Asparagus, Oats and 'Water Fasting'
Presenting some of the wellness stories which have been in the headlines - for better or worse.
Probiotics may be all the rage - but prebiotics are fighting back… by now showing they might slow down cancer growth. Whereas probiotics are the live bacteria, prebiotics are the ‘food’ for bacteria - and are found in foods like asparagus and onion. Research from Sanford Burnham Prebys in California has shown that prebiotics can boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer - which all plays into the evidence that gut microbes are super important to staying healthy and fending off disease.
The mythical 10,000 steps a day might be good for your fitness - but it’s no license (or free meal) to eat what you want. A new study from Brigham Young University (BYU) questions whether 10,000 steps a day actually does anything to prevent weight gain. ‘More steps [are] always better for you’, argues Bruce Bailey, Professor of Exercise Science at BYU - which is what a professor of exercise would say. Indeed, in our ‘Is Exercise Insanity’ episode, a doctor argues that the speed at which you walk is more important than hitting an arbitrary number of steps.
Golf is no longer just ‘a good walk spoiled’ (Mark Twain) it’s now also a good way not to drop down dead early. Scientists have found that a round of golf just once a month could be enough to reduce the risk of premature death by almost half amongst older adults. Why? It seems to be a combination of the positive effects of exercise - and social interaction for those unable to participate in more strenuous exercise.
If you’ve got a bad diet, blame your friends. Ashton University found that social media users often copy their friends’ eating habits. Authors of the study hope that social media can be used in the future to ‘nudge’ one another’s eating habits. Yet another reason to ditch social media, if the collapse of democratic debate, rise of hate crime, and decimation of attention spans wasn’t enough.
And, erm...
Tackle erectile dysfunction by… zapping your penis is showing promise - and might be better than pills alone. Apparently the sound waves ‘stimulate the growth of nerve fibres and blood vessels’. And, no, it doesn’t (apparently) hurt.
The latest wellness fad to keep a very wide berth from: water fasting. Yes, water without the water. ‘Influencers’ seem to be advocating a water-free world of hydrating merely through fruit and veg - topped off with a spot of ‘dry fasting’ (no foods or fluids for 24 hours). Nutritionists say it’s dangerous and "one of the most ridiculous diet trends" - which takes some doing.
