Dr. Steve Info: Wednesday

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This morning, Dr. Steve spoke to us about STD's, lower carbohydrate diets, and he answered some questions about smoking, sweaty palms & green tea's benefits... Check it out below.

7:00am Segment Info: STD's & Carbohydrates:
According to the centers for disease control and prevention the number of people being diagnosed for the first time with sexually transmitted diseases is on the rise. With Chlamydia affecting more than a million new cases each year. Overall there are 19 million new cases of std's each year in the u-s. With mostly young people ages 15 to 24 being affected. It costs the healthcare system about 14 and a half billion dollars a year.

What are some of the problems that can come from STD’s.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Syphilis can cause neurologic damage and of course there's HIV and aids. Young women, racial and ethnic groups and homosexuals are at high risk. Health officials say most people don't realize how common STD’s are and that they can affect everyone. They're recommending more public awareness about STD’s. For instance, the CDC recommends that all women under 26 get screened for Chlamydia each year.

In other news, there's another reason to go low carb.

Well, for mice anyway.

A new study finds that a low carb diet slowed the growth of prostate cancer in mice. Researchers compared tumor growth in mice eating either a low-carbohydrate diet; a low-fat but high-carbohydrate diet; or a western diet that's high in fat and carbohydrates. It turns out the mice that ate the low-carbohydrate diet had the smallest tumor size and lived the longest. Mice on the western diet had the worst survival rates and biggest tumors.

That's the connection?

It may have something to do with insulin. Earlier studies have shown that insulin and insulin like growth factor affect prostate tumors in mice. A low carb diet causes you to produce less insulin so there's less of a trigger. Keep in mind this is a mouse study and it needs to be confirmed in humans, but if the findings can be replicated in humans, it would be great because controlling someone's diet is easy.

Finally, there's a controversial study about pregnancy and drinking.

There are lots of studies that show heavy drinking on a regular basis during pregnancy is bad for your baby. But less is known about the occasional overindulgence. A recent review of 14 studies found no connection between occasional binge drinking of about 5 drinks, and problems like miscarriage, stillbirth and abnormal birth weight... But one study found binge drinking can cause learning problems later in life, lower verbal IQ, and poor academic performance. Bottom line? Don't drink during pregnancy.

8:00am Ask The Doctor Info:

1. Ever since I was little, my feet and my hands sweat. I'm always scared to shake someone's hand. Can you help me?
Cathy from New Jersey.

Cathy, you're suffering from hyperhidrosis. It affects about 2 to 3 percent of the population and it can be very embarrassing. No one knows exactly what causes your sweat glands to over react, but heat and emotions can make it worse. There are some treatments that can help. Over the counter and prescription antiperspirants may do the trick, and if that fails, there are oral medications you can take or even botox injections. They're FDA approved for the armpits, but many doctors are using it on the hands and feet as well. As a last resort, there's even surgery.

2. My husband was diagnosed with fluid in his hip. How does that happen and is it treatable? Denise from Florence, South Carolina

Denise, the most common reasons for fluid on the hip is inflammation, and that can be caused by a variety of factors from infection to overburdening the joint. The treatment can depend on the type of fluid, how much is present, and what's caused it. If it's just a little inflammation, your doctor will probably recommend rest and some anti-inflammatories and rehab as tolerated. In more serious cases, the joint can be drained or injected with corticosteroids. You'll need to speak to your doctor about your options.

3. Does smoking turn your teeth yellow?
Jason from Jersey

Jason, in a word, yes. In fact, inhaling any smoke has the potential to stain your teeth. Coffee, wine, tea and cola drinks can also stain your teeth even fruits like blueberries. So if you want to keep your pearly whites white, you'll have to quit smoking. The rest of your body will thank you.

4. Does drinking green tea increase your metabolism?
Sara from NYC

Green tea is known for it's flavonoids and antioxidants but there was a small study from Switzerland that found that green tea increased metabolism and sped up fat oxidation. The researchers claimed that green tea promoted thermogenesis beyond the effect of caffeine. You should know that there are many critics of the study and the effect was minimal. The bottom line.. Drinking green tea probably won't help you get into that bikini this summer. But it is a healthy drink... So it certainly won't hurt.