08/27/24 - #204

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Common Low-calorie Sweetener May Be Riskier for the Heart Than Sugar, Study Suggests

  • What's Good Exercise for Effective Weight Loss

  • More Than 4.4 Billion People in Poorer Countries Lack Access to Safe Drinking Water, Primarily Due to Fecal Contamination. This Number is More Than Twice as High as Existing Estimates

  • Scientists Hail ‘smart’ Insulin That Responds to Changing Blood Sugar Levels in Real Time | People With Type 1 Diabetes May in Future Only Need to Give Themselves Insulin Once a Week, Say Experts

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Common Low-calorie Sweetener May Be Riskier for the Heart Than Sugar, Study Suggests

A recent study from the Cleveland Clinic raises concerns about erythritol, a popular low-calorie sweetener. This study is important because it's the first to directly compare how erythritol and regular sugar affect heart health.

Researchers looked at 20 healthy middle-aged people. They split them into two groups. One group drank water mixed with erythritol, and the other drank water mixed with sugar. The results showed that the erythritol group had more blood clotting compared to the sugar group.

Dr. Stanley Hazen, who led the study, said this. The erythritol group had a big rise in a blood compound. It could raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This wasn't seen in those who had sugar.

Erythritol is in many low-calorie, keto-friendly products. These findings suggest we should be careful with its use, especially for those who eat these sweeteners often. The FDA thinks erythritol is safe, but this study might make them look at it again.

Health experts say we should be careful with sugar substitutes and call for more research to find out the long-term effects of these sweeteners on heart health. This study shows it's important to know not just the calories but also the overall health effects of what's in our food.

WEIGHT LOSS

What's Good Exercise for Effective Weight Loss

Want to burn calories and lose weight? Knowing which exercises help you burn the most calories can guide you to the best choices. Here's a look at what activities burn a lot of calories for someone who weighs about 155 pounds.

The simplest activities, like sleeping or sitting, don’t burn many calories—about 50 to 65 calories per hour. Standing burns a bit more, about 110 calories per hour.

For moderate exercises, walking or doing yoga can burn around 240 calories per hour. More vigorous activities like playing tennis or hiking with a backpack burn about 450 calories per hour. Even more intense are things like rowing or kickboxing, which can burn up to 580 calories per hour.

The exercises that burn the most calories are very intense, like sprinting or chopping wood, with up to 1,200 calories per hour. However, these are so tough that you can’t do them for long.

It’s also important to think about what kind of calories you're burning—fat or sugars. For losing weight, you want to make sure you're burning fat.

Remember, exercise is important for weight loss, but it only makes up about 15% of your results. What you eat is even more important, about 85% of your success. So, a healthy diet combined with the right exercise is the best way to lose weight effectively.

HEALTH

More Than 4.4 Billion People in Poorer Countries Lack Access to Safe Drinking Water, Primarily Due to Fecal Contamination. This Number is More Than Twice as High as Existing Estimates

A new study found that over 4.4 billion people in poorer countries lack safe drinking water, as it's contaminated by waste. This number is more than double previous estimates, showing a severe global problem.

Researchers used satellite data and local surveys to learn that only about one-third of people in low- and middle-income countries can use clean water. The biggest problem? Contamination from waste, which affects nearly half of these populations.

Drinking contaminated water is very dangerous. It can cause diseases like diarrhea, which can be deadly, especially for kids. The study shows we must improve water services. Everyone must have access to clean water. Safe water is not just a basic need but a human right that too many people are still missing.

The findings are a strong call to action for the world. It's essential for international communities to give more help to these areas. By knowing the main challenges, like waste contamination, efforts can be more effectively targeted.

Improving access to clean water can save lives and prevent illnesses. It’s especially important for children’s health and safety. Everyone deserves to have clean, safe, and enough water every day. This study stresses the urgency of addressing water safety to make a significant impact on millions of lives.

Scientists Hail ‘smart’ Insulin That Responds to Changing Blood Sugar Levels in Real Time | People With Type 1 Diabetes May in Future Only Need to Give Themselves Insulin Once a Week, Say Experts

Scientists have made an exciting breakthrough that could change the lives of people with type 1 diabetes. They've created a "smart" insulin. It could mean people only need to inject themselves once a week instead of several times a day.

Usually, those with type 1 diabetes must take shots of insulin many times daily to keep their blood sugar level right. It's a tough routine that can affect both their body and mind. But this new smart insulin works differently. It activates only when the body needs it—if blood sugar goes too high—and turns off when everything is back to normal. This helps avoid the dangers of blood sugar dropping too low or soaring too high.

This new treatment is a big deal and might be the closest thing to a cure for diabetes from medicine. Some top health organizations and foundations are putting a lot of money into this project. They want to make this smart insulin available fast.

Teams of researchers from universities in the U.S., Australia, and China are working to make this insulin even better and faster. Their goal is to help people with diabetes have an easier time managing their condition with fewer health risks in the future.

Dr. Tim Heise, a research leader, said, "This smart insulin could really change diabetes care and make daily life much easier for millions." This research is still ongoing, but it brings a lot of hope for making diabetes a smaller part of life.

✢ 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.