Here are some of the latest developments in the world of health and medicine:
* Resveratrol drug may still be years away. Numerous laboratory studies have shown that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and grape juice, has significant health benefits. But a clinically effective resveratrol-based pill may still be at least a half-decade away, according to researchers now studying this substance. In scientifically controlled studies, resveratrol has been shown to increase longevity, reduce blood clots and reduce inflammation—at least in mice. In advertising, sellers of resveratrol-based dietary supplements tout such additional benefits as increased male potency and the reversal of Alzheimer’s symptoms. But scientists warn they still don’t know exactly how resveratrol works, what its long-term effects are, or even what a proper daily dosage might be. So until these fundamental questions are answered, they suggest taking resveratrol the natural way: in red grapes, in 100% grape juice or in a nice glass of Pinot Noir.
* Calorie restriction may not lead to longer lives. Over the past two decades, many nutritionists have come to believe that a low-calorie diet can extend the human lifespan. While calorie-restricted diets may have certain life-extending benefits, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that skinny also has its downside. Working with genetically modified fruit flies (Yes, fruit flies provide an excellent model for how humans cope with disease.), the researchers discovered that being super-skinny can leave a body abnormally vulnerable to infection. In other words, fasting can make you live longer—as long as you never get sick. Since people have to live in the real world, germs and all, maybe packing on a few pounds can also help add a few years.
* “Shacking Up” Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be. If you’re thinking of moving in with your significant other to “test your relationship” prior to getting engaged, think again. Psychological researchers from the University of Denver studying pre-marital relationships have discovered that the majority of couples who cohabitate prior to getting formally engaged wind up divorced. The researchers believe that the very need to “test” a relationship may show that the couple already has serious doubts about commitment, doubts that become amplified under the stress of actual marriage. Although living apart prior to marriage (or at least engagement) has its inconveniences, it appears that absence may indeed make the heart grow fonder.
* New Cancer Vaccines May Help Fight Future Tumors. Vaccines against diseases like polio, measles, rubella and diphtheria enlist the body’s own immune system to fight off infection. Now, researchers are developing a new generation of vaccines that within the next decade may join the fight against one of America’s most feared killers, cancer. Unlike traditional vaccines, which prevent targeted diseases from even taking hold, the cancer drugs under development will be used to fight tumors that have already formed. Early research suggests that these new vaccines may not only be effective in significantly shrinking tumors, they are able to do so without side-effects. Look for more news on this exciting subject in the months ahead.
* “Clean Living” Can Reduce Colon Cancer Risk. Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Now, researchers at the George Institute for Health in Sydney, Australia, have concluded what medical experts have suspected for many years: that colon cancer is primarily a “lifestyle” disease that can be prevented by making some obvious behavioral changes: 1) Exercise regularly, 2) Drink only small amounts of alcohol or none at all, and 3) Don’t smoke. Studying 100 previous studies of cancer risk factors, the researchers found major increases in colon cancer rates among people who were overweight, moderate-to-heavy drinkers and smokers. On the other hand, people who exercised regularly, drank lightly or were teetotalers, and who didn’t smoke had significantly lower rates of this deadly disease. “Clean living” may not be as much fun, but chances are you’ll get to do a lot more of it.
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