Chemicals on the dinner menu

Too many people believe that “chemicals” in our food are “bad” without realizing that all food consists of nasty-sounding chemicals, as shown in this dinner menu of the ACSH conference:

Almost every substance or radiation becomes poisonous in huge quantities (even water), but the same substance can be benign or even helpful in smaller and sometimes trace amounts. (See Beneficial Effects of Low-Dose Radiation)

Healthy gut, healthy heart?

Healthy gut, healthy heart? – Harvard Health – June 2018

If you ask most medical experts about the hottest trends in health research, chances are they’ll mention the microbiome. The term refers to the trillions of microbes living inside our bodies, known as the human microbiota.

The vast majority of these bacteria, viruses, and fungi dwell deep within our intestines.

These microbes

• help with digestion,
• make certain nutrients, and
• release substances that have wide-ranging health effects. 

Why Sitting May Be Bad for Your Brain

Why Sitting May Be Bad for Your Brain – By Gretchen Reynolds – Aug. 15, 2018

Sitting for hours without moving can slow the flow of blood to our brains, according to a cautionary new study of office workers, a finding that could have implications for long-term brain health.

But getting up and strolling for just two minutes every half-hour seems to stave off this decline in brain blood flow and may even increase it.

That sounds so reasonable and almost trivial until you try it yourself.  

Neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids

Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids – free full-text /PMC5938896/ – 2018 Apr

INTRODUCTION

Numerous physical, psychological, and emotional benefits have been attributed to marijuana since it was first reported in 2,600 BC (e.g., Chinese pharmacopoeia). The phytocannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD), and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the most studied extracts from the cannabis sativa subspecies, include hemp and marijuana.

Recently, it has been successfully utilized as an adjunctive treatment for  

No benefit from excessive high-intensity exercise

New Research Sparks Call for Guidelines Around High-Intensity Interval Training – Jun 2018 – Source Newsroom: Les Mills

New research has for the first time set a recommended upper limit of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) at 30-40 minutes working out at above 90 percent of the maximum heart rate per week.

At first, I misread this and assumed they were talking about 30-40 minutes in one day, but I’m shocked to see this amount as the maximum for a whole week.  

What patients should know about probiotics

Probiotics | American Gastroenterological Association  – retrieved June 2018

Probiotics are living, microscopic (very small) organisms that can help your gut health.

Most often, probiotics are bacteria, but they may also be other organisms, such as yeasts. Experts are still studying and sorting out exactly how probiotics work.  

New Wearable System to Monitor Gut Activity

Scientists Create a Wearable System to Monitor the Stomach’s Activity Throughout the Day – 27-Mar-2018 – Source Newsroom: University of California San Diego

Researchers have developed a wearable system to monitor stomach activity that performs as well as current state of the art methods but can be used outside of a clinical setting.

The system also comes with an app that allows patients to log their meals, sleep and other activities.

Folks like me with connective tissue disorders often have gastric problems due to the laxity of our innards. This often results in delayed gastric emptying and other malfunctions of the digestive system.  

The health benefits of coffee

The latest scoop on the health benefits of coffee – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publishing – September 25, 2017 – Robert H. Shmerling, MD – Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

What a difference a few years can make. Not long ago, I was learning about the dangers of coffee — how it could raise your blood pressure, make your heart race, impair sleep, and maybe even cause cancer.

Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking coffee off the possible carcinogen list. And there’s increasing evidence that coffee might actually be good for you. So good that doctors might begin recommending it.

I hope to read an article like this about opioids someday when all the supposed negatives are shown to be the results of poorly designed and/or executed studies. 

Why Does Exercise Start Hurting Days After a Workout?

Why Does Exercise Start Hurting Two Days After a Workout? – Jan 2018 – by Daniel Kolitz

If you’ve decided, this year, to start working out, you might have noticed a strange phenomenon: You’ll leave the gym feeling fine, and then two days later wake up sore.

This weird time-lag appears unique to exercise, and is, when you think about it, kind of inexplicable—like stubbing your toe, feeling nothing, and then two days later suddenly yelping in pain. 

Can You Burn Calories While Sitting at a Desk?

Can You Burn Calories While Sitting at a Desk? – newswise.com

A new study suggests that continuous movement while sitting may increase metabolic rate more than standing at a desk.

Craig Horswill, clinical associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says the study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests strategies for increasing non-exercise active thermogenesis (NEAT)— defined as spontaneous activity unrelated to a fitness routine — are needed to help overcome the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting.