Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

You’ll find plenty of nutrient-enriched flavored waters on grocery shelves, but are they any better for your diet than a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon? Many drinks promise health benefits, from more energy and better exercise performance to a stronger immune system. The latest fad is alkaline water, with claims that its manipulated pH has health benefits. But none of the claims of enhanced water products have been substantiated with serious research. In fact, Coca-Cola, parent company of Vitaminwater, voluntarily agreed in 2016 to remove claims from its labels to end a lawsuit brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest seven years earlier. Drilling down into what’s inside the bottle brings up other concerns. Some products contain unnecessary nutrients. For example, most people who perform average amounts of exercise don’t need to replace electrolytes the way athletes do, and don’t need enhanced “sports” waters and other drinks, but there’s no science to support that either. Other products contain excessive amounts of some nutrients. Among 46 drinks tested in one study, most had at least one nutrient in excess of the daily required amount. Yet other than vitamin D, most Americans aren’t lacking in vitamins, and getting an abundance of certain nutrients can pose health risks. Of greater concern, whether you’re limiting calories to lose weight or want to eat… read on >

Though coaches and parents are more alert to the need for emergency attention after young athletes suffer a concussion, many may not realize how long symptoms and other effects can linger. A study in JAMA Pediatrics found that 31 percent of concussion victims had persistent symptoms after four weeks, as well as lower quality-of-life scores than kids whose symptoms had resolved. For some, lower quality of life was still an issue at 12 weeks, even after concussion symptoms were gone. And even kids without persistent symptoms had lower quality-of-life scores than typical. It’s important that young athletes don’t return to play too soon. Another JAMA study found that 15 percent return after at least 30 days, but 3 percent did so after fewer than 24 hours, which doesn’t allow time for key return-to-play protocols. Under nationwide guidelines, kids seen in emergency departments must be referred to a health care provider for follow-up care and a plan for a gradual return to school, and to play when fully recovered. They must not return to practice or play the same day or even be told when they could do so by emergency staff. Each child must be evaluated individually. There are five gradual steps for a safe return to play, but they should be started only after a period of physical and mental rest, and after all… read on >

Smoking during pregnancy is never a good idea, but new research shows it might double the risk of a baby dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). “Any maternal smoking during pregnancy — even just one cigarette a day — doubles the risk of sudden unexpected infant death [SUID, another term for unexplained infant deaths],” said lead researcher Tatiana Anderson. She is a fellow at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research. Doctors should strongly encourage women to give up smoking during pregnancy, or if they can’t quit, to smoke less, she said. Each cigarette smoked increases the risk of SIDS, Anderson added. If women didn’t smoke during pregnancy, the rate of SIDS in the United States could be cut by 22 percent, preventing some 800 infant deaths a year, according to the new report published online March 11 in the journal Pediatrics. Although 55 percent of the women in the study who smoked didn’t stop or cut back during pregnancy, those who did markedly reduced the risk of SIDS, Anderson said. Specifically, women who cut down on their smoking by the third trimester reduced the risk of SIDS by 12 percent. Women who quit by the third trimester reduced the risk by 23 percent, the researchers found. For the study, Anderson and her colleagues collected data on more than 19,000 SUID cases.… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A sprained thumb occurs when ligaments stretch beyond their limits. The most common cause of a sprained thumb is falling onto an outstretched hand, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says. Depending on the sprain’s severity, you may have bruising, tenderness and swelling around the base of your thumb. Difficulty grasping things also is common. For mild thumb sprains, the academy recommends the RICE protocol: Rest. Avoid using your hand for 48 hours. Ice. Use cold packs 20 minutes at a time, multiple times per day. Compression. Wear an elastic bandage to reduce swelling. Elevation. Raise your hand higher than your heart as often as possible.

As American kids pack on the pounds, the number of those with back pain is on the rise. One in three between the ages of 10 and 18 said they had backaches in the past year, according to a survey of about 3,700 youngsters. The incidence rose along with kids’ age and weight and was higher among those who play competitive sports. Though many people probably associate back pain with older people, the orthopedic surgeon who led the study was not surprised by his findings. “We see a lot of kids who have pain from overuse injuries or joint pain from playing sports,” said Dr. Peter Fabricant, who treats pediatric patients at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Of these kids who had back pain, very few actually required any sort of medical intervention. Most didn’t need treatment at all.” About 80 percent of adults suffer from lower back pain at some time, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. But this is the first time the extent of back pain among children has been estimated on nationwide scale, the authors said. The youngsters surveyed were equally split by age and gender. On average, those who reported back pain weighed more and had higher body mass indexes, or BMIs. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.)… read on >

With research finding that the body prefers calcium from food, not supplements, it can be a challenge to meet daily requirements if you’re lactose-intolerant. On average, adults need about 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Fortunately, there are choices within many food groups that deliver on calcium. Leafy greens are a great calcium source, and at the top of the list are cooked spinach, collard and turnip greens. Salad lovers, reach for raw kale. Calcium Content in Greens Cooked spinach, collard greens and turnip greens, 1 cup: 200 mg Raw kale, 1 cup: 90 mg Among legumes, beans and white beans in particular are calcium-rich, as are green soybeans, better known as edamame. Some brands of firm tofu made with calcium sulfate have more than half the daily requirement in a serving — check nutrition labels before you buy. Calcium Content in Legumes Cooked white beans, 1 cup: 160 mg Green soybeans, 1 cup: 260 mg Firm tofu, 3.5 ounces: up to 650 mg Some seeds and nuts also pack in calcium along with their unique mix of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates. Choices include sesame seeds and tahini (sesame seed butter), chia seeds and amaranth, a seed that cooks up like a grain. Enjoy almonds as a snack or spread almond butter on your morning toast. Calcium Content in Seeds and Nuts Sesame seeds,… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are nightmares for athletes. Depending on the severity of the tear, patients can expect surgery followed by more than a year of physical therapy. Most commonly, ACL tears are the result of sudden twisting motions, MedlinePlus says. Though the injury is hard to predict, MedlinePlus suggests that athletes: Warm up before sports. Land on the back of their feet. Firm up muscles with strength training.

The switch to Daylight Saving Time can increase the risk of driver fatigue and crashes, but there are a number of ways to reduce the danger, an expert says. “Any time change can exacerbate drowsiness because your internal clock has not adjusted to the time change. This can lead to disruptions in sleep until your body adjusts, which can take a few days to a week,” said Jeff Hickman, a research scientist at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg. After clocks spring ahead one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, try to avoid driving during rush hours and in early morning, when crash risk increases, he suggested. Driving between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. is particularly dangerous, because your circadian rhythm is at its lowest during this two-hour period. Drivers should try to sleep at least seven to eight hours, Hickman said. But one night of good rest may not be enough if you have had several sleepless nights. If that’s the case, you’ll need several nights of restful sleep to compensate. Watch for signs of drowsy driving, including slow eyelid closures, yawning, gentle swaying of the head, fidgeting in the seat, trouble staying in your lane, difficulty maintaining speed and slow reactions, Hickman said in a Virginia Tech news release. Be extra careful in situations that increase drowsiness, including driving alone, monotonous road… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A concussion is a brain injury that results from an impact to the head. While it usually isn’t life-threatening, a concussion can cause short-term and long-term problems. Parents and caregivers of concussed children should take an active role in their recovery, the New York State Department of Health says. The agency suggests: Make sure the child is well rested. Make sure the child avoids high-risk and high-speed activities. Do not give medicine the pediatrician hasn’t approved. Share information with those who interact with the child to help them understand the child’s needs.

Headed out on vacation? Beware of heart attack: It’s the leading cause of natural death among travelers. If you have heart attack symptoms on the road, getting immediate medical care can improve your odds of long-term survival, according to a study presented Saturday at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Malaga, Spain. “If you are traveling and experience heart attack symptoms — such as pain in the chest, throat, neck, back, stomach or shoulders — that lasts for more than 15 minutes, call an ambulance without delay,” study author Dr. Ryota Nishio said in a society news release. “Our study shows that long-term outcomes after a heart attack while traveling can be good if you get prompt treatment,” added Nishio, who works in the cardiology department at Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital in Izunokuni, Japan. For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 2,500 patients who had a heart attack and rapid treatment with a stent (percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI) between 1999 and 2015 at the hospital. It’s located on the Izu Peninsula, a popular tourist destination near Mount Fuji, and a regional center for PCI. Patients who were traveling tended to be younger than other patients, and had a higher prevalence of heart attacks due to a blockage in a major artery to the heart, the investigators found. The researchers… read on >