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It is proverbial in modern life that the health benefits claimed initially for foods and natural products will eventually prove to be overly optimistic (for example, oat bran and dark chocolate), or at least subject to balancing against potential harms (for example, bacterial contamination of fresh produce and unpasteurized juices). Such cautionary examples should not and usually do not prevent appropriate use of such items, provided that we have a realistic idea of what they can do and what their attendant harms may be.
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Observational studies suggest that dietary flavonoids (catechins, epicatechins, and oligomeric proanthocyanadins) reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.1 Among the often delicious flavonoid options of red wine, teas, fruits, and vegetables, chocolate has a special place in the hearts of many.
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Coffee is widely consumed throughout the United States. Some prior studies have associated coffee consumption with increased rates of heart disease, whereas other studies have shown less heart disease in coffee drinkers. The data associating coffee consumption and total mortality have also been conflicting.
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Treatment for headache, including the migraine headache, has significantly changed in the past decade. Causes for headaches, specifically of the migraine type, are still the subject of much debate. Headaches are currently divided simply as primary and secondary. Primary headaches are described as being "idiopathic," or not due to an actual disease process or external stimulus. Secondary headaches are classified as being due to an underlying disease/illness, such as sinusitis, or due to an external stressor, for example, trauma resulting in a closed head injury.
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The food and supplement known as soy, or soybean (Glycine max, Family Fabaceae), has quite the reputation in lay and scientific circles for many health conditions, including cancer prevention, bone health, cardiovascular disease prevention, and, most notably, treatment of menopausal symptoms.
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Telomeres are present at the end of chromosomes and help prevent them from degradation. Shortening of telomeres can be caused by inflammation and oxidative stress and has been linked to age-related disease and earlier mortality in humans. This study suggests that telomere length may be influenced by n-6:n-3 PUFA plasma ratios.
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Energy drinks have rapidly become very popular, especially among adolescents and young adults. Recent trends can be traced to the introduction of Red Bull in Austria in 1987 and the United States in 1997.1
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A 15-year, placebo-controlled, randomized study in middle-aged and elderly male physicians demonstrated a small yet statistically significant reduction in total cancer risk with multivitamin intake.
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A retrospective analysis of a large HMO population in Israel showed that persistent use of a statin medication over the 8-year period of analysis lowered the risk of cancer, particularly hematopoietic cancers by 31%.
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A NEW LONG-ACTING INHALED MUSCARINIC ANTAGONIST (LAMA) has been approved for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
