Cutting-Edge Health Tips
Your doctor no doubt has plenty of great tips and advice on living a healthier, happier life. But much of his wisdom actually comes from the research results of veteran laboratory scientists and researchers. So why not cut out the middleman (or woman)? Here are some surprising lessons directly from the very experts who have performed cutting-edge studies—and you won't believe the lengths to which researchers go to test them! Use their knowledge today to prevent illness, improve your sex life, sleep more soundly, and much more.
1. Soothe achy feet
The researcher: Charles Lundy, PhD, associate director of product development for foot care, Schering-Plough Healthcare Products
The lessons: High-heel insoles ease foot pain—just ask the guys. "We found a way to design high-heel insoles so that they shifted the user's weight back on the heels and off the forefoot—the root of foot pain for many high-heel wear-ers. Our department at the time was all men, so for the initial tests we conducted, we had some of the male engineers walk around the office in high-heel shoes! When we were fairly confident of the design, we did eventually test the insole (Dr. Scholl's for Her High Heel Insole) with women in clinical studies and found that it made a real difference in making high heels more comfortable."
Good insoles can help all your joints. "We knew insoles and orthotics eased foot pain, but we also proved in clinical studies that they provide pain relief for osteoarthritis in the back, hips, and knees. It was pretty unique to find that something under your foot can help the rest of your body too."
2. Keep germs at bay
The researcher: Charles P. Gerba, PhD, professor and environmental microbiologist, University of Arizona
The lesson: Use hand sanitizer. "The CDC still pushes hand washing, but in my research, alcohol-based hand sanitizers were actually more effective at reducing bacteria. I personally prefer them to hand washing and usually carry a small bottle around with me. I would do both whenever possible."
3. Feel happier now
The researcher: Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, professor and director, Positive Psychology Laboratory, University of California, Riverside
The lesson: Joy is in your hands. "Nearly half of your happiness is determined by what you do and how you think. That means there are many opportunities to change how you feel. I had one student who was paralyzed in an accident and hospitalized for months, yet his first emotion was gratitude. Why? He had thought he was going to die, and despite the circumstances, he was grateful he didn't."
4.5. Get rid of wrinkles
The researcher: Leslie Baumann, MD, professor of dermatology and director of the Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute, University of Miami
The lesson: You can reduce wrinkles. "All of these things may help reduce wrinkles when used regularly: daily sunscreen; topical retinoids like Retin-A; and antioxidants like green tea, vitamin C, and coenzyme Q10, both orally and topically. Your dermatologist can recommend the best dosage of each. Stick with them, as changes don't happen overnight."
Mass-market products are often better than expensive boutique brands. "Mass lines can afford more research and development—they make more money. Among the best: Unilever (which does Dove and Ponds), L'Oréal (Vichy and La Roche-Posay), and Johnson & Johnson (maker of Neutrogena and Aveeno, which has its own research institute). We did a big study for one of the companies and found that 80% of women who followed a skin care regimen with mass-market products showed fewer wrinkles and healthier skin than when they used pricier lines."
5.6. Sleep well starting tonight
The researcher: Patricia Murphy, PhD, clinical researcher and associate director, Laboratory of Human Chronobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College
The lesson: Nap without guilt. "It's ingrained that dozing during the day may mess up sleep at night, but there's no experimental evidence that says so. We've studied hundreds of napping subjects and found that if the start time is before 2 pm, you can nap for up to 2 hours without impacting your sleep. So take a nap—it helps your brain recharge."
Try melatonin to sleep better. "We learned this supplement causes body temperature to drop, which is necessary to fall asleep. We're also trying to figure out if it suppresses luteinizing hormone—higher levels of LH are linked to hot flashes, a common sleep disrupter. If you occasionally have trouble falling asleep, take up to 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before bed; if you can't stay asleep, look for time-release formulas. Stop taking it and see your doctor if there's no change after 2 months."
6.Be savvy about buying organic
The researcher: Will Daniels, vice president of quality, food safety, and organic integrity, Earthbound Farm
The lesson: Organic salad greens stay fresher longer than conventional. "We've done extensive side-by-side shelf life testing and found that the quality of organic greens usually lasts longer, meaning you're less likely to throw them out and more likely to use what you paid for. And for like baby lettuces and arugula, the price point is now nearly identical to that of conventional versions."
7.Avoid preventable forms of cancer
The researcher: Mary McHugh, MD, FCAP, Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, OH
The lesson: Get Pap tests after menopause too. "The average age for cervical cancer diagnosis isn't 35—it's about 50. Too many women wrongly assume they can stop screenings if their Paps are normal after their childbearing years. I had a 45-year-old patient who skipped her tests for 6 years; in the interim, she developed a high-grade precancerous lesion. It struck me that it was entirely preventable. Keep getting tested as directed by your gynecologist."
8.Boost immunity
The researcher: David Nieman, DrPH, Human Performance Lab director, North Carolina Research Campus
The lesson: Cranberries, green tea, and fish oil can boost your immune system. "I've done about 50 studies on marathon runners—who are 6 times more likely to get sick after a race—and learned that immune cells functioned abnormally for a day or so after extreme exertion. We found that a combination of quercetin (an antioxidant in cranberries and red onions), the green tea extract EGCG, and fish oil helped combat oxidative stress, thus warding off illness. For the average person, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and fish should keep the immune system in shape."
9.Shop smartly for multivitamins
The researcher: Tod Cooperman, MD, president, ConsumerLab.com
The lesson: Buy multivitamins carefully. "The daily value information is incorrect for many nutrients in supplements because the base values haven't been reset by the FDA since 1968. For example, kids' vitamins that claim 100% of the DV of vitamin A actually provide 2 to 3 times more than they should and often exceed tolerable intake levels. So ignore the DVs and instead print out the Institute of Medicine's most recent recommendations for nutrients (which you can get at consumerlab.com/rdas), and compare the vitamin amounts (typically in international units—IU—and milligrams) to the label on your multi."
10.Speed up weight loss
The researcher: Catrine Tudor-Locke, PhD, walking behavior researcher and associate professor, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The lesson: Use a pedometer to count steps, not calories burned. "This is especially true if you're watching your weight. Calculations for energy expenditure are often based on a formula in the pedometer's microprocessor that is not tailored to the individual, so take the calorie number with a big grain of salt. A healthy goal: Work up to 10,000 steps a day."
11.Get gorgeous hair
The researcher: Michael Jutt, chemical engineer and director of product development, Frédéric Fekkai & Co.
The lesson: Use conditioner before shampoo on occasion. "While researching an experimental styling material, we discovered that none of our shampoos removed it from hair very well. Some materials from products adhere very tightly to follicles and can build up over time. One day, someone in the lab accidentally used conditioner to wash; she corrected it then by washing with shampoo—and to our surprise, the hair ended up much cleaner. Why does it work? The built-up material gets trapped in the conditioner, then you wash away both with shampoo."
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