DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Saturday, March 01, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein

Mental Attitude: Bright Decisions. Through a variety of tests, scientists at the University of Toronto Scarborough in Canada have determined that exposure to bright light intensifies a person's initial emotional reaction to a variety of stimuli, including people and products. Because this effect may potentially override rational decision-making, try to find a more softly lit room if you need to make a well-reasoned decision.   Journal of Consumer Psychology, December 2013

Health Alert: Pesticide Exposure Linked to Parkinson's Disease. New research shows that exposure to eleven common, low-level pesticides may increase a person's risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. Exposure can inhibit an enzyme in the body called ALDH. This enzyme normally protects the nerve cells that produce dopamine (an important neurotransmitter involved in motor control) from potentially harmful organic substances called aldehydes. If ALDH is blocked and dopamine production is interrupted, then the resulting loss of motor control (muscle function) could possibly lead to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.  The University of California, Los Angeles, January 2014

Diet: Kids Who Live Near Fast Food Restaurants More Likely to be Overweight. Using weight status data on more than one million children in the United Kingdom (UK), a new study concludes that children who live in closer proximity to fast food restaurants are more likely to be overweight or obese. However, researchers note that children are less likely to be overweight if they live in areas with healthier food options. The authors of this study hope their findings will persuade local policy makers to prevent high concentrations of fast food and other unhealthy food outlets in their jurisdictions. Health & Place, February 2014

Exercise: Exercise Good for Kidney Disease Patient Heart Health? Individuals with chronic kidney disease on dialysis are up to 100 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke compared with the general population. Traditional approaches such as diet, lowering cholesterol, and managing diabetes do not benefit this group. However, a new study is expected to confirm that exercise during dialysis is safe, tolerated, and improves the quality of life and cardiac health of patients with kidney disease. The five-year study will include a specially adapted exercise bike to be utilized by patients for 30 minutes three times per week while undergoing dialysis treatment. Past studies have proven that exercise can improve the quality of life of patients on dialysis, but this study will be the first to investigate its impact on cardiac health. University of Leicester, February 2014

Chiropractic: Whiplash May Cause or Aggravated Jaw Pain. A review of 129 studies on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) found that TMD patients are three-times more likely to have experienced whiplash trauma. TMD patients who also suffered head-neck trauma reported more TMD-related jaw pain, headaches, and stress symptoms. According to the authors of the review article, "These results suggest that whiplash trauma might be an initiating and/or aggravating factor as well as a co-morbid condition for TMD." Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, January 2014

Wellness/Prevention: Better Sleep via Diet. A new study finds that a woman's ability to sleep well may be influenced by her diet. Women who were poor sleepers had a lower intake of vitamin B6 from food than those who rated their sleep as fair or good. Fair sleepers had lower iron intake than good sleepers. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, December 2014

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)