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In the ABCs of vitamins, B12 is often overlooked. But it’s essential for the making of nerve and red blood cells, as well as DNA along with many other body processes. Adults and teens need just 2.4 micrograms a day, but you can fall short even on this small amount. You’re at particular risk of a B12 deficiency if you’re a vegetarian because animal foods, like meat and dairy, are the only foods that deliver it. If you have a health problem that affects nutrient absorption, like Crohn’s disease, have had bariatric surgery or take certain medications, you also run the risk. So do people over 50 because of changes in stomach acids. Common medications that can affect your body’s B12 levels: PPIs such as omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid), used for treating heartburn or GERD. H2 receptor antagonists such as famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac), also used for treating those and other conditions. Metformin, the diabetes drug. A deficiency can develop slowly over time or come on rather fast. Possible warning signs include emotional or thinking problems, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, constipation, and numbness or tingling in hands and feet. These can also be symptoms of many other conditions, but it takes only a blood test to diagnose a B12 deficiency. If you don’t eat animal-based foods, you can boost B12 with fortified soy… read on >

Living well starts at the grocery store: When you choose the right foods, it’s easy to cook and eat healthfully. As a general rule, shop mostly along the perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find fresh foods, such as the dairy, meat, fish and fresh produce that should be the foundation of your meals. Some of the most nutritious vegetable staples available year-round are sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots and spinach. These are versatile choices that are not only great side dishes, but also part of many courses from a variety of cuisines. Most people aren’t aware how much out-of-season produce adds to their food bill, so stick with what’s in season or go with frozen, especially when it comes to berries and exotic fruits such as mango. Seasonal foods also taste better, so consider buying them in bulk when available and freezing portions for future use. Avoid most of the aisles and freezer cases jammed with prepared foods like frozen dinners. They cost more and are usually loaded with sugar and salt. One inner aisle you should visit is the one with grains. That’s where you’ll find whole grains and whole grain flours to boost your fiber intake, and provide other nutrients typically missing from refined flour foods. Also stock up on dried peas and beans. To make shopping efficient, keep a running… read on >

Want a quick brain boost? A morning session of exercise and short walks throughout the day provide a number of brain benefits for older adults, a new study says. The findings show that people should avoid uninterrupted sitting to maintain good mental function throughout the day. The study also indicates that moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking should be encouraged to maintain brain health, according to researcher Michael Wheeler. “Relatively simple changes to your daily routine could have a significant benefit to your cognitive health. [The study] also reveals that one day we may be able to do specific types of exercise to enhance specific cognitive skills such as memory or learning,” Wheeler added. He’s a doctoral student at the University of Western Australia’s Heart and Diabetes Institute. The study included more than 65 men and women, aged 55 to 80, in Australia. The researchers examined how moderate-intensity exercise on a treadmill in the morning with and without 3-minute walking breaks during an 8-hour day of extended sitting affected different kinds of mental function. Decision-making throughout the day was improved when the participants did the morning exercise session, compared with uninterrupted sitting, according to the study. It also found that the morning bout of exercise combined with a number of short light-intensity walking breaks throughout the day led to improvements in short-term memory, compared with… read on >

A gene therapy that tweaks the immune system might offer hope to people with blood cancer that has resisted standard treatments, a new preliminary trial suggests. The cancer, called multiple myeloma, arises in certain white blood cells. It is currently incurable, but there are treatments that can help people live with the disease for years. However, most people eventually progress, and some fail to respond to the available therapies at all. The new study involved 33 patients just like that: They’d typically had seven to eight rounds of various treatments and were out of options. So researchers tried a recently developed approach that harnesses the immune system’s cancer-killing potential: CAR T-cell therapy. It involves removing immune system T-cells from a patient, then genetically altering them to be armed with chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs. That allows the T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells once they are infused back into the blood, said senior researcher Dr. James Kochenderfer. CAR T-cell therapy is already approved for certain cases of leukemia and lymphoma — two other types of blood cancer. But the approach is not one-size-fits-all. CARs have to target a protein specific to the cancer, explained Kochenderfer, a scientist with the U.S. National Cancer Institute. In this study, his team used CARs that recognize a protein on multiple myeloma cells, called BCMA. The investigators found that… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A chemical peel can reduce signs of aging and treat a variety of skin conditions, says the American Academy of Dermatology. Acne, discoloration, freckles and sun-damaged skin are some of the many conditions commonly treated with a peel. After treatment, patients often see smoother skin, a brighter complexion, a more-even skin tone and fewer wrinkles. However, before considering treatment, it is important to remember that chemical peels are considered cosmetic treatments, so insurance may not cover the cost.

When you want to create a festive celebration without a fat and calorie overload, a seafood-based salad is the perfect choice. To step up the extravagance, make it with crabmeat. Crab is high in vitamin B12 and is a delicious, lean protein to pair with fresh greens. If you’re buying pre-packaged crabmeat, check it for any bits of shell, then give it a rinse under cold running water and set it aside to drain before using. You can also buy king crab legs at your fish counter and easily pick the meat out of the shells yourself after steaming them. Another special ingredient in this salad is low-calorie hearts of palm, the tender center of a plant typically found in Costa Rica. It gives this salad an exotic spin and a zesty flavor. You can find hearts of palm in cans or glass jars at most markets. Both parts of this recipe can be made in advance. Drizzle on the dressing just before serving to avoid making the greens soggy. Citrusy Crab Salad For the salad: 4 cups baby spinach, rinsed and drained 4 hearts of palm stalks, rinsed, drained and sliced into discs 6 ounces crabmeat, picked over, rinsed and drained 1 avocado, thinly sliced For the dressing: 1 navel orange 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4… read on >

“No sex for six weeks” used to be the standard advice following childbirth and, according to many doctors, it is still a good practice to allow healing. But it’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Although a woman is at the highest risk for infection during the first two weeks postpartum (a period that could be longer if she had vaginal tears or a cesarean section delivery), the current approach is to let how a woman feels guide her. Still, for many women, the return to intimacy doesn’t always follow a schedule. Problems like vaginal dryness, painful sex and a lack of desire can stand in the way, often for months after childbirth. A study of 832 new moms published in the journal BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth found that after six months 46% reported a lack of interest in sex, nearly as many experienced vaginal dryness and for 37% sex was painful. These problems weren’t always connected to having had an episiotomy or vaginal tears. A lack of natural lubrication and even breastfeeding, which has been associated with a negative body image, were other underlying reasons. Another study of new moms, this one published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that other problems, not directly involving sexual function but affecting sexual desire, can start as early as one month postpartum and continue for six or more months. They… read on >

Need to see your doctor, but can’t take time off from work? There’s an app for that. And new research shows patients find the ability to see a doctor “virtually” convenient and satisfying. Nine out of 10 people who had a virtual visit with a doctor said it was more convenient than other ways of getting care, and it addressed their medical needs. Only four in 10 said they would prefer an in-person appointment, the researchers found. “Patients had a very strong response to the convenience and quality of video visits. Eighty-four percent said these visits improved the relationship with their provider,” said Mary Reed, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, in Oakland. Though some patients preferred in-person visits, Reed noted that telemedicine “isn’t an either/or choice. A video visit might be just fine for some experiences. And some patients are more comfortable with in-person.” Millions of Americans have had virtual doctor visits over their phone, tablet or computer, according to the researchers. Some telemedicine services are virtual-only and don’t have in-person facilities. The current study looked at a hybrid system, however. Kaiser Permanente Northern California offers virtual visits to its primary care patients. Reed said patients were able to have a visit with their own physician about 70% of the time. If they couldn’t see their own physician,… read on >

Sticking with a diet starts with having a plan that maps out meals and snacks based on foods that help you feel full longer. After all, if you feel satisfied, you’ll be less likely to rummage through your kitchen cabinets looking for treats. But sometimes cravings can get the better of you. You might be tempted by the whiff of a bakery as you walk to work, want something sweet to cheer you up when you’re down, or just reach for food because you’re bored. The answer is to create a strategy for dealing with a craving as soon as you feel one coming on. Pick a time when you’re not hungry (perhaps right after a meal) to plan how you’ll cope with a craving. Write down actions that you can take that fit with your lifestyle. This way, you’ll enjoy the alternative course of action rather than feeling like you’re punishing yourself. Your “best” action might be doing a crossword, picking up a crochet project or turning on dance music. What if you feel a craving this very second? Here are four things you can do right now: Phone a friend. Sometimes calling in reinforcements can keep you on track or simply divert your attention from food. Try to find nonfood topics of conversation, and chat until the craving passes. Drink a tall glass… read on >

Asthma inhalers can’t do the job if they’re not used correctly. And that’s an issue for many children, U.S. researchers say. “We know from past studies that both parents and children overestimate the ability of children to properly use their inhaler,” said study author Dr. Anna Volerman, from the University of Chicago. The study included 65 pairs of parents and children, ages 8-14, who had asthma and used inhalers. The children went to four Chicago public charter schools. Nine in 10 children were black and most parents were women. The researchers found that 97% of the children misused their inhaler. Only one child showed mastery, according to the study in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Many parents had misplaced confidence in their children’s ability to use their inhaler to ease their respiratory distress. Only 4% of children whose parents were confident in their use of an inhaler actually used the device properly. None of the parents underestimated their children’s ability to use an inhaler. The study also found that only 5% of children who were confident in their inhaler technique used their inhaler flawlessly. “We examined whether parent and child confidence were the same and whether either was a good sign of the child’s actual ability to use the inhaler correctly,” Volerman said in a journal news release. “We found most parents… read on >

Weekly Gravy

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Could You Be Short on Vitamin B12?

An Expert’s Guide to Healthier Grocery Shopping

Morning Exercise Kick-Starts Seniors’ Brains

Gene Therapy May Help Fight Tough-to-Treat Blood Cancer

Health Tip: Chemical Peel

A Celebration Salad Fit for a Queen or King

Returning to Intimacy After Childbirth

Your Virtual Doctor Will ‘See’ You Now

4 Strategies to Cope With a Food Craving

Asthma Inhalers Incorrectly Used by Most Kids in Study

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