Healthy Bits

A study was recently published in The Lancet that showed oral immunotherapy (OIT) could help individuals with peanut allergies. OIT involves giving the allergic person small, controlled dosages of the allergen—in this case peanuts—that increase over time so that a tolerance is developed, which then lessens the allergic reaction. For people allergic to peanuts, direct contact, inhalation, and cross contamination can lead to a variety of symptoms from mild to severe, and even life threatening. The study gives hope to using the still-experimental treatment of OIT for peanut allergy management, but the authors warned that more research is needed in a controlled setting. This is definitely not something you want to try at home or on your own.
Study: thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62301-6/abstract

Is eating kiwi the key to helping individuals sleep better? Researchers at Taiwan’s Taipei Medical University studied the effects of the consumption of kiwi on sleep patterns. Over a four-week study, they found that consuming two fruits one hour before going to bed improved the ability to nod off as well as quality and quantity of sleep.
Study: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21669584

As if sugar did not already have a bad rap, the news keeps getting worse. According to a recent study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a high intake of sugar is directly correlated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, as well as cardiovascular disease mortality. Moral of the story? Sticking to the natural stuff, such as fruit, natural fruit juices, and vegetables will not only give us healthier bodies, but longer life spans.
Study: archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1819573