18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Living in a ‘Greener’ Neighborhood Could Boost Cognitive Function

Living in a ‘Greener’ Neighborhood Could Boost Cognitive Function

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Could living in a neighborhood with lots of trees and shrubs increase your brain power? A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that increasing green space in residential areas could help improve cognition function in middle-aged women, and that the link might be explained by a reduction in depression, which is also a risk factor for dementia.Researchers hypothesize that exposure to green space can help the brain by improving recovery from stress and mental fatigue, reducing exposure to air pollution, and increasing opportunities for physical activity and social connection, says lead author Marcia Pescador Jimenez, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health in Massachusetts. “This study is among the few to provide evidence that green space may benefit cognitive function in…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Probiotics Aren’t Recommended for Most Digestive Conditions, Guidelines Say

Probiotics Aren’t Recommended for Most Digestive Conditions, Guidelines Say

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If you think a probiotic will relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), think again. Studies haven’t proved that probiotics can help people with these conditions or a variety of other digestive disorders, according to clinical guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).“Patients taking probiotics for Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or IBS should consider stopping,” says Grace Su, MD, a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the chair of the panel that drafted the guidelines. “The supplements can be costly, and there isn’t enough evidence to prove a benefit or confirm lack of harm.”Probiotics are microscopic organisms — including certain bacteria and yeast — that live in the digestive tract and are also found in a variety of foods and dietary supplements.…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Warns Against Risky New Avocado Trend

FDA Warns Against Risky New Avocado Trend

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Everyone loves a good kitchen hack. But avocados that stay fresh for a month? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.The FDA is speaking out against a viral TikTok and Facebook trend that shows users storing whole or cut avocados in water to keep them fresh for longer.In one video, the TikTok user @sidneyraz stored half an avocado in a container of water overnight, taking it out the next day to find it was still ripe and green. Another user, @shamamamahealing, stored an uncut avocado in a jar of water in the fridge, revealing perfectly smooth, green fruit on the inside after a two-week soak. Her video quickly went viral, amassing more than six million views before she took it down, Newsweek reported.On the surface, the science…
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18Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Research: Color-Blind Attitudes and Behaviors Perpetuate Structural Racism

Research: Color-Blind Attitudes and Behaviors Perpetuate Structural Racism

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Psychologists say an important step in rooting out systemic racism is to first acknowledge it, rather than deny or minimize its existence.In a review article published online May 23 in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, researchers looked at 83 previous studies in which specific types of color-blind ideology were found to increase anti-Black perspectives and give a pass to racist behaviors and attitudes. More specifically, power evasion (the denial of racism) led to these negative outcomes, and color evasion (ignoring race) did not necessarily do so.The researchers noted in the paper that by helping people better understand the individual-level behaviors and ideologies that contribute to anti-Black sentiment, counseling psychologists can help dismantle the systemic racism those behaviors and attitudes lead to.These findings can inform best practices for mental health professionals…
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17Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Weight Loss Surgery Is Tied to a Lower Risk of Obesity-Related Cancers

Weight Loss Surgery Is Tied to a Lower Risk of Obesity-Related Cancers

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Adults with obesity who undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight may roughly halve their risk of dying of cancer, a new study suggests.For the study, researchers compared the risk of cancer diagnosis and death for more than 30,000 people with obesity, including more than 5,000 individuals who had bariatric surgery. Surgery was associated with a 32 percent lower risk of cancer and a 48 percent decreased chance of cancer-related death.“Patients can lose 20 to 40 percent of their body weight after surgery, and weight loss can be sustained over decades,” said the lead study author, Ali Aminian, MD, the director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, in a statement.“The striking findings of this study indicate that the greater the weight loss, the lower the risk…
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17Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
CBD Has Little Impact on Driving Even at High Doses

CBD Has Little Impact on Driving Even at High Doses

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Cannabidiol (CBD) may not impair people’s cognitive abilities or driving skills when taken in doses commonly used for medical purposes, a small Australian study suggests.For the study, scientists asked 17 healthy adults to a complete a series of four driving assessments and cognitive tests after taking a placebo or CBD oil in doses of 15, 150, or 1,500 milligrams (mg). These doses represent amounts typically consumed to manage conditions like epilepsy, pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders, the researchers reported May 30 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.In each of these four testing scenarios, participants completed tasks between 45 and 75 minutes after taking the placebo or the dose of CBD oil, then again between 3.5 and 4 hours afterward. CBD is thought to reach peak concentrations in the blood within three…
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17Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Advisory Committee Greenlights New Novavax COVID Vaccine

FDA Advisory Committee Greenlights New Novavax COVID Vaccine

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An independent advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday advised granting emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) for individuals age 18 and older.With 21 committee members voting in favor and one abstaining, the decision cleared the way for the United States to have a new immunization option for protection against the novel coronavirus.The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines rely on a relatively new technology that uses mRNA, whereas the Novavax shot is a protein-based vaccine (similar to the flu shot); public health advisers hope its proven development technique will persuade many who are unvaccinated to finally get their shots.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 27 million U.S. adults have not yet received any form of COVID-19 vaccination.“The Novavax…
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17Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Despite Risk for Complications, Women With IBD Can Still Have a Healthy Pregnancy

Despite Risk for Complications, Women With IBD Can Still Have a Healthy Pregnancy

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Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has changed dramatically in the past two decades, largely due to biologics, which help people with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) keep flare-ups at bay.But despite strides in treatments, pregnant women who have IBD remain at high risk for complications, according to research presented at the 2022 Digestive Disease Week conference in San Diego last week.Research on the subject has been sparse, largely because it’s considered risky to conduct clinical trials on pregnant women, says Anoushka Dua, MD, an internal medicine resident at the University of California in Los Angeles who specializes in gastroenterology and IBD, who led the new study.Dr. Dua says that something doctors do understand for sure is that keeping inflammation controlled during an entire pregnancy — from conception to birth…
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