Health Nut

Good health is important, so if you have a question on a health matter then this is the page for you. Be it mental or physical health, all questions are welcome.




Top News

College chiefs urge new debate on drinking age (CNN) - College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.  The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age.  "This is a law that is routinely evaded," said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. "It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory."  (Read more)  (Also read: University Presidents Shirk Responsibility to Protect Students from Dangers of Underage Drinking)

Half of college students consider suicide (MSNBC) - More than half of American college students have considered suicide at some points in their lives, a new survey reveals. The survey, results of which were presented Sunday at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Boston, adds to the growing body of evidence that the prevalence of suicidal thoughts is far more widespread among America’s college students than it is among the population in general. By contrast, only 15.3 percent of Americans overall have had such thoughts, the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative reported in February. (Read more)

The opposite of sex? Adults, teens beg to differ (MSNBC) - If you already worry about the way your teenager can swing wildly from one viewpoint to another, you probably don't want to hear this.  “Kids can believe in abstinence, but also intend to have sex,” said N. Tatiana Masters, a social scientist at the University of Washington and author of a new study on teens' contradictory attitudes about abstinence and sex.  The research, published in the current issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, shows that adolescents and teens often hold seemingly irreconcilable ideas about having sex, confounding the abstinence-only sex education message supported by over a billion dollars of federal funding. (Read more)

Eating disorder risk high in young active women (REUTERS) - Young female athletes or those with high levels of physical activity seem to be more vulnerable to eating disorders than their less athletic peers, a study suggests.  Researchers found that among 274 female undergraduates, those who were regularly active -- whether through sports or by exercising on their own -- were more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies, strive to remain thin or have symptoms of bulimia.  At greatest risk were students who competed in varsity athletics and had a high level of anxiety over their performance, the researchers report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.  (Read more)

Applegate Underwent Breast Removal to Stop Cancer (ABC NEWS) - A month after being diagnosed with breast cancer, actress Christina Applegate, 36, is "100 percent" cancer-free, she told "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts in an exclusive interview.  "I'm clear. Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean," the star of ABC TV's "Samantha Who?" said. "It did not spread -- they got everything out, so I'm definitely not going to die from breast cancer."  But the price she paid for that peace of mind was high.   (Read more)

Study Lets Teens Sound Off on Acne Therapies (HEALTH DAY) - American teens would be willing to pay a lot of money to be acne-free, according to researchers who surveyed 266 high school students in San Francisco.  The study found the teens, on average, would pay about $275 to have never had acne. They also said they'd be willing to pay much more to be acne-free ($100) than they'd pay to have 50-percent clearance of their acne ($10) or to have clear skin with acne scars ($0).  The teens' parents were also surveyed and said they'd pay $250 for their child never to have had acne, $100 for them to be acne-free, $100 for 50-percent acne clearance, and $0 for clear skin with acne scars.  (Read more)

 

Multimedia

Christina Applegate's Cancer Diagnosis (ABC NEWS) - The TV star talks about here experience with breast cancer.  (Watch video)

The skinny on body wraps (CNN) - CNN's Judy Fortin looks at how effective those body wraps are for shaping up.  (Watch video)

Kids tipping the scales in China (MSNBC) - NBC's Nancy Snyderman reports that as the pockets of consumers in China have gotten larger, increasingly, so have their children.  (Watch video)

More Women Are Having Fewer Children Over the Years (MSNBC) - Look over an interactive graph that shows the fertility rates dating back to the 1940's, as well as breaking down the pregnancy rates by age groups.  (View presentation)

Stress leading to 'desk rage' (MSNBC) - When workplace pressure builds too much, some corporate workers are resorting to "desk rage"- screaming, cursing and violence while at their desk. WNBC's Ida Siegal reports.  (Watch video)
 

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Odd News

Boy To Pay Support To Girl That Sexually Assaulted Him (CITYTV) - It's a situation fraught with so many twists and turns that if you saw it on a movie screen you might not believe it.  It began when a 19-year-old girl from the town of Lancaster, Ohio was accused of molesting a 15-year-old boy.  (Read more)

Calling all ugly chicks! Mount Isa's mayor makes his appeal (THE AGE) - Mount Isa is a mining town in Queensland high in mineral deposits but short on ladies. Plenty of canaries but not enough birds, if you hear what I'm saying.  ...  Mount Isa's Mayor, John Molony, has a solution. Strap yourself in.  Locate ugly girls and attract them to Mount Isa.   (Read more)

FBI: Pa. student hoped to breed sex slave society (CHRON) - A Pennsylvania medical student told a classmate he was trying to recruit a New Zealand woman and her 4-year-old daughter to start a society of sex slaves that would live on a farm or island, the FBI said.  (Read more)

Health Tip

Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs to make red blood cells.  The U.S. National Library of Medicine says these people are at greater risk for iron deficiency, and should ask their doctor about getting enough iron-rich foods:

  • Menstruating women, and those with especially heavy periods.
  • Women who are pregnant or who have recently had a baby.
  • People who are long-distance runners.
  • Vegetarians.
  • People with a bleeding ulcer or intestinal bleeding disorder.
  • People who donate blood often.
  • People with conditions that reduce their ability to absorb nutrients from food.

(HEALTH DAY)

Brush Like a Dentist

I'm a big fan of your page. I always check out the articles and find them to be relevant to me and my life. I wouldn't change anything. It's an easily understandable format, great content and a brilliant source of health news. Just my two cents!

My question is... when exactly are you supposed to brush your teeth? Most sources say after every meal (that's what I do), while other say after any sugary food/drinks. I've also read it's a bad idea to brush your teeth after sugary food, and that it's a bad idea to brush teeth after you've had coffee. So, when would brushing be most beneficial to teeth, and when should it be avoided? Lana, 18 from South Africa

Savant's comment: Thanks for the kind words. The best way to answer this question, is to look at the various Dental Associations to see what they have to say on the matter. While the Dental Associations in each country may have slightly different guidelines, they are similar overall.

Canada - Canadian Dental Association:
"Ideally, you should brush after every meal, because the bacterial attack on teeth begins minutes after eating. At the very least, brush once a day and always before you go to bed. Floss at least once a day."

United States - American Dental Association:
"Brush your teeth twice a day, with a soft-bristled brush. Cleaning between the teeth once a day with floss or interdental cleaners removes plaque from between the teeth, areas where the toothbrush can't reach. It is essential in preventing periodontal (gum) disease."

Australia - Australian Dental Association:
"You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. Remember it is important to have the right brushing technique as poor brushing techniques can cause harm to the teeth and gums. You should floss every day."

I tried to get info from South Africa, but there are two Dental Associations that are sorta competing with one another, and neither had any info on this subject on their websites. (It was just geared to dentists.) In the end I think the Canadian Guidelines are good, since they are specific in saying brush after meals and not just 'two or three times a day'. Also, as they note, brushing before you go to bed is the most important.

So for anyone else reading, if you only brush your teeth once in a day, do it before bedtime. If you only brush when you wake up you aren't really doing anything to protect your teeth since all the damage was done overnight. Use a soft brush and don't forget to floss!

As for when NOT to brush, this is a bit more complicated. The issue revolves around the fact that certain liquids (and some foods) have high acid content. The problem is that if you bathe your teeth in acid, this weakens the enamel, and you could potentially wear away the enamel with hard brushing within an hour of drinking things like fruit juice, soda pop or certain wines. (I've heard conflicting reports about coffee and whether the same is true.) As for not brushing after eating sugary foods, I've never heard that before, if anything this would be when you should be brushing.

Since the Dental Association websites didn't have anything on this at all, I would suspect that they don't want to say anything to discourage anyone from brushing their teeth. Your best bet is likely to drink water (and swish it around your teeth) after drinking anything acidic, so you can wash away any acids left behind. Overall, lack of brushing is almost always worse than brushing. Since you should be using a soft tooth brush, you shouldn't be doing damage to your teeth regardless of when you brush. Remember, you only need to brush for a couple minutes to clean your teeth, and you don't need to press really hard. Check the links above for more details on brushing techniques.

Chinese Gymnasts

I'm a huge gymnastics fan so when I read your page today I was excited to see that it was devoted to gymnastics. The whole issue about the Chinese gymnasts has been a big deal to me. It really bothers me that the Chinese are so obviously trying to trick the FIG and IOC. I don't care what anyone says, most of those girls are obviously not 16. To me it's sickening that the Chinese believe they are so above everyone else that they can break some serious rules. I think there should be an investigation and when it's found out they are underage they should have to give up their gold medals.

This might seem harsh, but look what the happened to Andrea Raducan in the 2000 Olympics. She took cold medicine that her doctor told her to take and only later (after winning the All Around gold) found out it was a banned substance and her gold medal was taken away. To make things worse that substance was later taken off the list of banned substances! If something like this can happen, when she really didn't do anything wrong, I think the same thing should happen to the Chinese. Cathy, 20 from United States
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