Reader’s Digest Health Report: November 2017
Updated: Oct. 04, 2018
We’ve rounded up the four best medical discoveries from around the world for November.
1. Lighter Coffee Roasts Have More Antioxidants
Caffeine may be what keeps people coming back for more coffee, but the beverage also contains chlorogenic acid, a beneficial compound. Both substances are antioxidants, meaning they protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Korean researchers measured them in coffee beans that had been roasted to different levels: light, medium, city and French (the last two are darker roasts). The amount of caffeine didn’t change much, but the lighter the roast, the more chlorogenic acid was present.
Here are 11 Things That Might Happen to Your Body When You Switch From Coffee to Tea!
2. Acne Drug Can Help Early-Stage MS
A small trial from the University of Calgary has found that minocycline, the widely available acne medication, can slow the progress of multiple sclerosis in patients who have recently experienced their first symptoms. Currently, there are no oral drugs for this early stage of the disease. Minocycline is already approved for acne in Canada and the European Union and can be prescribed “off-label” for other conditions.
Find out What the Acne On Every Part of Your Body is Trying to Tell You!
3. Response to a Partner’s Pain Matters
When a loved one is in chronic pain, there are three main kinds of responses: empathetic behaviours (showing attention and emotional support), solicitous behaviours (taking over tasks and encouraging rest) and punishing behaviours (appearing annoyed or frustrated). A 2017 study published in Psychological Science followed 145 patients with knee osteoarthritis. After 18 months, only those whose spouses mainly reacted with empathy had improved physical function—getting up from chairs, walking and so on.
Here are 22 Secrets Pain Doctors Won’t Tell You!
4. Noise Can Raise Blood Pressure Risk
Repeated exposure to loud noise may increase your likelihood of developing hypertension, according to researchers who followed people living near Athens International Airport in Greece, where approximately 600 planes take off and land each day. Subjects located closer to the plane route had to put up with louder long-term noise; the odds of developing hypertension rose by 69 per cent with each 10-decibel increase in volume.
Check out these 7 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure!
