Wellness Evidence Study: Do E-Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit?

It has been one of the critical unanswered questions in health: Do e-cigarettes actually help smokers quit? The first, large, rigorous study out of the UK answers with a firm “yes.” E-cigarettes were almost twice as successful as nicotine replacement products, such as the patch or gum, for smoking cessation. READ THE STUDY

Study: Six to Eight Hours a Night the Sweet Spot for Healthy Sleep

A large, new study in the European Heart Journal (116,632 people across 21 countries) found that getting at least 6–8 hours of sleep a night is optimal, but getting more might not be. People who slept 8–9 hours had a 5 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease or death; those who slept 9–10 hours had a 17 percent increased risk; and those sleeping more than…

Study: Lifelong Exercisers Have Bodies “Thirty Years Younger”

A new study from Ball State University, testing the cardiovascular health and muscles of people in their 70s that exercised steadily for decades, found that the muscles of these men and women were indistinguishable in many ways from those of healthy 25-year-olds, with as many capillaries and enzymes. And these active septuagenarians essentially had the cardiovascular health of people 30 years younger. The researchers summarized…

Study: Sleep, Exercise and Limits on Screen Time Boost Kids’ Brainpower

A new study from Canada’s Healthy Active Living & Obesity Research Group found that 9–11 hours of sleep a night, one hour of exercise, and a limit of fewer than two hours a day of recreational time in front of screens were associated with significantly higher mental test scores for children (from memory to language skills to the ability to plan). READ THE STUDY

Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of October 23, 2018)

  Doctors in Scotland Can Now Prescribe Nature – World Economic Forum, October 15, 2018 Since early October, doctors in Shetland, Scotland, have been authorized to prescribe nature to their patients. It’s thought to be the first program of its kind in the UK and seeks to reduce blood pressure and anxiety and increase happiness for those with diabetes, mental illness, stress, heart disease and more.…

Study: Best Sports for a Long Life? Social like Tennis, not Solitary like Jogging

A new study from Danish researchers suggests that people that played social or team sports, such as tennis or soccer, tend to live longer than those that who do solitary fitness, such as jogging, swimming or cycling. The study found that all exercise increased longevity, but, while cycling added 3.7 years and running 3.2 to a person’s life, tennis added 9.7, badminton added 6.2, and…