Women Health News

New research by biomedical engineers at the University of Minnesota shows that people who practice yoga and meditation long term can learn to control a computer with their minds faster and better than people with little or no yoga or meditation experience. The research could have major implications for treatments of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative … [Read more...]

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The findings, which appear in the May issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a possible … [Read more...]

Regularly practicing yoga exercises may lower a number of compounds in the blood and reduce the level of inflammation that normally rises because of both normal aging and stress, a new study has shown. The study, done by Ohio State University researchers and just reported in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, showed that women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of … [Read more...]

Taking a 12-week yoga class and practicing at home was linked to less insomnia -- but not to fewer or less bothersome hot flashes or night sweats. The link between yoga and better sleep was the only statistically significant finding in this MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) Network randomized controlled trial. "Many women suffer … [Read more...]

Researchers report that a single, 20-minute session of Hatha yoga significantly improved participants' speed and accuracy on tests of working memory and inhibitory control, two measures of brain function associated with the ability to maintain focus and take in, retain and use new information. Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than … [Read more...]

Paula Meltzer was only 38 when out of nowhere everything she looked at was blurry. For the single mother, who had a lucrative career as a gemologist and spent hours examining valuable pieces of jewelry, it seemed as if -- in a split second -- her life changed. At first doctors thought Meltzer had a brain tumor. What they determined after further tests, however, was that she … [Read more...]

Yoga is one of the hottest fitness trends and a style known as "hot yoga" is gaining in popularity. Hot yoga refers to yoga practiced in a heated environment, with the room temperature generally reaching 90 to 105 degrees. The theory behind it is that hot yoga helps the body to sweat out toxins while allowing the practitioner to safely achieve deeper poses. Bikram is a common … [Read more...]

Yoga may be one of the hottest fitness trends sweeping the country, but a Florida State University medical educator thinks it also may be the prescription for ailments ranging from headaches to heart disease. Dr. Richard Usatine, associate dean of medical education at the FSU College of Medicine, is the co-author, along with yoga therapist Larry Payne, of "Yoga Rx," (2002, … [Read more...]

Yoga has a greater positive effect on a person's mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA according to an article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online. Yoga has been shown to … [Read more...]

For the first time, researchers in the UK have studied the effects of yoga on pregnant women, and found that it can reduce the risk of them developing anxiety and depression. Stress during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth, low birth weight and increased developmental and behavioural problems in the child as a toddler and adolescent, as well as later mental health … [Read more...]

According to published estimates, some 20 percent of the population suffers from chronic neck pain caused by a variety of structural dysfunctions in the neck, resulting in impaired quality of life and lost work time. A German study published in The Journal of Pain showed that yoga appears to be an effective treatment for neck pain and provides added benefits of improved … [Read more...]

Right now no one can say whether yoga provides clinical benefits to people with bipolar disorder, but in a new article in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, researchers report survey responses they gathered from scores of people with the condition who practice yoga. What the collective testimony suggests is that yoga can be a substantial help, but it sometimes carries risks, … [Read more...]

Yoga classes were linked to better back-related function and diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain in the largest U.S. randomized controlled trial of yoga to date, published by the Archives of Internal Medicine as an "Online First" article on October 24. But so were intensive stretching classes. "We found yoga classes more effective than a self-care book -- but no … [Read more...]

Yoga is a healing system of theory and practice, its a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years. A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by … [Read more...]

Chronic pain is known to cause brain anatomy changes and impairments, but yoga can be an important tool for preventing or even reversing the effects of chronic pain on the brain, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) official speaking at the American Pain Society's annual meeting. M. Catherine Bushnell, PhD, scientific director, Division of Intramural Research, … [Read more...]

Diabetics who exercise can trim waist size and body fat, and control blood glucose, even if they don't see cardiorespiratory benefits, new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists shows. Researchers found that waist circumference, percentage of body fat, and hemoglobin A1c levels − a test of long-term blood sugar − all improved in diabetic participants who … [Read more...]

Young people lack confidence and skills in the kitchen, with many considering microwaving a pizza to be cooking according to a study.They are also not worried about their health, believing that exercising will compensate for a poor diet and smoking. One female first year sports student said she was "just not bothering" about what she ate as she was physically active. The … [Read more...]

A new technology which could increase protection against antibacterial and antifungal infection for weeks, months or years has been developed by researchers at the University of Bristol. The technology is likely to have significant impact across a number of areas including dentistry, where one in seven composite fillings fail within seven years and 86 percent of these … [Read more...]

'Walk through any supermarket and take a look at the labels on food products, and you'll see that many of them contain fructose, often in the form of sucrose (table sugar)' -- that's how Wilhelm Krek, professor for cell biology at ETH Zurich's Institute for Molecular Health Sciences, summarises the problem with today's nutrition. Prepared foods and soft drinks in particular, … [Read more...]

Non-narcotic treatments for chronic pain that work well in people, not just mice, are sorely needed. Drawing from human pain genetics, an international team led by Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates a way to break the cycle of pain hypersensitivity without the development of addiction, tolerance or side effects. Their findings, reported June 17 in the journal Neuron, … [Read more...]

A study has inferred about new researches in inflammatory bowel diseases therapies. Modifying the small white blood cells that protect against disease might help treat immune disorders, according to a study1 published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Specifically, researchers … [Read more...]

A study has proved that Vitamin D supplementation can improve immune response to HIV. Vitamin D plays an important part in the human immune response and deficiency can leave individuals less able to fight infections like HIV-1. Now an international team of researchers has found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation can reverse the deficiency and also improve immune … [Read more...]

A study has inferred that legalizing medical marijuana does not increase its use among adolescents. A nationwide study analysing 24 years of data (1991 to 2014) from over one million American adolescents in the 48 contiguous states has found no evidence that legalising the use of marijuana for medical purposes leads to increased use among teenagers. The study, published in … [Read more...]

A study has provided new insights about spreading health information through social media. An analysis of Twitter hashtag use on the subject of diabetes provides new insights about spreading health information through social media. The study, led by Jenine Harris, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, looked at the hashtag #diabetes … [Read more...]

A Finnish study has inferred that use of antidepressants linked with lower bone density. A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland in collaboration with Deakin University, Australia, shows that recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) in men is associated with lower bone density. The use of antidepressants was also associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD), … [Read more...]

A swedish study has established that exercise with a physiotherapist helps people with depression. Exercise has a positive effect on depression -- so reveals a dissertation written at the Sahlgrenska Academy. In a study at the Sahlgrenska Academy, the researcher evaluated exercise as add-on therapy to medicating with antidepressants. The study divided 62 individuals with … [Read more...]

A German study has confirmed that physical activity decreases over time in COPD patients. Physical activity decreases substantially over time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at all levels of severity, according to a new study from researchers in Germany. This decline in physical activity is accompanied by a worsening of lung function and health … [Read more...]

An Irish study has concluded that Vitamin D can treat Crohn's disease. New research published in this month's edition of United European Gastroenterology journal suggests that supplementation with vitamin D may impact on the intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn's disease, and could have a role in the treatment of the condition. The study is by Professor Maria … [Read more...]

A study has concluded that light-intensity exercise could prove beneficial to older adults. An easy walk, slow dancing, leisurely sports such as table tennis, household chores and other light-intensity exercise may be nearly as effective as moderate or vigorous exercise for older adults -- if they get enough of that type of activity. New research indicates that 300 minutes a … [Read more...]

A UK study has established that high-intensity exercise four times a day improves health in adolescents. As little as two minutes of high-intensity exercise four times a day improves health outcomes in adolescents, but the same amount of moderate-intensity exercise does not reap the same rewards, according to a new study from the University of Exeter. Researchers found that … [Read more...]