DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Friday, November 29, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

"No one can arrive from being talented alone, work transforms talent into genius." ~ Anna Pavlova

Mental Attitude: Pre-Birth Memory. Babies who heard a lullaby while in utero reacted strongly when they heard the same song both after birth and at four months of age. Study author Eino Partanen concludes, "These results show that babies are capable of learning at a very young age, and that the effects of the learning remain apparent in the brain for a long time." PLoS ONE, October 2013

Health Alert: Bariatric Surgery Linked to Premature Birth! An analysis of 2,500 women who had weight loss surgery prior to becoming pregnant showed a premature birth rate of 9.7% compared with 6.1% in a control group of 12,500 new mothers who had not had bariatric surgery. While the cause is unknown, the authors of the study believe that women should be made aware of this risk prior to their procedure and subsequent pregnancies should be treated as high-risk pregnancies with more attentive prenatal care. British Medical Journal, November 2013

Diet: For a Longer Lifespan and Better Health… New research supports that the Mediterranean diet can increase female longevity while helping them avoid cognitive decline, physical impairments, and chronic illness in old age. The study found that women who ate a Mediterranean diet had a 40% improved chance of living past 70 years of age, were free of eleven common chronic diseases, and showed no physical and cognitive losses compared with those who did not follow the Mediterranean diet.  Annals of Internal Medicine, November 2013

Exercise: Improves Cognitive Function in Aging Adults. Adults ages 57-75 who exercised for one hour on a stationary bike three times a week for twelve weeks not only improved their physical health, but also their cognitive function. According to Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, the lead author of the study, "Physical exercise may be one of the most beneficial and cost-effective therapies widely available to everyone to elevate memory performance. These findings should motivate adults of all ages to start exercising aerobically." Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, November 2013

Chiropractic: Ulnar Nerve Compression. A 41-year-old woman with ulnar tunnel compression complained of poor grip strength and numbness in her right forearm and middle fingers. She was treated with chiropractic care including manipulative therapy, myofascial therapy, and elastic therapeutic taping. Home exercises and improvements to her workstation ergonomics were also implemented. After her first treatment, immediate improvements were noted regarding weakness and numbness. The patient’s symptoms resolved completely after 11 treatments. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, June 2013

Wellness/Prevention: Improving Gum Health May Reduce Heart Risk. The results of a study involving 420 adults suggest that taking care of your gums significantly reduces the progression of atherosclerosis, which increases a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. Lead author Dr. Moïse Desvarieux writes, "These results are important because atherosclerosis progressed in parallel with both clinical periodontal disease and the bacterial profiles in the gums. This is the most direct evidence yet that modifying the periodontal bacterial profile could play a role in preventing or slowing both diseases." Journal of the American Heart Association, October 2013

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)