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Sitting More Linked to Increased Feelings of Depression, Anxiety

AHA Publisher — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 08:00:30 +0000

Iowa State University via Newswise – AMES, Iowa – As people adhered to stay-at-home orders or self-isolated during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak, daily commutes turned into shuffles between the bedroom and the living room. Clicking Zoom links erased time spent walking to meeting rooms, and Netflix spilled into time otherwise dedicated to the gym. In short, a lot of people suddenly became more sedentary during the onset of the pandemic. Recently published research found people who continued to spend a higher amount of time sitting between April and June 2020 were likely to have higher symptoms of depression. A closer investigation into this association could play a role in helping people improve their mental health. “Sitting is a sneaky behavior,” said Jacob Meyer, assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University and lead author of the paper. “It’s something we do all the time without thinking about it.” As the director of the Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory at ISU, Meyer and his team look at how physical activity and sedentary behaviors are related to mental health, and how changes to those influence the way people think, feel and perceive the world. “In March 2020, we knew COVID was going to affect our behavior and what we could do in lots of weird, funky ways that we couldn’t predict,” Meyer said. To get a snapshot of those changes, Meyer and a team of researchers received survey responses from more than 3,000 study participants from all 50 states and the District of Colombia. Participants self-reported how much time they spent doing activities, like sitting, looking at screens and exercising, and how those behaviors compared to pre-pandemic times. Using standard clinical scales, they also indicated changes to their mental wellbeing (e.g., depression, anxiety, feeling stressed, lonely). “We know when people’s physical activity and screen time changes, that’s related to their mental health in general, but we haven’t really seen large population data like this in response to an abrupt change before,” Meyer said. Survey data showed participants who were meeting the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines (i.e., 2.5-5 hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week) before the pandemic decreased their physical activity by 32%, on average, shortly after COVID-19-related restrictions went into effect. The same participants reported feeling more depressed, anxious and lonely. Meyer and his fellow researchers published their findings in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health last year. Meyer’s latest paper in Frontiers in Psychiatry served as a follow up to see whether the participants’ behaviors and mental health changed over time. Participants filled out the same survey each week between April and June. “In the second study, we found that, on average, people saw their mental health improve over the eight-week period,” Meyer said. “People adjusted to life in the pandemic. But for people whose sitting times stayed high, their depressive symptoms, on average, didn’t recover in the same way as everyone else’s.” The participants who continued to spend a large portion of their day sitting experienced blunted mental health improvements. Meyer emphasized that finding an “association” between sitting and mental health is not the same as saying more sitting causes depression. He said it’s possible people who were more depressed sat more or that people who sat more became more depressed. Or there could have been some other factor that the researchers did not identify. “It’s certainly worthy of more investigation,” Meyer said, adding that monthly survey data from June 2020 to June 2021 are intended to become publicly available soon. “I think being aware of some of the subtle changes we’ve made during the pandemic and how they might be beneficial or detrimental is really important as we look to the other side of pandemic life.” Meyer said both starting and stopping a habit is very difficult, even when someone wants to change their behavior. But he hopes more people will recognize that even a little bit of movement can improve their mood and mental health, and try to find ways to build it into their day. Meyer recommended people take breaks when sitting for long periods of time. “If you’re no longer walking down the hall for in-person meetings, you can still incorporate that break from sitting by taking a short walk before and after your Zoom call,” Meyer said. People working from home can try walking around the block before and after the workday to mimic their pre-pandemic commute, which Meyer said can benefit people physically and mentally, and help add structure to the day. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin and University of Limerick contributed to this research. To read the original article click here.

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Blood Clot RISK: This Unique Compound in Grape Seed Extract Helps to Protect Your Circulation

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 08:00:44 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – For many, working from home is now the “new normal.” And, for millions of Americans, this means long hours seated at a desk. Believe it or not, while excessive sitting hardly seems like a dangerous activity, it actually presents a serious risk to health. In fact, the threat is so severe that health experts are now characterizing prolonged sitting as “the new smoking.” Sitting for long periods of time – whether at a desk, in a car, or on a plane – raises the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep within the body (usually, in the leg). In a life-threatening complication, the clot can break loose and head for the lung, where it can cause a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as many as 900,000 Americans are affected by blood clots every year, resulting in roughly 100,000 deaths. (Sitting doesn’t look quite so safe anymore, does it?) Fortunately, a clinical study supports the ability of proanthocyanidins in grape seeds to improve blood flow and dramatically lower the risk of thrombosis. Reduce Leg Swelling With a Single Serving of Proanthocyanidins From Grape Seeds Researchers have long puzzled over the “French paradox” – the fact that people in France enjoy a 50 percent reduced risk of heart disease when compared to Americans. (And this, despite eating a fatty diet and having generally higher cholesterol and blood pressure!) Many believe that the secret lies in the French tradition of regularly consuming red wine, which is made from grapes rich in healthful polyphenols (such as resveratrol and quercetin). And, the most potent polyphenols of all are the proanthocyanidins, which make up about 90 percent of the content of grape seeds. Of course, traditionally speaking, Europeans tend to eat higher quality food (less processed) and in smaller quantities … which is quite healthy for you. Back to our point for today: research has shown that these powerful antioxidants can improve blood flow, reduce swelling and prevent blood clots – particularly after long periods of sitting. (Just what the doctor ordered for those in sedentary occupations!) In a clinical study published in the Journal of Science and Food Agriculture, researchers assessed the effects of a single 400-mg serving of proanthocyanidins from grape seeds, taken before a session of six hours of sitting. The team found that the extract reduced leg swelling and edema by 70 percent – an impressive result. Grape Seed Extract Discourages Blood Clots Through Multiple Mechanisms In an animal study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, researchers found that grape seed extract reduced the size of blood clots while protecting the endothelium, the all-important lining of the veins and arteries. It also markedly lowered levels of inflammatory cytokines, reduced the number of adhesion molecules, and discouraged blood clots by reducing the “stickiness” of platelets. In other words, grape seed extract made blood less likely to clump together and adhere to the lining of veins. Calling grape seed extract a “promising candidate” for treating deep vein thrombosis, the impressed researchers went a step further and stated that “prompt administration of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract is instrumental to thrombus (blood clot) clearance.” The News Gets Even Better: Proanthocyanidins in Grape Seeds LOWER the Risk of Heart Disease, Heart Attacks, and Strokes While blood clots in veins can cause pulmonary embolism, blood clots that form in arteries are equally dangerous – and can cause a life-threatening heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, proanthocyanidins in grape seeds benefit cardiovascular health as well. In addition to helping reduce the ability of blood to form clots, they have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides in the blood and fight the systemic inflammation that can trigger heart disease. Proanthocyanidins can also prevent the harmful oxidation of fats. In one Italian study, 300 mg of a grape seed product, consumed with a meal, significantly reduced the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Incidentally, an extract from French maritime pine bark – sometimes coupled with an herb known as Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) – is making researchers sit up and take notice of its remarkable ability to act against artery-clogging atherosclerosis. What is the “secret weapon” of French maritime pine bark? Researchers say it’s the high content of – you guessed it – proanthocyanidins. By the way, when sitting for long periods of time, natural health experts recommend getting up and walking around at least once an hour. If you are on a plane or train, a short stroll down the aisle can go a long way towards avoiding blood clots. Slow the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Grape seed extract prevents memory loss, improves cognitive abilities, and even reduces specific proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. With advancing age, harmful beta-amyloid proteins accumulate in the brain, impairing the ability to make new cells. Studies have shown that grape seed extracts can not only prevent, but reverse this phenomenon. In an animal study conducted at the University of Alabama, scientists found that grape seed extract normalized over a dozen different brain proteins, restoring them back to youthful levels. While more studies are needed, this research offers an exciting glimpse of the potential of grape seed extract to improve cognitive function and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. And, there’s more. Grape seed extract also has protective, anti-aging effects on the skin, and helps to maintain strong bones and teeth. As if this weren’t beneficial enough, grape seed extract stabilizes blood sugar and acts against obesity by helping to metabolize fat and reduces appetite. Natural health experts generally recommend grape seed extract amounts of 300 to 800 mg a day for eight to 16 weeks. However, don’t use grape seed extract to treat deep vein thrombosis – or any other condition – without first consulting your integrative doctor. While the name is complex, the effects of the proanthocyanidins in grape seeds are straightforward and simple. These beneficial antioxidants can promote healthy circulation while reducing vulnerability to blood clots – a very substantial health benefit indeed. Sources for this article include: CDC.gov LifeExtension.com JournalofVascularSurgery.org Healthline.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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