ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• Spring allergies linked to specific food allergies, says specialist
• Genes increase the stress of social disadvantage for some children
• Mortality risks of being overweight or obese are underestimated
• Education: States' standardized tests have a negative impact on parents' civic engagement
• Daily serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce bad cholesterol
• Fathers can lower their children's risk of going hungry by staying involved
• Social circuits that track how we like people, ideas
• Experience helps restaurant managers stick with local foods
• Procrastination and impulsivity genetically linked: Exploring the genetics of 'I'll do it tomorrow'
• Twitter use linked to infidelity and divorce
• Green tea extract boosts your brain power, especially the working memory, new research shows
• Health benefits of 'green exercise' for kids shown in new study
• Children see domestic violence that often goes unreported, research finds
• Drink milk? Women who do may delay knee osteoarthritis
• Caffeine against Alzheimer's disease? Positive effect on tau deposits demonstrated
• Over a lifetime, childhood obesity costs $19,000 per child
• Visualizing a safe place reduces procedural pain
• Work-home interference contributes to burnout
• Should parents of tanning teens ask more questions about drinking, drugs, sex, and suicide?
• Weight loss efforts start well, but lapse over time
• New 'tweetment': Twitter users describe real-time migraine agony
• High protein intake, exercise in youth enhances bone structure, strength
• Fertility drugs do not increase breast cancer risk, study shows
• Lifestyle interventions such as weight loss, exercise reduce risk of death from cardiovascular diseases in people at risk of diabetes
• We-stories: How couples can tell stories to strengthen their connection
• Science-themed music videos boost scientific literacy

Spring allergies linked to specific food allergies, says specialist Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:48 PM PDT More than 45 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, primarily occurring in spring and fall. Food allergies are closely linked to spring allergies, says one expert. "Birch pollen often also means allergies to apples, peaches, carrots and celery while grass allergies can trigger melon, tomatoes and oranges reactions," he says. "Ragweed, the most noxious allergen, is also linked to allergies to bananas, cucumber and cantaloupe."

Genes increase the stress of social disadvantage for some children Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:39 PM PDT Genes amplify the stress of harsh environments for some children, and magnify the advantage of supportive environments for other children, according to a study that's one of the first to document how genes interacting with social environments affect biomarkers of stress. The study used telomere length as a marker of stress. Found at the ends of chromosomes, telomeres generally shorten with age, and when individuals are exposed to disease and chronic stress, including the stress of living in a disadvantaged environment.

Mortality risks of being overweight or obese are underestimated Posted: 07 Apr 2014 11:37 AM PDT Many obesity studies substantially underestimate the mortality risks associated with excess weight in the United States, new research indicates. Normal weight is indicated by a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, overweight is indicated by a BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2, obese class 1 is a BMI of 30.0-34.9 kg/m2 and obese class 2 is a BMI of 35.0 kg/m2 and above. Skeptics of the meta-analysis argue that the findings are likely driven by biases, especially by illness-induced weight loss.

Education: States' standardized tests have a negative impact on parents' civic engagement Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:09 AM PDT New research has found that parents of public school students in states with more extensive and stringent student assessment systems express lower trust in government and more negative views of their children's schools, threatening civic engagement and the potential for future education reform.

Daily serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce bad cholesterol Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:27 AM PDT Eating one serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce 'bad cholesterol' and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study has found. North Americans on average currently eat less than half a serving a day.

Fathers can lower their children's risk of going hungry by staying involved Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT Nonresident father involvement in a child's life is positively associated with lower food insecurity in both early and middle childhood. Involvement could include time spent with the child, monetary contributions and "in kind" support, such as treats, gifts and payment of medical or childcare expenses. In particular, in kind support resulted in a 10 to 12 percent reduction in food insecurity for children.

Social circuits that track how we like people, ideas Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT Whether at the office, dorm, PTA meeting, or any other social setting, we all know intuitively who the popular people are even if we can't always put our finger on why. That information is often critical to professional or social success. Yet until now, scientists have not understood how our brains recognize these popular people. In new work, researchers say that we track people's popularity largely through the brain region involved in anticipating rewards.

Experience helps restaurant managers stick with local foods Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT Restaurant chefs and food purchasing managers who have bought local foods in the past are more likely to continue adding them to menus and store shelves, according to a team of researchers. Food purchasers also indicated that they would not stock local food just because it is local. Local foods must have a unique selling point, according to the researchers.

Procrastination and impulsivity genetically linked: Exploring the genetics of 'I'll do it tomorrow' Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT Procrastination and impulsivity are genetically linked, suggesting that the two traits stem from similar evolutionary origins, according to new research. The research indicates that the traits are related to our ability to successfully pursue and juggle goals.

Twitter use linked to infidelity and divorce Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT Scientists found that active Twitter users are far more likely to experience Twitter–related conflict with their romantic partners. However, new research shows that Twitter use could actually be damaging to users' romantic relationships. Scientists found that active Twitter users are far more likely to experience Twitter-related conflict with their romantic partners.

Green tea extract boosts your brain power, especially the working memory, new research shows Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:15 AM PDT Green tea is said to have many putative positive effects on health. Now, researchers are reporting first evidence that green tea extract enhances the cognitive functions, in particular the working memory. The findings suggest promising clinical implications for the treatment of cognitive impairments in psychiatric disorders such as dementia.

Health benefits of 'green exercise' for kids shown in new study Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:15 AM PDT Children who are exposed to scenes of nature while exercising are more likely to experience health-enhancing effects after activity, according to a study. The researchers found that after the 'green exercise' the children's post-activity blood pressure was significantly lower than it was without the simulated forest environment, indicating that the nature scenes promoted positive health effects.

Children see domestic violence that often goes unreported, research finds Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:07 AM PDT A nationwide study of children who have witnessed domestic violence found that parents or caregivers were physically injured in more than a third of the cases, yet only a small fraction of offenders went to jail and just one in four incidents resulted in police reports, according to the research.

Drink milk? Women who do may delay knee osteoarthritis Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:07 AM PDT Women who frequently consume fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Results show that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression. Yogurt did not impact OA progression in men or women. OA is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips, or knee.

Caffeine against Alzheimer's disease? Positive effect on tau deposits demonstrated Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT Caffeine has a positive effect on tau deposits in Alzheimer's disease, researchers have demonstrated for the first time. Tau deposits, along with beta-amyloid plaques, are among the characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease. These protein deposits disrupt the communication of the nerve cells in the brain and contribute to their degeneration. Despite intensive research there is no drug available that can prevent this detrimental process.

Over a lifetime, childhood obesity costs $19,000 per child Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:02 AM PDT Childhood obesity comes with an estimated price tag of $19,000 per child when comparing lifetime medical costs to those of a normal weight child, according to an analysis. When multiplied by the number of obese 10-year-olds in the United States, lifetime medical costs for this age alone reach roughly $14 billion.

Visualizing a safe place reduces procedural pain Posted: 05 Apr 2014 07:50 AM PDT Visualizing a safe place reduces operative pain, according to research. Nurses guided patients into a trance and found it helped patients cope with pain and anxiety during ablation of atrial fibrillation. "When the patient expresses pain, the nurse helps the patient visualize an alternative scenario to the invasive procedure. For example, if the patient says 'my chest is burning', the nurse may say 'imagine that it's a cold day and there is ice on your chest.'" a researcher explained

Work-home interference contributes to burnout Posted: 04 Apr 2014 10:58 AM PDT Conflicts between work and home —- in both directions -— are an important contributor to the risk of burnout, suggests a new study.

Should parents of tanning teens ask more questions about drinking, drugs, sex, and suicide? Posted: 04 Apr 2014 05:54 AM PDT A study suggests that a percentage of teens who use tanning beds may also engage in other risky behaviors include drugs, steroids, smoking, and drinking. The study suggests that indoor tanning was associated with binge drinking and unhealthy weight-control practices. For females, indoor tanning is also linked to illegal drug use and having sexual intercourse with four or more partners. In addition, for teenage boys, it was connected to steroid use and daily cigarette smoking. Attempted suicides were also noted for boys.

Weight loss efforts start well, but lapse over time Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:45 PM PDT Learning of an obesity-related disease motivates many to start a weight loss program, but troubling health news is often not enough to sustain weight loss efforts, finds new research. "Many of us will respond with good intentions when faced with a health crisis and challenge, but it is easy to put this behind us once the shock has passed and the reality that it is not easy or fun to lose weight becomes clear," one expert said. "Patients need to keep the reasons they want to change fresh in their minds, set attainable goals, and get ongoing support for their efforts."

New 'tweetment': Twitter users describe real-time migraine agony Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:19 AM PDT Someone's drilling an icicle into your temple, you're throwing up, and light and sound are unbearable. Yes, it's another migraine attack. But now in 140 characters on Twitter, you can share your agony with other sufferers. It indicates a trend toward the cathartic sharing of physical pain, as well as emotional pain on social media.

High protein intake, exercise in youth enhances bone structure, strength Posted: 03 Apr 2014 07:21 AM PDT High levels of protein intake enhance the positive impact of high physical activity on bone structure and strength in healthy pre-pubertal boys, research shows. Researchers tracked 176 healthy pre-pubertal boys to mid-adolescence. Compared to moderate protein intake, HProt in combination with HPA was associated with microstructural changes to bone mineral content and bone mineral density at the hip.

Fertility drugs do not increase breast cancer risk, study shows Posted: 03 Apr 2014 05:42 AM PDT Women who took clomiphene citrate (brand name Clomid) or gonadotropins as a part of fertility treatment did not experience an increased risk for breast cancer over 30 years of follow-up, compared with women who were not treated with these medications, according to a study. This study was conducted using data from a cohort of more than 12,000 women evaluated for infertility between 1965 and 1988 at five different locations in the United States that retained detailed records of infertility evaluations and treatments.

Lifestyle interventions such as weight loss, exercise reduce risk of death from cardiovascular diseases in people at risk of diabetes Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:21 PM PDT The results from a 23-year follow up a randomized controlled trial showed that people with impaired glucose tolerance randomized to lifestyle interventions had significantly reduced death rates from cardiovascular disease and all-causes, compared to those patients randomized to the control arm.

We-stories: How couples can tell stories to strengthen their connection Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:19 PM PDT Reclaiming positive stories can help couples that have become distant, strained and stressed find ways to connect and strengthen their relationships, the author of a new book suggests. The book teaches couples and therapists unique methods for uncovering positive potential within a relationship, and focuses on "We-stories": shared stories between the members of a couple that define and guide their relationship.

Science-themed music videos boost scientific literacy Posted: 02 Apr 2014 01:23 PM PDT As the United States puts ever-greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to keep competitive in the global economy, schools are trying to figure out how to improve student learning in science. Researchers think music may be the answer for some students, and they aren't just talking about music as a mnemonic device to help students memorize facts. Research has shown that music can reduce stress and increase student engagement in the learning process.

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