Sleepy Brains Drawn to Junk Food

SUNDAY, June 10, 2012 (Health.com) — As any college student or shift worker will tell you, staying up all night or even just skimping on sleep can lead a person to seek out satisfying, calorie-packed foods.
An emerging body of research suggests that sleep-related hunger and food cravings, which may contribute to weight gain, are fuelled in part by certain gut hormones involved in appetite. But our brain, and not just our belly, may play a role as well.
According to two small studies presented today at a meeting of sleep researchers in Boston, sleep deprivation appears to increase activity in areas of the brain that seek out pleasure—including that provided by junk food. To make matters worse, sleepiness also may dampen activity in other brain regions that usually serve as a brake on this type of craving.
In one of the studies, researchers at Columbia University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which tracks blood flow in the brain, to compare brain activity in 25 volunteers following a normal night’s sleep (about eight hours) and a night in which they were limited to just four hours.


In each case, the researchers performed the scans while showing the volunteers images of unhealthy foods interspersed with healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and oatmeal. Brain networks associated with craving and reward were more active when the participants were sleep-deprived than when they were well-rested—especially when the participants viewed the images of unhealthy foods.
“The pleasure-seeking parts of the brain were stimulated after an individual was sleep-deprived,” says lead researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., a research associate at the university’s New York Obesity Research Center. “People went for foods like pepperoni pizza, cheeseburgers, and cake.”
St-Onge and other researchers working in this field suspect that tired people gravitate to high-calorie foods because their bodies and brains are seeking an extra energy boost to help them get through the day. “We hypothesize that the restricted-sleep brain reacts to food stimuli as though it [were] food deprived,” St-Onge says.
Previous studies have established a link between sleep deprivation and obesity, although it remains unclear how sleep might affect weight gain (or vice versa). In an effort to unravel the relationship, researchers have begun exploring how insufficient sleep influences hormones and appetite. Several recent studies—including one led by St-Onge—have found that people who are sleep deprived tend to snack more and consume more calories.
Hunger and cravings may not be the only factors, however. A second study presented today suggests that so-called higher-order brain functions—those that help up us weigh pros and cons and make complex choices, including about what we eat—may be compromised by a lack of sleep.

Immune-System Test May Predict Early Death

MONDAY, June 4, 2012 (Health.com) — A blood test that measures a marker of immune-system activity may help doctors identify people who are at risk of dying at an early age, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic measured levels of the immune-system molecules known as free light chains in 15,859 Minnesotans age 50 and up, and found that people whose levels were in the top 10% were four times more likely than the other study participants to die over the next 13 years.
Doctors commonly test for free light chains to diagnose and manage blood disorders and blood-related cancers, such as multiple myeloma or lymphoma. This study, which was published this week in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is the first to link high levels of free light chains with earlier death in a group of people without any known blood disorders.
Normally, light chains bind with so-called heavy chains to form infection-fighting antibodies. The presence of unattached “free” light chains has long been recognized as a signal that the immune system has gone awry, either due to inflammation, infection, or both, says lead author Vincent Rajkumar, M.D., a hematologist at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.


Elevated free light chain levels have been observed in people with kidney dysfunction, and are also seen in autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Even after the researchers took into account the kidney function, age, and gender of the participants, however, those with the highest free light chain levels were still twice as likely as their peers to die during the study.
Free light chain levels appeared to be equally effective at predicting death from many different causes, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.
It’s not clear from the findings why, exactly, free light chains are linked to a higher risk of early death. High levels could be a marker of inflammation, which is associated with heart disease and numerous other health problems. But it’s also possible they’re a sign of normal, age-related deterioration of the immune system, the study notes.
And it’s still unclear how this test might be useful in generally healthy people. For now, Rajkumar and his colleagues urge doctors not to use the test as a screening instrument, as that will simply serve to alarm patients.
On the other hand, Rajkumar says, if doctors order the test for a specific reason and it comes back high, they may want to use that information to test for additional problems that could then be treated. “It might be telling you something you might be missing,” he says.
Neil Blumberg, M.D., a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, N.Y., says he’s skeptical that free light chain tests are more powerful than existing tests that measure immune-system function or markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein.
The study authors didn’t compare the free light chain test with these other tests, Blumberg points out, and it “may not measure anything that we don’t get with white cell count or C-reactive protein or 15 other tests which are cheaper and easier to do.”
Besides, Blumberg says, if a person’s test results were to come back sky-high, the advice for preventing an early death would likely be what patients hear from their doctors already. “We really don’t need any more tests to tell us we ought to lose weight, exercise, [and] eat a less pro-inflammatory diet,” he says.

5 Surprising Things You Don’t Have to Buy Organic

Avocados

By Sara Reistad-Long
You’re pretty safe with fruits and vegetables like avocados, which have a thick skin that you don’t eat. Just remember to wash the peel before cutting into them to get rid of any residue.

Eggs

Chickens as a rule are not given growth hormones. And research has shown that factory eggs don’t have higher quantities of contaminants than organic eggs.

Frozen food in plastic bags

The risk of leached chemicals is heightened by heat, and frozen produce is, well, as cold as ice. As long as you’re not boiling in the bag, the chance of ingesting harmful chemicals from these is low.

Spices

"Even when you’re using spices liberally, you’re consuming such small amounts of each that the risk is minimal," says Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at the EWG

Clothing

While there’s no question that organic cotton is excellent for the environment, the benefits it has on your personal health are unclear—it’s unlikely that pesticides remain in clothing in quantities large enough to seep into our bodies. The one possible exception is clothing treated with flame retardants (the label will tell you if that’s the case).

Diet Doctors Gone Wrong

Dan Saelinger

When we seek out an MD, we believe we're in the care of someone who has received extensive training and is ethically bound to "do no harm." But what we may not realize is that the financial realities of modern medicine are leading some physicians to tout untested, unnecessary, or potentially dangerous cures. In this three-part series, Health examines the specialties most vulnerable to these unscrupulous doctors.
Mary Lynn Adams just wanted to lose some weight while her husband was deployed in Afghanistan. "I wanted to look good by the time he got back," says Adams, a 28-year-old homemaker in Tennessee. She found a diet doctor last December after reading a flyer that came in the mail. The doctor checked her height (5 feet 7 inches), weight (238 pounds), and blood pressure, and did some basic blood work including testing her cholesterol levels. Although Adams had high blood pressure (145/95), the doctor recommended that she start the prescription appetite suppressant phentermine—a drug not recommended for patients with high blood pressure because, as a stimulant, it may increase blood pressure even more. "He explained to me that the risks of my being overweight were worse than the risks of having high blood pressure," Adams says. The drug definitely curbed her appetite—"I felt sick just looking at food," she says—but she also noticed her heart was racing. A month later, her blood pressure was up to 150/100. Her doctor cut her dose in half, but Adams decided to stop taking the drug. She's now working with a personal trainer, who she says is benefiting her more than the medicine.
Many women assume that any weight-loss treatment prescribed by a doctor must be safe—certainly safer than sketchy supplements or weird crash diets. But the truth is that some doctors are pushing the limits of what's medically acceptable, prescribing drugs that may put their patients' safety at risk or offering treatments that aren't proven to work. "The field is ripe for abuse because there are a lot of desperate people out there trying to lose weight and a few doctors who just want to make some fast money," says Rhonda Hamilton, MD, MPH, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and medical coordinator of Bariatric Quality at Winchester Hospital in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Home >> Food & Recipes >> Recipes >> Cider-Roasted Chicken

Cider-Roasted Chicken

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 1 quart apple cider
• 1/4 cupkosher salt
• 1 tablespoonblack peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (6-pound) roasting chicken
• 2 cupsapple cider
• 1 large onion, peeled and halved
• 4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

Preparation

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.

9 Summer Drinks From Bethenny Frankel

Cool down, guilt-free

By Alyssa Sparacino
Nothing says summer more than dining alfresco. And who can really relax on the porch, mingle at a barbecue, or lounge poolside without a little something to sip on? These nine drinks from Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel—some with alcohol and some without—will leave your thirst quenched and your weight in check. Cheers to that!

Sangria

Bethenny’s version of the classic wine-based cocktail uses soda, rather than sugary syrups or liqueurs. The fizz adds a new element to the fruity drink without adding major calories.

American Virgin

Sans alcohol, this citrusy drink clocks in at a mere 34 calories per glass! It’s soda, juice, and lemonade combined to create one ridiculously refreshing cooler that’s perfect for your next family picnic.

Berry-Good Smoothie

Your post-workout snack just got tastier. Choose your favorite berries: Strawberries contain potassium, which can lower blood pressure; blueberries add fiber and vitamin C to your diet; and raspberries are loaded with antioxidants.

Blend with a few more add-ins and ice and you’ll be berry, berry satisfied.

Skinnygirl Margarita

The drink that started it all for Bethenny is just as satisfying as the tried-and-truly-fattening original. Sit back and relax, knowing your diet is still on track with this slimmed-down version of a summer favorite.

Tequila Berry Blast

You might call this a cousin of the famous Skinnygirl Margarita. Switch things up with cranberry instead of lime juice and you’ll have the perfect cocktail for a backyard dinner party.

Mint Mojito

Thanks to its expert use of muddled mint, the mojito could quite possibly be the most refreshing summer drink ever. Unfortunately, restaurant versions could cost you a few hundred calories. Bethenny’s, at just 150, really hits the spot!

Piña Colada

Bethenny knows that where there’s a tropical drink, the beach (and bathing suits) can’t be far. That’s why her version of a frosty piña colada treat is made with coconut milk, not high-calorie cream of coconut.

Green Tea Lemonade

The lightest drink on Bethenny’s list, this combination is as healthy for you as it is delicious.

Black-Eyed Susan

Indulge in this mixture of rum, juice, and soda, and you might find yourself transported to a breezy ocean somewhere—or at least make it easier to pretend.

 

Nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs or cellular receptors. This property of radiopharmaceuticals allows nuclear medicine the ability to image the extent of a disease-process in the body, based on the cellular function and physiology, rather than relying on physical changes in the tissue anatomy. In some diseases nuclear medicine studies can identify medical problems at an earlier stage than other diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine, in a sense, is "radiology done inside out" or "endo-radiology" because it records radiation emitting from within the body rather than radiation that is generated by external sources like X-rays.
Treatment of diseased tissue, based on metabolism or uptake or binding of a particular ligand, may also be accomplished, similar to other areas of pharmacology. However, the treatment effects of radiopharmaceuticals rely on the tissue-destructive power of short-range ionizing radiation.
In the future nuclear medicine may provide added impetus to the field known as molecular medicine. As understanding of biological processes in the cells of living organism expands, specific probes can be developed to allow visualization, characterization, and quantification of biologic processes at the cellular and subcellular levels.^[1] Nuclear medicine is a possible specialty for adapting to the new discipline of molecular medicine, because of its emphasis on function and its utilization of imaging agents that are specific for a particular disease process.

Biomedical engineering

For the Russian journal on the subject, see Meditsinskaya Tekhnika.

Ultrasound representation of Urinary bladder (black butterfly-like shape) and hyperplastic prostate. An example of engineering science and medical science working together.

Example of an approximately 40,000 probe spotted oligo microarray with enlarged inset to show detail.

Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve healthcare diagnosis, monitoring and therapy.^[1]
Biomedical engineering has only recently emerged as its own discipline, compared to many other engineering fields. Such an evolution is common as a new field transitions from being an interdisciplinary specialization among already-established fields, to being considered a field in itself. Much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, spanning a broad array of subfields (see below). Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic biologicals.

Facial prosthetic

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A facial prosthetic or facial prosthesis is an artificial device used to change or adapt the outward appearance of a person's face or head.
When used in the theatre, film or television industry, a facial prosthesis alters a person's normal face into something extraordinary. Facial prosthetics can be made from a wide range of materials - including latex, foam latex, silicone, and cold foam. Effects can be as subtle as altering the curve of a cheek or nose, or making someone appear older or younger than they are. A facial prosthesis can also transform an actor into a sci-fi creature, an anthropomorphic animal, mythological beast and more.
To apply facial prosthetics, Pros-Aide, Beta Bond, Medical Adhesive or Liquid Latex is generally used. Pros-Aide is a water-based adhesive that has been the "industry standard" for over 30 years. It's completely waterproof and is formulated for use with sensitive skin. It is easily removed with Pros-Aide Remover. BetaBond is growing in popularity among Hollywood artists who say it's easier to remove. Medical Adhesive has the advantage that it's specifically designed not to cause allergies or skin irritation. Liquid Latex can only be used for a few hours, but can be used to create realistic blends from skin to prosthetics.
After application, cosmetics and/or paint is used to color the prosthetics and skin the desired colors, and achieve a realistic transition from skin to prosthetic. This can be done by the wearer, but is often done by a separate, trained artist.
At the end of its use, some prosthetics can be removed simply by being pulled off. Others need special solvents to help remove the prosthetics, such as Pros-Aide Remover (water based and completely safe)for Pros-Aide, Beta Solv for Beta Bond, and medical adhesive remover for medical adhesive.

Health Sciences Descriptors

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DeCS – Health Sciences Descriptors is a structured and trilingual thesaurus created by BIREME – Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information – in 1987 for indexing scientific journal articles, books, proceedings of congresses, technical reports and other types of materials, as well as for searching and recovering scientific information in LILACS, MEDLINE and other databases. In the VHL, Virtual Health Library, DeCS is the tool that permits the navigation between records and sources of information through controlled concepts and organized in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
It was developed from MeSH – Medical Subject Headings from the NLM – U.S. National Library of Medicine – in order to permit the use of common terminology for searching in three languages, providing a consistent and unique environment for information retrieval regardless of the language. In addition to the original MeSH terms,^[1] four specific areas were developed: Public Health (1987), Homeopathy (1991), Health Surveillance (2005), and Science and Health (2005).
The concepts that compose the DeCS vocabulary are organized in a hierarchical structure permitting searches in broader or more specific terms or all the terms that belong to a single hierarchy.
Its main purpose is to serve as a unique language for indexing and recovery of information among the components of the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Information System,^[2] coordinated by BIREME and that encompasses 37 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, permitting a uniform dialog between nearly 600 libraries.
DeCS participates in the unified terminology development project, UMLS – Unified Medical Language System of the NLM, with the responsibility of contributing with the terms in Portuguese and Spanish.^[3]

Publicly funded health care

Publicly funded health care is a form of health care financing designed to meet the cost of all or most health care needs from a publicly managed fund. Usually this is under some form of democratic accountability, the right of access to which are set down in rules applying to the whole population contributing to the fund or receiving benefits from it. The fund may be a not-for-profit trust which pays out for health care according to common rules established by the members or by some other democratic form. In some countries the fund is controlled directly by the government or by an agency of the government for the benefit of the entire population. This distinguishes it from other forms of private medical insurance, the rights of access to which are subject to contractual obligations between an insurer (or his sponsor) and an insurance company which seeks to make a profit by managing the flow of funds between funders and providers of health care services.

Healthcare science

"Biomedical Science" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Medical research.

Healthcare science is the applied science dealing with the application of science, technology, engineering or mathematics to the delivery of healthcare. ^[1]
Healthcare scientists are those scientists directly involved in delivering the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients in healthcare systems, rather than those individuals whose primary focus is on academic research. ^[2]
Healthcare science stretches across a wide range of scientific specialisms, encompassing biology, genetics, physiology,

Health care

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This article is about the provision of medical care. For other uses, see Health care (disambiguation).

Health care (or healthcare) is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers. It refers to the work done in providing primary care, secondary care and tertiary care, as well as in public health.
ahmm, Access to health care varies across countries, groups and individuals, largely influenced by social and economic conditions as well as the health policies in place. Countries and jurisdictions have different policies and plans in relation to the personal and population-based health care goals within their societies. Health care systems are organizations established to meet the health needs of target populations. Their exact configuration varies from country to country. In some countries and jurisdictions, health care planning is distributed among market participants, whereas in others planning is made more centrally among governments or other coordinating bodies. In all cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a well-functioning health care system requires a robust financing mechanism; a well-trained and adequately-paid workforce; reliable information on which to base decisions and policies; and well maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies.^[1]
Health care can form a significant part of a country's economy. In 2008, the health care industry consumed an average of 9.0 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) across the most developed OECD countries.^[2] The United States (16.0%), France (11.2%), and Switzerland (10.7%) were the top three spenders.
Health care is conventionally regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general health and well-being of people around the world. An example of this is the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980—declared by the WHO as the first disease in human history to be completely eliminated by deliberate health care interventions.^[3]