Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Food scientists at the University of Georgia report that cottonseed oil outperforms olive oil in terms of blood lipid normalization during a 5 day trial diet of each.  The scientists studied 15 men using a crossover design study in which each subject followed a diet rich in one oil or the other for 5 days, enjoyed a break, and then followed a diet with the other oil.

When the data was tabulated, those eating the cottonseed oil-rich diet had higher HDL cholesterol values but lower total cholesterols, LDL cholesterols, and triglycerides than when eating the olive oil-rich diet.  It appears that cottonseed oil will be the new oil of choice in your diet.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/j1WI4x9lSI8

Kristine R.PolleyaNatalie J.OswellbRonald B.PeggbChad M.PatonabJamie A.Cooper.  

A 5-day high-fat diet rich in cottonseed oil improves cholesterol profiles and triglycerides compared to olive oil in healthy menhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2018.09.001

#Cottonseedoil #oliveoil #cholesterol #HDL #LDL  #triglycerides  #radionews  #Healthnews

Food scientists at the University of Georgia report that cottonseed oil outperforms olive oil in terms of blood lipid normalization during a 5 day trial diet of each.  The scientists studied 15 men using a crossover design study in which each subject followed a diet rich in one oil or the other for 5 days, enjoyed a break, and then followed a diet with the other oil.

When the data was tabulated, those eating the cottonseed oil-rich diet had higher HDL cholesterol values but lower total cholesterols, LDL cholesterols, and triglycerides than when eating the olive oil-rich diet.  It appears that cottonseed oil will be the new oil of choice in your diet.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/j1WI4x9lSI8

Kristine R.PolleyaNatalie J.OswellbRonald B.PeggbChad M.PatonabJamie A.Cooper.  

A 5-day high-fat diet rich in cottonseed oil improves cholesterol profiles and triglycerides compared to olive oil in healthy menhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2018.09.001

#Cottonseedoil #oliveoil #cholesterol #HDL #LDL  #triglycerides  #radionews  #Healthnews

It’s no blarney when I tell you that ancient Irish soil may contain the key to more powerful antibiotics in the future.  Folk medicine has identified regions of Ireland, the Boho Highlands, where the soil is known to have medicinal properties.  

Microbiologists from Swansea University, Wales, have identified a novel strain of bacteria in that soil that produces secretions which effectively kill 4 of the 6 most common currently antibiotic-resistant bacteria including MRSA, enterococci, klebsiella, and acinetobacter.  This new strain of Strepomyces bacterium is unique since it kills a wide variety of pathogens, both gram positive and gram negative.

Work is now ongoing to identify and purify the chemical byproducts of this bacterium that can be artificially synthesized and repurposed as prescription antibiotics.

Luciana Terra, Paul J. Dyson, Matthew D. Hitchings, Liam Thomas, Alyaa Abdelhameed, Ibrahim M. Banat, Salvatore A. Gazze, Dušica Vujaklija, Paul D. Facey, Lewis W. Francis, Gerry A. Quinn. A Novel Alkaliphilic Streptomyces Inhibits ESKAPE Pathogens. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2018; 9 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02458

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/UA0QUVhAU6M

#resistance  #antibiotic  #ireland   #superbug  #radionews #soil

It’s no blarney when I tell you that ancient Irish soil may contain the key to more powerful antibiotics in the future.  Folk medicine has identified regions of Ireland, the Boho Highlands, where the soil is known to have medicinal properties.  

Microbiologists from Swansea University, Wales, have identified a novel strain of bacteria in that soil that produces secretions which effectively kill 4 of the 6 most common currently antibiotic-resistant bacteria including MRSA, enterococci, klebsiella, and acinetobacter.  This new strain of Strepomyces bacterium is unique since it kills a wide variety of pathogens, both gram positive and gram negative.

Work is now ongoing to identify and purify the chemical byproducts of this bacterium that can be artificially synthesized and repurposed as prescription antibiotics.

Luciana Terra, Paul J. Dyson, Matthew D. Hitchings, Liam Thomas, Alyaa Abdelhameed, Ibrahim M. Banat, Salvatore A. Gazze, Dušica Vujaklija, Paul D. Facey, Lewis W. Francis, Gerry A. Quinn. A Novel Alkaliphilic Streptomyces Inhibits ESKAPE Pathogens. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2018; 9 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02458

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/UA0QUVhAU6M

#resistance  #antibiotic  #ireland   #superbug  #radionews #soil

At least one in 5 new mothers experience postpartum depression, but, wait, new fathers may experience it too.  A study from University of Cambridge sampling more than 3000 British families just published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that one in 20 fathers may suffer from it too. 

Most interesting was the finding that 18 year old girls whose father did have confirmed postpartum depression were themselves at a greater risk for depression.  This was not the case for male offspring.

Studies continue to ferret out the causes for this observation.  Meanwhile, though, it is important that new fathers as well as new mothers be monitored for the signs of depression.  If found, all should be aggressively treated in an effort to prevent untoward effects of their emotional challenges on their mates and offspring.  Girls with a family history of maternal or paternal postpartum depression should themselves be watched and treated. 

Leticia Gutierrez-Galve, Alan Stein, Lucy Hanington, Jon Heron, Glyn Lewis, Christine O’Farrelly, Paul G. Ramchandani. Association of Maternal and Paternal Depression in the Postnatal Period With Offspring Depression at Age 18 Years. JAMA Psychiatry, 2018; DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.3667

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/BCDA7hNxGLk

#psychiatry  #postpartum  #depression   #teen  #radionews

At least one in 5 new mothers experience postpartum depression, but, wait, new fathers may experience it too.  A study from University of Cambridge sampling more than 3000 British families just published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that one in 20 fathers may suffer from it too. 

Most interesting was the finding that 18 year old girls whose father did have confirmed postpartum depression were themselves at a greater risk for depression.  This was not the case for male offspring.

Studies continue to ferret out the causes for this observation.  Meanwhile, though, it is important that new fathers as well as new mothers be monitored for the signs of depression.  If found, all should be aggressively treated in an effort to prevent untoward effects of their emotional challenges on their mates and offspring.  Girls with a family history of maternal or paternal postpartum depression should themselves be watched and treated. 

Leticia Gutierrez-Galve, Alan Stein, Lucy Hanington, Jon Heron, Glyn Lewis, Christine O’Farrelly, Paul G. Ramchandani. Association of Maternal and Paternal Depression in the Postnatal Period With Offspring Depression at Age 18 Years. JAMA Psychiatry, 2018; DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.3667

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/BCDA7hNxGLk

#psychiatry  #postpartum  #depression   #teen  #radionews

If you want to be more approachable, you might try tilting your head slightly.  Psychologists at UC-Santa Cruz studied this phenomenon using eye tracking equipment.  They found that a head tilt of as little as 11 degrees makes your eyes less threatening.  Their studies show that the tilt makes your conversational companion focus only on the upper eye, and a single eye tends to be more inviting than both eyes.

The researchers plan to extend their studies, and they have a particular interest in whether head-tilting will enhance communications with autistic persons.  If a family member or someone you know is autistic or on the spectrum or if you just want to try having smoother communications, try tilting your head just a tiny bit when speaking with them.  It might just aid in breaking a barrier.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/cGa4ob4THog

Nicolas Davidenko, Hema Kopalle, Bruce Bridgeman. The Upper Eye Bias: Rotated Faces Draw Fixations to the Upper Eye. Perception, 2018; 030100661881962 DOI: 10.1177/0301006618819628

 #Headtilt  #communication #perception #psychologist  #autism  #autismspectrumdisorder #healthnews #radionews

If you want to be more approachable, you might try tilting your head slightly.  Psychologists at UC-Santa Cruz studied this phenomenon using eye tracking equipment.  They found that a head tilt of as little as 11 degrees makes your eyes less threatening.  Their studies show that the tilt makes your conversational companion focus only on the upper eye, and a single eye tends to be more inviting than both eyes.

The researchers plan to extend their studies, and they have a particular interest in whether head-tilting will enhance communications with autistic persons.  If a family member or someone you know is autistic or on the spectrum or if you just want to try having smoother communications, try tilting your head just a tiny bit when speaking with them.  It might just aid in breaking a barrier.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/cGa4ob4THog

Nicolas Davidenko, Hema Kopalle, Bruce Bridgeman. The Upper Eye Bias: Rotated Faces Draw Fixations to the Upper Eye. Perception, 2018; 030100661881962 DOI: 10.1177/0301006618819628

 #Headtilt  #communication #perception #psychologist  #autism  #autismspectrumdisorder #healthnews #radionews

With the dark days of winter ahead for all of us, here’s a way to beat the boredom.  Try doing the things that you normally do but in a different way.  For example:

Eat popcorn with chopsticks.

Drink water in a champagne glass, a shipping envelope, or lapping it out of a bowl like a dog.

Write and draw with your “other” hand.

Watch a video with finger goggles.

Do a random walk: at each intersection, flip a coin to decide whether to go left or right.

Eat a slice of pizza in different ways: fold it over, eat the crust first, eat from the sides, make pizza into different shapes.

Bet you can think of a slew of other things to try.  If you come up with really great ideas, email me at [email protected], and I’ll pass them along to everyone.

By the way, a study done at Ohio State University shows that these novel ways of doing things are most enjoyable the first time.

VidCast: https://youtu.be/ijv5aY8jxr8

#Boredom  #winter  #variety  #wronghand  #popcorn  #walking  #pizza  #radionews

With the dark days of winter ahead for all of us, here’s a way to beat the boredom.  Try doing the things that you normally do but in a different way.  For example:

Eat popcorn with chopsticks.

Drink water in a champagne glass, a shipping envelope, or lapping it out of a bowl like a dog.

Write and draw with your “other” hand.

Watch a video with finger goggles.

Do a random walk: at each intersection, flip a coin to decide whether to go left or right.

Eat a slice of pizza in different ways: fold it over, eat the crust first, eat from the sides, make pizza into different shapes.

Bet you can think of a slew of other things to try.  If you come up with really great ideas, email me at [email protected], and I’ll pass them along to everyone.

By the way, a study done at Ohio State University shows that these novel ways of doing things are most enjoyable the first time.

VidCast: https://youtu.be/ijv5aY8jxr8

#Boredom  #winter  #variety  #wronghand  #popcorn  #walking  #pizza  #radionews