Therapist Unlimited Blog

Those persons who wish to avoid depression when they reach middle age better start eating healthy diet now.
A recent study from the United Kingdom has shown that eating healthy foods such as  high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish, protects middle aged people against depression compared to a processed food diet containing a high proportion of high fat dairy
food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts.
The research was made possible through the effort of researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London (UCL), UK and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), and University of Montpellier, France.
Based on their study, the researchers revealed that much research on diet and depression tends to focus on individual nutrients so they thought they would look at links between overall dietary patterns and depression.
To get the data, the researchers looked at 3,486 participants of average age 57 years (nearly three quarters were men) who were part of the Whitehall II study.
The Whitehall II study was created by co-author and UCL Professor Sir Michael Marmot to investigate links between disease and social class, psychosocial factors and life style. It began by looking at the health of working people, and is now also looking to answer questions about how previous and current circumstances affect health and quality of life in an ageing group of participants.
The data allowed the researchers to identify two dietary patters: a whole food diet and a processed food diet. The whole food diet comprised mainly fresh fruits and vegetables and fish, while the processed diet comprised mainly sweetened desserts, fried foods, high fat
dairy foods, processed meat and refined grains.
To assess depression, the researchers used self-reported data that had been gathered five years after the dietary data using the CES-D scale. CES-D, short for Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, is a commonly used self-report questionnaire for assessing depression.
It asks a series of multiple choice questions about how the participant has been feeling over the past week, covering topics such as concentration, loss of appetite, worry, how well they have been able to shake off depressive moods, quality of sleep, feelings of
loneliness, self-worth, energy levels, and so on.

 

 

 

To avoid depression in middle age it is time to engage in a healthy diet now.

 

 

 

When they analysed the results and ruled out potential confounders such as age, gender, education, smoking, exercise, and chronic diseases, the researchers found that:
* Participants in the top 33 per cent (top tertile) of the whole food diet pattern, ie whose diet most closely matched the whole food diet, had a 26 per cent lower risk of receiving a CES-D depression assessment five years later (odds ratio 0.74, with 95 per cent probability of this being in the range 0.56 to 0.99) compared to the bottom 33 per cent (bottom tertile), ie whose diet least closely matched the whole food diet.
* In contrast, participants whose diet was high in processed foods had a 58 per cent higher risk of receiving a CES-D depression rating five years later.
The researchers concluded that:
"In middle-aged participants, a processed food dietary pattern is a risk factor for CES-D depression 5 years later, whereas a whole food pattern is protective."
According to BBC News, co-author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux, who works at UCL and INSERM, suggested there was a possibility that the finding could be explained by a lifestyle factor they had not accounted for.
In other words the study does not prove that a processed food diet causes depression: it could be that people destined to become depressed become inclined to eat more processed foods, that there is a yet undiscovered factor behind both.
However, when results as strong as these emerge, and a consistent pattern linking diet and depression is found by several studies, it would tend to suggest that a healthy diet does protect against mental ill health.
The Chief Executive of the UK-based Mental Health Foundation, Dr Andrew McCulloch told the BBC that:
"This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health."
He said major studies like this were crucial in helping us understand more about how diet contributes to mental illness. He said people in the UK were increasingly adopting unhealthy diets, and eating less nutritious and fresh food and more saturated fats and sugars.

 

 

The quality of a person’s social life could have an even greater impact than diet and exercise on their health and well-being. There is growing evidence that being a member of a social group can significantly reduce the risk of conditions like stroke, dementia and even the common cold.
A recent study made by the the Universities of Exeter and Queensland, Australia, shows that membership of social groups has a positive impact on health and well-being.
The work highlights the importance of belonging to a range of social groups, of hanging onto social groups, and of building new social groups in dealing with life changes such as having a stroke and being diagnosed with dementia.
Writing in Scientific American Mind, the researchers from the Universities of Exeter, Queensland and Kansas review a number of previous studies, including many of their own, which identify a link between group membership and physical and mental health. Some more recent studies which support the same conclusion were presented by the Exeter-based researchers at the British Science Festival.
Commenting on this work, Professor Alex Haslam of the University of Exeter, said: "We are social animals who live and have evolved to live in social groups. Membership of groups, from football teams to book clubs and voluntary societies, gives us a sense of social identity. This is an indispensable part of who we are and what we need to be in order to lead rich and fulfilling lives. For this reason groups are central to mental functioning, health and well-being".

 

 

Having friends keeps humans away from diseases and experience healthy living in the process.

 

 

These conclusions are based a number of recent studies which were reviewed in the article and presented at the Science Festival. These included:
A 2008 study (published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation) of stroke sufferers. This showed that being able to maintain valued group memberships played as important a role in positive recovery as an ability to overcome cognitive difficulties (e.g., problems with memory and language). After their stroke, people’s life satisfaction increased by 12% for every group membership that they were able to retain.
A 2009 study (in press at Ageing and Society) of residents entering a new care home. This showed that those who participated as a group in decisions related to the decoration of communal areas used those areas 57% more over the next month and were far happier as a result. In contrast, the use of space by residents in a control group declined by 60%. Moreover, these differences were still apparent three months later.
Another 2009 study (under review at Psychology and Aging) looked at the impact of group interventions on the health and well-being of 73 people residing in care. After a period of six weeks the researchers found that people who took part in a reminiscence group showed a 12% increase in their memory performance, while those who received individual reminiscence or a control intervention showed no change.
Another 2009 study (in press at the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology) also studied nursing home residents and looked at the relationship between their sense of identity and well-being and the severity of their dementia.
The study’s key finding was that a strong sense of identity associated with perceived membership of social groups, was a much better predictor of residents’ well-being than their level of dementia.
Summarising this and other work in the article, Professor Jolanda Jetten from the University of Queensland commented:
"New research shows just how important groups and social identity are to well-being. This is something that people often overlook in the rush to find medical solutions to problems associated with ageing, but it is time that these factors were taken much more seriously".
Dr Catherine Haslam of the University of Exeter, another of the works’ co-authors, agrees: "On the basis of what is now a very large body of research we would urge the medical community to recognise the key role that participation in group life can play in protecting our mental and physical health. It’s much cheaper than medication, with far fewer side effects, and is also much more enjoyable."
 

 

Those people who have large thighs around the world better start rejoicing now.
A recent research has shown that individuals whose thighs are wider than 60cm have a lesser risk of premature death and heart disease.
Lead author, Professor Berit Heitmann, based at Copenhagen University Hospital, says the research may help GPs identify patients who are at an increased risk of early death and developing heart disease.
Heitmann revealed while several studies have already demonstrated that being either very overweight or underweight are related to premature death and disease, this is the first to investigate the implications of thigh size on health.
Almost 3000 individuals took part in the study in Denmark this included 1463 men and 1380 women.
Participants were examined in 1987/88 for height, weight, thigh, hip and waist circumference and body composition.
They were then followed up for 10 years for incidence of heart disease and 12.5 years for total number of deaths.
 

 

 

 

Those who have large thighs have lesser chance of suffering from heart disease and experiencing early death.
 

 

 

During the follow-up period 257 men and 155 women died, also 263 men and 140 women experienced cardiovascular disease and 103 men and 34 women suffered from heart disease.
When assessing the results, the authors found that the survivors had higher fat-free thigh circumference levels.
The relationship between thigh size and early death and disease was found after taking body fat and other high risk factors (such as smoking and high cholesterol) into account.
The researchers therefore suggest that the risk from narrow thighs could be associated with too little muscle mass in the region.
This is problematic because it may lead to low insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes and, in the long run, heart disease, they explain.
Moreover, the researchers conclude that the study "found that the risk of having small thighs was associated with development of cardiovascular morbidity and early mortality.
This increased risk was found independent of abdominal and general obesity, lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and lipids related to early cardio vascular morbidity and
mortality".
The researchers believe that doctors could use thigh size as an early marker for at risk patients and suggest that individuals increase lower body exercise in order to increase the size of the their thighs if necessary.
Further research would be needed, however, to assess whether this approach was worthwhile.

A researcher from the University of Alberta in Canada recently discovered that mango seeds could be a good prevention against food bacteria.
The researcher has found a way to make throwaway kernels in mangos into a natural food preservative that could help prevent Listeriosis outbreaks like the one that killed 21 Canadians last year.
Christina Engels revealed the findings can also apply to other fruit seeds like grapes.
Based on the study, pure tannins, a plant component extracted from otherwise useless mango kernels by Engels, have proven inhibitory effects against various strains of bacteria including Listeria, a potentially deadly pathogen that infected some packaged meats and caused an outbreak of disease in Canada in 2008.

 

 

Recycling mango seeds is a good way to prevent bacteria.
 

 

It is said that Engels’ research focuses on a way to recycle wood-like mango kernels, which are usually thrown away or burned.
Engels explained by processing the kernels for their tannins, businesses have a way to completely utilize all fruit parts and therefore increase their profit.
At the moment, mangos are one of the main fruits marketed globally, ranked fifth in world production among the major fruit crops.

 

Researchers have recently have out that washing your hands after digging in beach sand, could greatly reduce risk of ingesting bacteria that could make you sick.
Based on their study, the researchers have determined that, although beach sand is a potential source of bacteria and viruses, hand rinsing may effectively reduce exposure to microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.
Dr. Richard Whitman, the lead researcher of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study explained simply rinsing hands may help reduce risk, but a good scrubbing is the best way to avoid illness.
To get the data they are looking for, the researchers measured how many E. coli bacteria could be transferred to people’s hands when they dug in sand.
They analyzed sand from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago.
Using past findings on illness rates, scientists found that if individuals were to ingest all of the sand and the associated biological community retained on their fingertip, 11 individuals in 1000 would develop symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.
Ingestion of all material on the entire hand would result in 33 of 1000 individuals developing gastrointestinal illness.
In a further laboratory experiment, the researcher also discovered that submerging one’s hands four times in clean water removed more than 99% of the E. coli and associated viruses from the hands.
Previous studies have shown that concentrations of E. coli bacteria in beach sand are often much higher than those in beach water.
Recent analysis of seven beaches across the nation by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency showed that beachgoers digging in sand were more likely to develop gastrointestinal illness after a day at the beach compared to those not digging in sand.

 

 

 

To keep you free bacteria and stomach aches make it a habit to do hand washing in a regular basis.

 

The association with these illnesses was even stronger for individuals who reported being partially covered up in sand. Because children played in the sand more frequently and were more likely to get sand in their mouths, they were more likely to develop gastrointestinal illness after a day at the beach.
According to medical facts, E. coli is an indicator of recent sewage contamination and if it is present, pathogens harmful to human health are also likely present.
The origin of these bacteria is often unknown. They can persist throughout the swimming season, remaining a potential contamination source to beach visitors.
The researchers said through these studies there is a need to intensify efforts to determine sources of microbial contamination to beaches and associated risk of playing in beach sand.

 

Aside from eating healthily and taking more exercise undergoing some therapy session is also another great treatment for problems on emotional eating.
Medical experts explained having therapy is a good way to solve emotional eating since through it we can better understanding of the issues underpinning compulsive eating so that psychological help can be successfully targeted.
Experts revealed there are currently no Department of Health guidelines on offering psychological services to those suffering from eating disorders.
It is said that to cope up with their problem, compulsive eaters are given information on food intake, and when that doesn’t work there are pills to suppress appetite and, as a last resort, surgery.
The researchers said none of these options addresses the reasons why people are overweight in the first place and hence are consistently unsuccessful when it comes to maintaining weight loss.
According to studies, therapy has a key role in identifying the reasons why people overeat rather than simply focusing on what they eat.
It can also provide compulsive eaters with the psychological tools and strategies needed to lose weight and keep it off.

 

 

 

Consulting a psychologist is also another effective way to treat eating disorders.

 

Earlier studies have shown that many compulsive eaters do not have secure social and emotional attachments.
In the ups and downs of life, instead of using self-soothing mechanisms or asking for help from others, they reduce stress by ingesting food.
Diet and exercise plans do not address their concerns, so until psychological services are available to meet these needs the obesity problem looks set to grow.

Those men seeking protection against genital herpes should use condom.
A recent medical study has confirmed that using condoms reduce the risk of acquiring herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), although the effect was not as large as that observed with other sexually transmitted diseases.
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), although HSV-2 accounts for most cases. The virus can stay in the body indefinitely, but the number of outbreaks tends to lessen over the years.
Most people who have genital herpes have no or slight symptoms, but when they do occur they appear as one or more blisters near or on the genitals or rectum. The blisters rupture and cause ulcers that can take up to a month to heal the first time, and not so long the second time which usually happens weeks or months after the first outbreak.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Washington and the Seattle Children’s Hospital, lead by Emily Martin.

 

 

The latest medical study has shown that condom offers great protection against genital herpes.

 

Based on their study, the researchers found out that people who used condoms 100 per cent of the time had a 30 per cent lower risk of acquiring HSV-2 than those who never
used them.
The researchers also discovered that the risk of acquiring HSV-2 went up steadily and significantly with each unprotected sex act.
Moreover, the researcher also found out that these ratios were the same for men and women.
With the result of their study, the researchers concluded that although the magnitude of protection was not as large as has been observed with other STIs, we found that condoms offer moderate protection against HSV-2 acquisition in men and women.

 

 

To protect your lungs against any form of diseases better start eating soy products now.
A recent medical research has shown that those people who eat lots of soy products have better lung function and are less likely to develop the smoking-associated lung disease COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
The study noted that eating a wide variety of soy products could be associated with a reduction in the risk of COPD and other respiratory symptoms.
To get the data, Dr. Fumi Hirayama and Professor Andy Lee from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, worked with a team of respiratory physicians to poll 300 patients with COPD from six Japanese hospitals and 340 age-matched control subjects from the same areas as the patients talk about their soy intake.
Hirayama revealed soy consumption was found to be positively correlated with lung function and inversely associated with the risk of COPD.

 

To those people who want to get protection against lung diseases better start eating soy products now.

 

He explained flavonoids from soy foods act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the lung, and can protect against tobacco carcinogens for smokers.
Despite the relevant information they gathered on their research, he believe further research is needed to understand the underlying biological mechanism.
Based on medical facts, soy is a constituent of many Japanese foods, including tofu (soybean curd), natto (fermented soybeans), miso soup (fermented soybean paste), bean sprouts and soymilk.
It is said that soy foods also reduces cholesterol and can alleviate menopause symptoms.
The common symptoms of COPD are the progressive decline in lung function, and encompass chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Long-term cigarette smoking causes almost 90% of COPD.
Moreover, the researchers said their study only shows an association between soy intake and a reduced risk of developing the condition; the best preventive measure is still to abstain from tobacco entirely.

 

According to medical experts, one of the best ways to cope up with tress in work is to forge a smooth relationship with your family and friends.
Based on a study, it was uncovered that a smooth relationship with our love ones reduces the negative effects of work-related stress on our health.
In a research conducted by Ann-Christine Andersson Arntén, a faculty of University of Gothenburg, Sweden she found out that a positive approach and successful stress-management techniques also help to reduce the negative effects of work-related stress.
However, Arntén said when there are stressful experiences both at work and in the relationship, the risk of burnout and poor health increases dramatically.
To get the data, the researcher examined 900 persons took part in her survey.
The survey consists of those who felt they had a good relationship experienced that they enjoyed better health than those who had a more problematic relationship, women with a poorly-functioning relationship experienced more anxiety, mental stress reactions and sleeping difficulties than women who had a good relationship, and men who had a mediocre relationship had a higher incidence of depression, anxiety, psychological and somatic stress reactions than men with worse or better relationships.
Arntén said although the study shows some gender differences, differences amongst individuals belonging to a gender were much greater than the difference between the genders.

 

 

Being happy in a relationship is a great way to cope up with work-related stress.

 

Arntén explained after having been exposed to stress, the body must recover and recharge itself.
She said if there is no opportunity to recover because the work does not allow for breaks and lunches, the body’s reserves are emptied, and poor health ensues.
She added the same principle applies when a person takes work home, frequently works overtime or has recurring quarrels and problems in his or her relationship.
According to her, the effects of the sometimes small but recurring stress situations of everyday life sneak up on a person, who at first does not even notice them.
Furthermore, Arntén revealed the person under stress adapts and tries to accommodate the demands and changes he or she face, until one day, there is such a great imbalance, that massive efforts are needed just to manage everyday life.
She said not taking time to recover can lead to impaired physical and mental health and cognitive and concentration problems, which reduce performance and problem-solving ability and this leads to consequences both at home and at work.

Here is a piece of good news to parents around the world.
A latest study has revealed that children who have a great relationship with their parents have less chances of suffering from alcohol addiction.
In a research published at the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, and Drugs it was discovered that children who have close with their parents refrain themselves from the drinking habit and just drink alcohol in moderation when they are already adult.
According to Dr. Emmanuel Kuntsche, of the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Problems in Lausanne, Switzerland and lead author of the study revealed most often those children who started drinking early have higher tendencies of becoming an alcohol addict than those who take up the drinking habit when they already adult.
Kuntsche said parents who have close ties with their children can also offer sound advices for them to keep away from drinking at a young age.
He said the finding was based on the study they conducted on 364 teenagers they have surveyed over two years.
The lead researcher explained those children who refrain from drinking at a young age positively gain from having great relationship with their parents since they were able to discuss their problems with them and that their parents respected their feelings.

 

 

 

Parents need to exert effort to forge a smooth relationship with their children to keep them away from alcohol addiction.

 

 

Kuntsche said the study has also clearly shown that having close relationship with their parents could lower the risk of alcohol problems.
The medical expert urged parents to exert efforts to have a great relationship with their children so that both can freely discuss whatever problems and keep away their children from alcohol and other vices.
He said the young generation is considered as the hope of this planet so parents should make sure these people achieve their full potential by keeping them away from vices through having a smooth relationship with their children.