As a child, you’re pretty carefree about the things you and you’re also pretty feckless as to the effects of pretty much everything. But part of growing up is finding out how much all the fun things you used to do are going to come back and bite you. Hard.

I still remember the day my mom caught me eating wall candy, only to tan my hide as she educated me about the dangers of lead based paint. Who’d a thunk that those tasty flakes of paint on the wall could retard the mental development of… Ooh look, something shiny.

So in the spirit of celebrating our youthful indiscretions and the unforeseen consequences, we’re going to be covering 6 medical findings you wouldn’t have thought true, and even if you did have an inkling, you wouldn’t want to believe it.

1. Frequent sex and masturbation increases your chance of prostate cancer.

What man doesn’t like sex? Even puritans will admit they enjoy it as a guilty pleasure. Which is why a recent study by a group of UK researchers published in BJU (British Journal of Urology) International, caught me by surprise like a cold draught up a kilt. The study took an in depth look at 431 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 409 control subjects and their findings show that men who are extremely sexually active in their 20’s and 30s are more likely to develop prostate cancer. The study also makes it clear that it’s generally more of a problem for people

Even statues do it

engaging in frequent self-loving rather than sexual intercourse with another person.

Hormones play a large role in prostate cancer, with therapy being one treatment used to reduce hormones that seem to stimulate cancer cells. In the words of one illustrious author of the study “A man’s sex drive is also regulated by his hormone levels, so this study examined the theory that having a high sex drive affects the risk of prostate cancer.” Ouch. Not all is lost though, as small levels of sexual activity for men in their 50’s afford them a measure of protection against the disease. Still though, if you’re in the 20-30 age range and don’t have a girlfriend, it may be worth it to put yourself down and go find one. She may give you ulcers, but she could reduce the chance of cancer.

2. The long term repercussions of concussions.

Firstly, try saying that five times really fast. Secondly, don’t get a concussion. Researchers from the Montreal University in balmy Canada carried out a large array of tests on 40 former athletes now aged 50-60, 19 of whom had sustained at least one concussion in their youth. The tests included short term memory tests, following simple verbal and written commands, and motor control. Their findings were that people who suffered one or two concussions

Anatomy of a Concussion

earlier in life performed poorer in the tests than the other test subjects. Overall, they had a more difficult time with the memory tests, slightly delayed reactions to unexpected events and took a little bit longer than their counterparts to complete the motor control tests.

There were, thankfully, no signs of more serious problems such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, and the former athletes are all leading active, healthy lifestyles. However, it remains to be seen whether the slight effects noted in the study would begin to worsen as the subjects get older. One Andrew Scheuber, from the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, pointed out the glaringly obvious when he said “Sportsmen and women should take extra care to avoid head trauma.” Oh really?

3. Video games are no end of terrible for you.

I’m sure this may come as no surprise to some of you, but a recent study from Brigham Young University, the Mormon university in Utah, shows a negative relationship between people’s video game and internet habits, and their relationship quality, perception of themselves, and risky behaviors like drug usage and sex. You know, fun.

Not what a healthy social life looks like.

The findings indicate that the more you play video games the more your relationship quality deteriorates, and apparently girls with high internet and video game use have lower self esteem. Also noted were the fact that people who play video games daily smoke twice as much marijuana as other players, and three times as much as people who don’t play games.

As tempting a target as it may be for some, the results should not be over generalized. The study contained 813 undergraduate students from BYU, 500 females and 313 males, 73% were European Americans, and most subjects came from a middle class family. Add onto that, the fact that University admittedly is 98.6% Mormon, and you hardly have a balanced cross section of American gamer society and even less representative of gamers internationally. Either way, many nerds will now suffer an unending string of “I told you so” from their girlfriend… If they have one.

4. Alcohol and Tobacco more dangerous than Mary-Jane and LSD?

Britain’s drug regulations are supposed to be based on how much harm it does or risk is poses, but seems to lack clarity as to how they are assed. Enter the University of Bristol. A study they published in the Lancet aimed to asses the of harm and risks of regulated drug on a clearer scale, measuring three things: the physical harm done to the user

One last dance with Mary-Jane

by taking the drug; how addictive the drug is, or how likely it will be to induce dependency; and the effect that drug use has on families, communities and society at large. The findings were pretty interesting.

They assessed 20 drugs, 5 of which were legal but in danger of abuse, Heroin topped the charts followed by cocaine and barbiturates. That is to be expected, but this is where it gets a bit strange. The experts rated Alcohol 5th and Tobacco 9th, while cannabis came in at 11th, LSD 14th and Ecstasy coming in close to the bottom at 15th. It’s always fun to see experts call government classifications arbitrary and unspecific, but it may not be advisable to bump into a politician and tell him the experts decided the ecstasy you’re rolling on is less harmful than the glass of scotch and cigar in their hands.

5. Daily smokers have higher risk of Major depression and suicidal thoughts.

The Henry Ford Health System did a study of 1,000 people aged 21-30 over a 5 year period. Their findings were

Mmmm depression.

notable both for what is showed was linked, and what was not. The study found that not only were smokers at risk of major depression, but depression may increase the amount of smoking in people who already smoke. Smokers with a history of major depression were found to be three times as likely to become daily smokers. Despite this finding, there was no conclusive data that depression makes you more likely to start smoking, or that depression makes it harder to quit.

The study’s authors say that it’s possible that depressed smokers are self medicating their moods with the effects of nicotine, but that more studies may be needed. I think I’ll go have a cigarette and a nice long cry now.

6. Diabetes before you hit the age of 60 could increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

A Swedish study published in the journal Diabetes showed that people who contract diabetes before the age of 65 have a 125% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The risk is especially significant for middle age people who develop diabetes, with the risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias substantially higher than people who develop diabetes after the 65 age mark.

If you were waiting for an upshot, prepare to be disappointed because the study’s authors say that the risk of diabetics developing dementia may be greater than the numbers in the study. The fact that diabetes has an earlier onset than dementia and an increased mortality rate means that the size of the sample available for the study could have been reduced. On top of that, about 30% of older adults with diabetes haven’t been diagnosed yet and would not have been available to the study. So stay healthy, because it would be a horrible set of circumstances where you’re constantly forgetting to check you insulin.

So there you have it, six medical findings that most of us probably wish weren’t the case. Having written this, it makes me wonder what little daily habits I have that will eventually conspire in my downfall. So, whether you’re the pot smoking gamer with poor relationship skills, or the depressed nicotine addict, it may be time to reassess your life and try to be healthier, or you could just go smoke another one.

With all the modern medical advancements in cures for diseases, one disease which still remains cure-less is Alzheimer’s. A degenerative illness that severely affects more than 5 million people worldwide. Some modern drugs can provide a modicum of relief for people suffering from mild memory loss; however scientists need a better understanding of the disease, and a fresh strategy for treating it. The best that we can do today is simply try to prevent Alzheimer’s, and the weapons used to prevent the oncoming of such a crippling disease are found in everyday foods. So what foods exactly are used to ward off Alzheimer’s? Here’s a quick list of the seven, most common, most accessible foods that can be used to prevent Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is a crippling neurodegenerative disease that results in loss of brain function. Early symptoms are forgetfulness and impaired awareness of the events of daily life. The disease is more common the older you are and affects on average about 3.1% of Americans between 70-79 years. Certain vitamins and minerals are particularly effective at preventing possible development of Alzheimer’s. This is because these vitamins and minerals ensure a healthy heart and brain, allowing for a naturally stronger defence system which can help to ward off Alzheimer’s.

1.    Eggs: The first on our list, and one of the best foods that can help prevent Alzheimer’s is the common, everyday big breakfast ingredient the egg. Eggs provide good dietary source of choline, a major component of lecithin, the yellow fatty substance found in the egg’s yolk. This helps to repair damaged brain tissue. In addition to this they also provide good sources of iron, vitamin B12, other major vitamin B groups such as B2, great source of protein, and on top of all this, is easily digested into the system so your body can start benefiting from these ingested minerals.

2.    White Germ and whole grain breads: The second item on our list is white germ and whole grain breads, this common food has many forms of being eaten. Plain, toasted, fried, and even two together with fillings on the inside. These breads are high in Lecithin and Choline, like eggs. But also are full of other healthy components which include carbohydrates, vitamin E, many B vitamins, and numerous minerals and anti oxidants which help to prolong the onset of possible Alzheimer’s

3.    Soy Beans and Soy Products: Soy products are another great source of choline along with eggs and white germ and grain breads. They also are rich in protein, carbohydrates, calcium and fiber. Soy is also a good source of folic acid; also know as, folate acid. Soy is also known to lower blood levels of homocysteine. Soy products basically can break up deadly amyloid protein that forms fibrous deposits in the brains of potential Alzheimer’s patients.

4.    Blueberries: Blueberries, apart from being blue and extraordinarily tasty, Blueberries are one of the best foods, that when consumed help at preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s. This is due to their high concentration of vitamin C in comparison to other vitamin C rich foods like oranges, guava, and kiwi fruit. This helps to ensure a healthy brain which in turn can slow the development of Alzheimer’s. Blueberries also contain a lot of anti-oxidants which can help fight the onset of the ageing process as well, such as wrinkles appearing and prolonged memory.

5.    Orange Colored Fruits and Vegetables: Orange colored fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, carrots and pumpkins, in comparison contain a lot more antioxidants, than other colored fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants are primarily vitamins A, C, and E. Scientists believe that the best way to sustaining a healthy brain to fight off Alzheimer’s disease is to have a healthy heart, pumping lots of blood to the brain. Vitamin A can help contribute to a healthy heart by immensely reducing the risk of heart disease. The vitamin C in the orange fruit and vegetables helps to fight off the build up of cholesterol, which can allow more flow of blood to the head, resulting in higher brain hydration.

 
6.    Fish: The second last on the list and also one of the stronger foods which help to fight off the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The more fish or omega 3 enriched eggs you eat, the better chance you have to avoid Alzheimer’s disease years down the road. This is because Alzheimer’s patients are found to have lower blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid, aka DHA, than people with normal cognitive functioning. DHA is an Omega 3 fatty acid that is already known to reduce heart disease, depression and attention deficit disorder; however it has recently been discovered to help fight off Alzheimer’s disease as well. The best sorts of fish to eat are particularly salmon and tuna, as these fish are the most Omega 3 fat packed.

7.    Turmeric: The last on our list is probably by far also the best culinary delight at preventing the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Turmeric. Turmeric for those who do not know it, is the yellow substance in curry powder that gives curry powder its unique flavor. Epidemiologists have noted that cultures consuming large amounts of turmeric have extremely low incidence of Alzheimer’s in their senior population. India, for example, whose population uses turmeric as both a herbal medicine and a cooking ingredient, has less than one quarter of cases in that of the U.S, despite having well over 3 times the population of the U.S, and the lack of quality of life in India compared to the U.S. Turmeric comes from the Curcuma Longa plant which can be found in many parts of South Asian countries.

There you have it, 7 common foods that can be used to battle and prevent the on set the Alzheimer’s disease.