The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
- Help your kids ace their tests with a salmon dinner
- Every minute counts when it comes to exercise
- Losing weight could help prevent migraines
| Help your kids ace their tests with a salmon dinner Posted: If your kids' grades are flagging, add foods like salmon and walnuts to the table that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, essential building blocks for a healthy brain. WANT to help your kids improve their performance at school? Serve them a dinner of grilled tuna or salmon teriyaki, suggests a new study out of Oxford University. After taking blood samples from nearly 500 children between the ages of seven and nine, scientists found that levels of omega-3 fatty acids "significantly predicted" their ability to concentrate, and learn. Published in the journal PLOS One and presented at a conference in London last week, the study found that higher levels of omega-3, particularly the long-chain form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), were associated with better reading and memory and fewer behavioral problems among the children examined. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to play an important role in the brain's structure and cognitive function, in addition to heart health and the immune system. Dietary sources of omega-3 include fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna as well as flaxseed oil and walnuts. Blood samples of the 493 schoolchildren showed, meanwhile, that British children fall below the minimum recommended intake of the brain boosting nutrient: on average, the total levels of omega-3 fatty acids (both DHA and its cousin eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA), averaged 2.45%. The minimum level of omega-3 fatty acids recommended to maintain heart health is 4% in adults. Scientists also found that nine out of 10 children in the sample ate fish less than twice a week, and nearly one in 10 never ate fish at all, according to dietary information obtained from the parents. Recommended weekly intake is a minimum of two fish portions a week. "This study suggests that many, if not most UK children, probably aren't getting enough of the long-chain omega-3 we all need for a healthy brain, heart and immune system," said study co-author Alex Richardson. "That gives serious cause for concern because we found that lower blood DHA was linked with poorer behaviour and learning in these children." Another study published last year in the print issue of Neurology likewise found that a diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids may be linked to shrinking brains in older people, causing the brain to age faster and weakening important cognitive functions such as visual memory, problem solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking. – AFP Relaxnews |
| Every minute counts when it comes to exercise Posted: A new US study finds that even one minute of high-intensity exercise can benefit your health. NOW you have no excuses: a new US study finds that even one minute of high-intensity exercise – such as walking briskly or taking the stairs – can benefit your health. Researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City analysed data on more than 4,500 adults in a study on how exercise contributes to good health. Head researcher Catherine Zick and her team found that minute-long bursts of high-intensity exercise were associated with lower body mass index and other benefits similar to those resulting from 10-minute bouts of moderate exercise, such as walking normally. Findings appear online in the American Journal of Health Promotion. This May, a new study published in the journal PLOS One also found that overweight, inactive men can get fitter and healthier with just four minutes of vigorous high-intensity training three times per week. – AFP Relaxnews |
| Losing weight could help prevent migraines Posted: A new study adds more bulk to research linking obesity to migraines. IF you suffer from migraines and are carrying extra pounds, a new study provides more motivation to lose weight. According to new research conducted out of John Hopkins University School of Medicine, obese people are 81% more likely to suffer from episodic migraines compared to people of normal weight. In the study published last week in the online edition of Neurology, researchers surveyed 3,862 people who provided information on their height, weight and frequency of migraines. The average age of the participants was 47. Overall results showed that 1,044 respondents were obese and 188 people said they suffer from occasional or episodic migraines, defined as 14 or fewer headaches a month. "These results suggest that doctors should promote healthy lifestyle choices for diet and exercise in people with episodic migraine," said study author B. Lee Peterlin. "More research is needed to evaluate whether weight loss programmes can be helpful in overweight and obese people with episodic migraine." The latest study builds on previous research published in 2011 which found that exercise can be just as effective at preventing migraines as medication. After putting a group of migraine patients under an exercise regime that involved 40-minute sessions three times a week, a team of Swedish researchers found that the number of migraines fell for both participants who exercised, and those who were put on a drug plan. The 2011 study was published in the journal Cephalalgia. – AFP Relaxnews |
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