HealthQuest Connect - Health Bits |
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Nothin' but the TruthRedheads Really Do Feel More PainAccording to recent research, redheads require about 20 percent more anesthesia than brunettes, blondes and people with other hair colors. Researchers suspect genetic mutations in the melanocortin 1 receptor are responsible for the difference in pain sensitivity. Cancer Cure on the Vine?In 1928, Johanna Brandt wrote The Grape Cure, a book chronicling her successful battle against stomach cancer by eating only grapes for one to two weeks. Eighty years later, researchers are discovering she may have been right. Evidence suggests the natural chemicals in Vitis vinifera, the common grape, may prevent and possibly treat certain kinds of tumors in mice. Trumpet Lessons Treat Sleep ApneaResearchers have discovered the Aboriginal natural wooden trumpet, called a didgeridoo, is useful as a medical device for people suffering from sleep apnea. The British Medical Journal reported that patients who took four months of didgeridoo lessons had three-and-a-half times less sleepiness during the day and snored less while sleeping. Sagging throat muscles cause sleep apnea, but didgeridoo playing strengthens these muscles and keeps the tongue from obstructing the airway. Text Your Way to Tobacco-FreeResearchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand found that smokers trying to kick the habit were more likely to succeed if they received daily text messages with tips on beating cravings and supportive words from others trying to quit. Beat Back Pain with BrahmsCleveland Clinic researchers found that listening to music for one hour a day can reduce back pain up to 20 percent after just one week. Scientists suspect the results could be due to distraction, muscle relaxation or the effect music has on stress hormones. Humming Opens Blocked NosesChronic sinusitis blocks the nose, making breathing difficult, and in more serious cases, forming nasal polyps. The suspected cause is a fungus that triggers inflammation in the nasal passage. One way to treat the fungus is with nitric oxide, a gas that is toxic to the fungus. Nitric oxide is naturally released in the respiratory system, but how do you get high enough concentrations to kill the fungus? With humming! Low-frequency humming increases nasal vibrations, which increase the concentration of nitric oxide up to 20-fold. Researchers in Texas cited one patient who hummed at a rate of 18 hums per minute the first night, and then continued for the next four days, humming between 60 and 129 times, four times a day. After the first night, the patient woke up with a clear nose and easy breathing. The only side effect – a little dizziness. Have an interesting health tidbit, story or lesson you'd like to share. Send your suggestions here. |
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