Health Bites: Whole Grain to Hypnosis

Whole-Grain Gain

Elderly adults who regularly eat whole-grain foods such as high-fiber cereal and brown rice have a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms, including high cholesterol and high blood sugar, that raises the risk for cardiovascular disease. People over age 60 should eat at least three servings of whole-grain foods per day, report University of Maryland researchers.

Class Distinctions

Depressed people who earn a middle-class income respond better and more quickly to antidepressant medications than adults who are poor and live in low-income neighborhoods, according to a Harvard Medical School study.

One Drink Limit

Moderate drinking is linked to better health for the simple reason that alcohol thins the blood, a new study finds. Previous research had suggested that other lifestyle factors, such as diet or exercise regimens, might be the real reason for alcohol's rosy reputation. A drink a day—but no more—can prevent clots that lead to heart attacks.

Calcium Disconnect

Girls who load up on dairy products have less body fat than their peers, but girls who take calcium supplements don't, according to a Danish study. Further research is needed to understand why dairy intake is associated with a lower risk of obesity.

Therapy by Another Name, Not the Same

Therapists who use hypnosis often call it "visualization" or "relaxation therapy" to avoid stereotypes of swinging pocket watches and zombie-like patients.

But hypnosis by another name just isn't as effective, according to a University College London study. Therapists who embrace the term "hypnosis" have more success in treating patients. That's because the therapy relies largely on the patient's openness to suggestion, and possibly even their preconceived notions of what hypnosis is all about.

Alternative Medicine Comes of Age

One third of Americans use yoga, natural supplements or other alternative therapies.

Why are the wounds of stressed-out caregivers slow to heal? Can we learn to control pain without drugs?

In a thoughtful documentary, PBS explored how holistic medicine made inroads into mainstream American healthcare. Among the topics the filmmakers tackled: the mystery of a young girl's chronic pain, a man who struggles to change his lifestyle in the face of heart disease and the lessons to be learned from monks who have meditated for decades.

Stress: Don't Take It With You

Work, that is. People who take work home—mentally or physically—tend to have less energy throughout the day, report University of Dayton researchers. Workers who don't leave the job at the office also have higher levels of family conflict.