| News Briefs - October-December - Online Extra |
High Fiber = Long Life
A government study has
established a link between
longer life and a high-fiber diet.
Fiber was tied to lower risks of
cancer in men (but not women)
as well as lower incidences of
heart disease and infectious
and respiratory illnesses. The
average American eats about
15 grams of fiber each day, but
the daily recommendations are
25 grams for women and 38
grams for men.—Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel (2/15/11)
Road Noise Increases
Risk of Strokes
Road noise traffic can increase
the risk of a stroke, especially for
people 65 and over. That is the
conclusion of a study involving
51,485 participants which was
published in Europe. It found
that for every 10 decibels more
noise, the stroke risk increased
by 14%. Previous studies have
linked traffic noise to raised
blood pressure and heart
attacks. Why there should be
these associations is not yet
clear.—sciencedaily.com (1/27/11)
Thousands of Children
Fall from House Windows
More than 5,000 children go to
emergency rooms each year
because they fell from a house
window, the journal Pediatrics
reports. Children between 0
and 4 years of age made up
64.8% of the injuries, but the
average age of an injured child
was 5.1 years. The study
authors saw an overall decrease
in the rate of injuries from
window falls among children 0
to 4. Falls were more likely
among boys, during summer,
and in two-story homes.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/23/11)
A government study has
established a link between
longer life and a high-fiber diet.
Fiber was tied to lower risks of
cancer in men (but not women)
as well as lower incidences of
heart disease and infectious
and respiratory illnesses. The
average American eats about
15 grams of fiber each day, but
the daily recommendations are
25 grams for women and 38
grams for men.—Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel (2/15/11)
Road Noise Increases
Risk of Strokes
Road noise traffic can increase
the risk of a stroke, especially for
people 65 and over. That is the
conclusion of a study involving
51,485 participants which was
published in Europe. It found
that for every 10 decibels more
noise, the stroke risk increased
by 14%. Previous studies have
linked traffic noise to raised
blood pressure and heart
attacks. Why there should be
these associations is not yet
clear.—sciencedaily.com (1/27/11)
Thousands of Children
Fall from House Windows
More than 5,000 children go to
emergency rooms each year
because they fell from a house
window, the journal Pediatrics
reports. Children between 0
and 4 years of age made up
64.8% of the injuries, but the
average age of an injured child
was 5.1 years. The study
authors saw an overall decrease
in the rate of injuries from
window falls among children 0
to 4. Falls were more likely
among boys, during summer,
and in two-story homes.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/23/11)
“White Coat” Hypertension
Common
As many as one-third of people
thought to have resistant
hypertension (hypertension
that doesn’t respond to
medications) may actually have
the “white coat” effect, or blood
pressure that’s elevated only in
their doctor’s office. This is the
result of a study published
online March 28 in
Hypertension. The study
included 69,045 people, average
age 64, with blood pressure
readings of 140/90 or higher.
Those patients underwent 24-
hour blood-pressure monitoring
under everyday living and
working conditions and 37%
were found to have “white coat”
hypertension—Men’s Health
Advisor (June, 2011)
Study Bombardier Beetle
Studies of the bombardier beetle
have led to a prestigious award
being won by researchers at the
U. of Leeds in the UK. Dr. Andy
McIntosh’s team imitated the
beetle’s incredible defense
mechanism that involves
shooting a toxic chemical at
attackers with extreme accuracy.
He explained nobody previously
had studied the insect from a
physics and engineering
perspective as his team did.
Creationists have long pointed
out how the gradual evolution
of such a beetle was impossible
because all its parts had to be in
place for the mechanism to work.
—Answers (July-Sept., 2011)
Common
As many as one-third of people
thought to have resistant
hypertension (hypertension
that doesn’t respond to
medications) may actually have
the “white coat” effect, or blood
pressure that’s elevated only in
their doctor’s office. This is the
result of a study published
online March 28 in
Hypertension. The study
included 69,045 people, average
age 64, with blood pressure
readings of 140/90 or higher.
Those patients underwent 24-
hour blood-pressure monitoring
under everyday living and
working conditions and 37%
were found to have “white coat”
hypertension—Men’s Health
Advisor (June, 2011)
Study Bombardier Beetle
Studies of the bombardier beetle
have led to a prestigious award
being won by researchers at the
U. of Leeds in the UK. Dr. Andy
McIntosh’s team imitated the
beetle’s incredible defense
mechanism that involves
shooting a toxic chemical at
attackers with extreme accuracy.
He explained nobody previously
had studied the insect from a
physics and engineering
perspective as his team did.
Creationists have long pointed
out how the gradual evolution
of such a beetle was impossible
because all its parts had to be in
place for the mechanism to work.
—Answers (July-Sept., 2011)
Sharks Found to Have
Great Navigation Systems
Tiger sharks and thresher
sharks seem to have the ability
to navigate with pinpoint
accuracy. Scientists confirmed
that the sharks could “navigate”
to find their destinations, even
at night in total darkness
beneath the waves but aren’t
sure how they do it. The sharks
may be able to sense the
earth’s magnetic field, but water
temperature and smells as well
as signals from ocean currents
may also play a role.—Answers
(July-Sept., 2011)
Hottest Chili Sauce Ever
A factory in Australia has
produced a sauce made from
the spiciest chili in the world
The Trinidad Scorpion Butch
T registers 1,463,700 Scoville
heat units, almost 300 times
hotter than the hottest jalapeño.
The pepper is so strong the
owners must wear protective
suits to guard against fumes
while cooking their brew. Butch
T is genetically primed to
produce extraordinary levels of
capsaicin, a heat-inducing
chemical.—Discover (July/
August, 2011)
When You Eat Doesn’t
Affect What You Weigh
Researchers tracking the
eating habits and body weights
of more than 7,400 men and
women in the U.S. for 10 years
found the time of day when they
ate their food had no bearing
on changes in their weight. For
generations people have been
told to limit how much they eat
at night because food
consumed during periods of
inactivity is more likely to be
stored as fat, but that
apparently is not true.—
Nutrition Action Health Letter
(June, 2011)
Great Navigation Systems
Tiger sharks and thresher
sharks seem to have the ability
to navigate with pinpoint
accuracy. Scientists confirmed
that the sharks could “navigate”
to find their destinations, even
at night in total darkness
beneath the waves but aren’t
sure how they do it. The sharks
may be able to sense the
earth’s magnetic field, but water
temperature and smells as well
as signals from ocean currents
may also play a role.—Answers
(July-Sept., 2011)
Hottest Chili Sauce Ever
A factory in Australia has
produced a sauce made from
the spiciest chili in the world
The Trinidad Scorpion Butch
T registers 1,463,700 Scoville
heat units, almost 300 times
hotter than the hottest jalapeño.
The pepper is so strong the
owners must wear protective
suits to guard against fumes
while cooking their brew. Butch
T is genetically primed to
produce extraordinary levels of
capsaicin, a heat-inducing
chemical.—Discover (July/
August, 2011)
When You Eat Doesn’t
Affect What You Weigh
Researchers tracking the
eating habits and body weights
of more than 7,400 men and
women in the U.S. for 10 years
found the time of day when they
ate their food had no bearing
on changes in their weight. For
generations people have been
told to limit how much they eat
at night because food
consumed during periods of
inactivity is more likely to be
stored as fat, but that
apparently is not true.—
Nutrition Action Health Letter
(June, 2011)
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