Health Notes Health Notes (November 09, 2005)

FLAGSHIP SETS SAIL . . . Stanford Blood Center has opened a new location -- at 3373 Hillview Avenue in Palo Alto, off Foothill Expressway south of Page Mill Road. That brings to three the number of sites people can donate blood through Stanford; the other two are on Welch Road and in Mountain View. The flagship houses the operational and research labs, administrative and business management staff, and donor services. According to Stanford, the blood needs of the hospitals served by the group have grown 10 percent each year for the past three years. The blood centers are open Monday through Saturday. To make an appointment to donate blood, call 723-7831 or 1 (888) 723-7831. Or sign up online at http://bloodcenter.stanford.edu/

HEART HEALTH . . . The demanding holidays can zap even the healthiest people of energy, so what can those with congestive heart failure to do to manage their energy? The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is offering a lecture on Monday, Nov. 14, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., on pacing oneself through the holiday season. Milena Matzinger, a physical therapist at Stanford Hospital who works with heart-transplant patients, will discuss ways to have a more enjoyable holiday season through energy conservation. There will be ample time for questions & answers. The class is free and will be held at Palo Alto Medical Clinic, 87 Encina Classroom, 795 El Camino Real in Palo Alto. Call 853-2960 to register.

COLD TURKEY . . . The health benefits of chicken soup have long been touted, but turkey? Now a group of Stanford researchers have discovered that tryptophan, the amino acid found in turkey, plays a pivotal role in the immune system. Though plenty of jokes are made of tryptophan's sleep-inducing properties, research by the lab of Dr. Lawrence Steinman, chair of Stanford School of Medicine's immunology program, has shown that the amino acid alleviates symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease affecting 2.5 million people worldwide. The immune system of those with multiple sclerosis launches an attack against the myelin sheath, the fatty cells that insulate neurons. The research team discovered that a drug chemically similar to metabolized tryptophan soothes the overactive immune system. Steinman's paper was published in the Nov. 4 issue of Science. "The bigger message here is that diet and immunity are inextricably linked," he said.

Health Notes is a monthly feature announcing health and fitness events and news. Send news to Health & Fitness Editor Jocelyn Dong at jdong@paweekly.com.

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