Just 20 Minutes of Walking May Reduce

Inflammation in Your Body

Just 20 minutes of exercise may help fight inflammation in the body, a new study suggests.

In the study, 47 people walked on a treadmill at a brisk pace for 20 minutes, and had blood
samples taken before and after this exercise session.

The researchers found that this amount of exercise reduced markers of inflammation in the body.
Specifically, the 20-minute exercise session resulted in a 5 percent decrease in the number of
immune cells that produced a protein called TNF, which is involved in the body's inflammatory
response, the researchers said.

"Each time we exercise, we are truly doing something good for our body on many levels,
including at the immune cell level," study researcher Suzi Hong, a researcher of psychiatry and
family medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, said in a
statement. "The anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise have been known to researchers, but
finding out how that process happens is the key to safely maximizing those benefits." [4 Easy
Ways to Get More Exercise]

The new study revealed one way that exercise creates an anti-inflammatory effect. First,
hormones produced during exercise, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, activate receptors
called beta-2 adrenergic receptors. These receptors are present on many cells, including immune
cells, and it's this activation that leads to changes in the body's immune system response,
including a decrease in cells producing TNF, the researchers said.

"Knowing what sets regulatory mechanisms of inflammatory proteins in motion may contribute
to developing new therapies for the overwhelming number of individuals with chronic
inflammatory conditions, including nearly 25 million Americans who suffer from autoimmune
diseases," Hong said. [How to Jump-Start Your Exercise Routine in 2017]

The researchers also stressed that the findings suggest you don't have to go all-out during
exercise in order to experience anti-inflammatory effects. "Twenty minutes to half an hour of
moderate exercise, including fast walking, appears to be sufficient," Hong said. "Feeling like a
workout needs to be at a peak exertion level for a long duration can intimidate those who suffer
from chronic inflammatory diseases and could greatly benefit from physical activity."

The study was published online Dec. 21 in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Original article on Live Science.

5 Ways to Have a Healthier Weekend
By Rachael Rettner January 13, 2017

After a long and busy workweek, it may be tempting to let your healthy habits slide on the
weekend. But studies show that changes in lifestyle behaviors over the weekend can lead to
worse sleep and weight gain. So don't let the weekend ruin your New Year's health resolutions
— here are five ways to have a healthier weekend.

Don't sleep in

On a Saturday morning, you may want nothing more than to lie in bed for a few extra hours. But
this may not be the best move if you want to improve your sleep overall.

Sleeping in on the weekends can throw off your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm,
according to the National Sleep Foundation. This could make it harder for you to fall asleep at
your usual bedtime, and get up at your usual time once the workweek starts again. That's why it's
best to keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent, and to vary your sleep schedule by no
more than an hour on weekends, the NSF says.

Exercise, at least once

If your weekdays are too busy for exercise, there's good news — you can make up for it on weekends,
and still gain health benefits similar to those of people who go to the gym every day, according to a
recent study.

In the study, researchers examined so-called "weekend warriors," who cram a week's worth of
exercise into just one or two sessions a week.

The researchers found that weekend warriors who met physical activity guidelines were 30
percent less likely to die from any cause during the nine-year study period, compared with
people who didn't get any exercise. (Physical-activity guidelines recommend that people get at
least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, per week.)

Even the people who didn't meet physical-activity guidelines, but who did exercise one or two
days a week, had a lower risk of early death than people who didn't exercise.

Socialize
Meeting with friends on the weekend may be good for your health, and help your job
performance during the workweek, according to the results of a 2005 study conducted by
psychologists in Germany.

In that study, the researchers surveyed 87 employees of an emergency medical services

company, who helped treat people during emergencies (such as car accidents) and transport them
to the hospital. The participants answered various questions about their weekend activities, their
health and their job performance after the weekend.

Results showed that the people who engaged in more social activities during the weekend
reported better overall health after the weekend, compared with those who engaged in less social
activity. Social activity over the weekend was also linked with more engagement at work, and
better job performance, at the start of the workweek.

"It appears as if spending time with important others rebuilds [physical and emotional] resources
that pay off after the weekend," the researchers wrote. "These findings support research
indicating that spending time with other people can be one way of recovering from work
demands," they said.

Watch your calories

Several studies have found that Americans eat more on the weekends, and that this weekend
indulgence may contribute to weight gain.

In a 2008 study, 50 U.S. adults weighed themselves every day for two to four weeks, and then
continued to weigh themselves periodically over the course of a year while they attempted a
weight-loss program. They also kept track of the food they ate, so the researchers could estimate
their calorie intake.

The study found that, before they started the weight-loss program, the participants' food intake
was highest on Saturdays — they consumed about 240 calories more on Saturdays, compared
with an average workday. What's more, the data from their weigh-ins showed that they gained a
small amount of weight over the weekend. On average, they weighed 0.13 pounds (0.06
kilograms) more per day over the weekend, than they did on weekdays. And during their weight-
loss program, participants stopped losing weight on the weekends.

"Our results demonstrate the adverse effect of weekend lifestyle behaviors on daily body weight,
and indicate that higher dietary intake on weekends is the greatest contributor to weekend weight
gain or cessation of weight loss," the researchers wrote.

Another study, published in 2003, found that the average American consumed 82 more calories
per day on the weekend (Friday to Sunday) than during the workweek (Monday through
Thursday). The people who were ages 19 to 50 showed the biggest increase, consuming an
average of 115 more calories per day on weekends than during the workweek.
Use protection

At least one study has suggested that people are more likely to engage in unprotected sex during
the weekend, thus increasing their risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

In a 2011 study conducted over a two-month period, researchers from Denmark analyzed visits
to a Danish website providing information on STD testing. They found that, even though the
website was available 24 hours a day, every day, visits to the site almost always peaked on
Mondays. (The only exception was a week in which the Monday was a holiday, and then the
traffic to the website peaked on Tuesday.)

The researchers said they suspect the phenomenon is due to people suddenly worrying about
contracting an STD after a particularly lustful weekend. People may have unprotected sex more
frequently on Fridays and Saturdays, they said.

Low Vitamin D Linked to Frequent

Headaches
By Rachael Rettner January 04, 2017

Men who have low levels of vitamin D may be at increased risk for frequent headaches, a new
study from Finland suggests.

The study analyzed information from about 2,600 Finnish men ages 42 to 60 who gave blood
samples and answered questions about the frequency of their headaches. The men were
originally part of a study on risk factors for heart disease, and were assessed in the years 1984 to
1989.

Nearly 70 percent of the men in the study had blood vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per
milliliter (50 nanomoles per liter), which is generally considered the threshold for vitamin D
deficiency. Low vitamin D levels are a particular concern in Finland and other Nordic countries,
because these countries are farther north and have less exposure to sunlight, which the body
needs to make vitamin D, the researchers said. [9 Good Sources of Disease-Fighter Vitamin D]

On average, men with frequent headaches — occurring at least once a week — had vitamin D
levels of 15.3 ng/ml (38.3 nmol/L), compared to 17.6 ng/ml (43.9 nmol/L) among those men
without frequent headaches. (In the United States, vitamin D levels are usually reported in ng/ml,
while in other parts of the world, they are reported in nmol/L.)
Men with the lowest vitamin D levels (below 11.6 ng/ml or 28.9 nmol/L) were about twice as
likely to have frequent headaches, compared to men with the highest vitamin D levels (above 22
ng/ml or 55 nmol/L.)

The study adds to a growing body of evidence linking low vitamin D levels to an increased risk
of certain diseases and conditions, including headaches. The new study is one of the largest to
look at the link between vitamin D and headaches, the researchers said.

However, the study was conducted at a single point in time, so the researchers cannot tell which
came first, the low vitamin D levels or headaches, the scientists said. It's possible that people
with frequent headaches may be less likely to spend time outside, and so they have less exposure
to sunlight, the researchers said. However, this explanation may be less likely in Finland, where
people overall have less exposure to sunlight, the researchers said.

In addition, because the study involved only men, it's not clear if the findings also apply to
women, the scientists said.

Future studies are needed to see if vitamin D supplements may prevent or treat frequent
headaches, the researchers said. The study was published online yesterday (Jan. 3) in the journal
Scientific Reports.

Original article on Live Science.