Health Headlines - July 13

Study: What's Good Often Turns Out Bad

Here's some medical news you can trust: A new study confirms that what doctors once said was good for you often turns out to be bad - or at least not as great as initially thought.

Ill. Plans $10M for Stem Cell Research

Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued an order Tuesday that earmarks $10 million in state money for stem cell research, making Illinois the latest in a line of states to fund the controversial research.

Study: Walking on Cobblestones Is Healthy

The path to better health and lower blood pressure may be paved with cobblestones. When people over 60 walked on smooth, rounded cobblestones for just a half-hour a day over four months, they significantly lowered their blood pressure and improved their balance, a study showed.

Cos. to Pay Nearly $1M in Ephedra Case

The makers of a weight-loss product implicated in the death of a Baltimore Orioles pitcher will pay New Jersey nearly $1 million to settle claims that it exaggerated the benefits and understated the risks of some products.

Study Links Parkinson's Drug to Gambling

Joe Neglia was a retired government intelligence worker with Parkinson's disease when he suddenly developed what he calls a gambling habit from hell. After losing thousands of dollars playing slot machines near his California home several times a day for nearly two years, Neglia stumbled across an Internet report linking a popular Parkinson's drug he used with compulsive gambling.

Technology Makes Home Dialysis Possible

When Karen Everts wants to go camping, kidney failure no longer slows her down: She simply rolls the first portable hemodialysis machine out of her kitchen and into her motor home, ready to hook up for two hours each morning.

Brazil Pact on AIDS Drugs Lauded

The agreement between Brazil and a U.S. drug maker that avoided breaking the patent of an important AIDS medicine made everyone a winner, experts said Monday.

Food Fact:
Balanced diet?

Eat more blueberries, and you may be less prone to falls. Researchers at Tufts University fed antioxidant-rich extracts of blueberries, strawberries or spinach to rats for eight months -- and those that received blueberry extracts displayed better balance when walking over small rods. Similarly, the deep blue color of this all-American berry comes from anthocyanin, a powerful plant pigment believed to reduce some of the cognitive problems associated with aging.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Lift your spirits.

Feeling stressed going back to work? No one else will notice this yoga exercise in the elevator -- but it'll keep you from the panic button. Rest your right hand on the elevator wall for balance and stand on your right foot. Cross your left leg over your right shin, but don't let your foot touch the ground. Take a few deep breaths.

FAQ of the day:
Is a "plant-based" diet the same as "vegetarian"?

Nutritionists use the term "plant-based" for a diet that gets most of its calories from plant foods, but may include some animal foods. In some parts of the world, what nutritionists have called plant-based diets will include red meat like beef or pork, but eaten rarely, or in very small amounts. Vegan diets, which include no foods of animal origin, are plant-based by definition. So are lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, which include dairy foods and eggs, as well as diets that include fish, shellfish and poultry. Population studies have demonstrated a significant link between plant-based foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, soy) and a reduced risk of developing cancer and coronary heart disease.