of the drugs. According to Dr. Kris De Boeck, from the University Hospital of Leuven, in Belgium, the side effects from overuse of antibiotics may include compromised immune systems, potentially worse asthma symptoms and the spread of antibiotic- resistant “superbugs.”
Source: Pediatrics and Reuters Health
PFCs Linked to Early Menopause
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n the largest study ever done on the effects of per- fluorocarbons (PFCs) on women’s hormone systems,
West Virginia University researchers found in blood tests that higher levels of these manmade chemicals are associated with early menopausal symptoms in females aged 42 to 64. Premature menopause has been linked to a variety of health problems, includ- ing cardiovascular disease. Researchers collected data from 25,957 women, measuring serum concentration levels of PFCs and the female hormone estradiol, and reported a definite association between PFC exposure, decreased estra- diol and early menopause. Women with high blood levels of PFCs also had significantly lower concentra- tions of estrogen, compared with peers showing low levels of the chemicals. PFCs are found in many common household
products, including food containers, clothing, furniture, carpets and paints. Their broad use has resulted in widespread dissemination in water, air, soil, plant life, animals and humans, even in remote parts of the world. A probability sample of U.S. adults conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found measurable concentrations of PFCs in 98 percent of the participants tested.
Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism natural awakenings October 2011 15
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A SECRET TO LONGEVITY
review of more than 160 studies has established compelling evi- dence that happy people tend to live longer and experience better health than their unhappy peers. One study that followed nearly 5,000 university students for more than 40 years found those that were the most pessimistic as students tended to die first. An even longer-term study that tracked 180 Catholic nuns from early adulthood to old age revealed that those that wrote positive autobiographies in their early 20s tended to outlive the nuns that wrote more negative accounts of their young lives.
Source: Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
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GARLIC IS KIND TO CARTILAGE
ew research from King’s College London and the University of East Anglia, in Norwich, England, reveals yet another healing benefit of garlic. The scientists discovered that women that consume a diet high in garlic and other allium vegetables, such as onions and leeks, experience less hip osteoarthritis.
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