Larry McCleary's Blog, page 2

Crucial Times for Calcium: Pregnancy and Lactation

When it comes to bone health, we often think of menopause as the time in a woman’s life when bone density falls most rapidly. However, a woman transfers 10% of her skeletal calcium to the baby during the last part of pregnancy. And her bone density may fall by 6-8% while breast feeding. Therefore, it is crucial for a mother to consume a high calcium diet during pregnancy and while nursing to ensure an abundant supply for her developing child.

Maintaining a healthy calcium intake during pregnan...

Combined Brain and Body Training Can Build an Even Better Brain

Brain training – one form of cognitive training – consists of a variety of exercises intended to improve brain function in areas such as being able to maintain attention, think before acting, optimize visual and auditory processing, hone listening skills and enhance memory.

Both cognitive training and physical exercise have been hot topics in the media and among physicians in recent months. It is becoming more and more apparent that there is value in keeping the brain engaged. To keep the brai...

Migraines – Not Just “Bad” Headaches

Dr. Joel R. Saper, M.D., Director of the Michigan Head-Pain & Neurological Institute, states, “There is no condition of such magnitude that is as shrouded in myth, misinformation and mistreatment as is this condition [migraine], and there are few conditions which are as disabling during the acute attack.” Unlike a headache, a migraine has many symptoms including extreme pain in the temple or forehead area of the head (usually on one side), nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound t...

Exercise Boosts Health & Well-Being

Maintaining a physical activity regimen may help middle-aged adults improve their heart health by reducing inflammatory markers that are risk factors for heart disease. These activities do not have to been done in a gym. They can be as simple as brisk walking, biking or even rigorous yard or house work.

To investigate this connection, a study was conducted over an 11 year time period, then published in the journal Circulation. Mark Hamer, an associate professor of epidemiology and public healt...

Marijuana Use Tied to IQ Decline

Teen users who have been repeatedly diagnosed with marijuana dependence during their adolescent years have been shown to have significant decline in IQ scores by the age of 38. During adolescent years the brain is maturing, and cannabis use can disrupt that growth process. In addition to the fall in IQ scores, close friends and family members were noted to report that the subjects were also having problems with memory loss and attention.

This study, performed by Madeline Meier, PhD, of Duke Un...

Drinking During Pregnancy Affects Children’s Growth

A recent study published in the journal Alcoholism has found that children who had significant prenatal alcohol exposure may have delayed weight gain from infancy through 9 years of age. A reduction in head growth among children who were exposed to alcohol in the womb suggests that the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure may be permanent and could adversely impact the child’s mental development because head circumference is known to be an indicator of brain growth in children.

These findings...

Spice Up Your Life

Many people who are trying to change their diet feel like their cravings can’t be appropriately managed with healthy foods alone. To help curb cravings, if you let your senses explore the rich aromas and tantalizing flavors of an assortment of culinary herbs and spices, you will find eating healthy, nutritious foods to be much more satisfying. And an added bonus is that many spices have health promoting qualities. In fact, ounce for ounce, herbs and spices are the most nutrient-packed foods y...

Impact of Fluoride on Neurological Development in Children

For generations health experts have been arguing about whether fluoride in the drinking water may be neurologically damaging to a young, developing brain. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and China Medical University in Shenyang have combined 27 studies to find strong evidence that fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children. The research was led by Anna Choi and published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The majority of the studies that were meticulou...

Different Types of Fat

Different carbohydrates have quite dissimilar impacts on our health and metabolism. In a similar fashion, different types of fats in the diet can produce beneficial or adverse impacts in the body. There is one type of fat that should be avoided at all costs. It is referred to as trans-fat. Trans-fat appears on food labels as partially hydrogenated oil (corn, sunflower or safflower) and is used by food manufacturers to lengthen the shelf life of their products. Unfortunately, trans-fats are un...

Artificial Butter Flavoring Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

New research has linked the artificial food flavoring compound diacetyl, used for its buttery taste, with a key process in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Its chemical structure is similar to a compound found in amyloid plaques – the diagnostic signature in the Alzheimer brain. A team of researchers, led by Professor Robert Vince, from the University of Minnesota found that diacetyl increases the amount of clumped beta-amyloid proteins in the brain – a key step in the development of a...