Fitness Factoids: Volume #5
Low Melatonin Levels Linked with
Development of Type 2 Diabetes
A recent study that was funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that there may be an association between decreased melatonin levels and type 2 diabetes. A study of U.S. women found that those with the lowest levels of melatonin had more than twice the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to women with the highest levels of the hormone. People with type 2 diabetes, by far the more common form of diabetes, don't make enough insulin or use it properly. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose) from foods into energy. Melatonin receptors are found throughout the body, including in the islet cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin. This connection suggests melatonin may also play a role in glucose metabolism, according to the study. Although the evidence does suggest there may be a strong correlation between decreased melatonin levels and type 2 diabetes, it doesn’t prove that taking melatonin would cause a person to be more insulin sensitive, and further research is needed to accurately determine the effectiveness of melatonin as a treatment.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/News/Article.aspx?id=675044
Study Links Folic Acid to Lower Autism Risk
As some may already know, April is Autism Awareness Month. The most recent data shows 
that nearly 1in 50 are now being diagnosed as having a form of autism spectrum disorder. A recent study published by The Journal of the American Medical Association shows that women who took folic acid before and during pregnancy were 40% less likely to have a baby later diagnosed with autism. In this study, the critical window for folic acid consumption was four weeks before conception through the eighth week of pregnancy. Taking folic acid in mid-pregnancy, measured at week 22, was not associated with a decreased risk. Researchers also found no link between fish oil supplements and autism risk. Folic acid, a B vitamin, is essential for synthesizing and repairing DNA. It appears to play a key role in the first days and weeks of embryonic life, before women even know they're pregnant. Scientists can't explain, however, exactly how folic acid prevents birth defects.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/12/folic-acid-autism-risk/1911043/
Lifelong Exercise Holds the Key
to Cognitive Well Being
The journal of Physiological Medicine recently published a study detailing their findings on exercise’s cognitive effects on the brain. The study found that participants who exercised weekly as a child and as an adult performed better on tests of memory, learning, attention and reasoning at the age of 50 than those who exercised two to three times per month or less. Researchers found that the greatest benefit emerged from participating in lifelong intensive exercise, even after accounting for exercise frequency.
Previous research has focused on the achievement of recommended levels and has scarcely explored the benefits of lower levels of exercise. The study carried out by King's indicates that even exercise of a frequency lower than recommended levels may also contribute to better cognitive functioning.
Read more at: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-lifelong-key-cognitive-well-being.html#jCp
The Power of Peppermint
The oil extracted from the peppermint plant contains a host of compounds, but the most abundant and perhaps the most pharmacologically important is menthol. Studies have shown peppermint oil to be fairly effective at relieving irritable bowel syndrome, a collection of sympt
oms that includes abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea that affects 5 to 20 percent of the population. Peppermint can temporarily allay itching caused by insect bites, eczema and other lesions, including the rash of poison ivy. Peppermint tea can be used as a mouthwash for babies with thrush or for reducing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, especially for women who want to avoid stronger medications.
http://www.healthnews.com/en/news/The-Power-of-Peppermint/2mjcm6_Bb7785hzFpvGcN6/
Reasons No
t to Stretch
A study published in The Journal of Strength and Condition Research may make you reconsider your thoughts on stretching. According to researcher’s calculations static stretching reduces the strength in the muscles being stretched by nearly 5.5%. Researchers determined that muscle power generally falls by about 2% after stretching. When measuring explosive muscle performance in movements like the clean and jerk, a statistical drop off of up to 2.8% was recorded. Although warming up prior to exercise is a critical component to optimal performance and injury reduction, static stretching alone isn’t recommended as an appropriate form of warm up.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/reasons-not-to-stretch/
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