Welcome to your weekly check-in on the latest health news you might have missed. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency set its first limits ever on “forever chemicals” in drinking water. These chemicals, also known as PFAS, have been linked to a slew of health issues, including fertility problems and cancer. Also, if you are a woman older than 65 seeking guidance about hormone therapy, a new study suggests that the majority of women don’t have to stop, as was previously believed — but treatment course and dose matter.
If recent natural events have affected your health, read on: Yahoo Life has a guide for why you may feel weird after an earthquake (like the surprising one that hit the East Coast last week). And if you didn’t follow proper eclipse protocols — and now your eyes are hurting — Yahoo Life has all the information on what to do. Plus, does so-called “oatzempic” really help you lose weight, or is this mix of oats, water and lime juice nothing more than a strange food combo? Find out what nutritionists think about it.
For more health news, read on.
🚶🏽♀️Reminders — and monetary incentives — can get people moving
A study published in Circulation found that adults at risk of heart disease who received reminders or incentives to exercise every day increased their daily steps by over 1,500 in a year, which correlated to an extra 40 minutes of activity per week. This reduced their risk of premature death by 6% and their risk of cardiovascular-related death by 10%. While simple reminders to exercise were effective, offering rewards — like money or points in a game — was even more so. The researchers suggest that apps or other systems that offer incentives for exercise could help people at risk for health issues move more.
🐟 Swapping red meat for small fish like herring could save lives
A study published in BMJ Global Health suggests that replacing red meat with small fish like herring, sardines and anchovies could save up to 750,000 lives annually by 2050 and reduce disability from diet-related diseases, such as heart issues. These fish, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are affordable and abundant, particularly in low and middle-income countries where heart disease rates are high.
🖐️ Touch can boost your well-being
Touch can greatly improve mental and physical health — and exactly who is touching you may not matter that much, according to a new study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. Touch — whether from a friend, massage therapist or even a robot — was found to significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression and stress in adults, with even greater benefits observed in those with health issues. While duration and the person touching you did not appear to be very significant, frequency was found to be important. So the more often you are touched, the bigger the benefits.
🧘🏻♂️ Getting in touch with your spiritual side may lower blood pressure
Research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session suggests that receiving daily WhatsApp messages focusing on nonreligious spirituality led to significant improvements in blood pressure and blood vessel health among those with high blood pressure. Though more research needs to be done, these findings follow previous research that linked meditation and other spirituality-based practices with improved heart health.
✍️ Feeling mad? This practice may help ease anger
A new, small Japanese study published in the journal Scientific Reports says that people who wrote down their reaction to a negative incident and then destroyed the paper were able to release nearly all of their anger. Participants who did the same thing but kept the piece of paper intact after the exercise instead of destroying it felt only slightly less angry by the end of the exercise.
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