Exercise shown to release protein reducing bowel cancer risk

 

Experts have identified for the first time exactly how exercise can lower your risk of getting bowel cancer and slow the growth of tumours.

Scientists at Newcastle University have shown that physical activity causes the cancer-fighting protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), to be released into the bloodstream which helps repair the DNA of damaged cells.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Cancer, sheds new light on the importance of moderate activity in the fight against the life-threatening illness and could help develop treatments in the future.

Repairing DNA

Dr Sam Orange, Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Newcastle University, said: “Previous scientific evidence suggests that more exercise is better for reducing bowel cancer risk as the more physical activity people do, the lower their chances of getting it. Our findings support this idea.

“When exercise is repeated multiple times each week over an extended period, cancer-fighting substances - such as IL-6 - released into the bloodstream have the opportunity to interact with abnormal cells, repairing their DNA and reducing growth into cancer.”

In the small-scale study, which is a proof of principle, the team from Newcastle and York St John universities recruited 16 men aged 50-80, all of whom had lifestyle risk factors for bowel cancer, such as being overweight or obese and not physically active.

After providing an initial blood sample, the participants cycled on indoor bikes for a total of 30-minutes at a moderate intensity and a second blood sample was taken as soon as they finished pedalling.

As a control measure, on a separate day, scientists took further blood samples before and after the participants had rested. Tests were carried out to see if exercise altered the concentration of cancer-fighting proteins in the blood compared to resting samples and it was found that there was an increase in IL-6 protein.

Scientists added the blood samples to bowel cancer cells in a lab and monitored cell growth over 48 hours. They identified that blood samples collected straight after exercise slowed the growth of the cancer cells compared with those collected at rest.

Furthermore, as well as reducing cancer growth, the exercise blood samples reduced the extent of DNA damage, suggesting that physical activity can repair cells to create a genetically stable cell type.

Dr Orange said: “Our findings are really exciting because they reveal a newly identified mechanism underlying how physical activity reduces bowel cancer risk that is not dependent on weight loss.

“Understanding these mechanisms better could help develop more precise exercise guidelines for cancer prevention. It could also help develop drug treatments that mimic some of the health benefits of exercise.

“Physical activity of any type, and any duration, can improve health and reduce bowel cancer risk but more is always better. People who are sedentary should begin by moving more and look to build physical activity into their daily routines.”

Dr Adam Odell, Senior Lecturer in Biosciences from York St John University, who was also involved in the study alongside Dr Alastair Jordan and Dr Owen Kavanagh, added: “Importantly, it is not just bowel cancer risk that can be reduced by leading a more active lifestyle. Clear links exist between higher exercise levels and a lower risk of developing other cancers, such as cancers of the breast and endometrium.

“By working out a mechanism through which regular physical activity is able to produce anti-cancer effects, our study provides further support for current national and global efforts to increase exercise participation.”

Bowel cancer prevalence

Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 11% of all new cancer cases. There are around 42,900 people diagnosed in the UK every year, that's nearly 120 each day.

It is estimated that physical activity reduces the risk by approximately 20%. It can be done by going to the gym, playing sports or through active travel such as walking or biking to work, but also as part of household tasks or work like gardening or cleaning.

The team intend to carry out further research to identify exactly how exercise reduces DNA damage in early-stage cancers and to establish the most effective form of exercise for protecting against the disease.

Reference: Acute aerobic exercise-conditioned serum reduces colon cancer cell proliferation in vitro through IL-6-induced regulation of DNA damage. Samuel T. Orange et al. International Journal of Cancer. Doi: 10.1002/ijc.33982

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JOURNAL

International Journal of Cancer

DOI

10.1002/ijc.33982 

How to reduce loneliness: Meaningful activities can improve health, well-being

 Free time is sometimes idealized, but research shows free time can sometimes be unhealthy by increasing loneliness. A new Penn State study demonstrated that engaging in meaningful, challenging activities during free time can reduce people's loneliness and increase their positive feelings.

An international team of researchers including John Dattilo -- professor of recreation, park, and tourism management at Penn State -- has been studying how to increase leisure and reduce loneliness during the pandemic among both international college students and older adults.

Across two different studies, the researchers found that people who had meaningful, challenging experiences were less lonely -- even when higher levels of social contact and support were not available.

"There is a well-known saying: 'Time flies when you are having fun,'" said Dattilo. "The unspoken corollary is that time drags when you are bored. Our research shows that both of these ideas are true. By engaging in meaningful activities during free time that demand focus, people can reduce loneliness and increase momentary happiness."

Loneliness and the pandemic

Despite -- or perhaps in part because of -- technology that can connect people anywhere at any time, previous research has shown that loneliness has increased over recent decades.

Loneliness touches people of all ages, from children to young adults to older adults. The COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many people to alter their social behavior to prevent the spread of disease, exacerbated the problem of loneliness around the world.

"Loneliness is very connected to our health," Dattilo explained. "Psychological, emotional, and cognitive health are all challenged when people are lonely. Loneliness is associated with depression and other mental health challenges."

"Troublingly," continued Dattilo, "there is a loneliness epidemic. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has increased loneliness for many people, the silver lining is that the pandemic has also exposed the scope of the loneliness problem. Anything we can do as a society to reduce loneliness should improve health and happiness for people everywhere."

In a new article that appears in Leisure Sciences, the researchers explored loneliness among international university students in Taiwan. The same research team also published an article about reducing loneliness among nursing home residents late in 2021.

Prior research has shown that loneliness among international university students is common around the world. International students are removed from their social networks and live in a different culture, often one that speaks a different language. Typically, international students can prevent loneliness by participating in social activities to receive 'social support,' the sense that they are cared for by the people with whom they socialize. During the pandemic, however, many group-based activities and social gatherings have been cancelled or prohibited.

Additionally, the researchers identified that the online social opportunities that became available in the pandemic may be less accessible to international students because of language and cultural differences.

Flow reduces loneliness

According to the researchers, reduced loneliness is associated with engaging in enjoyable activities that require both concentration and skill.

"When people become engrossed in what they are doing, they enter a state that is called 'flow,'" Dattilo explained. "Flow can be achieved by engaging in mental or physical activities that we value and that require us to concentrate fully to use our skills."

For people to achieve a state of flow, an activity must require a good deal of their skill but not be so difficult that it seems impossible. Additionally, it must demand concentration to execute and be meaningful to the participant. Artistic endeavors like playing the piano or painting can induce flow. So can physical activities like skiing or chopping wood, along with mental tasks like writing or storytelling. What induces flow differs from person to person based on individual skills and values.

"When we enter a state of flow, we become absorbed and focused, and we experience momentary enjoyment," Dattilo continued. "When we leave a state of flow, we are often surprised by how much time has passed."

People with extensive free time -- like college students who are locked down during a pandemic, or people who live in a nursing home -- can achieve flow when they engage in activities they find to be meaningful. In this way, time passes quickly for them, their life has meaning, and their experience of loneliness is reduced, according to the researchers.

Social support from friends and acquaintances is a primary way that people reduce loneliness. For many people, however, obtaining adequate social support can be challenging. Though the researchers found that students with high levels of social support were less lonely, they found that flow was even more important to reducing loneliness. Helping people achieve flow can reduce loneliness in situations where social support is insufficient. More importantly, it can reduce loneliness for people in any situation.

Encouraging flow for everyone

Some activities never induce flow, while other activities may or may not, depending on the individual. According to Dattilo, there is nothing wrong with watching television, but, typically, it does not help people enter a state of flow because they are unlikely to experience any challenges. Additionally, different people find different activities meaningful and enjoyable. Nursing home residents are unlikely to enjoy playing bingo if they did not enjoy similar games when they were younger, said Dattilo.

"Learning which activities might enable someone to enter a state of flow requires asking questions and listening," said Dattilo. "People tend to thrive on healthy engagement and challenge. My collaborators and I hope that this research will help people live fuller, happier, healthier lives."

Cereal fiber but not fruit or vegetable fibers are linked with lower inflammation

Cereal fiber is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues evaluated whether dietary fiber intake was associated with a decrease in inflammation in older adults and if fiber was inversely related to cardiovascular disease. The results showed that total fiber, and more specifically cereal fiber but not fruit or vegetable fiber, was consistently associated with lower inflammation and lower CVD incidence. Until now there had been limited data on the link between fiber and inflammation among older adults, who have higher levels of inflammation compared with younger adults. The study findings are published in JAMA Network Open.

The research includes data from a large and well-characterized prospective cohort of elderly individuals, with detailed data on dietary intake, inflammation, and incidence of CVD. The research confirmed previously observed associations between dietary fiber and CVD and extended those investigations to include the source of the fiber, the relationship of fiber with multiple inflammatory markers, and to test whether inflammation mediated the relationship between dietary fiber and CVD.

Of the 4125 adults enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study from 1989 to 1990 participants received a food frequency questionnaire that was administered to those without prevalent CVD at enrollment and then were followed up visits for development CVD (stroke, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular death) through June 2015. Blood samples were assessed for markers of inflammation.

“Higher intakes of dietary fiber is associated with lower CVD risk. A common hypothesis has been that higher fiber intakes reduce inflammation, subsequently leading to lower CVD risk”

said Rupak Shivakoti, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School. ‘With findings from this study, we are now learning that one particular type of dietary fiber – cereal fiber – but not fruit or vegetable fiber was associated with lower inflammation. With findings from this study we now are learning that cereal fiber has the potential to reduce inflammation and will need to be tested in future interventional studies.”

Although there are data to suggest that fiber in general might have anti-inflammatory effects by improving gut function, modifying diet and satiety (eg, reduced fat and total energy intake), and improving lipid and glucose profile metabolism, why cereal fiber but not vegetable or fruit fiber is associated with lower inflammation is not clear and warrants further investigation, noted Shivakoti. Further, he notes that it is not clear whether cereal fiber per se or other nutrients in foods rich in cereal fiber are driving the observed relationships.

“Additionally, we learned that inflammation had only a modest role in mediating the observed inverse association between cereal fiber and CVD,” observed Shivakoti. “This suggests that factors other than inflammation may play a larger role in the cereal fiber–associated reduction in CVD and will need to be tested in future interventions of specific populations.

A new guide aims to correct misconceptions about the vegetarian diet

 

According to a Report Buyer from 2017, 6% of consumers in the United States at the time claimed to be vegan, a significant jump from the 1% rate reported in 2014. An earlier study from 2010 estimated that there were 1.5 billion people following a vegetarian diet worldwide. There are many reasons that lead individuals to adopt a vegetarian diet including health-related issues, compassion for animals, concerns with planetary health and sustainability, and religion-related reasons, among others.

 

In the last years, the many individuals who have chosen to adopt a vegetarian diet no longer have difficulties in finding replacements for animal-based products such as milk, cheese, and eggs. In fact, the sales for substitute products have skyrocketed in the last years showing a growth rate 2.5 times higher than the total food sales. A study from 2021 reveals that the sales of substitute products grew 27%, going from US$ 5.5 billion to US$ 7 billion between 2019 and 2020 in the United States. However, there is still a lot of misinformation and misconceptions linked to the vegetarian diet, which is still not fully accepted as a healthy choice by many professionals in the health-care community.

 

To fix misconceptions, demystify the vegetarian plate and educate the medical community about the vegetarian diet, the International Vegetarian Union, an institution that is more than 100 years old with representatives worldwide, just launched the Guide to Vegan Nutrition for Adults, a 500-page comprehensive document about the vegetarian diet that is based on sound information backed by more than 700 peer-reviewed studies. "Our intention with this guide is to educate the health-care community about the benefits of a vegetarian diet by informing how each essential nutrient works and by correcting misconceptions, so doctors and dietitians will be better prepared to support the dietary choices of their patients," says Dr Eric Slywitch, the main author of the Guide.

 

The Guide cites peer-reviewed studies that have demonstrated how the vegetarian diet may be used as a treatment for specific conditions or a way to prevent diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity. On supplementation, the Guide corrects the long-time misconception that vegetarians need to add supplements to their diet whereas those following an omnivorous diet do not. The truth is that studies comparing diets do not take into consideration that farmed animals receive loads of supplements that end up on the plate of consumers of meat and animal products.

 

In fact, the only supplementation that those on a well-balanced vegetarian diet need to take is vitamin B12, and when it comes to B12 deficiency vegetarians are not alone. Studies have shown that 40% of the population worldwide have insufficient levels of B12.  The Guide has more than 40 pages dedicated to this vitamin that explain its metabolism, how it is absorbed, the recommended levels of B12, how to treat B12 deficiency, and how to keep adequate levels of this vitamin.

 

Another misconception related to the vegetarian diet that is clarified in the Guide relates to phytoestrogen, which is found in soy, a staple food to many vegetarians. Because phytoestrogens share structural similarities with estradiol (17-β-estradiol), a number of studies have investigated whether a high intake of soy-based foods could affect the balance of sex and thyroid hormones. Some studies have also investigated whether phytoestrogens could be associated with a higher risk of developing estrogen-depending breast cancer. In 2016 and again in 2019 two meta-analyses showed that intake of soy-based food is in fact associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and improved survival in those with the disease. Even though the American Cancer Society has encouraged the consumption of soy by breast cancer survivors since 2012, many doctors still tell their patients to avoid high intake of soy-based foods.

 

The Guide provides detailed information on all major nutrients required for the proper function of the human body, including vitamins, proteins, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and omega-3, to mention a few. It tells how the nutrient is absorbed, what the recommended levels are, what source foods are rich in the nutrient, what symptoms are associated with its deficiency, and the benefits associated with its intake.

 

The Guide to Vegan Nutrition for Adults is the first of its kind. After the first section that starts by explaining what exactly vegetarianism is, the following sections elucidate about supplementation, the nutritional adequacy of a vegetarian diet, macro and micronutrients, and antinutritional factors. Besides the PDF document, the Guide also directs the reader to classes available on YouTube taught by the Guide's main author Dr Eric Slywitch.  

 

Lastly, the Guide provides a 30-day vegetarian menu that includes dishes from all over the world and recipes on how to prepare the food. The Guide is available for free in PDF format at the International Vegetarian Union's website and may be used for consultation by doctors and health-care professionals to better understand how the vegetarian diet can help their patients, and by anyone interested in having only good food on their plate.

Vegan diet eases arthritis pain, finds new study

A low-fat vegan diet, without calorie restrictions, improves joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Study participants also experienced weight loss and improved cholesterol levels.

“A plant-based diet could be the prescription to alleviate joint pain for millions of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis,” says Neal Barnard, MD, lead author of the study and president of the Physicians Committee. “And all of the side effects, including weight loss and lower cholesterol, are only beneficial.”

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease that typically causes joint pain, swelling, and eventually permanent joint damage.

At the outset of the Physicians Committee’s study, participants were asked to use a visual analog scale (VAS) to rate the severity of their worst joint pain in the preceding two weeks, from “no pain” to “pain as bad as it could possibly be.” Each participant’s Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) was also calculated based on tender joints, swollen joints, and C-reactive protein values, which indicate inflammation in the body. DAS28 increases with rheumatoid arthritis severity.

During the study, 44 adults previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were assigned to one of two groups for 16 weeks. The first group followed a vegan diet for four weeks, with the elimination of additional foods for three weeks, then reintroduction of the eliminated foods individually over nine weeks. No meals were provided, and participants handled their own food preparation and purchases, with guidance from the research team. The second group followed an unrestricted diet but were asked to take a daily placebo capsule, which had no effect in the study. Then the groups switched diets for 16 weeks.

During the vegan phase of the study, DAS28 decreased 2 points on average, indicating a greater reduction in joint pain, compared to a decrease of 0.3 points in the placebo phase. The average number of swollen joints decreased from 7.0 to 3.3 in the vegan phase, while that number actually increased from 4.7 to 5 in the placebo phase. For those who completed the study, VAS ratings also improved significantly in the vegan phase, compared with the placebo phase.

The vegan diet also led to greater decreases in DAS28 in a subanalysis that excluded individuals who increased medications during the study and another subanalysis limited to participants making no medication changes.

In addition to reductions in pain and swelling, body weight decreased by about 14 pounds on average on the vegan diet, compared with a gain of about 2 pounds on the placebo diet. There were also greater reductions in total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol during the vegan phase.

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Latest Health Research - Aging, Exercise, General Health

 

Vaccinations

COVID vaccination of children age 5-11 cut Omicron hospitalizations by 68%
Va*ccination also prevented critical illness with both omicron and delta in children age 12-18* Although the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine became available in October for children age 5-11, many parents have been hesitant to have them vaccinated. As of March 16, only 27 percent had received two vaccine doses, according to CDC data. A national study published March 30 by *The New England Journal of Medicine *now reports that vaccination of 5- to 11-year-olds reduced hospitalizations with COVID-19 by more than two thirds during the omicron surge and protected against severe illn... read more

We need to increase MMR uptake urgently
Professor Helen Bedford at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Helen Donovan at the Royal College of Nursing, say two doses of MMR vaccine are necessary for optimum protection and 95% vaccine coverage is required to prevent outbreaks. “Even a small decline in MMR vaccine uptake can herald disease outbreaks,” they warn. We must improve vaccine uptake by ensuring all parents are aware of its importance. There is no upper age limit for MMR vaccine, so this extends to unvaccinated young people and young adults. The latest data for July to September 2021 reported... read more

Exercise 

Exercise may reduce depression symptoms, boost effects of therapy
Exercising for half an hour may reduce symptoms of depression for at least 75 minutes post-workout and amplify the benefits of therapy, according to two new studies led by researchers at Iowa State University. “A lot of previous research on the effects of exercise on mental health, in general, have used very broad measures of wellbeing. What we were interested in, specifically, is: how does acute exercise – that is, one session of exercise in a day – influence the primary symptoms of depression,” said Jacob Meyer, a professor of kinesiology at ISU and the lead-author of both publ... read more

Physical activity helps combat complications from COVID-19
What does science know about the relationship between physical activity and COVID-19, and what still needs to be investigated? Bruno Gualano, a professor at the University of São Paulo’s Medical School (FM-USP) in Brazil, answers these two questions in an editorial published recently in the *British Journal of Sports Medicine*. “As speculated at the start of the pandemic and now consistently proven, physically active people tend to experience a milder form of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, all research on the subject suggests that the risk of hospitalization ... read more

Exercise holds even more heart health benefits for people with stress-related conditions
*Study underscores the brain’s role in deriving cardiovascular benefits from physical activity* Regular physical activity had nearly doubled the cardiovascular benefit in individuals with depression or anxiety, compared with individuals without these diagnoses, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. The research findings add to mounting evidence that exercise improves cardiovascular health by helping to activate parts of the brain that counteract stress. Overall, the study found that people who achieved the recommen... read more

New research highlights power of life long exercise to keep muscles healthy
Lifelong physical activity could protect against age-related loss of muscle mass and function, according to research published in *The Journal of Physiology**. *Individuals aged 68 and above who were physically active throughout their life have healthier ageing muscle that has superior function and is more resistant to fatigue compared to inactive individuals, both young and old. This is the first study to investigate muscle, stem cell and nerve activity in humans. The researchers from University of Copenhagen, Denmark, found that elderly individuals who keep physically active thr... read more

Exercise may treat long COVID-induced diabetes, depression
While no medically recognized treatment exists for Long COVID, exercise may break the vicious cycle of inflammation that can lead to developing diabetes and depression months after a person recovers from the virus. “We know that Long COVID causes depression, and we know that it can increase blood glucose levels to the point where people develop diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition common among people with type 1 diabetes,” said Candida Rebello, Ph.D., a research scientist at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “Exercise can help. Exercise takes care ... read more

Aging

Extended napping in seniors may signal dementia
Daytime napping among older people is a normal part of aging – but it may also foreshadow Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. And once dementia or its usual precursor, mild cognitive impairment, are diagnosed, the frequency and/or duration of napping accelerates rapidly, according to a new study. The study, led by UC San Francisco and Harvard Medical School together with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, its teaching affiliate, departs from the theory that daytime napping in older people serves merely to compensate for poor nighttime sleep. Instead, it points to work by other U... read more

Low blood folate may be linked to heightened dementia and death risks in older people
More info here Low levels of folate (vitamin B9) in the blood may be linked to a heightened risk of dementia and death from any cause in older people, suggests research published online in the journal *Evidence Based Mental Health*. Levels should be routinely monitored and deficiencies corrected in older age, especially given that blood levels of folate tend to tail off with age, with up to 1 in 5 older adults estimated to be folate deficient, say the researchers. The evidence to date suggests that folate deficiency affects cognition and nerve signalling in the brain, making ... read mor

Supplements

Cocoa flavanol supplement shows promise for reducing cardiovascular risk
More info here - Large-scale randomized trial found signs of preventive cardiovascular effects for cocoa flavanols, including a 27 percent reduction in the secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death - There was a 10 percent reduction in total cardiovascular events, the trial’s primary outcome, that was not statistically significant The first large-scale trial to test the long-term effects of a cocoa flavanol supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease offers promising signals that cocoa flavanols could have protective cardiovascular effects. In papers published i... read more

General Health

Disinfectant use during pregnancy linked to childhood asthma and eczema
Use of disinfectants by pregnant women may be a risk factor for asthma and eczema in their children, finds a population study, published online in *Occupational & Environmental Medicine.* Disinfectants are used frequently in hospitals and other medical facilities, and the covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in their use in medical settings and also more widely, including by the general population. Exposure to disinfectants in the workplace has been linked to asthma and dermatitis previously in the workers exposed, but few studies have looked at the impact of disinfectant u... read more

Living near noise pollution tied to greater risk of heart attack
*Study attributes 1 in 20 heart attacks in New Jersey to noise from highways, trains and air traffic* Living in a noisy environment can be annoying, but it might also harm your health. People experiencing high levels of noise from cars, trains or planes were more likely to suffer a heart attack than people living in quieter areas, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. “When people talk about pollution, they’re usually talking about particles in the air or water,” said Abel E. Moreyra, MD, professor of medicine in t... read more

Association of Body Mass Index in Midlife With Morbidity Burden in Older Adulthood and Longevity
Key Points *Question* What is the association between body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) in midlife and morbidity burden in older adulthood (≥65 years) and longevity? *Findings* In this cohort study of 29 621 adults, being overweight and having classes I and II obesity compared with having a normal BMI at a mean age of 40 years were associated with a statistically significantly higher cumulative morbidity score and health care costs across older adulthood. Age at death was similar in the overweight and statistically signi... read more

Weight loss doesn't help pregnancy chances
Women who are obese and struggling to become pregnant are often advised to lose weight, but a new study finds no fertility benefits from weight loss. A randomized study of 379 women with obesity and unexplained infertility found that intensive lifestyle changes that shed pounds led to no better chances of pregnancy and healthy births than simply increasing physical activity without weight loss. “We have known for decades that obese women often have difficulty getting pregnant,” said researcher Daniel J. Haisenleder, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Center ... read more

Link between high cholesterol and heart disease questioned
New research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has revealed that the link between ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C) and poor health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke, may not be as strong as previously thought. Published in *JAMA Internal Medicine*, the research questions the efficacy of statins when prescribed with the aim of lowering LDL-C and therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous research has suggested that using statins to lower LDL-C positively affects health outcomes, and this is reflected in the various iterations of expe... read more

Close the blinds during sleep to protect your health
Even moderate light exposure during sleep harms heart health and increases insulin resistance - Exposure to artificial light at night during sleep is common - Sleeping in a moderately light room increases risk for heart disease and diabetes - Your heart rate rises, and body can’t rest properly in light bedroom at night Close the blinds, draw the curtains and turn off all the lights before bed. Exposure to even moderate ambient lighting during nighttime sleep, compared to sleeping in a dimly lit room, harms your cardiovascular function during sleep and increases y... read more

Last summary

Latest Health News

Latest Health News - Diet = Good and Bad foods

 Good for you: mushrooms, avocados, water, prunes, coffee, cranberries, walnuts, home cooking, intermittent fasting, yogurt

Bad for you: salt, any amount of alcohol,  artificial sweeteners, processed meat in the evening

Replacing table salt with a reduced-sodium, added-potassium ‘salt substitute’ prevents death and disease
Replacing table salt with a reduced-sodium, added-potassium ‘salt substitute’ is cost-saving and prevents death and disease in people at high risk of having a stroke, according to new research. Salt substitution has been shown to reduce stroke risk by 14 percent and the number of strokes and heart attacks combined by 13 percent, but this new analysis revealed that the costs saved as a result outweighed the cost of the intervention. The results will be presented at the American Congress of Cardiology in Washington DC on April 3 by Professor Bruce Neal, Executive Director of The G... read more

Benefits of eating more mushrooms
Next time you order a pizza or whip up a creamy risotto, go ahead and load on the mushrooms. Adding more of the edible fungi into your diet may be one way to counteract the health risks associated with the Western-style diet (WSD), which often features an abundance of fatty foods and added sugars. The benefits of consuming mushrooms is the focus of new research by University of Massachusetts Amherst nutritionist Zhenhua Liu, an associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, who has received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agricu... read more

Eating two servings of avocados a week linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Eating two or more servings of avocado weekly was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and substituting avocado for certain fat-containing foods like butter, cheese or processed meats was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Avocados contain dietary fiber, unsaturated fats especially monounsaturated fat (healthy fats) and other favorable components that have been associated... read more

Good hydration may reduce long-term risks for heart failure
Staying well-hydrated may be associated with a reduced risk for developing heart failure, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their findings, which appear in the *European Heart Journal*, suggest that consuming sufficient amounts of fluids throughout life not only supports essential body functioning but may also reduce the risk of severe heart problems in the future. Heart failure, a chronic condition that develops when the heart does not pump enough blood for the body’s needs, affects more than 6.2 million Americans, a little more than 2% of the popul... read more

Prunes prevent bone loss at hip and protect against fracture risk
In a new study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that daily prune consumption preserved bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip and protected against increased fracture risk in postmenopausal women. The study findings were presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases – the leading clinical conference on bone, joint, and muscle health. BMD is known to decrease rapidly after menopause and women over the age of 50 are more likely to experience hip fractures, which commonly lead to hospitalization, diminished quality of... read more

Large study challenges the theory that light alcohol consumption benefits heart health
Observational research has suggested that light alcohol consumption may provide heart-related health benefits, but in a large study published in *JAMA Network Open*, alcohol intake at all levels was linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published by a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, suggest that the supposed benefits of alcohol consumption may actually be attributed to other lifestyle factors that are common among light to moderate drinkers. The study included 371,46... read more

Daily coffee may benefit the heart - Drinking two to three cups a day - greatest heart benefits
Drinking coffee—particularly two to three cups a day—is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. These trends held true for both people with and without cardiovascular disease. Researchers said the analyses—the largest to look at coffee’s potential role in heart disease and death—provide reassurance that coffee isn’t tied to new or worsening heart disease and may actually be heart protective. “Because co... read more

Study suggests association between consuming artificial sweeteners and increased cancer risk
Artificial sweeteners reduce added sugar content and corresponding calories while maintaining sweetness. A study publishing March 24th in *PLOS Medicine* by Charlotte Debras and Mathilde Touvier at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France and colleagues suggests that some artificial sweeteners are associated with increased cancer risk. Many food products and beverages containing artificial sweeteners are consumed by millions of people daily. However, the safety of these additives has been a subject of debate... read more

New clues about how a high-salt diet contributes to cardiometabolic diseases found deep in the brain
Deep in the brain a group of large neurons produce a hormone which prompts our bodies to hold onto more fluid and increase blood pressure. Scientists say these neurons play a critical role in enabling our bodies to maintain healthy homeostasis by using this skill set to efficiently eliminate the excessive salt we consume in an unhealthy meal. But scientists at the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia State University also say that the chronic high-salt diet most Americans consume can turn this system against us, resulting in hyperactivity of these neurons, continuing production... read more

100g of cranberries a day improves cardiovascular health
A new clinical trial found daily consumption of cranberries for one month improved cardiovascular function in healthy men. The new study, published today in *Food & Function*, included 45 healthy men who consumed whole cranberry powder equivalent to 100g of fresh cranberries per day (9 g powder) or a placebo for one month. Those consuming cranberry had a significant improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which signals improvement of heart and blood vessel function. FMD is considered a sensitive biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk and measures how blood vessels widen wh... read more

Plant-based omega-3s may boost heart health, reduce risk of heart disease
People often think of salmon when they think of omega-3 fatty acids, but a new research review found that the major plant-based version of the nutrient, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), can benefit heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease for those who don’t eat seafood. In a comprehensive literature review, the researchers found that consuming ALA that is found in plant-based foods like walnuts and flaxseeds was associated with a 10% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20% reduced risk of fatal coronary heart disease. Penny Kris-Etherton, Evan Pugh University Professor... read more

Research shows healthy home cooking equals a healthy mind
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found being confident in the kitchen is not only good for your taste buds: it’s also good for your mental health. The study follows ECU’s successful partnership with The Good Foundation and Jamie’s Ministry of Food initiative, with a mobile food kitchen providing cooking classes in the community as well as at the University’s Perth and SW campuses, throughout 2016 to 2018. In total, 657 participants undertook the seven-week healthy cooking course. At the same time, ECU Institute for Nutrition Research academics measured the... read more

Cocoa flavanol supplement shows promise for reducing cardiovascular risk
More info here - Large-scale randomized trial found signs of preventive cardiovascular effects for cocoa flavanols, including a 27 percent reduction in the secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death - There was a 10 percent reduction in total cardiovascular events, the trial’s primary outcome, that was not statistically significant The first large-scale trial to test the long-term effects of a cocoa flavanol supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease offers promising signals that cocoa flavanols could have protective cardiovascular effects. In papers published i... read more

Guidelines, recommendations for intermittent fasting
A University of Illinois Chicago team has summarized research on intermittent fasting to provide insights into its effects on the body and to provide advice for incorporating these diets in everyday life. They have also presented recommendations for future research into these popular diet methods. “Clinical application of intermittent fasting for weight loss: progress and future directions,” was recently published in *Nature Reviews Endocrinology*. Krista Varady, professor of nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences, is the lead author. The three main forms of i... read more

Why yogurt lowers the risk of developing diabetes
Scientists have known for some years that eating yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, but the reasons behind this protective effect were unclear. A study published today in *Nature Communications *by researchers at Université Laval and Danone Nutricia Research reveals that this protection could come partly from the gut microbiota as well as from specific metabolites produced by the lactic bacteria in yogurt. “These metabolites, called branched chain hydroxy acids (BCHA), result from the action of yogurt lactic bacteria on naturally occurring amino acids in milk,”... read more

Less processed meat in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes
The time of day that people with diabetes eat certain foods may be just as important to their well-being as portion size and calories, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's *Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.* Mealtimes should be in line with the biological clock -- a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours. Health outcomes for people with diabetes may be improved if certain foods are eaten at different times of the day. "We observed that eating potatoes in the morning, whole grains in the af... read more

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