PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  Tainted Cucumbers Now Linked to 100 Salmonella Cases in 23 States By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Thursday that an outbreak of salmonella linked to cucumbers has now been linked to 100 known cases of the illness across 23 states. That's up from 68 cases reported in the FDA's last tally in early December. Many of the illnesses are severe. " Of the 90 people for whom information is available, 25 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first announced its investigation in late November. "Epidemiologic and traceback information shows that cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce LLC, may be contaminated with salmonella and maybe making people "sick," the CDC said in a statement posted Nov. 29. In a  company recall notice  posted to the U.S. Food ...

  More calories—more consumption: Individuals with and without obesity both prefer high-calorie food, the study finds. Calorie content drives food preference despite similar tastes in individuals with and without obesity.       According to a study in the open-access journal  PLOS Biology  by Albino Oliveira-Maia from the Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal, and colleagues, higher-calorie foods were preferred among individuals with and without obesity despite similar taste and texture. Eating sends signals to the brain with information about a food's energy content, which can influence food preferences irrespective of flavor. People with obesity often have impairments in areas of the brain where dopamine is released, which may drive reward-related eating and a preference for energy-dense foods rich in fat and sugars. Weight loss due to bariatric surgery has been associated with a normalization of reward-related eating and a shift in preferences toward healthi...

  We're Told to 'Eat a Rainbow.' Here's What Each Color Does in Our Body . Most of us know we should eat different colored fruits and vegetables, but do you know why? By Evangeline Mantzioris Nutritionists recommend eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. This isn't just because they look nice on the plate. Each color signifies different nutrients our bodies need Phytonutrients are nutrients found in plant foods . At least 5,000 phytonutrients are known, and there are probably  many more. So, what does each color do for our body and overall health? Red Red fruit and veg contain antioxidants. Forgotten what they do? Me too.  Red fruits and vegetables are colored by a type of phytonutrient called "carotenoids" (including ones named lycopene, flavones, and quercetin – but the names aren't as important as what they do). These carotenoids are found in tomatoes, apples, cherries, wate...

  Cold Weather Deaths Keep Rising for Americans By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- The unexpected consequence of climate change is that periods of deep cold occur more frequently during American winters despite an overall trend toward warmer temperatures year-round. According to new research published Dec. 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the uptick in cold snaps, along with other possible factors, has been linked to a doubling of U.S. deaths from freezing temperatures since 1999 . According to research led by Dr. Rishi Wadhera, an associate professor of health policy and management at Harvard University, the findings "warrant public health interventions to improve access to warming centers and indoor heating for vulnerable populations." In their study, Wadhera's team tracked U.S. death certificates for the over 63.5 million Americans who died between 1999 and 2022. In total, exposure to cold temperatures was listed as a ...

  Sleep Apnea May Change Parts of Brain, Speed Aging By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- Sleep apnea is known to wreak havoc with the body, contributing to heart problems, diabetes, and liver disease. A new study shows that  sleep disorder  also directly affects brain health . Researchers reported on Dec. 18 in the journal Neurology that people with sleep apnea appear to experience accelerated aging of the brain's white matter, which connects the various brain regions. Researchers also found that sleep apnea is associated with an increase in the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and thinking. "Both brain" shrinkage and brain growth can harm memory and thinking by disrupting normal brain functions, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia," lead researcher   Dr. Alberto Ramos , a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist with the University of Miami, said in a news release from the school....

  Early Research Points to Possible New Parkinson's Drug By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- Parkinson's is a relentless disease for which few treatments, and no real cure, exists. Now, researchers say they are on the trail of a potential new therapy for the disabling neurological illness. As investigators at the University of Arizona in Tucson explained, this is early research, still in the animal-testing stage. However, their findings, published recently in the journal  Experimental Neurology,  found that a protein called PNA5 appears to shield the brain cells of mice bred with a Parkinson' s-like disease from the ravages of the illness. "With PNA5, we're targeting cognitive symptoms but, in particular, we're trying to prevent further degeneration from occurring," lead study researcher  Kelsey Bernard , a postdoctoral researcher in neurology at the university, said. "By going down the protective route, we can hopefully pr...