Reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis
You’ve probably noticed that doing regular exercise and eating a nutritious diet gives you more energy and makes you feel better overall. According to a new study, such positive lifestyle practices may also reduce the discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes severe pain, soreness, and stiffness in the joints and surrounding cartilage, making it difficult to conduct daily tasks. Researchers at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom reviewed data from 68 prior studies that looked at self-management of osteoarthritis to see if symptoms react to lifestyle changes.
They discovered that a variety of techniques might assist with osteoarthritis symptoms. They discovered, for example, that taking a gram of fish oil per day was linked to symptoms. For example, they found that taking a gram of fish oil per day was linked to a reduction in pain in those who were afflicted. Their findings also show that reducing weight and participating in low-impact physical exercise might help patients with osteoarthritis reduce pain and lower cholesterol levels, which are often high in persons with the disease. “To maintain joints healthy, a mix of a decent diet and frequent activity is required,” the lead researchers explain. “You can’t have healthy joints if you just have one.”
My take: Conventional medicine doesn’t have many effective treatments for osteoarthritis, so it usually relies on pain medications and, in the end, surgery. Simple lifestyle adjustments can have a substantial influence on symptoms, according to one study.
Legs for Brain Health
It is self-evident that exercise is beneficial to the brain. According to research, exercise aids in the formation of new nerve cells in the brain, a process known as neurogenesis. A new study led by Italian experts offers light on how physical exercise does this. For 28 days, the researchers limited mobility in the rear legs of laboratory mice while allowing another group to walk freely. They looked at the subventricular region of the mouse brain, which is crucial for nerve cell development, towards the conclusion of the research.
They discovered that limiting physical activity lowered neural stem cells (stem cells that develop into nerve cells) by 70%. They also discovered that mice with restricted mobility had more undeveloped neurons and oligodendrocytes, which assist preserve nerve cells. Physical exercise, particularly that involving the lower limbs, appears to be critical for optimum brain growth and function, according to the research.
My take. Although these findings must be verified in people, they provide convincing evidence that exercise, particularly weight-bearing activity, can aid brain function. This should offer you even more incentive to walk, run, dance, or hike for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
Barbecue Smoke and Your Body
Anyone who has ever used a grill or gone to a picnic has breathed a fair amount of barbecue smoke. But, according to experts, what some people associate with summer is really a source of hazardous chemicals, and you don’t have to breathe it in to be impacted. Chinese researchers went to a barbeque and separated 20 people into three groups for their study: The first group ate grilled food and was exposed to grill fumes via inhalation and skin contact; the second group was only exposed to fumes via inhalation and skin contact, and the third group was only exposed to fumes via skin contact. From 17 hours before the barbeque until 35 hours after the event, the participants submit four urine samples. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known to cause DNA mutations, respiratory illnesses, and lung cancer, were found in the samples.
The bulk of PAHs entered the body through the grilled meal itself, according to the researchers’ findings. The second most common cause was skin absorption, followed by inhalation. They claim that the oils generated during a barbeque may let PAHs pass through the epidermis more easily.
My take: In this investigation, clothing provided little protection against PAHs and may allow for prolonged exposure when saturated with smoke. Limiting your intake of grilled foods and grilling to a minimum, as well as changing and cleaning your clothes as soon as possible afterward, is your greatest defense against these chemicals.