Latest news with #EuronewsHealth
Euronews
15 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
Is the Japanese walking trend backed by science?
A fitness routine developed by Japanese researchers in 2007 has recently found fresh legs on TikTok, where it's being promoted as an enjoyable, low-barrier, and high-impact way to improve cardiovascular health, strength, and endurance. Known as "Japanese walking," the method is incredibly simple: alternating three minutes of fast-paced walking with three minutes at a slower pace, repeated over 30 minutes. It was first introduced in a 2007 study led by Hiroshi Nose and Shizue Masuki, professors at Shinshu University. Researchers randomly assigned 246 older adults into three groups: no walking, moderate-intensity continuous walking, and high-intensity interval walking. The results were eye-opening. People who followed the interval walking program for five months experienced greater increases in leg strength and overall physical fitness, as well as a greater reduction in blood pressure, compared to those who only walked at a moderate pace. Additional research has expanded on the original 2007 findings. A follow-up study involving more than 700 participants found that interval walking also improved symptoms of age and lifestyle-related conditions, including changes in cognitive function, depression, and sleep quality. Now, nearly two decades later, the method is seeing renewed attention on social media, particular under the #FitTok category on TikTok. This type of interval walking taps into the "overload principle" – a key concept in exercise physiology where short bursts of exertion challenge the body just enough to force it to adapt. 'One's fitness and health is affected by both how healthy the muscles are in terms of their metabolism and how well your heart and lungs and circulation work," John Buckley, a professor of exercise physiology at Keele University in the United Kingdom, told Euronews Health. 'To get those organs to adapt, we have to push them," he added. "By inducing these little zaps of hard exercise, we are pushing the muscles and the heart and lungs into a region where they then have to adapt a bit more". This mirrors evolutionary patterns of movement. Humans are built for intermittent bursts of high effort – such as hunting and escaping danger – interspersed with prolonged, lower-intensity activity. By helping people get more high-intensity activity, Japanese walking could help with key health issues related to exercise and nutrition, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, Buckley said. The method could help target these conditions by improving insulin sensitivity, reducing blood pressure, and boosting post exercise energy expenditure. 'Even modest amounts of activity can bring our blood glucose down and can bring our blood pressure down,' Buckley said. 'Those two things are probably the long term things that have the biggest effect on people's heart and people's circulation to their brain to prevent them from having a stroke". While the physical effects of Japanese walking are well-documented, Buckley also sees a potential boost to mental health in the method. 'Physical activity, if you look at the evidence, has as strong a benefit,' he said. He said the focus required during high-intensity intervals may even create a mindfulness effect. 'If you have to up the intensity, then your mind has to be focused on that activity at the time," he said. This is backed by a recent review which found that High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, particularly in individuals with lower baseline anxiety. The method is also incredibly flexible and can be easily applied to other types of exercise such as cycling, swimming, or even resistance training. So yes, TikTok might have actually stumbled on a fitness trend that's well worth the hype.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Staring at screens all day? Here's how to protect your eyes
Screens have become an inescapable part of our daily lives. From replying to work emails on a laptop to doomscrolling through brain rot on TikTok, the average adult now racks up more than six hours of screen time every day – nearly a third of our waking lives. The shift to remote and hybrid working has only intensified this. With Zoom meetings, Slack pings, Google Docs, and Teams chats becoming the new office norm, our eyes rarely get a break. The big problem, according to UK-based optometrist Shahina Pardhan, is the strain we put on our eye muscles. "When you're looking at a digital screen up close, like a smartphone, your eyes have to focus at that short distance. To do that, they use muscle power, specifically the ciliary muscle inside the eye," Pardhan,** who leads the Director of Vision and Eye Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, told Euronews Health. "With sustained use, especially as we get older and those muscles don't work as well as they used to, the muscle gets really tired," she added. The pressure can have a serious impact on our wellbeing. While estimates vary, many people have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), also known as digital eye strain, with symptoms ranging from dry, irritated eyes to headaches, blurred vision, and fatigue. But these symptoms don't have to be inevitable. Here are five evidence-based tips to give your eyes a break – and protect your vision for the long haul. 1. Practice the 20-20-20 rule One of the most widely recommended techniques to reduce digital eye strain is the 20-20-20 rule, proposed by the American Optometric Association (AOA). It suggests that every 20 minutes, you should look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Studies have shown that teaching this technique to people with CVS helped to ease their dry eye symptoms. "When you look at something around 20 feet away, you're actually relaxing those eye muscles," Pardhan said. "Even just 20 seconds of that can really help". However, the results are mixed on whether the method helps with tear film stability, which helps ensure eyes stay lubricated and vision stays clear. 2. Optimise your work station and screen position The way your workspace is set up can make a huge difference to your eye health. Poor lighting, bad screen angles, and reflective glare are some of the biggest culprits behind digital eye strain. "It's really important to keep your screen at eye level," Pardhan said, regardless of whether it's your smartphone or computer. "Tilting your head down can put a lot of strain on the neck, increasing stress on the spine and shoulders". Additionally, bright overhead lights or sunlight pouring through a window can reflect off of your screen, forcing your eyes to work harder and causing discomfort. To cut down on glare, try using an anti-reflective screen filter or adjust the lighting in your room so it's soft and indirect. If you work near a window, avoid placing your screen directly in front of or behind it. 3. Blink more than you think Blinking lubricates the eyes by spreading tears across the cornea. But researchers say that when we're glued to screens, our blink rate can drop by as much as 66 per cent, raising the risk of getting dry eyes. Studies show that the average person blinks 15 to 20 times per minute. But this rate drops significantly when working at a computer, to around four to six times per minute. To keep your eyes from drying out, try sticking a small reminder on your monitor or around your workplace – even something simple like 'Blink!' or a visual cue that nudges you to give your eyes a break. And also don't forget your surroundings. If your space is dry, for example if you have central heating or air conditioning, keeping your environment well-hydrated can also help. 'Just having a humidifier or even just a bowl of water or a vase of flowers with water will humidify the air and it won't dry out the atmosphere as much," Pardhan said. 4. Use blue light filters Blue light – the high-energy visible light emitted by LED screens – is more than just a sleep disruptor. Studies show that prolonged exposure to blue light, particularly in the 400 to 470 nanometre range, can contribute to retinal stress and damage, increasing the risk of eye discomfort. Pardhan said that "very bright screens – especially when used in a dark environment – can be harsh on the eyes. They cause your pupils to contract due to the glare, which is the opposite of what your eyes naturally need in low-light settings". Thankfully, most modern devices offer night mode or blue light filter settings. Activating these reduces blue light exposure, especially in low-light environments. Additionally, wearing blue light blocking glasses, especially at nighttime, can provide extra protection. Keep in mind, though, that blue light filters can only do so much. Research indicates they do not protect against serious eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. 5. Use your devices more mindfully Even when we're off the clock, many of us instinctively turn to screens for downtime – scrolling through social media, binge-watching shows, or falling into YouTube rabbit holes. But those micro-moments of leisure can quietly add up. Cutting back on non-essential screen time, especially outside of work hours, can give your eyes the rest they desperately need. A good starting point is to use your device's built-in tools that track how much time you're spending on different apps and websites. There are also smartphone apps designed to help reduce screen time. The Forest app, for example, lets you 'plant a tree' that grows the longer you stay off your phone. If you give in and start scrolling, your tree dies. Users say it is oddly motivating – and it even helps plant real trees through a partner initiative. Another option is OneSec, which adds a one-second delay before opening apps like Instagram or TikTok. That tiny pause can help disrupt your autopilot habit and give your brain just enough time to ask: Do I really want to open this right now?
Euronews
2 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Virtual reality could train our bodies to fight infection, study says
Being around sick people can activate your immune system – even if the sick people aren't real, a new study has found. Your body doesn't wait for illness to strike before gearing up for battle. Just being around sick people can activate your immune system – even if they aren't real, a new study has found. A Swiss research team used virtual reality (VR) in a study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, to test people's biological responses to potential health threats. They say VR could be a promising complement for other immune-boosting tools, like vaccines. During the experiment, researchers connected 248 healthy young people to machines that measure brain activity, then donned VR headsets that brought them to a virtual world full of sick people. Some of the avatars had visible infections, such as rashes or coughs, while others either looked afraid or had neutral expressions. When the sick avatars got very close to the participants, their brains lit up in ways they didn't when the neutral or fearful faces approached. Specifically, the avatars activated the so-called salience network, or the parts of the brain that mainly detect 'salient stimuli, including threats,' the study found. Blood samples from people exposed to sick avatars also showed a spike in innate lymphoid cell activity, which is a key part of the immune response. These cells are activated by pathogen threats, helping the body to quickly mount a response. The body reacts similarly to a real infection, such as a flu vaccine. 'We were thinking if anything, [the reactions would be] something very mild,' Dr Camilla Jandus, one of the study's authors and an immunologist at the University of Geneva, told Euronews Health. 'To see cell changes within a few hours, we really didn't expect that'. The findings suggest our brains can detect potential threats from infections before we even make contact with a sick person, kicking our immune systems into a defensive mode, the researchers said. 'When the infectious threat is entering our body, the immune system reacts, but often it's too late,' Jandus said. 'We see this detection of something that is virtual as an alerting system that … might trigger, in an anticipatory manner, your immune system'. Researchers don't know exactly how the brain and the immune system work together to combat pathogens, or whether the VR-prompted immune response would be as robust and long-lasting as one elicited by a vaccine. But their findings seem to fit in with previous research suggesting the body acts as a 'smoke detector' that responds to potential health threats that turn out to be false alarms. Anxiety, inflammation, pain, vomiting, cough, and diarrhoea can all be protective responses. The study is among the first of its kind, so researchers on bigger groups would be needed to confirm the findings. Jandus' team is testing whether people's immune systems react differently to VR scenarios that feature the threat of bacteria or viruses. They also want to study whether VR environments might help bolster people's immune response to vaccines, and whether these settings could help serve as a kind of exposure therapy for people with allergies. That way, when people are actually infected with an allergen or virus, 'you have already anticipated and prepared your body to react, with the hope to have better success in the response,' Jandus said.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Forever chemicals found in reusable menstrual products, study finds
Reusable women's hygiene products can contain toxic chemicals, according to a study published last week that tested items from North America, South America, and Europe. Published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, the peer-reviewed article specifically found evidence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in eco-friendly menstrual and incontinence products, reviving the debate about the safety and health effects of feminine hygiene items. PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," consist of a large group of man-made substances with exceptional resistance to degradation. For more than 70 years, they have been added to various consumer products, among others, to enhance resistance to water, grease, and stains. The research team tested 59 products from five categories: period underwear, reusable pads, reusable incontinence underwear, reusable incontinence pads, and menstrual cups. To assess PFAS presence, scientists measured the total fluorine content, a chemical element whose elevated levels typically suggest the likely presence of 'forever chemicals'. They then extracted a smaller subset of 19 products and conducted a more in-depth analysis, targeting the levels of specific PFAS. PFAS were detected in 100 per cent of the smaller sample of 19 products. Evidence of intentionally added PFAS was found in nearly 30 per cent of the full group of 59 products, with period underwear and reusable pads showing the highest rates. Marta Venier, one of the study's authors and an environmental chemist at Indiana University, explained that the distinction between intentional and unintentional PFAS presence depends on the amount of total fluorine detected. 'When levels were above a certain threshold, that indicates that PFAS were added to the product intentionally to impart properties such as waterproofing, for example,' she told Euronews Health. In contrast, lower levels likely point to unintentional contamination during the manufacturing process, she added. This distinction is particularly significant. 'In each category of products, we found items that did not have intentionally added PFAS. This shows that you can still make these products without adding PFAS,' Venier pointed out. 'This tells us they [PFAS] are not a necessary addition to make the products functional,' she continued. What are the health risks of PFAS on women's health? PFAS include more than 10,000 substances; as a result, research has not fully determined the specific health effects of each one. Despite this gap, there is strong scientific evidence linking PFAS exposure to adverse health outcomes. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified two PFAS as carcinogenic and possibly carcinogenic to humans. These included perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), both banned in the European Union. In addition to the risk of tumours, PFAS can damage the immune system of newborns due to maternal exposure to these toxic chemicals, which tend to accumulate in bodies over time, Tina Kold Jensen, a physician and environmental epidemiologist at the University of Southern Denmark, told Euronews Health. 'You are exposed to these substances through hygiene products, then it will take at least four years before half of what you're exposed to is out of the body. And since it's there, women of reproductive age pass them on to their children through the placenta and breast milk,' she said. Jensen also noted that PFAS exposure has been associated with other health issues, including high cholesterol, altered liver enzymes, kidney cancer, and reproductive problems. However, she emphasised that not all of these effects are fully confirmed and said that further research is needed. Another uncertainty concerns whether the direct contact of pads with the skin poses greater, lesser, or equal health risks compared to environmental exposure to 'forever chemicals'. 'PFAS exposure is mostly through the gastrointestinal channel. (...) Skin is quite a good barrier, but we don't know much. But here we're talking not only about the skin but also the vagina, its lips, that's different,' Kold Jensen said. Regarding reusable pads, Jensen added that environmental exposure is another concern: 'There's a lot of PFAS in the environment, and they will definitely get into the environment once you wash the pads,' she said. To sum up, there are still more questions than answers when it comes to the effects of PFAS on women's health. But do these eco-friendly pads pose other health risks? What do we know about reusable menstrual products? Sustainable period products are becoming increasingly common among young people. According to a 2022 study, in Spain, the use of reusable hygiene products surpassed that of disposable ones among people aged 26 to 35 at the time of the survey. The Catalan government launched a public health initiative offering a free menstrual cup, one pair of underwear and two packages of cloth pads to reduce both period poverty and the waste generated by disposable products last March. Reusable products, in fact, have been shown to be more sustainable alternatives to single-use items. Specifically, menstrual cups appear to have the lowest environmental impact, followed by period underwear and reusable pads. Aside from recent concerns about PFAS, reusable menstrual products have not been shown to pose any other major health threat, according to a global review on reusable menstrual pads. The only relevant concern appears to be skin irritation associated with long-term use of these products or inadequate cleaning or drying of the items. A similar study conducted on menstrual cups found that these products are generally safe, except for rare cases of vaginal injuries, toxic shock syndrome, or urinary problems. As for period underwear, major concerns are related to PFAS and other elements. An investigation conducted by the UK-based organisation Which? in 2023 found high silver levels in some popular period pants brands like Intima, M&S and Thinx. Thinx, in particular, has also been at the centre of the PFAS debate, when in 2020 Sierra Magazine published an investigation with the University of Notre Dame, finding PFAS in the period underwear of the brand. This led to one class-action case against the company, which was settled at the end of 2022. PFAS, however, are not exclusively present in reusable products, but they have also been found in disposable ones. In 2022, lab tests commissioned by the US consumer watchdog Mamavation and Environmental Health News revealed that PFAS were present in 48% of 46 tested sanitary pads, underwear liners, and incontinence pads. Another common factor for both single-use and reusable menstrual products is the need for further research to assess the types of PFAS present, their levels, and their health effects.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mass health scan of 100,000 people in the UK could redefine disease diagnosis, scientists say
Scientists around the globe will gain fresh insights into the human body after UK Biobank completed the world's largest full-body imaging study. The biomedical research project scanned 100,000 British volunteers from head to toe, producing more than one billion images of brains, hearts, bones, blood vessels, and more – which are now available to approved researchers worldwide. 'Our work really enables researchers to look inside our bodies and to see how our organs change as we get older and as we develop disease in incredible detail and on a massive scale, which just is not possible with other studies,' Naomi Allen, UK Biobank's chief scientist, told Euronews Health. "It's at least three times bigger than the next largest imaging study for research, and it's certainly the most accessible for researchers worldwide to use the data,' she added. Related Celebrities are turning to MRI scans to help predict future illnesses. Should the rest of us? Helping spot early-signs of illness before it strikes The project, which began scanning participants 11 years ago, now provides detailed scans of the body and links each image with genetic, lifestyle, health, and physical data. This information has already helped researchers detect early signs of heart disease, psychiatric conditions, and even challenge long-held assumptions about alcohol consumption. One analysis found that drinking just one to two units of alcohol per day was associated with reductions in brain volume and changes to its structure – potentially contributing to memory loss and dementia. 'Many serious diseases like heart disease, cancer, dementia, Parkinson's disease, begin quietly and take years for symptoms to develop,' Allen said. 'These imaging scans can identify early warning signs". "For example, the amount of fat around our heart is a really good indicator of whether someone might go on to develop heart failure. You can use that as a biomarker and treat them before it's too late," she added. Founded two decades ago, UK Biobank now follows the health of about 500,000 British participants. In addition to the imaging project, it also collects data on people's genes, environments, health records, and more. With the full imaging set now complete, more than 22,000 researchers worldwide have access to the data in order to do "health research that's in the public good," Allen said.
