Prevention February 2018

OUR READERS come to us for authority, reliability, and the confidence we bring to our work. Your health is our pledge, and we don’t mess around. Our ace research department makes sure we get it right. This issue reflects our commitment to science. “Too Good to Be True” (p. 82) is a walk-through of awful health scams to which any of us might be vulnerable at one time or another. In the article, we show you how to watch out for fraud and what to do if you find it. In “10 Things You Need to Know About Antibiotics Right Now” (p. 60), we give the backstory of bacterial infections and shed light on superbugs, either of which could, again, afflict us at any time. In “5 Myths About the…

STRESS & ENERGY Your editor’s letter hit home. i’ve been dealt quite a hand in the past few years, and the things that have gotten me through are having great friends and family, taking time to care for myself, and refocusing my thoughts so i can look at change as opportunity. stress can be strength. it takes time and patience, but once you put what you’ve learned toward the future, you gain a sense of your soul. Amy Gagne / Millis, MA STAY SHARP Your Brain games column included a Word ladder exercise to transform the word HEAD into the word TAIL by creating a new word on each rung of the ladder. since the directions could be interpreted to mean you could move the position of the letters rather…

HEALTH NEWS • BREAKTHROUGHS • QUICK TIPS Radishes might not be your go-to antidote for indigestion— yet. The sharp-flavored root vegetable, along with broccoli, cucumbers, kale, and cold milk, may help alleviate stomachaches, according to an Indian study. These top five food remedies neutralize stomach acid, resetting the gut’s gastric balance and warding off acid reflux and other digestive problems with little risk of side effects. In fact, broccoli and cold milk, the two most potent of the curatives, are as effective as some overthe- counter antacids.…

Dieters who know their fasting blood sugar levels can personalize their weight loss plans— a step that may lead to better results, according to a Tufts University study. People with higher fasting glucose levels are more likely to experience blood sugar spikes that can cause hunger and overeating. When study participants with higher levels ate a low-glycemic, high-fiber diet—known to minimize blood sugar spikes—for 6 months, they lost more than twice as much weight as participants with low fasting glucose levels on the same diet. To follow this type of food plan, focus on eating whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins. 27 THE NUMBER OF NEWLY IDENTIFIED GENES THAT MAY PREVENT CANCER…

By 2019, there’s a good chance that thyroid cancer will overtake colon cancer as the third-most-common cancer in women, after breast and lung, according to a study from the University of Chicago. In 2017, more than 42,000 women—most between the ages of 40 and 60—were diagnosed with it, and its incidence has more than tripled since the 1970s. Part of the boom is due to new medical inroads that make more diagnoses possible, but experts say the spike likely also represents an increase in cases due to factors like obesity or environmental radiation exposure. The good news: Even as rates climb, advances in medical technology are making thyroid cancer easier than ever to detect and avoid—and less intrusive to treat. Here’s how: Better identification. By age 50, at least half…

Women who suffer from a lack of sexual desire now have a new tool to help them. Sexual arousal disorder, a condition characterized by a drop in arousal and a decrease in desire and pleasure, affects up to 20% of women in the United States. But recent studies by researchers at the University of British Columbia show that a type of meditation called mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy can provide lasting benefits. Borrowed from Buddhism, MBCT combines cognitive therapy with the practice of focusing on your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and environment without judgment. Studies have shown that, alone or combined with additional therapy, MBCT can treat mood disorders like depression, which is a primary cause of sexual dysfunction in women, according to psychologist Lori Brotto, one of the UBC researchers. Other causes,…