What’s New in Healthy Living? Interesting Health Related Stories
Read Up with these 5 Fascinating Healthy Living News Stories
It always amazes us how much knowledge is gained every year by doctors and scientists that are engaged in research projects around the world, and how this knowledge changes our approach to so many aspects of our health. Every now and then, we like to pull together some of the most interesting stories that we come across in to a digest post and share these with you.
“Canada’s artificial trans fats ban comes into effect — with a phase-out period” – CBC News
Health Canada scored a win in September 2018 when they officially added partially hydrogenated oils, a major source of artificial trans fats, to their “List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances”. This move comes after a lengthy struggle by doctors and health professionals who have pushed for tighter regulations on these types of oils due to their well-documented negative health impacts.
Artificial trans fats are known for their heart-clogging properties and Canadians have long been warned to avoid them by nutritionists, doctors, and fitness professionals across the country. Canada joins an increasing number of countries that are taking an aggressive stance on artificial trans fats in hopes of protecting the health of citizens and reducing the risks associated with these substances.
“App developers are using artificial intelligence to advise teens about their health” – The Globe and Mail
It’s almost impossible to find a teen without a smartphone or connected device in their possession these days. While the majority of their use may be centered around communicating with their friends and family, more and more teens are using these devices to get information related to their health in a private and discreet way. Recognizing a need for a tool that can help teens get accurate information about their health in a way that makes them comfortable, a team of teen app developers at the Toronto startup EmojiHealth is working to provide just that.
Leveraging advanced AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms, EmojiHealth allows teens to ask questions to an automated bot program that will provide accurate answers and direct them to the best way to get additional information. Written with familiar language and with answers vetted by professional health care providers, EmojiHealth aims to better inform teens about their health and well-being and encourage them to take a more prominent role in their own healthcare.
“Eating fiber can delay brain aging” – Medical New Today
Fiber is an essential part of our diets and helps to keep our digestive tract working efficiently. However, recent studies have shown that the health benefits of fiber go beyond our digestive system and actually helps our brain health, too. Fiber-rich foods helps to stimulate the production of a type of short-chain fatty acid that researchers say has anti-inflammatory properties. This study conducted at the University of Illinois demonstrated that there are certain types of immune cells in the brain that become inflamed as patients age. It is this inflammation that scientists say can be reduced by a higher level of short-chain fatty acids in the blood, such as those produced by a high fiber diet.
Although still in the early stages of research, these findings are further reinforcement that our diets can significantly affect our health in ways we previously did not understand. The benefits of a well-rounded diet rich in protein, vitamins and nutrients, including dietary fiber, are too strong to be ignored and should be a top priority for all of us to help ensure we live long and healthy lives.
“Cardio exercise and strength training affect hormones differently” – Science Daily
You’re probably already familiar with the fact that exercise causes your body to produce hormones that affect our mood, stimulate muscle growth, and have many other effects on your overall well-being. But, did you know that different types of exercise will affect your hormones in different ways? The University of Copenhagen is undertaking a study in to this aspect of human health and fitness and has observed some fascinating results.
Specifically, the study looks at how strength training and cardio exercise differ in their influence on the hormones in the body. Initial results showed interesting changes in the hormone FGF21 following intense cardiovascular exercise, with patients showing a substantially elevated level of this hormone. Strength training however does not demonstrate the same drastic elevation of FGF21. This study is still underway, with other links between hormones and metabolism to be examined more closely.
“Humans are natural runners – and this ancient gene mutation might have helped” – Popular Science
While you may not think that you’ve got the physical fitness level to compete in a long-distance marathon, scientists have recently discovered that you’ve at least got the basic genetic material that you would need, thanks to a mutation that occurred about 2 or 3 million years ago. This particular mutation resulted in a boosted level of oxygen to our working muscles, allowing us to go farther, faster, and longer than before.
It should be noted that there is some controversy about whether this mutation is causation or simply correlation, but there is no doubt that its appearance certainly helped us increase our endurance and boosted our ability to run long distances. Studies like this help us to better understand how our bodies are affected by exercise, and how we can use it to our advantage in maintaining a healthy body and increasing our longevity.
Live Better & Stay Healthy
We certainly hope that these articles have proven to be interesting for you, and that they’ve encouraged you to learn more about these topics in an effort to help improve your overall health and well-being as a result.
Check back again for more fascinating news stories from the worlds of medical science, physical fitness, nutrition, and general health & well-being.
