Better Than Ever with Dr. David Geier

The Mediterranean diet, high in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fish and fats like olive oil and nuts, has been touted as the best diet for your health. But a new study published in the American Journal of Critical Nutrition suggests this diet could harm your fertility and immune system unless you make one change. Researchers at the University of Oslo had 27 British students eat a Western diet, low in fruits and vegetables, for one week. They then switched to a Mediterranean diet for one week. Urine samples contained higher levels of chemicals when the students ate the Mediterranean diet. Specifically, they had more than three times higher levels of insecticide and organophosphate that have been linked to negative effects on fertility and immune function. But the students who followed the Mediterranean diet but ate organic foods cut their levels of these contaminants by 90 percent.

If you want to boost your metabolism and hopefully burn more fat, add cinnamon to your coffee instead of sugar. Researchers at the University of Michigan exposed human fat cells to cinnamaldehyde, the substance that gives cinnamon its unique taste and smell. They observed the fat cells expressed more genes and enzymes that caused them to burn fat instead of storing it. Instead of adding sugar, cream or milk to your daily coffee, try cinnamon. You might enjoy it, and it might help your waistline.

Drinking sugar-filled drinks can impact the behavior and math scores of preschool children. In a study published in the journal Health Economics, researchers studied over 450 children who consumed either sugary drinks or artificially sweetened drinks. While the behavior of young girls was not affected, consuming one sugary drink tended to induce an initial 'relaxing' effect for boys, before making them more restless. Consuming one sugary drink also had a negative impact on student achievement scores in math for boys.

How badly do some adults hate exercising? According to a new study by OnePoll for the fitness coaching app Freeletics, half of Americans don’t work out as much as they’d like because they just don’t enjoy it. But what's crazy is to what lengths some say they would go to never have to exercise again. One-quarter say they would cancel Netflix for a year. Another quarter say they would willingly text their ex. Three out of 10 adults would reconnect with their high school bully. One-third would spend a long weekend with their in-laws. And over one-third would hand wash all their dishes for the rest of their lives if they never had to step foot in a gym or run another mile ever again.

As we head into cold and flu season, Australian researchers have found that zinc supplements appear to shorten respiratory tract infections. In a study published last week in the journal BMJ Open, the researchers reviewed over two dozen clinical trials with more than 5,400 adults. Zinc lozenges or nasal sprays were estimated to prevent five new respiratory tract infections in every 100 people per month. The supplements appeared to reduce severe symptoms, like fever and flu-like illness, the most compared to placebo. And using a zinc spray or liquid under the tongue resolved symptoms up to two days earlier compared with a placebo.

A large percentage of American workers are staying in their jobs because they are afraid of losing health coverage, according to a new survey of over 1400 adults conducted by Policygenius. The study found that one in three employees would be somewhat or very likely to quit their jobs in the near future if it wasn't for their employer-provided healthcare coverage. Among young workers aged 18 to 34, the number who are reluctantly staying due to health insurance was even higher - 40 percent. And one in four claimed they would start their own business if health insurance wasn't a factor.

Despite what has been suggested by doctors and surgeons for years, there appears to be no relationship between how much exercise or sports you do earlier in life and the development of knee arthritis. In a new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK analyzed six studies with data from over 5000 people who had no knee pain or arthritis, recording each person's average time spent exercising each week over the next 5 to 12 years. The likelihood of developing knee arthritis did not correlate with physical activity levels or how much time people spent exercising each week. If you want to run, lift weights or do any other exercise or sports, don't let a fear of developing arthritis stop you.

Exercise reduces alcohol cravings among young adults, according to a new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Researchers studied 60 males and females between 18 and 25 years old. One group performed a five-minute exercise routine, doing squats, mountain climbers, push-ups, jumping jacks, heel kicks, and sit-ups. Another group sat silently for five minutes to serve as a control. The researchers found that those in the exercise group had significantly reduced alcohol cravings when compared with those in the control group. Interestingly, though, the participants who completed an online program about alcohol abuse had no fewer alcohol cravings, but they did experience a more negative mood and greater anxiety.

New research out of the University of Michigan shows that half of new mothers are dealing with financial stress, especially from healthcare costs. The recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open shows that up to half of new or expectant moms can't pay their bills, including healthcare bills. Three in five said healthcare was unaffordable, and one out of four skipped their doctor visits due to the cost of care. The study shows that even women with private health insurance face high out-of-pocket costs, deductibles and co-payments for pregnancy and childbirth-related care, often making them choose between paying for basic living expenses or seeing their doctor.

According to a recent CDC report, over one-third of children between the ages of 4 months to 17 years are not getting enough sleep. The researchers found sleep issues were more common among minority children and kids from a lower social-economic background. Numerous studies have linked a lack of sleep for children with numerous health and behavioral problems. In fact, one study showed that kids aged 3 to 7 who didn't get enough sleep were more likely to have issues with attention, emotional control, and relationships later in childhood. Parents, take steps to help your children get enough sleep. Between ages 3 and 5, kids need 10 to 13 hours, including naps. From 6 to 12, they need 9 to 12 hours. And teenagers need at least 8 hours of sleep.

Breastfeeding might be protective to a women's brain after she goes through menopause. In a new study published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, researchers at UCLA found that women over the age of 50 who had breastfed their babies earlier in life performed better on cognitive tests compared to women who had never breastfed. In fact, they performed better in all four cognitive areas measured - learning, delayed recall, executive functioning and processing. The researchers also observed that the longer time a woman spent breastfeeding was associated with better cognitive performance. It seems that breastfeeding might be neuroprotective later in life.

New research suggests that fast foods often contain harmful chemicals found in soft plastics. In a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, researchers at George Washington University tested 64 fast food items from McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Taco Bell and Chipotle. They found small amounts of industrial chemicals called phthalates in all of the foods. Phthalates have previously been linked to many health problems, including fertility and reproductive problems. They have also been linked to an increased risk for learning, attention, and behavioral disorders in children. Foods sold by fast food chains are heavily processed, handled and packaged, giving the food plenty of opportunity to come into contact with phthalates.

Great news for all you peanut butter lovers - including me. It turns out that peanuts and peanut butter might be good for your brain. In a study published in the Clinical Nutrition Journal, researchers at the University of Barcelona studied healthy adults aged 18 to 33 and tested their memory function and other aspects of mental health. They put participants into one of three groups for six months - a group who ate skin roasted peanuts, one that had peanut butter, and a group that ate a "control" butter. After 6 months, they found that overall, peanuts and peanut butter had a positive effect on the cognitive health of the participants. Both the groups who ate peanuts and peanut butter had improvements in immediate memory recall, but only the peanut butter consumers had improvements in their overall memory function. The researchers concluded that the polyphenols found in peanuts and peanut butter were the major reason for the cognitive boosts.

It might be surprising, to some, but new research shows men are just as emotional as women. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers at the University of Michigan followed groups of men and women for 75 days to learn more about daily emotions, both positive and negative. Even when factoring in women's menstrual cycles, the researchers found little or no difference in emotions between men and women. It appears that men experience the same emotional fluctuations - emotional highs and lows - as women do.

New research suggests that social sports might be better than exercising by yourself for living longer. In a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers collected data on physical activity habits from around 8,500 adults with no history of heart disease, stroke or cancer and then monitored them for 25 years. In that time, over half of the participants died. They found a clear link between longevity and social sports. In fact, tennis was the best for longevity, adding almost 10 years to their lifespan. And while group sports and exercise were the best for lifespan, solo exercise was also good. Jogging added over 3 years, and working out at a gym or health club added 1.5 years.

About half of children between 10 and 12 years old, and one-third of kids aged 7 to 9 engage with other people on social media, according to the University of Michigan Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. While the study found that two-thirds of parents are concerned about their children sharing private information through apps, a surprising percentage of parents didn't monitor their kids' social media activity. Roughly 40 percent of parents said it was “too time-consuming” to monitor their child's social media. And one-third said they didn't use parental controls because the child would just get around them.

More physical activity and less screen time is linked to better mental health in our kids. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at Seattle Children’s Hospital found that less than 15 percent of teenagers are meeting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. But the more physical activity children and teenagers got, the better their mental health. Specifically, more active young children exhibit less aggressive behavior or problems with impulse control. Older active children have fewer behavioral issues and fewer depression and anxiety symptoms. Along the same lines, parents should discuss guidelines around their kids' use of social media, such as limiting it to certain times of the day.

Do you love going to haunted houses? There might be a scientific explanation. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recruited 262 adults to attend an “extreme” haunted attraction and measured their EEG brain reactivity and surveyed the participants after the experience. They found that participants reported their mood improved, especially for those that were feeling tired, bored, or stressed prior to the experience. These voluntary arousing negative experiences, as the researchers call them, seem to elicit a physiological and neurological response similar to a "runner's high." They believe that once you escape a scary situation that you chose to be involved in, endorphins are released that make you feel better.

Bags of candy, parties with lots of alcoholic beverages...How can we stick to our healthy habits this Halloween? Here are a few ideas. For kids trick-or-treating, consider using smaller containers to grab the goodies. Have them eat dinner before they go out. Maybe limit your child to a pre-set number of pieces of candy that night and on future nights. Parents, avoid eating the extra candy you were planning to give out, and throw away your kids' extra candy, or take it to work and give it away. And for the Halloween party goers, keep your alcohol to a minimum, and consider a designated driver or using a ride sharing service.

Over 100 million people in this country have high blood pressure, which gives them a significant risk of a future heart attack or stroke. Medical experts have long believed that consuming too much sodium contributes to this risk. A new study of over 20,000 Chinese adults with high risk of stroke were instructed to substitute reduced-sodium salt for regular table salt. The researchers found that consuming reduced-sodium salt significantly lowered the rate of cardiovascular events and deaths over the next five years. The typical American diet greatly exceeds the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams for healthy people, and 1,500 milligrams for those with high blood pressure. Simply switching to low-sodium salt might be an easy way to improve your health.

A new study suggests that whole milk is no worse for kids' health than low-fat milk. In the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers measured the obesity, body composition, blood pressure, and biomarkers of 49 children aged four to six who drank either whole milk or low-fat milk for three months. The children had no significant differences in obesity or cardiovascular health at the end of the study. And while children who drank low-fat milk consumed fewer calories and fat from the dairy products, they consumed other foods and drinks that made up the difference.

If you struggle to sleep well or sleep enough, you might consider getting more natural sunlight during the day. In a new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers collected data from more than 400,000 adults in the U.K. They found that each hour of daytime light was associated with greater ease of waking up, less frequent tiredness during the day, and fewer insomnia symptoms. But maybe even more surprisingly, they found that each extra hour spent outdoors in the daytime was linked to lower odds of major depressive disorder, lower odds of using antidepressants, lower neuroticism, and having greater happiness.

You probably see them driving through neighborhoods, but new data shows golf carts might not be as safe for kids as people might think. Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that golf carts cause over 6,500 injuries to children across the country each year, a significant increase compared to a decade ago. More than half of those injuries happened to children 12 and younger, and a majority of the injuries were to the head or neck. Parents should be careful about who is driving the golf cart, especially when there are other children in it.

Getting in shape might be better for lowering your risk of death than losing weight. In a new study published in the journal iScience, researchers at Arizona State University reviewed all the research on early mortality risk associated with weight loss and physical activity over the past 10 years. They found that the cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors linked to a shorter life can be improved with exercise, even when there's no weight loss as a result. Based on their findings, they argue that reducing weight and lowering our obesity should not be our primary goal. They believe we should focus on exercise and becoming more physically fit instead of worrying about our weight.

Young students who are more physically fit have better mental performance too. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University observed over 100 students between nine and 11 years old as they performed a series of cognitive function tasks immediately after exercise and after a 45-minute rest. In the study, published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, the researchers found that executive function – a set of mental skills that includes working memory, flexible thinking and self-control – tended to improve immediately after exercise. The more fit students performed better in the classroom, and they completed the cognitive tasks up to 10 percent faster than the less fit students, and just as accurately.