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Small Weight Loss, Huge Advantages

When it comes to reaching optimal health, reducing just 5% of your body weight and maintaining it can make a big difference. According to a new study conducted by experts at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, this is the case. The researchers looked at data from 7,670 people who took part in the massive National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included information on their cardiometabolic health including weight, waist circumference, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Those who dropped five to ten percent of their body weight were 22% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. More weight loss was even beneficial for health: those who lost more than 20% of their body weight had a 53% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

My take: Even a little amount of weight reduction – as little as 10 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds – can have a positive impact. That’s excellent news for the two-thirds of individuals in the United States who are overweight or obese since it makes losing weight much more feasible.

Stand Up for Better Health

Long durations of sitting have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, some malignancies, and even mortality, according to a growing body of research. Although the exact cause of why sitting increases disease risk is unknown, we do know that long periods of sedentary activity are linked to decreased insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Researchers from Canada and New Zealand evaluated data from 44 previously published studies that looked at the impact of various quantities and types of movement on extended sitting to see if short bursts of physical activity may help reverse these effects. The next measured glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and vascular function after 24 hours of sitting and compared these results to those of patients who had their sitting broken by light to moderate exercise. They discovered that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise resulted in reduced blood glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels.

My Take: Although further study is needed, these findings emphasize the need for breaking up sedentary behavior with modest physical activity. So get up from your desk and take a stroll; your body will thank you.

Later Bedtime Leads to weight gain

Being a night owl might be harmful to your health, especially if you have a higher chance of acquiring diabetes. According to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, this is the result of a recent study. They looked at almost 2,000 men and women with an average age of 64 who had been diagnosed with prediabetes, which is defined as blood sugar levels that are higher than usual but not high enough to be called diabetes. They inquired about their preferences for sleeping late or getting up early, as well as their “social jetlag,” or the variation in sleep time and length between weekdays and weekends. Higher levels of social jetlag were linked to a higher body mass index (BMI) in persons over 60, according to the study. All individuals had a higher BMI when they went to bed late, which looked to be attributable to inadequate sleep.

“People who dropped just 5 to 10% of their body weight were 22% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which is a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.”

My take: People with prediabetes are already at an increased risk for developing full-blown diabetes, and obesity can raise those odds. I recommend that everyone get at least seven hours of sleep a night, regardless of what day of the week it is.

Healthy Diet May Help Prevent (MS) 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological illness that affects the central nervous system and can be debilitating (CNS). Although there is still a lot we don’t know about MS, experts believe it starts when the body’s immune system attacks nerves, damaging the myelin sheath that surrounds them, causing demyelination, which causes nerve function to be disrupted. To see if diet had an impact on the risk of developing MS, Australian researchers looked at data from nearly 700 men and women, including information on the foods they ate and how often they ate them. They found two primary eating habits based on this data: One was a Western-style diet low in nuts, fresh fruits, whole grains, and reduced-fat dairy items and rich in full-fat dairy foods and red meat. The other was a diet rich in fish, eggs, poultry, beans, and vegetables, which was more healthy.

A reduced chance of being diagnosed with CNS demyelination, which is frequently the initial symptom of MS, was linked to a higher intake of nutritious foods. People who ate a healthy diet, in particular, showed a 50% reduction in their risk when compared to those who ate the least nutritious items.