Recipe for a Healthy Spine

 

You only have one spine, and you need it for a lifetime. Healthy spinal discs are one of the keys. Intervertebral discs act as cushions between spinal vertebrae, but "life" takes a toll. A lifetime of walking, standing and other activities, combined with the body's aging process itself, can deteriorate spinal discs over time, making them drier, thinner and more likely to crack.

It's called spinal disc degeneration, and it's no laughing matter. Among other problems, it can cause significant pain, not to mention limited range of motion and function. Periodic chiropractic adjustments are one of the ways to keep the spinal discs – and spine – healthy for a lifetime, reducing the risk of disc degeneration. Your chiropractor also may recommend supplements, particularly omega-3s, which new research suggests also may reduce the risk of degeneration.

This laboratory study, which appears in the research journal Medical Science Monitor, suggests daily omega-3 fatty acid supplementation [530 mg/kg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a 2:1 ratio, administered in sucrose solution] "reduces systemic inflammation by lowering AA/EPA ratios in blood serum and has potential protective effects on the progression of spinal disc degeneration." AA, or arachidonic acid, is an omega-6 fatty acid – associated with the inflammatory process; as opposed to omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory. Thus, improving the AA/EPA ratio (essentially meaning less inflammatory omega-6s compared to anti-inflammatory omega-3s) may positively impact spinal disc degeneration by reducing inflammation.

Your chiropractor can tell you more about disc degeneration and how chiropractic adjustments, supplements such as omega-3s, and other wellness care can keep your spine healthy for a lifetime.

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1787

 

When Technology Causes Pain
 

It's all parents can do these days to keep their overstimulated, technology-crazed children from spending all day on their smartphones, laptops, tablets and video game consoles.

While technology continues to improve our lives in many ways, not the least of which is our ability to access information – a good thing when raising our children, if appropriately managed – a major drawback of the same technology is repetitive-stress injuries. Hour after endless hour typing, texting and scrolling can put the arms and wrists in particular at risk for injury; not to mention how poor posture caused by hunching over a keyboard or peering into a tiny screen can impact the back, neck and shoulders.
Case in point: A recent study of teens (12-16 years old) found that "compared with those using the computer less than 3.6 hours / week, computer use of ≥ 14 hours / week was associated with moderate/severe increase in computer-associated musculoskeletal pain at all anatomic sites, and moderate / severe inconvenience to everyday life due to low back and head pain."

You might think that 14 hours a week or more of computer use is a little extreme, but not if you consider that's only two hours a day. Teens in particular likely spend that much, if not much more, on a computer every day, whether doing homework or browsing the Internet.

Solving the problem involves several strategies:

 

• Limit screen time whenever possible, or at least limit the amount of time your teen spends on the computer at any given stretch.

• Speaking of stretching, teach them to take breaks every 1/2 hour or so to stretch and ensure they haven't been sitting in one position for too long.

• Talk to your doctor of chiropractic about the best ways to minimize injury risk. Your chiropractor can give you and your teen advice on proper posture and other tips for avoiding pain in the Age of Technology.

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: See https://www.drmhaatma.com/Brugger_Relief_Position_blue.pdf and  https://www.drmhaatma.com/Chin_Tuck_TX_for_head_and_neck_pain_2_

sided.pdf for postural exercises for you and your family members..)

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2378

Interval Training: The Fountain of Cellular Youth?

Wish you could stop the aging process for a while, or at least slow it down? The key may lie in exercise in general and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in particular.

Recent research suggests HIIT, defined as training in which short bursts of intense exercise are sprinkled between more moderate-intensity exercise (for example, sprinting for 30-second intervals during a brisk jog), actually improves the activity / capacity of mitochondria, energy-producing organelles pivotal to cell maintenance and performance.
The study revealed benefits for both younger and older participants: a 49 percent increase in mitochondrial capacity in younger subjects (18-30) and a 69 percent increase in older subjects (65-80). High-intensity interval training consisted of three days a week of low-intensity cycling interspersed with bouts of high-intensity pedaling; and two days a week of moderately challenging treadmill walking.

The researchers speculate that if this type of training can help restore / prevent deterioration of muscle cells, then it may also be able to impact cellular changes associated with aging in other body cells. Regardless, these findings reinforce the value of consistent exercise to promote healthy aging and prevent disease.

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2613
 

Show Your Liver Some Love

Liver cancer is barely in the top 10 in terms of frequency in the United States; it's the 10th most common cancer among men and the 8th most common among women. But don't let your guard down– since 1980, cases of liver cancer have tripled, and in 2018, more than 42,000 American adults were diagnosed with the disease and over 30,000 died from it.

There's an easy way to show your liver some love when it comes to reducing the risk of liver cancer: eat plenty of whole grains. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open underscores this potential, finding that among 125,000-plus men and women without liver cancer at the start of the study, those who consumed the most whole grains had a 37 percent lower risk of developing liver cancer compared to those who ate the least. Researchers tracked study participants for an average of 24 years, which suggests whole grain consumption may exert a long-term protective effect against liver cancer.

Keep in mind that whole grains have previously been shown to reduce the risk of a number of health conditions, cancer and otherwise: obesity, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, among others. Talk to your doctor for additional information.

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: "Whole grains" means unrefined grains (like brown rice and quinoa and barley and oats) but NOT bread or other food items made from flour, even if the are "whole grain" bread or other items.)

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https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/sunlight-and-longevity-many-are-missing-the-bigger-picture/

 

Sunlight and Longevity: Many Are Missing the Bigger Picture

 

Avoiding the sun may prevent some skin cancer deaths, but at the cost of overall health and longevity

A recent pre-print of a large-scale UK Biobank analysis by Gu et al. (involving over 400,000 participants) is prompting a critical re-evaluation of how we think about sunlight exposure and health. While public health messaging has long emphasized limiting ultraviolet (UV) exposure to reduce skin cancer risk, this research adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating a broader and more complex reality: sunlight appears to play a significant role in longevity and may even reduce overall mortality.

The study directly compared skin cancer mortality with all-cause mortality, revealing a striking imbalance. While avoiding UV exposure may prevent a relatively small number of skin cancer deaths, it was associated with a substantially larger increase in deaths from other causes.

According to the authors,

Low UV exposure was estimated to prevent:

39 melanoma deaths + 1 keratinocyte cancer death = 40 skin cancer deaths prevented

But it was also estimated to result in:

2,982 additional all-cause deaths

This equates to approximately 75 additional deaths for every 1 skin cancer death prevented.

In other words, when viewed through the lens of total mortality, not just skin cancer, the tradeoff looks very different. Efforts to minimize UV exposure may reduce a small number of skin cancer deaths, but at the same time may be associated with a much larger increase in deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes.

To read the rest of this interesting and important article go to

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/sunlight-and-longevity-many-are-missing-the-bigger-picture/

 

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https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/are-nuts-and-peanut-butter-linked-to-a-longer-life/

 

Are Nuts and Peanut Butter Linked to a Longer Life?
By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM 

 

According to the largest study of risk factors for death in human history, a poor diet causes more deaths than anything. Cigarettes only kill about 8 million people a year, whereas humanity’s diet kills millions more.

 

What are the worst aspects of our diet? Processed meat? Twinkies? Soda? No, the five deadliest things about our diet are: not enough fruit, not enough whole grains, not enough vegetables, too much salt, and not enough nuts and seeds

Nuts should come as no surprise since interventional trials have shown that eating nuts improves artery function, and arterial diseases like heart disease are among our leading killers. But that’s not all nuts can do. They may also improve blood sugar control, lower cholesterol, suppress inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and feed our friendly gut flora. Do all nuts do that, or just tree nuts? A meta-analysis of all such studies found the same nut-like benefits for whole peanuts (not peanut butter) even though peanuts technically are legumes, not nuts.

Meanwhile, there is “compelling evidence” to recommend eating nuts (preferably raw nuts over salted or toasted, and whole or chopped nuts rather than nut butters) at least three times a week to maximize our chance of living a longer and healthier life.

To read the rest of this article go to https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/are-nuts-and-peanut-butter-linked-to-a-longer-life/
 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3191

 

Chiropractic for Sciatica

 

Radicular low back pain, or pain that radiates from the low back down the back of the leg, is known as sciatica. Too often, medical doctors prescribe gabapentin, an anti-convulsant / anti-epileptic medication used as an off-label treatment for sciatica.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation is your best option for treating sciatica, since the usual cause is a pinched / inflamed spinal nerve. New research also shows that patients with sciatica improve under chiropractic care to the point that they are less likely to need gabapentin, underscoring chiropractic's effectiveness.

Researchers found that among adults under age 50 with newly diagnosed radicular low back pain, patients who received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy were significantly less likely to be prescribed gabapentin over a one-year follow-up period. Compared to patients who did not receive chiropractic SMT (and who received standard medical care instead, including medication), patients who visited a chiropractor were 53 percent less likely to need gabapentin in the following year. Findings appear in BMJ Open.

Not surprisingly, gabapentin's off-label use is not supported by research, according to the study authors, who state that "systematic reviews in 2018 and 2022 demonstrated clear evidence of lack of its effectiveness for [radicular low back pain]. Additionally, there is growing evidence of its risks including abuse, misuse, dependence and withdrawal. … Several clinical practice guidelines do not recommend gabapentin for the treatment of LBP or rLBP, including those of the American Family Physician (2017). Evidence supporting the use of gabapentin for LBP is considered inconclusive by guidelines from the North American Spine Society (2020), Global Spine Care Initiative (2020) and Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense (2019 and 2022)."

(By the way, previous research also suggests chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy reduces the odds of needing a prescription for opioids or benzodiazepines (neither of which are recommended for acute low back pain or radicular LBP, either, according to the study authors.)

Not the first time a medication has been prescribed – either for an intended or off-label use – despite the potential for more harm than good. But that leads us to the clear takeaway for anyone with sciatica, particularly if their medical doctor has recommended or prescribed gabapentin (or another medication): go to a chiropractor instead!
 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2523

 

Good Food Is Good for Your Ears

 

Yes, you heard it right: Good food is good for your ears, more specifically your ability to hear. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests consuming a healthy diet may help prevent age-related hearing loss.

The study tracked more than 80,000 women for 26 years as part of the Nurses' Health Study II. All subjects were 25-42 years of age at the start of the tracking period. Researchers evaluated dietary questionnaires completed by the women every two years, rating each woman's diet based on how closely they adhered to the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). All three diets emphasize fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, while minimizing intake of processed meats, sugar and salt.

Women who scored highest in terms of adherence to the AMED, compared to women who scored lowest, were 30 percent less likely to experience moderate to severe hearing loss by the end of the study period. Women who scored highest in terms of adherence to the DASH diet were 29 less likely to experience symptoms. No statistically significant differences in hearing loss were noted with regard to AHEI.

The researchers also analyzed a subgroup of women (33,000-plus) enrolled in the study who had medical conditions that could lead to hearing loss. In this analysis, all three dietary patterns decreased hearing loss: 47 percent lower risk for AMED, 46 percent lower risk for DASH, and 29 percent lower risk for AHEI.

Hearing, like sight, is an ability people often say they don't fully appreciate until it's taken away. Don't wait for that to happen and then live with the consequences. Talk to your doctor today about how a healthy diet and other lifestyle factors can help keep your hearing sharp for a lifetime.

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3008

 

Avocado for Your Heart

 

And not just for heart health in general; how about preventing heart attacks? That's the exciting conclusion from a new study. Let's see how many avocados you need to eat every week to reduce your heart attack risk significantly.

The long-study involved more than 100,000 healthy men and women (i.e., free of cancer, heart disease and stroke at the start of the study) who completed dietary questionnaires every four years to assess their avocado intake (among other foods). After 30 years, researchers tabulated stroke incidence and compared it to dietary intake of avocado.

Now here's that exciting study conclusion we were talking about: Eating at least two servings of avocado (one serving = half an avocado or half a cup of avocado) per week reduced the risk of suffering a heart attack by 21 percent vs. rarely or never eating avocados. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study also determined that eating half a serving of avocado (one-fourth avocado or one-fourth of a cup) per day instead of an equivalent amount of eggs, yogurt, cheese, margarine, butter or processed meats reduced heart attack risk by 16-22 percent.

The moral to the story: Avocado is great for your heart! Two reasons, according to WebMD: First, although avocados contain a significant amount of fat (approximately 30 grams for half a medium-sized avocado), the vast majority is a monounsaturated fatty acid that reduces heart inflammation. Second, avocados contain a plant cholesterol that helps lower our cholesterol levels. Talk to your doctor for more information about heart health.