This week, read about exercise pills, the health benefit of tea, musicians and the cocktail party phenomenon, online buddies to promote fitness, iron and female athletes, canned vs fresh fish, a growing placebo effect, 4 kinds of anti-vaxers, a great pumpkin spice bread, and more.
Can “exercise pills” replace physical activity? Let’s hope not! While the thought of people taking pills that mimic the benefits of exercise is depressing, the article highlights that exercise has numerous molecular benefits that can help promote health and prevent chronic disease. Investigators outline compounds and the potential mechanisms by which being active improves health. (Cell, in press October 2015).
What are the potential health benefits of tea? Many studies have looked at the health-promoting benefits of tea drinking. This article is a nice review of the evidence. Overall it seems that tea is a healthful drink, but the benefits don’t rival those of coffee. (New York Times Upshot).
How agriculture controls nutrition guidelines. Meat producers showed dominance over scientists this week, preventing discussion of sustainability of the US Dietary Guidelines. (The Atlantic)
Physical activity: more is better for heart failure prevention. A new study shows that the recommended amount of physical activity (2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity/week) was associated with only a modest reduction in heart failure risk, and higher levels of physical activity (up to twice the minimum recommended dose), are needed to reduce the risk of heart failure. (Time, reporting on Circulation, October 2015).
Online buddies beat ads for promoting fitness. An online social media intervention looks at the best ways to promote physical activity. Although promotional messages encouraged initial physical activity, the effects wore off. Program assigned “buddies” were much more effective at promoting long-term compliance. (Preventive Medicine Reports, October 2015).
Iron and the female athlete: a review of dietary treatment methods for improving iron status and exercise performance. This is a new thorough review article on iron needs and iron deficiency in female athletes. It is still unclear whether the higher prevalence of iron deficiency in female athletes is the result of the intense physical activity or inadequate iron intake. The authors look at the impact of dietary iron interventions on exercise performance, but note that studies in female athletes are scarce. (Journal of the International Society for of Sports Nutrition, Oct 2015).
For practical tips on increasing the iron in your diet, see this article.
Does canned fish like tuna and salmon have the same nutritional value as fresh fish? A good look at the advantages and disadvantages of canned vs fresh fish. (New York Times).
The 4 kinds of people who don’t vaccinate their kids. To change the mind of anti-vaxers, it’s important to understand their reasoning. New research classifies 4 different types of non-vaccinators, in the hopes of finding effective strategies to change their minds. (The Atlantic, reporting on Behavioral and Brain Sciences).
Music and running: what if you can’t choose your tunes? Researchers looked at gender differences in endurance running performance when listening to preferred vs non preferred music. Not being able to choose your music had a great effect on women, but didn’t influence men’s running. (Perceptual and Motor Skills, October 2015).
Cocktail party phenomenon: Can musicians better understand speech in a crowded social setting? Scientists show that musicians have an enhanced ability to pick out voices in a crowded room, in most situations (except in an experimental setting when voices are played backwards . . .). Understanding these cognitive and sensory abilities might help design interventions or devices for people with hearing loss. (Nature Scientific Reports, June 2015).
Foreign scientists call on Stephen Harper to restore science funding, freedom. We need a leader who values science. Vote for science!
Placebo effect grows in U.S., thwarting development of painkillers. Analgesics struggle to get through clinical trials as the response to sham treatments has become stronger. (Scientific American)
Getting the most out of what you do: your body’s strategy. How food and cooking can help teach fundamental concepts in physiology and biophysics to students (including nonscience majors). (I Spy Physiology Blog, reporting on Advances in Physiology Education, Sept 2015).
Recipe – Pumpkin Spice Bread
This is one of my favourite quick bread recipes. It tastes great, is pretty healthful, and your house will smell incredible! In this recipe, I’ve used as much pumpkin as possible to produce a tasty and moist bread without the loads of oil or other fat that most recipes call for (which quickly adds to the calorie count without adding many nutrients). More pumpkin also means you’ll get more of this healthful vegetable in every bite.
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