Short Walks Reverse the Problems of
Sitting
You probably
know that prolonged sitting isn’t healthy – it can actually reduce your
lifespan. Here’s the good news –
taking a 2 minute walk every hour can reverse the damage. Research from the
University of Utah has shown that people who engage in two minutes of walking
every waking hour come close to achieving the 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each
week - the amount that strengthens the heart, muscles and bones and extends the
lifespan. My suggestions – set an
alarm when you are working at your desk, and walk around with gusto every
hour. Get up during all
commercials when you watch television – that will give you much more strolling
time. This regimen may
be better than sitting all day and then taking a run or going to the gym. Stay tuned.
Squirm to Learn
A new study from
the University of Central Florida showed that children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) learn better if they are allowed to engage in foot tapping, leg
swinging and chair scooting movements. This kind of movement is vital to how
they remember information and work out cognitive tasks. Children without
hyperactivity learn less well if kept in motion. Mark Rapport, head of the Children’s
Learning Clinic at the University
of Central Florida said ”The message isn’t ‘let them run around the room’ but
that you need to be able to facilitate their movement so that they can maintain
the level of alertness necessary for cognitive activities. A majority of students with ADHD could
perform better on classroom work, tests and homework if they’re sitting on
activity balls or exercise bikes, for example.” This message may be true for adults as well – if you have
always been a fidgeter and think you have a version of attention deficit
disorder, try reading on a slow treadmill or exercise bike. It may improve your concentration.
Diet Swap has dramatic effects on colon cancer risk
Scientists at Imperial
College in London and the University of Pittsburgh have found dramatic effects
on risk factors for colon cancer when American and African volunteers swapped
diets for just two weeks. Western diets, high in protein and fat but low in
fiber are thought to raise colon cancer risk compared to African diets high in
fiber and low in fats and protein.
Colon cancer rates are much higher in the western world than in Africa
or Asia. A group of 20 African
American volunteers and another group of 20 people from rural South Africa
swapped diets under tightly controlled conditions for two weeks. The volunteers had colonoscopy exams
before and after the diet swap – researchers also looked at biological markers
for colon cancer and samples of colonic bacteria. In the start, almost half of American subjects had colonic
polyps (which can progress to cancer) and none of the Africans had these
growths. After two weeks on the
African diet, the Americans had significantly less inflammation in the colon
and reduced biomarkers of cancer risk. In the African group. measurements
indicating cancer risk had increased dramatically after two weeks on the
western diet.
Professor
Stephen O'Keefe at the University of Pittsburgh, who directed the study, said:
“our study suggests that westernization of the diet induces changes in
biomarkers of colon cancer risk in the colonic mucosa within two weeks. Perhaps
even more importantly, a change in diet from a westernized composition to a
'traditional African' high fiber low fat diet reduced these biomarkers of
cancer risk within two weeks, indicating that it is likely never too late to
change your diet to change your risk of colon cancer."
The
study found that a major reason for the changes in cancer risk was the way in
which the bacteria in the gut -- known as the microbiome -- altered their
metabolism to adapt to the new diet. In the American group, the researchers
found that the African diet led to an increase in the production of butyrate, a
byproduct of fibre metabolism that has important anti-cancer effects.
The
take home message here is – eat plant foods high in fiber. Refined flours,
sugars and all kinds of processed foods should be seriously questioned and left
on the grocery shelf.
Sadja Greenwood, MD, MPH – back issues on
this blog
