IN THE NEWS

Interesting tidbits on wellness from credible sources.

Chocolate and wine and healthy eating . . .

Dr. Oscar H. Franco and his colleagues combed medical reports investigating the influence of different foods on the health of the heart and blood vessels.

Previous research has shown that drinking 150 milliliters of wine every day can reduce cardiovascular disease by 32 percent, while eating fish four times per week cuts the risk of disease by 14 percent.

Treating yourself to 100 grams of dark chocolate every day appears to reduce systolic blood pressure ˜ the top number in a blood pressure reading ˜ by 5 units, and the bottom blood pressure number by almost 2 units, which research suggests may reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems by 20 percent

Consuming 400 grams of fruits and vegetables does as good a job of reducing blood pressure as dark chocolate, while research shows that both garlic and almonds lower cholesterol, an important factor in protecting people from cardiovascular problems.

Based on calculations using mathematical models, Franco and his colleagues estimate that people who combine these ingredients into Polymeals may have a 76 percent lower risk of cardiovascular problems, and spend many extra years of life with healthy hearts and blood vessels.

SOURCE: British Medical Journal, December 18/25, 2004.

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Tai Chi may enhance balance for senior patients . . .

Dec. 9, 2004 ˜ Tai Chi reduces falls in the six months after intervention for patients 70 years or older, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the December issue of Medicine & Science In Sports& Exercise.

"Tai Chi, as a balance-enhancing exercise, has received considerable
attention in the exercise and fall-prevention literature," write Fuzhong Li, PhD, from the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, and colleagues. "Although it is reasonable to presume that exercise interventions designed to prevent falls may actually promote balance control, studies using either exercise or multifactorial approaches have had conflicting results."

Tai Chi exercises involve dynamic weight transition between double-stance and single-stance postures, constant exchange between loading and unloading of two legs, interchange of roles between stabilizers and movers, and coordination between lower-extremity and upper-body movements. To determine whether improved functional balance through a Tai Chi intervention would reduce falls, the investigators recruited 256 healthy, physically inactive older adults from a local health care system in Portland, Oregon.

"Improved functional balance through Tai Chi training is associated with subsequent reductions in fall frequency in older persons," the authors write. "Healthcare providers and clinicians contemplating fall-prevention programs for older persons at risk of falling should consider Tai Chi, both as a balance-retraining program, and as part of a multifaceted treatment intervention for fall prevention."

The National Institute on Aging funded this study.

SOURCE: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36:2046-2052