Dr Rosy Daniel BSc MBBCh

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my May news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes, – Dr Rosy Daniel

Mental Health

Brain fog: how trauma, uncertainty and isolation have affected our minds and memory

Before the pandemic, psychoanalyst Josh Cohen’s patients might come into his consulting room, lie down on the couch and talk about the traffic or the weather, or the rude person on the tube. Now they appear on his computer screen and tell him about brain fog. They talk with urgency of feeling unable to concentrate in meetings, to read, to follow intricately plotted television programmes. “There’s this sense of debilitation, of losing ordinary facility with everyday life; a forgetfulness and a kind of deskilling,” says Cohen, author of the self-help book How to Live. What to Do.

Read the full Guardian Article

Nutrition

Pomegranate: Evidence-Based Benefits of This Antioxidant Superstar

Pomegranate, with its characteristic red arils, is small but mighty when it comes to substantial benefits to your health as a superfood. Pomegranate has been called an antioxidant superstar. In fact, researchers have confirmed that pomegranate has three times the antioxidant power of red wine and green tea. The antioxidant impact in pomegranate comes from compounds known as polyphenols.

Read an extract from this Green Med Info Article

The Menopause – Complementary Health Approaches

Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Approaches

A number of studies and systematic reviews on complementary health approaches for menopausal symptoms have been published. There is limited evidence on the effects of mind and body practices for menopausal symptoms, but a few hold promise. Scientists have found little evidence that natural products, such as herbs and other dietary supplements, are helpful. The long-term safety of phytoestrogens such as soy, red clover, and flaxseed, has not been established.

Read the full WHO article

World Health Organization Updates 

New WHO Global Compact to speed up action to tackle diabetes

The World Health Organization’s  new Global Diabetes Compact aims to bring a much-needed boost to efforts to prevent diabetes and bring treatment to all who need it  ̶  100 years after the discovery of insulin. The Compact is being launched today at the Global Diabetes Summit, which is co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Canada, with the support of the University of Toronto. During the event, the President of Kenya will join the Prime Ministers of Fiji, Norway and Singapore; the WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, Michael R. Bloomberg; and ministers of health from a number of countries as well as diabetes experts and people living with diabetes, to highlight the ways in which they will support this new collaborative effort.

Click here to read the full World Health Organization Article

How the energy industry impacts the environment

In Texas, the energy industry plays an important role, particularly when it comes to green energy. Because of the prominence coal, oil, and renewable energy play in the Lone Star State, concerns over CO2 emission levels are equally important. Burning fossil fuels and producing cement account for about two-thirds of all carbon dioxide (CO2) and industrial methane released into the atmosphere since 1854. Although the U.S. has cut more CO2 emissions than any other nation and is on pace to meet a 2009 pledge to reduce CO2 emissions by 17% (from 2005 levels) this year, global carbon dioxide emissions have still reached the highest point in human history.

Read the full World Health Organization Article

Breast Cancer Initiative

New global breast cancer initiative highlights renewed commitment to improve survival

A major new collaborative effort, the Global Breast Cancer Initiative, is being introduced today by the World Health Organization, with the objective of reducing global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year until 2040, thereby averting an estimated 2.5 million deaths.  In recognition of International Women’s Day, WHO is hosting an advocacy event “Hearing the call of women with breast cancer” during which the new Initiative will be presented to the global cancer community.

Read the full NCCIH Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my April news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes, – Dr Rosy Daniel

Complementary Therapies

Laying the Foundation: Defining the Building Blocks of Music-Based Interventions

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Foundation for the NIH and the Renée Fleming Foundation, are sponsoring an expert panel discussion—the first in a series of three meetings intended to develop evidence-based music therapies for brain disorders of aging. The roundtable format will be used to gather input from individuals representing neuroscience, music therapy and music medicine, behavioral intervention development, clinical trial methodology, and patient advocacy and art-based organizations. 

Click here to read the full National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Article

Psychedelic therapy could ‘reset’ depressed brain

A powerful hallucinogenic drug known for its part in shamanic rituals is being trialled as a potential cure for depression for the first time. Participants will be given the drug DMT, followed by talking therapy. It is hoped this could offer an alternative for the significant number of people who don’t respond to conventional pills for depression. Psychedelic-assisted therapy might offer longer-term relief from symptoms, some researchers believe. A growing body of evidence indicates other psychedelic drugs, particularly alongside talking therapy, are safe and can be effective for treating a range of mental illnesses.

Read the full BBC Article

Nutrition

The right ‘5-a-day’ mix is 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings for longer life

Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of death in men and women, according to data representing nearly 2 million adults. Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, eaten as 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables, may be the optimal amount and combination for a longer life. These findings support current U.S. dietary recommendations to eat more fruits and vegetables and the simple public health message ‘5-a-day.’

Read the full Science Daily article

Positive Environmental News 

Good vibrations: bladeless turbines could bring wind power to your home

The giant windfarms that line hills and coastlines are not the only way to harness the power of the wind, say green energy pioneers who plan to reinvent wind power by forgoing the need for turbine towers, blades – and even wind. “We are not against traditional windfarms,” says David Yáñez, the inventor of Vortex Bladeless. His six-person startup, based just outside Madrid, has pioneered a turbine design that can harness energy from winds without the sweeping white blades considered synonymous with wind power.

Read the full Guardian Article

How the energy industry impacts the environment

In Texas, the energy industry plays an important role, particularly when it comes to green energy. Because of the prominence coal, oil, and renewable energy play in the Lone Star State, concerns over CO2 emission levels are equally important. Burning fossil fuels and producing cement account for about two-thirds of all carbon dioxide (CO2) and industrial methane released into the atmosphere since 1854. Although the U.S. has cut more CO2 emissions than any other nation and is on pace to meet a 2009 pledge to reduce CO2 emissions by 17% (from 2005 levels) this year, global carbon dioxide emissions have still reached the highest point in human history.

Read the full SaveOnEnergy Article 

Breast Cancer Initiative

New global breast cancer initiative highlights renewed commitment to improve survival

A major new collaborative effort, the Global Breast Cancer Initiative, is being introduced today by the World Health Organization, with the objective of reducing global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year until 2040, thereby averting an estimated 2.5 million deaths.  In recognition of International Women’s Day, WHO is hosting an advocacy event “Hearing the call of women with breast cancer” during which the new Initiative will be presented to the global cancer community.

Read an extract from this WHO Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my March news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes, – Dr Rosy Daniel

Emotional Well-Being 

NIH networks to advance emotional well-being research

Five new research networks totaling $3.13 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health will allow investigators to refine and test key concepts that advance the study of emotional well-being. Emotional well-being has been defined as an overall positive state of one’s emotions, life satisfaction, sense of meaning and purpose, and ability to pursue self-defined goals. The opportunity to research emotional well-being and its core components—a sense of balance in emotion, thoughts, social relationships, and pursuits—aligns with NIH’s broader objectives of fostering health promotion and disease prevention. For example, having a sense of purpose in life has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Click here to read the full NIH Article

What Are the Benefits of Fish Oil for Depression?

More than 17 million adults had an episode of depression in 2017 (the most recent data available), according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Right now, the strain on mental health is only getting worse, according to a study published in September 2020 in JAMA Network Open; people reported symptoms of depression at three times the rate they did before the pandemic. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all approach guaranteed to ease depression, the good news is that researchers know a lot about what works to help with symptoms (including sadness, hopelessness, and an inability to enjoy the things you once did). 

Read the full Everyday Health Article

Breast Cancer World Health Organization Update

Breast cancer now most common form of cancer: WHO taking action

The global cancer landscape  is changing, according to WHO  experts, on the eve of World Cancer Day 2021. Breast cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the world’s mostly commonly-diagnosed cancer, according to statistics released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in December 2020. So on World Cancer Day, WHO will host the first of a series of consultations in order to establish a new global breast cancer initiative, which will launch later in 2021. 

Read the full WHO article

Environment 

Magnets, vacuums and tiny nets: the new fight against microplastics

When it comes to microplastics, there’s rarely good news. Researchers continue to find the tiny plastic fragments everywhere they look. Microplastics have been found in rain, Arctic ice cores, inside the fish we eat, as well as in fruit and vegetables. New research suggests 136,000 tons of microplastics are ejected from the ocean each year, ending up in the air we breathe. They are in human placentas, our wastewater, and our drinking water.

Read the full Guardian Article

Meeting climate goals ‘would save millions of lives every year’ through shift to healthier and greener diets

Taking tougher action to meet the world’s climate goals could save millions of lives each year, a new study finds. This is because more stringent action on greenhouse gases would come with knock-on benefits for human health, researchers said. For example, stronger climate policies would see the wider adoption of greener and healthier diets and drive reductions in harmful air pollution. Shifts towards climate-friendly diets, including less meat and dairy and more fruit and vegetables, would by far provide the largest co-benefits for health, the study suggests.

Read the full Independent Article

The value of biodiversity

The recently launched Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity is a landmark report detailing the financial implications of the degradation of our biodiversity all over the world, due almost entirely to our pursuit for economic growth, with no regard for its impact on the health of our natural ecosystems. The review highlights the central role that biodiversity plays, not only in providing ecosystem services – the benefits provided to humans by healthy natural environments,  which have been valued globally at approximately $125 trillion p.a. (significantly higher than current global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of roughly $80 trillion) – but also as a key part of the climate change solution.

Read an extract from this Sustainable Food Trust Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my February news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes, – Dr Rosy Daniel

COVID-19 News

Lost touch: how a year without hugs affects our mental health

2020 has been challenging, and COVID-19 has dominated our headlines for much of the year. But away from the pandemic, the world of health and medicine has continued to deliver fresh research, new treatments for old diseases, and surprising developments that will affect our health next year. Articles including ‘Honeybee venom kills aggressive breast cancer cells’, ‘2nd person cured of HIV thanks to stem cell transplant’, ‘Could AI replace the finger prick blood sugar test?’

Click here to read the full Guardian Article

Vitamin D: Good for Health, Fights COVID-19

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, and recent research has suggested it may also help guard against severe COVID-19. But how much is enough, and how hard is it to get the right amount of vitamin D? “We know that a large percentage of the population has suboptimal levels of vitamin D. In fact, as many as half of the U.S. population may be deficient in vitamin D,” said Kristin Gustashaw, clinical dietitian at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Read the full National MedicineNet Article

Sugar: The Gut-Wrenching Truth

For years, researchers have suspected that the typical Western diet plays a leading role in the high rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) observed in industrialized countries around the world. But what exactly about the Western diet — high in fat, animal protein, and sugar, and low in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruit — is to blame? While fat and animal protein have traditionally been considered the prime suspects, a growing number of studies now point to sugar as a leading culprit.

Read the full Everyday Health article

Complementary Health & Smoking

Complementary Health Approaches for Smoking Cessation

There has been emerging interest in the use of complementary therapies such as hypnotherapy, yoga, or mindfulness meditation to aid in smoking cessation. To date, several of these interventions have shown some promise in preliminary, non-randomized studies, but there is not enough evidence to establish if mind and body practices are as efficacious as other evidence-based smoking cessation treatments.

Read the full National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Article

Environmental News

Standing in solidarity with farmers in India

I am embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t until watching a session at the recent ORFC that I became fully aware of the farmers’ protests that have been happening in India. The protests have not had the media attention they deserve as the world continues to struggle with the ongoing pandemic and the dangerous and disruptive run-up to the inauguration of a new American President that dominated the news for the past few weeks. 

Read the full Sustainable Foot Trust Article

Health Benefits of Yoga and Meditation

Can Yoga and Meditation ward off Alzheimer’s disease?

We’re all used to hearing that a course in yoga and meditation can make you feel better. Help you cope with stress. Now a new study headed by Helen Lavretsky of UCLA and published in the May edition of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Research indicates yoga and meditation may also forestall the cognitive impairment that often precedes the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved 12 participants who over 12 weeks performed kundalini yoga and Kirtan Kriya meditation. 

Read an extract from this The Scientific & Medical Network Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! And welcome to my January news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes, – Dr Rosy Daniel

Positive News Stories from 2020

The Recovery Room: The best non-pandemic stories of 2020

2020 has been challenging, and COVID-19 has dominated our headlines for much of the year. But away from the pandemic, the world of health and medicine has continued to deliver fresh research, new treatments for old diseases, and surprising developments that will affect our health next year. Articles including ‘Honeybee venom kills aggressive breast cancer cells’, ‘2nd person cured of HIV thanks to stem cell transplant’, ‘Could AI replace the finger prick blood sugar test?’

Click here to read the full Medical News Today Article

Nutrition

Too Much Sugar Linked to Aggression, ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

Discover the bitter truth about high-sugar diets, particularly in how they may be triggering ADHD and aggressive behaviors by overactivating the fructose pathway, a mechanism nature may have intended to be used for energy storage and survival. Yet another research study confirms the link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder and aggressive behaviors with sugar intake.

Read the full Green Med Info Article

‘Food for Thought’: Reflections on an organic life

Phil Haughton is old friend of mine, best known as the founder of three Bristol food shops flying under the banner of The Better Food Company. I wanted to say a few words about his book, Food for Thought, which ‘celebrat[es] the joy of eating well and living better’. I much admire the man and all his achievements, particularly in Bristol, where he virtually pioneered the concept of a wholly organic food shop, but also because I knew that amongst his formative influences was a period when he lived in a commune in southwest Scotland.

Read the full Sustainable Food Trust Article

Integrated Approach to Brain Health

Iceland joins forces with WHO to support an integrated approach to brain health

His Excellency Mr Harald Aspelund, Ambassador of the Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva and Ms Jane Ellison, WHO Executive Director for External Relations and Governance signed a new contribution agreement to support work towards integrated brain health, that will be led by a newly established unit within the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use.

Read the full World Health Organization Article

Environmental Health

An Action Plan for Greener Prisons

A new report published by the Sustainable Food Trust’s Harmony Project recommends that prisons in the UK should provide more opportunities for inmates to connect with the natural world with the goal of improving the wellbeing of staff and prisoners and supporting rehabilitation. ‘An Action Plan for Greener Prisons’ draws on research which indicates that access to the natural world, such as having the opportunity to grow food and work with animals, can improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

Read the full Sustainable Foot Trust Article

Environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as observed from space

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work, as various health and safety restrictions keep more of us at home more often. The resulting changes to our behavior are already impacting the environment around us in myriad ways, according to comparisons of remote sensing data before and during the pandemic collected by NASA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and ESA (European Space Agency) Earth-observing satellites and others.

Read an extract from this Science Daily Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my December news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes,

Dr Rosy Daniel

Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Renewable energy defies Covid-19 to hit record growth in 2020

Global renewable electricity installation will hit a record level in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency, in sharp contrast with the declines caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the fossil fuel sectors. The IEA report published on Tuesday says almost 90% of new electricity generation in 2020 will be renewable, with just 10% powered by gas and coal. The trend puts green electricity on track to become the largest power source in 2025, displacing coal, which has dominated for the past 50 years. Growing acceptance of the need to tackle the climate crisis by cutting carbon emissions has made renewable energy increasingly attractive to investors. The IEA reports that shares in renewable equipment makers and project developers have outperformed most major stock market indices and that the value of shares in solar companies has more than doubled since December 2019.

Click here to read the full Guardian Article

More than 2.5m people in England to get free vitamin D

More than 2.5 million people in England are to be offered a free supply of vitamin D by the government, officials have said. Care homes in England will automatically receive supplies of the supplement for their residents in plans announced on Saturday. People on the clinically extremely vulnerable list will be sent a letter offering them the chance to opt in for a supply to their homes. The free deliveries will start in January, providing four months’ worth of vitamin D to up to 2.7 million people.

Read the full College of Medicine Article

Exercise and Health

Every move counts towards better health – says WHO

Up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active. At a time when many people are home bound due to COVID-19, new WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, launched today, emphasize that everyone, of all ages and abilities, can be physically active and that every type of movement counts. The new guidelines recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for all adults, including people living with chronic conditions or disability, and an average of 60 minutes per day for children and adolescents. WHO statistics show that one in four adults, and four out of five adolescents, do not get enough physical activity.  Globally this is estimated to cost US$54 billion in direct health care and another US$14 billion to lost productivity.

Read the full World Health Organisation article

Cancer Research Updates

Study of “exceptional responders” yields clues to cancer and potential treatments

In a comprehensive analysis of patients with cancer who had exceptional responses to therapy, researchers have identified molecular changes in the patients’ tumors that may explain some of the exceptional responses. The results demonstrate that genomic characterizations of cancer can uncover genetic alterations that may contribute to unexpected and long-lasting responses to treatment, according to the researchers. The results appeared in Cancer Cell on Nov. 19. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, conducted the study in collaboration with investigators from other institutions, including NCI-designated Cancer Centers.

Read the full National Cancer Institute Article

Complementary and Natural Healthcare 

CNHC exhibit at The Integrative Health Convention

On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October CNHC exhibited at the Integrative Health Convention which took place in London at the Park Plaza Hotel. Dr Michael Dixon opened the event and discussed many ways that integrated healthcare can benefit patients through programmes such as social prescribing or personal health budgets. He explained that an approach to integrative healthcare provides more personalised care, addresses inequalities and increases social capital and the potential for a health creating community. Across the two-day convention there were four CNHC registrants who presented, speaking on Massage Therapy, Reflexology and Reiki.

Read the full CNHC Article

Dietary Supplements and Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease

Concerns about forgetfulness and whether it is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease are common, particularly among older patients. Your patients may also ask questions about use of dietary supplements, which are often marketed with claims that they enhance memory or improve brain function and health. This issue of the digest summarizes current information on what the science says about several dietary supplements that have been studied for cognitive function, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Although a few trials of natural products for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia have shown some modest effects, direct evidence is lacking.

Read an extract from this Science Daily Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my November news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes,

Dr Rosy Daniel

Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Biggest carbon dioxide drop: Real-time data show COVID-19’s massive impact on global emissions

While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten millions of lives around the world, the first half of 2020 saw an unprecedented decline in CO2 emissions — larger than during the financial crisis of 2008, the oil crisis of 1979, or even World War II. An international team of researchers has found that in the first six months of this year, 8.8 percent less carbon dioxide was emitted than in the same period in 2019 — a total decrease of 1551 million tonnes. The groundbreaking study not only offers a much more precise look at COVID-19’s impact on global energy consumption than previous analyses. It also suggests what fundamental steps could be taken to stabilize the global climate in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Click here to read the full Science Daily Article

Mouthwashes, oral rinses may inactivate human coronaviruses, study finds

Certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may have the ability to inactivate human coronaviruses, according to a Penn State College of Medicine research study. The results indicate that some of these products might be useful for reducing the viral load, or amount of virus, in the mouth after infection and may help to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Read the full Science Daily Article

Sustainable Fashion

Systems Change and Fashion

This series offers a thought provoking discussion on the connected solutions to the environmental and social issues with the fashion industry, which has many of you calling for a framework to make systems change happen in this sector. Part 1: Soil-to-Sew guests included Nishanth Chopra of Oshadi Collective, Tansy Hoskins, journalist and author of the books Stitched Up and Footwork, Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of The Green Party. Part 2: Soil-to-Sew guests include Safia Minney MBC, Social Entrepreneur, Babs Behan, Botanical Inks and Bristol Cloth, Anna Bryher, Labour Behind the Label.

Read the full Green Party article

Microplastics Concern

Bottle-fed babies swallow millions of microplastics a day, study finds

Bottle-fed babies are swallowing millions of microplastic particles a day, according to research described as a “milestone” in the understanding of human exposure to tiny plastics. Scientists found that the recommended high-temperature process for sterilising plastic bottles and preparing formula milk caused bottles to shed millions of microplastics and trillions of even smaller nanoplastics. The polypropylene bottles tested make up 82% of the world market, with glass bottles being the main alternative. Polypropylene is one of the most commonly used plastics and preliminary tests by the scientists found kettles and food containers also produced millions of microplastics per litre of liquid.

Read the full Guardian Article

Nutrition and Health

Drinking green tea and coffee daily linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes

Drinking plenty of both green tea and coffee is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause among people with type 2 diabetes, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. Drinking 4 or more daily cups of green tea plus 2 or more of coffee was associated with a 63% lower risk of death over a period of around 5 years, the findings show. People with type 2 diabetes are more prone to circulatory diseases, dementia, cancer, and bone fractures. And despite an increasing number of effective drugs, lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and diet, remain a cornerstone of treatment.

Read the full Science Daily Article

Beets: Evidence-Based Health Benefits

Beets have always been and remain one of the world’s most underutilized ‘super foods’ with a number of powerful, evidence-based health benefits. In an era where clever marketing has transformed exotic berries, tubers and plant extracts from geographically distant regions into “superfoods,” ostensibly better (and that much more expensive!) than culinary standards found at your local supermarket, e.g. garlic, onion, and kale, we should be reminded that the true nutritional super heroes are too busy performing anonymous feats of healing to garnish that kind of attention.

Read an extract from this Green Med Info Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my October news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes,

Dr Rosy Daniel

Mental Health

Exercise ‘Fundamental’ for Healing of Mental Illness

Thinking about skipping your workout because of a flat mood? If you’re upset, depressed or anxious, a recent study indicates that’s when you need exercise the most. It’s so effective for mental health, it may even speed healing for psychiatric patients. A study on physical exercise has shone a spotlight on the positive effects to be gained from deliberate, structured movement of your body. Published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine, the 2019 study was conducted by researchers from the University of Vermont Medical Center, in conjunction with the medical center’s inpatient psychiatry unit.

Click here to read the full Green Med Info Article

Researchers Develop New Metrics for Measuring Mental States During Meditation

In a recent proof-of-principle study, researchers developed a new framework, based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, to identify mental states during meditation, including the focus-on-breath state and mind wandering, and to estimate how much time meditators spend in each state. The study—partially funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health—was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Click here to read the full College of Medicine Article

Environment

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to hold an International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on December 19, 2019, during its 74th session and invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate the observance of the International Day, in collaboration with other relevant organizations. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) worked with UNEP and the Republic of Korea to advocate for the day in the lead up to the decision. WHO is working with BreatheLife partners to coordinate activities for the day.

Click here to read the World Health Organisation article

Combatting Stress

Ten minutes of massage or rest will help your body fight stress

Allowing yourself a few minutes of downtime significantly boosts mental and physical relaxation. Research by psychologists at the University of Konstanz observed higher levels of psychological and physiological relaxation in people after only ten minutes of receiving a massage. Even ten minutes of simple rest increased relaxation, albeit to a lesser degree than massage. The findings, reported on 8 September 2020 in the journal Scientific Reports, provide the first indication that short-term treatments can robustly reduce stress on a psychological and physiological level by boosting the body’s principal engine for relaxation — the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

Click here to read the full Science Daily Article

Combatting Stress

Lifestyle improvements may lessen cognitive decline

Results from a new study suggest that lifestyle changes may help to improve cognition in older adults experiencing cognitive decline that precedes dementia. In the study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 119 individuals older than 65 years of age who were experiencing cognitive decline were randomised to a control group or an intervention group for 8 weeks. The control group received online information related to dementia and lifestyle risk factors, Mediterranean diet, physical activity, and cognitive engagement.

Click here to read the full Science Daily Article

Is consciousness continuous or discrete? Maybe it’s both, argue researchers

Two major theories have fuelled a now 1,500 year-long debate started by Saint Augustine: Is consciousness continuous, where we are conscious at each single point in time, or is it discrete, where we are conscious only at certain moments of time? In an Opinion published September 3 in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, psychophysicists answer this centuries-old question with a new model, one that combines both continuous moments and discrete points of time.

Click here to read the full Science Daily Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my September news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes,

Dr Rosy Daniel

Yoga Studies 

Kundalini yoga reduces anxiety symptoms, according to researchers at NYU

Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine have found Kundalini yoga is effective in relieving the effects of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults, following a clinical trial. In 2019, an estimated 275 million people suffered from anxiety disorders worldwide, and there is an increasing need for solutions as a result of the pandemic, according to Dr Naomi Simon, the study’s lead researcher. Simon said: “It seems there are exacerbations of anxiety as a result of COVID-19 – people have less access to normal structure and their usual rewarding activities, plus, they may also be coping with economic challenges, illness and grief.”

Click here to read the full Good News Network Article

Study on the power of yoga for mental health sparks new calls for NHS to ‘clinically prescribe’ it

Practising yoga regularly can be almost as effective in treating anxiety as seeing a talking therapist, new US research has found. The study, carried out by New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, asked 226 people who have generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) to try three different treatments; stress management education, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Kundalini yoga to monitor their effect on the mental health condition.

Click here to read the full College of Medicine Article

Yoga Could Be A Lifesaver For People With a Common Heart Condition

Yoga could be a lifesaver for people with the most common type of irregular heart beat, according to new research. A study of 538 patients has found the ancient Indian form of exercise almost halved the number of symptoms among people with Atrial fibrillation (AF). Lead author Dr Naresh Sen said, “Our study suggests yoga has wide-ranging physical and mental health benefits for patients with atrial fibrillation and could be added on top of usual therapies.”

Click here to read the full BBC News article

Nutrition

Honey is ‘better than conventional medicine for sore throats and coughs’, new research says

A new study suggests that honey is better for easing sore throats and coughs than many over-the-counter medicines and antibiotics. The sweet nectar made by bees – meaning it’s cheap to mass produce – has strong antimicrobial properties and has been used for thousands of years as a traditional health remedy. New research by scientists at the University of Oxford, published by BMJ Evidence-based Medicine, examined honey’s effectiveness in treating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs).

Click here to read the full College of Medicine Article

Mangiferin: The Health-Boosting Antioxidant in Mangos

Mangiferin, a polyphenol found in mango fruit and plant extracts, possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Mangiferin has been shown to have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular health, and may have anticancer properties. Mango, a type of juicy stone fruit native to eastern Asia and India, is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, micronutrients and minerals, and a unique polyphenol called mangiferin.

Click here to read the full Green Med Info Article

Five Seeds to Improve Your Health

There is nothing seedy about the health-enriching properties of five types of seed: flax, black seed, hemp, sesame and chia. Each of them has their own distinct time-tested benefits for wellness and fighting off diseases the natural and affordable way. Seeds, as the starting point for growing rich, thriving plants, are a source of complex nutrition. They deliver not just fiber but also a formidable list of good fats and nutrients of great health value and importance.

Click here to read the full Green Med Info Article

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my August news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.

With warmest good wishes,

Dr Rosy Daniel

Acupuncture for Cancer 

Is Acupuncture Helpful for Easing Cancer Pain?

Treating cancer is a team effort. Now, recent research suggests recruiting an acupuncturist may be beneficial. Cleveland Clinic acupuncturist, Jamie Starkey, did not take part in the study but said results show acupuncture may be useful for easing cancer pain. “It’s safe, it’s effective and it’s quite helpful in terms of bringing your cancer-related pain scores down without a significant amount of side effects,” she said. The study reviews 17 trials looking at acupuncture and acupressure.

Read the full Newsroom Article:

Click here

Nutrition

Best vitamin B12 foods: Supplements and RDA

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for good health. Most people can obtain it from a varied diet that includes animal products. However, people eating a plant-based diet can only get vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is important for proper red blood cell formation, neurological function, and DNA synthesis. A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anaemia, as well as neurological and psychiatric symptoms.

Read the full MedicalNewsToday Article:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vitamin-b12-foods

As more go hungry and malnutrition persists, achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 in doubt, UN report warns

Rome – More people are going hungry, an annual study by the United Nations has found. Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple forms of malnutrition. The latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, published today, estimates that almost 690 million people went hungry in 2019 – up by 10 million from 2018, and by nearly 60 million in five years.

Read the full BBC News article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53493550

Hesperidin: The Citrus Bioflavonoid Powerhouse You Haven’t Heard Of

Hesperidin, a polyphenolic compound extracted from citrus fruits and known for its anti-inflammatory properties, may have beneficial effects in the prevention of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Further study indicates that hesperidin may prevent varicose vein formation and be useful in the treatment of hemorrhoids and diabetes, yet many have yet to hear about this powerful flavonoid.

Read the full Green Med Info Article:

https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/hesperidin-citrus-bioflavonoid-powerhouse-you-havent-heard

Yoga Mental Health Benefits

Cinnamon may improve blood sugar control in people with prediabetes

Cinnamon improves blood sugar control in people with prediabetes and could slow the progression to type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. It is estimated that nearly 90 million people in the United States have prediabetes, which occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal and often leads to type 2 diabetes. Identifying strategies to prevent the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is challenging, yet important for a large population.

Read the full Science Daily Article: 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200721102143.htm

Positive News for Air Pollution

UK air pollution still down despite return to normal traffic – study

Air pollution has remained at lower levels in UK towns and cities despite a return to near-normal traffic levels after the easing of coronavirus restrictions, according to research. Analysis of data from more than 100 urban roadside locations shows nitrogen dioxide pollution levels were 30% below normal at the end of June, despite HGV traffic being back at 95% of normal levels, vans at 90% and cars at 75%. Scientists think the small reduction in traffic that remains is enough to cut congestion on the roads and that this has an outsized impact in reducing dirty air. People may be staggering their commutes to work, which would also cut congestion, they said.

Read an extract from this Guardian Article:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/10/uk-air-pollution-still-down-despite-return-normal-traffic-study

To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.

 Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust 

Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com