DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” ~ Noel Coward

Mental Attitude: The Majority of People Tell Lies. A recent paper has found that many people are honest most of the time, many are honest about lying, and some people just seem to lie a lot. Researchers surveyed 527 individuals on how much they lied in the previous 24 hours. The results showed that 41% claimed to have not lied at all during the previous day and 59% admitted to telling at least one lie. Interestingly, 5% of the respondents were responsible for 40% of the total number of admitted lies. Human Communication Research, December 2013

Health Alert: Obese Children Exhibit Chronic Stress Exposure! The body produces the hormone cortisol in response to stress. In urgent situations, cortisol can be a life saver; however, if cortisol is allowed to build up in the body over a long period of time, it can lead to a host of health problems. In this study, researchers analyzed the scalp hair (a proposed biomarker to measure stress levels) of 20 obese children and 20 normal weight children. They found that obese children have stress hormone levels nearly 50% higher than their normal weight peers. More research is needed to determine if obese children experience greater physical or psychological stress or if their bodies handle stress in a different manner. The researchers believe a greater understanding of the relationship between stress and obesity may lead to more effective weight loss strategies in the future.  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, December 2013

Diet: Limit Sugar Intake to Prevent Tooth Decay! The World Health Organization currently recommends that free sugars should only account for 10% of total calories consumed. Free sugars are sugars added to food during cooking or manufacturing plus those naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit concentrates. Now, a new study from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom recommends lowering the recommendation for added sugar intake to just 5% of total calories consumed. According to the study's lead author, Dr. Paula Moynihan, "People now expect to keep their teeth into old age and given that the effects of sugars on our teeth are lifelong then limiting sugars to less than 5% of the calories we eat would minimize the risk of dental [cavities] throughout life." Journal of Dental Research, January 2014

Exercise: Older Women Too Sedentary. A new report reveals that older women are sedentary for about two-thirds (~10 hours) of their waking day. Researchers noted that sedentary time appears to increase with both age and weight gain. Recent studies suggest sedentary behavior may be a risk factor for several adverse health outcomes including cardiovascular disease and some cancers. JAMA, December 2013

Chiropractic: Neck Pain Relief Faster and Cheaper. In a randomized study including 183 patients with neck pain, participants were selected to receive spinal mobilization, physiotherapy, or general practitioner care. Clinical outcomes revealed that patients experienced faster recovery with spinal mobilization, with a total cost of care 33% lower than physiotherapy or general practitioner care. British Medical Journal, April 2003

Wellness/Prevention: Total Smoking Bans Help Smokers Quit. According to a new study, total smoking bans in public places or in the home help smokers cut back or quit smoking completely. Partial bans, whereby some areas in the home or public are designated for smoking, were not shown to be beneficial for smokers trying to quit.  Preventive Medicine, November 2013

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To: www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com

(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.)