Are infant cereals really the best first food for babies?

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Rice cereal with a bit of breast milk, infant formula or water has been the first food many parents feed their babies. It’s cheap, easy to mix with other foods and portable. It’s also easy for babies to digest and unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. “Babies have been eating grains for decades and they are well tolerated, which is one of the reasons why they are a good first food,” said Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Syosset, New York, and co-author of “The Baby and Toddler Cookbook: Fresh, Homemade Foods for a Healthy Start.”

Rice cereal has also been touted as a healthy first food because it gives babies the nutrients they need, particularly iron and zinc. At around 6 months of age, breast milk iron stores naturally decrease. Plus, when both breastfed and formula-fed infants start solids, they get less of these nutrients and need to replace them with solids, which support their rapid growth, said Sara Peternell, a master nutrition therapist in Denver, Colorado and co-author of “Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.”

In recent years however, rice cereal has become less popular.

“What we’re realizing is that grains really don’t need to be a first choice,” said Dr. Anthony F. Porto, a board-certified pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics and associate clinical chief at Yale University.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that there’s no medical evidence that starting solids in any particular order has any advantages.

“This idea of giving them ‘smooshy,’ bland, wallpaper-tasting rice cereal because we believe it’s either easier on their taste buds or easier on their digestive system is becoming a very outdated first-foods-for-babies recommendation,” Peternell said.

In fact, studies show babies’ food preferences actually start in utero. Babies whose mothers drank carrot juice during pregnancy and while breastfeeding had fewer negative expressions when they started to eat carrots than infants who had not been exposed to the flavor, a study in the journal Pediatrics found.

Amylase, Arsenic and Allergies

“We’re learning that grains may have somewhat of a detrimental effect,” Peternell said, adding that amalyse, the enzyme which allows babies to digest and break down complex grains isn’t present in their salivary glands until their molars come in.

“Babies have very immature digestive systems, so to speak, so when we introduce something that’s more of a refined grain, that takes a lot more energy from the digestive system to try to break it down and also to extract the nutrients,” she said.

Often times when babies start both gluten and non-gluten varieties of grains, they can experience stomach pain, become constipated and have changes in their stool patterns.

“They may even potentially develop some food intolerances because their gut is just not prepared yet for some of the protein components in that particular food,” she said.

More on this…

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Comparison of commercial and homemade infant meals finds flaws in each

Another concern about feeding babies rice in particular is the high levels of arsenic that it contains. In April, the FDA proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic infant rice cereal.

Although wheat shouldn’t be offered as a first food, it shouldn’t be avoided either and offered only after your baby can tolerate other foods.

“What we’re finding actually is that if you are strictly avoiding those foods, you may actually be encouraging your child to develop allergies because their bodies are not coming in contact with these allergens and when they finally do, they really don’t know how to handle them,” Ansel said.

Variety is the spice of life

Although babies do not need grains, they do need to eat complex carbohydrates, Peternell said, adding that butternut squash, zucchini and sweet potatoes are all excellent choices.

If you’re concerned about arsenic in rice, you don’t need to avoid rice altogether.

“What you wouldn’t want to do is rice cereal three times a day, every day,” Ansel said.

If you choose to feed your baby grains, choose a variety such as oats, multigrain cereal, barley, quinoa and millet.

Traditionally, first foods around the world have been meat, which have the same level of fortification of iron and zinc as fortified cereals, Porto, who is also the author of “The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers,” said.

In fact, breastfed infants who were fed pureed meat had higher levels of iron and zinc than those who were fed an iron-fortified infant cereal, according to a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

If you’re raising your baby as a vegetarian, egg yolks are also a good option. Although legumes are iron-rich, they’re not a complete protein unless they’re combined with grains and they should be offered occasionally and when your baby is older, Peternell said.

If you decide to offer grains and you find it makes your baby constipated, foods such as prunes, plums, pears, peaches and apricots can help combat it.

Also, keep in mind that no matter what types of foods you introduce, you should start to offer a new first food every three to five days.

“The most important thing is you want to give your baby a wide variety of solids,” Ansel said.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/09/11/are-infant-cereals-really-best-first-food-for-babies.html

 

No more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for kids

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While food accounts for a large portion of the added sugar in our diet, many experts recommend cutting back on sugary beverages to reduce daily intake. Consumption of sugary drinks might lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research published in the journal Circulation, an update of a 2013 American Heart Association conference presentation. In the following slides, we compare the amount of sugar found in some of America’s top-selling beverages — according to Beverage Industry magazine’s 2013 State of the Industry Report — to the sugar found in common sugary snacks.

Children 2 to 18 should consume no more than about six teaspoons of added sugars in their daily diets, according to new recommendations from the American Heart Association.

Researchers called limiting a child’s added sugar consumption to six teaspoons — equivalent to about 100 calories or 25 grams — “an important public health target” in a paper published in the journal Circulation on Monday. The paper outlines the new recommendations.

“A diet high in added sugars is strongly associated with weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal cholesterol and fatty liver disease in children and all of these increase future cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Miriam Vos, an associate professor of pediatrics at Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and lead author of the paper.

“I hope that this statement helps parents and organizations that help care for children by providing an achievable goal,” she said. “How much sugar is OK for kids has been a confusing issue for parents, and this statement provides a target that parents can understand, and that will make a huge difference for the health of children.”

The researchers reviewed and analyzed more than 100 previous papers and studies on the cardiovascular health effects of added sugars on children published through November.

They also analyzed dietary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on how much added sugar was consumed in the United States from 2009 to 2012.

he researchers concluded that children are currently consuming more than the newly recommended 25-grams-or-less of added sugars daily, on average.

The latest national dietary guidelines released by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends limiting sweets so that added sugar makes up 10% or less of your daily calories.

That amount is “closely aligned with the new recommendations,” Vos said. “The AHA statement provides a fixed amount, 25 grams, that is less than 10% of calories for most children and is easier for parents to understand.”

Understanding added sugar

What counts as added sugars? Any table sugar, fructose or honey used as an ingredient in processing and preparing foods or beverages, eaten separately or added to a meal at the dining table. Some foods that contain added sugars are soft drinks, candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream and pies.

“A plain whole grain bagel with cream cheese can have no added sugar, while a frosted doughnut has 23 grams of added sugar,” Vos said. “A bowl of cereal can range from 1 gram to 12 or more grams, depending on the brand. One soda typically has 33 grams. A healthy breakfast of a low added-sugar, whole-grain cereal with a piece of fruit and a glass of low-fat milk would have about 1 gram of added sugar [but] varies by the cereal.”

If the six-teaspoon recommendation becomes difficult to follow, that’s because many processed foods in the supermarket are engineered to be high-sugar and low-fiber, said Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the new paper.

“We now have the data to show that sugar is different from starch, unrelated to its calories, and is causative for four diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and tooth decay,” he said. “It’s like alcohol but for kids. … It activates the brain’s reward center to make you consume more.”

The new paper not only provides a comprehensive review of the current data, it reveals “profound” and “deeply disturbing” links between the amount of added sugars American children consume and their risk of heart diseases, said Dr. Sanjay Basu, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University, who was not involved in the paper.

“I am very concerned, as a parent, that my child shouldn’t be consuming as much added sugar as I did as a child,” he said, “and this AHA statement goes a long way toward helping parents like me understand the implications of what I give to my child to eat.”

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/23/health/sugar-kids-recommendations/index.html

Ivory Coast re-opens western borders closed during Ebola epidemic

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Ivory Coast has re-opened its western borders with Liberia and Guinea two years after they were closed to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic that killed thousands across West Africa, an Ivorian government spokesman said on Friday.

Around 29,000 people contracted the hemorrhagic fever during the more than two-year long outbreak, the worst on record. Over 11,000 died before it finally ended in June, nearly all of them in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“We had to take these measures to protect our country. And the fact we didn’t have a single case must be considered a real success,” Bruno Kone said, referring to the border closure measure.

Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy, shut its borders in August 2014.

It came under criticism at the time from some health organizations that argued the closure risked aggravating the epidemic and would worsen hardship in countries already struggling with the economic fallout from Ebola.

Several other regional nations, including Mali and Senegal, also shut their borders temporarily as a precaution.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/09/09/ivory-coast-re-opens-western-borders-closed-during-ebola-epidemic.html

Coffee Cravings May Spring From Your DNA

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Genes appear to influence how much caffeine you need

Anybody up for a steaming cup of Joe? Turns out your DNA may hold the answer.

New research suggests that your genes influence how much coffee you drink.

Researchers analyzed genetic data from more than 1,200 people in Italy, who were asked how much coffee they drank each day.

Those with a gene variant called PDSS2 drank one cup less a day on average than those without the variation, the investigators found.

Research involving more than 1,700 people in the Netherlands yielded similar findings, according to the study authors.

The findings suggest that PDSS2 reduces cells’ ability to break down caffeine. That means it stays in the body longer.

The upshot: People with the gene variant don’t need as much coffee to get the same caffeine hit as those without it, the researchers said.

“The results of our study add to existing research suggesting that our drive to drink coffee may be embedded in our genes,” said study author Nicola Pirastu. He is a chancellor’s fellow at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

“We need to do larger studies to confirm the discovery and also to clarify the biological link between PDSS2 and coffee consumption,” Pirastu added in a university news release.

By Robert Preidt

Source: https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_160628.html

Sodas Linked to Gallbladder Cancer

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People who drink lots of soda or other sugary beverages may have a higher risk of developing rare cancers in the gallbladder and bile ducts around the liver, a Swedish study suggests.

Little is known about the causes of biliary tract and gallbladder tumors, but emerging evidence suggests obesity as well as elevated blood sugar levels that are a hallmark of diabetes may increase the risk of these malignancies.

Because sodas and other sugary drinks have been linked to high blood sugar and weight gain, researchers wondered if these beverages might play a role in these types of cancer, said lead study author Susanna Larsson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

To explore this possibility, researchers analyzed survey data on the eating and drinking habits of more than 70,000 adults then followed them for more than 13 years on average to see whether cancers got diagnosed.

Only about 150 people developed biliary tract or gallbladder cancers during the study period.

But compared with people who avoided sugar-sweetened drinks altogether, individuals who consumed two or more juice drinks or sodas, including artificially sweetened sodas, a day had more than twice the risk of developing gallbladder tumors and 79 percent higher odds of getting biliary tract cancer, the study found.

“Soda consumption has been inconsistently associated with risk of biliary tract cancer (only one prior study) and other cancers in previous similar studies,” Larsson said by email.

The current study “is the first study to show a strong link between consumption of sweetened beverages, such as soda, and risk of biliary tract cancer,” Larsson added.

At the start of the study, participants completed food and drink questionnaires that asked how many sodas or juice drinks they had consumed in the past week and how much they typically consumed during the previous year.

When they answered these questions in 1997, participants were 61 years old on average. About half of them were overweight and roughly 25 percent were current smokers.

Researchers excluded people with a previous cancer diagnosis or a history of diabetes.

The people who drank two or more sodas or sugary beverages a day were more likely to be overweight and eat a higher-calorie diet with more sugar and carbohydrates and less protein and fat.

The increased risk of gallbladder and biliary tract tumors persisted, however, even after researchers adjusted for whether participants were overweight.

Because the study is observational, the findings don’t prove soda and sugary drinks cause cancer.

It’s also possible that because researchers only had data on drinking habits at the start of the study, the findings might have been influenced by changes over time in the beverages people consumed, the authors note in JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers also lacked precise data to assess how often the drinks people chose were diet sodas, said Dr. Margo Denke, a former researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas who wasn’t involved in the study.

Even so, “this study suggests that there is more than a plausible link; the incidence of biliary and gall bladder cancer was higher among individuals who consumed more sodas and juices,” Denke said by email.

The exact reasons for the connection between sodas and these tumors may be unclear, but the message for consumers is still simple, said Dr. Igor Astsaturov, a medical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Obviously, this finding signals again and again that healthy lifestyle is the key to cancer-free life,” Astsaturov said by email. “Regardless of the cause, it is easy enough to quench the thirst with water to stay fit and healthy.”

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sodas-linked-gallbladder-cancer-n608716

All in your head

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headache

Exercise-related headaches are common. Know when to seek medical help

Bengaluru-based marketing professional Vyom Bachani, 38, gets a headache after any vigorous exercise—running, skipping or elliptical training—coupled with a surge in body heat. Sometimes a cool-down keeps it at bay, sometimes it does not. He never has headaches otherwise.

Exercise headaches typically occur during or after strenuous workouts. The blood-starved muscles of the head, neck and scalp require more blood for circulation during any kind of physical exertion, including exercise. This results in the expansion of blood vessels, causing an exertional headache.

Doctors categorise exercise headaches into primary and secondary. While primary headaches are usually harmless, secondary headaches can be life-threatening and needs immediate medical attention.

Primary exertion headache or PEH: The majority of headaches are primary, often seen in people in the 20-40 years age group. Migraine and tension headaches are the common types. An exercise headache is a type of primary headache, usually linked to vigorous training in the heat, high altitude or humidity. “Primary exertion headache (PEH) is more common among men than women and is caused by exercises,” says Chennai-based Dr Dobson Dominic, medical director, s10 Health Sports Lounge. “The pain usually comes on suddenly, could be unilateral or bilateral and is often pulsatile and lasts from 10 minutes to 48 hours. Nausea, vomiting, phonophobia [sensitivity to sound], or photophobia [sensitivity to light] are a few symptoms that could also appear with a headache,” says Dobson, who is also sports medicine consultant, Chettinad Academy of Research and Institute and program chairman, MMSC sports and exercise medicine, Texila American University. “An exercise headache is common in people who have a history of migraine or who do strenuous workouts,” says Dr P.R. Krishnan, consultant neurologist, Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru.

Secondary headache: A headache is secondary when an underlying condition causes the pain. While some secondary headaches such as cervicogenic headache are not harmful, a few are serious in nature. “There can be different types of secondary headaches depending on the cause,” says Dr G.P. Dureja, director, Delhi Pain Management Centre. “Secondary headaches are not common, but if they occur, they need urgent medical attention. When there are frequent headaches that disturb the daily routine or when it causes problems in hearing or vision, it indicates secondary headache,” says Dr G.N. Goyal, interventional spine and pain management specialist, Delhi.

Not just exercise

Various triggers are perceived to cause headaches. “Exercise could dilate the arteries or veins, which are pain sensitive. It is prevalent in people with internal jugular vein valve incompetence (IJVVI). IJVVI results in backward venous [blood] flow, which leads to brain congestion and increases pressure within the skull leading to a headache,” says Krishnan. “PEH occurs due to muscle constriction because of increased blood supply to the affected muscles. This causes muscle spasm resulting in headaches,” says Dureja.

Several factors could trigger a primary headache. “PEH is more likely to occur due to high altitude, change in weather, or if there is an intake of alcohol or caffeine before exercise. Dehydration, increased blood pressure, holding of breath while lifting heavy weight or incorrect neck position may cause an exertional headache,” says Dobson. Goyal says unhealthy diet, stress, and lifestyle that does not balance work and rest are some of the triggers.

Secondary headaches are serious. The underlying cause could be medical problems such as infections, blockages, bleeding and abnormalities. “Secondary headaches can occur due to intracranial bleeding, rupture of blood vessels in the brain. Here, the headache is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Secondary headaches do not respond to conventional medicines,” says Dureja.

“Bleeding because of trauma or a medical condition like hypertension, or structural changes in the brain that are prone to rupture of the blood vessels can lead to secondary headache,” says Goyal. A cervicogenic headache is a common and under-diagnosed problem, he says, where the pain could start from the neck and involves back of the head or vice versa.

“When there is a severe headache, which peaks suddenly, known as a thunderclap headache, it is because of blood leakage in the brain. A headache which progressively increases and continues for more than 48 hours or severe one-sided headache indicates structural issues. Evidence of fever, weakness of limbs, trouble with speech or balance, loss of consciousness, seizure, or a headache that wakes a person from sleep, weight loss that occurs along with a headache are a few signs that indicate the need for urgent medical attention,” says Krishnan.

Goyal explains that nausea and vomiting are common in primary and secondary headaches. It is a red flag for a secondary headache if there is persistent vomiting. Seizures, changes in vision, hearing or speech are also a few warning signs of a secondary headache. “Seek medical attention if the frequent headaches are not responding to painkillers and rest,” says Dureja.

Block the way

Benign exertional headaches are manageable with lifestyle modifications and change in exercise routine. “You can reduce the occurrence of exertion headaches with good warm-up exercises, cooling and ventilation in training settings, adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration,” says Dobson.

Krishnan mentions that lowering the intensity of the workout and being well hydrated are useful in the prevention of exertional headaches. “Finding the headache trigger is very critical to managing a primary headache. A person can maintain a pain diary where he can log the severity, period, food taken, any other condition that he experiences during a headache. Such a journal is useful in narrowing down the cause and preventing primary headaches,” says Goyal. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga help prevent primary headaches.

According to Dobson, following can help in avoiding PEH:

Breathe well: Avoid Valsalva maneuver (forceful exhalation with mouth and nose firmly closed) during multiple repetitions of weight lifting. Exhale during the positive phase (when you raise the weight) and inhale during the negative phase (when you lower the weight).

Neutral spine: Maintain a neutral spinal alignment to allow proper circulation through the arteries and veins. It is not essential to keep the back straight when you look up during a squat or a deadlift. Keep the neck and head in a neutral position.

Safety: Larger compound leg movements at the beginning of the workout are safer because exhaustion, exercise induced dehydration and peaking heart rate won’t trigger at the start of the training.

Fitness: Develop cardio respiratory fitness with regular cardiovascular training. General conditioning along with interval training reduces the risk of exertion headaches by developing a healthy cardiovascular system to handle stress. It is necessary to build proper cardiovascular health, stay hydrated and maintain a neutral spine.

 Source: http://www.theweek.in/features/lifestyle/exercise-related-headaches-are-common.html

What are the symptoms of Zika virus?

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zika

Fifteen cases of locally transmitted Zika have now been confirmed in South Florida, prompting the CDC to issue an advisory warning pregnant women to avoid travel to the one-square mile area of Miami where most of the infections occurred.

The virus, which is primarily spread through mosquito bites, has been spreading at epidemic levels in Latin America and the Caribbean throughout the last year.

Though Zika virus produces only mild symptoms — or none at all — in most people who are infected, it is particularly worrisome for pregnant women, because it has been found to cause a severe birth defect called microcephaly in babies.

There is no vaccine or cure for the virus.

With news of Zika’s arrival in the mainland U.S., many people have questions about who’s at risk, how Zika spreads, and the warning signs to look out for.

How is Zika transmitted?

Zika is primarily transmitted through the bites of Aedus Agypti mosquitoes. When one of these mosquitoes bites an infected person, it can pick up the virus and then spread it others when it bites them.

The species can bite four or five people in one blood meal, meaning it has the potential to spread the virus rapidly, CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden has said.

What are the symptoms of Zika?

Signs of Zika infection may include:

  • Mild fever

  • Skin rash

  • Muscle or joint pain

  • Conjunctivitis

Symptoms appear within 14 days of the initial infection.

However, about four out of five people who are infected with Zika do not experience any symptoms at all and probably don’t know they have it.

“It’s very important to understand that those who are experiencing symptoms aren’t necessarily a good estimate of how many people have been infected,” Dr. Ricardo Lopez, an OBGYN with Orlando Health, told CBS News.

In a small number of patients, the virus can cause more serious neurological problems including temporary paralysis — a condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/zika-virus-symptoms-how-do-you-know-if-youre-infected/

Michael Bloomberg named World Health Organization ambassador

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health minister

The World Health Organization has appointed billionaire philanthropist and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg as a global ambassador to help spur governments and donors to tackle prevalent diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart and lung disease.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in Wednesday’s announcement that she was “absolutely delighted” that he will be WHO’s Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases.

She cited Bloomberg’s longtime support for WHO efforts to control smoking and tobacco use, improve road safety and prevent drowning.

Chan said Bloomberg will help mobilize global action to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases and combat injuries, which together account for almost 80 percent of deaths worldwide.

Bloomberg expressed excitement that by replicating effective measures globally, “we can save many millions of lives.”

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/17/michael-bloomberg-named-world-health-organization-ambassador.html

Is it safe to reuse a water glass before washing it?

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glass

The situation: You’ve got a water glass in the bathroom, at your desk, and on your nightstand, which means you’re chugging plenty of H2O (high-five for hydration and props for passing on plastic!). But with all the focus on getting the recommended 8 cups a day, some of those glasses have gone unwashed for days—you just keep dumping them out and filling them up.

What you’re worried about: “Microorganisms need a moist environment to survive, right? So not only have I created a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, microbes, parasites, and who knows what, I’ve gone and ingested them, obviously setting myself up for any number of dreadful diseases.”

The very worst that could happen: It’s true that bacteria and other potentially dangerous microorganisms (think viruses and intestinal parasites) grow really well in moist environments. So yes, that unwashed glass is a petri dish of possibility. Every time you take a sip, you’re transferring the microbes in your mouth to the glass.

If you’re ill and deposit a nasty bug in that glass and it doesn’t dry properly before you use it again, there might be enough time for that bug to replicate enough to cause your illness again,” said Aaron Margolin, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of New Hampshire

The source of the water you’re sipping can also make a difference: Unlike tap water, bottled and well water don’t automatically come with added chlorine to help halt the growth of bacteria. And if it’s a shared cup, look out! All those bacteria, viruses, and intestinal parasites passing back and forth could mean stomach ulcers (courtesy of Helicobacter pylori bacteria) or projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea (courtesy of norovirus).

“The more people who use that same cup, the greater the probability that one of those people carry bacteria that might make you sick,” Margolin warned.

What will probably happen: A whole lotta nothing, especially if you’re the only one using the glass.

“It’s important to mention that pathogens—those organisms that make you sick—don’t just appear out of nowhere; they have to be introduced by someone or something,” Margolin said.

The fact that it’s a glass, not a plastic cup, means it won’t degrade over time, creating nooks and crannies where bacteria can build up. Plus, glass is more likely to completely dry, and drying, also known as desiccation, is an excellent way to halt the growth of bacteria, Margolin added. What’s more, if you’re filling up with tap water, most treatment plants use chlorine to zap dangerous contaminants that work both on the water and your saliva.

Bottom line: “If you restrict the usage of the cup to a single individual and you make sure that the water is clean, then you are not going to get sick if you use the same cup over and over,” Margolin said.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/18/is-it-safe-to-reuse-water-glass-before-washing-it.html

How to reverse the health risks of sitting all day

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sitting in office

Sitting too much can take a serious toll on your health, even raise your risk of early death. But if you’re stuck in your chair at a desk job all day, don’t despair — a new study suggests there is something you can do to reverse the damage.

It comes down to fitting in an hour of walking or other physical activity a day. It doesn’t have to be a super-intense fitness routine to offer benefits, say the authors of a new study.

Researchers from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, Norway, and the University of Cambridge in the U.K. analyzed data on more than one million people drawn from 16 different studies. Their goal was to find out how many hours of physical activity would be needed to counteract the negative health effects of sitting on your tush all day at the typical eight-hour-a-day office job.

Most of the people studied were over 45 and from the U.S., Western Europe and Australia. The scientists divvied up data on them into four groups according to how active they were, ranging from those who were in motion less than five minutes a day to those who were able to fit in 60 to 75 minutes of physical activity per day. Their activities included brisk walking (at about a 3.5 mph pace) or cycling for pleasure (at almost a 10 mph pace).

The increased risk of death linked with sitting for eight hours a day was eliminated for people who were physically active for at least one hour a day.

What’s more, the eight-hour-a-day sitters who exercised had a significantly lower risk of death compared to people who sat for fewer hours a day but weren’t active, the authors found.

Those who sat for most of the day were at the highest risk for death.

The researchers say what they found was a simple recipe for better health. “Our message is a positive one: it is possible to reduce – or even eliminate – these risks if we are active enough, even without having to take up sports or go to the gym,” the study’s lead researcher, Ulf Ekelund, of the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, said in a statement.

But he noted that, unfortunately, only 25 percent of the people in the study exercised one hour a day or more.

This is just the latest research to look at the health issues raised by sedentary lifestyles. A study out last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed less rosy results. It found sitting for prolonged periods of time increased the risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and early death even in people who got half an hour to an hour of exercise a day. It found sitting for prolonged periods raised the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent, cancer by 13 percent, and diabetes by a whopping 91 percent.

Another 2014 study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that prolonged sitting affected people’s fitness levels, regardless of whether they exercised or not. Two hours of sitting cancelled out the benefits of 20 minutes of exercise when it came to cardio-respiratory fitness, the authors said.

Heart expert Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said any exercise is good for you. It can improve cardiovascular health and help fend off health problems such as diabetes and obesity.

“Our lives have become so sedentary. Often people’s sitting time is significantly more than eight hours a day,” said Steinbaum, who noted that the size of the latest study makes its findings especially significant.

“I love this study because it really is showing that we can do something. There were a lot of people involved. It shows how relevant exercise is in our lives. It’s no longer a leisure activity, and it’s not just a treat to get a workout in, it’s not an option not to. It’s something we have to put in our lives,” she said.

Steinbaum said the study also showed that you don’t have to go to the gym and follow a hard-core fitness regimen to reap benefits; just walking at a brisk pace — enough to get your heart rate up — is an option, too.

“It’s not hanging out and window shopping, but it’s a really nice walk and it can help with stress reduction. You can go outside with a friend and get your heart rate up for one hour and talk about life and laugh,” she said.

The researchers also looked at six studies on daily television watching in half a million people and found that watching for more than three hours a day was linked with an increased risk of death in all but the most active people. The death rate was significantly higher in people who watched TV for five hours or more a day.

Study author Ekelund added, “For many people who commute to work and have office-based jobs, there is no way to escape sitting for prolonged periods of time. For these people in particular, we cannot stress enough the importance of getting exercise, whether it’s getting out for a walk at lunchtime, going for a run in the morning or cycling to work. An hour of physical activity per day is the ideal, but if this is unmanageable, then at least doing some exercise each day can help reduce the risk.”

Source : http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-hour-of-exercise-reverses-health-risks-of-sitting-all-day/