Daily Health News Blog

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you should know that a growing body of research suggests that what you eat may play a role in reducing -- or exacerbating -- the inflammation and other symptoms that characterize rheumatoid arthritis. Are there foods to avoid? Some types of omega-6 fatty acids, a kind of polyunsaturated fat that's found in many snack foods, fried foods, margarine, meats, corn oil and safflower oil, can increase inflammation.  Like omega-3s, however, omega-6s are essential for your health, so don't try to eliminate them from your diet. The key is to consume more omega-3s than omega-6s. A simple way to do this is to cut down on the amount of snack foods and meat that you eat.  There is also some evidence that frying or grilling meat at high temperatures produces compounds that can increase inflammation. Baking and broiling are better options; they're more heart healthy than frying.  If you suspect that certain foods worsen your symptoms, you may...

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in most developed countries around the world, and the number of cases is rising constantly as a result of both modern lifestyles and increased overall longevity. While developing the condition can have a devastating impact on the sufferer's life, modern medicine has developed several effective treatments for heart disease, ranging from drugs and lifestyle improvements right through to surgery. Of course, prevention is always better than cure, so before we look at some of the symptoms of cardiac disease we'll look at some of the ways you can help your body ward off the risks. Living a healthy lifestyle can go a long way to reducing the chances of developing cardiac problems, but there is unfortunately an element of inherited risk, so even those with excellent overall health may find that they're genetically programmed towards heart disease in later life. Thankfully, the greatest influence genetics has on heart diseas...

Is white wine as "heart healthy" as red wine? Here’s what you should know about the heart health benefits of white wine. The answer is  probably  -- though researchers continue to debate the question. Some studies have indicated that red wine is modestly better for the heart than white wine (or beer or spirits) because it contains resveratrol -- a polyphenol (plant chemical) associated with cardiovascular benefits, including reduced risk of heart attack. Resveratrol is found in the seeds and skin of grapes, which are crushed together with the pulp to make red wine. White wines, on the other hand, are made with just pulp and therefore contain very little resveratrol. But recent studies have shown that the pulp does contain other polyphenols that may be heart healthy. Moreover, although red and white wines differ in polyphenol composition, both contain similar amounts of alcohol -- which is known to increase level s of HDL ("good") cholesterol and prevent bl...

Use of cranberry-containing products appears to be associated with prevention of urinary tract infections in some individuals, according to a study that reviewed the available medical literature and was published by  Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common bacterial infections and adult women are particularly susceptible. Cranberry-containing products have long been used as a "folk remedy" to prevent the condition, according to the study background. Cranberry-containing products tend to be more effective in women with recurrent UTIs, female populations, children, cranberry juice drinkers, and people using cranberry-containing products more than twice daily. Scientific studies done in humans -- have concluded that cranberr...

Millions of Americans take daily multivitamin/mineral pills, which are by far the most commonly used supplements. Ask them why, and most will say they take the pills to make up for nutritional shortfalls in their diet, to help prevent a variety of diseases, or just to stay healthy in general. And yet, there has been remarkably little solid, consistent evidence to back up the purported benefits of multivitamins (the same is true of individual vitamin or mineral supplements). So multi users may have felt half-vindicated by two recent Harvard studies in the  Journal of the American Medical Association , one focusing on cancer, the other on cardiovascular disease Over the years, many large studies have observed that people who take a multi have a lower risk of heart attacks, various cancers, and other diseases—though other observational studies have not, and a few have suggested increased risks. Still, such studies can’t prove cause and effect, since people who take multis ...