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Java junkies can sniff out even tiny amounts of coffee, and the more they drink, the better they can smell it, British researchers say. It’s a discovery with powerful implications for treating people addicted to substances with a distinct smell. “The higher the caffeine use, the quicker a person recognized the odor of coffee,” said study leader Lorenzo Stafford. He is an olfactory expert at the University of Portsmouth, in England. Not only could the regular coffee drinkers among the more than 90 volunteers quickly detect the aroma of a heavily diluted coffee chemical, their ability to do so increased with their level of craving, the findings showed. “The more they desired caffeine, the better their sense of smell for coffee,” Stafford said in a university news release. It’s the first evidence that java junkies are more sensitive to the smell of coffee, according to the study published recently in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. Researchers had wondered if coffee drinkers and non-drinkers responded differently to the smell, and whether cravings might be related to an increased ability to detect it. Describing caffeine as the “most widely consumed psychoactive drug,” Stafford said the findings suggest that changes in the ability to detect smells could be a useful index of drug dependency. The study authors said their work could lead to new methods of aversion… read on >

Whether you have a dedicated space in an outdoor garden or just a few buckets on a small patio, there’s nothing quite like having your own herb garden for giving your cooking fresh flavor boosts. But what if you live in an apartment or in a cold climate that can’t sustain outdoor herbs in the winter? The answer is to create an indoor herb garden, even if it’s a small selection grown on a windowsill. Here’s how to get started. First, decide on your herbs. Pick the ones you’ll use most often, and buy from a reputable nursery or garden center. Because growing from seeds can be hit or miss, use started plants. Check growing instructions on the label or insert that comes with each plant to see how much water it needs. This will help you group your herbs appropriately. Rosemary, for one, likes drier conditions, so it won’t mix well in the same planter with basil, which likes more water and fertilizer. Now, select your planters. Window boxes should be about double the size of the containers the herbs came in. A hanging window box is great for a tight space. Whatever the style, make sure there’s a drainage hole in the bottom and a pan to catch any excess water. Replant. To repot your herbs, fill your planters halfway with potting soil.… read on >

Athletes are supposed to be strong and self-assured, so many don’t seek help for mental health issues, a new study finds. It’s not just the stigma of mental illness that prompts many to tough it out alone, but also busy schedules, gender stereotyping and lack of understanding about mental health issues. That’s the consensus of researchers from Brazil, the Netherlands and the United States, who looked at 52 studies covering more than 13,000 elite athletes in 71 sports. The findings were published May 16 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. “Athletes fear, possibly rightly so, that disclosing mental health symptoms or disorders would reduce their chances of maintaining or signing a professional team contract or an advertising campaign,” the researchers said in a journal news release. It’s up to coaches and sport-governing bodies to help remove the stigma of mental illness and encourage mental well-being, the study authors added. As many as one in three elite athletes suffers from mental illness. The demands of training to improve performance heighten the risk, the researchers noted. Stigma was the most common factor in not seeking help, the investigators found. Mental illness was seen as a sign of weakness rather than the “hallmark of a winner,” according to the report. “Coaches could be important agents for supporting positive mental health attitudes within the elite athlete environment, including… read on >

The rise in colon cases among younger adults that’s been seen in the United States is also occurring in wealthier nations worldwide, new research shows. In the decade leading up to 2014, the number of cases of colon cancer among people under 50 increased by 3% a year in Denmark, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and by 1% per year in Britain. The increase was most pronounced among those aged 20 to 29, noted a team led by Dr. Marzieh Araghi, from International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. Among twenty-somethings, colon cancer cases rose by 18% a year in Denmark and 11% in Norway, according to the study published May 16 in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hematology. “Although the incidence of colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50 years remains much lower compared with that in older age groups, our findings are of concern and highlight the need for action to counteract the rising burden of the disease in younger people,” Araghi said in a journal news release. The increase in cases among the young runs counter to declines in colon cancer among people over 50, the researchers pointed out. For example, between 2004 and 2014 cases of colon cancer fell each year among people over 50 — by 2% in Australia and Canada, 3% in New Zealand, and 1% annually in… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A helmet can prevent someone from a serious head injury, says the New York State Department of Health. Some states even require people, especially children, to wear helmets while biking or skateboarding. The Department of Health encourages parents to: Select a helmet that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Make sure your child wears a helmet appropriate for his or her sport. Buy a helmet that fits your child. Replace a helmet that has been involved in an accident.

(HealthDay News) — Ringworm is a fungal infection that gets its name from the red circular rash that develops. The inside of the ring typically is clear or scaly. People who use public lockers and showers, athletes and people with weak immune systems are especially at risk. To prevent the infection, Mayo Clinic suggests: Wash your hands often. Don’t wear thick clothing in warm, humid weather. Avoid infected animals. Don’t share personal items.

Taking a day off from a favorite exercise doesn’t mean spending the time sitting on the couch. In fact, getting some R&R has a special meaning when it comes to exercise: Rest and recovery. Recovery is everything that happens after the end of one workout and before the start of the next. Whether you’re talking about taking a day off after every strength-training session to build muscles or taking a day off once a week from your usual cardio workout, you still want to engage in physical activity, just at a different pace, one without the challenge of intense training. Experts at the American Council on Exercise say moving is important, because it boosts blood circulation, and that brings nutrients to your muscles for recovery and growth. While a set recovery time is needed after every strength-training workout, with 48 to 72 hours between sessions being typical, recovery after other types of workouts, like high-intensity training or endurance training for a marathon, is much more individualized. Listen to your body to know when to take a break. For many people, it’s feeling more soreness than usual. For some, it may be after every three-to-five days of consecutive, strenuous workouts. Remember: If a workout causes soreness that lasts for several days, your workouts are too intense. Training should get you to the point where recovery time… read on >

Ounce for ounce and calorie for calorie, leafy greens and other types of vegetables are the hands-down favorites for delivering on nutrients. But many fruits should also have a place at the table. Researchers looked at the most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to see which provided meaningful amounts of B vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, B6 and B12, vitamins C and K, iron, fiber and protein. Most of the top spots on their ranked list of powerhouse fruits — those most strongly associated with reducing the risk of chronic diseases — were various citrus fruits with one popular berry mixed in. The Top 5 Nutrient-Dense Fruits Lemons Strawberries Oranges Limes Pink and red grapefruit As terrific as blueberries are considered, blackberries were actually the next fruit on the list, followed by white grapefruit. Now this isn’t to say that blueberries, which many studies rank very high for antioxidants and other healthful compounds, shouldn’t be on your shopping list along with raspberries. Eating fruits in a rainbow of colors gets you the widest variety of nutrients and phyto-nutrients — those hard-to-duplicate compounds that go beyond vitamins and minerals. It’s also important to pay attention to a fruit’s ripeness. Studies show that ripe fruits, including all berries, offer more antioxidants than fruits that are not quite ready. Based on that criteria, strawberries topped the list, followed… read on >

More than 20 million babies are born across the globe weighing far less than they should, and the problem isn’t limited to low-income countries, new research shows. In 2015, nearly three-quarters of infants with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) were born in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. But low birth weights persist in high-income countries in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where there have been virtually no reductions in low birth weight rates since 2000. To come to those conclusions, the researchers analyzed data on 281 million births in 148 countries. In 2012, all 195 member states of the World Health Organization committed to a 30% reduction in low birth weight rates by 2025. This study found that worldwide rates of low birth weight fell from 17.5% in 2000 to 14.6% in 2015. But that 1.2% annual decline fell well short of the target annual reduction rate of 2.7%, the study authors said. The findings were published May 15 in The Lancet Global Health. The researchers called for more investment and action by all nations to speed up progress on reducing the global rate of low birth weight. “Despite clear commitments, our estimates indicate that national governments are doing too little to reduce low birth weight,” said study author Dr. Hannah Blencowe, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,… read on >

Weekly Gravy

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Love the Smell of a Cup o’ Joe? Here’s What That Reveals About You

Essentials for Growing Tasty Herbs on Your Windowsill

Many Elite Athletes Ashamed to Seek Help for Mental Illness

Colon Cancer Increasingly Striking the Young Worldwide

Health Tip: Helmet Safety

Health Tip: Helmet Safety

Health Tip: Preventing Ringworm

How to Exercise on ‘Rest and Recovery’ Days

The Top 5 Fruits to Add to Your Diet

Low Birth Weight Babies a Worldwide Problem