In this week’s article, we provide a roundup of some of the most recent health and nutrition related articles in the news, four items comprising:
- Can exercise reverse the ageing process?
- Single course of antibiotics may cause irreversible damage to crucial gut bacteria
- Nutritional psychiatry: can you eat yourself happier?
- Sitting down for too long may be causing 70,000 UK deaths a year
Can exercise reverse the ageing process?
While many in their 80s and 90s may be starting to take it easy, 85-year old track star Irena Obera is at the other end of the spectrum.
Setting multiple world athletics records in her age category, she is one of a growing band of “master athletes” who represent the extreme end of what is physically possible later in life.
Another is John Starbrook, who at 87 became the oldest runner to complete the 2018 London Marathon.
Studies suggest regular exercise is more effective than any drug yet invented to prevent conditions facing older people, such as muscle loss.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Bone density – diagnosis, nutrients and lifestyle factors
Single course of antibiotics may cause irreversible damage to crucial gut bacteria
Taking just a single course of antibiotics can damage the healthy bacteria in the gut for at least a year and possibly permanently.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) found that just one prescription can change the composition of the microbiome – the collection of trillions of bacteria, fungi and microbes, which live in the body and help regulate the immune system, aid digestion and produce vitamins.
In a healthy human gut there are around 1,000 different kinds of bacteria and a greater diversity of species has been linked to better health.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
The impact of antibiotics on the microbiome
Probiotics – what are they and how do they work?
Nutritional psychiatry: can you eat yourself happier?
Felice Jacka’s work showing that junk food shrinks the brain was motivated by personal experience. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, Jacka struggled with anxiety and panic disorders; by the time she enrolled at art school, she was accustomed to regular bouts of depression, too, leaving her “devoid of happy feelings and unable to experience pleasure”.
But in her late 20s Jacka managed to recover and stay well by focusing on her diet, exercise and sleep. The effect was so marked that it inspired her to put her life as an artist on hold in order to dedicate herself to studying the effects of diet on mental health.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Sitting down for too long may be causing 70,000 UK deaths a year
Sitting or lying down for long periods during the day is not only bad for your health it could be the cause of almost 70,000 deaths and cost the NHS at least £700m a year, new research has revealed.
Scientists have previously flagged that sedentary behaviour increases the risk of a number of diseases as well as a premature death.
Now experts have looked into the financial burden of sedentary behaviour in the UK, revealing that sitting or lying down for at least six hours a day is behind £424m of spending on cardiovascular disease, £281m on type 2 diabetes and £30m on colon cancer.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Exercise – can there be too much of a good thing?
If you have any questions regarding the topics that have been raised, or any other health matters, please do contact me (Clare) by phone or email at any time.
clare@cytoplan.co.uk, 01684 310099
Clare Daley and the Cytoplan Editorial Team
Last updated on 20th October 2022 by cytoffice
To Claire, I have bad knees and find it difficult to stand/walk so I’m unfortunately sitting for long periods in the day time. My knees are swollen with arthritis. There must be lots of people out there who have trouble exercising.
I would love to excercise more. I’m 70years old and have other medical issues. Thanks
Do any of you have the same problem?
Hi Margaret,
Sorry to hear of your problems.There are some seated exercises that you may be able to do, but I am not qualified to advise. You could ask your GP to refer you to a physiotherapist? In addition, we could offer you some supplement and diet advice if you provide us with more information either by emailing me (clare@cytoplan.co.uk) with details of your other health conditions, any prescription medications, any supplements you are taking or you could complete one of our health questionnaires. This is a free service – if you complete and return a health questionnaire we can send you some diet and supplement advice. I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Clare