Dr. Riggs July/August Blog

Nutrition News:

• Chocolate:  for all you chocolate lovers the good news is it may reduce heart disease and hypertension.
• Green tea may help the eyes combat oxidative stress (glaucoma and other eye diseases).
• Vitamin C may also help protect against glaucoma, while a high fat diet increasese the risks of macular degeneration.  It also helps decrease blood vessel growth to tumors.
• Omega 3 (fish oils):  DHA- a component of Omega 3s may help destroy neuroblastoma cells.  Omega 3s may decrease chronic disease risks.  Fish oils may also expand brain volume and stave off mental decline.
• Selenium may decrease diabetes risk.
• Vitamin D:  is a key nutrient for skin cell growth and replacement.  A recemt study also showed that higher levels of vitamin D was associated with improved physical performance.
• Resveratrol (in grapes) may help chronic colitis sufferers.
• Obesity:  has been linked to the availability of unhealthy foods.  The spice saffron may help curb appetite by increasing serotonin levels.

Hormones:

• Male Menopause:  low testosterone can cause low sex drive, low energy and decreased enthusiasm for life.  Levels drop as we age and this decline may have an impact on men's overall function, performance and longevity.    Male Hormone Replacement Therapy may help stave off the effects of age-related decreases in testosterone.

Medical ID Cards:

Medical ID cards (e.g., 911 Medical ID Card, 911 Medical ID Medallion) is a preprogrammed USB that holds all your medical information and opens up in a Windows based program.  If you have an extensive health history background, this can save you time and energy and provide valuable information quickly for health care providers.