Dark Chocolate As Good For Your Health As Exercise

Indulging in some dark chocolate is as good for your health as exercise.

According to US scientists, having moderate amounts of dark chocolate helps improve health in much the same way as exercising.

Moreover, eating small doses of dark chocolate and combining it with regular exercise helps boosts performance by 50%.

A study by the Wayne State University, Detroit, has found that chocolate contains a plant compound called epicatechin that promotes muscle growth in much the same way as any vigorous activity like jogging.

Aerobic exercises such as cycling or running increases the number of mitochondria present in muscle cells.

Researchers found that epicatechin appears to produce the same response – especially in the heart & skeletal muscles.

The improvements in the muscle performance are tied to increases in the mitochondria – the tiny body cell “powerhouses. More mitochondria leads to more energy being produced, and hence more work can be performed.

Related Article:

The 3D Chocolate Printer Crafts Designs in Chocolate bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Women Sitting For Over 6 Hrs Daily Have 40% Increased Risk Of Early Death

According to a new study, sitting for over 6 hours every day may shorten life & can’t be reversed by exercise.

Women who sit for over 6 hours daily are 40% more likely to die than women who sit less than 3 hours a day.

The American Cancer Society researchers say the figure is about 20 % for men.

Prolonged sitting increases risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression.

Besides, extended periods of sitting can result in significant damage to health that no amount of exercise can reverse.

This finding places sitting down for lengthy periods in the same slot as smoking.

People with desk jobs have double the risk of developing a kind of colon cancer.

Government health recommendations suggest at least thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, five days a week or twenty minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, three days a week.

Some workplaces are seeking to overcome the health problems of prolonged sitting down by setting up low-speed treadmill desks.

Related Article:

Desk Job Ups Bowel Cancer Risk

Too Much TV May Cause Premature Death

Researchers say telly time could distract people from engaging in more healthy activities and prolonged television viewing increases the risk of diabetes & heart disease.

A Harvard School of Public Health study reveals that every 2 hours spent watching TV each day ups the diabetes risk by 20% & risk of heart disease by 15%.

But switching it off & doing something more demanding could stop 2 people in every 1000 developing these conditions.

Reducing TV viewing can significantly lower risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes & premature mortality.

The issue is not TV watching per se, but that those who spend hours in front of the box are less likely to have an active lifestyle and therefore are more prone to be obese or overweight.

Other sedentary activities, such as surfing the internet or playing computer games could have a similar effect and needs to be studied.

The study showed that in excess of 2 hours of TV viewing a day upped the risk of type-2 diabetes & cardiovascular disease, and over 3 hours of daily TV viewing raised the risk of an early death.

The absence of any muscle contractions on account of sitting for extended periods brings about physiological changes – not all glucose & fats are removed from the bloodstream thereby increasing the risk of disease.

The combination of an inactive lifestyle, unhealthy diet & obesity creates the perfect breeding ground for type 2 diabetes & heart disease.

Some sort of physical activity for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week is required to keep the heart healthy.

The findings serve as a wake-up call regarding the risk of having a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity can lower by over 60% the risk of type-2 diabetes.

Related Articles:

Video Games Make Teens Eat More(bluebell25.wordpress.com) 

Too Much TV Narrows Blood Vessels in Kids’ Eyes(bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Tai Chi Good For Cardiac Patients

Tai chi, an ancient Chinese mind-body exercise regimen is good for chronic heart condition patients – it leads to better quality of life, lifts mood and exercises self-efficacy in them.

Tai chi involves gentle, circular movements, weight & balance-shifting exercises and breathing techniques.

One hour group sessions held twice a week for 12 weeks were enough to demonstrate significant improvements in confidence and mood. In the study, 50 American heart patients who joined tai chi classes were compared with 50 patients who enrolled for heart education classes.

Both groups exhibited similar physical responses but the tai chi sessions group showed “significant” improvements as shown by their responses in the questionnaire to gauge their emotional condition.

The tai chi sessions group reported enhanced quality of life, increased confidence to carry out various exercise-related activities, improved levels of daily activity, and enhanced feelings of well-being than the heart education group.

The study demonstrates that Tai chi is a safe option for chronic systolic heart failure patients considered too feeble to exercise. Tai chi may also benefit people with balance problems, hypertension, and a feeble exercise capacity. It helps reduce anxiety, lifts mood and enhances vigor and its conventional exercises of low-to-moderate intensity has better adherence rates.

Related Article:

Morning Heart Attacks More Serious (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Too Much TV Narrows Blood Vessels in Kids’ Eyes

Kids spending too much time glued to televisions or computer screens, and far less time outdoors, have narrowed retinal vessels.

An Australian study reveals that children who spent a lot of time watching television had slightly smaller blood vessels in their eyes in comparison to other physically active kids.

Children who daily spent over an hour outdoors had wider blood vessels than those who had the least exercise.

What this means for kids is still unknown.

Changes to retinal vessels are an indicator of what’s happening in the rest of your body, especially the heart. Now, in adults, narrower retinal arteries suggest increased risk of high blood pressure & cardiovascular disease.

Parents ought to be aware that it’s not the amount of computer or television time that affects the size of blood vessels. Rather, it’s a lack of exercise – a sedentary lifestyle results in health problems at such a tender age.

Related Articles:

£53,000 Bionic Eye Gives The Sightless Vision (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Blind Use Echolocation To Navigate (bluebell25.wordpress.com)