‘A study suggests a sedentary job may provide better cognitive protection than a more physically active role.
Experts have long warned about the potential dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. Many studies suggest that being physically inactive increases the risk of health issues.
However, the connection between being physically active and maintaining cognitive health has been less clear. The research has found that people with desk jobs are far less likely to experience cognitive decline than those with physically active roles.
“The often-used mantra ‘what is good for the heart, is good for the brain’ makes complete sense, but the evidence on what we need to do as individuals can be confusing”. The study is based on data from the Epic-Norfolk Cohort, a long-term project involving some 30,000 participants aged 40 to 79. It aims to investigate links between daily activities, diet, and cancer.
Across an average of 12 years, investigators assessed participants’ cognition, including attention, memory, and visual processing speed. Researchers also administered a reading-ability test that roughly captured each individual’s IQ. Among the data collected was information regarding levels of physical activity during work hours and leisure time. Measurements of an individual’s physical activity in the Cambridge study combined the two. A total of 8,585 individuals from the Epic-Norfolk study served as the cohort for the new Cambridge study.
VEGAN DIET MAY PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING: Plant-based diets support healthy aging and could significantly reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.
Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular. A 2017 report estimated that 6% of U.S. consumers eat a vegan diet, up from just 1% in 2014. There are many reasons why people choose to adopt a vegan diet, including avoiding harm to animals and mitigating the environmental impact of intensive farming.
A plant-based diet also provides health benefits. This diet is higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol and fat than an omnivorous diet, and it scores higher on the Healthy Eating Index. A new review of the evidence on plant-based diets suggests that they may also protect against type 2 diabetes and heart disease and could reduce cardiometabolic-related deaths in the U.S. The review focuses on health in the context of aging, an important topic given that the world’s population is rapidly getting older.
