Category Archives: Medical

6 Snacks to Prevent a Sugar Addiction

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Greg Asseff

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you probably know how difficult it can sometimes be to say “no” to a rich, decadent dessert, let alone breaking a sugar addiction. Of course, everyone deserves a special treat from time to time, and there’s no reason not to indulge on occasion so long as you’re able to make up for the additional calories through exercise today or dietary considerations tomorrow.

The trick, then, is to make high-calorie, sugar-laden snacks and desserts an occasional splurge and not a regular component of your dietary regime. By doing so, you will reduce the overall number of calories that you consume on a daily basis. Secondly, you will not be consuming foods that are devoid of nutritional value, highly processed, and cause wild fluctuations in your blood sugar level.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 16 Comments

Decaf Coffee is a Brain Booster, Study Shows

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Greg Asseff

If you are a hardcore coffee addict that drinks coffee on a daily basis, you may scoff at those who opt for the decaffeinated version of your favorite morning beverage.

After all, without the caffeine to wake you up and prepare you for effectively getting through your day, why even drink coffee, right? Well, a recently published clinical study gives decaffeinated coffee drinkers a good reason to continue doing so.

According to the study, regularly drinking decaffeinated coffee can be a brain booster in terms of protecting your brain from the various forms of mental deterioration that typically come with normal aging and/or chronic disease. Furthermore, there there are several additional mental benefits associated with regularly consuming decaffeinated coffee as well.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, Mental Health, News, Nutrition, Studies | 3,480 Comments

Can PDE4 Inhibitors Deliver the Benefits of Red Wine?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Greg Asseff

It’s long been held that the benefits of red wine, drinking a glass each day, can provide physical benefits to your cardiovascular health and help to ward off a variety of heart diseases.

Much more recently, it was discovered that red wine contains resveratrol, a compound many scientists believe capable of improving overall health and extending life, perhaps by as many as 10 or even 20 years.

Unfortunately, the levels of resveratrol in red wine are actually extremely minimal, meaning that you’d need to consume about 1,000 bottles per day in order to see any significant benefits. Of course, doing so would leave you with far more health problems than resveratrol could ever cure (not to mention the fact that it’s physically impossible).

The good news is that a new study is indicating that the same benefits provided by a large dose of resveratrol may already be available in the form of drugs known as PDE4 inhibitors, also known as phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitors. Although the study involved mice, researchers are hopeful that the results will transfer to humans..

Posted in Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 3,236 Comments

FDA Approves New Advanced Skin Cancer Drug

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Greg Asseff

There are literally over a hundred types of cancer that have been identified by the American Cancer Society to date. In addition, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, right behind heart disease, and accounts for roughly 575,000 deaths per year.

Just a couple of days ago, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of a new drug designed to fight advanced cases of basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. Erivedge (generic name: vismodegib) is intended to treat cases of basal cell carcinoma where the cancer has already spread throughout the body, or metastasized, and are unable to be surgically removed. Erivedge is the first advanced skin cancer drug to ever pass the stringent FDA approval process.

Posted in Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Skin and Beauty, Studies | 1,591 Comments

Double-Arm Blood Pressure Checks Detect Hidden Disease

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Greg Asseff

The next time you’re in for a regular medical check-up, it may be an excellent idea to request a blood pressure check in both arms instead of just one.

A recent peripheral arterial disease screening study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. indicates that doing so may help to detect an otherwise-silent condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Peripheral arterial disease is defined as a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs. Peripheral arterial disease typically affects the arteries in the legs, however, it also can affect the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the kidneys, stomach, head, and arms as well.

Individuals who suffer from peripheral arterial disease commonly display symptoms that include painful cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles after performing an activity, such as walking or climbing stairs, numbness or weakness in the legs, coldness in the lower legs or feet, especially when one leg is compared to the other, and a change in the color and tone of the skin of the leg that is affected when compared to the other, to name a few.