Posted on: Monday, 20 December 2010, 08:12 CST

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – It’s reassuring to know that while eating that hearty Christmas dinner and drinking a glass of wine, digestion will be slowed, but there will be no symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, belching, and bloating, according to this study.

In order to determine the effects of alcohol on the digestive system when rich meals are consumed, investigators at the University Hospital of Zurich, led by Dr Mark Fox now at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, studied 20 individuals who either drank wine or black tea with cheese fondue followed by cherry liqueur or water as a digestive after the famous Swiss dish.

Fox and colleagues were quoted as saying that while they concentrated on fondue the results of their research "can be generalized to address the wider issue of alcohol’s effects on digestion and digestive comfort after any large, rich meal of the kind we all enjoy over the festive season".

Twenty healthy volunteers (14 male and six female) aged between 23 and 58 took part in the study. None of the participants had a history of alcohol misuse or stomach disease. They had an average body mass index (BMI) of 23.6 and none were taking prescription medicine.

The participants were tested on two days at least one week apart. Half of the group drank white wine with their fondue and the other half drank black tea. this was followed by a cherry liqueur digestive (schnapps) or water 90 minutes later.

The research team used established scientific breath tests to assess the effects of alcohol consumption on the digestive system.

The results show that the process of digestion was much slower in the group that drank alcohol with their fondue. However, the results also demonstrate that alcohol did not contribute to an increase in indigestion problems such as heartburn, belching and bloating.

"Healthy readers should be reassured that they can continue to enjoy this traditional meal with the beverage of their choice without undue concern about postprandial digestive discomfort,” the authors were quoted as saying.

SOURCE: British Medical Journal, published online December 19, 2010

Source: Ivanhoe Newswire

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Posted on: Thursday, 16 December 2010, 07:31 CST

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Students with asthma and their parents can breathe easier thanks to a new online training program which aims to keep teachers, administrators and other faculty well informed about the condition.  with asthma proven to be present in every school, and virtually every classroom with 30 or more students, the training is designed to help affected students manage their symptoms at school.

The online course is sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) and the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN), and is geared towards educating the country’s 3.2 million NEA-affiliated teachers and educational professional about how to better facilitate the school environment for children with asthma.  the free training will also be accessible to superintendants, principals, building managers and parents.

"when we give teachers and other school professionals resources to support student learning, everyone benefits," NEA President Dennis Van Roekel was quoted as saying.  "I am very proud that NEA, MCAN and the NEA Health Information Network are partnering in this way to increase awareness about asthma and asthma management."

Called Managing Asthma in the School Environment, the course provides an overview of asthma by identifying causes, signs and symptoms, symptom control and treatment, and different ways to build an asthma-friendly environment.  Achieving such an environment requires the removal of asthma triggers like upholstered furniture and a greater attention to the overall environmental quality of the indoor facilities.

The course’s information is derived from the National Asthma Education and Prevention program’s Expert Panel Report 3, as well as real life, evidence-supported data collected by research programs and other childhood asthma research reports.  Funded by MCAN, the Los Angeles Unified School District Comprehensive Asthma Program has provided particularly strong evidence that successful and effective staff training is possible.  Children participating in the program reported less emergency room visits, and an improvement in overall asthma control, including both daytime and nighttime symptoms.

"Growing up with asthma can be challenging.  Students whose asthma is not under good control may have a tough time participating in physical activity, sleeping through the night, or concentrating during the school day.  By helping students manage their asthma, they can lead healthy, active lives like everyone else," NEA HIN Executive Director Jerry Newberry was quoted as saying.

SOURCE:  the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc., December 2010

Source: Ivanhoe Newswire

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