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Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Medical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea and Science of Blogging.

Here are this week’s most interesting discussions of peer-reviewed research in health and medicine:

• When you think of some of the fittest and healthiest people around, surely those who run multiple marathons are at the top of the list. Unfortunately, as Dave Munger of Science-Based Running discusses, there may be a connection between a lifetime of long-distance running and heart problems.
• Once you finish a hard workout, it is often said that chocolate milk is the best recovery drink. Some have even gone as far as to suggest the chocolate milk diet can help you shed unwanted pounds. In a tag-team effort, Colby Vorland and Travis Saunders brilliantly debunk the chocolate milk diet over on Obesity Panacea.
• Having a load of financial debt hanging over your head is certainly stressful, and yet it is the reality for many in today’s over-consumption driven culture. William Yates of Brain Posts discusses how your debt load may be related to your risk of mental disorders.

Come back next week for more riveting discussions of health and medicine

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Medical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea and Science of Blogging.

Here are this week’s most interesting discussions of peer-reviewed research in health and medicine:

• Colby Vorland of Nutritional Blogma discusses how distraction during eating reduces fullness and increases subsequent consumption of more food. Just another reason to get rid of the TV…and the TV dinners.
• I’m sure you have all at some point heard that oral contraception leads to weight gain. I remember in high-school that was certainly the going explanation. Scicurious sorts out the evidence from the anecdotes.
• Yoni Freedhoff of Weighty Matters discusses his new editorial arguing against partnerships between big food companies and health organizations.
• Finally, Scott Gavura celebrates 2 years of debunking various potions and other quackery over at Science Based Pharmacy. Head on over and wish him a happy blogiversary!
  

Come back next week for more riveting discussions of health and medicine!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Medical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea and Science of Blogging.

Here are some of the most fascinating discussions from the previous week:

• What’s the deal with the holidays and gaining weight? Colby Vorland at Nutritional Blogma has the answers.
• Speaking of holiday weight gain, it might be a good idea to become calorie-literate. But how good are most people at estimating calories? Not very good suggests new post by Dr. Sharma.
• During the holidays, have you ever gotten so drunk as to fall asleep in an unusual position and compress your radial nerve? It’s possible, and its called Saturday Palsy. James of Disease Prone explains.
• Ever wonder how Mozart died? I know it has kept me up at night. Thankfully, Debajyoti Datta of Medicine…Life has all 140 possible causes of death covered.
• What makes a doctor happy? Apparently prescribing medications for sexual dysfunction. Caspar of Your Brain on Drugs has the story.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Medical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

Here are some of the most fascinating discussions from the previous week:

• We’ve know for a while that exercise and a low calorie diet can reduce the effects of aging and extend lifespan in rodents. In a fascinating post, Scicurious of Neurotic Physiology discusses how this might happen.
• Flu season is upon us. But what is one to do to prevent catching it? Is simply washing your hands often good enough precaution? MC at Begin to Dig blog discusses.
• According to a new post on Nou Stuff, walking while listening to music can be a useful tool for gait training in Parkinson’s disease.
• We Canadians have already had our Thanksgiving, and most of us have by now worked off the excess consumed. Our friends in the US are about to have their Thanksgiving weekend. Colby of Nutritional Blogma discusses the association of Thanksgiving and weight gain.
• And finally, if you are currently blogging about science, or would like to start communicating science online, head over to our new venture, Science of Blogging and see what all the fuss is about.

Check back next week for some more riveting discussions of health and clinical research!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

Here are some of the past week’s most intriguing discussions:

• The Neurocritic discusses the Othello syndrome, a fascinating condition characterized by delusions about a partner’s infidelity.
• There’s been no shortage of debate between the potential effects of conventional versus organic foods on health. Colby Vorland discusses a recent meta-analysis looking at this question over at BioFortified.
• From turtle, to horse, to man – masturbation is all too common. Ever wondered why? Torah Kachur of Science in Seconds looks at a new study which suggests spanking the monkey may reduce the amount of accumulated DNA damage in sperm.
• Dirk Hanson of Addiction Inbox suggests that potential memory loss associated with smoking marijuana depends on the strain. In essense, if memory loss is a personal concern, you should stop buying the cheap stuff.
• Scicurious of Neurotic Physiology finally answers the age old question: does wearing a poorly-fitted bra make one constipated?

Check back next week for some more riveting discussions of health and clinical research!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

Here are some of the past week’s most intriguing discussions:

• Brian Mossop of the Decision Tree discusses the fascinating link between creativity and mental illness.
• So we all know kids these days aren’t getting nearly enough physical activity. So if you’re going to encourage your kids to go outside and be active, which activity is the most dangerous? Nestor Lopez-Duran of Child Psychology Research blog asks: Which sports sends the most kids to the hospital for concussions?
• Colby Vorland of Nutritional Blogma critically evaluates the Moderation Nation campaign endorsed by the partnership of Hershey’s and the American Dietetic Association.
• Did you know your friends are more important than you? Its been proven by science! Greg Laden explains why.
• And finally, check out Bill Yates’ discussion of the link between stressful life events and suicide.

Check back next week for some more riveting discussions of health and clinical research!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

Here are some of the past week’s most intriguing discussions:

• Mahjong epilepsy? Kevin Zelnio gives everyone a good reason to take it easy when playing mahjong. If you fail to heed Kevin’s advice, you just may end up having a seizure.
• Creatine has been used as an ergogenic supplement by athletes for many years. Despite much evidence to the contrary, the supplement retains a heavy stigma in the popular press. Colby Vorland of Nutritional Blogma discusses the discrepancy between scientific evidence and naive hysteria.
• Apparently, bariatric surgery is the second most common abdominal surgery in the US. Dr. Arya Sharma breaks down a recent JAMA study looking at the safety of this popular procedure.
• Need another reason to go to the gym? Check out Greg Laden’s discussion of new evidence pointing to neuroendocrine mechanics by which exercise attenuates appetite, and how inactivity may increase it.
• Low-carb/high protein diets; bad for your bones? Steve Parker of Diabetic Mediterranean Diet blog speaks on a new study which suggests the answer is a resounding “Nah!”

Check back next week for some more riveting discussions of health and clinical research!

Peter

Each week, Dr. Peter Janiszewski selects several notable posts from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

Here are some of the past week’s most intriguing discussions:

• Have you ever wondered: what would be the effect of eating a Big Mac and following it up with a vodka and Redbull, specifically among Brazilian men? No, well some researchers thought it worthy of investigation. TwoYaks of Geneflow discusses this interesting study.

• Not yet convinced that acupuncture is completely a placebo effect? I have a feeling that even the most devout believers in the effectiveness of needle pricking will be persuaded otherwise by a new study eloquently discussed by Orac of Respectful Insolence.

• Scicurious of Neurotic Physiology talks female orgasms and ejaculation. Fascinating stuff that is sure to make you blush, and maybe have an orgasm… (sexy photos included).

• The concept of muscle memory when concerning resistance training has always been thought to be of neural origin. Colby Vorland of Nutritional Blogma discusses a new study suggesting another important player in this physiological phenomenon.

How is that for some cool science?

See you next week for another installment.

Peter

Travis Saunders selects several notable posts each week from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

• Should medical organizations partner with Big Food? Yoni Freedhoff argues for changes in the way we conceive of conflicts of interest.
• Thomas Tu throws down the gauntlet and argues that viruses are objectively better than bacteria.  Let the debate begin!
• Good, Bad, and Bogus has a terrific discussion of why you shouldn’t trust small studies, and explains how they can distort systematic reviews if not properly controlled.
• Colby Vorland of Nutritional Blogma ponders why his morning coffee provides an inconsistent buzz.

Travis

Travis Saunders selects several notable posts each week from Health and Clinical Research. He blogs at Obesity Panacea.

• Do cigarette taxes increase obesity rates? Obesity rates vary among Canadian provinces – so do cigarette taxes.  Dr Arya Sharma looks at an interesting new study suggesting that the two could be linked.
• Carbohydrate restriction for type 2 diabetics.  Dr Steve Parker examines the myriad benefits of reducing excessive carbohydrate intake.  I touched on a similar topic last week as well in a post titled Are high glycemic index carbs worse than saturated fat?
• Organic pesticides aren’t necessarily more sustainable than synthetic. Colby Vorland reminds us that attaining sustainability is a lot more complicated than it might seem on the surface.
• Effects of chronic alcohol on murine photic entrainment.  Congrats to Allison Brager of Dormivigilia on the publication of her first publication as the first-author!  It looks at the impact of alcohol consumption on circadian rhythms, and I’d urge everyone to check out her excellent synopsis.

Travis