Running on Empty

What's good for runners is also good for the runs. Doctors at the University of Texas southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say one of the best ways to avoid dehydration from a bout of diarrhea is to sip diluted sports drinks. Mixed 50 - 50 with water, these drinks replace not only lost fluids but also essential minerals, says Ronald Charles, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine. he recommends drinking as much as possible for the first 12 to 24 hours that your suffer with diarrhea. If you experience symptoms of dehydration, which include dizziness on standing and rapid pulse, see a doctor. Source: Men's Health

Send Flowers to your Dentist

Nervous about that upcoming root canal? Before you go to the dentists, take time to stop and smell the flowers. Researchers published in the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that certain aromas may have a soothing effect on panicky dental patients. 

In the study, more than 80 percent of patients given a whiff of a floral scent said they felt less anxious at the dentist. The less tense and anxious you are, the quicker dentists can finish the job-and the less pain you're likely to feel afterward, explains Ann Boyle, D.M.D., principal investigator of the study. so don't be surprised if your dentist suddenly develops a green thumb. Source: Men's Health

Forty-percent-off deal

Folic acid, a vitamin found in fruits and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, spinach, apples and oranges, is highly regarded these days as crucial in preventing birth defects. Now there's reason for men to be concerned about getting enough, too. 

Experts say a diet high in folic acid can help men prevent heart attacks and strokes. In a review of the effects of folic acid are men. Judith Hall, M.D., a geneticist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, says folic acid can reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke by as much as 40 percent.

Sooner is Safer

The African-American men are at greater risk for prostate cancer than white men.  An African-American man has a 1-in-9 chance of developing the disease, while a white man has a 1-in-11 chance.  duke researchers have found that survival rates for both African American and whites are nearly equal if their cancers are caught at the same stage.  

As a result of the findings, the researchers are suggesting that African-american men should start getting regular prostate examinations at the age of 40, 10 years earlier than generally recommended. "By lowering the age for African-Americans by a decade, we hope that the cancer can be detected earlier, while it's still confined to the prostate and most successfully treated, says Duke urologist George Ibrahim, M.D. Source: Men's health

From Mice to Men

It was discovered that may hold new promise for the million Americans who rely on daily insulin injections to control diabetes.  In a study with mice, scientists were able to grow actual insulin-producing tissue from individual cells and successfully implant them back into the rodents.  

The University of Florida researchers saw new growth of pancreatic tissue, the kind needed to produce insulin (the hormone that converts food into energy). And since the mice received tissue grown from their own cells, no harmful rejection occurred, eliminating a major concern with any tissue transplant. While it's too soon to say when this might be tested in human, doctors are encouraged by the findings. Source: Men's Health

Brat Packs

Cigarette smoking has long been linked to heart disease in older people. Until now, doctors didn't realize how strong an impact it has on the hearts of younger people. In a study of 14,000 heart-attack survivors, British researchers report that smokers in their 30s and 40s suffer five times as many heart attacks as non-smokers in the make age group. The results show that when a smoker has a heart attack at this age, there's an 80 percent chance taht cigarettes caused it. Source: Men's Health