During the summer, many of us participate in outdoor sporting events - Marathons, charity runs/walks, cross-country bike rides. In rare cases, people unused to exercise - or even well-trained athletes participating in a grueling endurance event - can experience rhabdomyolysis, a serious syndrome that results when muscle fibers break down and are released into the bloodstream. In these cases, rhabdomyolysis is caused by extreme muscle strain.
Amyloidosis is a rare disease in which abnormal proteins, called amyloid proteins, build up in your organs - affecting your kidneys, heart, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract or nervous system. Researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of amyloidosis, but those at greater risk include people over 40, those with chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases (such as tuberculosis or rheumatoid arthritis), those with a family history of the disease and those undergoing kidney dialysis.
Waking up with a “Charlie Horse” in the middle of the night can certainly be unpleasant. And it’s something that is often more frequently seen in the warmer months. Why? Because for some people leg cramps are a result of dehydration that can be caused by hot days, sun, exercise and a lack of liquids. When your body’s electrolytes are depleted, the result can be cramps - more commonly in the legs and feet.
Other causes of muscles cramping include:
- Diuretic drugs that can result in dehydration or a depletion of sodium or potassium.
- Overusing muscles that you haven’t exercised in a while.
- Prolonged sitting.
- Imbalance in calcium levels caused by parathyroid disease. This usually causes cramping in the hands or arms.
- Medications taken to reduce cholesterol or stomach acid. Birth control pills, antipsychotics and steroids can lead to cramping as well.
- Flat feet.
If you experience muscle cramping regularly, it’s a good idea to visit your physician. In most cases, your health care provider will examine your medication history and run blood tests to check your potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium levels. A thyroid function test may be run as well.
To prevent cramping stay well-hydrated, exercise often, and stretch your muscles often. Also avoid drinks with caffeine, as well as alcoholic beverages that tend to dehyrdrate your body. It’s a good idea to eat foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium as well. Some people find that milk (for the calcium) or a daily vitamin B complex can help prevent cramping.
According to new research, caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffee can help prevent the most deadly form of prostate cancer. The results from Harvard University’s research are pretty impressive. Researchers followed 50,000 men for 20 years. Of those numbers, 5,000 men got prostate cancer and over 600 got the most deadly form of it. What the researchers found is that the men who drank the most coffee were most likely to get the deadly form of prostate cancer — their risk was 60% less than men who didn’t drink coffee. Men who drank at least 6 cups of coffee daily had a 60% risk reduction; those who drank 3 cups had a 30% reduction.
Researchers also noted that they saw the same results whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated. Thus, caffeine is not the beneficial ingredient. Other research has shown that coffee can help prevent Parkinsons’ Disease, diabetes and liver disease. Coffee is an anti-oxidant that can help lower insulin levels.
Of note, the study also found that weekly exercise (walking 2-3 times a week was sufficient) also reduced the risk of dying from prostate cancer — by 50%.
If you were to ask your friends whether they were “night owls” or “early birds” you might just find that women and men answer differently. New research in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” shows that men and women tend to have different circadian rhythms. Specifically, women tend to have “faster clocks.” That means women tend to be early risers.
Every one of us has a unique circadian rhythm - think of it as your own internal biological clock. This “clock” has an effect on your sleeping and eating patterns; it is also associated with cycles of brain wave activity, hormone production and other biological activities.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital placed subjects into a windowless sleep lab for eight weeks. This was done because the environment around you also plays a role on your circadian rhythm - specifically the amount of light or dark. By placing the research subjects in these windowless rooms, each person’s natural circadian rhythm became evident. On average, women’s clocks were six minutes shorter. It may not seem like much, but those minutes add up. Some women had a daily cycle that was less than 24 hours.
According to the researchers, if you have a shorter clock, you need to block out light that can interfere with your sleep. If your cycle is longer than 24 hours, you need to be certain early morning light streams in to get you going in the morning.
Many women probably aren’t getting enough sleep -that may, in fact, be fighting their own inner clock.
So why does all this matter? Well, sleep plays an important role in your health. The role between sleep and your immune system is complicated. Prolonged sleep deprivation can compromise your immune system’s ability to fight off illness, but losing a little sleep here and there may actually be beneficial. When you are ill, however, it’s a common response to sleep for extended periods. Research has found that non-REM sleep tends to increase when you’re ill.
When you are asleep:
- Your body works to repair itself, producing extra protein molecules that are important to fighting infection.
- You give your cardiovascular system a much-needed break from stress and inflammation.
- Your brain takes the day’s events and organizes them - this leads to clearer thinking in the morning.
- Your body is regulating the hormones that affect your appetite. Research shows that those who are sleep-deprived can have hormonal imbalances that cause them to eat calorie-rich fats and carbohydrates. This can lead to obesity.
- You help your body better process glucose, thus reducing your risk for diabetes type 2.
Sleeping like eating, drinking and exercising - you need it to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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