- Mediterranean Diet Reduces Cancer Risk: Study
- Group Wants FDA to Challenge Immunity Claims
- Muscle Vibration May Reduce Fall Risk in Elderly
- Drug Store, Pharmacy Benefit Managers Combine Info Systems
- Babies Need Stomach Time to Develop Back and Neck Muscles
- Watermelons Said to Boost Heart Health
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Mediterranean Diet Reduces Cancer Risk
People who adopt just a few elements of the Mediterranean diet could reduce their cancer risk by as much as 12 percent, say Harvard University researchers, who had 26,000 Greeks record their food intake over eight years.
The Mediterranean diet includes use of olive oil, high consumption of vegetables, fish, fruits and cereals, and less consumption of red meat. Previous research has suggested this diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and other illnesses.
The new study found that simply consuming more olive oil and other unsaturated fats reduced cancer risk by nine percent. And just two aspects of the Mediterranean diet -- eating less red meat and eating more peas, beans and lentils -- reduced cancer risk by 12 percent, BBC News reported.
The findings appear in the British Journal of Cancer.
-----
Group Wants FDA to Challenge Immunity Claims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration must take action against companies that sell products with misleading label claims of boosting immunity, says the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The group said when consumers read that a product will maintain a "healthy immune system" they believe it means the product will help fight off illness and disease, United Press International reported.
For example, vitamins A, C and E play an important role in the functioning of many systems in the human body, but there's little evidence to suggest these vitamins have any effect on the immune system, said Bruce Silverglade, the center's legal affairs director.
In a formal complaint, the center said the FDA should bar such claims about immune system benefits and establish rules that require food companies to base these claims on scientific evidence, UPI reported.
-----
Muscle Vibration May Reduce Fall Risk in Elderly
Exercising for a few minutes on a vibrating platform twice a week may reduce elderly people's risk of falls, says an Australian study that included 43 healthy men and women in their 70s.
First, the researchers tested how well candidates were able to stand on one leg. The participants were then divided into two groups. One group did light resistance training -- standing still with knees bent, squatting up and down, and going up and down on their toes -- while on a vibrating platform. The other group did the same exercises without the vibrating platform, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The exercise sessions lasted less than 10 minutes and took place three times a week for eight weeks. At the end of that time, the researchers tested participants' leg strength again. Those who had exercised on the vibrating platform had a significantly improved ability to stand on one leg.
The study appears in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
Researcher Sven Rees of the University of Technology in Sydney said previous research has suggested that vibration of muscles can cause reflex contractions, which helps strengthen muscles, the network reported.
-----
Drug Store, Pharmacy Benefit Managers Combine Info Systems
In an effort to increase electronic prescribing by doctors, the drug store and pharmacy benefit management industries will combine their information systems, the Associated Press reported.
The union will make electronic prescribing more convenient and efficient for doctors, according to executives with the two industries.
"This merger sets aside historic economic and political differences to do what is necessary to advance paperless prescribing and the secure exchange of critical information," said John Driscoll, president for new markets at MedcoHealth Solutions Inc., the AP reported.
