Lap-Bands help many people lose weight rather dramatically – some lose 50-100 pounds in the first 6 months or year. Are Lap-Bands a lasting solution to obesity? Not necessarily. Are they safe? Often they aren’t.
Read More »Preventing Disease & Staying Healthy
We all know that it’s good to exercise, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and get a good night’s sleep. But it’s hard to change our habits, especially if we don’t have persuasive proof that it will improve our lives and health.
The National Center for Health Research is constantly reviewing new research to determine what we can do that will prevent diseases and keep us healthy.
Excellent research is being conducted to learn exactly what kinds of foods and exercise will help you prevent specific diseases, and what exposures to avoid in your daily life. The results are sometimes confusing because new products to prevent diseases are aggressively advertised, whether they work or not. Sometimes the best strategies are ones that don’t cost anything – but who is going to pay to advertise those?
We cut through the hype. We scrutinize new research, and call the researchers to learn even more. Then we translate it into plain language that you can understand.
To find the information you need, please use our search box to search for exactly what you are looking for or browse through our various topics on the right. →
If you’re looking for information about how to prevent cancer, go to our Cancer Prevention and Treatment web site at www.stopcancerfund.org . If you don’t see what you’re looking for on any health topic, contact us through our online health helpline at info@center4research.org. We’ll try to get the information you need within a few days.
Are Women Who Work Night Shifts at a Higher Risk for Developing Breast Cancer?
Night shift work may seem like an odd thing to link to breast cancer. Nevertheless, scientists found that women who work night shifts for many years are more likely to get breast cancer than other women. This includes nurses and flight attendants who work overnight. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is a part of the World Health Organization, reported that shift work is a likely risk factor for certain cancers, just as diet can increase or decrease the risks. Researchers found that night shift work links to breast cancer because it can change a person’s sleep-wake cycle. This has a lot to do with artificial light.
Read More »Will Acai Help Me Lose Weight?
Many sellers of health foods and supplements claim that the acai (AH-sah-EE) berry will help you lose weight. Dieters beware: these claims are false.
Read More »Breast Implants and Cancer of the Immune System (ALCL): What We Knew in 2014
The FDA has reported growing evidence that breast implants are associated with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a rare cancer of the immune system.
Read More »When Should Women Start Regular Mammograms? 40? 50? And How Often is “Regular”?
In recent years, there has been a growing concern that annual mammograms starting at age 40 may do more harm than good for many women. That is why the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, an expert group that reviews the latest research findings, recommends that mammography screening for most women start at age 50 rather than 40, and that the frequency be every two years (instead of annually) through the age of 74.
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