PharmaPassport Health Tips Blog» Diet Soda is linked to Premature Births

Diet Soda is linked to Premature Births

Amanda — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:22:54 +0000

Artificially sweetened soft drinks have been linked to high blood pressure and an increased risk of premature birth. A recent study examined almost 60,000 women at around 25 weeks of pregnancy. The women reported on their daily diet – specifically how many soft drinks they drank every day.

The study was conducted by the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Lead Dr. Thorhallur I. Halldorsson said “It may be non-optimal for pregnant women to have a high consumption of these types of products”. Diet drinks sweetened with aspartame are considered to be good alternatives to their sugar-filled counterpart, but Halldorsson notes that there has been too little research on the safety of the consumption of artificial sweeteners. New studies have found a link between soft drinks and high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of premature birth.

After analyzing the results from the study of 60,000 pregnant women, it was found that 5% delivered their babies before 37 weeks. Women who had at least one serving of artificially sweetened soda a day while they were pregnant were 38% more likely to deliver their babies preterm than women who drank no diet soda at all.

The shocking find from the study was that women who had at least 4 diet sodas a day were 80% more likely to deliver preterm.

Only diet soda was linked to early delivery, not sugar sweetened soda. The findings propose that the artificial sweetener itself is the cause of the findings. However, researchers say that other possible causes for the link cannot be ruled out.

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5 Ways to Stay Energized

Amanda — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:07:00 +0000

If you aren’t an athlete in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, you probably start off your day with average energy levels that are increasingly hard to maintain throughout the day. Try these energy preserving tips so you can feel your best all day long.

1. Drink water – Dehydration will cause you to quickly become tired. Often, you may feel like eating even if you aren’t very hungry without realizing that what you really need is water.

2. Take Vitamin B – Vitamin B12 helps provide your body with a boost of energy. Its job is to release the energy contained within the food that you consume so that its easy to use. Try taking vitamin B supplements if you want an added boost of energy to your lifestyle.

3. Snack regularly – eating snacks high in protein every few hours is beneficial for your mood and energy. Stay away from sugars, though – sweets will make you crash. Try nuts and seeds, eggs, nut butter on crackers, and strips of chicken or turkey.

4. Avoid drinking coffee after 3pm – Yes, coffee has many health benefits, but when it comes to energy boosts, the time you drink coffee is crucial. The high your coffee gives you in the morning can cause a low around 3pm if you consume it too early in the morning. Try not to drink coffee in the evening – even if you think it doesn’t effect you, the caffeine can keep you up at night causing minor insomnia, preventing you from getting a full nights rest – the critical key to high energy levels. If you are going to drink coffee, have it in the late morning.

5. Exercise – going for runs, doing pilates, or taking a 30 minute walk can increase your energy levels and keep you going. A study by Patrick O’Connor at the University of Georgia found that sedentary people who completed a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not exercise at all. Nearly every group studied benefited from exercising, and if you don’t exercise now, or if you are constantly tired, being a bit more active will help your energy levels.

Blood Type Diets

John — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Something I read kind of got me a little bit intrigued. Blood type specific diets. I’m not sure if these work, but they sound very interesting. The basis is that depending on what your blood type is you should eat differently.

There is a book written outlining what type of foods to eat for each different blood type. For example one blood type is suggested to eat a strictly vegetarian only diet, while another blood type is asked to eat a lot of proteins. There is also information about what types of exercises are best for people with different blood.

Now, again I’m not positive if any of this works, but I have heard some good things coming from people that have tried the diets. However, there isn’t a lot of medical evidence that really backs any of these claims up. Either way, if you’re the adventurous type our are looking for something new this might be it.

Talk to your doctor first and make sure the diet you’re choosing is healthy. If you get the green light from the doctor and decide to try the diet let me know what the effects are. I’ve heard of many health benefits from those that do follow the diet. Some of these benefits include weight loss and better digestion.

5 Weight-Loss tips

Amanda — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Lower Fat Intake

Diets that are high in fat will promote obesity. Try to consume under 25% of your calories from fat (non-saturated fat)

Watch that sweet tooth

Sugar = carbohydrates. Carbohydrates = fat. New studies have linked sugar to increased calorie consumption – we tend to eat more of what tastes good. Sugar also makes your body burn through chromium – and chromium is a mineral that helps you loose weight by making calorie burning tissues.

Drink Water

Drinking lots of water everyday will help your deliver vitamins and minerals to all parts of the body. Water also helps carry wastes out of the cells that that the body functions properly. Stay away from the flavored vitamin and mineral enhanced water and go with the old fashioned unflavored type.

Eat fibre

Fibre will give you a feeling of fullness so you will be full and eat less. Fibre can also lower cholesterol and fight against heart disease.

Exercise!

It is almost impossible to maintain a healthy beautiful body without exercise. Even a brisk 20 minute walk everyday will improve your health conditions and keep you in shape.