Rude Health News & Events

The latest news, research and events from the world of natural health

Celebrate Organic September

September is the perfect time to explore all things organic, as the Soil Association’s annual Organic September campaign returns. The month-long initiative aims to raise awareness of organic food and farming and the benefits they can bring to our health, wildlife, animal welfare and the environment.

This year’s message is “Organic is a shortcut to better”, highlighting how choosing certified organic products can make it easier to shop with these issues in mind. Why not get involved by making a few simple organic swaps, whether it’s your usual fruit and vegetables, store cupboard staples or favourite health and beauty products? Look out for the organic logo when you shop and visit www.soilassociation.org for more information, ideas and inspiration.

Short bursts of exercise may have big health benefits

Just three minutes of sprinting may trigger a surprisingly powerful response in the body, according to new research from Rockefeller University. Researchers compared the effects of different exercise intensities and found that six 30-second, all-out sprints altered nearly a quarter of the proteins measured in participants’ blood immediately afterwards. In contrast, 90 minutes of moderate cycling changed less than a quarter of 1%.

Sprinting also affected more than 200 metabolites and increased proteins involved in processes including blood vessel growth, tissue repair and hormonal signalling. When researchers exposed human fat cells to blood collected after sprinting, they found widespread changes in genes involved in fuel use, hormone responses and nutrient sensing.

The researchers also compared exercise-responsive proteins with health data from more than 53,000 UK Biobank participants. Many were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, suggesting that exercise intensity may play an important role in its health benefits. The findings were published in Cell Reports Medicine.

Plant-based diet linked to better heart health

Eating more plant-based foods could help to protect women’s heart health as they get older, according to new research.

Scientists followed nearly 67,000 postmenopausal women for around 20 years and found that those who most closely followed the Planetary Health Diet had a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest adherence. The diet emphasises fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated fats, while limiting red and processed meat, added sugars, refined grains and saturated fats. Encouragingly, even moderate adherence was associated with a reduced risk.

The researchers say that small changes, such as eating more vegetables, choosing wholegrain breakfasts and swapping butter for unsaturated fats, could help people move towards a more heart-friendly diet. The findings were presented at NUTRITION 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

Vitamin D may help to improve brain health

Researchers have found that higher levels of vitamin D supplementation are associated with better cognitive performance in adults with an increased risk of dementia. The study included 54 adults with sleep disturbances and mild cognitive impairments (MCI), both of which can be associated with the early stages of dementia.

Participants who reported taking at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D each day performed better on measures of cognitive function than those who did not take vitamin D. The findings showed that people taking 5,000 IU or more of vitamin D daily scored more than 13% higher on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) compared with participants who took none, even after researchers adjusted for other factors.

MoCA is a widely used screening test designed to assess memory, thinking skills, and the risk of developing dementia. In contrast to the results seen with the higher intake group, lower daily doses of vitamin D were not associated with improved cognitive scores. The findings were published in Sleep Medicine.

Sleep patterns linked to biological ageing

New research suggests that both sleeping too little and sleeping too much are associated with faster ageing in the brain, heart, lungs, immune system and other organs. These sleep patterns were also linked to a broad range of diseases.

The researchers, from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, used information from approximately half a million participants in the UK Biobank. They used several types of information in their analysis, including structural measurements from medical imaging, proteins associated with specific organs, and molecules detected in the blood. People who slept for shorter periods (fewer than 6 hours) and those who slept for longer (greater than 8 hours) tended to show faster biological ageing. The lowest levels of ageing were seen among people who reported sleeping between 6.4 and 7.8 hours each day.

Short sleep was significantly associated with depressive episodes and anxiety disorders, consistent with earlier research connecting insufficient sleep with mental health problems. It was also associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart arrhythmias. Both short and long sleep were linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

They were also associated with several digestive disorders, including gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The research was published in Nature.

September events

Wild and Well Festival
4–6 September, Annaghmore Estate, Collooney, Co. Sligo
www.wildandwellfest.ie

Drogheda Wellness Festival
5 September, The Marcy Hotel, Drogheda, Co Louth
www.themarcy.ie

Find more natural health events here...