healthbriefs


Tanning Beds Invite Melanoma A


s summer tans fade, some might feel tempted to use tanning beds to keep a


“healthy glow”, but they may be less than healthy. A recent multi-country meta-study published in the British Medical Journal con- firms that exposure to a tanning bed’s intense doses of ultraviolet light significantly increases the risk of cutaneous melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.


Of the 64,000 new melanoma cases


diagnosed each year in Europe, more than 5 percent were linked by researchers to tanning bed use. Users experience a 20 percent increased relative risk of all types of skin cancer compared with those that have never used one. This risk doubles if indoor tanning starts before the age of 35, and the risk increases with every session.


Mindful Meditation Relieves Inflammation A


new University of Wisconsin-Madison study shows that meditation, a proven reducer of


psychological stress, can also lessen stress-caused inflammation and thereby relieve the symptoms and pain of certain diseases. Long-term stress has long been linked to inflammation, an underlying cause of many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, bowel disease, asthma, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.


Meditation study volunteers were divided into two groups—an eight-week mindfulness meditation course or a stress reduction program of supportive nutri- tion, exercise and music therapy that did not include meditation. The meditation group focused attention on the breath, bodily sensations and mental content while seated, walking or practicing yoga. Immune and endocrine data was collected before and after training in the


two methods and meditation proved to be more effective. Melissa Rosenkranz, a neuroscientist with the university’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and lead author of the report, concludes that, “The mindfulness-based approach to stress reduction may offer a lower-cost alternative or complement to standard treatment, and it can be practiced easily by patients in their own homes whenever needed.”


HAPPY LIFE, HEALTHY HEART F


R


ROSEMARY REVS UP MEMORY


osemary’s folkloric reputation for improving memory has been


validated by science. UK researchers at London’s Northumbria Univer- sity found that when the essential oil of rosemary was diffused into a room—a method practiced in aromatherapy—it enhanced par- ticipants’ ability to remember past events and remind themselves to do tasks planned for the future, like sending an anniversary card. Mark Moss, Ph.D., head of


psychology at Northumbria, says, “We wanted to build on our previ- ous research that indicated rosemary aroma improved long-term memory and mental arithmetic. In this study, we focused on prospective memory, which is critical for everyday functioning.” In the study, 66 people randomly assigned to either a rosemary-scented or unscented room were asked to complete a variety of tests to assess their memory functions. Those in the rosemary-scented room outperformed the control group.


Blood analysis of those exposed to the rosemary aroma confirmed higher concentrations of 1,8-cin- eole, the oil’s compound specifically linked to memory improvement. The researchers concluded that the aroma of rosemary essential oil can enhance cognitive functioning in healthy indi- viduals and may have implications for treating people with memory impair- ment. The findings were presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, in Harrogate.


eelings matter when it comes to protecting a person’s physical health. Researchers at Boston’s Harvard School of Public Health reviewing more than 200 studies pub- lished in two major scientific databases found a direct correlation between positive psychological well-being and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart


attacks and strokes. They concluded that positive feelings like optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with the reduced risk, regardless of a person’s age, weight or socioeconomic or smoking status.


natural awakenings November 2013 9


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