Tag Archives: health

A Glass a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Posted on February 21, 2018 by | 5 comments

At the end of a draining week, there is nothing more satisfying than having a long awaited glass of red wine. This may seem like a guilty pleasure, but what if your favourite weekend beverage actually has proven health benefits?

Source: Flickr

History has shown that red wine has been in production for over 6,000 years, and has been used primarily for religious purposes since its origin. However, red wine has been proven to be advantageous for one’s health.

The term wine describes an extensive class of alcoholic beverages, which are the result of grape fermentation. Although wine is a fruit product produced from grapes, the process of fermentation allows it to transform from regular grape juice, into the beverage that we all know as wine!

Ethanol is the alcoholic component in wine, and it has been proven that moderate ethanol consumption can lead to a longer lifespan. A study in Eastern France was conducted, and moderate red wine intake, which was defined as 2-5 glasses per day, was shown to have a 24%-31% reduction in mortality. Now, how exactly does red wine make you live longer?

What makes red wine so unique is the presence of secondary metabolites in grapes, which are called polyphenols. Secondary metabolites are organic molecules that are not directly involved in plant development. Rather, they indirectly aid in defense mechanisms, and keep plants safe.

The skin and seeds of grapes are the source of these polyphenols, and are essential components in the red wine making process. During fermentation of red wine, the skin and seeds are left on, thus allowing humans directly consume the polyphenols. In contrast, before being fermented, white wines are pressed off of the seeds and skins, which also explains why red wine has greater benefits when compared to white wine.

Polyphenols have vital antioxidant properties, which help to lower the overall risk of chronic diseases. They protect our body’s cells from damage, thus helping to lower the possibility of heart conditions, diabetes, and even cancer. Specifically, there is strong evidence that mortality caused by certain types of heart disease is decreased when red wine is consumed. For example, red wine can prevent build-up of fats and other substances in the arteries, ultimately reducing the risk of heart disease.

Source: Flickr

Now it is important to remember that this is all in moderation, and doctors recommend 5 ounces, or 1-2 glasses of red wine a day. With that being said, excess consumption of red wine, and similarly other alcoholic beverages, will not have the same effects, and can even lead to higher mortality. So remember, red wine may in fact have health benefits, but it is only a glass a day that will ultimately keep the doctor away.

Bottoms up!

By Alexis Llewellyn

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in News

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The Role of Vitamin D and the Deficiency of Vitamin D

Posted on February 5, 2018 by | 1 comment

Health issues are one of major concerns of us in present days. As our lives become urbanized and modernized, we take less care of our body. Subsequently, our nutrition balances are getting worse. Unfortunately, it is undeniable fact.

One of crucially important nutrition that we are usually missing these days is Vitamin D. Many of us may have heard about vitamin D at least once.

But, it is just without knowledge of its important role in our body when it is deficient.

Vitamin D, in simple description, is a key nutrition that regulates our feelings and health (preventing depression and strengthens bones). Therefore, it causes several problems without sufficient amount of vitamin D intake.

Vitamin D is synthesized in our cell tissues under the skin with exposure of sunlight, specifically ultraviolet rays:

  • In human, when 7-dehydrocholestrelol in our skin is exposed to sunlight, it is converted into cholecalciferol which is vitamin D3.
  • In plants, when sterol meets sunlight, it is converted into calciferol which is known as vitamin D2; regulates calcium and phosphorus in our body.

Source: wordpress vitaminsaandd

We are only able to treat vitamin D in form of D2 and D3 in our body and they both work the same thing during the metabolic process.

Vitamin D is easily absorbed through the skin into our body within the wavelength of 290 nm to 315 nm. People who spend more than 20 minutes a day outside between 10 am to 2 pm would have no worries of vitamin D deficiency.

However, due to the location of Canada (cloud-covered sunlight during winter in the norther hemisphere region) and long rainy seasons, we are not freely able to enjoy the sunlight well to absorb the enough amount of vitamin D.

So, vitamin D deficiency is very common to people in Canada during the winter season since we have much less exposure to sunlight.

source: nutritionaction

As a result, vitamin D deficiency may causes several serious problems:

1) Weaken the immune system

Vitamin D enhances T-cell; cells that destroy microbes causing diseases. In case of vitamin D deficiency, T-cell may be weakened.

2) Diabetes

Risk of type-2 diabetes increases by up to 80 % – Vitamin D helps with insulin (hormone that regulates blood sugar level) secretion and conversion to glucose (a type of sugar from food we eat) energy. Low levels increase insulin resistance and damage glucose metabolism

3) Cardiovascular diseases (hear and blood vessel diseases)

Vitamin D inhibits renin which is a hormone increases the blood pressure of the systolic period. Vitamin D deficiency increases risk of several cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attacks, and heart failure.

4) Depression

Vitamin D deficiency causes low serotonin levels and high cortisol hormone. Cortisol is stress hormone and serotonin is brain hormone that regulates happiness. The level of serotonin is increased when the body is exposed to sunlight.

source: department of nutrition, Harvard school of Public Health

 

To prevent vitamin D deficiency, it is best to expose oneself to sunlight 15~20 minutes a day without sunscreen. When it is not possible to spend time under the sun, however, intake of vitamin D with foods are another good option.

 

source: asianetindia

 

Sources of vitamin D from foods:

  • salmon&tuna
  • whole grains
  • egg yolk
  • mushroom
  • milk
  • cheese

source: BC Medical Journal

 

Even we intake vitamin D with foods, the content is too small for suggested daily dose. Therefore, the intake of vitamin D supplements are considered as the second-best option. However, supplements may cause the overdose problem so that it is crucial to follow the recommended dosage.

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science

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A Glass a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Posted on January 29, 2018 by | 1 comment

At the end of a draining week, there is nothing more satisfying than having that long awaited glass of red wine. This may seem like a guilty pleasure, but what if your favourite weekend beverage actually has proven health benefits?

Source: Flickr

History has shown that red wine has been in production for over 6000 years, and has been used primarily for religious purposes since its origin. However, red wine has been proven to have significant health benefits.

The term wine describes an extensive class of alcoholic beverages, which are the result of grape fermentation. Wine is a fruit product produced from grapes, however the process of fermentation allows it to transform from regular grape juice into the beverage that we all know know as wine!

Ethanol is the alcoholic component in wine, and it has been proven that moderate ethanol consumption can lead to a longer lifespan. A study in eastern France was conducted, and moderate red wine consumption, which was defined as 2-5 glasses per day, was shown to have a 24%-31% reduction in mortality. Now, how exactly does red wine make you live longer?

What makes red wine so special is the content of secondary metabolites in grapes, which are called polyphenols. Secondary metabolites are organic molecules that are not directly involved in plant development. Rather, they indirectly aid in defense mechanisms, and keep plants safe. The skin and stems of grapes (the source of polyphenols) are essential components in the red wine making process. This also explains why red wine has greater benefits when compared to white wine.

These polyphenols have very prominent antioxidant properties, which help to lower the overall risk of chronic diseases. They protect our body’s cells from damage, thus helping to lower the possibility of heart conditions, diabetes, and even cancer. Specifically, there is strong evidence that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease mortality is decreased through consumption of red wine. This means that red wine prevents build-up of fats and other substances in the arteries, ultimately reducing the risk of heart disease.

Source: Flickr

Now it is important to remember that this is all in moderation, and doctors recommend 5 ounces, or 1-2 glasses of red wine a day. Consequently, excess consumption of red wine, and similarly other alcoholic beverages, will not have the same effects, and can even lead to higher mortality. So remember, red wine may in fact have health benefits, but it is only a glass a day that will ultimately keep the doctor away.

Bottoms up!

By Alexis Llewellyn

 

 

 

1 Comment

Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in News

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4 Health-Boosting Hobbies

Posted on January 29, 2018 by | 1 comment

In an age of pills, prescriptions, and fad diets, it’s good to know that there are more natural ways to maintain our health. These are four great hobbies for boosting your personal wellbeing:

  1. Dancing 

    source: flickr

    While dancing may not be everyone’s strong suit (me and my ‘dad-like’ dancing included), it’s hard to deny that nearly everyone enjoys busting loose to some funky tunes. Besides dancing’s ability to improve cardio and strengthen bones and muscle, one of dancing’s most noteworthy benefits is its capacity to considerably improve balance in the elderly. A 2011 Cochrane Review demonstrated that elderly subjects who danced at least three times a week significantly enhanced their balance. This is valuable research because, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.8 million elderly people are hospitalized due to unintentional falls each year, and this number is steadily growing. Maybe getting old folks to implement some jive into their daily routine will help reduce this statistic (assuming no one breaks a hip).

  2. Writing about Traumas/Difficulties

    source: flickr

    Researchers are now telling us that sitting at a desk all day with a pen and paper can actually enrich our personal health. Writing about personal experiences/difficulties has been shown to improve the mental health of cancer patients by encouraging them to view their situation in a more positive light. In addition to boosting mental health, the act of writing has also been linked with improvements in physical health. An Australian study demonstrated that patients who wrote about distressing life events (Expressive Writing group) had a significantly faster wound-healing rate than patients who wrote about simple daily tasks (Time Management group); by day 11 post-injury, 76% of the Expressive Writing patients were fully healed, while only 42% of the Time Management patients were fully healed.


  3. Listening to Music

    source: flickr

    In case dancing just really isn’t your forte, it’s good to know that the simple act of listening to some tunes benefits your health as well. A meta-analysis conducted by Medical News Today investigated how listening to music influences our neurochemistry. The main conclusion stated that music boosts the immune system, lowers stress and anxiety, and dampens symptoms of depression. In some cases, music was even found to be more effective at reducing anxiety than certain prescription drugs!

  4. Owning a Pet

    source: flickr

    Apparently, the relationship between you and your pet is a little more ‘give’ than ‘take’ from your pet’s perspective. According to the CDC, owning a pet not only improves your lifestyle by creating more opportunities for outdoor activities, exercise, and socialization, but it can also improve your physical health by decreasing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and fat levels in your blood (all of which are risk factors for heart disease). Cleaning out litter boxes and filling up water bowls seems like a small price to pay for the health benefits that accompany living with pets.

 

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences

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A cool and refreshing way to lose weigh

Posted on January 22, 2018 by | 1 comment

Many have been struggling with losing weight. Some people choose to control their diet very strictly. Others try to lose weight by going to the gym very frequently. These ways can definitely help people to reach their goals. However, it is painful for some people to only eat healthy food. And going to the gym takes a lot of time and energy. Here comes a simple and cool solution — drinking water. Most people know that water is very essential to our lives. But can you imagine that you can easily lose weight simply by drinking more water? 

[source: https://pixabay.com/en/lose-weight-fat-slim-diet-loss-1911605/]

Surprisingly that is true. Scientists have found that drinking water can increase the resting metabolic rate(RMR) of adults. RMR is the measurement of the rate of body’s metabolism. Higher RMR means human body can consume more calories by spending the same amount of energy. One experiment is conducted on overweighted women who normally drink less than 0.5 L water every day. The result of it shows that the increased intake of water to over 1 L per day can make a significant difference in body weight. After over a  12-month period, most overweight women who participated in the experiment lost more than 2 kg. Because all the participants were required not to change their lifestyle except to drink more water, this study shows the direct relationship between the intaking amount of water and the weight loss. 

 

[source: https://pixabay.com/en/tape-tomato-glas-diet-water-403592/]

Given the fact that drinking more water does help us reduce the body fat, what is the proper way to drink water based on this theory?

First, don’t forget to drink water before the meal. This can help to reduce your appetite. According to a research based on adults subjects, pre-meal water consumption has an effect on the reduction of meal energy intake, especially for older adults. This is due to the sense of fullness provided by water. Because the hunger ratings were lower and fullness ratings were higher after drinking water, people tend to eat less after drinking the required amount of water.  However, for those of you who are not older adults, it is still a good advice. Although this may not have that impressive effect on you at the same level as the middle-aged people, it still helps you to avoid overeating.

Second, try to drink one more cup of water every day and replace other sweetened beverage with water. Sugars in the sweetened beverage are the biggest enemy of losing weight. A study shows that drinking beverage can not only increase the energy intake and body weight but also increase the risk of several medical problems. It has been proved that the daily intake of water can have an influence on people’s behavior and emotions. In general, you should drink water as soon as you feel thirsty and drink enough to quench your thirst. However, it is not good to over drink the water. 1-2 liters of water per day is recommended to help stay healthy and lose weight. 

[source: https://pixabay.com/en/thirsty-man-drink-drinking-water-937395/]

Isn’t it cool to lose weight simply by drinking water? For those of you who are not interested in working out or being upset of controlling the diet, this refreshing way can be your lifesaver! If you still doubt it, just try to drink more water from now on! It does not take much effort but can give you a huge benefit.

By Qingyue Wang

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science in News

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“Gluten-Free” – Is it as Healthy as We Think?

Posted on January 22, 2018 by | Leave a comment

I’m guessing that the majority of you have seen the increasingly popular “gluten-free” diet trend displayed in many health-related magazines, books or even talk shows. But why is everybody so obsessed with this new diet fad? Well, apparently, it’s supposed to be one of the healthiest changes that you can make to your lifestyle. One scientific study even suggests that a gluten-free diet can reduce the level of “bad” fats in your blood that lead to heart disease, but is gluten-free really as healthy as it’s claimed to be?

Gluten-Free Bread; photo courtesy of Pixabay user Aline Ponce

Being “gluten-free” first arose as a treatment for individuals with celiac disease, a disorder that causes damage to the small intestine from ingesting gluten. Celiacs experience many symptoms, ranging from severe gastrointestinal issues to even developing anemia and behavioural changes. Unfortunately, the only real way to combat this is through the complete elimination of gluten from one’s diet.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. As awareness of celiac disease has increased, so have gluten-free alternatives to popular foods. As a response, many non-celiacs have been transitioning to this diet as well, assuming that it is a healthier lifestyle. However, relatively new evidence suggests that being “gluten-free” isn’t as beneficial to your health as you may believe.

Dr. Travis speaks about the gluten-free diet industry.

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In Digestive Diseases and Sciences, a study observed the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease among non-celiac individuals following a gluten-free diet. The study concluded that there was an association between being gluten-free and weight management, but this is likely because gluten-free individuals do not consume refined wheat products, which are harmful to your health. Interestingly, there was no difference in the risk of metabolic disease or heart disease between gluten-free and non-gluten-free individuals.

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic suggests that those who are adopting a gluten-free diet should be wary of losing some essential vitamins and nutrients, like iron, calcium, and fiber. Whole grains are usually enriched in these, so you would have to be diligent in finding them in other sources.

Gluten-Free Mix; photo courtesy of Flickr user, ‘theimpulsivebuy’

Gluten-free individuals should also be mindful of the fact that many store-bought, gluten-free foods are no better for you than the versions made with gluten. This is because many of these foods actually contain more sugar, fat, and calories than the original versions, leading to weight-gain rather than weight-loss. It is a common misconception that just because something is “gluten-free,” it is also healthier.

Overall, the stance on whether or not a gluten-free diet is beneficial to non-celiacs is very controversial. As long as one is aware of what is actually inside the gluten-free foods that they are consuming, as well as of all the daily nutrients that they should be obtaining, then this diet is potentially beneficial. Although, it may not be worth it if whole grains, in moderation, have shown no detrimental effect on health. The most important thing for non-celiacs to remember is that a “gluten-free” label does not automatically equal “healthy.”

By Silvana Jakupovic

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Here’s Why Coffee Is Good for Your Health

Posted on January 21, 2018 by | 1 comment

We all love our morning coffee. Photo courtesy of blogTO

Coffee has existed since approximately the 15th century – and over these years it has amassed a lot of confusion about its effect on your health.  The media has played a role in pushing a negative view towards the effects of coffee. Us coffee lovers have always had a family member or friend comment with an expression of concern regarding our love for coffee.  It’s about time coffee drinkers put an end to this narrative!

Well, if you are a huge coffee lover, you will be happy to know that scientists have discovered that there is no connection between coffee and an increased risk of cancer or heart disease. In fact, the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh published a meta-analysis investigating the effects of coffee on health. Amazingly enough, the paper used an extensive sample size analyzing over 200 papers! They found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may actually improve your health. Furthermore, they concluded that those who drank coffee were 17% less likely to die an early death, 19% less likely to die of heart disease and 18% less likely to develop cancer, compared to people who did not drink coffee.

Courtesy of Harvard School of Public Health

How does coffee work? The active ingredient in coffee is caffeine. Caffeine stimulates your brain and increases your alertness. Coffee also contains a lot of antioxidants, which are molecules that prevent damage that can cause cancer. Reactive molecules called “free radicals” attack our body and damage cells. Antioxidants stabilizes the oxidants, thus stopping them from harming our body!

David Heber, director of Center of Human Nutrition, UCLA discusses the effects of coffee.

Okay, now we know coffee can be healthy, but we also know that too much of anything is bad. How much coffee is too much coffee? Health Canada recommends adults limit caffeine intake to no more than 400mg/day. This is approximately three 8-ounce cups of coffee. Surpassing these limits could result in increased heart rate, changes in sleep patterns, heartburn, and more.

Remember that it in order to maximize coffee’s health benefits, minimize the amount of cream and sugar you put in your coffee. Sugar can singlehandedly nullify the positive effects you would get from coffee.

Robert Poole, the lead author of this study, says that these findings are “reassuring for coffee drinkers, as long as they drink in moderation”. Future studies will ideally pinpoint which type of coffee beans will have the greatest health benefit.

By Misam Ibrahimi

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Video

Is Chocolate Really Good for your Health?

Ever have that craving for a hit of sugar or the pick-me-up that chocolate delivers? Justify your guilty pleasure by agreeing with the notion that chocolate is good for you? If you answered yes to the any of the above questions, you have just admitted to being a victim of the media’s portrayal of scientific findings.

Chocolate Bars
Published under the Creative Commons License; photo courtesy of Wikimedia user André Karwath.

In recent years, many scientific studies claimed to have proven that chocolate is the next best thing you can eat. Studies conducted by researchers at prestigious universities such as Columbia have targeted and provided evidence for how chocolate helps to reduce memory loss, on a small number of subjects in a very controlled environment. This research finding was published in the media and ballooned by the press, even though it failed to mention that the study was minuscule and that it did not even use chocolate, but rather chocolate flavouring. In addition, when the New York Times, a seemingly credible and well-read media outlet got whiff of the research, they promoted only the positive aspect of how chocolate improves memory, but did not describe the size of the study or the subjects involved. This lack of knowledge reduces the credibility of the article, but nevertheless is believed by readers. The media has a strong impact on what the everyday person believes, and exaggerating scientific findings can be dangerous.

Blood Pressure Monitor
Published under the Creative Commons License; photo courtesy of Wikimedia user Amirhossein Ashrafzadeh.

Furthermore, other studies conducted on the health benefits of chocolate have made the claims that chocolate promotes lower blood pressure, which ultimately reduce the cases of cardiovascular disease. Once again, the media has taken these findings and brainwashed hoards of people suffering from high blood pressure to run to their local supermarkets and load up on the kit-kat. What the media did not mention was the fact that while cocoa has been shown to reduce blood pressure, the research conducted was only on a short time scale; the long-term effects are unknown. Moreover, when chocolate is made, the cocoa is severely degraded as it gets mixed in with sugars and other additives, so the results of the study may not hold true in store bought chocolate products. Again, the media chose not to disclose this to its audience and we are left believing that chocolate will cure high blood pressure. Without all the information, it is scary to think that we let ourselves fall into the “whatever is in the news must be true,” epidemic.

The video below exposes an unbiased view on the benefits, or lack thereof of chocolate.

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Video From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtaUKweEVhY

The case study on chocolate just presents one instance of when the media has taken up studies and hyped up their findings, regardless of their validity, fooling the nation into believing myths. So the next question is, what will the news have us believe tomorrow?

By: Wesley Louie

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Posted on January 21, 2018 by in Issues in Science, Science in News

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