Tag Archives: Harvard Medical School in Boston

Push-ups and Squats Cut Diabetes Risk by 1/3

For years doctors have been saying that aerobic exercise and an active lifestyle lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. But scientists have long wondered if strength training combined with cardio can help lower the risk even more. Just as importantly, is just strength training alone enough to lower the risk even a little bit?

A new study answers this question. Drumroll please…. Indeed, strength training and resistance exercises (even yoga and Pilates!) are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Best of all, when these exercises are done in conjunction with your aerobic exercise, women’s risk drops by one-third!

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Posted on March 5, 2024 by Katie McGrath

Potassium and blood pressure

Did you know that consuming too little of the electrolyte potassium can actually increase your blood pressure and your chances of having a stroke? And increasing it might help some to reduce the amount of blood pressure medication they are taking. This latest news is according to the Harvard Medical School. Foods that are high in potassium are meat, fish, poultry, bananas, apricots, honeydew melon, avocado, spinach and a host of others.

Most of us get adequate levels of potassium in our diet, but for those who exercise and sweat a lot and for those who follow a very restricted diet with few calories, they should be very aware of consuming enough of this mineral.

A deficiency is usually marked by generalized weakness. But those who need to be concerned about getting too much are those with diabetes and in renal failure. They can no longer metabolize or break down electrolytes and therefore run the risk of having too much potassium running through their systems. If you’re concerned that you fall in either of these extreme categories, talk to your doctor.

Posted on April 11, 2024 by heather

Diet Can Improve Pregnancy Chances?

Ladies (and their gents)… if you’re looking for an extra edge in getting pregnant, your diet can help. And no, this isn’t from some quack. Prominent Harvard Medical School researchers suggest in a new book that it can improve your chances. Among the culinary steps to take – cut down on meat. Boo, I know. But, ice cream helps!

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Jason

Drink Up: Latest Research Confirms Alcohol Benefits

The benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, or lack thereof, have been debated for years. So, what’s the last call on alcohol?

The verdict appears to be in favor of alcohol. If this research sticks, you can ward off heart disease, diabetes and even arthritis. Here’s more on the Harvard research.

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Jason

Cereal Manufacturers, Rejoice!

Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. A study, 20 years in the making, gives you another reason not to skip it – that is, if you eat whole grain cereal. The study has concluded that whole grain cereals may significantly reduce a person’s risk of heart failure.

The men in the study who ate a bowl of whole grain cereal daily had a 28 percent lower risk of developing heart failure.

“Eating half a cup to a cup of whole grain breakfast cereal may help lower your blood pressure. It may help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease,” said Dr. Luc Djousse of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

“This study adds another piece to the puzzle. It may also lower your risk of heart failure,” Djousse, whose study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers studied the breakfast habits of more than 21,000 male doctors with an average age of 53.7 years for nearly 20 years. Over the course of the study, 1,018 of the men had heart failure. Most new cases were in the men who ate no whole grain cereals.

And those who ate at least one bowl a day of whole grain cereal had the lowest incidence of heart failure.

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Jason