healthbriefs
Yoga May Decrease Dowager’s Hump
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percent improvement. More than 100 otherwise healthy individuals with indicators of moder-
ate hyperkyphosis participated. The study group was 81 percent female, with an average age of 75 years.
During the six-month study period, the yoga group also showed signifi-
cant relief from upper back pain, were less likely to report early wakening or insomnia and needed less time to stand up from a chair. Many members of the control group experienced increases in the curvature of their spines during the same period.
Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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ew research suggests that, for those prone to contracting it, dowager’s hump (hyperkyphosis) “is not a fait accompli,” advises Dr. Gail Green- dale, a physician who specializes in women’s health with an interest in alternative and com- plementary therapies. Results of a pilot study she led at the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that elderly participants who practiced yoga for six months saw their upper spine curvature lowered by about 5 percent, compared to those who did not. Those with greater spinal flexibility at the start showed a 6
hen it comes to healing, boosting immunity and keep- ing our DNA intact, zinc is a star. A new study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology reports that it may be the basis for future therapies for fighting infection, because the mineral supports healthy immune function by increasing activation of specific immune cells (T cells) capable of destroying viruses and bacteria. Zinc supplementation, for in- stance, has been shown to significant- ly reduce the duration and severity of childhood diarrhea and to lower the incidence and severity of respiratory infections. Furthermore, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, zinc is essential for people of all ages because it protects against oxidative stress and helps repair DNA.
Got Zinc?
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The institute also reports that zinc deficiency is common in the United States, especially among the elderly, due to their lower absorption of the mineral and often inadequate diet. A well-balanced diet that includes pumpkin seeds, chick peas, almonds, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef and shell- fish such as oysters can supply zinc. Taking a daily multivitamin contain- ing about eight milligrams of zinc also ensures that our needs are met.
Additional sources: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and
DietBites.com
Lehigh Valley
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