Health News

Red Clover Counters Depressive Symptoms

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:55:56 +0000

Post-menopausal women taking supplements of a red clover extract may experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Such symptoms reduced by about 80 percent following 90 days of doses of 80 milligrams of red clover isoflavones.

Researchers recruited more than 100 post-menopausal women over the age of 40 and randomly assigned them to receive either the red clover isoflavones or a placebo. Measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms showed that anxiety was reduced by 76 percent and depression by 78 percent.

The researchers proposed that the isoflavones could protect against neuron damage by inhibiting inflammatory pathways.

Breakthrough in Self Stem Cell Therapy Can Repair Damaged Hearts

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:55:56 +0000

A heart patient's own skin cells soon could be used to repair damaged cardiac tissue thanks to pioneering stem cell research.

This new technique for reprogramming human skin cells puts could one day lead to treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and many other diseases.

The skin cells are turned into cells similar to embryonic stem cells, and they ultimately can be made into early-stage heart cells. These then could be implanted and grown into fully developed beating heart cells, reversing the damage caused by previous heart attacks. These new cells would replace the damaged cardiac tissue that weakens the heart's ability to pump, develops into scar tissue and causes arrhythmias.

U.S. Recalls Common Food Flavoring After Contamination

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:55:55 +0000

U.S. food regulators announced a voluntary recall of food made with hydrolyzed vegetable protein that could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is used in soups, sauces, hot dogs, snack foods, dressings and dips.

A handful of companies have recalled products ranging from dips, potato chips and dressings to tofu, burritos and pasta.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and can also cause bloodstream infection and organ failure.

Why Do Osteoporosis Drugs Actually Increase Your Risk of Broken Bones?

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:55:55 +0000

Fosamax, one in a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, is supposed to make bones stronger. But now there's mounting evidence that, for some women, taking these medications for more than five years could cause spontaneous fractures.

Fosamax has already been linked to severe musculoskeletal pain, as well as a serious bone-related jaw disease called osteonecrosis.

Sales of the popular drug increased when doctors began prescribing it not only to women with osteoporosis, but to others who were osteopenic -- with reduced bone density that might lead to the disease.

5 Things That Can Make You Happier

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:55:55 +0000

Here are five things that research has shown can improve happiness:

1. Be grateful -- People who were asked to write letters of gratitude to people who had helped them in some way reported a lasting increase in happiness -- over weeks and even months -- after implementing the habit. Even when people wrote letters but never delivered them to the addressee, they still reported feeling better afterwards.

2. Be optimistic -- People were asked to visualize an ideal future and describe the image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few weeks, these people too reported increased feelings of well-being.

3. Count your blessings -- People who practice writing down three good things that have happened to them every week show significant boosts in happiness. The act of focusing on the positive helps people remember reasons to be glad.

4. Use your strengths -- Another study asked people to identify their greatest strengths, and then to try to use these strengths in new ways. This habit, too, seems to heighten happiness.

5. Commit acts of kindness -- It turns out helping others also helps ourselves. People who donate time or money to charity, or who altruistically assist people in need, report improvements in their own happiness.