Epistemology VI: Epidemiology
Epidemiology originally largely meant studying how infectious diseases spread, and that ' s still a major concern of epidemiologists. However, it also includes the study of any and every environmental or behavioral factor affecting human health. For example, the finding that smoking tobacco causes lung cancer (not to mention a bazillion other diseases) is an epidemiological finding. Epidemiology is largely an observational science, given the ethical prohibition against exposing humans to potentially hazardous conditions for experimental purposes. That ' s not to say it hasn ' t been done, with the victims being ...
Source: Stayin' Alive - May 17, 2021 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
A look at the 2020 –2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), published by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), provide science-based recommendations on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. The guidelines provide a framework for policy makers and nutrition and health professionals to help individuals consume a healthy and nutritionally adequate diet. They also help inform dietary planning for federal programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and the...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - March 10, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Carol Sullivan, MS, RD, CSO, LDN Tags: Health Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs
New dietary guidelines: Any changes for infants, children, and teens?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published new dietary guidelines to help Americans get and stay healthier across all parts of the lifespan. Babies and toddlers are included for the first time, because the recommendations cover our full lifespan.
The guidelines are called “Make Every Bite Count.” If we want to get and stay healthy, we shouldn’t be eating foods that are basically empty calories — or worse, foods that actually do us harm.
Because foods can do us harm. Eating an unhealthy diet can lead to obesity, with the cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and everything else...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 26, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Healthy Eating Parenting Source Type: blogs
Quarantine snacking fixer-upper
The “battle of the bulge” gained a new foe this year: quarantine snacking. Sales of snack foods like cookies and crackers shot up in the early days of lockdowns, and recent consumer surveys are finding that people have changed their eating habits and are snacking more.
We don’t yet have solid evidence that more snacking and consumption of ultra-processed food this year has led to weight gain. While memes of the “quarantine 15” trended on social media earlier this year, only a few small studies have suggested a link between COVID-19-related isolation and weight gain. But you don’t need scientific evidenc...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - November 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Heidi Godman Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Healthy Eating Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Whole grains or no grains? Food labels can be misleading
Food labels contain a wealth of information: calories, serving size, and the amounts of fat, sugar, vitamins, and fiber contained in a food, among other things. But do consumers know how to effectively use this information? A recent study showed that some consumers are struggling, especially when it comes to understanding whole grains.
Recent study highlights consumer confusion
For the study, published in Public Health Nutrition, researchers conducted two experiments to examine consumer understanding of whole grains on food labels. The research, which focused on food labels on bread, cereal, and crackers, was done online a...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - September 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katherine D. McManus, MS, RD, LDN Tags: Health Healthy Eating Nutrition Source Type: blogs
How to stock a plant-based pantry (and fridge) on a budget
Given the current pandemic and related economic stressors, many of us are trying to maintain healthy habits while watching our expenses. One of the areas where we can support our immune system is through our food choices. We all have to eat, and eat several times a day, and selecting foods that support our health and our planet — while also saving money — is now a priority for many.
People are going meatless for many reasons
About a quarter of the US is now vegetarian, especially people ages 25 to 34. A survey from 2017 studied US attitudes toward animal farming, and found that 54% of Americans were trying to purchase ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Uma Naidoo, MD Tags: Cooking and recipes Food as medicine Healthy Eating Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs
I have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). What should I eat?
One of the most frequent questions that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ask is: what should I eat?
It is clear that in addition to genetic factors, certain environmental factors, including diet, may trigger the excessive immune activity that leads to intestinal inflammation in IBD, which includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the limited number and high variability of studies have made it difficult to confidently advise patients regarding which specific foods might be harmful and which are safe or may actually provide a protective benefit.
New IBD dietary guidelines
To help pat...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 18, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Garber, MD Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Healthy Eating Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Bacon: Is It Good or Bad?
The post Bacon: Is It Good or Bad? appeared first on Dr. William Davis. (Source: Wheat Belly Blog)
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 14, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle cholesterol coronary disease heart disease is bacon bad is bacon healthy is bacon okay saturated fat Source Type: blogs
Home-cooked meals with less salt
With more people staying at home these days, there’s more opportunity to prepare homemade meals. Although home-cooked meals tend to be much lower in salt than what you’d get from a restaurant, you still need to be careful, says Liz Moore, a dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).
Why worry about salt?
Most Americans consume far too much sodium, which raises blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. On average, we consume around 3,200 milligrams (mg) per day. That’s about 30% more than is recommended by the federal dietary guidelines, which advise people to limit their dai...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Julie Corliss Tags: Cooking and recipes Health Healthy Eating Hypertension and Stroke Source Type: blogs
4 Life-changing Ways to Overcome Depression
You're reading 4 Life-changing Ways to Overcome Depression, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Depression
can affect anyone, at any given time or age. It is generally a disorder that
causes one to experience excessive sadness, loss of interest in once enjoyable
activities, and a lack of motivation. Commonly, sorrow or despair results from
a loss, significant life change, stress, disappointments, and so on. Although
these feelings may seem ‘normal,’ you cannot just snap out of them. For
starters, it’s i...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - February 21, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Harry Hogan Tags: depression featured self-improvement mental health pickthebrain self improvement Source Type: blogs
Do statins reduce heart scan scores?
If you have a CT heart scan score (also called coronary calcium score), what effect do statin cholesterol drugs have on stopping or slowing the increase in score? (Increasing scores pose increasing risk for heart attack and other cardiac events.)
NONE. If you do nothing at all, the score increases by 25% per year, on average. If you take a statin drug, aspirin, and follow a low-fat diet, what my colleagues call “optimal medical therapy,” the score increases . . . 25% per year—no difference. Yet this is the “solution” that conventional doctors push on their patients, a “treatment” t...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - February 7, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open cholesterol coronary calcium ct scan do statin drugs reduce heart scan scores reduce coronary calcium reverse coronary calcium reverse heart disease undoctored wheat belly Source Type: blogs
What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for our health?
You hear it all the time: the advice to “eat less processed food.” But what is processed food? For that matter, what is minimally processed food or ultra-processed food? And how do processed foods affect our health?
What are processed and ultra-processed foods?
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are whole foods in which the vitamins and nutrients are still intact. The food is in its natural (or nearly natural) state. These foods may be minimally altered by removal of inedible parts, drying, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing, or pasteurization, to make them suitable to store and safe to consume. Unprocessed or...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 9, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katherine D. McManus, MS, RD, LDN Tags: Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs
What parents need to know about a vegan diet
A vegan diet is made up of only plant-based products — no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs (some people also exclude honey). While these diets are still relatively rare, they are becoming more common. Some families or teens choose them for health reasons, and it’s certainly true that plant-based diets are low in saturated fat and can have other health benefits. Some choose them for philosophical reasons — either sustainability, or not wanting to harm animals, or both.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to get educated before you begin. You should talk to your doctor, and if possible it’s a good idea to also meet with ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 7, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Nutrition Parenting Source Type: blogs
Lifestyle changes to lower heart disease risk
Nearly half of all premature deaths may be due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as insufficient exercise, poor diet, and smoking. These risk factors increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
The good news is that lifestyle changes can make a difference. In a study analyzing over 55,000 people, those with favorable lifestyle habits such as not smoking, not being obese, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet lowered their heart disease risk by nearly 50%.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recently published guide...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - November 2, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: James Yeh, MD, MPH Tags: Alcohol Diabetes Exercise and Fitness Heart Health Hypertension and Stroke Smoking cessation Source Type: blogs
How my dog helps motivate me to manage my high cholesterol
This post is sponsored by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own.
As a wellness author and speaker, people often ask me questions about cholesterol and heart disease. In partnership with Take Cholesterol to Heart, I’m answering some of the most common questions. Want to learn more? Be sure to visit Take Cholesterol to Heart for more information on managing your cholesterol levels.
Q: I know that exercise is an important piece of a cholesterol management plan, but I find it hard to get motivated. Do you have any advice?
A: Yes! As the video below shows, partnering with an enthusias...
Source: Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative - October 29, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Eliz Greene Tags: Exercise Tips Heart Disease Risk Factors Heart Health cholesterol Take Cholesterol To Heart Source Type: blogs
