DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~ A.A Milne

Mental Attitude: Alzheimer's Risk Increased with Lack of Sleep. A new study involving data from 70 adults suggests that reduced sleep and poor sleep quality may be linked to a build-up of beta-amyloid plaques in brains, which is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. The authors of the study add, "Because late-life sleep disturbance can be treated, interventions to improve sleep or maintain healthy sleep among older adults may help prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease…"   JAMA Neurology, October 2013

Health Alert: New Hope for Balding. Researchers are getting closer to growing new hair by cloning hair cells and then inserting them into the scalp. This technique holds potential for cosmetic treatments as well as more functional replacements for people with scars and burns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 2013

Diet: Red and Processed Meat Increases Colorectal Cancer Risk. Individuals with a common genetic variant who consume red or processed meat may increase their colorectal cancer risk. This gene variant affects about one in three people worldwide. The researchers also noted that people with another gene variant who ate more fruit and vegetables reduced their risk of colorectal cancer. American Society of Human Genetics, October 2013

Exercise: Older Volunteers in Better Physical Health. New research shows elderly adults who regularly volunteer are in better physical health than those who are a decade younger but don't volunteer. Study author Dr. Seoyoun Kim writes, "We looked at older adults engaging in a variety of productive activities, but there is something really distinctive about volunteering that positively affects a person's physical health." Purdue University, October 2013

Chiropractic: Spinal Mobilization Cost Effective for Neck Pain. A study in 2003 found that manual therapy was the most cost-effective option for treating neck pain. The reduced cost was likely related to patients using significantly less prescription drugs and requiring fewer treatment interventions due to faster recovery rates.   British Medical Journal, April 2003

Wellness/Prevention: Speaking a Second Language May Delay Some Types of Dementias. A study of nearly 700 elderly adults found that those who regularly spoke a second language developed dementia 4.5 years later than those who only spoke one language. According to study author Dr. Suvarna Alladi, "Speaking more than one language is thought to lead to better development of the areas of the brain that handle executive functions and attention tasks, which may help protect from the onset of dementia." The types of dementia in this study that appeared to be delayed were Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Neurology, November 2013

(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.)