In 2018, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans advised adults to do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking, cycling, or dancing—or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise like running—every week. And they recommended strength exercises at least twice a week.
Newsflash: Most of us aren’t hitting those targets. We’ll find a routine post-pandemic, after the holidays, when work calms down, when the weather is warmer (or cooler). But our bodies aren’t frozen in time while we’re not exercising. We’re paying a price.
Here are eight reasons to get moving today.
“Is your gut microbiome the key to health and happiness?” ran The Guardian headline in 2017. “Germs in your gut are talking to your brain,” declared the New York Times in 2019.
A new field of research suggests that the gut microbiome may influence mood, mental health, and the nervous system's vitality. But is the supplement market way ahead of the evidence?
“Is your gut microbiome the key to health and happiness?” ran The Guardian headline in 2017. “Germs in your gut are talking to your brain,” declared the New York Times in January.
Your microbiome—the ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, yeast, and other microbes living in your gut—may be sending signals to your brain that alter your mood, your behavior, and your nervous system’s vitality. But scientists are only starting to bring the microbiome-brain picture into focus.
What gives some controversies such staying power? Sometimes it’s the food or supplement industry that stands to profit from a claim. Sometimes it’s rumors on social media or simply an ongoing debate among researchers. Here are six issues that may be less controversial than they seem.
Can vitamin D, omega-3 fats, or other nutrients ward off depression, as many labels imply?
"Support" claims are rarely backed by good evidence.
“All kinds of supplements claim to boost your mood or prevent depression,” says Marjolein Visser, professor of nutrition and health at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
Her MooDFOOD trial tested a supplement with five nutrients: omega-3s (1,060 milligrams of EPA + 350 mg of DHA), selenium (30 micrograms), folic acid (400 mcg), and vitamin D (20 mcg) plus calcium (100 mg).
Visser and her team randomly assigned 1,025 overweight or obese adults to take either the supplement or a placebo every day. All had depressive symptoms but had not been diagnosed with full clinical depression.
