Top Articles This Week: 8/25-8/31

27ask_bike-tmagArticle

Afternoon, folks!

I know what it’s like to have one of those weeks where it seems like you barely have time to blink, let alone keep up with the news. So, for your convenience and reading pleasure, here is our first-ever list of some of the top news articles in the medical world this week!

Allergies

Skin and food allergies can be result of skin cell ‘glue’ deficiency (Medical News Today)
In a new study, scientists have found that a structural defect can contribute to the development of skin and food allergies, which was traditionally thought to be a problem with the immune system. This structural defect is due to a newly discovered rare genetic disease called SAM, which is caused by mutations in a molecule called desmoglein 1. This molecule is the ‘glue’ that holds the outer layer of our skin together.

Are There Reasons for Different Sneezing Patterns? (New York Times)
Though most sneezing patterns are seen by scientists as inconsequential, there are some sneezing ‘syndromes’ that do affect the sneezing process. These are the only ways in which sneezes are predictable, and this article looks into why that is.

Diabetes

Blueberries, not fruit juice, cut type-2 diabetes risk (BBC News Health)
A study in the British Medical Journal suggests that eating more fruit, particularly blueberries, apples and grapes, is linked to a reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Blueberries blow away the competition by cutting the risk by 26%, wherein three servings of any whole fruit will only cut the risk by 2%. However, fruit juice does not appear to have the same effect, and Diabetes UK suggests the results of the study should be taken with a grain of salt.

Drugs & Pharmaceuticals

Scientists discover drug that could combat migraines (Medical News Today)
If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from migraines, you’ll be excited to read about this. Researches may have found a way to combat migraines based on a recent discovery that a series of compounds called opsinamides can block a receptor in the eye called melanopsin, which is responsible for not only sensing light on its own without your vision, but also for constricting your pupil and picking up on light when we sleep. While researchers believe they can find a way to block melanopsin and prevent or treat migraines, they have to be sure the drug does not interfere with the visual information being sent to the brain.

Exercise 

Is It Better to Bike or Run? (New York Times)
How does bicycling or spinning compare with running or walking as an exercise for health or weight loss? While both are excellent forms of rhythmic aerobic activities, there are differences between the two that may sway you towards one exercise or the other.

Eating Before Exercise (New York Times)
It’s an age-old question: is it better to eat before or after a workout, and does the workout you plan on doing play as a variable? If you ask around, most people will say–as they have been told by coaches and Phys. Ed teachers in high school–that you should not eat or drink (especially sugary foods or drinks) before exercise due to a decline in blood-sugar levels and performance. However, new studies have found that this may not necessarily be the case.

Nutrition

Eating broccoli may help prevent osteoarthritis (Medical News Today)
New research has been conducted in the UK using cell and tissue tests to show that sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts, blocks cartilage-destroying enzymes, therefore possibly helping fight osteoarthritis. The compound works by intercepting a molecule that causes inflammation.

Leave a Reply