A month of links

Its been a busy month (and a half) for me – more on that in another post – but its been a busy time in the world of health and fitness.

The Meat will kill you Study: I’d jump straight in with a comment from Gary Taubes and  Silverhydra’s interpretation   before rounding it out with a post from Mark Sisson. And a heart surgeon speaks out – what really causes heart disease.

More on the use it or lose it

“We control 70 per cent of how we age,” she says. “The other 30 per cent is genetic, and we can blame our mothers for that. But 70 per cent is in our hands.”

Omega 3 supplementation is recommended for a lot of people – but you can over do it. And more reasons to supplement with vitamin d.

Do you remember to use the foam roller on your upper body?

Wheat – more ways it damages you. And a look at the spectrum of gluten sensitivity disorders.

Given my diet for the last month or so, I’m not surprised that evidence keeps emerging that lack of sleep causes you to overeat.

A study suggests women are more susceptible to hormonally induced hunger after exercise. And another study looks at the effect of resistance training on overall energy expenditure.

Its disappointing to watch my country’s educational institution’s reputations ruined by pseudoscience.

When will my gym start offering Kitty-robics?

Lots of Links

So in the first week of January’s  articles of achieving the new you – Australian dieticians have voted the lemon detox as the worst diet fad The Perfect Health Diet expounds a theory of obesity. Mark looks at how to tell if you’re inflamed. Do we really need to pornify exercise?

A high protein diet helps promote lean tissue, while its calories that boost body fat. A new study looks at the role of exercise on skeletal muscle glycogen breakdown for regulating insulin sensitivity. Another study is released linking low vitamin d and depression.

Another study showing marijuana is less harmful than tobacco. One day we may have a drug to protect against heat sensitivity (Australia here I come!). Sweet, Sour, Salty and Bitter are as outdated as the basic humours when it comes to human taste.

What better than the start of a new year to think of apocalyptic signs – India has reported cases of completely drug-resistant tuberculosis.

After reports that marathon running damages your heart, it looks like the risk may be overstated. On the opposite end of the activity scale, more evidence that even minor increases in activity can decrease the risk of heart attack.

Eat More Chocolate

More studies suggesting the link between chocolate consumption and good health.

 

They analysed the results of seven studies, involving over 100,000 participants with and without existing heart disease. For each study, they compared the group with the highest chocolate consumption against the group with the lowest consumption. Differences in study design and quality were also taken into account to minimise bias.

Five studies reported a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiovascular events. They found that the “highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with lowest levels.” No significant reduction was found in relation to heart failure.

The studies did not differentiate between dark or milk chocolate and included consumption of chocolate bars, drinks, biscuits and desserts.