Sunlight lowers blood pressure
Spending 20 minutes in the sun could help to lower your risk of heart disease, scientists have claimed. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that exposure to ultraviolet light lowered the blood pressure of volunteers. Scientists say the findings may lead them to reconsider current advice for sun exposure.
High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors in heart disease and stroke. The scientists believe that UV rays in sunlight cause nitrogen stored in the body to be released into the blood stream, relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. However, excessive exposure to UV light is also known to be a major cause of skin cancer.
Britons sit for 20 hours a day
New research suggests the average modern Briton now spends more than 20 hours a day sitting or lying down, whether asleep or awake. But at the same time most of us feel busier than ever because we are constantly checking our phones and emails. The survey, by Weight Watchers, found that 67 per cent of people now spend the majority of the day sitting or lying down but 54 per cent still believed they had busy and active lives. Zoe Hellman, head of public health at Weight Watchers UK said this was because people did not know the difference between mental tiredness and physical exertion. “The rise in modern technology means we’re constantly ‘switched on’ — from texting and emailing to browsing online, it’s mentally exhausting,” she said. “And as sedentary lifestyles seem to be on the rise, the UK’s obesity rates continue to escalate.”
Pollution in air raises diabetes risk
Researchers found that children living in areas with higher levels of air pollution, for example from exhaust fumes, are more likely to develop insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, by the age of 10. Previous studies have shown that women in heavily polluted areas tend to have smaller babies, and low birth weight is known to raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. Air pollutants could also react with fats and proteins to cause cell damage or lead to higher levels of inflammation in the body, both of which could lead to insulin resistance. Results of the study carried out by scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich showed that children living in areas with higher levels of pollutants in the air were significantly more likely to develop insulin resistance.