03/19/24 - #90

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked to Increased Risk of Irregular Heartbeat by Up to 20%

  • More Than a Billion People Worldwide Are Obese, WHO Study Finds

  • Spending Time in Nature Can Help Us to Address the Time Pressure of Contemporary Urban Lifestyles, as Nature Experiences Can Impact Our Perception of Time: We Get a Sense of Gaining Time While in Nature and Develop a More Positive and Balanced Time Perspective

  • Post-menopausal Women Face an Increased Susceptibility to Metabolic Diseases, Including Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes. Now a New Study, Published in Gut Microbes, Sheds Light on the Factors That Potentially Drive This Risk and How the Gut Microbiome Could Play a Role

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked to Increased Risk of Irregular Heartbeat by Up to 20%

A new study from China has some surprising news: diet drinks with artificial sweeteners might not be as safe as we thought. They found that these drinks could increase the chance of having an irregular heartbeat, known as A-fib, by 20%. A-fib can make you feel really tired, short of breath, or like your heart is skipping beats.

If you drink more than two big bottles of diet soda each week, your risk goes up compared to people who don't drink any. This is especially important for folks over 65, because the risk for heart problems gets higher as we age.

But don't worry too much! There are ways to lower your risk. Making healthy choices like eating right, getting exercise, and not smoking can really help your heart. Even losing a little weight can make a big difference.

The study also looked at sugary drinks and pure fruit juices. Drinking lots of sugary drinks could also increase your risk of A-fib, but having a small glass of real fruit juice might actually be good for your heart.

The main point? Try to limit how much diet soda you're drinking. And if your heart starts acting funny, don't wait around—talking to a doctor sooner can help keep your heart healthy and strong.

WEIGHT LOSS

More Than a Billion People Worldwide Are Obese, WHO Study Finds

The World Health Organization (WHO) did a revealing study. It found that over 1 billion people worldwide now have obesity. This health issue increases the risk of several serious conditions. It has become more common than being underweight in many countries.

Obesity is affecting countries rich and poor, challenging the old idea that it's only a concern for wealthy nations. In fact, obesity rates have more than doubled for adults and quadrupled for children since 1990. This rise is especially alarming among young people, indicating a trend that began even before the 1990s.

The impact of obesity is severe, linking to early diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems. It's a part of a broader issue known as the "double burden" of malnutrition, where countries face both undernutrition and obesity. Some regions have higher obesity rates than many wealthier European countries. This is true for the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Efforts to combat this issue include promoting healthy eating and taxing high-sugar products. New obesity treatments are emerging. But, they are costly and not available to all.

This is the first update since 2017. It shows a global shift in nutrition challenges. The challenges have gone from struggling to get enough food to battling the consequences of having too much. It's a reminder that obesity is not just a personal issue. It's a global one. It needs attention and action from everyone. This includes governments, businesses, and individuals.

HEALTH

Spending Time in Nature Can Help Us to Address the Time Pressure of Contemporary Urban Lifestyles, as Nature Experiences Can Impact Our Perception of Time: We Get a Sense of Gaining Time While in Nature and Develop a More Positive and Balanced Time Perspective

Do you ever feel like time is flying by too fast, especially living in the city? Good news from a recent study: spending time in nature might be the trick to feeling like you have more time.

In cities, we often rush around, watching the clock and saying things like "time is money." But this can make us stressed and tired. Dr. Ricardo Correia, a scientist, explains that our sense of time is shaped by many things, not just the clock. City life can make us feel like there's never enough time. Nature, on the other hand, can help us feel more relaxed about time.

Dr. Correia's research shows that when people are in nature, they think time goes by slower. This means they feel like they have more time, which can make them happier and less stressed.

Also, being in nature helps people stop worrying so much about the past or future. Instead, they can enjoy the present moment. This is good for our minds.

Dr. Correia's study suggests that adding more nature into our cities can make people feel better. So, next time you're feeling rushed, try taking a break in a park or garden. It might just make you feel like you have all the time in the world.

Remember, nature has a special way of making us feel calmer and happier. Let's not forget to enjoy it, even with our busy lives.

Post-menopausal Women Face an Increased Susceptibility to Metabolic Diseases, Including Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes. Now a New Study, Published in Gut Microbes, Sheds Light on the Factors That Potentially Drive This Risk and How the Gut Microbiome Could Play a Role

When women get older and go through menopause, their bodies stop making as much of certain hormones. This change can make them more likely to get diseases like obesity and type-2 diabetes. A new study in the Gut Microbes journal found that the tiny organisms living in our guts, called the microbiome, might play a big role in this.

The research team was led by Dr. Tzu-Wen L. Cross. They did experiments on mice to see how losing these hormones affects the mice's gut microbes and health. They found that mice lacked these hormones. The mice got heavier and had more health issues. These were related to being overweight, like heart disease and diabetes.

The scientists also tried transferring gut bacteria from mice without these hormones to other mice. The mice that received the bacteria gained more weight and had more health problems than mice that didn't get the bacteria. This shows that changes in the gut bacteria because of menopause can lead to bigger health issues.

The study also discovered that these changes made the walls of the gut leakier, allowing bad stuff to get into the body and cause inflammation. Eating a lot of fat made this even worse.

This research teaches us that we must care for our gut bacteria. It's especially important for women after menopause. It could help lower the risk of getting diseases related to being overweight.

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.