Archive for September 2011
September 21, 2011 | 
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New research shows that people who suffer from depression are more likely to have a stroke than those whose mental health is stable.
The strokes of those who are depressed have also been proven to be more likely to be fatal than those who aren’t depressed.
This research, coming from the American Medical Association, is drawing on the data from 28 different studies dating back all the way to the mid 1990s. They found that people who reported depression, or had received a depression diagnosis from a doctor, were 45% more likely to have a stroke, and 55% more likely to die from it.
Depression Increases the Risk of Ischemic Stroke
This kind of stroke involves the blood vessel being blocked and can’t send blood to the brain. Depression did not show to raise the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke where a blood vessel leaks or bursts.
This new data shouldn’t be extremely dooming. Doctors have said that if you only suffer from depression and no other mental illnesses, you have no cardiovascular problems, you are not obese, you do not suffer from hypertension, and you exercise regularly, you should not worry about a stroke.
Risk for Stroke Might Stem from a Depressed Lifestyle
However, if you are depressed and you drink alcohol heavily, or smoke regularly, or have an unhealthy diet, as many who are depressed tend to do, you could be laying the bricks for a fatal stroke in your future.
Although there has not been enough research done to determine whether drugs for depression can contribute to the risk of stroke, there is no reason to stop taking any medication that you feel necessary.
Since strokes only happen to 1 in 1,000 people in the United States every year, even being depressed doesn’t make a stroke statistically inevitable.
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Almost every super market or even local grocery store you go in these days has an organic alternative for everything from produce to snack foods. But what is the difference really of going organic?
One thing we all know is that organic foods tend to cost more than other foods. And since I’m not willing to make frivolous expenditures in an economy like this one, I decided to get to the bottom of this whole organic craze and decide if it’s something I’m willing to fork out the cash for.
Benefits of Going Organic
Organic farmers work with the land and soil rather than against it, this ensures that the soil has a high nutrient content and won’t get “burnt out.” This has a directly positive impact on the fruits and vegetables grown there because they are then filled with more of the nutrients from the soil. This means that you’re going to get more nutrients per food item that you buy.
Hormones Aren’t Used on the Animals
The livestock that is raised organically must be fed organic, high nutrient feed. They are also not fed hormones to speed up production—the main reason they cost more. Although these animals do take longer to mature, they are free of synthetic hormones. These hormones have been found to not only cause early puberty in children, but they can contribute to breast cancer.
Disadvantages to Going Organic
There are a lot of processed, high sugar, high fat foods that are produced organically but that does not necessarily mean they are good for you. You should still follow a diet that fits within your calorie needs, and just because something is organic doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to make you fat.
Conclusion
As far as more nutritious food goes, I think I can just eat more vegetables and still come out paying less than the organic versions. But when it comes to animal and dairy products, I don’t think I’m willing to take the risk with conventionally raised products.