Red Meat Butchers Years Off Life

(Image from Flickr - Thanks to IwateBuddy)
The carnivore-like instinct within us cannot resist a burger or steak every now and then. We cannot deny that this desire occurs more frequent in many of us.
Unfortunately, according to a10 year long study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who consistently add red meat to their diet are at a 31% higher risk of dying earlier. The study links the early mortality rate amongst red meat eaters to the development of heart disease and cancer. These two diseases are two of the highest leading causes of death among Americans.
This study can further shed light on a study done in 1995 which resulted in similar conclusions. Because of the carcinogens that are produced when cooking meat in addition to high fat and iron intake involved with eating red meat, there seems to be higher risks for heart disease and cancer.
Living in the United States, we are surrounded by foods we must avoid in order to live a healthy life. Especially with the current economy, there is a need for increasing our nutrition intake because of the lack of nutrients our diets consists of. Many people want to increase the public's education when it comes to picking out the proper diet. In addition to the American diet, there is also a lack of physical activity. Promoting exercise and proper dieting is key in educating the public to live healthier lifestyles. Maybe this can even reduce our national medical expenses in the long run.

Traffic and the Heart

Image from Flickr (Thanks to nicpic)
Rather drive in the city than take public transportation? Other than preparing for some delays because of the possibility of traffic, you should also be prepared in case of a heart attack.

Previously, I wrote about some studies and the link of stress and anger to heart attacks. In addition, there has been many studies that have linked increased heart attack risk in those who live in high polluted areas. Combined, being stressed in a high polluted area increases the chances of an occurrence of a heart attack by 3.2 times.

German researchers have studied more than 1,400 heart attack cases and analyzed their environmental factors before the heart attack occurred. They concluded that many of their heart attacks were triggered by being stuck in traffic about one to six hours prior to having the attack. The heart attacks were likely to have been triggered more by the presence of toxic fumes than the level of stress experience. They currently are further studying these factors to narrow and specify the study further.

Other than being exposed to pollution and stress, other factors come into play in the increase risk of having a heart attack. These include lack of exercise, unhealthy diets, age, smoking, and history of heart disease.

Living in New York City, I try to avoid driving because of heavy traffic and the amount of time it takes me to find a parking spot. However, the times that I do drive I can say, it is fairly easy to get stressed and be exposed to the exhaustion of fumes from cars, especially during rush hours. I have seen mismanaged cars during traffic jams expose the air with filthy fumes. Breathing in this unfiltered gas can certainly cause some damage to the lungs in addition to the heart. This study can shed some light to those who are exposed to these factors and can help prevent some unforeseen consequences to an everyday activity.


Here are some additional tips by the American Heart Association on managing stress.

Warm Weather Migraines

Image from Flickr (Thanks riot jane)

While many of us are looking forward to the coming of summer, others may be more comfortable in the current temperatures.

A recent study on migraine sufferers, provided by a team of Harvard researchers, have linked higher temperatures to an increase of migraines. The study examined 7,000 patients and tried to find a correlation of weather changes and the impact it had on their migraines. The study used monitors which measured change in temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and various particles such as carbon and sulfur dioxide to measure pollution factors.

It is one of the first in depth studies that have provided direct evidence of linkage of environmental factors to migraine headaches. It concluded every 5 degree Celsius temperature increase (9 degrees Fahrenheit for us Americans), there is an 7.5 percentage increase of risk within the following 2 or 3 days of getting a migraine. Pollution and humidity did not seem to be significant in the increase of migraines in this study.

Even though, this is one factor that one has no control over, sufferers can prevent a uncomfortable episode by taking medications ahead of time. Prevention in health is always the best way to live a healthy life.

Also, People's Pharmacy has this and various answered questions on readers' concerned on migraines and use of vitamins.

And as for those who are concerned about increased temperatures on the long run, here's a blog of one of my classmates (Dlopeznyc) on Global Warming.

Heartbroken by Anger

It is the biopsychosocial model of our lives at its best. We all have heard that tension and stress can cause serious health damages. But until now, there was not much scientific evidence for it.

A recent study done in the Journal of American College of Cardiology have linked anger with irregular heartbeats called arrhythmia. The study took 62 patients who have heart disease and have implanted heart defibrillators (ICD). These devices detect irregular heartbeats in these individuals and gives the heart an electrical shock to prevent further serious conditions. It found irregular heartbeats among those who recounted recent stressful events.

U.S.News reports how anger can can also lead to sudden heart failures.

People who have a history of arrhythmia are encouraged to control their emotions in order to prevent sudden heart failures.

In one of my psychology classes, I learned of those who have type A personalities. People who have this type of personality are always on the run, get irritable easily, and are perpetually prepared to response through fight or flight. Type A personalities on average have a higher chance of developing heart attacks or hemorrhages in their 30's or 40's.

Even though we all face stressful situations at some points of our lives, we have the mental capacity to react differently and control our instinctive response.

Here are a few useful tips I found that can help control one's anger in stressful situations.

Multivitamins no good for you?

A recent study in the Archive of Internal Medicine found the use of multivitamins may not be much better than not using them at all. The 8 year study, conducted on post menopausal women, found that at the end of the trial, multivitamins had little to no effect on the prevention of certain cancers, heart attacks, or strokes.

In the United States, about 42 percent of women use multivitamins. This study may affect their hope of getting an advantage on taking these pills. However, it is important to know what the benefits of multivitamin use are as well.

It seems as though every now and then the natural medicine industry gets a blow by a study done. There are many critics of the study. This pharmacist criticizes the study by stating the faults it had.

Being a person that use to work for a vitamin store, I can say that this study may have a negative effect on the perspective of those who are not knowledgeable on the benefits of taking vitamins. When asked questions on multivitamins, I use to state "Multivitamins are SUPPLEMENTS and are not meant to cure diseases and should not be taken with that expectation, however, taking it in moderation along with a healthy diet, can help meet certain needs." In other words, it helps fill nutritional gaps of our diet.

Taking multivitamins by no means implies that you will be disease free. Our bodies can be seen almost like a machine. Let's take a car for example. You can change the oil, always keep the tank full, change the brakes, etc... This can help the car be stronger and more reliable in certain aspects. Nonetheless, ultimately you won't have a perfect car without problems. Our bodies are on the run and using up fuel all day, everyday. Imagine this with a car and the effects it can have. Our bodies were made to handle this, but it needs healthy fuel along the way.

Tis still the Season

Tis still the season. Not the season of gifts and singing carols by the fire. Rather, I speak of one that can give you the coughs, high temperature fevers, and have you call in a sick day. It is still the flu season. It's mid February and many of us feel as though we're on the home stretch of winter and see spring on the horizon. This mentality does not mean that we have seen the worst of winter yet.

The Taunton Daily Gazzette reports that flu infections peak around mid February up to March. So far this year, the cases of flu infections have been low but there has been an increase within the last couple of weeks.

Many Americans have experienced being infected with the virus Influenza. Experiencing it first hand, I must say, it is not a good feeling.

The flu can be spread easily, especially in those who have close and consecutive contact with others. Examples of vulnerable areas would be schools, workplaces, subways, doctor's office, and even within our own homes. Infecting the lungs, the flu virus can be spread by small droplets exhaled by an infected individual. Sneezing or coughing in public can help spread the virus.

Infection can be fatal, particularly amongst those who have weak immune systems. Recently, it has been reported, in New York and Boston, that two children, ages 10 and 12, have died from influenza infections. This is an unfortunate example of how serious this virus can be.

I found a few articles that have reported increases in various parts of the United States. These include Kentucky, Maryland, Omaha, Nebraska, and Colorado . For your benefit and for the benefit of those around you, take this into account next time you step outdoors.


Here are a few tips from The Centers for Disease Control that can help you decrease yours and your family's chances of getting the flu. I've put a few of these into daily practice myself and it does not take much effort.

Peanut Butter Flavored Salmonella

What is lurking in your peanut butter? Surely, when you take a bite out of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich or your peanut butter stuffed cookies, you feel as though you are having a appetizing snack. However, according to Newsday.com, this week's death marks 9 on salmonella related peanut butter deaths since the outbreak, in addition to over 600 related illnesses.

Peanut Corp. of America originally recalled a mass distribution of peanut butter products that tested positive for the bacteria salmonella. Unfortunately, it already had reached hands of the consumers by the time the recall was issued.

Salmonella is a bacteria that exists inside the intestinal tracts of animals and birds. Improper cleaning and inspection of food products may allow the bacteria to be transmitted to humans via consumptions of such products. This bacteria usually does not cause fatal illness among those who are healthy. However, among the elderly and the very young, salmonella can cause severe symptoms that may be fatal.

The president of the Peanut Corp of America refuses to talk after being interrogated and asked questions relating to the outbreak. This lack of responsibility should be taken into account and those who are responsible for this plague should be held liable in court.

Living in one of the most developed countries in the world, we should not be afraid of eating foods we find in supermarket counters. Not only have many lives been at stake, many businesses have suffered because of this lack of responsibility in the Peanut Corp. of America.

In the meanwhile, for those who can't wait for the salmonella outbreak to clear, there are some other options that peanut butter lovers can take. Here is a list of current peanut butter products one should avoid in the meantime.