Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS: Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop arthritis as adults, groundbreaking study claims Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop arthritis later in life, a groundbreaking study claims. Research has previously found a link between active smokers and rheumatoid arthritis, claiming female smokers nearly double their risk for the condition. Now experts claim there is also an increased risk of developing the disease if a smoker was around second-hand smoke as a child. French medical experts reported there is a 79 percent increase in the hazard ratio for children exposed to passive smoking. This is the first study to suggest there is a connection between the painful condition and early exposure to second-hand smoke. Smokers who are exposed to cigarette smoke during their childhood increase their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a groundbreaking French study claims. Results of the study was presented to the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Spain. Around 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis and women are three times more likely than men to develop this form of the condition. The common auto-immune disease results in inflammation of joints, causing pain, discomfort and the gradual destruction of cartilage and bone. Research dating back to 2013 has found the connection between women smokers and rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Raphaèle Seror, the study's lead author from University Hospitals of South Paris, said: 'Our study highlights the importance of avoiding any tobacco environment in children, especially in those with a family history of RA.' The study followed 70,598 women who are all smokers, born between 1925 and 1950, from 1990 to 2014.

WELLNESS: Cherries — A Potent Super Food Sweet cherries are a great source of potassium, which is important for maintaining normal blood pressure, and contain a number of potent anticancer agents. Tart cherries have been shown to improve athletic performance, endurance and recovery, reducing post-exercise pain and inflammation. Tart cherries also help relieve and prevent arthritis and gout. If you live in a sub-tropical area, growing acerola cherry trees in your backyard can provide you with this potent super food for several months of the year. Relying on commercially-available cherries will limit them to just a few weeks a year. Interestingly, cherries contain natural melatonin, a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps "cool down" excess inflammation and associated oxidative stress. It also plays a vital role in sleep, cancer prevention and general regeneration. Based on daily environmental signals of light and darkness, your pineal gland has evolved to produce and secrete melatonin to help you sleep. Research suggests that consuming tart cherry juice increases your melatonin levels, thereby improving time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency. Reduce your risk of stroke. Tart cherries activate peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR) in tissues, which help regulate genes involved in the metabolism of fat and glucose. PPAR activation has a beneficial effect on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Lower your risk of dementia. Inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with an increased risk for dementia. The polyphenols in tart cherries effectively combat both, thereby lowering your risk of cognitive decline. As explained in one recent study,²⁷ “[P]olyphenols from dark-colored fruits can reduce stress-mediated signaling in BV-2 mouse microglial cells, leading to decreases in nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. [T]art cherries — which improved cognitive behavior in aged rats … may be effective in reducing inflammatory and OS-mediated signals” Lower your risk of colon cancer by substantially reducing formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) when added to hamburger patties. It also slows meat spoilage.²⁸ HAAs are potent carcinogenic compounds created when food is charred, and have been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. Hamburger patties with just over 11 percent tart cherries in them contained anywhere from 69 to 78.5 percent less HAAs after cooking, compared to regular patties.

CHIROPRACTIC: Balance and Brain Health Let’s investigate the relationship of balance and how it relates to the health of the brain! A 2014 study published in the journal Stroke found that difficulty balancing on one leg (eyes open) for at least 20 seconds is a possible sign of brain damage in an otherwise healthy person. In other words, there appears to be an association between poor balance and an increased risk for small blood vessel damage and reduced cognitive function (memory, association, the ability to communicate well, stay on task, etc.) in people who appear to be healthy. The authors state, “Our study found that the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health.” In this study, 841 women and 546 men (average age was 67 years old) were asked to stand on one leg for up to 60 seconds with their eyes open. Each participant repeated the exam twice and researchers recorded the best time. Next, each participant had a brain MRI to assess for small vessel disease and completed a computer based-questionnaire to measure cognitive function. Researchers found an association between the presence of small vessel disease and the inability to stand on one leg with their eyes open for more than 20 seconds. When the small arteries in the brain are damaged and lose their flexibility, blood flow is interrupted to the brain depriving oxygen to the tissue, something that is more likely to happen with advancing age. This is a very common problem, and it usually improves with balance-challenging exercises. These exercises include simply standing on one leg while in the kitchen, watching TV, standing in line… you name it! Take advantage of your standing time and do some balance challenging exercises! Of course, if you’re wobbly and find yourself “windmilling” to maintain your balance, do this in a safe environment—in the corner of a room, for example. To make the exercise even more challenging, try standing on a pillow or a folded up towel and/or shut your eyes to REALLY make your brain work! Your doctor of chiropractic can also train you on the use of a rocker board, wobble board, and gym ball for adding more fun and are very effective ways to improve your proprioceptive skills.

FUNNY BONE: Two clowns are eating a cannibal. One turns to the other and says "I think we got this joke wrong"@@ My wife told me I had to stop acting like a flamingo. So I had to put my foot down.@@ My friend says to me: "What rhymes with orange" I said: "no it doesn't"@@ This is my step ladder. I never knew my real ladder.@@ I've found a job helping a one armed typist do capital letters. It's shift work.@@ I have the heart of a lion and a lifetime ban from the Toronto zoo.

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