Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

The supplement known as 5-HTP is available in both natural and synthetic versions and is used by some people to treat a variety of wellness issues. Here’s a look at what this supplement is, its safety profile, side effects and drug interactions, and the potential health benefits that 5-HTP has to offer you for a balanced lifestyle. What is 5-HTP? In your body, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is a chemical produced naturally from the essential amino acid called tryptophan. The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that it’s the forerunner of serotonin. Natural supplements that contain 5-HTP are made from a plant called Griffonia simplicifolia that’s native to countries in West Africa such as Congo, Sierra Leone and Ghana, according to the University of Texas El Paso. A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Science by researchers from the University of Turin in Italy found that in recent years, scientific breakthroughs have also allowed for the production of some synthetic 5-HTP supplements. 5-HTP benefits Because 5-HTP is converted into serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) in the body, it provides a number of potential benefits for your overall health and well-being. Depression The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates 5-HTP as “possibly effective” for treating depression, according to the National Library of Medicine, and it may work as well as some antidepressant drugs that are… read on > read on >

You’ve heard of eating your spinach to stay strong, but how about loading up on your flavonols? New research suggests that plant-based foods rich in these important dietary compounds could lower your chances of developing frailty as you age. Apples and blackberries are among the fruits that contain a particular flavonoid called quercetin that may be the most important to prevent frailty, the investigators added. “There may be some validity to the old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor [or frailty] away,” said a team that included Steven Oei, from the department of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston. “Our findings suggest that for every 10 mg [milligrams] higher intake of flavonols per day, the odds of frailty were reduced by 20%. Individuals can easily consume 10 mg of flavonols intake per day since one medium-sized apple has about 10 mg of flavonols.” About 10% to 15% of older adults experience frailty. This geriatric syndrome leads to a greater risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization and death. Dietary recommendations to prevent frailty typically focus on eating protein, but many other foods have health benefits, the study authors reported. “Although there was no significant association between total flavonoid intake and frailty, higher flavonols intake (one of the subclasses of flavonoids) was associated with lower odds of developing frailty,” according to study… read on > read on >

Maybe you can’t weed your garden without sneezing. Perhaps your eyes start watering when you clean your home. Did your skin begin itching last night during dinner? You may have an allergy, but you’re not alone. More than 50 million adults and children in the United States have a bad reaction to pollen, dust, mold, pet dander and other common allergens, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (ACAAI). What are allergies (allergic reactions)? An allergy is your body’s reaction to an allergen such as pollen, mold and more. Pollen causes a pollen allergy and mold causes a mold allergy. It’s your immune system that reacts. It is very important because it protects you from germs and viruses, but sometimes it gets confused. “Most people don’t have an immune response to pollen, but a certain percentage of people’s immune systems see it as foreign and dangerous, and they treat it like a pathogen or infection,” said Dr. Christina Price, an allergist and immunologist at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Conn. How your body treats allergens When your immune system decides that something might hurt you, it fights back. This fight triggers those miserable symptoms like shortness of breath, hives, sneezing and itching, the ACAAI explains. In other words, while trying to protect you, your body accidentally causes harm. The most common allergy… read on > read on >

It’s a social media darling and one of the hottest prescription medications on the U.S. market. But does Wegovy really help patients lose weight? Yes, a new study suggests. Investigators analyzed data on more than 100 people using Wegovy (semaglutide). They found that after a year participants had shed more than 13% of their body weight on average. “This medication showed superior weight-loss outcome to all previously approved anti-obesity medications that were tested,” said study lead author Dr. Wissam Ghusn, a research fellow in gastroenterology and hepatology with the Precision Medicine for Obesity Program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Semaglutide was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 to help control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk for heart attacks, stroke and death among patients with type 2 diabetes. For this purpose, the once-weekly injectable medication — sold under the brand name Ozempic — helps the body make more insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. But the drug was also associated with weight loss, and the FDA approved it for that purpose in 2021. Sold as Wegovy, the self-administered injectable is given at a higher once-a-week dosage of 2.4 mg. It is intended as a weight-loss medication for adults with an “overweight” body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 29 who also struggle with at… read on > read on >

(HealthDay News) – Cases of vision loss and deaths are mounting in an investigation into eye drops contaminated with a rare strain of a drug-resistant bacteria. In all, four people have died, with one new death now being reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, a total of 14 people have experienced vision loss, with six new cases reported last week. Infections have now been reported in 81 people living in 18 states. Four cases have involved people who have had to have their eyeballs surgically removed. The cases involve 10 brands of eye drops, most commonly EzriCare Artificial Tears. Global Pharma Healthcare’s Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops were first recalled in February. The drops were distributed by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma. “Patients who have used EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should seek medical care immediately,” the CDC said in its latest update. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the bacteria infecting these patients. It’s a strain never before seen in the United States, CNN reported. Among the newly identified patients, many had either recalled using the eyedrops or lived in long-term care facilities in which others were infected with the bacteria. The bacteria can spread to those who haven’t used the drops, the CDC noted. “The bacteria can spread when one patient… read on > read on >

A new brain bank is accepting future donations from living athletes, in an effort to perform long-term research into the effects of sports-related concussion. The National Sports Brain Bank (NSBB) at the University of Pittsburgh will track the health of living participants on an annual basis, and will autopsy their donated brains after their death. “We want to follow prospective donors longitudinally while they’re still alive and get information from them about their sports participation, trauma, history, other medical history, any symptoms they may experience,” said NSBB Director Dr. Julia Kofler. “We can then correlate their clinical information with what we see down the road under the microscope, at the time of autopsy,” she said. Two former NFL stars — Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Merril Hoge — pledged at a news conference announcing the NSBB to stand among the first group of pro athletes who will participate in the brain bank. Bettis said he’s taking part as a way of giving back to professional football, and also potentially help protect his children’s health. “I’m a father and my son plays high school football. My daughter played high school basketball. She had multiple concussions,” Bettis said. “For me, it’s important that I be that role model to show that we have that job, if you will, as… read on > read on >

Spotting ADHD early can ensure children with the condition get the help they need sooner rather than later. But how can parents know if the behavior they’re seeing in their child is a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or merely the mercurial mood and behavior swings of a toddler? An expert at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore offers some guidance. “Research shows that children with ADHD have abnormal brain development, meaning that ADHD has a biological basis that often makes it a lifelong condition,” Mark Mahone, director of neuropsychology, said on the institute’s website. “We want to catch ADHD early because it has such a profound effect on learning and academic development. Children whose symptoms begin in early childhood are at the highest risk for academic failure and grade repetition.” The team at Kennedy Krieger was among the first to study preschoolers’ brains for signs of ADHD using neuroimaging. The researchers found that children with ADHD have a smaller caudate nucleus, a brain structure associated with thinking skills and motor control. Up to 40% of children have significant attention problems by age 4. ADHD is the most common mental health disorder among preschoolers. About 1 in 11 school-aged children have an ADHD diagnosis. Mahone encourages parents to pay close attention to their toddler’s behavior. Look for these specific signs: Your child dislikes or… read on > read on >

The first vaccine designed to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by vaccinating their mothers during pregnancy has been backed by a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. On Thursday the independent committee of experts voted unanimously that the Pfizer-made vaccine was effective, and 10-4 that there was adequate data on safety to move the vaccine to approval, the Associated Press reported. The shot would be given to pregnant women at 24 to 36 weeks gestation. This should stimulate the production of maternal antibodies to RSV that would then pass through the placenta to the fetus. “Before the pandemic, RSV was the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, so this is a big deal,” Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told NBC News. Levy is a temporary voting member of the panel, but not one who voted on this vaccine. The FDA will still need to approve the vaccine, a process that could take months. The agency is not obligated to follow its advisers’ recommendations, but it usually does. The Pfizer-made vaccine would only be the second one ever approved in the United States for RSV. A vaccine made by pharmaceutical company GSK was approved for adults ages 60 and up earlier this month. However, 11 RSV vaccines for… read on > read on >

The first RSV vaccine designed to protect infants is under consideration by a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An independent committee of experts will vote Thursday on whether to recommend the shot for pregnant mothers at 24 to 36 weeks gestation. “Before the pandemic, RSV was the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, so this is a big deal,” Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told NBC News. Levy is a temporary voting member of the panel, but not one who will vote on this vaccine. If the panel recommends the vaccine, the FDA would still need to approve it, a process that could take months. The agency is not obligated to follow its advisers’ recommendations, but it usually does. The Pfizer-made vaccine would only be the second one ever approved in the United States for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). A vaccine made by pharmaceutical company GSK was approved for adults ages 60 and up earlier this month. However, 11 RSV vaccines for various age groups are being tested in ongoing clinical trials. When a mother-to-be receives the vaccine, protective antibodies transfer to infants through the placenta. Safety data for the infant vaccine is “generally favorable,” according to the FDA. Trial participants had a slightly elevated rate of preterm… read on > read on >

When young men pack on excess weight during their teens and 20s, they may inadvertently drive up their risk for prostate cancer later on. The concern stems from new research that examined several decades’ worth of weight fluctuations and prostate cancer rates among nearly 260,000 men in Sweden. The men ranged in age from 17 to 60. Researchers initially observed that overall, participants who put on roughly 1 pound or more per year across their life span had a 10% higher risk for developing aggressive prostate cancer as older adults. A similar weight pattern was linked to a 29% greater risk of fatal prostate cancer. But digging deeper, researchers found that most of the men grew heavier between the ages of 17 and 29. And ultimately most of the weight-associated increase in cancer risk was pegged to weight gains in that age bracket. “We were surprised [by] the rapid weight gain in young adulthood, and that the risk of prostate cancer later in life was strongly associated with this rapid weight gain,” said lead author Marisa da Silva, a postdoctoral fellow at the Lund University Cancer Center in Sweden. She stressed that the findings are not definitive proof that youthful weight gains caused prostate cancer risk to rise, only that the two are linked. Even the possibility of a weight-driven risk factor is important, da… read on > read on >