This Week In Wellness

This Week In Wellness better motor skills in first grade have been linked to better performance in reading and mathematics in the 3rd grade in a recent study at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230525/Motorically-skilled-children-in-first-grade-have-better-academic-skills-by-third-grade.aspx https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/9900/Cross_Lagged_Ass...

This Week In Wellness the World Health Organisation (WHO) has updated their advice on the use of non-sugar sweeteners for weight control to reflect the fact that research shows they do not confer any long term benefit and may in fact increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and all death.    https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-fo...

This Week In Wellness a healthy diet has been shown to increase physical fitness in middle aged adults by the same amount as an extra 4000 steps a day. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230511/Healthier-diets-may-lead-to-greater-physical-fitness.aspx https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad113/7146619?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true This podcast is brou...

This Week In Wellness a recent study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition Journal has shown that sardines may be more beneficial than fish oil supplements due to the presence of additional micronutrients. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230418/Eating-sardines-vs-fish-oil-supplements-study-evaluates-the-nutritional-benefit-beyond-fatty-acids.aspx https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/...

This Week In Wellness high quality foods lower the risk of sleep apnea by up to 41% regardless of the individual's BMI according to a US study published in Nutrients. However it didn’t significantly impact insomnia or sleep quality.    https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230427/Healthy-eating-lowers-risk-of-sleep-apnea.aspx https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2078

This Week In Wellness a study published in Neurology has identified an increased risk of dementia amongst elderly people with low bone density. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230322190844.htm

This Week In Wellness a study by researchers at Monash university has found that just 0.001% of the worlds population are breathing air below the safety levels recommended by the World Health Organisation (the WHO).   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230307073211.htm https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(23)00008-6/fulltext  

This Week In Wellness the italian government has backed a bill to ban laboratory-produced meat, fish and milk including fines of up to €60,000 for those who transgress.    Italian agriculture lobbies have collected half a million signatures in recent months calling for protection of "natural food vs synthetic food" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65110744

This Week In Wellness a simple eye mask has been shown to improve memory and alertness in as little as 2 nights despite not affecting sleep timing or duration. https://www.sciencealert.com/wearing-an-eye-mask-while-you-sleep-could-have-surprising-mental-benefits https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/46/3/zsac305/6912219?login=true

This Week In Wellness a new Dutch study has shown that 60 percent of a babies microbiome is inherited from their mother and that whilst babies born via caesarian section received less gut and vaginal microbes this may at least in part be made up for by a higher percentage of microbes from mums breast milk, skin and respiratory system.  https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2023-03-09/babies-microbiom...

This Week In Wellness research from the University of South Australia showing that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than traditional counselling or medication therapies has led researchers to call for exercise to be the primary approach for managing depression.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230224/Physical-activity-more-effective-than-counseling-or-medications-to-manage-depress...

This Week In Wellness a new review from the University of Turku, Finland has shown that red, purple and blue pigments in fruits, vegetables, and tubers called anthocyanins may be able to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by modulating energy metabolism, inflammation and the gut microbiome.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230215100419.htm https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.ja...

This Week In Wellness walking and moderate to vigorous physical exercise have been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia according to a study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230125085831.htm https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.12908

This Week In Wellness researchers from Irish universities have shown that practising gratitude can help to “buffer” stress, both reducing the heart's reaction to stress and also improving its recovery.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230126/Gratitude-has-a-unique-stress-buffering-effect-research-shows.aspx https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876022002707?via%3Dihub http...

This Week In Wellness new guidelines from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) suggest that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption and that having more than 2 drinks a week is considered “risky”. This follows a statement from the World Health organisation in the Journal Lancet in January that also stated there was no safe level of alcohol consumption.  https://www.abc.n...

This Week In Wellness researchers from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai found that pregnant women who consumed a mediterranean diet were 28% less likely to get pre eclampsia, and 37% less likely to suffer from gestational diabetes, both of which can cause complications for both mum and baby.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20221222/Adherence-to-Mediterranean-diet-associated-with-lower-...

This Week In Wellness a study out of the University of Leeds has shown that for women, consuming just an extra 25 grams of protein a day was associated with a 14% reduction in their risk of hip fracture.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221128100852.htm https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(22)00393-4/fulltext

This Week In Wellness a new study from China has shown that intermittent fasting for 3 months may be able to reverse type 2 diabetes in up to half of all individuals.  It is estimated that over half a billion people worldwide suffer from diabetes, with 95% of those suffering from the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-2-diabetes-intermittent-fasting-...

This Week In Wellness research out of Florida State University College of Medicine has linked the popular artificial sweetener Aspartame to anxiety in mice. In fact not only did it produce anxiety in the mice that consumed it, it also extended to their offspring for 2 generations.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221208174226.htm https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2213120119

This Week In Wellness research by the Obesity Policy Coalition has found that over ¾ of the tested ready made foods for toddlers exceeded the World Health Organisations proposed guidelines for sugar consumption in a result that Health Minister Mark Butler described as "shocking". https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-08/toddler-food-products-failing-sugar-guidelines-research/101749342

This Week In Wellness a new study looking at almost 10,000 Australians has suggested that so called “protein hunger” driven by increased consumption of overly processed and refined foods may play a key role in over-eating and obesity. 

This Week In Wellness a study published in JAMA Psychiatry has shown that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program was as effective as the popular antidepressant drug escitalopram in treating people with anxiety disorders.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221109124354.htm https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2798510

This Week In Wellness a review published in the Biomolecules journal has suggested that melatonin may be more effective in reducing long covid symptoms and COVID-19 inflammatory markers than commonly used antivirals. The authors have suggested that the reason it has not been promoted more as a solution is due to its easy availability and the fact that it cannot be patented by pharmaceutical manufa...

This Week In Wellness new research published in Science has shown that remnant viral DNA from historic infections can remain in the human genome and serve as antivirals that protect against present day viruses. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221027154145.htm https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq7871 The post TWIW 176: Ancient viral RNA helps ward off new viruses appeared f...

This Week In Wellness residues of an antioxidant added to fish feed and linked to cancer has been shown to be in higher levels in Tasmanian farmed Salmon than were found in European studies before the European Union decided to ban the additive altogether, say experts who are calling for tighter regulations. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/26/fish-feed-additive-banned-in-eu-found-i...