http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Go ye and sin no more—or pay for it, when it comes to junk food, smoking and consuming alcohol. That's the message from two Mayo Clinic physicians who say raising "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages and imposing them on sugary drinks and fatty foods would lead many people to cut back, improving public health. The article by Michael Joyner, M.D., and David Warner, M.D., appears in the June issue of the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-sugar-spirits-taxes-higher-price.html Health Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:46:41 EST news289489588 The US food and drug regulator on Friday called the addition of caffeine to children's foods like chewing gum and jelly beans "dangerous" and warned of a possible crackdown. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-caffeine-kids-foods-dangerous.html Health Fri, 03 May 2013 13:30:01 EST news286805643 Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS and the University of Texas have been able to observe at atomic-level the effects of ethanol (the alcohol present in alcoholic beverages) on central nervous system receptors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-atomic-level-characterization-effects-alcohol-major.html Medical research Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:57:17 EST news285832629 Australians are smoking and drinking less than they were five years ago but are fatter and more anxious, according to a new survey profiling the nation's health launched Tuesday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-australians-fatter-anxious-survey.html Health Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:50:01 EST news285305221 Regulating alcohol outlet density, or the number of physical locations in which alcoholic beverages are available for purchase in a geographic area, is an effective strategy for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and associated harms. A new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health documents how localities can address alcohol outlet density, and outlines the critical role of health departments and community coalitions in these efforts. The report, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, is an important resource for public health practitioners, many of which are often unaware of the potential of this evidence-based strategy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-density-alcohol-outlets-strategy-health.html Health Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:05 EST news284898112 Alcohol consumption affects the brain in multiple ways, ranging from acute changes in behavior to permanent molecular and functional alterations. The general consensus is that in the brain, alcohol targets mainly neurons. However, recent research suggests that other cells of the brain known as astrocytic glial cells or astrocytes are necessary for the rewarding effects of alcohol and the development of alcohol tolerance. The study, first-authored by Dr. Leonardo Pignataro, was published in the February 6th issue of the scientific journal Brain and Behavior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-alcohol-consumption-brain-cells.html Neuroscience Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:32:20 EST news282817900 Contrary to other research, a new study found that the total level of antioxidants in people's diets is not related to their risk of developing stroke or dementia. The study is published in the February 20, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Antioxidants such as lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E are found in many foods. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-antioxidants-diet-dementia.html Neuroscience Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:00:02 EST news280598319 A new study made available online today in Addiction shows that, between 2002 and 2009, the percentage of deaths caused by alcohol in British Columbia, Canada dropped more than expected when minimum alcohol price was increased, while alcohol-related deaths increased when more private alcohol stores were opened. The paper has significant implications for international alcohol policy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-alcohol-related-deaths-minimum-alcohol-price.html Addiction Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:00:01 EST news279388370 One in eight women in the U.S. participates in binge drinking, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate among high school-age women is even higher—one in five—according to the report. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-women-binge-expert.html Health Thu, 17 Jan 2013 07:03:44 EST news277628616 (HealthDay)—Throughout the winter, excessive hand washing to prevent the spread of germs can leave skin extremely dry and itchy. Drinking coffee and alcoholic beverages can also lead to dehydration and dry skin, experts say, but proper skin care and hydration can prevent skin from chapping or cracking. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-skin-winter.html Health Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:56:54 EST news276710209 The Philippines Thursday raised tobacco and alcohol taxes in a reform President Benigno Aquino hailed as helping to liberate "more Filipinos from the vices of smoking and drinking". http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-philippines-tobacco-alcohol-taxes.html Health Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:25:56 EST news275199945 Americans get too many calories from soda. But what about alcohol? It turns out adults get almost as many empty calories from booze as from soft drinks, a government study found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-booze-calories-equal-soda-adults.html Health Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:45:15 EST news272180699 (Medical Xpress)—Consumers tend to switch to less potent alcoholic beverages when minimum prices are raised for cheap, strong drinks, new research from the University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC) shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-minimum-pricing-strategy-alcohol-result-consumers.html Health Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:18:20 EST news269853494 The financial effects of alcoholism on the family members of addicts can be massive, but little is known about whether treatment for alcoholism reduces that financial burden. A study of 48 German families published online today in the journal Addiction reveals that after twelve months of treatment, family costs directly related to a family member's alcoholism decreased from an average of €676.44 (£529.91, US$832.26) per month to an average of €145.40 (£113.90, $178.89) per month. Put another way, average costs attributable to alcoholism decreased from 20.2% to 4.3% of the total pre-tax family income. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-treatment-alcoholism-financial-burden-addiction.html Addiction Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:00:02 EST news267705058 (HealthDay) -- Mirroring so much of life, alcohol consumption comes with plusses and minuses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-health-benefits-alcohol.html Health Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:50:06 EST news262003432 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study by University of Georgia researchers demonstrates that several months before a female victim is sexually assaulted, her pattern of drinking alcohol influences her risk for unwanted sexual contact, ranging from unwanted kissing to rape. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-binge-sexual-assault-first-year-female.html Health Tue, 15 May 2012 07:17:50 EST news256285061 Minors who were familiar with television alcohol advertisements were more likely to have tried alcoholic beverages and binge drink than those who could not recall seeing such ads, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-tv-alcohol-advertising-role-underage.html Pediatrics Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:50:02 EST news254896645 (Medical Xpress) -- Caffeinated-alcoholic beverages (CABs) were banned from the U.S. market in November 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which noted serious health incidents at university campuses. However, current manufacturers of Four Loko, Moonshot, Joose, Core High Gravity and others continue to tap into a primarily young-adult-male market with separate highly caffeinated drinks (also called energy drinks) and high-alcohol drinks. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-bull-high-energy-high-alcohol.html Health Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:45:35 EST news252146669 Accusations of racism accompanying the death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent actions of Florida police are prevalent in the national media this week. Many are questioning the psychological motivations of everyone involved. Recent research by University of Missouri Professor of Psychological Sciences Bruce D. Bartholow has shown that consuming alcohol can lead to increased expression of racial bias. A new study by Bartholow and his colleague, Elena Stepanova of Florida Gulf Coast University, shows that simply being exposed to alcohol-related images can have similar effects, even when no alcohol is consumed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-racial-stereotyping-exposed-alcohol-related-images.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:56:01 EST news252064528 An editorial to be published by the scientific journal Addiction has been made available online, revealing that negotiations are underway behind closed doors for a far-reaching new trade and investment agreement that could tie the hands of governments' future alcohol and tobacco control policies in perpetuity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-threatens-health.html Addiction Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:49:28 EST news250771757 Binge drinking is more common in the United States than previously thought, particularly among young adults, though the most frequent offenders are over 65, said a US government study on Tuesday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-over-65s-frequent-binge-drinkers.html Health Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:50:06 EST news245421505 (AP) -- The toll of excessive drinking works out to about $2 per drink, in terms of medical expenses and other costs to society, according to a new federal research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-cdc-shot-excessive.html Health Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:06:32 EST news238075585 Most parents recognize that the influence of peers on their children's behavior is an undeniable fact. But, just how far do these influences reach? A study published in the September/October issue of Academic Pediatrics reports that adolescents are more likely to start drinking alcoholic beverages when they have large social networks of friends. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-extent-peer-social-networks-onset.html Health Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:47:55 EST news235820842 Almost 1 out of 11 radio ads for alcoholic beverages in 75 markets across the nation in 2009 failed to comply with the alcohol industry’s voluntary standard for the placement of advertising, according to an analysis conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-alcohol-ads-youth-radio.html Health Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:58:04 EST news235213075 Violent crime could be reduced significantly if policymakers at the local level limit the number of neighborhood liquor stores and ban the sale of single-serve containers of alcoholic beverages, according to separate studies led by University of California, Riverside researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-liquor-density-linked-youth-homicides.html Health Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:57:01 EST news234629762