Researchers from the University of California monitored the diets of 931 men and women, focusing on chocolate consumption. None of the participants were taking antidepressants, and they had their moods assessed routinely.

Those with depression consumed 8.4 servings of chocolate (1 ounce is one serving) per month, while those with major depression ate an average of 11.4 servings per month. Their counterparts who showed no signs of depression ate an average of 5.4 servings per month.

Chocolate sends signals to the brain to release serotonin and endorphins, two “feel happy” opioids. Endorphins are responsible for that satisfied buzz you get after exercise, while serotonin is believed to produce feelings of love and happiness.

This study is the first to examine the chocolate-mood link for both men and women, and, based off their findings, Doctors Natalie Rose (U.C., Davis) and Beatrice Golomb (U.C., San Diego) believe there may be a direct link between depression and chocolate cravings.

"The findings did not appear to be explained by a general increase in caffeine, fat, carbohydrate or energy intake, suggesting that our findings are specific to chocolate," Golomb said in a press release. “Our study confirms long-held suspicions that eating chocolate is something that people (including men) do when they are feeling down."

One speculation is that when a person is down in the dumps, he or she will reach for this “comfort food” to boost his/her mood. Another possibility, however, is that eating chocolate (which is often high in fat and sugar) causes a person’s moods to spike for a short period of time only to crash later.

"Because it was a cross sectional study, meaning a slice in time,” Golomb explained, “it did not tell us whether the chocolate decreased or intensified the depression."

The research team plans to conduct further research investigating the effects of chocolate on mood to gain more insight into this relationship. “Whether there is a causal connection, and if so in which direction, is a matter for future prospective study,” they concluded in their report.

­Read the study’s abstract at the Archives of Internal Medicine, or check out the University of California’s press release for more information.

Radio personality Don Imus revealed Monday that he has stage 2 prostate cancer. He announced the news on his syndicated radio show "Imus in the Morning" and went on to say that he is confident he can beat the disease with help from his doctors.

The 68 year old Imus also stated that he thought his cancer may be related to stress, perhaps an allusion to his firing from CBS radio in 2007 over comments he made about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. A doctor for the American Cancer Society reacted by saying that while studies show that a person’s ability to fight cancer is impacted by stress, there are no studies demonstrating that stress has a role in actually causing cancer.

Stage 2 prostate cancer is defined as cancer that has spread through the prostate but not outside of it. It has a relatively good cure rate with proper treatment. Almost 99 percent of men whose prostate cancer is diagnosed in stage 2 live for 5 years, while between 65 and 90 percent survive 10 years beyond their diagnosis. Treatment for stage 2 prostate cancer ranges from "watching and waiting" to removal of the prostate along with radiation therapy.

For more information about prostate cancer, join the Healia Support Group for Prostate Cancer.

_{Photo: williacw, Flickr, Creative Commons}

The U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality online report lists the most common types of cancer diagnosed in men. In this report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collaborated to provide cancer incidence and mortality statistics for 1999-2004. These statistics show information on cancer incidence and mortality based on gender, race, and geographic categories. The numbers listed in parentheses below are new cases per 100,000 persons.

The top 10 most common types of cancer diagnosed in U.S. men are:

1. Prostate Cancer (145.3 per 100,000 men)
2. Lung Cancer (85.3)
3. Colon and Rectal Cancer (58.2)
4. Urinary Bladder Cancer (37.3)
5. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (22.6)
6. Skin Melanomas (21.5)
7. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer (19.1)
8. Mouth and Throat Cancer (15.7)
9. Leukemia (15.2)
10. Pancreatic Cancer (12.8)

Want to learn more? Use the Health Search Engine to find out more information about the above diseases or read the cancer summaries from NCI.

_{Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2004 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2007. Available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs}.

_{Photo: krossbow, Flickr, Creative Commons}

In the fourth and final feature in our series on cosmetic procedures, we list the top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed on men in 2007 – the most recent year for which data are available. In that year, nearly 10 million nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States, nearly five times the number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed during this time. The most common surgical cosmetic procedure in men is liposuction and this procedure only ranks sixth on the overall list of most common cosmetic procedures in men: all five procedures listed below were performed more often in 2007.

Not surprisingly, more women than men undergo nonsurgical cosmetic procedures by a large margin. However, it may surprise some to learn that botox injections top the list of cosmetic procedures for men. In fact, the same five procedures appear in the lists of the top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures for both men and women, only in somewhat different order. Each procedure in the list below is followed by the number of men in the U.S. who underwent that procedure in the year 2007 in parentheses. For comparison purposes, the number of women who underwent that same procedure is also provided.

The top 5 nonsurgical cosmetic procedures among American men are:

1. Botox (329,519 men, 2,445,656 women)
2. Laser hair removal (185,684 men, 1,226,974 women)
3. Microdermabrasion (85,910 men, 743,748 women)
4. Hyaluronic Acid (wrinkle smoothing; 84,184 men, 1,364,533 women)
5. IPL laser treatment (removal of skin imperfections; 63,177 men, 584,530 women)

Cosmetic procedures are, by definition, elective and are therefore not required for your health. While the overall risks of such procedures are relatively low, serious and life-threatening complications can occur such as allergic reactions and clotting problems.

If you are thinking about undergoing any cosmetic procedure, make sure that you find a surgeon is certified in his or her specialty by an appropriate board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. It may also be a good idea to be evaluated by your regular physician for any predisposing characteristics that might increase your risk of complications during a cosmetic procedure.

For more information on cosmetic procedures, join the Healia Health Community for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. If you have a question about a cosmetic procedure, Ask The Experts at Healia Health Communities.

Related Blog Posts: The Top 5 Cosmetic Surgery Procedures among American Women
The Top 5 Cosmetic Surgery Procedures among American Men
The Top 5 Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures among American Women

_{Source: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2007 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank-Statistics, 2/07. http://www.surgery.org/download/2007stats.pdf}

_{Photo: ZaldyImg, Flickr, Creative Commons}

In 2007, there were over 2 million elective cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the United States. While women still seek cosmetic treatments more often than men by a 9:1 ratio, the numbers of men undergoing such producers is rising rapidly. This list of the top five surgical procedures performed on men for cosmetic reasons in 2007 – the most recent year for which data are available – is the second in our series of features on cosmetic procedures. The number of men in the U.S. who underwent each procedure in the year 2007 appears in parentheses. For comparison, the number of women who underwent the same procedure also appears.

The top 5 cosmetic surgeries among American men are:

1. Liposuction/lipoplasty (57,980 men and 398,848 women)
2. Belpharoplasty (eyelid surgery; 32,564 men and 208,199 women)
3. Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping; 31,713 men and 120,083 women)
4. Breast Reduction (20,280 male breast reductions for gynecomastia and 153,087 female breast reductions)
5. Hair Transplantation (16,491 men and 3,188 women)

Cosmetic surgery is, by definition, elective surgery and is therefore not required for your health. While the overall risks of such surgery are relatively low, serious and life-threatening complications can occur. Going under general anesthesia for any reason carries a small risk of death, and additional risks depend upon the specifics of a given cosmetic procedure.

If you are thinking about undergoing cosmetic surgery, make sure that you find a surgeon is certified in his or her specialty by an appropriate board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. It may also be a good idea to be evaluated by your regular physician for any predisposing characteristics that might increase your risk of complications during a cosmetic surgery procedure. Be sure to tell the plastic surgeon about any health conditions you have that might impact the surgical procedure. Hiding such information in order to be accepted as a patient is not only illegal but is also incredibly dangerous.

For more information on cosmetic surgery procedures, join the Healia Health Community for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

_{Source: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2007 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank-Statistics, 2/07. http://www.surgery.org/download/2007stats.pdf}

_{Photo: ob1left, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A study appearing online today in the journal Cancer shows for the first time that marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Michael Phelps may not have realized that the repercussions of his public marijuana-smoking episode may go beyond lost endorsement money and disappointed fans.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle interviewed 369 Seattle men aged 18 to 44 who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and a group of 979 randomly selected age- and geography-matched healthy controls about their history of marijuana use. The results showed that those who reported current use of marijuana showed a 70 percent increase in the risk of testicular cancer. The risk was highest – nearly double – for men who used marijuana at least every week, who started using the drug before the age of 18, or who used it for 10 years or more.

The results also suggested the increased risk appeared to be in the form of testicular cancer called nonseminoma, which is the most aggressive type of testicular cancer and accounts for about 40 percent of cases. Nonseminoma tends to strike early, between the ages of 20 and 35.

The researchers note that this is the first study to examine a relationship between marijuana use and testicular cancer, so more research needs to be done in order to confirm that marijuana use is an important factor in a man's risk of developing testicular cancer.

Experts believe that the foundation of testicular cancer may occur in the womb, when some of the cells that will eventually become sperm fail to develop properly. This leaves them vulnerable to malignancy when they are exposed to high levels of sex hormones during adolescence and early adulthood. This explains why testicular cancer is the most common cancer in males between the ages of 15 and 34.

It may also explain the added risk of marijuana use, since it is known that chronic marijuana exposure has many adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems, including decreased sperm quality, changes in testosterone levels, and male impotency. The male reproductive system also naturally produces a chemical that is similar to the active ingredient in marijuana that is thought to have a protective effect against cancer. The researchers speculate that marijuana use may disrupt this anti-tumor effect, which could explain the link between marijuana use and increased risk of testicular cancer.

Other known risk factors for testicular cancer include a family history of the disease, undescended testes, and abnormal testicular development. It is a relatively rare cancer, with only about 8,000 new cases in the United States each year. According to the National Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for testicular cancer is around 96 percent.

Experts say that young men should have their testicles examined as part of an annual physical examination and they can also learn how to perform self-examinations to help detect testicular cancer in an earlier stage, when it is easier to treat. For more information, join the Healia Health Community for testicular cancer. If you want to learn more about marijuana abuse, see the Healia Health Community for Drug Problems.

_{Photo: warrentedarrest, Flickr, Creative Commons}

More than 50 new Healia Health Information Guides have just been launched. The Health Guides are original, consumer-friendly health information guides that provide trusted information about common health topics. Each Health Guide, written by a medical writer and reviewed by a physician, provides essential information about symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors and prevention.

Available Health Information Guides include the following topics:

• Acid Reflux
• Alcoholism
• Allergies
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Back Pain
• Breast Cancer
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Celiac Disease
• Chickenpox
• Childhood Vaccines
• Chlamydia
• Dementia
• Depression
• Ear Infection
• Excessive Sleepiness
• Fibromyalgia
• Genital Herpes
• Genital Warts
• Graves' Disease
• Heart Disease
• Heart Palpitations
• Hepatitis B
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Lupus
• Lyme Disease
• Menopause
• Menstruation
• Migraine
• Mono
• Obesity / Overweight
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Pink Eye
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Pregnancy
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Ringworm
• Salmonella
• Sinusitis
• Stress Management
• Tuberculosis
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Uncontrolled Asthma
• Vaccines
• Weight Management

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks emergency room (ER), hospital and doctor’s office visits among the American people each year. The CDC publishes this data in an annual report called the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, one of the National Health Statistics Reports. The data in this report include information on emergency room visits based on age and gender. The following is a list of the top 10 reasons patients visited the emergency room for adult males 15 years and older for 2006, the year for which the most recent data are available. After each reason, the number of visits appears in parentheses followed by the percentage that number represents out of all ER visits by this age group Overall, males aged 15 and older made 42,682,000 ER visits in 2006, representing 43.9% of all ER visits for this age group.

The top 10 reasons for ER visits among males aged 15 and older for 2006 are:

1. Chest pain and related symptoms (3,023,000 visits, 3.1%)
2. Stomach and abdominal pain or cramps (2,358,000 visits, 2.4%)
3. Back symptoms (1,517,000 visits, 1.6%)
4. Shortness of breath (1,256,000 visits, 1.3%)
5. Lacerations and cuts on the hand or arm (1,169,000 visits, 1.2%)
6. Pain, non-specific or poorly localized (1,077,000 visits, 1.1%)
7. Headache or other head pain (1,063,000 visits, 1.1%)
8. Leg symptoms (778,000 visits, 0.8%)
9. Dizziness or vertigo (677,000 vistis, 0.7%)
10. Motor vehicle accident, unspecified injuries (645,000 visits, 0.7%)

For more information on male health, join the Healia Health Community for Men’s Health.

_{Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 2008–1250, August 2008. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary, National Health Statistics Report No. 7}

_{Photo: Stephen Witherden, Filckr, Creative Commons}

Below is a list of the top 15 healthiest countries in the world as ranked by Forbes magazine. To arrive at their rank, research staff at Forbes examined statistics such as pollution; the percentage of a country's population with access to improved drinking water and sanitation; infant mortality rates; the rate of prevalence of tuberculosis; the density of physicians per 1,000 people; undernourishment rates; and healthy life expectancy for men. Forbes eliminated from the analysis the countries that did not have statistics in every measure (including some that would likely have made the top 15 such as Ireland, Belgium, and Norway.

The 15 healthiest countries in the world are:

1. Iceland
   This small Scandinavian island in the North Atlantic is the healthiest country in the world due to its long healthy life expectancies, low pollution levels, high density of physicians per capita, and low TB and infant mortality rates.
2. Sweden
   The largest of the Scandinavian countries – both in area and population – Sweden has some of the cleanest air in the world. Its infant mortality rate and TB prevalence are some of the lowest in the world. But the physician density, while relatively high, is not enough to knock Iceland from the top spot.
3. Finland
   Rounding out the top three is yet another Scandinavian country. Finland shares the clean air, low TB prevalence, and low infant mortality rate of its regional brethren ahead of it on the list, but comes up just a little short on those measures to crack the top two.
4. Germany
   The German health care system, one of the best in the world, provides one of the highest physician densities on the list and Germany’s clean air solidifies its position in the top five.
5. Switzerland
   Switzerland has the second-highest health spending per capita of all the countries considered and has one of the world’s highest physician densities and longest healthy life expectancies. However, its air pollution levels are higher than the others in the top five.
6. Australia
   Australia has an excellent health care system that requires insurance companies to charge policyholders the same premiums regardless of their status or past. The country also has some of the world’s cleanest air, but its relatively high TB prevalence keeps it out of the top five.
7. Denmark
   While this forth Scandinavian country to make the list has some of the highest income taxes to help pay for the country’s universal health care coverage, the Danish health care system isn’t very efficient, perhaps due in part to its having one of the lowest physician densities on the list. The country does have one of the highest healthy life expectancies on the list.
8. Canada
   Canadians enjoy one of the world's longest life expectancies despite having the lowest physician density on the list. Our neighbor to the north also has one of the lowest TB rates, but gets marked down for its relatively high infant mortality rate.
9. Austria
   Austria has a relatively high physician density and a low infant mortality rate, but its poor air quality and high TB prevalence prevent it form climbing any higher on the list.
10. Netherlands
    This highly urbanized, densely populated nation suffers from pollution in the water, air, and soil, but its low TB rate and average healthy life expectancy keep in the top ten.
11. United States
    The U.S.far outspends any other country on health care, but 15% of the population still lacks health insurance. However the U.S does have the lowest infant mortality rate in the world, the second-highest healthy life expectancy, and a low TB rate.
12. Israel
    Israel has one of the highest levels of air pollution on the list, but its physician density is the highest in the world and life expectancy is average for the countries on the list.
13. Czech Republic
    The Czech Republic has one of the list’s lowest healthy life expectancies as well and relatively poor sanitation and high TB prevalence. However, the country now boasts one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates.
14. Spain
    A high physician density, healthy life expectancy, and low infant mortality rate make Spain a pretty healthy place to live, but a high tuberculosis rate and air pollution temper this somewhat.
15. France
    France’s excellent health care system, clean air and high density of physicians per capita landed it on the list, while poor wastewater treatment and a high tuberculosis rate kept France from climbing any higher.

_{Source: Forbes Special Report: World's Healthiest Countries, Allison Van Dusen and Ana Patricia Ferrey, April 08, 2008.
Photo: keeshu, MorgueFIle license}

The following is a list of the healthiest cities in America as ranked by Sperling's BestPlaces and Centrum. The Centrum Healthiest Cities Study is a comprehensive "health report card" of U.S. cities based on the key factors that can contribute to overall well-being.

To compile the list, Sperling’s and Centrum culled data on 50 U.S. cities from both public and private sources and assessed each city against 50 select measures in five major categories: Physical Activity, Health Status, Nutrition, Lifestyle Pursuits, and Mental Wellness.

The top 10 healthiest U.S. cities are:

1. San Jose, CA
   This northern California city gets high marks for mental wellness, low rates of cigarette smoking, and high fruit and vegetable consumption.
2. Washington, DC
   Citizens of the nation’s capital have great overall mental and emotional health, along with good rates of dental care and low average body mass index (BMI).
3. San Francisco, CA
   These Bay Area residents have low average BMI and get lots of physical activity, and the city has the most physicians per capita.
4. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
   Despite the rain, Northwesterners in the Seattle have the highest physical activity and vigorous exercise of any city and also make the healthiest lifestyle choices.
5. Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT
   Residents of this home to the Mormon Tabernacle have high rates of mental wellness and physical activity.
6. Oakland, CA
   The third Bay Area city to make the list, Oakland boasts high overall health status, good dental care, and low smoking rates.
7. Sacramento, CA
   This inland city in northern California has the lowest rate of asthma and also scores highly on exercise rate and intensity.
8. Orange County, CA
   The smallest (by area) county in California, this southern enclave has high rates of physical activity and also score well in mental wellness and rates of restful sleep.
9. Denver, CO
   Residents of this mile-high city in the Rockies have low BMIs and a high level of physical activity.
10. Austin-San Marcos, TX
    Home the University of Texas, this region scores high in physical activity and has one of the highest numbers of gyms and heath clubs per capita.

For more information on living healthy, join the Healia Health Community for Excercise and Fitness or the Healia Health Community on Diet and Nutrition.

_{Source: Sperling’s Best Places. More information about the methods and resources used can be found here: http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/healthy_methodology.aspx}