New research suggests that healthy aging may rely on exercise and diet. However, for many people, the thought of muscle strength and mobility decreasing as they age is expected and almost accepted. Most don’t realize that strength loss can be significantly delayed or altogether prevented.

There is no need to accept a decrease in strength or mobility; maintaining strength should be an essential part of any long-term wellness plan. Plenty of healthy eating and strength-building exercises are suitable for all abilities that can help keep you strong, active, and feeling great throughout your life.

Eating a healthy diet and staying active are two key elements to living a strong and vibrant lifestyle during our senior years. Not only can good nutrition and exercise help people maintain good physical health, but mental clarity can also be disciplined by incorporating an appropriate number of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into one’s daily diet. It is never too late to start making small but meaningful changes to one’s diet and physical activity levels to ensure overall well-being through any stage of life!

As we age, our bodies naturally become weaker and less mobile, a process known as sarcopenia. This age-related form of muscular degeneration typically starts in our thirties, when our muscles begin to lose their youthful bulk and strength. In turn, sarcopenia can cause falls, fractures, and reduced quality of life in older adult populations.

New research suggests that simple lifestyle changes such as physical activity and healthy nutrition choices may help reduce sarcopenia-related muscle atrophy. By staying active and maintaining healthy eating habits, older adults can lessen the negative effects of sarcopenia.

Co-researcher Alan Hayes from the Institute for Health and Sport said, “There are many reasons that people can lose muscle, such as inactivity and hospitalization, which exacerbates losses seen with aging. Muscles can respond at any age, but waiting until there are difficulties with simple activities of daily living is too late.”
Inflammation is a natural part of aging, and research indicates it can contribute to muscle loss. This is especially concerning since muscle mass has been recognized as a predictor of health outcomes in seniors. Additionally, there is evidence that inflammation resulting from an external illness like COVID-19 or influenza may accelerate muscle deterioration, highlighting the importance of maintaining muscle for overall well-being and longevity.

Researchers agree that the key approach to sarcopenia is simple: diet and exercise. Even with progress in medical research and healthcare systems focusing on medications to help with chronic diseases in older age, a prescription for exercise still remains the gold standard. The best form of exercise is known as progressive resistance training (PRT), which involves a gradual, repeated, and targeted increase in weight over time.

A healthy diet includes protein and caloric intake, which are the building blocks and fuel that can help optimize the effects of PRT. Researchers hope this study will add to the mounting evidence of how diet and exercise are the keys to healthy aging and that it will help with publicly funded exercise and diet plans.

Foods for General Health

To help ensure your diet is complete, 65+ Superfood Essentials is an excellent addition to a daily supplement regime. This breakthrough formula is a great way to support and promote cardiovascular and overall health.

It contains Capros®, a patented and clinically studied Indian gooseberry extract that has been found to absorb free radicals and provide cascading antioxidants. Acai berry (the powerful natural antioxidant known to support total health) and resveratrol, a premier anti-aging ingredient, are also found in this formulation that can help ensure proper nutrients and vitamins that are essential as you age.

Recent research has shed light on an amazing long-term health benefit of taking more steps per day—women who walk more are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. For many years, doctors have emphasized the importance of regular physical activity and exercise for its immediate benefits and long-term impact on overall health and longevity.

As it turns out, even taking just a few extra steps each day can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time. In this blog article, we’ll discuss some key findings from recent studies about how walking aids in warding off this potentially dangerous medical condition.

For the new study, researchers analyzed Fitbit data and type 2 diabetes rates from 5,677 participants included in the NIH’s All of Us Research Program between 2010-2021. About 75% of the participants that the researchers studied were female.

It was found that over the four-year follow-up period, 97 new cases of diabetes were recorded. However, people with an average daily step count of 10,700 were 44% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with 6,000 steps.

“We investigated the relationship between physical activity and type 2 diabetes with an innovative approach using data from wearable devices linked to electronic health records in a real-world population,” said Andrew S. Perry, M.D., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. “We found that people who spent more time in any type of physical activity had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Our data shows the importance of moving your body every day to lower your risk of diabetes.”

Physical activity, such as walking, is essential to physical and mental health, and its benefits can’t be overemphasized. It not only helps to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes but can also prevent or manage other physical and mental health conditions, including hypertension, obesity, depression, and anxiety.

Regular physical activity improves our physical well-being by making us stronger, reducing fat percentage, and improving our cardiac system. On a mental level, physical activity releases endorphins, helping reduce stress levels by clearing the mind of negative thoughts.

Additionally, physical activity has many social benefits, such as making it easier for us to build relationships with others involved in activities like group exercise classes or going for regular walks with friends. So, in summary, physical activity is one of the most beneficial activities you can do not just for preventing diabetes but also for overall well-being and happiness.

Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

While this new research shows how walking can help with lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Healthy Blood Sugar Support can help maintain healthy blood sugar. The ingredients found in this unique formula have been touted in clinical studies for their ability to help maintain and lower blood sugar levels.

The health benefits of this unique formula include supporting blood-sugar metabolism and promoting healthy cholesterol and glucose levels already within the normal range. Healthy Blood Sugar Support can also help to reduce excessive hunger or increased appetite, fatigue, and blood glucose spikes after meals.

According to a new study, the combination of high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels can significantly increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. While high blood pressure alone is dangerous enough in its own right, it makes the situation even more serious when coupled with bad cholesterol. Not only does this combination set individuals up for future health issues, but it could result in life-threatening complications or deadly events such as stroke or even death if not addressed properly. Read on to learn why it’s important to keep an eye on both blood pressure and cholesterol levels and what you can do if they begin trending into unhealthy territory.

Hypertension has previously been found to be a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but this study shed light on outcomes when paired with cholesterol. It was found that among people with hypertension who have never experienced a stroke or heart attack before, lipoprotein(a) seems to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and the risk of a major cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke.

Previous studies have also indicated that cardiovascular disease risk substantially increases when a person has hypertension, lipid imbalance, or dyslipidemia. However, there is much less information on how much lipoprotein(a) affects cardiovascular disease risk among people with hypertension.

For the new study evaluating the potential correlation between hypertension and lipoprotein(a) on the development of cardiovascular disease, the researchers first categorized the participants into groups based on their blood pressure and lipoprotein(a) levels. All participants were followed for an average of 14 years
and cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, or death from coronary artery disease, were tracked.

“We found that the overwhelming amount of cardiovascular risk in this diverse population appears to be due to hypertension,” said study author Rishi Rikhi, M.D., M.S. “Additionally, individuals with hypertension had even higher cardiovascular risk when lipoprotein(a) was elevated. The fact that lipoprotein(a) appears to modify the relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular disease is interesting, and suggests important interactions or relationships for hypertension, lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular disease, and more research is needed.”

Supporting blood pressure and keeping cholesterol levels low is vital for living a long and healthy life. Getting plenty of exercise, eating healthy meals, and giving the body its essential vitamins and nutrients can go a long way to helping with cardiovascular health. From brain health to heart health, keeping the body healthy throughout life is the only way to help ensure good health in older years.

Supporting Cholesterol Levels and Blood Pressure

Clinical Strength Cholesterol Support helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol) to help keep the body’s cholesterol healthy. Its unique formula uses a powerful combination of Artichoke extract, CoQ10, garlic extract, and B vitamins to help improve cholesterol and cardiovascular health. Backed by strong science, the ingredients in Clinical Strength Cholesterol Support make for an excellent addition to your daily supplement routine to help with cardiovascular health.

By maintaining healthy blood pressure, you can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and help support overall heart health. Healthy Blood Pressure Support has been shown in human clinical studies to help support healthy blood pressure making it an excellent choice for those looking to reduce their risk of hypertension. In addition, Healthy Blood Pressure Support also supports healthy cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health.

Recent studies have shown that intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool in managing and even reversing type 2 diabetes. This news is exciting for those living with the condition, as it offers hope of a more effective treatment option than what has been available in the past.

Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is essentially a dietary pattern that alternates between fasting and eating periods, providing health benefits beyond what regular dieting alone can do. Intermittent fasting encourages intermittent caloric intake, where meals are eaten during certain windows of time, leading to reduced calorie intake overall.

Research into intermittent fasting has shown that it can reduce the risk of heart disease, improve inflammation, insulin resistance, blood sugar control, and cholesterol levels, and have the added benefit of promoting weight loss that is easier to sustain compared to other kinds of diets.

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism included a 3-month intermittent fasting diet intervention among 36 people with type 2 diabetes. It was found that almost 90% of participants, including those who took blood sugar-lowering agents and insulin, could reduce their diabetes medication intake after following an intermittent fasting schedule.

Of the 36 participants, fifty percent experienced diabetes remission and were able to discontinue their diabetes medication. They were all able to maintain it for at least one year after the study.

Researchers also noted that these new findings go against the conventional view that diabetes remission can only be achieved in those with a shorter diabetes duration (0-6 years). Sixty-five percent of study participants with diabetes remission had a diabetes duration of more than six years.

Diabetes medication can be costly and become a barrier for many patients trying to manage their diabetes. This study allowed patients to decrease medication costs by 77% after intermittent fasting.

Combined with other lifestyle changes, such as improving physical activity levels, this dieting technique may yield positive health benefits in terms of diabetes prevention or long-term management.

Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Healthy Blood Sugar Support can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels using a number of ingredients that have been shown in clinical studies. The health benefits of this unique formula include supporting blood-sugar metabolism and promoting healthy cholesterol and glucose levels already within the normal range. Healthy Blood Sugar Support can also help to reduce excessive hunger or increased appetite, fatigue, and blood glucose spikes after meals

No one wants to experience memory loss, especially in the prime of their life; however, new research suggests that smoking can increase the chances of just that. A new study has found a link between those who smoke tobacco and increased risks for memory problems later in life, even if they quit before hitting midlife.

As worrisome as memory loss sounds, understanding more about how smoking affects your brain’s ability to remember could help you make better decisions now so you can protect your brain health down the road. In this blog post, we look at why cigarette smokers are more likely to experience cognitive decline earlier in their lives and what steps you can take immediately to reduce these risks.

The Ohio State University study is the first to analyze the relationship between smoking and cognitive decline using a self-reported questionnaire. The analysis included 136,018 people 45 and older and was a mixture of current smokers, recent former smokers, and those who had quit years earlier. Approximately 11% of all participants reported subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

The prevalence of SCD among smokers was almost 1.9 times that of non-smokers in the study. Those who had quit smoking less than 10 years ago were 1.5 times more than of nonsmokers. Those who quit more than a decade before the survey had an SCD prevalence just slightly above the nonsmoking group.

“The association we saw was most significant in the 45-59 age group, suggesting that quitting at that stage of life may have a benefit for cognitive health,” Wing said. A similar difference wasn’t found in the oldest group in the study, which could mean that quitting earlier affords people greater benefits,” said senior author Jeffrey Wing.

To help catch cognitive issues early, researchers believe this simple assessment could be done routinely at a younger age than cognitive decline is typically seen, and that tends to rise to the level of Alzheimer’s disease.

This study is a helpful reminder that quitting smoking is not only good for reducing the risk of conditions such as respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, but it can also help to preserve neurological health and reduce the risk of dementia.

Protecting Brain Function

While some degree of cognitive decline is nearly inevitable as you age, other numerous factors can take a toll on the ability of the brain to function at peak potential. This can affect memory, concentration, and overall brain function.

The Smart Pill can help to enhance cognitive function and memory through 9 ingredients that help to support, nourish, and maximize brain health. These include ginkgo biloba, huperzine A, bacopa extract, rosemary extract, and a B vitamin complex. This unique formula helps to boost circulation, fight free radicals, and provide nutritional support to assist with cognitive function.

New research suggests that a popular food dye could potentially trigger inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). From the rainbow-hued popsicles we devoured as children to the cake decorations that adorn our birthdays and anniversaries, food dye can be found just about everywhere.

Unfortunately, these brightly colored additions to our foods could have a detrimental effect on our health, potentially triggering inflammatory bowel diseases in adults. Read on to find out why you should avoid certain food dyes to guarantee optimal digestive health.

While many food dyes could be harmful to health, a new study focused on long-term consumption of Allura Red food dye and found it can be a potential trigger of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Synthetic food dyes have increased significantly over the last several decades, but there has been very little research on their effects on health.

The new study published in Nature Communications found that the red dye directly disrupts gut barrier function and increases the production of serotonin, a hormone/neurotransmitter found in the gut. This can lead to altered gut microbiota composition, which has been linked to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

“The literature suggests that the consumption of Allura Red also affects certain allergies, immune disorders and behavioural problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” said Waliul Khan, the study’s senior author.

Environmental triggers for IBD include the typical Western diet, which includes red and processed meats, fats, sugar, and a lack of fiber. The Western diet also includes large amounts of various dyes and additives.

Researchers hope this study will gain attention and warrant further exploration between food dyes and IBD on a clinical level. It is vital that the general public knows about the potential harm that food dyes could have on health. Allura Red is a common ingredient used in soft drinks, dairy products, and some cereals. This dye is often used to add color and texture to foodstuffs and often attracts children.

Improving Digestion

It is essential to take care of digestive health throughout life. This study shows how something as simple as additives to food can cause a disruption to gut health. By understanding ingredients and opting for less processed foods, your digestive health and immune system can stay healthy and strong as you age.

Healthy Colon provides an excellent solution to healthy digestion. The unique blend of ingredients includes natural sources of fiber, herbal ingredients, and probiotics to help prevent constipation and diarrhea. Poor digestion can impact the absorption of nutrients and vitamins, depriving the body of the valuable nutrients it desires. But Healthy Colon can target several causes of digestive issues, promoting overall health and wellness.

You might feel depression in the brain, but it could begin, or at least be impacted by, your gut.

There is plenty of research looking at how the microbiome, which is the population of microorganisms, or bacteria, that reside in your digestive system, can impact health.

Trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms live in your intestine, stomach, and colon, and are believed to do a lot more than participate in the digestive process. Studies have shown the microbiome may be involved in immune defense and producing vitamins, anti-inflammatory compounds, and chemicals that influence the brain.

New research is now suggesting that certain bacterial strains in the gut may feed depressive symptoms while other strains may offer protection from them.

In two new studies, researchers identified 13 groups of bacteria that were related to the odds of adults having depressive symptoms. In some cases, depleted strains of gut bacteria were present in people with depression, while other strains were found at high levels.

The groups of bacteria that correlated with depression scores were generally decreased in people with depression. However, some groups, like Sellimonas and Eggerthella, were present in greater abundance when people were depressed.

It is important to note that these findings do not prove anything and that it is far too early to recommend probiotics as a viable treatment for depression.

The two studies featured more than 3,500 Dutch adults from diverse backgrounds.

The findings, however, may still be a little murky. For example, depression can cause people to eat poorly, which can alter gut bacteria.

At the same time, it is possible that bacteria may influence depressive symptoms. Some of the bacteria identified in the study play a role in synthesizing chemicals that impact the brain, like butyrate, glutamate, and serotonin.

It is still hard to tell if gut bacteria is a modifiable factor in mood. However, there is research to suggest a healthful diet can influence mood. Eating gut-healthy foods may help alter the microbiome to limit depression.

This time of year, you may not be focused on heart health, but studies suggest you should consider the possibility of a heart attack. It’s the end of December, a month filled with festive parties, delicious food, cold weather, and added stressors, all of which could put pressure on the heart.

It has been well documented that heart attack rates spike as much as 40% between Christmas and New Year’s. “When we look across the year in terms of heart attack rates, what we see is fairly constant rates week by week with two exceptions: One is that there’s a broad, shallow dip in summer months and, two, there is a very short spike of about 30% to 40% in the last couple weeks of the year between Christmas and New Year’s,” said cardiologist Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones.

During the holidays, stress can be caused by numerous situations, such as dealing with family and travel arrangements. The stress is often combined with us being knocked off our eating and sleep patterns. Many of us also tend to consume more alcohol and even possibly get thrown off our medication schedule. All of this mounts up to a dangerous situation for heart health.

Weather can also contribute to heart issues during this time of year. Cold air can chill the blood in the lungs and cause the constriction of blood vessels. The coronary arteries are particularly affected by cold weather. Shoveling snow can also be especially hazardous because it is easy to overdo it, and some people wear too many layers, causing them to overheat. This is a perfect storm to maximize stress on the heart.

With so many heart stressors experienced this time of year, it is vital to know the signs of heart attack. Classic signs in men are heavy, crushing pressure in the middle of the chest, or sudden shortness of breath. Symptoms for women are not as easy to spot, as they may be as simple as shortness of breath, profound fatigue, or occasionally, dizziness and lightheadedness.

“We have two kidneys and two lungs, but only one heart and one brain, so it’s much safer to err on the side of caution,” Lloyd-Jones said. “If there’s any doubt, get checked out in person. At best, hopefully you are aborting a heart attack or stroke. Time is heart muscle, time is brain cells, and so time is of the essence. The sooner you seek help in that situation, the sooner we can save your life or brain.”

With only two weeks left before 2023 arrives, now is an excellent opportunity to focus on nourishing your body with nutritious foods, getting plenty of physical activity, and minimizing stress levels – all crucial components to ensuring you have a healthy holiday heart.

Maintaining Heart Health Throughout the Year

Keeping the heart strong and healthy is important during the holidays and vital throughout the year for enjoying a high quality of life as you age. Heart Rescue was designed to help support and promote cardiovascular health using a variety of ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, magnesium, and hawthorn extract. This formula’s health benefits can help strengthen the heart muscle, support circulation, and help reduce the risk of heart disease.

You may look outside at the snow-covered landscape and decide you’re good right where you are: indoors and warm. But you might be wrong.

Plenty of research shows that spending time in green spaces or by the ocean can benefit physical and psychological health. But now there is data to suggest that snowy environments offer those benefits, too.

So strap on the boots or snowshoes and head outside!

Of course, you might not get the benefits on a slushy city street. The research focused on 40-minute nature walks in snow-covered environments, which can be calming and free from the city’s noise and hustle.

The same outdoor spaces you use in the summer may still be operational and accessible in the winter to allow you some snow-covered relaxation.
There may be some differences. For example, if the areas are not maintained, you may want to think about purchasing some snow shoes. Snowshoes can make it much easier to tread through the snow and allow you to access calming natural spaces in the winter.

A good pair of boots can help, too, but you’ll still be working harder to get through deep snow. A pair of boots with good traction are recommended. You’ll want them to come up well above the ankle, too. If they don’t, get some gaiters.

Getting outdoors to enjoy the season can have benefits whether your surroundings are green, blue, or white. It is nature that matters.

Being in nature can help calm your mind, relieve stress, and allow you to get some much-needed exercise. This season, take advantage of the environment around you to boost your health.

If you are one of the millions of adults who suffer from insomnia and lower back pain, it may be no surprise to learn that there is a strong causal relationship between them. Research has uncovered an interesting association between persistent insomnia and chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults.

Most people are likely to experience some form of lower back pain throughout life. This is sometimes associated with medical conditions, injuries, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or other underlying physiological causes. However, pinpointing the origin of lower back pain can be difficult in many cases.

Without knowing the cause, it can be difficult to treat, leading to an impact on the day-to-day life of those affected. This is what led researchers to take a look at an association between insomnia and lower back pain.

For the study, Zhejiang University School of Medicine researchers explored the relationship between sleep and lower back pain. Over 400,000 participants’ self-reported and genetic data were examined. All participants were part of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) by the UK Biobank. They had completed genetic tests and answered a series of questions about their sleep patterns. The study focused on different factors associated with poor sleep quality, including daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and long and short sleep duration.

The findings, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, suggest that there is a bidirectional causal relationship between lower back pain and insomnia and lower back pain, meaning that insomnia can cause lower back pain and vice versa. Researchers also found that lower back pain could cause daytime sleepiness, although not the opposite.

Researchers believe these results could inspire further studies exploring the relationship between back pain and poor sleep. It could also lead to the exploration f therapeutic interventions for lower back pain that could also target insomnia and unhealthy sleeping patterns.

Promoting Sleep and Managing Pain

Sleep Sure Plus is designed to help promote optimal sleep and restfulness through a variety of ingredients. One of the most important ingredients included in this unique formula is melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone essential for regulating the circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock). Sleep Sure Plus also contains valerian, one of the best natural ingredients for promoting rest and relaxation. These two essential ingredients are joined by another 6, which all work together to provide a better quality of sleep.

More and more people are turning to natural ways to help manage pain. Super Pain Relief is a natural formula that uses Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), which has been shown in human clinical studies to help reduce multiple types of pain and inflammation. Another essential ingredient in Super Pain Relief is Quercetin, also known as a powerful inflammation fighter. This unique combination of natural ingredients will help with pain, improve mobility, and decrease stiffness while maintaining overall health and wellness.

For on-the-go pain relief, turn to Pain Eraser, a topical solution that can temporarily ease pain and discomfort on contact. Its powerful pain-reducing abilities come from camphor, a proven natural pain reliever, and menthol, which helps to provide soothing relief to sore and stiff muscles. This convenient spray provides fast-acting relief, whether at home or on the go.

Here’s a bit of a spin on “Happy Holidays,” the seasonal song by Andy Williams: sure, “it’s the holiday season,” but did you also know it’s also the heart attack season?

Although the winter holidays are a great time to celebrate, share precious moments with family and friends, and even enjoy a little seasonal song or two, they can also be deadly.

Christmas Day is the deadliest day for heart attacks of the year. It’s followed by December 26 and New Year’s Day.

The holidays can be busy and stressful. Routines are disrupted, stress can go up, and sleep can go down. It’s also possible you’re eating and drinking more while exercising and relaxing less. All of that can take a toll on your heart.

It’s also possible that people are less likely to listen to their bodies or pay attention to warning signs during this time of year. It can be easy to put off a trip to the doctor until the new year, once the holidays are all wrapped up, and you’ve got some more time.
Paying attention to how you’re feeling and doing your best to engage in heart-healthy behavior are the best ways to limit the risk of a holiday heart attack.

Here are some ways to stay heart-healthy during the holiday season:

• Celebrate in moderation. Look for small, healthy food swaps, so you don’t overindulge, and pay careful attention to salt intake.
• Keep moving with family walks or other activities, so you get at least 150 minutes of exercise during the week.
• Pay attention to self-care and relaxation to help ease the stress from family interactions, tight finances, and hectic schedules.
• Keep taking medicines and other treatments on your regular schedule.
• Learn about heart attack symptoms, which can differ in men and women.

Aspartame, the commonly used artificial sweetener found in countless food and beverage products, has been linked to significant mental health impacts, including anxiety. Many of us have grown up with it being part of our diets, but recent research has connected its consumption to mental health issues.

Our casual choice to enjoy sugar-free drinks or low-calorie alternative snacks could be having unforeseen consequences on our well-being. Read on as we dive deep into the scientific results that lead us here and look at what it could mean for anyone consuming aspartame regularly.

Aspartame was approved in 1981 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and today, nearly 5,000 metric tons are produced each year. However, mounting evidence shows that aspartame becomes aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol, all of which can have potent effects on the central nervous system.

The new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences involved providing mice with drinking water containing aspartame at approximately 15% of the FDA-approved maximum daily human intake. This was the equivalent of drinking a six to eight-ounce can of diet soda daily for humans.

The mice were analyzed, and anxiety-like behavior was observed.

“It was such a robust anxiety-like trait that I don’t think any of us were anticipating we would see,” said doctoral candidate Sara Jones. “It was completely unexpected. Usually, you see subtle changes.”

This adds to mounting evidence that consuming the popular sweetener may be harmful to health. If you suffer from anxiety, it may be helpful to steer clear of products sweetened with aspartame.

Researchers plan to continue their work focusing on brain function and how aspartame affects memory. Future studies will try to identify the molecular mechanisms that influence the transmission of aspartame’s effect across generations.

Supporting Mental Health

Reducing anxiety can be tough, but with the help of Anxiety Rescue, you can help to support healthy mood balance and cognitive function. Through a variety of ingredients, this unique formula can help to target multiple aspects of stress, mood support, and anxiety. Anxiety Rescue begins to work quickly and improves benefits and support as the weeks go on.

New research is revealing that if you’ve had shingles, you may be more likely to suffer from a stroke or heart attack than those who have not.

Anyone who’s ever had chickenpox has the potential for shingles. And while shingles are rather common, they are not taken as seriously as they should be, according to some experts.

Chickenpox and shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus. After chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in the body, hiding out in the nerves. In most cases, the immune system keeps the virus in check, but the virus may reactivate when immunity weakens due to age, illness, or medications.

The new study featured over 200,000 U.S. adults. It found that those who’d had a bout of shingles were up to 38 percent more likely to suffer a stroke in the next 12 years than those who did not.

They also had a 25 percent higher risk of heart disease, which includes heart attack.

Although the work does not prove that shingles cause heart trouble, researchers see how it is plausible.
It is possible that the reactivated virus gets into the blood vessels to cause inflammation, which may, in turn, contribute to cardiovascular episodes like heart attack and stroke.

Some previous work has found that cardiovascular risks can increase in the short term after a shingles bout. However, these results indicate the risk may not entirely disappear.

The important point is that there was no shingles vaccine available for the bulk of the study period. Now, however, a highly effective and available vaccine exists for the condition. It is called Shingrix.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults aged 50 and up get the vaccine. Studies show it is over 90 percent effective at preventing shingles in healthy adults for at least seven years.

Getting a shingles vaccine may help reduce your risk for a stroke or heart disease, as may other factors like stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake, limiting processed foods and maintaining a healthy weight.

Your hands might just be your most valuable tools. They allow you to button your shirt, open jars, feed yourself, and communicate with friends. So, when they start getting stiff, sore, and change shape, it can be highly concerning.

What’s happening?

Arthritis is the most likely cause and can rob you of independence.

Your fingers have three joints: the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP), where the fingers connect to the hand; the middle joint, called the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP), which is the joint closest to the end of the finger.

The joint at the base of the thumb is called the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint.

There are two main types of arthritis that affect the fingers and thumb, and the symptoms depend on which type you have.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type, and it is caused by wear and tear that erode the cushioning (cartilage) in joints. Bones grind against each other, and new bone forms, which show up as bumps – called nodes – in the joint. They grow soft tissue around them and expand.

In osteoarthritis (OA), the DIP and CMC are most often affected, and sometimes the PIP, as well. They can become painful, stiff, slightly enlarged, and feel bumpy. This can all limit the motion and function of your fingers and thumbs.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is different. It is an autoimmune disease where an overactive immune system attacks the lining of joints. It can often start in the hands at the MCP and PIP joints. In addition to OA symptoms, RA symptoms can lead to severe swelling, redness, and become quite warm.

With RA, it is likely that many joints will be affected, like ankles, elbows, shoulders, knees, and hips.

Painkillers are generally recommended treatments, as are hot and cold therapies or exercises to strengthen the hands. Wearing a splint or a brace may help, too. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any treatment protocol.