PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  KETO DIET MAY IMPROVE PCOS         According to a new paper published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, the ketogenic (keto) diet may lower testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) . PCOS is the most common hormone disorder in women, affecting 7-10% of women of childbearing age. It can cause infertility and raise the risk of developing diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic health problems. Women with PCOS have at least two of these signs: Elevated levels of testosterone and other androgen hormones associated with male reproduction, Irregular periods, and Large ovaries with many small follicles. The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with promising effects in women with PCOS. Research has found it may help women lose weight and maintain weight loss, improve their fertility, optimize their cholesterol levels, and normalize their menstrual cycles. "We found an association between the ketogenic diet and an improvement ...

  CONCUSSIONS IN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LATER-LIFE COGNITIVE DECLINE A study of twins shows that having a concussion early in life is tied to having lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills decades later and having a more rapid decline in those scores than twins who did not have a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study was published in the online issue of  Neurology ® , the American Academy of Neurology medical journal. "These findings indicate that even people with traumatic brain injuries in earlier life who appear to have fully recovered from them may still be at increased risk of cognitive problems and dementia later in life," said study author Marianne Chanti-Ketterl, Ph.D., MSPH, of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. "Among identical twins, who share the same genes and many of the same exposures early in life, we found that the twin who had a concussion had lower test scores and faster decline than their twin who had neve...

  STRESS TESTS REVEAL MORE THAN CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH         The treadmill exercise test with electrocardiogram (ECG), also known as an exercise stress test, is one of the most familiar tests in medicine. While exercise testing typically focuses on diagnosing coronary artery disease, a recent study from the Mayo Clinic finds that exercise test abnormalities, such as low functional aerobic capacity, predicted non-cardiovascular causes of death, such as cancer and cardiovascular-related deaths. These new findings are published in  Mayo Clinic Proceedings . The exercise stress test is noninvasive, readily available, and provides important diagnostic information. In addition to the ECG, the test produces data on functional aerobic capacity, heart rate recovery, and chronotropic index, the standardized measure of heart rate during exercise that reflects age, resting heart rate, and fitness. "In our exercise testing cohort, non-cardiovascular deaths were more fr...

  BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS ACCURATE IN MEASURING BODY COMPOSITION TO A POINT       Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a method used for estimating body composition. This method estimates body composition based on the degree of current flow in the body, allowing noninvasive and rapid measurement, and is used in home-use body composition monitors and other devices. However, existing estimation methods might not be sufficient for accurately assessing skeletal muscle mass in athletes and active men, whose muscle quality and composition differ from those of the general adult population. In this study, researchers from the University of Tsukuba evaluated the validity of bioelectrical impedance for estimating skeletal muscle mass, specifically in athletes and active men. Results revealed a strong correlation between lean muscle mass and bioelectrical impedance indices, confirming that bioelectrical impedance is helpful for this purpose. In addition, bioelectrical i...

  ASTHMA EXACERBATED BY COOKING AND CANDLE FUMES A cozy set table, a nice steak in the pan, and romantic candlelight may sound like the start of a lovely evening. However, a new study from the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University suggests you should be cautious about inhaling too much of the cozy atmosphere. Karin Rosenkilde Laursen, a postdoc at the department and co-author of the study, says: "Our study shows that indoor air pollution caused by fumes from cooking and burning candles can lead to adverse health effects such as irritation and inflammation in young individuals with mild asthma. Among other things, we've found indications of DNA damage and signs of inflammation in the blood." When we turn on the oven, place a pan on the hob, or light candles, ultrafine particles and gases are produced, which we then inhale. Previous studies have shown that these particles and gases can harm health. What sets this study apart is that the researchers have focused o...

  LUNG TUMOR GROWTH STIMULATED BY ANTIOXIDANTS         Vitamin C and other antioxidants stimulate the formation of new blood vessels in lung cancer tumors, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in  The Journal of Clinical Investigation  shows .  The discovery corroborates the idea that dietary supplements containing antioxidants can accelerate tumor growth and metastasis. "We've found that antioxidants activate a mechanism that causes cancer tumors to form new blood vessels, which is surprising since it was previously thought that antioxidants have a protective effect," says study leader Martin Bergö, professor at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition and vice president of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "The new blood vessels nourish the tumors and can help them grow and spread." Antioxidants neutralize free oxygen radicals, which can damage the body and are commonly found in dietary supplements. However, overly high doses can b...

  MENOPAUSE STUDY REVEALS LACK OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENTS        Although about half of people go through menopause, less than 15% receive adequate treatment for their symptoms. Treatment options for people experiencing irritating or severe menopause symptoms are often under-researched, and some have questionable efficacy or cause harmful side effects. In a comprehensive review published in the journal  Cell , a team of menopause experts summarizes what we know about menopause, calls for more research into the timeline and treatment of menopause, and encourages individualized, holistic treatment that addresses menopausal symptoms and other systemic changes happening in the body. "The road to menopause is not difficult for all, but for some, symptoms may be severe or even disabling and disruptive to work and family," write the authors, who are based in Australia, Italy, and the United States. "Recognition that menopause, for most w...