Sugar Editorial Picks
Apr 10, 2008 -
I thought laughter was a great stress reducer, but it turns out that just thinking about laughter is enough. A new study found that anticipating laughter significantly lowers three stress hormones, including cortisol. Seeking out laughter is good for your overall health!
- 9 Comments
Sep 14, 2007 -
It is frequently said that laughter is the best medicine, but did you know it is good for your veins? Scientists at the University of Maryland have proven that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter creates increased blood flow by causing the inner lining of blood vessels to expand.
- 5 Comments
Mar 20, 2007 -
We have all heard that laughter is the best medicine; well some Norwegian researchers think it might just be more than that. Folks that have a sense of humor, especially in the face of cancer, outlive those who don't find life funny. The study tracked 57,000 Norwegians for 7 years and the larger role humor played in participants' daily lives, the greater their chances for surviving.
- 2 Comments
Dec 06, 2006 -
Check out this new fitness fad. It's part traditional Yoga, part improv, and part just plain silliness. It's called Laughter Yoga.
- 4 Comments
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Nov 21, 2007 -
Laughter has many health benefits: It reduces stress, relaxes muscles, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and even burns a few calories. So take at least one minute out of your day to just laugh.
Here's a seasonal joke to get you started: If April showers bring mayflowers, then what do mayflowers bring?
- 8 Comments
Jan 09, 2009 -
Cortisol is a hormone that's recruited to regulate blood pressure and the immune system when the body is experiencing physical or emotional stress. Constant stress can cause our bodies to overproduce the hormone, and instead of helping to balance our bodies, cortisol can cause sleep problems, leave us vulnerable to infection, induce blood sugar abnormalities, and lead to abdominal weight gain.
In its February issue, Prevention magazine describes solutions for managing cortisol, and these options are all doable with little effort (so you don't become even more stressed about having time to manage your stress hormone!).
- 6 Comments
Oct 08, 2008 -
In This Report
- Highlights
- Introduction
- The Body's Response
- Complications
- Conditions with Similar Sym...
- Treatment
- Risk Factors
- Lifestyle Changes
- Resources
- References
HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M
Highlights
- Some people are pre-programmed for a heightened response to stress by conditions in the womb. Pregnant women under stress who eat a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates have babies with higher cortisol levels. Later on, these levels increase in response to stress.
- The impact of stress on the heart and circulation system is becoming more clear.
- 0 Comments
Sep 27, 2008 -
I have always contended that laughing is not only good for the soul, but for your abdominals as well. We don't call them belly laughs for nothing. A few exercise aficionados took the idea of laughter as exercise to an entirely new place.
- 12 Comments
Oct 08, 2008 -
In This Report
- Highlights
- Introduction
- Causes
- Risk Factors
- Prevention
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Medications
- Stages
- Resources
- References
HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M
Highlights
Alzheimer’s Disease Toll Increasing
More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer’s disease, and the number could increase to 16 million by mid-century, according to a 2007 report from the Alzheimer’s Association.
New Drug Indication
In 2006, the FDA expanded the use of donepezil (Aricept) to include treatment of people with severe dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Donepezil was previously approved only for people with mild-to-moderate dementia.
- 1 Comment
Oct 08, 2008 -
In This Report
- Highlights
- Introduction
- Causes
- Risk Factors
- Prognosis
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Resources
- References
HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M
Highlights
Neuroimaging Techniques May Help Diagnose Narcolepsy
Neuroimaging techniques, such as CT and MRI scanning, have allowed researchers to characterize brain function throughout the sleep-wake cycle in the normal human brain. At the present time, few research studies have evaluated the brains of people with sleep disorders using these neuroimaging techniques. More studies involving people with sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, will be required to gather data to help researchers diagnose, classify, treat, and monitor sleep disorders more effectively.
- 0 Comments