Tag Archives: prolonged

Study: Flavanol-Rich Foods Shield Men’s Vascular Health Against the Detrimental Effects of Prolonged Sitting

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Prolonged sitting can lead to a temporary decline in blood vessel function and blood pressure. Implementing specific eating strategies while in a sitting position may either alleviate or exacerbate these effects on vascular health. Recent research indicates that dietary cocoa flavanols, consumed prior to two hours of uninterrupted sitting, effectively counteract the deterioration in vascular function seen in young, healthy men. The beneficial effects of flavanols were consistent across individuals with varying levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, suggesting that even those with high fitness do not escape the decline in vascular function or blood pressure associated with sitting.

Consuming flavanol-rich foods during sedentary periods can be an effective method, used alone or alongside other strategies (such as reducing sedentary time), to mitigate the adverse effects of inactivity on the vascular system. Image credit: Daniele et al., doi: 10.1113/JP289038.

Sedentary behavior has become exceedingly common in contemporary society.

Over the past two decades, it has been reported that the time spent sitting among young Americans has escalated from an average of 5.5 to 6.5 hours per day (an increase of 18.2%).

Sitting encompasses not only professional or commuting scenarios but also leisure activities like watching television or playing video games.

Previous studies indicate that a 1% decrease in vascular function (measured via brachial flow-mediated dilatation, which reflects arterial elasticity) correlates to a 13% rise in the risk for cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.

Researchers, including Catarina Rendeiro and her team at the University of Birmingham, sought to determine if diet—as specifically influenced by flavanol-rich foods—could mitigate the vascular risks associated with extended sitting.

Flavanols are polyphenolic compounds naturally found in certain fruits, teas, nuts, and cocoa beans.

Research has shown they provide cardiovascular benefits, notably in protecting vascular health during mental stress.

“We spend significant amounts of time seated, whether at a desk, driving, traveling, or relaxing on the couch,” Dr. Rendeiro notes.

“Even while inactive, our bodies can experience stress.”

“Identifying methods to alleviate the impacts of prolonged sitting on vascular function might significantly lower cardiovascular disease risk.”

To investigate this, researchers assessed whether ingesting flavanols shortly before two hours of sitting could preserve blood vessel function in the arms and legs.

A total of forty healthy young men (20 with high fitness and 20 with low fitness) were given either a high-flavanol (695 mg total flavanols per beverage) or low-flavanol cocoa beverage (5.6 mg total flavanols per beverage) before undergoing a two-hour sitting test.

This study focused solely on men due to potential fluctuations of estrogen during women’s menstrual cycles, which might impact how flavanols affect vascular health while sitting. Future trials will address this aspect.

The research team conducted various vascular measurements pre- and post-sitting, including (i) superficial femoral and brachial artery FMD, (ii) arterial resting shear rate and blood flow, (iii) systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and (iv) leg muscle oxygenation.

For both groups that consumed low-flavanol cocoa before sitting, there was a decrease in FMD in arm and leg arteries.

This indicates that even high fitness levels do not shield individuals from the effects of seated inactivity.

Both groups also exhibited a significant rise in diastolic blood pressure, reduced shear rate and blood flow in both arteries, and lower muscle oxygenation.

However, participants who consumed the high-flavanol cocoa drink retained their FMD levels in both the arm and leg arteries, demonstrating the protective effects of flavanols across various fitness levels.

This is the first instance where flavanols have been recognized for their ability to prevent vascular dysfunction linked to prolonged sitting in healthy young men.

Professor Sam Lucas remarked: “Our findings reveal that even those with high fitness levels are not immune to the temporary vascular impairments caused by sitting and consuming only low-flavanol cocoa.”

“Remarkably, after consuming the high-flavanol beverage, both fit and unfit participants maintained their FMD levels, unaffected by two hours of sitting.”

This study also uniquely demonstrated that pre-existing cardiorespiratory fitness levels do not influence how flavanol intake affects vascular function.

This means everyone, irrespective of fitness levels, can reap the rewards of flavanol consumption.

“Integrating flavanol-rich foods into your diet is quite simple,” asserts Alessio Daniele, a PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham.

“Cacao products that retain flavanol levels are readily found in supermarkets and health stores.”

“If cocoa isn’t your preference, consider incorporating apples, plums, berries, nuts, or black and green teas, which are common in kitchens.”

“Our findings suggest that consuming flavanol-rich foods and beverages during sedentary periods is an effective strategy to mitigate the impacts of inactivity on vascular health,” Dr. Rendeiro indicates.

“Given the upward trend in sedentary lifestyles and the associated risks to vascular health, integrating flavanol-rich foods and beverages with short breaks for walking or standing can promote long-term well-being, regardless of physical fitness levels.”

The study was published in October 2025 in the Journal of Physiology.

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Alessio Daniele et al.. Dietary flavanols maintain endothelial function in the upper and lower extremities during sitting in healthy men with high or low physical fitness. Journal of Physiology published online October 29, 2025. doi: 10.1113/JP289038

Source: www.sci.news

Trump seeks to reverse the prolonged decline of the coal industry- a challenging task.

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Last week, President Trump issued an executive order designed to revive the use of coal at power plants. This is a practice that has been steadily decreasing over more than a decade.

But as fossil fuels face several important hurdles, energy experts said. The power produced by coal plants cannot usually compete with cheaper and cleaner alternatives. And many coal-burning plants are simply too old and require extensive and expensive upgrades to continue running.

“It’s extremely difficult to reverse this trend,” said Dan Reicher, deputy energy secretary for the Clinton administration and Google’s Ease of Life and Energy Director. “There are a variety of forces at work that don’t portray a very bright future for coal.”

Coal plants, the US’s leading source of electricity, currently produce just 17% of the country’s electricity. The main reason is that another fossil fuel, natural gas, has become abundant and inexpensive due to the shale fracking boom that began in the early 2000s. The use of renewable energy sources like the wind and the sun is also growing significantly.

Natural gas currently provides around 38% of the US electricity, according to the Energy Information Agency. Renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power generation produce about 25%, while nuclear energy produces about 20%.

Some areas, like New England, will soon close their last coal power plants. California, the country’s most populous state, effectively uses no coal to generate electricity.

Coal is also under pressure because burning it will release greenhouse gases that can cause climate change and pollutants that harm people and nature. To avoid those concerns, Trump said, He waives certain air pollution restrictions For many coal plants.

In the Southeast and Midwest, many utilities continue to generate electricity from coal plants. Companies such as Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Duke Energy and the Tennessee Valley Department (the country’s largest government-run power provider) are one of the largest users of coal.

The state, which has a long history of coal mines, is still highly dependent on fuel. It includes West Virginia and Kentucky, which earned 85% of electricity from coal last year, according to the Energy Information Agency.

Trump oversaw the energy division Use emergency situations To operate unprofitable coal plants. The president said this is necessary to prevent blackouts. He tried a similar strategy in his first semester.

He also issued an order that eliminates regulations that “discriminate” coal production, opens new federal land for coal mining, and investigates whether coal combustion power plants can provide services to data centers used for artificial intelligence services such as chatbots.

Peabody, the largest coal producer in the United States, said in 2024 that the world used more coal than any other year in history.

“We believe that in order to support our country’s growing need for affordable and reliable energy, the US should stop resigning coal plants, use existing plants with higher utilization and reopen shuttered coal plants.”

Federal policies can play a role, but utilities, state legislators and regulators ultimately determine how much coal will burn at the power plant.

The Utility Trade Association’s Edison Electrical Institute, or EEI, said in a statement that the US needs more power sources but refused to support or oppose the use of coal.

“Electric demand is growing at the fastest pace in decades, and EEI member electric companies are using a diverse, domestic and balanced energy mix to meet this demand while keeping customer invoices as low as possible,” the Institute said.

Several large utilities, like Xcel Energy, are converting coal plants into solar farms to take advantage of the federal incentives created during the Biden administration. In Becker, Minnesota, for example, Xcel is building a large solar and battery installation to replace the Shelco coal power plant. The company is converting something else Coal plants in Colorado For natural gas.

Xcel spokesman Theo Keith said the utility is considering “understanding whether Trump’s orders could affect our business,” but in the meantime it will work to provide consumers with clean energy at a low cost.

Conservative lawmakers in some states, like Texas, have proposed legislation that requires more use of fossil fuels to ensure adequate power and meet the increased demand from data centers, electric vehicles and heat pumps. However, energy analysts expect that such measures will benefit natural gas, not coal, if they pass.

Environmental activists said efforts to revive coal were misguided. They point out that using more coal means that the use of more coal will result in higher electricity bills due to aging devices, increasing health problems and higher risk of power plant breakdowns.

“We’re turning decades of work here,” says Holly Bender, the Sierra Club’s Chief Program Officer, running a campaign called beyond coal to end its use of its fuel. “It’s clear that Trump is trying to put his fingers on the scale to keep coal open, but these are fragments of the infrastructure that are at the end of its useful life.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Newly Found Anti-Aging Cells Offer Potential for Prolonged Youthfulness

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The ‘fountain of youth’ isn’t locked away in a philosopher’s stone or a mythical body of water, according to new research. In fact, US scientists say the key to slowing aging is hidden within our bodies.

It was announced in new research that: The secret to anti-aging lies in white blood cells known as T cells. The researchers behind the study discovered that these cells can be reprogrammed into senescent cell-killing machines known as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cells.

When they tested this treatment on mice, they lost weight, improved their metabolism and glucose tolerance, increased physical activity, and led healthier lives. Moreover, there is no tissue damage or toxicity.

“If you give this to old mice, it rejuvenates them. If you give this to young mice, it slows down the aging process. There are currently no other treatments that can do this.” Corina Amor Vegas is an assistant professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in the United States and one of the authors of the paper.

Researchers call this treatment a “living drug.” That’s because when CAR T cells are genetically modified, they become more aggressive in attacking a group of cells known as senescent cells.

Senescent cells are responsible for many of the conditions and diseases that develop as we age, such as obesity and diabetes. As the years go by, we accumulate more and more of them, and this causes a buildup of harmful inflammation. However, CAR T cells may be able to eliminate them and slow the effects of aging.

This treatment is already approved in the United States to treat blood cancers. But this is the first time scientists have shown that CAR T cells can slow or even reduce the effects of aging.

There are already drugs that can eliminate senescent cells, but these must be taken repeatedly. The effects of CAR T cells, on the other hand, are long-lasting. If he takes one dose when he is young, he will be protected for life.

“With CAR T cells, you could potentially get away with just one treatment. For chronic diseases, this is a big advantage. Think about the patients who need treatment,” said Amor Vegas. If administered intravenously, it will be fine for several years. ”

Scientists will then investigate whether the cells not only make you healthier for the rest of your life, but also help you live longer.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Probiotics found effective in reducing fatigue and memory loss related to prolonged COVID-19 infection

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Probiotics, illustration of live microorganisms that can affect intestinal bacteria

ART-ur/Shutterstock

A daily cocktail of prebiotics and probiotics can help reduce fatigue, memory, and symptoms in people with long-term COVID-19 (symptoms that persist for months or years after being infected with COVID-19). May be useful in treating gastrointestinal complaints.

Although little is understood about long-term coronavirus infections, previous research has shown that people with the disease have lower levels of certain gut microbes than those without. Masu. In particular, they lack gut bacteria that produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids that regulate immune responses.

Siu Ng and his colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have formulated a mixture that boosts the production of short-chain fatty acids. The product, called SIM01, contained three probiotics (live bacterial strains) and three prebiotics (compounds that help the growth of beneficial gut bacteria).

They distributed this cocktail to 232 adults. Another group of 231 adults took a mixture containing starch and low-dose vitamin C. Both mixtures were taken twice a day for 6 months. All participants were residents of Hong Kong, had previously tested positive for COVID-19, and met the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s criteria for long-term COVID-19 infection.

Researchers used a questionnaire to assess 14 long-term COVID-19 symptoms in participants before treatment began and after treatment ended. At the end of the trial, people who received SIM01 were likely to experience relief from five long-term coronavirus symptoms: fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, general unwellness, and gastrointestinal upset. It was found to be about 2 to 2.5 times higher on average. The research team also found no serious side effects from the treatment.

Analysis of fecal samples taken before and after the trial revealed that SIM01 increases gut microbial diversity and promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, Ng said. Therefore, she says, it could be useful in treating other conditions that are associated with disruption of the gut microbiome, such as chronic fatigue syndrome.

However, it is unclear how these changes in the gut reduce the symptoms of long-term coronavirus infection. timothy sampson At Emory University in Georgia. “It makes sense that the microbiome has the ability to mediate immune responses, but… [immune system] What is actually at the root of [long covid] You get symptoms,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com