Walking, cycling to work may be good for your heart

Walking and cycling to work is associated with fewer heart attacks in adults, say researchers, adding that could provide important health benefits.
According to the study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, in areas where walking or cycling to work were more common in 2011, the incidence of heart attacks in UK decreased for both men and women across the following two years.
"Our study at the University of Leeds shows that exercise as a means of commuting to work is associated with lower levels of heart attack. The benefits of regular exercise are numerous and we support initiatives to help everyone become and stay active," said study co-author and Olympic-medal winning triathlete Alistair Brownlee.
The study looked at the 2011 UK Census data, which included 43 million people aged 25-74 years employed in England, and found that 11.4 per cent were active commuters. Walking was more popular than cycling (8.6 per cent vs. 2.8 per cent).
Active commuting was defined as people who reported their main mode of transport to work as either 'bicycle' or 'on foot' in the UK Census.
Rates of active travel varied significantly between local authorities across England, with as few as five per cent of people walking or cycling to work in some authorities, compared to as many as 41.6 per cent in other areas.
There was also a sex difference for active travel in the 2011 Census data, with more men cycling to work than women (3.8 per cent vs. 1.7 per cent), but more women walking to work than men (11.7 per cent vs. 6.0 per cent).
The researchers acknowledged that the big risk factors for heart disease are a lack of exercise, being overweight, smoking and diabetes.
After adjusting for these, the researchers found that active commuting was linked with additional health benefits in some cases.
For women who walked to work there was an associated 1.7 per cent reduction in heart attacks the following year. For men who cycled to work there was also an associated 1.7 per cent reduction in heart attacks the following year, the study said.
"Whilst we cannot conclusively say that active travel to work lowers the risk of heart attack, the study is indicative of such a relationship," said study lead author Chris Gale, Professor at the University of Leeds.
"The effect of active commuting is fairly modest when compared with the stronger determinants of cardiovascular health such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, and regular exercise. However, this study clearly suggests that exercising on the way to work has the potential to bring nationwide improvements to health and well-being," Gale said.

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Plant-based, Mediterranean diet good for gut microbiome.

Apart from filling your bellies, certain foods can nourish the gut too! Some foods have been found that can provide protection for the gut, by helping bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties to thrive, according to a study in 2019.

In the study, researchers have found that plant-based and Mediterranean diets including legumes, bread, fish, nuts, and wine are associated with high levels of friendly gut bacteria that aid the biosynthesis of essential nutrients. They also help in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the main source of energy for cells lining the colon.

Gut microbiota is the term given to the microbe population living in the intestine. They play an important role in human health, including immune, metabolic and neurobehavioral traits. The findings support the idea that the diet could be an effective management strategy for intestinal diseases, through the modulation of gut bacteria.

Researchers observed four study groups, the general population, patients with Crohn's disease, those with ulcerative colitis and the fourth with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They analysed a stool sample provided by each participant to reconstruct the host's microbiota and compared this with the results of a food frequency survey.

Results identified 61 individual food items associated with microbial populations and 49 correlations between food patterns and microbial groups. It was found that dietary patterns rich in bread, legumes, fish, and nuts, were associated with a decrease in potentially harmful, aerobic bacteria. Higher consumption of these foods was also associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers in the stool that are known to rise during intestinal inflammation.

A higher intake of meat, fast foods or refined sugar was associated with a decrease in beneficial bacterial functions and an increase in inflammatory markers. Red wine, legumes, vegetables, fruit, cereals, fish and nuts were associated with a higher abundance of bacteria with anti-inflammatory functions. Plant-based diets were found to be associated with high levels of bacterial SCFA production.

Plant protein was found to help the biosynthesis of vitamins and amino acids as well as the breaking down of sugar alcohols and ammonium excretion. Animal-derived and plant-derived protein showed opposite associations on the gut microbiota.

Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Laura Bolte said: "The results indicate that diet is likely to become a significant and serious line of treatment or disease management for diseases of the gut - by modulating the gut microbiome."

"A diet characterised by nuts, fruits, greater vegetable and legume intake than animal protein, combined with moderate consumption of animal-derived foods like fish, lean meat, poultry, fermented low-fat dairy, and red wine, and a lower intake of red meat, processed meat, and sweets, is beneficially associated with the gut ecosystem in our study," the researcher added.  

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Dog ownership linked with longer life, especially for heart patients

Dog owners live longer, and canine companionship may be especially good for people with heart disease and those living alone, new research shows. 

“We studied more than 3 million people, and the results are very significant,” said one of the doctors.

People who own dogs have lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels and a milder stress response than those with canine-free homes, researchers noted. Having a pet - even just a cricket in a cage - is also known to relieve stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness and social isolation. But studies looking at whether having a dog extends survival have had mixed results. 

To investigate, the team searched through medical literature dating back to 1950 and found 10 studies of dog ownership and survival including a total of 3.8 million people. 

Overall, dog owners were 24% less likely to die over the next decade than non-dog owners. People who’d suffered a heart attack or other cardiovascular event had a 65% reduced risk of dying over the next decade if they owned a dog. Dog ownership reduced overall mortality from cardiovascular causes by 31%. 

Increased physical activity plays a key role in the cardiovascular benefits of dog ownership, said the Dr., noting that her own step count has climbed “sky high” since she adopted Romeo, an energetic miniature schnauzer that she walks at least three times a day. 

In another study researchers looked at 181,696 people who had a heart attack between 2001 and 2012, and 154,617 who’d suffered a stroke over the same period. The heart attack patients who owned a dog and lived alone had a 33% lower risk of having another heart attack, while the risk was reduced by 15% for those who lived with a dog plus a partner or child. For stroke patients living solo, the risk of another stroke was 27% lower, while repeat stroke risk was 12% lower for dog owners who didn’t live alone. 

“Given the magnitude of the potential benefit - and likely little or no harm - these findings should encourage clinicians to discuss pet adoption with their patients, particularly those with preexisting cardiovascular disease and those living by themselves,” said a Dr.

“We’ve known this forever, that pets make our lives better, but to know that the sum of it translates to better cardiovascular health is very exciting for those of us who like dogs and work in cardiology,” the Dr. said. “I’ve wanted a dog for 40 years, and the data finally convinced me.” 

Before adopting a dog, doctors agree, it’s essential to make sure you have the resources to care for it properly. “One has to make space in one’s life to be able to accommodate them before making that leap of faith,” the Dr. said. 

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Staying near seas can be good for mental health

Have you heard of “Blue Health”? It refers to the connection between environment and health. A lot of studies have highlighted that it’s quite important. And now, another one has pointed out that staying near the sea can help in enhancing mental health in poor urban communities in England. The research, published  has revealed that living in locations near to England’s coastline can improve mental health of people belonging to lower rungs in the income hierarchy.

Lead author of the study  said, "Our research suggests, for the first time, that people in poorer households living close to the coast experience fewer symptoms of mental health disorders. When it comes to mental health, this 'protective' zone could play a useful role in helping to level the playing field between those on high and low income.”

For the analysis, the researchers studied survey responses of 26,000 people. This reflects that it’s been one of the most intensive researches conducted into benefits of living by the sea. The data was used from the Health Survey for England, considering people living at a distance of one km away to more than 50 km away. Their mental and physical health was studied in connection to proximity of sea.

The findings support the increasing evidence of benefits of having access to blue spaces, according to experts. There’s quite a lot of improvement in well-being and mental health. About one in every six people in England are likely to have mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. This accounts for a massive number, and calls for a need to find new ways to ease them.  


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Listening to yoga music can be therapeutic

Listening to music does give us pleasure, and a new study has discovered that hearing yoga music during bedtime is good for the heart's health. Previous researches have shown that music can reduce anxiety in patients with heart disease. However, studies on the effects of music on the heart in patients and healthy individuals have produced inconsistent results; partly they did not state what style of music was used.

"We use music therapy in our hospital and in this study we showed that yoga music has a beneficial impact on heart rate variability before sleeping," said the study author.

The body's heart rate changes as a normal response to being in "fight or flight" or "rest and digest" mode. These states are regulated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, respectively, and together comprise the autonomic nervous system.

High heart rate variability shows that the heart is able to adapt to these changes. Conversely, low heart rate variability indicates a less adaptive autonomic nervous system. Low heart rate variability is associated with a 32-45 per cent higher risk of a first cardiovascular event. Following a cardiovascular event, people with low heart rate variability have a raised risk of subsequent events and death.

This study investigated the impact of listening to yoga music, which is a type of soothing or meditative music, before bedtime on heart rate variability. For this, researchers incorporated 149 healthy people with an average age of 26 who participated in three sessions on separate nights: Yoga music before sleep at night; pop music with steady beats before sleep at night; and no music or silence before sleep at night.

At each session, heart rate variability was measured for five minutes before the music or silence started, for ten minutes during the music/silence, and five minutes after it had stopped. In addition, anxiety levels were assessed before and after each session using the Goldberg Anxiety Scale. The level of positive feeling was subjectively measured after each session using a visual analogue scale.

Researchers found that heart rate variability increased during yoga music, decreased during pop music, and did not significantly change during the silence. Anxiety levels fell significantly after the yoga music, rose significantly post the pop music, and increased after the no music session. Participants felt significantly more positive after yoga music than they did after pop music. "Science may have not always agreed, but Indians have long believed in the power of various therapies other than medicines as a mode of treatment for ailments," noted the Dr.

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Sports can help kids in fighting emotional distress

Parents, please take note. Kids who engage in organised physical activity at a young age are less likely to have emotional difficulties later in life, says a study.

Besides keeping children from being sedentary, physical activities such as structured sports have the potential to be enriching, both physically and mentally, said the study.

“The elementary school years are a critical time in child development, and every parent wants to raise a well-adjusted child,” said study lead author.

For the study, the researchers took data from a cohort of children born in 1997 or 1998. They examined whether consistent participation in organised sport from ages six to 10 would minimize risks associated with emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, and social withdrawal at age 12.

“The results revealed that children who participated consistently from ages six to 10 showed fewer instances of those factors at age 12 than their counterparts who did not engage in physical activity in a consistent way,” said the researcher.

“Getting kids actively involved in organised sport seems to promote global development. This involvement appears to be good on a socio-emotional level and not just because of physical benefits,” he added.

Being less emotionally distressed at the juncture between elementary and high school is a priceless benefit for children as they are about to enter a much larger universe with bigger academic challenges, said the researcher.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

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Drinking enough water good for health

Drink enough water to help flush toxins out of your system. It is a natural way to keep your metabolism humming and promote weight loss. The best skin moisturiser and hair conditioner is water. It may even offer protection from some forms of cancer.