December 15, 2009

Tea or coffee each day might help keep diabetes at bay

Posted 03:16 PM PDT

Planning to hit the local coffeehouse, or meet a friend for tea? Here’s another reason to reach for your favorite cup.

A large new scientific analysis of coffee and tea drinkers has found that these favorites—even the decaf versions – can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

The recent research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that every additional cup of coffee each day was associated with a seven percent reduction in the excess risk of diabetes.

The more tea or coffee a person consumed, the more diabetes risk declined. Drinking three to four cups a day meant about a 25 percent reduced diabetes risk when compared with those who drank between none and two cups day.

Even decaf made a difference.

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September 16, 2009

Simple steps make big strides toward preventing breast cancer

Julie Sevrens Lyons,

Health writer

Posted 09:27 AM PDT

More than 40 percent of all breast cancer cases could be prevented through basic lifestyle changes, a sweeping new report shows.

Although many women have long feared they are destined to develop breast cancer – one of the leading causes of death among American women – getting exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption and breastfeeding their children can protect many women from this common disease, the analysis determined.

The potential benefit is staggering. In all, more than 70,000 U.S. breast cancer cases could be avoided every year, determined researchers at the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund, which published the report.

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September 01, 2009

Celiac disease: A growing push for better answers

Julie Sevrens Lyons,

Health writer

Posted 12:05 PM PDT

Celiac disease, a serious digestive condition, is common in more ways than one – in how often it occurs, and how often it goes undiagnosed. The prevalence of the disease has increased significantly in the United States during the last 50 years, researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently determined.

“Some studies have suggested that for every person who has been diagnosed with celiac disease, there are likely 30 more who have it but are not diagnosed,” said Mayo gastroenterologist Dr. Joseph Murray in a written release. “And given the nearly quadrupled mortality risk for silent celiac disease we have shown in our study, getting more patients and health professionals to consider the possibility of celiac disease is important.”

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August 03, 2009

Research reveals which diets work best

Michael Nierenberg, M.D.,

Navigenics Medical Director

Posted 08:30 AM PDT

Atkins. Ornish. Weight Watchers. South Beach. The Zone.

As a physician, I’m often asked which diet works best.

Carbs or protein? Liquid only? A “cleanse” diet? Mediterranean? Grapefruit only?

Many people want to know whether any of them even work at all.

Scientific research has been focusing more and more on weight loss, as a record number of Americans – more than one-third of adults – can now be considered clinically obese. Evidence shows that you can lose weight on some of the popular diet programs.

Which ones?

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