Think About Better Sleep

I read this article on Friday, November 5th. I was anticipating the extra hour of sleep we would be getting this past weekend and like most people, I love it and use it as a "catch up" strategy. Reading this article made me realize that if you are very sleep deprived, an extra hour will not help you a lot. Most people and students, such as myself, probably do not get the amount of sleep you should. It is very difficult with school and everything else that is going on, so sleep usually takes a backseat. This article talks about how a good night's sleep is just as important as eating a healthy diet and exercising. Being deprived of sleep can make one become irritable, lead to decreased productivity in school/work, and lead to other health problems. Some suggestions the AASM gives to people are:
- try not to exercise right before bed
-follow a consistent bedtime
-keep you bedroom dark and cool
-Try not to sleep in on weekends because you will be overtired on Monday.

These are great tips, but unfortunately with people's schedules these days it is hard to follow a strict bedtime. People also exercise when they get a free moment, and if it's at night time, then I think some exercise is better than never doing anything. Overall, sleep is very important and we should make a conscientious effort to give our bodies the rest it needs.

Can Your Couch Cause Infertility?

This news story was interesting to me. This article talks about a group of chemicals called PBDEs. These chemicals are used to make products flame retardant, and can be found in couches, foams and fabrics, televisions, electronics and plastics. Smaller amounts of PBDEs can be found in certain foods such as dairy products and some fish as well. It is estimated that 97% of Americans have a trace of these chemicals in their blood. Studies have found that having a large amount of these can have some health consequences, such as slower brain development of children when the mother was exposed to more PBDEs. They are also related to liver toxicity. Researchers tested this on a group of females who were trying to get pregnant. They found that the more PBDEs they were exposed to, the longer it took to become pregnant. Their chances of becoming pregnant decreased by 30% when the amount of chemicals increased by ten. One reason this may be the case is that PBDEs affect the thyroid hormone and this influences fertility. PBDEs act as estrogen, so the thyroid hormones levels can be thrown off. Having too much or too little thyroid hormones can affect a woman's fertility. This is an interesting article, but it seems like we are discovering more and more things that are bad for you. It almost seems like everything could have a harmful effect. The good thing is that people are recognizing these problems and can look to the future to prevent such things from happening.

Energy Drinks and Alcohol: A Deadly Duo?

Every college student should read this article. Many college students rely on energy drinks to start their day or to keep themselves awake so they can get their work done. Red Bull energy drink and vodka have been a drink of choice the past few years for many college students. Researchers stood outside a bar in the middle of the night and had college students fill out a survey. Many had put down that they drink an energy drink mixed with alcohol. Researchers found that people who drink an energy drink with alcohol are three times more likely to be intoxicated than people who just drink alcohol. A more alarming fact is that people are four times likely to get in a car and drive drunk. This is because the caffeine from the energy drink eludes the fact that they are actually more sober than they are. Once more drunk driving occurs, it raises the possibility of a fatal accident occurring tremendously. When the researchers tested these people's blood alcohol content, their average reading was .109, and the legal limit is .08. These people are over the limit but say they feel fine because the caffeine in the drinks leads them to believe so. This was a very good article to read because many students have this for their drink of  choice and it is very dangerous. Many students believe they are invincible and nothing bad can ever happen to them. I hope more students realize the harmful effects and practice safe behaviors while drinking and having a good time.

Daily Exercise Helps Keep the Sniffles Away

Recently there was a study conducted to see how exercise affects one's susceptibility to acquire a cold or flu. We already know that exercise can improve one's mood, help one lose weight, and add years to their life, but this study also shows daily exercise can help you fight against colds and flues. This study recorded symptoms of 1000 people from all ages from the fall to the winter over a 12 week period. They found that people who engaged in jogging, biking, or swimming for about 20 minutes five days a week only had an average of a cold or flu for about 5 days. People who exercised one day or less per week experienced on average 8.5 days of cold or flu symptoms. On top of that, those who exercised regularly experienced milder symptoms than the people who did not exercise as much. Exercise is known to improve circulation of white blood cells which are the cells that help fight against disease or infection. This helps boost the immune system. Another aspect that can help boost the immune system is endorphins. It is known that exercise sends out endorphins which makes someone feel good, and in turn boosts the immune system. Also, when people exercise on a regular basis they tend to lead healthier lifestyles such as making better nutrition decisions.
This was a great article to read because I do not know anyone that likes to be sick with a cold or flu. They are more a nuisance than anything, and if exercise can also benefit your immune system, then I do not know why more people do not engage in daily exercise.

Risks: Smokers Found More Prone to Dementia

This news story caught my eye. I am definitely an advocate for non-smoking. A study was conducted in the mid-1970's - 1980's recording the patients habits, such as smoking. The participants were from age 50-60. Twenty-three years later they were analyzed again. They found that one quarter of the participants had some form of dementia. Some had Alzheimer's Disease or vascular dementia. Researchers concluded that smoking one pack a day increased one's risk for dementia by 37% than those who did not smoke. Those who smoked two packs a day had a 44% higher risk than non-smokers, and those who smoked more than two packs a day had over double the risk for acquiring the onset of dementia. This evidence should be enough to make people want to quit. Even though some people say they are aware of their health risks, many only think about the cardiovascular and respiratory factors. Most say that they can deal with the physiologic factors that come into play because they simply do not care. As people age, the biggest worry that plagues people is losing their memory. Many people do not want to lose any mental function and want to be able to live on their own. Independence is a huge concern for the elderly population. If more people knew that smoking can increase their risks for dementia, therefore decreasing their length of independence, I believe that more people would take quitting more seriously. The problem with many smokers is that they are very stubborn. Even though there is so much evidence on negative health benefits, most smokers do not care. I hope that more people would take this seriously and then every one's quality of life can be improved.

Junk Food: The New Weight Loss Diet?

This article is pretty interesting. A Kansas State University nutrition professor set out to lose 25 lbs, and did this by eating junk food. He calculated that he would need to consume 600-800 calories less than usual. When he started his diet, he did not fill his meals with vegetables or whole grains. Instead, he ate pre-packaged Hostess foods. After a little while, the pounds started to melt away. He wanted to see if junk food was the main cause for the obesity epidemic. He proved that one can eat junk food, but it's the amount of it that matters. Americans eat way too much junk food and rely on fast food and fried items. This article was interesting to me because this professor lost weight by eating junk food. I think that everything is ok in moderation and it is alright to eat junk food on occasion. He did however show that it is the amount that matters. If you expend more calories than you consume, then you will lose weight. As far as your body functioning properly, one should have a well-balanced diet and engage in regular exercise.

First human injected in human embryonic stem cell trial

This is a great news story. As soon as my brother heard this story, he sent me to watch the news release and said it would be great for my blog. He was definitely right. This news story is all about how the first human ever was injected with stem cells. The stem cells were from embryo's from previous clinical trials. The candidates that were allowed to be chosen had to have suffered a spinal cord injury within the past 14 days of the trial. They had to have injured their thoracic spine and be paralyzed completely from the waist down. These people had no control over their leg movements or bowel/bladder movements. The scientists re-engineered the cells to make sure they would turn into early myelinated glial cells, a type of cell that insulates nerve cells. These cells are for the exact purpose of providing protection of the spinal cord. So, the hope is that tissue will generate and once again protect the spinal cord. They are not releasing any information on the patient's progress yet. This is a controversial topic as well. Once stem cells are taken from the embryo, the embryo is destroyed. The problem is that this embryo would eventually have turned into an infant. Many believe this is murder of a life. Others see it as this embryo has not developed into a fetus yet, and therefore is not killing a human. This is a huge step for science, and it will be very interesting to see what happens. I wish the best to all of the patients, and hopefully there is bright future ahead for traumatic injury victims.