We begin with this observation: There is an association between movement and improved cognition in older and younger adults. What remains an open question is whether physical activity prevents cognitive decline and dementia.

I always perk up when I see a study looking at how you and I can improve our cognitive functioning. We’ll be brief today, as the study is small and not groundbreaking.

Exercise and mental function

The University of California, San Diego (USA) researchers enrolled 90 adults, ages 50 to 74, into a clinical trial. The subjects wore devices to measure physical activity levels and completed cognition tests at home.

The findings: The participants demonstrated better thinking on the days with higher physical activity.

The relationship between exercise and brain function appeared linear: The more physical activity, the better the scores on cognition tests. This relationship remained after researchers controlled for age, sex, education, race, and ethnicity.

Here’s the rub: The association between physical activity and mental function only appeared for those who relied on others to do day-to-day tasks (for example, bill-paying or household management).

We are functionally independent get more brain stimulation through our daily lives. Therefore, physical activity may have less of an impact on mental functioning. In addition, the study does not examine the long-term effects of physical activity on the brain.

I am pleased that physical activity improves cognitive functioning, at least in the short term. Take that walk today, and your brain will thank you.

The post Your Brain Benefits From Walking appeared first on Medika Life.

Here are the numbers: Approximately one-quarter of Americans volunteer that they made New Year’s resolutions. The most common commitments? Exercising more, with nearly half (46 percent) of those surveyed offering that as their goal. Other targets include diet (45 percent), losing weight (44 percent), and saving money (41 percent).

I put resolutions aside in favor of focusing on my pillars of health:3 Pillars of Wellness for 2022HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU. I genuinely appreciate that you took time out of your day to read my musings. Today, I want to…medium.com.

Irrespective of whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, some of you may have a goal of drinking less alcohol. Cutting back can provide both short- and long-term health benefits.

Today, I will focus on cancer, even as I recognize that alcohol can influence the probability of vehicle crashes, violence, physical and mental health, and sexual risk behaviors.

Alcohol consumption guidelines

The United States Centers for Disease Control recently developed guidelines to help folks drop their risk of alcohol-related harms. Let’s look at them:

• Adults of the legal drinking age can choose not to drink or drink in moderation by limiting intake to two drinks or less in a day for men or one drink or less for women on days when alcohol is consumed.
• Individuals who do not drink alcohol should not start drinking for any reason.
• If adults of the legal drinking age choose to drink alcoholic beverages, drinking less is better for health than drinking more.

An impetus for my writing this piece is noting how many of my patients with cancer exceed these recommendations for alcohol consumption. Two in three adult drinkers report drinking above these moderate levels at least once per month.

Alcohol and cancer

The American Cancer Society reminds us that alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of several cancers, including breast, colon, and liver cancers. Alcohol also likely increases your chances of cancers of the stomach and other organs.

There is a dose-response relationship — the more alcohol you consume, the higher your cancer risk. My patients are often surprised when I note that some forms of cancer (for example, breast cancer) can be associated with even small amounts of alcohol intake.

Does the alcohol type matter?

You already know that ethanol is an alcohol type in alcoholic beverages, whether wine, beer, liquors, or other forms. While alcohol-containing beverages can have varying percentages of ethanol, typically, a standard drink (five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor) has about one-half ounce of alcohol. Stronger or larger drinks have more ethanol.

The cumulative volume of alcohol consumed over time is the most critical factor for cancer risk. This is akin to tobacco and cancer risk — we calculate pack-years smoked by multiplying the number of packs per day by the number of years used.

Alcohol — Takeaway messages

Some individuals should not consume alcohol. These include those who are pregnant (or might be), young people under the legal age for drinking, those who have certain medical conditions (or are taking certain medications) that interact with alcohol, and those recovering from an alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink.

It is probably safest for breastfeeding women to dodge alcohol, too.

With more than two out of three consumers of alcohol exceeding guidelines, I want to remind you that reducing (or stopping) alcohol can meaningfully reduce the risk of getting cancer.

The post Want to Drink Less Alcohol? appeared first on Medika Life.