Sixteen people have gotten sick with salmonella after eating ground beef, according to a CDC alert.
There is currently no recall associated with the outbreak.
The CDC urges consumers to follow proper food safety protocol when cooking ground beef and ensure that it is cooked to 160 degrees.
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Sixteen people have gotten sick with salmonella after eating ground beef, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alert.
Most of those who got sick reported eating 80% lean ground beef sold at ShopRite locations in the Northeast.
So far, there are nine reported cases in New Jersey, five in New York, one in Connecticut, and one in Massachusetts. Six people have been hospitalized with a salmonella infection, but no deaths have been reported.
According to the CDC, it’s likely that there are more than 16 illnesses associated with this outbreak.
Many people recover from salmonellosis—the illness caused by salmonella—without medical care and are never tested for it, so there may have been additional cases that weren’t included in the outbreak total.
It can also take a few weeks for cases to be counted as part of an outbreak, the CDC said, so there could be recent illnesses that haven’t yet been documented.
The first reported illness was on April 27; the other 15 cases were documented between May 21 and June 16.
Investigators are still working to find the source of the contaminated ground beef—no recall has been announced.
Ground beef can be a source of salmonella, but the bacteria are killed when the beef is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Undercooking ground beef can put people at risk of ingesting salmonella.
CDC Warns of Multi-State Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Flour
Avoiding Salmonella
Salmonella may be more commonly associated with eggs or raw chicken, but ground beef can be an issue as well. Between 2012 and 2019, there were 27 salmonella outbreaks linked to beef.
In general, salmonella is a huge issue in the U.S.—the CDC estimates that the bacteria causes 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths each year.
As is the case with most instances of food poisoning, salmonella bacteria primarily causes acute gastroenteritis, or general diarrheal sickness.
Symptoms can appear between 6 hours and 6 days after someone ingests the bacteria, and the illness typically lasts between 4 and 7 days before clearing up on its own.
Most people who get sick from salmonella will experience fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and possibly nausea or vomiting.
But sometimes salmonella infections can be more serious—diarrhea can cause severe dehydration, especially in infants and older people. And if the salmonella bacteria make their way into other parts of the body, they can cause severe issues such as meningitis, or blood or bone infections.
Antibiotics are typically only used in these more severe cases, or for people with salmonella who may be at an increased risk of serious illness, such as those with older patients with underlying conditions or immunocompromised people.
Because outbreaks are very common and symptoms can be severe, it’s important that people are aware of what they can do to prevent salmonellosis.
Ground Beef Safety
There are four food safety tips the CDC recommends people follow when they cook with ground beef:
Clean: wash your hands and any dishes, utensils, or surfaces that touch raw beef, before they touch other food or items
Separate: keep ground beef separated from other food while grocery shopping and in your fridge
Cook: all ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, and heated to 165 degrees when warming up leftovers
Chill: refrigerated ground beef should be cooked or frozen within 1 to 2 days, and any cooked ground beef should not be left out for more than an hour or two
New preliminary research shows what you eat and when you eat has the greatest impact on heart and metabolic health when it comes to snacking.
High-quality snacks were linked to healthier triglycerides and blood sugar levels than highly-processed snacks.
Additionally, late-night snacking was linked to unfavorable blood sugar and triglyceride levels, compared to daytime snacking.
Westend61/Getty Images
When it comes to snacking, new research suggests what you eat and when you eat may have the most impact on your heart and metabolic health.
The new study, presented Monday at NUTRITION 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, examined the snacking habits of more than 1,000 people in order to determine how snacking affects health, and whether quality, quantity, frequency, or timing made any difference.
“We [were] interested in not only what you eat, but also how you eat,” study lead author, Kate Bermingham, PhD, post-doctoral research assistant at King’s College London, told Health.
“Snacking is a common dietary behavior and many people ask us whether they should be snacking or not.” Bermingham added. “Our research question was, ‘Is what you are snacking on more important than how frequently you snack?’”
Snacking has become part of everyday life for most Americans and many Europeans. According to 2023 research in the journal Nutrients, more than 90% of U.S. adults report eating one or more snacks on any given day, with an average of 1.2–3 snacking occasions per day. And all that snacking adds up to extra calories as well as impactful nutrients like sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars.
Here’s what to know about the health effects of those in-between meals, and how to create a snack—and snacking routine—that provides the most benefit.
15 Healthy Snacks to Support Gut Health
Quality and Timing of Snacks Matter Most
For the new research, which is still considered preliminary, Bermingham and her colleagues looked at data from the ZOE Predict study, an ongoing, in-depth nutritional research project in the U.K.
Using information on just over 1,000 subjects, 95% of whom described themselves as snackers, the team analyzed their dietary patterns over 2–4 days. Snacks were given a quality score based on their healthfulness (or lack thereof).
“An example of a high-quality snack is nuts and seeds or fruits,” Bermingham said. “An unhealthful, highly processed snack included candy or cookies.” Researchers also took stock of the timing of people’s snacks, identifying late-night snacks as foods eaten after 9 P.M.
From there, the team looked at various measures of subjects’ health, including weight, blood glucose, insulin, and blood lipids, to see how they correlated with snack quantity, quality, and timing.
People who ate high-quality snacks were more likely to have healthier triglycerides and blood sugar levels than those who ate highly processed snacks. Additionally, those who ate their snacks later in the evening had unfavorable blood sugar and triglyceride levels, compared with daytime snackers. Snack quantity and frequency did not appear to adversely affect health outcomes nearly as much as snack quality.
According to Bermingham, these conclusions offer promise for viewing snacks as a pathway toward better health. “The study concluded snacking behavior may be a key dietary target to improve risk factors for diet-related diseases, and healthy snacking earlier in the day can be part of a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
Why Snack Quality and Timing Matter for Health
It’s not surprising that “high-quality” foods (i.e. those with ample nutrients) would be linked to improved health indicators like lower blood sugar and blood lipids.
“High-quality snacks that provide whole grain carbohydrate, protein, and/or healthy fat can help stabilize blood sugar levels and thereby help to control diabetes and triglyceride levels,” Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It—Taking You from Label to Table told Health.
However, the study’s finding that late-night snacking negatively impacted measures of health is a bit more noteworthy. It adds to previous research with similar conclusions about late-night eating. A 2022 study published in Cell Metabolism showed that late eating increased daytime hunger and decreased daytime energy expenditure, ultimately increasing obesity risk.
The “why” behind these findings likely has to do with the quality of snacks people tend to choose at night.
“Many people snack after dinner and into the night (before bed) out of boredom or habit, not hunger,” Anne Danahy, MS, RDN, of Craving Something Healthy, told Health. “For many, a nighttime snack is a bag of chips or a bowl of ice cream. Those provide empty calories that don’t nourish your body. Snacking on those types of foods contributes to weight gain and may raise blood sugar and cholesterol.”
Also intriguing from the King’s College study is the fact that the quantity of snacks appeared to be less important for health than their quality.
According to Taub-Dix, this might be explained by the relatively short window of time observed in the study. “Snack quantity could have an impact on weight and digestion in the big picture, whereas snack quality could impact blood sugar levels soon after the snack is consumed, especially if the snack is laden with added sugar without any protein or fat to help slow up digestion,” she explained.
Healthy High Protein Snacks That Are Low in Calories
Choosing the Best Snacks—And When to Eat Them
Our national snacking habit is likely here to stay—so for better health, how can you make the best eating choices between meals?
“I look at snacks as mini-meals,” said Taub-Dix. “We are snacking more than ever, so it’s best to choose snacks with benefits. In other words, pick those that contain the trifecta of a combo of protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat.”
Danahy agrees that a balance of the three macronutrients is key for healthy munching. Some of her top recommendations for snacks with ideal amounts of nutrients include:
An apple with peanut or almond butter
Greek yogurt with berries and a handful of nuts
Grapes or other fruit with cheese and nuts
Pretzel chips or whole grain crackers with carrots and hummus
Finally, as for whether you should kick a nighttime snacking habit, Danahy’s answer is “maybe.”
“First, ask yourself if you need a night-time snack," she said. "Most people don’t—unless dinner is very early or very light. If hunger keeps you awake at night, or you wake up in the middle of the night starving, then plan a healthy snack that sustains you, or try to eat dinner a little later."
Cutting back on late-night noshing might yield other benefits, too, like better sleep and lower risk of heartburn. Then again, if you have a health condition that requires more frequent eating (such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, or requiring medication that must be taken with food), it’s always best to follow your doctor’s guidance on snack timing.
New research has identified the five foods with the highest amount of prebiotics.
Dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, and onions, are the most prebiotic-dense foods people can eat.
Prebiotics help support gut health, and prebiotic-rich foods also contain high amounts of fiber.
zeljkosantrac/Getty Images
Prebiotics—a form of gut-friendly dietary fiber—have grown in popularity in recent years. Now, new preliminary research has pinpointed which five foods pack the most prebiotic content.
Dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, and onions, are the most prebiotic-dense foods people can eat, according to a new study presented at NUTRITION 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. The new research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal.
Not only do prebiotics help support gut health, but prebiotic-rich foods also contain high amounts of fiber, an essential nutrient most Americans don’t get enough of.
“Eating prebiotic-dense foods has been indicated by previous research to benefit health,” study co-author Cassandra Boyd, a master’s student at San José State University, said in a news release. “Eating in a way to promote microbiome wellness while eating more fiber may be more attainable and accessible than you think.”
Here’s what to know about these prebiotic-rich foods, how prebiotics work to support gut and overall health, and how to easily add more prebiotics into your diet.
Steps You Can Take For Improved Gut Health
What Are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics and probiotics both benefit the body’s microbiome—the community of organisms that live inside all of us—but in different ways. While probiotics are living microorganisms, prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that can be thought of as fuel for the probiotics.
“[Prebiotics] can influence—in a beneficial way—the composition of one’s gut microbiota,” said Deborah Cohen, DCN, RDN, associate professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions.
Certain studies, for example, have linked higher prebiotic intake with better blood sugar management and absorption of essential minerals, and evidence of improved digestion and immune function.
However, more research is needed to fully understand how prebiotics can benefit the body.
“The exact health benefits and mechanisms of action of prebiotics are still the subject of ongoing research,” Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy, told Health. “There is a need for more high-quality, human-based studies to better understand these topics.”
Common Foods Make It Easy to Consume More Prebiotics
For the new study, Boyd, along with her co-author John Gieng, PhD, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at San José State University, used previous findings to analyze the prebiotic content of 8,690 foods in the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies.
Of those foods, 37% contained prebiotics, with dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, and onions containing the highest amounts (100–240 milligrams of prebiotics per gram of food).
Other foods found to have decent amounts of prebiotics were onion rings, creamed onions, cowpeas, asparagus, and Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal.
Onions were a surprising standout, according to the researchers. “Multiple forms of onions and related foods appear in a variety of dishes as both flavoring and main ingredients,” Boyd said in a statement to Health. “These foods are commonly consumed by Americans and thus would be a feasible target for people to increase their prebiotic consumption.”
Foods with fewer to no prebiotics included wheat-containing products, as well as dairy products, eggs, oils, and meats.
Which Type of Fiber Is Best for Chronic Constipation? New Research May Have an Answer
Adding More Prebiotic-Rich Foods to Your Diet
Though more research is needed on how prebiotics can benefit overall health, prebiotic-dense foods are still a good source of fiber, and thus, are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Currently, only the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics has a daily recommended intake for prebiotics: 5 grams per day. According to Boyd, eating half a small onion—about 4 ounces—fulfills that recommendation.
The researchers behind this new study said they hope their findings will aid in future research about the benefits of prebiotics, and possibly even inform future dietary guidelines.
“Researchers could do more to understand the optimal amounts and types of prebiotics for different groups of people, such as those with certain health conditions, the elderly, and children,” Keatley said.
“There’s also a need for more studies on the interactions between prebiotics and other dietary components,” he added, “[as well as] the health benefits of different types of prebiotics, and the potential risks and benefits of prebiotic supplements.”
For now, experts recommend doing what you can to get more fiber in your diet.
“Try to get 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day in your diet—the average intake of Americans is around 15 grams,” Keatley said. “Slowly bring up your total and you may be amazed at how much better you feel, look, and your GI tract functions.”
The viral 12-3-30 treadmill workout is popular, but many believe it is not suitable for beginners to the workout space.
Experts explain that other forms of steady state cardio can provide the same benefits, it may just take a little longer to see the results.
Experts agree that lowering the incline to a doable number and then slowly working your way up to 12-3-30 is the most effective, safest way to participate in the trend.
The viral 12-3-30 treadmill workout continues to gain new fans, but many experts and participants alike agree that it may not be a great choice for beginners.
Created by fitness influencer Lauren Giraldo, the original 12-3-30 video has been liked over 2.8 million times on TikTok. The workout is simple: set your treadmill at 12 percent incline, at 3 mph, for thirty minutes.
While many claim to see amazing results from this particular workout, there are others who find this workout to exclude beginners, who may not be able to work at this intensity yet.
“Holding a 12 percent incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes can be intense, even for a very fit individual,” Mara Magistad, NASM-CPT, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach told Health. “With an incline this steep, some may find it difficult to sustain their pace without needing to grip onto the handrails, or even hunch over to rest their upper body on it completely.”
Due to the potential for poor form with this program, there are certain populations that may want to adjust the 12-3-30 workout.
Lesley Bell, CPT, CES, PES, NCSF-CSC explained that people who are starting a cardiovascular program, have balance or gait issues, are in rehabilitation, or have contraindications such as cardiovascular disease may want to make adjustments to the popular trend.
Getty Images / Nutthaseth Vanchaichana
The Steady State Cardio Benefits of Inclined Walking
The magic to any workout, Bell said, is getting up and moving. While there is no scientific reasoning behind the specific numbers of 12-3-30, there is an importance to the type of cardio that is being performed.
"With the 12-3-30 layout, because the speed stays the same the whole time, it is considered a form of steady-state cardio," Magistad said.
Steady-state cardio reduces stress on the joints, she explained, while still building endurance. It can also be helpful for consistency and recovery efforts.
Bell noted that 12-3-30 is not a program that works entirely on its own, but it is a great way to supplement your strength training programming. “The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular activity per week, and this falls within those parameters”, she said.
Making modifications to 12-3-30 provide the same, steady state cardio benefits, said Bell. However, it's important to note that “research shows that degree of inclination does affect which muscles are activated.”
A modification, or less intense incline, just indicates that certain results may take a little longer to see.
According to Magistad, “Any amount of incline walking will still be fantastic for building strength in the posterior chain, building your cardiovascular endurance, and elevating your endorphins. Don't rule it out completely even if you need to adjust your incline lower than 12 percent."
Is the '12-3-30' Treadmill Routine a Good Workout?
Beginner-Friendly Modifications to 12-3-30
The most common modifications to 12-3-30 are related to incline.
For instance, 8-3-30 has become a popular modification on TikTok, with creators boasting its beginner-friendly benefits. Instead of setting the incline at 12, you would set it at 8 while keeping the speed at 3 mph for 30 minutes.
However, Magistad pointed out that doing the same incline (no matter what that incline is) at the same speed for 30 minutes may be strenuous for someone who's just beginning their fitness journey.
Instead, she recommended trying a 10 or 15 minute incline walk, spending one minute at a 6% incline and then the next minute at a 3% incline so you get some active recovery time. After a week of that routine, try switching between 3% and 7%, adding a few more minutes to the workout.
"The idea is to eventually work up to incorporating a steeper incline and longer duration into the mix," she said.
Bell agreed that slow and steady is the better option. “For anyone wanting to ease into the 12-3-30 workout, I would strongly recommend trying to build the habit of walking for 30 minutes 2-3 times per week first to see how your body feels."
Moving From Modification to 12-3-30
The best rule of thumb is when your modification feels too easy, go for the full intensity.
There are many ways to achieve the same effort level, with different variables.
A variable Magistad suggested is “holding a slightly less steep incline at 10% but at a faster speed like 3.5 mph for 30 minutes." She noted this may have a similar intensity to and get your heart rate up like 12-3-30.
Bell recommended reaching out to a certified personal trainer who can safely guide you through a cardiovascular assessment to identify your starting intensity.
“If you are consistent with your routine, it is recommended to increase the volume of work, or in this case, the inclination of the treadmill, every 4-6 weeks,” she said.
The Most Important Thing Is Understanding Your Fitness Level
According to Bell, the best way to ensure the safest and most efficient exercise routine is to establish a baseline. From there the body will adapt to the level of stress placed on it and eventually require more or varied amounts of stress to produce a higher level of adaptation in the future.
This is known as the Principle of Specificity.
"The biggest risk of doing 12-3-30 if you aren't at a level of fitness to do so is a possibility of injury and overtraining," Magistad said. "Doing too much too soon has the potential to lead to injury or some form of pain or strain.”
Bell cited plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis as two to the injuries that could be the result of this specific workout. Research shows that these are a few of the conditions that can develop out of overtraining.
Drastic new workout routines can also come with the risk of burnout and sometimes that causes people to quit altogether.
According to Bell, you can become defeated and unmotivated when you take on programming you are not yet ready for. The goal in any workout program is to stay consistent, and the best way to do that is to make it manageable.
“Small and often is better than going to the extreme very infrequently," Magistad said, "so be real with yourself and give yourself the grace to start at a level you know you can sustain, knowing that you will work up to where you want to be before you know it."
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A new study found that individuals with type 2 diabetes may benefit from curating their exercise routines, particularly by strategizing the time of day they work out and the type of workouts they do.
Working out in the evening, after a meal, and incorporating cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises into your weekly routine can provide helpful results.
Experts emphasize the benefits of prioritizing exercise for type 2 diabetes care, in tandem with a healthy diet and any necessary, prescribed medication.
Exercising at certain times of the day and implementing certain types of activity can help people with type 2 diabetes get the most out of a workout, a new study finds.
About 10% of adults in the United States have type 2 diabetes, and about one-third have prediabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be reversed with healthy lifestyle interventions.
Exercise is usually prescribed as a treatment alongside diet and medication, but on its own, exercise can induce short-term glycemic (blood sugar) control.
“Exercise is nature’s insulin sensitizer, meaning it makes your body more sensitive to the effects of insulin,” Joanne Dushay, MD, an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who was not involved with the new research, told Health.
Muscle and fat cells act like sponges, absorbing glucose from the bloodstream and transporting it into cells, which lowers blood sugar levels. Exercise helps this process along, especially in people with type 2 diabetes, where muscles may be unable to absorb glucose like they normally should.
“Regular exercise is better than pretty much any medication for improving insulin resistance,” Dushay told Health.
Getty Images / Edwin Tan
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Using Exercise to Regulate Type 2 Diabetes
To understand how exercise helps regulate type 2 diabetes, people must first understand what goes wrong in the body to cause the disease in the first place, Steven Malin, PhD, an associate professor of kinesiology and health at Rutgers University, told Health.
First, over time, the body becomes less responsive to the hormone insulin. As the body becomes less responsive to insulin, muscles don’t take up glucose as they normally would. The body tries to compensate by producing more insulin.
This overexertion causes the pancreas—the organ that secretes insulin—to become exhausted. As a result, it no longer makes enough insulin.
Malin, who led the study, emphasized the benefits of using exercise to counteract insulin resistance.
Not only does physical activity help regulate blood sugar and insulin, but it can also ward off some common complications of diabetes, including heart disease and nerve damage.
To determine how people with type 2 diabetes can best optimize exercise, Malin and his team analyzed existing studies that looked at how different types of exercises—such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training—impact glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as whether or not it matters when the exercise is being done.
“Either type of exercise, aerobic or strength, and exercise at any time of day is thought to be beneficial for helping the body become more insulin sensitive,” Malin told Health. So the first focus should be on getting any type of exercise whenever you can, he added.
The next step up can be optimizing those workouts to get the most benefits—but being physically active in any way remains the most important thing, Malin said.
Post-Meal and Evening Workouts Are Best
Several studies have found that exercising after eating a meal is the best way to optimize the benefits of a workout when it comes to glycemic control.
After eating, a person’s blood sugar spikes. But a post-meal workout can help quell these spikes by prompting the muscles to take up more glucose from the blood. Since dinner is typically the largest meal of the day in the U.S., exercising in the afternoon or evening is slightly better for managing glucose than exercising in the morning.
If you exercise in the evening, those benefits last until the next morning, Malin said.
“If you’re in a spot where you have to make a decision and you have barriers in your way, pick whichever option, before or after a meal, that is easier and get it done,” he said. “But if you have more flexibility, the evidence is pointing towards exercising after the meal.”
Mixing Up Kinds of Exercise Activities Can Help
According to Dushay, a combination of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises is best, especially as people get older.
“Each has unique and important benefits,” she said. “Cardio helps with cardiovascular health; strength helps maintain muscle mass as we age; flexibility helps with balance and to prevent falls.”
If you can only pick two, stick with cardio and strength training. “If you’re able to do both strength and aerobic exercise you’re going to get the best benefits for glucose control,” Malin said.
Mixing it up can also keep exercise interesting and allow you to do most workouts at the time of day you prefer, even if it isn’t post-meal or in the evening.
“Don’t get caught up in doing the same thing every day, you can mix it up," he said. "If you prefer morning you can do it once or twice a week in the evening but primarily in the morning."
Using Exercise to Break Insulin Barriers
Studies have also shown that one of the big barriers to exercise is time, Malin said. The key to eliminating that barrier may be to break down exercise into smaller increments.
“People will say 'I don’t have 45 minutes to get out and do the exercise,' but you can break that apart and do 15 minutes after each meal,” said Malin. “Studies have shown that breaking up the exercise over the course of the day is just as good if not even a little better than one burst of 45 minutes.”
A 2021 study found that even opting to take the stairs decreased a person’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which includes type 2 diabetes.
Dushay said marching in place, climbing stairs, or strength training for just 5 or 10 minutes several times a day can significantly improve blood sugar among people with type 2 diabetes.
“I can't emphasize this enough, exercise is hands down the best medicine for diabetes,” she said, adding that it should still be used in tandem with a healthy diet and, if needed, medication.
TikTok users are dipping vegetables and other foods in cottage cheese and mustard and calling it a weight loss strategy.
Cottage cheese and mustard are both relatively inexpensive and do have some health benefits—particularly cottage cheese as a great source of protein.
But experts agree that a truly nutritious diet and weight loss strategy involves eating a wider variety of healthy foods.
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
Mustard and cottage cheese might not sound like a flavor match made in heaven—but that hasn’t stopped this food combo from taking TikTok by storm.
These two simple kitchen staples have become a TikTok sensation, with influencers filming themselves dipping foods like raw vegetables or chicken sausage into the cultured cheese and then slathering it with the yellow condiment.
Started by influencer Tiffany Magee, the hashtag #veggieswithmustard now has over 250 million views on TikTok. Magee claims that regularly eating this meal has helped her lose 80 pounds, and others have latched onto the trend as a way to shed weight.
The thinking goes that, as a high-protein food, cottage cheese keeps you full, as do other high-protein foods, such as sausage, that you might dip into the ingredient combo. Other dipping candidates—veggies like broccoli, hearts of palm, carrots, or peppers—are high in fiber, which also helps keep you sated for longer. Mustard provides a tangy flavor that TikTokkers say adds to the deliciousness.
As long as you’re not eating other high-fat, high-calorie foods, these elements create the perfect recipe for weight loss, proponents of the mustard and cottage cheese trend say.
But is this eating plan right for you?
If you want to trim down, this diet might seem especially enticing—it involves inexpensive ingredients and little planning. However, dietitians note that it has some red flags. Here’s what they said about this latest TikTok trend.
The Benefits of Eating Mustard and Cottage Cheese
Both ingredients offer health benefits, with cottage cheese, in particular, being a favorite of dietitians due to its excellent nutrient profile. “Cottage cheese is a great source of protein with 25 grams per cup, and a good source of calcium and vitamin B12,” Jamie Nadeau, RD, of The Balanced Nutritionist, told Health. “Many people struggle to prioritize enough protein, and cottage cheese is a super convenient and affordable option.” Other nutrients in cottage cheese include phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin A.
People with diabetes or insulin resistance can benefit from eating cottage cheese, according to Miranda Galati, MHSc, RD, founder of Real Life Nutritionist. “As a naturally high-protein and low-sugar food, cottage cheese is great for blood sugar,” Galati told Health. “When you pair a protein-rich food like cottage cheese with a carbohydrate source like fruit, you’re getting long-lasting energy to keep you full and prevent blood sugar crashes later.”
Mustard has some health perks, too. “For one, mustard is low in calories and can support weight loss goals,” Galati said. “Mustard is also rich in antioxidants such as isothiocyanates and sinigrin, which have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties and can help protect against disease.”
If you choose mustard with seeds, you’ll rack up extra benefits. Mustard seeds contain magnesium, manganese, selenium, and a hint of fiber. Still, dose and context matter. “The mustard plant and mustard seeds contain many beneficial compounds, but you’re not necessarily transforming your health by squirting some on your sausage or vegetables,” Galati said.
The Drawbacks of a Mustard and Cottage Cheese Diet
Since cottage cheese, mustard, meats, and veggies are generally low-calorie and promote fullness, it’s entirely possible that eating them on repeat will lead to weight loss. But that doesn’t necessarily make for a balanced and nutritious diet, said Galati.
“A healthy diet should include a variety of foods to ensure you’re getting all the nutrition you need," she said. "Relying on cottage cheese as your only source of protein might mean you’re missing out on other health-promoting foods like fish, beans, or lean meats.”
Additionally, some mustard and cottage cheese brands contain high amounts of sodium, which could pose problems for blood pressure when eaten in excess. If you decide to eat these foods often, it's smart to keep tabs on how much sodium each meal provides.
There’s also the possibility that you will tire of eating the same foods every day, making this weight loss plan diet difficult to stick with in the long term. Eventually, you might binge on high calorie foods just to balance your diet.
Finally, if you don’t like mustard and cottage cheese in the first place, it’s probably not a great idea to jump on this trend. “If you're choking down cottage cheese simply because Tiktok told you it's good for weight loss, it's not going to serve you well long-term,” Nadeau said.
Is This Diet Right for You?
When selecting dip ingredients, you could do much worse than mustard and cottage cheese. “Choosing a high protein dip like mustard and cottage cheese over a low protein dip, like salad dressing, definitely has its benefits,” said Nadeau. “When you use a higher protein dip, it adds to the satisfaction factor of your whole meal or snack.” There’s even no harm in eating it regularly, she said.
But if you want to eat mustard, cottage cheese, veggies, and meats for every meal—and for weight loss purposes—Galati said you might want to reconsider.
“I’ll be honest, it looks like a tasty lunch, but please include some other nutritious options in your life too," she said. "I promise, it’s not the weight loss miracle plate that TikTok is making it out to be."
A new study suggests that taking vitamin D supplements may help protect older adults from major cardiovascular events, like heart attacks.
The study is relatively small and researchers and outside medical professionals alike emphasize the need for further research in order to clarify vitamin D's ability to contribute to heart health in this way.
Experts agree that lifestyle factors, like diet and exercise, are still the primary ways individuals can focus on prevention of heart attacks and other cardiovascular-related events.
Taking vitamin D supplements may help reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (like heart attacks) for older adults, according to a new study.
The trial, which was based out of Australia, assessed 21,315 people who ranged from 60 to 84 years old. They randomly gave one group of 10,662 participants one capsule of 60,000 IU vitamin D, while a placebo was given to 10,653 participants.
The supplements and the placebo were taken orally by participants at the beginning of each month for up to 5 years, with the clinical trial starting in 2014 and concluding in 2020.
Researchers excluded people from the trial with a history of hypercalcemia, or high calcium levels, overactive thyroid, or hyperparathyroidism, kidney stones, osteomalacia, or “soft bones,” sarcoidosis, which is an inflammatory disease, or who were already taking more than 500 IU per day of vitamin D supplements.
Study author Rachel Neale, PhD, told Health that there have been plenty of observational studies suggesting that the concentration of 25 hodroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D—the molecule that is measured to determine vitamin D status—in the bloodstream is “inversely associated with health outcomes.”
The opposite has been examined less.
While the largest clinical trial of its kind, the researchers acknowledge that the study was relatively small, and more work needs to be done to understand the effectiveness of these kinds of supplements, especially in people who are taking statins or other medications to manage cardiovascular disease.
Neale, who also serves as the deputy coordinator of the Population Health Department at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, noted that the association between vitamin D and cardiovascular health risk may not be causal.
"Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether supplementing people with vitamin D would improve health outcomes," she said.
Getty Images / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Taking Vitamin D Supplements Could Protect Your Heart
Over the course of the trial, 1,336 of the participants experienced a major cardiovascular event—this was evenly divided between the placebo and vitamin D supplement groups.
The research team found that 6.6% of those in the placebo group and 6% in the supplement group experienced a cardiovascular event during those five years.
Those in the vitamin D supplement group seemed better protected from these heart disease events; this group experienced a rate of major cardiovascular events that was 9% lower compared to what was seen in the placebo group.
This comes out to about 5.8 fewer cardiovascular events per 1,000 participants. The heart attack and coronary rates were 19% and 11% lower, respectively, in the vitamin D group. That being said, the rate of stroke showed no difference between the placebo and supplement groups.
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How Vitamin D Impacts the Heart
When asked what is known about vitamin D and its impact on heart health, Boback Ziaeian, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in the Division of Cardiology, told Health that there are many studies out there on vitamin D “that span basic sciences, observational research, and clinical trials.”
That being said, it’s only very recently that we’ve started seeing large randomized trials like this one that focus on vitamin D supplements as a mechanism to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even dementia.
"These trials have all largely been negative for their primary endpoint design. The recent Australian study is the first large study to suggest a possible benefit and that is very uncertain," said Ziaeian, who is unaffiliated with this clinical trial.
Essentially, more needs to be examined here.
Neale said that there are a number of different potential mechanisms inherent in vitamin D that could be beneficial for your heart.
She mentioned that vitamin D "can influence the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which influences blood volume and vascular resistance." She also noted that vitamin D can also lower inflammation and "reduce cardiac remodeling."
"People have hyped Vitamin D for a long time, but blood levels are heavily confounded by other lifestyle factors like how much time someone spends outdoors or not having other chronic diseases," Ziaeian said.
“So, overall, there’s no good evidence that supplementing people with vitamin D does anything beneficial for their health unless they cannot produce it, such as patients with severe kidney disease.”
What Future Studies Need to Clarify
Ziaeian said that he doesn't believe we will see a future where vitamin D supplementation will be part of a prescription from your doctor.
"Looking at the literature overall, I think it is very unlikely that we would find many benefits for any vitamin supplementation that for vitamins we normally ingest with normal food intake or that our body produces," he said.
Neale said that “uncertainty in the evidence may not ever be completely resolved.” She said this leaves medical providers in a “somewhat difficult position” when it comes to prescribing vitamin D supplements, outside of treating vitamin D deficiency.
"I would emphasize that even if our findings do indicate a real effect of vitamin D, it is not a magic bullet," she said. "Diet and exercise will play a much more important role."
When it comes to spicy foods, people generally fall into two categories—those who love them and those who avoid them at all costs.
If you’re a lover of all things spicy, you’ll be glad to know that spices such as peppers and chilies offer more than just flavor. Compounds in spicy foods may help reduce blood pressure, support weight management, and boost longevity. However, spicy foods aren’t for everyone, especially if you have digestive issues.
Here's a look at the potential health benefits and risks of eating spicy foods.
What Makes Foods Spicy?
Spicy foods and peppers contain chemical compounds called capsaicinoids that give them their heat. Capsaicinoids are most concentrated in the white lining of a pepper.
When you bite into a pepper, capsaicin—the most common capsaicinoid in hot peppers—attaches to heat-sensing receptors in the mouth, causing a burning sensation.
May Support Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world.
There is some evidence that spicy foods may reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, two key risk factors for heart disease.
For example, a 2022 review of studies found that spicy foods and peppers may help improve blood pressure and decrease the risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
In addition, a 2017 observational study found that spicy foods may significantly decrease daily salt intake, individual salt preference, and blood pressure by modifying how the brain perceives salty tastes.
Another 2017 observational study linked spicy foods to decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, levels. Additionally, the study found that people who ate spicy foods more than five times per week had significantly higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol levels, than those who did not.
However, the same study showed that triglyceride levels increased with the frequency of spicy food intake. High triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Furthermore, a 2023 review of observational studies found that while higher intakes of spicy foods may help lower blood pressure, it may also negatively impact cholesterol levels.
Note that most studies to date examining the effects of spicy food on heart health are observational, meaning they can only find associations. Further high-quality human studies are needed to establish a clear relationship.
May Improve Gut Health
The gut microbiome plays a vital role in our health and well-being. An imbalance of bacteria in the gut has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) and metabolic disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diabetes.
While spicy foods may cause digestive discomfort in some people, they may actually benefit gut health when consumed in moderation.
Research suggests that capsaicin may improve gut health by increasing the amount of good bacteria in the gut while decreasing the abundance of disease-causing bacteria.
Low doses of capsaicin may also help remove excess acid from the stomach, promoting the healing of stomach ulcers.
However, further studies are needed to establish a clear relationship between capsaicin and gut health.
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May Aid in Weight Loss
In one 2021 observational study, 63% of participants reported experiencing greater meal satisfaction after eating a meal with capsaicin spices. The study also found that people who rarely consumed spicy foods were more likely to be classified as "non-lean."
Several human studies suggest that spicy food consumption may support weight management by increasing energy expenditure and fat burn, suppressing appetite, and improving gut microbiome composition.
Of note, many of these studies were short-term, had relatively small sample sizes, and used supplemental capsaicinoids rather than natural food sources.
Additionally, some studies have shown neutral or even adverse effects on weight loss.
One 2022 review noted that while spicy foods containing capsaicin may decrease appetite, it does not protect against obesity in the long run.
Another 2023 review of observational studies found that people who consumed higher amounts of spicy foods were more likely to have overweight or obesity.
Researchers believe this may be due to spicy foods increasing cravings for sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods to relieve the burning sensation. Spicy foods are also more likely to be meat and less likely to be vegetables, which may also contribute to weight gain.
May Improve Longevity
Perhaps the most promising benefit of spicy foods is their potential to increase longevity. This may be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of capsaicin.
One 2021 review looked at four observational studies with a total of 564,748 adult participants to examine the association between consumption of spicy food (chili pepper, chili sauce, or chili oil) and mortality (death).
Researchers found that, compared to those who did not regularly consume spicy foods, regular consumers had a 12% decreased risk of all-cause mortality.
Furthermore, another 2015 review linked spicy food consumption with lower mortality risk from specific causes such as cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and respiratory diseases.
Nutritional Facts of Spicy Foods
The nutrition profile of spicy foods can vary depending on their ingredients and preparation methods.
However, the spice in many foods often comes from capsaicin, a compound found in chili peppers.
One raw chili pepper has the following nutrition profile:
Calories: 18
Fat: 0.2 grams (g)
Sodium: 4 milligrams (mg)
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.8 g
Vitamin C: 72% of the Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system, iron absorption from plant sources, and collagen production.
Chili peppers are also relatively high in beta-carotene, a type of antioxidant that can be converted to vitamin A in the body.
Risks of Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are generally considered safe when consumed in moderation. However, large amounts of capsaicin may cause uncomfortable GI symptoms, including:
Heartburn
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach pain
These symptoms may be more severe in people with IBS who are not used to eating spicy foods regularly.
Although rare, studies have linked the intake of chili peppers and spicy foods to leg cramps, skin rashes, and hives.
Furthermore, some observational studies suggest that higher intakes of spicy foods may increase the risk of cancer, especially of the stomach, gallbladder, and esophagus. However, other studies have shown that the frequent consumption of spicy foods may actually protect against GI cancers, particularly esophageal cancer.
Further research is needed to establish a clear connection between spicy food intake and cancer.
Tips for Consuming Spicy Foods
Even though spicy foods may offer several promising health benefits, it's important to consume them as part of a balanced diet and in a healthy way.
For example, adding peppers to an omelet or stir fry can give it a nutrient boost and increase its flavor. However, deep-fried hot wings or fried jalapenos are unlikely to offer significant health benefits and should be consumed in moderation.
Additionally, many hot sauce varieties are high in additives like sodium, a nutrient you may need to limit if you have high blood pressure.
How to Increase Your Spice Tolerance
If you're not used to eating a lot of spicy foods and want to improve your tolerance, consider the following tips:
Start slow: Start by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to your favorite meals to see how your body tolerates it.
Gradually increase the intensity: Start with milder peppers like Anaheim or poblano with less capsaicin. When you feel like your taste buds have gotten used to your current spice level, gradually incorporate hotter spices or peppers.
Eat spicy foods more often: The more you eat spicy foods, the more your tongue will get used to the sensation.
Keep a cooling beverage on hand: Studies suggest milk is the best choice to reduce the oral burn from capsaicin. This is believed to be due to its protein and fat content. If you're not a fan of milk, newer studies indicate that sweetened fruit punch like Kool-Aid can significantly reduce burn due to its sucrose content.
A Quick Review
Spicy foods that contain capsaicin may help improve blood pressure, satiety, gut health, and longevity. However, research is conflicting, and most existing evidence is limited to observational and animal studies.
High intakes of spicy foods may cause uncomfortable GI symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. These symptoms are more likely to occur in people with digestive issues.
If you want to increase your intake of spicy foods, it is important to do so gradually to minimize potential side effects.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer has called upon the FDA to investigate PRIME energy drinks for marketing a highly caffeinated product to children and teens.
The drinks contain up to 200 mg of caffeine per 12 ounces.
Experts note that too much caffeine can have adverse effects on both children and adults, and recommend opting for coffee or tea for a little energy boost instead of an energy drink.
Before adding that energy drink to your grocery cart, consider the caffeine content.
PRIME drinks, founded by internet personality Logan Paul, are a popular choice for energy drink consumers. The beverages claim to have zero added sugar, and contain a high amount of caffeine per serving—as much as 200 mg for 12 ounces.
The drinks are particularly popular among kids and teenagers.
Because of this, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer has called upon the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into the product, stating that the brand targets kids, but does not properly warn parents about the amount of caffeine in its drinks.
In his call to action to the FDA, Schumer pointed out that PRIME has a higher caffeine content than a cup of coffee, a can of Coca-Cola, and a Red Bull.
“The FDA should help to make consumers aware of caffeine intake recommendations, the dangers of excessive caffeine consumption, and create ways that beverages and foods with high caffeine content can include large, visible warning labels for consumers,” Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, nutrition consultant and author of “2 Day Diabetes Diet,” told Health.
PRIME drinks do list warnings on their energy drink cans and the company’s website states that the energy drinks are not for those under 18 or who are pregnant.
However, the warning labels are often small and on the back of the can.
“Since PRIME offers both hydration and energy drinks, it can be easy for parents and kids to purchase an energy drink without realizing the caffeine content is so high,” Palinski-Wade said.
Jennifer Temple, PhD, director of the nutrition and health research laboratory at the University at Buffalo, added that research shows that warning labels—like the ones on PRIME—may increase someone’s enticement to consume the beverage.
While putting limits on the sale of highly caffeinated beverages to kids is important, Temple explains that it’s challenging because of the way the regulations are set up. Energy drinks like PRIME are classified as supplements, not beverages, because they contain other nutrients, like electrolytes and vitamins.
“This means that they are not subject to the same regulations as things like soda,” she told Health.
Getty Images / Brandon Bell
How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
According to the FDA, 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is about four or five cups of coffee, is not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects for healthy adults.
According to Palinski-Wade, children who consume large amounts of caffeine can experience hyperactivity, anxiety, racing heartbeat, insomnia, irritability, or in severe cases, caffeine overdose. A caffeine overdose can include vomiting, high blood pressure, racing heart, heart rhythm problems, disorientation, and hallucinations.
She also explained that caffeine has a half-life of 6 to 8 hours, which means in 6 to 8 hours, half of the caffeine consumed is still circulating in the body.
Side Effects of Too Much Caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine can cause the following:
Insomnia
Jitters
Anxiousness
Rapid heart rate
Upset stomach
Nausea
Headache
A feeling of unhappiness (dysphoria)
Kids have an exaggerated response because they are smaller, so the effective dose—such as milligrams of caffeine in relation to body weight—is greater, said Temple.
Kids also don't tend to consume caffeine on the same regular basis as adults do, so they are less likely to have developed a tolerance to its effects.
“This means that caffeine can have stronger effects at typical doses and that kids are less likely to experience withdrawal, so caffeine can have direct positive effects on kids as opposed to primarily acting by reversing withdrawal symptoms, which is common in adults who are regular consumers,” said Temple.
She noted that caffeine can be lethal at very high doses (about 10 grams), “but it would be nearly impossible to consume this much caffeine in its typical form, so lethal overdose occurs with the use of powdered caffeine.”
“However, we do not have data on higher levels nor do we have data on repeated consumption over time,” Temple said. “It is possible that it could have harmful physiological and psychological effects if multiple energy drinks are consumed in relatively close proximity to one another.”
Even if the drink is not particularly harmful, she noted that it does not have any known positive health benefits.
“[And] we know that it impacts sleep, so I caution parents to be aware of the caffeine content in the drinks that kids are consuming, limit any caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening, and keep overall caffeine consumption to a minimum,” she said.
To find caffeine content in a variety of beverages, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s FoodData Central database.
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How Caffeine Impacts Certain Medical Conditions
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) opposes the sale and marketing of energy drinks and related products to people under the age of 18 due to the inclusion of the following ingredients: caffeine, methylxanthines, B vitamins, guarana, yerba mate, bitter orange, ginger, ginkgo, St. John’s Wort, ginseng, and taurine.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Stimulant ingredients in energy drinks and products may cause significant adverse health effects in vulnerable populations, particularly those with cardiac disease, asthma, and other conditions requiring the use of certain prescription medications. The stimulant ingredients can be especially dangerous when combined with other recreational substances.
— American Academy of Family Physicians
For some people, high caffeine intake can spike blood sugar levels and blood pressure, making it potentially unsafe for those with underlying health issues, Palinski-Wade said.
When it comes to the heart, Mostafa El-Refai, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, said while several studies have looked at the effects of caffeine on the heart, data is conflicting.
For instance, while cardiologists used to advise people with atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias to avoid caffeine, he said recent studies suggest that caffeine in moderation is safe and does not cause worsening of these conditions.
In general, he said moderate amounts of caffeine, equivalent to 1 to 3 cups of coffee, is considered safe.
“There are products out there with caffeine equivalent to more than 20 cups of coffee in one teaspoon. Caffeine in this extreme amount can cause a fast heart rate and an increase in blood pressure,” said El-Refai.
For those on heart medications, he said there are no known major interactions between heart medications and caffeine, but he recommended people should take note that “[some] over-the-counter and prescription cold and flu remedies can interact since some of the ingredients have stimulant effects.”
In addition to physical effects, caffeine can also have mental health ramifications.
According to a systematic review published in General Hospital Psychiatry, caffeine at doses roughly equivalent to 5 cups of coffee induced panic attacks in a large proportion of people with panic disorder (PD).
In addition to increasing anxiety in people with PD, the review also found that caffeine at this level also increases anxiety in healthy adults, although the researchers noted that the exact relationship between caffeine-induced anxiety and panic attacks is still not known.
The Best Way to Maintain Energy Levels
While caffeine may provide a tempting boost, Palinski-Wade said water is the best drink choice for staying well-hydrated and improving energy levels.
And if caffeine still tempts you, opting for a less intense option is a safer best.
“For adults, it is easy to enjoy moderate caffeine intake with a cup of brewed coffee or tea over an energy drink.”
A lack of sleep can counteract the positive effects that exercise has on brain health, a study finds.
While both exercise and sleep impact brain health differently, one could cancel the other out if both are not maintaining healthy schedules.
Experts recommend gradually adjusting both sleep and exercise habits in order to build healthy, sustainable habits that contribute to brain health.
Not getting enough sleep can counteract the positive effects that exercise has on the brain, new research finds.
Sleep and exercise each impact cognitive function—brain health. But a new study shows that they also influence each other. So, even if you work out and provide your brain the opportunity to have that cognitive help, a lack of sleep could cancel out that boost.
Jill Barnes, PhD, an associate professor of kinesiology and faculty affiliate at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the findings remind her of the notion that “you can’t out-run a bad diet.”
“There was an idea that exercise fixes everything, and we know that exercise is important, but other lifestyle habits combined with exercise are key for health,” she told Health.
Getty Images / AndreyPopov
Quality Sleep and Quality Exercise are Better Together
While a variety of research has linked both sleep and exercise to cognition, researchers in the United Kingdom wanted to better understand how the two pillars of good health intersected when it comes to the brain.
To determine how sleep and exercise work together, the authors of the new study used data from nearly 9,000 adults aged 50 to 95 who were followed for over 10 years as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, building on what previous research found on the topic.
The group did not include anyone who had been diagnosed with dementia or had signs of cognitive decline at the start.
When comparing sleep and exercise habits, they found that people who were more physically active and got six to eight hours of sleep per night had better cognitive function as they aged than those who exercised but didn’t get at least six hours of sleep per night.
After 10 years, people in that group had the same cognitive function as people who got very little physical activity.
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Building a Healthy Brain
Sleep and exercise both have separate effects on the brain that appear to protect against cognitive decline.
According to Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM, director of behavioral sleep medicine at Cleveland Clinic, sleep plays a major role in clearing toxins from the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The toxins, called beta-amyloid, are produced by several different types of cells in the body, including neurons. Past research has discovered that during sleep, these toxins appear to be eliminated through the lymphatic system.
But, “if you’re not getting enough sleep, these aren’t getting eliminated as well,” said Drerup, who was not involved in the research.
If not eliminated, beta-amyloid builds up in the brain, forming clusters of plaque that disrupt the signals neurons transmit to one another, which contributes to cognitive decline. Beta-amyloid deposits are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise impacts brain function in a different, yet still critical way.
“There are also studies that suggest that adults with higher levels of physical activity have higher blood flow to certain regions of the brain, and there are several exercise training studies that show improvements in the connections between brain areas,” said Barnes, who was not involved in the new study.
The specifics of how sleep and exercise work together are still unclear, but “this study is suggesting that they do,” Drerup said. It’s possible that not getting the brain benefits that are primarily derived from either sleep or exercise will cancel out the benefits of getting just one of these key activities.
Study Limitations
Drerup pointed out that one limitation of many sleep and exercise studies is self-reporting and the fact that it showed correlation rather than causation. She recommends future studies use more objective measures, like wearable activity trackers. Future studies will also need to include a more racially diverse group of participants, she added.
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Building Better Habits for Brain Health
According to Barnes and Drerup, the amount of sleep and exercise each person needs varies, but something everyone can do is build good habits–a little bit at a time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting about 2.5 hours of moderate activity weekly, or about 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week.
“Adding as little as one bout of vigorous exercise per month could make a difference over 10 years,” said Barnes.
For example, adding a few more minutes of walking every day, or being physically active one more time per week, and increasing goals each month is a great way to gradually increase in a flexible and sustainable way, she said.
The same goes for sleep.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. This gives “a wide range to determine what works with your natural rhythms and our life,” Barnes said.
If a person isn’t getting at least seven hours of shuteye a night, Barnes recommends using the same gradual approach method.
“When trying to adjust sleeping patterns, start slow and gradually increase, or decrease, sleep,” she said.
By going to bed or waking up 5 or 10 minutes earlier, you can slowly adjust your sleep schedule until you’re regularly getting a healthy amount. Improving exercise may also improve sleep, and vice versa.
“Our bodies work in rhythms and maintaining consistent schedules for sleep and exercise are important for health,” Barnes said. “If both sleep and exercise schedules are out of balance, starting with adding a consistent exercise routine may improve sleep quality, even if sleep duration is short.”
Another key piece of advice: Don’t sweat it too much.
“Stressing about either of these things is counterintuitive,” said Barnes. “Sometimes life gets in the way of optimal schedules for sleep and exercise, or it isn’t possible to have a consistent schedule.”
In those cases, she recommends keeping in mind that the results of this research show that people don’t have to have perfect sleep and exercise schedules every day to get some benefits.
Rather than trying to be flawless, accept that “life gets in the way,” Barnes said. “Then try to get back on track.”
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