An unpublished study by a kinesiologist at the University of Maryland suggests that drinking a particular brand of chocolate milk may speed recovery from concussions. The research found that high school football players who drank the milk after every practice or game fared better on some cognitive and motor tests after a concussion than those who did not drink the product, called Fifth Quarter Fresh.
Critics say the study is fatally flawed, but that apparently hasn't stopped some schools from stocking up on the chocolate milk — an effort they hope will help address rising concerns about concussions. Observers note, though, that there are very few anti-concussion products on the market that have been scientifically tested and proved.
Even the chocolate milk maker is trying to tamp down expectations, explaining that Fifth Quarter Fresh is just "regular milk," only "more concentrated."
Practicing Compassion
If you're not quite feeling the love from your doctor, it might not be you. A national survey by Medscape reports that 40 percent of physicians say they're biased against certain groups of patients.
The biggest triggers: emotional problems, weight, language disparities and insurance coverage. Doctors who spend the most time treating the greatest variety of patients, such as ER physicians, tended to express bias more than doctors who interact least with patients, such as pathologists and radiologists.
On the plus side, more than 85 percent of physicians in each specialty insist their biases don't affect the quality of care provided.
Get Me That, Stat!
A 10 percent tax on sugary drinks in Mexico has slashed sales 12 percent in the first year of implementation. That works out to a dozen fewer cans of Coke (and its ilk) per year per person. Mexico has high rates of obesity and diabetes, and excessive sugar consumption is believed to be a major causal factor.
Life in Big Macs
One hour of scrubbing floors on your hands and knees burns 258 calories, (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of 0.4 Big Macs or 3.3 glasses of wine (3.5 fluid ounces each). After one hour of floor scrubbing, you might need the latter.
Counts
73: Percentage of American adults under age 45 who say they would delay going to a hospital if they experienced symptoms of a stroke
800,000: Number of strokes in U.S. each year, across all age groups
610,000: Number of strokes annually that are first-time events
2: Number of times the rate of strokes among adults younger than 55 increased between 1993 and 2005
Sources: UCLA, Centers for Disease Control, University of Cincinnati
Stories for the Waiting Room
Ancient Romans get credit for the first permutations of the modern toilet, but they still suffered from a variety of gut parasites, such as whipworm and roundworm, report researchers in the journal Parasitology, who culled their evidence from (ugh) old latrines, buried human corpses and fossilized poop.
Doc Talk
Hypohemia: a lack of blood in the body
Mania of the Week
Habromania: a form of insanity that features cheerful delusions
Never Say Diet
The Major League Eating record for shrimp cocktail is 12.25 pounds in 8 minutes, held by Joey Chestnut. The feat broke Chestnut's previous record of 10.42 pounds, proving that when it comes to sharing the glory, he's a little shellfish.
Observation
"Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means you've met your New Year's resolution." — Comedian Jay Leno
Medical History
This week in 1962, U.S. health workers set sail for Africa to field-test a newly invented vaccination gun, dubbed "pistola de la paz or "pistol of peace." The device used a high-pressure injection of liquid rather than needles or syringes, making mass inoculation more efficient and less terrifying.
Sum Body
8 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Drink Coffee or Maybe Why You Should Drink More
—It may provide protection against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer.
—It is associated with higher cholesterol levels.
—It appears to improve cognitive function and decrease risk of depression.
—It may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
—It's linked to lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.
—It can worsen insomnia, anxiety and heartburn.
—It might lower risk of oral cancers.
—It interacts with some medications.
Mycrobes
Enterococcus faecalis is a common, commensal bacterium that resides in the human gut. Commensal means one organism lives in association with another without causing damage to either. Only that's not always the case. E. faecalis can cause life-threatening infections in people, including septicemia, meningitis and endocarditis. It's frequently found in teeth treated for root canals.
Med School
Q: What causes an "innie" or an "outie" belly button?
A: It depends upon how much skin grew out from the baby's body toward the umbilical cord. As the cord falls off, babies with extra skin result in "outies." Babies whose skin did not grow out toward the cord have less left for their belly buttons, resulting in an "innie."
Curtain Calls
A 30-year-old woman named Xiang Liujuan was killed at a Jingzhou, China shopping mall when the floor panel at the top of an escalator collapse, pulling her into the moving machinery beneath. Liujuan had just enough time to push her 2-year-old child to a nearby mall employee before being crushed to death.
To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by otherCreators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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