MOST DON'T SEEK HERNIA HELP
Five million Americans have suffered a hernia, but only 1 million seek treatment -- fearing surgery or long recovery times. The National Hernia Awareness campaign says new treatments such as the kugel patch can be done on an outpatient basis in less than a half-hour. This surgical procedure requires only local anesthesia so the recovery time is relatively quick. While many believe hernias are caused by straining or pulling a groin muscle, they can also be caused after a weakening of the abdominal lining -- a natural condition that comes with age. Although hernias typically strike men who are age 50 or older, women can get a hernia as well.
CHROMIUM HELPS ATYPICAL DEPRESSION
A clinical trial found people taking chromium picolinate significantly reduced symptoms of atypical depression. Atypical depression is a frequently undiagnosed form of depression affecting up to 40 million Americans, characterized by symptoms that include mood swings, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, rejection sensitivity and lethargy. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences found that daily supplementation with 600 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate significantly reduced carbohydrate cravings compared to a placebo. Natural sources of chromium are found in wheat germ, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, whole-grain products, brewer's yeast and molasses. The study was published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
WORLDVIEW CHALLENGES TRIGGER REVENGE
A person's view of the world affects how distressed he or she might feel and if they want to seek revenge. Psychologists from Michigan State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, found those who had a stronger belief in a just world before the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001, were more distressed by the attacks and also had more of a desire for revenge. The study, to be published in the July issue of Psychological Science, compared students' belief in a just world prior to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington to their distress after the attacks and their feelings about revenge. Those who were most distressed by the attacks were also the ones who had the strongest feelings of revenge.
(Editors: For more information about HERNIA, contact 1-800-Hernias or herniainfo.com. For CHROMIUM, contact Stacey Antine at (914) 701-4567. For REVENGE, Cheryl R. Kaiser at [email protected].)
