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We will soon be The Health Busters and focus our attention on medical myths, misnomers, and plain bad health science.

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Is the indulgence worth the risk?

Pregnant women and alcohol.

Last semester during my Biochemistry class the professor kept bringing up the serious risks taken pregnant women drink alcohol. On more than one occasion she would bring up the topic and then lecture/preach about it in a very passionate fashion. It was obvious that she was trying to reach out and inform all of the young women in her class about this serious problem. This made me wonder if women really understand the dangerous side effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Is it safe for women to drink alcohol while pregnant?

Here are a few of my questions answered.

Q: What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)?

A:  FAS is a serious lifelong condition that causes physical and mental disabilities caused by mothers drinking alcohol during pregnancy. FAS is completely preventable by abstaining from drinking alcohol during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Q: What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)?

A: FADs is a term that encompasses a range of effects that occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.  Some of these effects include mental retardation; emotional, learning and behavioral difficulties; and defects including the face heart and other organs, said the CDC. Individuals with FASDs can show a wide range of effects, but not all clinical signs of FAS.

Q: How many drinks are too many?

A: There is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant, and alcohol can harm a baby at any point in the pregnancy, according to the CDC.

However, A study from the International Journal of Epidemiology showed a different result. “Children born to mothers who drank up to 1–2 drinks per week or per occasion during pregnancy were not at increased risk of clinically relevant behavioral difficulties or cognitive deficits compared with children of abstinent mothers,” according to the study.

Q: What if I drink alcohol before I know that I am pregnant?

A: The best thing to do is stop drinking as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Even better, if you are planning to become pregnant or could possibly become pregnant stop drinking, according to the CDC website.

Q: How often do cases of FAS and FASDs occur?

A: Fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated at 0.5-2.0 cases per 1,000 births. However, other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are believed to occur approximately three times as often as FAS, according to the CDC.

Q: Does Missouri have a big problem with FAS and FADS?

A: State projections are usually based on estimations set by the total number of cases for the United States.

In 2008 there were 80,861 births, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. If the estimated occurrence of FAS is .5 cases per 1,000 births, Missouri would have 40 new cases of FAS per year. There would also be many more cases of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders not counted in these results.

Here are some helpful websites for more information regarding alcohol consumption and pregnancy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

International Journal of Epidemiology study

American Pregnancy Association website

March of Dimes website

WebMD

I can see clearly now…

New studies further prove omega-3 fatty acids’ positive effects on eyesight, according to a CNN.com article. Eating fish, especially salmon, sardines and mackerel, nuts, and green leafy veggies appears to decrease the risk of developing AMD, the leading cause of blindness for people 65 years old and older who live in the “developed world.”

Eating one serving a fish per week reduces the risk of developing early AMD by 31 percent, and eating a few servings of nuts per week reduces the risk by 35 percent.

Nervous tissue and the retinas contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, so it makes sense that eating foods with omega-3 fatty acids help preserve one’s eyesight.

Why losing your job may make you sick

Being laid-off, especially in today’s economy, is scary enough, but did you know that if you are unemployed you are also at risk for health problems?

According to an article in today’s New York Times, people who lose their job for something out of their control are twice as likely to develop a new medical condition as those who are steadily employed.

The health problems that people would be likely to develop all have links to stress: diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

A Good Under-Standing

As a college student on a large campus I walk…a lot. I am constantly on the move and I don’t always stop to think about how that affects my feet. Foot problems can be much more serious than many people realize. The feet affect the entire body and if problems arise they can lead to knee, hip and back problems just to name a few.

An article from NYTimes.com gives a few a few tips on how to keep your feet in good condition and what things to avoid. Some of the tips seem like common knowledge, like don’t wear high-heels too often and keep in mind how your weight is affecting your feet. A few little tidbits that I hadn’t given thought to before included taking into consideration being double jointed (overly flexible muscles means your feet will  need extra support) and being sure to wear wicking socks (you don’t want moisture to lead to fungus, how gross!)

Simple solutions can help your feet stay in working condition longer and help your body overall. Wear inserts, a pack of Dr. Scholl’s can be picked up at any Walmart or Walgreen’s, and make sure you’re buying the right shoe size. After all, nobody wants to face the agony of de-feet. To read the full NYTimes article, click here.

Scientists discover gene that allows cancer to spread to brain

The most difficult thing about treating cancer is the fact that tumors can metastasize, or spread to other areas of the body.

The good news is that scientists are slowly discovering the specific genes that allow these tumors to spread, which gives hope that they might be able to one day create drugs to prevent this process.

Today, U.S. scientists discovered a specific gene, ST6GALNAC5, that allows breast tumors to spread to the brain. Previously, scientists only were aware of COX2 and HBEGF, which are two genes that allow breast cancer tumors to spread to the lungs.

Even though this research touches only the tip of the iceberg, scientists remain optimistic.

According to a BBC Interview, Liz Baker, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said, “While this work is at an early stage, and was only carried out in mice, it could have important implications for breast cancer treatment in the future. Around 10 percent of breast cancers that spread will travel to the brain, and the outlook for these patients can be quite poor. Cancer spread is one of the most challenging aspects of the disease so we welcome this discovery.”

To read more, go to the original BBC article here.