PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  CONCUSSIONS IN YOUNG CHILDREN EXPERIENCED MORE OUTSIDE OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION         Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that young children between the ages of 5 and 12 were more likely to experience a concussion from recreation and other non-sport activities. Yet, those injuries were not seen by specialists until days later compared with sports-related concussions in the same age group. This study suggests concussion research is needed for children outside of sports and that providing more resources and education to those providers diagnosing most concussions in this age group, particularly emergency departments and primary care could reduce inequities in concussion care regardless of the mechanism of injury by which these patients experience concussions. The findings were recently published by the  Journal of Pediatrics . Adolescents experience high rates of sports- and recreation-related injuries, but the rate of injuries among children ages 5

  Urban green and blue spaces may improve health outcomes. Associations are most pronounced among Black individuals living in deprived neighborhoods. Being near and having more exposure to urban green space and blue (water) space is linked to lower odds of coronary artery calcification in middle age, an early marker of cardiovascular disease. The associations were more pronounced among Black individuals and those living in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status, with the most potent effects observed in Black individuals in economically deprived communities. Specifically, Black participants with the highest accessibility to a river had 32% lower odds of coronary artery calcification compared to those with the lowest accessibility. Black participants with greater access to green spaces had up to 35% lower odds of calcification. For each 10%-point increase in green space, the odds of having coronary artery calcification decreased by 15% on average. The study was published today, Ju

  INTERMITTENT FASTING: FACTS AND FICTION         In a new article, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago debunk four common myths about the safety of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight without counting calories. And a large body of research has shown it's safe. Still, several myths about fasting have gained traction among clinicians, journalists, and the general public: that fasting can lead to a poor diet or loss of lean muscle mass, cause eating disorders, or decrease sex hormones. UIC researchers debunk each of these in a new commentary in  Nature Reviews Endocrinology . They base their conclusions on clinical studies, some of which they conducted and some done by others. "I've been studying intermittent fasting for 20 years, and I'm constantly asked if the diets are safe," said lead author Krista Varady, professor of kinesiology and nutrition at UIC. "There is a lot of misinformati

  LOW BACK PAIN RECURRENCE REDUCED WITH WALKING .         A world-first study has found that adults with a history of low back pain went nearly twice as long without a recurrence of their back pain if they walked regularly. About 800 million people worldwide have low back pain, and it is a leading cause of disability and reduced quality of life. Repeated episodes of low back pain are also prevalent, with seven in 10 people who recover from an episode going on to have a recurrence within a year. Current best practice for back pain management and prevention suggests a combination of exercise and education. However, some forms of exercise are not accessible or affordable to many due to their high cost, complexity, and need for supervision. A clinical trial by Macquarie University's Spinal Pain Research Group examined whether walking could be a practical, cost-effective, and accessible intervention. The trial followed 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pa

  OVERWEIGHT TEEN GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN HAVE INCREASED RISKS FOR STROKES BEFORE AGE 55. In contrast, men did not have the same increased ischemic stroke risk, according to a new study published in the Stroke Journal. In an analysis of more than 50 years of health data, women who were overweight or obese at age 14 or 31 were more likely to have an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke before age 55, according to research published today in  Stroke , the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. According to the American Heart Association, an ischemic stroke occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed. Ischemic Stroke is the most common type of Stroke and accounts for about 87% of all strokes. The study conducted in Finland suggests that women who were overweight at age 14 were associated with later clot-caused stroke risk despite having lost weight by age 31. Also, women who were overweight at age 31 we

  ARE YOU EATING ENOUGH FIBER, AND WHAT'S THE BEST TYPE FOR YOU?         Nutritionists generally advise everyone to eat more dietary fiber, but a new Cornell University study suggests that its effects on health can vary from person to person. The findings indicate that recommendations should be tailored to each individual's gut microbiome. The study, published in  Gut Microbes , focused on resistant starch, a dietary fiber found in bread, cereals, green bananas, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, and potatoes. The researchers identified the gut microbe species that change in response to two different types of resistant starch. They found evidence that each individual may have a unique reaction to eating resistant starch, with some benefiting and others experiencing little or no effect. The reason appears tied to the diversity and composition of a person's gut microbiome. "Precision nutrition definitely has a use in determining what dietary fiber we should tell people to ea

  MULTIVITAMIN USE IN HEALTHY ADULTS MAY NOT IMPROVE LIFE EXPECTANCY Findings come from an analysis of more than two decades of dietary data from 390,124 U.S. adults. .         What: An extensive  analysis of data from nearly 400,000 healthy U.S. adults followed for over 20 years has found no association between regular multivitamin use and a lower risk of death. The study, led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute, was published June 26, 2024, in  JAMA Network Open . Many adults in the United States take multivitamins to improve their health. However, the benefits and harms of regular multivitamin use still need to be determined. Previous multivitamin use and mortality studies have yielded mixed results and have been limited by short follow-up times. To explore the relationship between long-term regular multivitamin use and overall mortality and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, the researchers analyzed data from three extensiv