Even modest levels of physical activity benefit the heart. Are you tempted to say you are too tired or too busy to exercise? Or perhaps you are too old? A recent study found an interesting link between physical activity and heart disease. This was an 18-year study of 24,000 adults ages 39-79. The…
Author: Theresa Nybo
Fresh Fruit Daily Lowers Cardiovascular Risk
Reach for the fruit bowl instead of that bag of your favorite chips. Researchers in China followed almost a half-million people for seven years finding when they consumed more fresh fruit they had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Cardiovascular deaths were 40% lower in those who consumed fresh fruit daily compared…
Keep Electronic Devices Out of Kids Bedrooms
While electronic devices may seem to be everywhere, children’s bedrooms may not be the best place for them to be. A cross-sectional study of over 500 kindergartners in Hong Kong found the presence of electronic devices in their bedrooms was associated with worse social competence, emotional maturity, language, and cognitive skills, communication skills, and overall…
Whole Grains Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
An article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine documented the fact that whole grains have a powerful effect in preventing type 2 diabetes. This study included data from nearly 40,000 men and more than 150,000 women who were followed for several years. White, wild and brown rice. White rice has the bran…
Violence breeds violence
Viewing gun use in PG-rated movies by children increased trigger pulls. Children frequently mimic what they see in real life! Researchers randomized 52 pairs of children 8-12 years of age to watch a 20-minute PG-rated movie clip with or without scenes involving gun use. The pairs then played for 20 minutes in a room…
Diabetes and Plant-based Diets
A recent study looked at the prevention of diabetes in connection with plant-based diets, and what it found was very interesting. In the study, researchers looked at data from more than 200 000 men and women across a 20 year span. Information was regularly collected about diet, lifestyle, medical history and the development of any…
A Father’s roll
We often hear about the importance of a mother’s roll in the health of her children, but what about fathers? Does their behavior influence their children’s health? A recent study reported at Obesity Week 2016 found that a father’s active involvement in the physical care of their children lowers their child’s risk of obesity. Children…
Omega-3
Whether it is the environment, animal rights or health, today more and more people are choosing a vegetarian or even vegan diet. While not eating animals or animal products is definitely an advantage for animals, and even a plus for reducing one’s CO2 footprint, is it healthy to eat a diet devoid of animal products?…
Children are Made to Move!
If you have ever watched a child that has to sit still for any length of time, you understand that children are made to move. Movement is vital for their physical development. It helps their bones to get strong and their muscles to grow. However, it is not just physically that children benefit from movement….
Wishful thinking and alcohol!
While many people believe that drinking a glass of wine with dinner will help in the fight against heart disease or at least would like to believe it, a recent study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, is questioning the proclaimed benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. Analyzing the findings of 45…
Goodnight, My Baby!
“I don’t want to go to bed!!” How many parents haven’t heard this cry from a tired child? But as difficult as it may be, children benefit from getting to bed early. A new study suggests that putting preschoolers to bed early may help prevent the risk for adolescent obesity. The risk for adolescent…
TV’s deadly effects
Will watching too much TV kill you? It is such a passive activity that is seems quite safe in terms of risks, but it is in this passivity that its danger lies. Japanese researchers found that each 2 hours of daily TV watching increases the risk of death by pulmonary embolism by 40%. Pulmonary embolism…