Dr. Brad’s Weekly Health Update: Enjoy a cup of coffee, or tea this morning! It may fight off liver disease
Drinking Coffee and Tea May Prevent Liver Disease.
Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, with nearly 32,000 people dying from it each year. Now, a new study suggests that a cup of coffee or tea a day may help prevent this disease. In the study, 2,424 participants underwent a full physical checkup, which included anthropometric measurements such as body mass index, height, blood tests, and abdominal scans. The data revealed that frequent coffee and herbal tea consumption consistently correlated with a significantly lower risk of liver stiffness, which suggests regular coffee or tea intake may prevent liver fibrosis before the signs of liver disease start to appear. Journal of Hepatology, June 2017
Tight Hamstrings Associated with Low Back Pain.
In this study, researchers matched 30 individuals suffering from low back pain with 30 participants of the same height and weight without low back pain. The investigators then measured the participants’ hamstring length and found that those without low back pain had significantly longer hamstrings than the individuals with low back pain. The findings suggest that reduced hamstring length may be either a contributor or the result of low back pain. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, June 2017
Exercise Helps Smokers Quit…
For men and women looking to quit smoking, a new report finds that engaging in physical exercise helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms during the first three days of abstinence. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, July 2017
Less Appears to Be More When It Comes to a Convincing Smile.
To assist individuals with stroke and other medical conditions that affect facial expressions, researchers asked over 800 people to view and rate a series of 3D computer-animated smiles. The investigators found that bigger smiles that showed more teeth tended to be rated as less effective, genuine, or pleasant. PLoS One, June 2017
Vitamin D for Sunburn?
New research suggests that high doses of vitamin D taken within an hour of a sunburn could reduce one’s symptoms. In this study, researchers assigned participants to one of four groups. Participants in one group received a placebo pill, while members of each of the other groups received vitamin D in a single dose of either 50,000, 100,000, or 200,000 international units (IU) after receiving a sunburn. Compared with those who took the placebo, participants in the vitamin D groups experienced a reduction in skin inflammation. Furthermore, the team found that the highest doses of vitamin D not only led to a reduction in skin redness, but also activated skin repair genes. While the results suggest that taking vitamin D may be an effective treatment for sunburn, researchers caution that the doses used in their study are much higher than the current daily recommendations. However, they add that the findings are promising and worthy of further study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, July 2017
Yours in health,
Dr. Brad Butler, DC
