Want an easier pregnancy and a healthier newborn? Stay active!
There’s great new research rolling in about the beneficial effects of exercise on a variety of outcomes for pregnant moms, including reduced depression, anxiety, and the rate of cesarean deliveries.
“Twenty-plus years ago, there were so many recommendations for bedrest in pregnancy,” said Danielle Panelli, MD, an ob-gyn at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health in California. “We’ve really come full circle on that.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends that pregnant women get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.
“Lying-in No Longer: Staying Active Key to Healthy Pregnancy,” Medscape, medscape.com, Feb. 14, 2024.
Controversy continues over the safety of Nonnutritive Sweeteners (NNS) such as sucralose (marketed as Splenda©). Others include aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, stevia, and stevia derivatives.
A recent research review led by researchers in Mexico concluded that sucralose consumption “is associated with various adverse health effects. Despite being considered safe following previous studies, recent research suggests possible links to systemic inflammation, metabolic diseases, disruptions in gut microbiota, liver damage, and toxic effects at the cellular level.”
In addition, they wrote, “It is crucial to highlight the persistence of sucralose in the body, its ability to cross the placenta, and its presence in breast milk, raising concerns about prenatal and neonatal exposure.”
Scientists point out that such research findings do not imply that sugar consumption, shown to be harmful to human health in many studies, is superior to nonnutritive sweeteners.
“Do Artificial Sweeteners Really Help People With Diabetes?,” Medscape, medscape.com, June 20, 2024.
Low back pain is common and often disabling. About 7 in 10 people who recover from an episode of low back pain will experience a recurrence within the following year. However, regular walking can help prevent that, a new Australian study suggests.
The study tracked participants in a six-month individualized walking program led by physical therapists. It found that they had fewer repeat episodes of low back pain and went longer before a recurrence than peers in a control group.
A guiding target for the intervention group was to walk five times per week for at least 30 minutes daily by six months. Although physical therapists participated for education and motivation, “It’s possible that some patients might be able to develop their own program and motivate themselves,” study author Natasha Pocovi, PhD, commented.
“Walking Helps Guard Against Recurrent Low Back Pain,” Medscape, medscape.com, June 20, 2024.
“High protein diets are very popular with the public for weight loss and bodybuilding. For many years, research reports showed that high protein diets can increase atherosclerosis (hardening of the heart arteries), but no one knew why,”1 says Dr. Babak Razani, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Razani and his team have identified an amino acid called leucine in the protein we eat, especially animal protein, that triggers the problem. They found that higher dietary protein intake, specifically more than 25 grams of protein per meal or 22% of daily energy requirements, led to higher leucine levels. This activated a specific pathway in immune cells that is associated with atherosclerosis.
Keeping protein to 11% of energy requirements and eating some of that as plant protein keeps leucine levels down. Plant protein is low in leucine.
“Eating this much protein can be bad for your heart health,” Medical News Today, medicalnewstoday.com, Feb. 19, 2024.
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