Health Highlights: March 5, 2009
Mar. 6 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Religion May Ease Anxiety, Research Finds
Religious belief may help control stress-related anxiety, suggests a University of Toronto study.
Volunteers did a stressful task while researchers monitored activity in an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved in emotion, CTV.ca reported. Participants with strong religious belief had less ACC activity than non-believers, suggesting they experienced less anxiety while doing the task and when they made mistakes.
The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.
Religious belief may offer peace of mind that helps people control their anxiety, suggested study leader Michael Inzlicht, an assistant professor of psychology, CTV.ca reported.
"Religion provides meaning to many people. It helps people to understand what to do, where to go next, what decision to make. It may be that having this sense of meaning reduces their anxiety," he said.
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Fatty Diet Lessens Allergic Symptoms: Study
A high-fat diet may help reduce allergic symptoms, say U.K. researchers who studied the effects of a fatty diet on non-obese mice.
The rodents' lungs showed a decrease in cells called eosinophils, which are responsible for allergic response, BBC News reported. The Edinburgh University study was published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy.
"If people eat a high-fat diet prior to becoming obese, it may well be that they have fewer allergy symptoms, but this could also be indicative of an immune system that is not working properly, and more research is needed," said researcher Dr. Annick de Vries.
She noted that the study looked at the effect of fat in the diet as opposed to the impact of obesity, BBC News reported.
"We certainly would not advocate eating a high-fat diet because of its link to obesity implications and numerous health implications such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes," de Vries said.
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