healthbriefs
Meditation Minimizes Migraines R
esearchers from the Wake Forest School of Medicine found that mindfulness meditation significantly reduced the num- ber and duration of migraines among 19 episodic migraine patients. Ten were given eight weeks of mindfulness classes with instructions for adding personal meditation in-between sessions. The other nine received typical migraine care. Those in the meditation group experi-
enced an average of 1.4 fewer migraines per month, which averaged nearly three hours less than the ones experienced by those in the control group. Pain levels of the head- aches reported by those in the meditation
group averaged 1.3 points lower on a scale of one to 10. A
WILD THYME KILLS BREAST CANCER CELLS
study published in the Nutrition and Cancer Journal reveals that the herb thyme is more than a cooking spice. Scientists tested a methanol extract of Thymus serphyllum—also referred to as wild thyme—on two types of breast cancer cells and found that it was able to kill them in laboratory testing. The testing also found the extract to be safe for healthy normal breast cells. The researchers state that wild thyme may provide the means for a promising natural cancer treatment.
Even Modest Drinking Raises Risk of Heart Disease C
breathe
ontrary to the hypothesis that moderate drinking can be heart-healthy, a new study published in the Brit-
ish Medical Journal indicates that even light to moderate drinking increases the risk of heart disease. In a large, randomized meta-study, researchers examined patient data from 261,991 European adults derived from 56 studies. Participants were classified as non-drinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers or heavy drinkers. The researchers also used a gene varia- tion to determine alcohol intake—a genetic marker that
indicates low alcohol consumption of less than 10 milliliters (about a third of an ounce) per week. They found that those with the gene variation—and thus are virtually non-drink- ers—had a significantly lower risk of heart disease, including stroke and hypertension, and that even light drinking significantly increased heart disease risk. The researchers concluded: “These findings suggest that reductions of alcohol consumption, even for light to moderate drinkers, may be beneficial for cardiovascular health.”
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