Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/844017
Mercy Medical Center-Centerville complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. For more information, see link on our home page at www.mercycenterville.org. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-641-437-4111. (TTY Voice: 1-800-735-2943; TDD: 1-800-735-2942) 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-641-437-4111。 (TTY Voice: 1-800-735-2943; TDD: 1-800-735-2942) healthbeat SPICE UP YOUR LIFE Researchers on a Chinese study of almost 500,000 people have found that regularly consuming spicy food—options containing fresh peppers especially— can help you live longer. Compared with people who ate spicy food once per week, those who ate spicy meals three or more times per week were 14percent less at risk of dying from chronic conditions like cancer, respiratory illnesses, and coronary heartdisease. Published in the BMJ, the study noted that it was based purely on observation, and no cause-and-eect relationship has currently been established. Still, it's great news for people who love spicy food! Health and wellness news you can use. SLEEP SOUNDTRACK As we get older, it becomes more dicult to get quality sleep. Researchers note that this could be a contributing factor for memory loss later in life, something we're always looking for ways to avoid. The good news is that falling asleep to a specic kind of noise known as "pink noise" can help. "Pink noise" is pretty much the background soundtrack to our everyday lives—soothing sounds that possess the same amount of energy at each octave. While the current study, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, only looked at one night, it's a promising step toward nding ways to curb distressing memory loss and the other problems associated with lack of quality sleep as we age. THERE'S THE RUB Looking for a way to treat yourself and take care of your health at the same time? Book a massage. Did you know that about 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are due to stress-related issues? According to a report from the Mayo Clinic, you can reduce your stress levels by an average of 30 percent with just one hour-long massage. Besides minor illnesses, stress also contributes to chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes through the production of cortisol. This hormone is ne for your body in small, short-term doses—it's only when it sticks around that it becomes dangerous. Take an hour for yourself and book that massage. Your body will thankyou. MERCY MEDICAL CENTERCENTERVILLE /// www.mercycenterville.org 2