ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• Selenium, vitamin E supplements can increase risk of prostate cancer in some men
• Sauces and marinades address consumers' desire for ethnic flavors
• Some employers find excuses to fire pregnant employees
• Sodabriety: Teens at risk for obesity switch from sugared drinks to water with peer intervention
• Active thyroid may raise risk of depression in older individuals
• Shift away from glycemic control in diabetes treatment detailed
• When feeling poor makes you sick: Subjective poverty massively affects older people's health
• Take action against radon: Test, fix, and save a life
• High family stress can impact child's immune system
• Beyond partisanship: Engaging in debates about science, society
• Scientists honor Frank Zappa, naming human zit-causing bacterium now infecting vineyards

Selenium, vitamin E supplements can increase risk of prostate cancer in some men Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST High-dose supplementation with both the trace element selenium and vitamin E increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. But importantly, this risk depends upon a man's selenium status before taking the supplements. "Men using these supplements should stop, period. Neither selenium nor vitamin E supplementation confers any known benefits -- only risks," the lead author stated. "While there appear to be no risks from taking a standard multivitamin, the effects of high-dose single supplements are unpredictable, complex and often harmful. There are optimal levels, and these are often the levels obtained from a healthful diet, but either below or above the levels there are risks."

Sauces and marinades address consumers' desire for ethnic flavors Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST Sauces and marinades are an easy way for consumers cooking at home to infuse distinctive flavors into all kinds of different foods. New consumer trends and a growing interest in international/ethnic flavor preferences regarding sauces and marinades are the subject of a new article.

Some employers find excuses to fire pregnant employees Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:37 AM PST The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 makes it illegal in the United States for a woman to be fired just because she is pregnant. But that doesn't stop it from happening, according to new research by two sociologists. What employers do to get around the law is vilify pregnant women as poor performers and tardy employees while also pointing to seemingly fair attendance policies and financial costs, their research shows. Pregnancy discrimination only compounds other gender-based employment inequalities women face in the workplace in areas such as hiring, wages and harassment, the authors argue.

Sodabriety: Teens at risk for obesity switch from sugared drinks to water with peer intervention Posted: 20 Feb 2014 01:12 PM PST Kids growing up in Appalachia are the nation's largest consumers of sugary drinks. With deaths in Appalachia related to obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease on the rise, local teens are working with researchers to lead a successful program helping peers quit sugary drinks for good. Dubbed "Sodabriety," the 30-day project asked groups of teens from two southern Ohio high schools to develop and then lead educational campaigns designed to convince their peers to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and tea, and to drink more unsweetened beverages. By the end of the program, not only did some teens completely give up sugared drinks, but water consumption nearly doubled.

Active thyroid may raise risk of depression in older individuals Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:13 AM PST When older individuals' thyroid glands are more active than average, it may be a risk factor for depression, according to new research. Beyond its role in regulating the body's metabolism, the thyroid gland also can influence mental health. Past research has found links between an increased risk of depression and both over- and underactive thyroid glands. This study is the first to find an association between depression and thyroid activity variations within the normal range.

Shift away from glycemic control in diabetes treatment detailed Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:24 AM PST A new editorial proposes a simple way for physicians to communicate to patients about the best treatments for diabetes. The "lending a hand" illustration reprioritizes treatment goals, based on research on mortality reduction, to convey that glycemic control is no longer the primary intervention. The "lending a hand" illustration uses the fingers of an open hand to depict diabetes interventions from thumb to pinky in descending order of benefit, relative to complications and mortality.

When feeling poor makes you sick: Subjective poverty massively affects older people's health Posted: 20 Feb 2014 05:32 AM PST Being objectively low income leads to poor health and a shorter life. This much we already knew. But poverty can also be a matter of subjectively feeling poor. Researchers have substantiated how the subjective assessment of being poor affects the health of the 50+ age group. A study of European countries shows that older people who assess themselves as poor get sick more often (38 per cent) and suffer more from health setbacks (48 per cent) than those who do not. The probability of dying earlier is also much higher – around 40 per cent for men in this age group.

Take action against radon: Test, fix, and save a life Posted: 19 Feb 2014 06:53 AM PST This time of year might feel too late for making new year's resolutions, or too early for spring cleaning, but it's just the right time for taking an important step to protect the health your family: testing your home for radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

High family stress can impact child's immune system Posted: 19 Feb 2014 04:52 AM PST High family stress can lead to the child's immune system being affected, a research group has shown. Our immune system has the task of protecting us against bacteria and viruses. Our bodies are also equipped to handle everyday stress -– that is, stress that lasts only briefly. On the other hand, a difficult, stressful situation or long-term increase in stress can negatively affect the immune system. This kind of long-term stress can develop when a close family member dies or when adults are caught in tough, unmanageable situations.

Beyond partisanship: Engaging in debates about science, society Posted: 18 Feb 2014 03:50 PM PST Scientific institutions and organizations can improve their communication and outreach with the public by addressing people's strongly held beliefs about science and its role in society, a new study demonstrates. These beliefs play a key role in shaping people's opinions, and ultimately, their support for scientific advances, it suggests.

Scientists honor Frank Zappa, naming human zit-causing bacterium now infecting vineyards Posted: 18 Feb 2014 03:50 PM PST In a striking case of pathogen transfer involving the bacteria responsible for human acne, P. acnes, scientists report on a new type of P. acnes which exploits grapevines, dubbing it P. acnes type Zappae. They named the bacterium after the Italian term 'zappa,' meaning, hoe, as well as a tribute to eclectic composer Frank Zappa. This is the first evidence ever of human-to-plant obligate transfer and gives new perspective of bacteria host transfer between humans and domesticated plants.

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