In this daily health update, Dr. David Koivuranta of the Toronto Neck and Back Pain Clinic shares six evidence‑based health insights drawn from recent peer‑reviewed research. He first discusses a study from the International Journal of Epidemiology indicating that frequent consumption of spicy foods may lower the risk of gastrointestinal cancers, especially among non‑smokers and non‑drinkers. He then highlights a Nature Medicine paper showing that plant‑based diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with a greater abundance of beneficial gut bacteria linked to reduced chronic disease risk. Next, he cites Neurology research that found adults who do not engage in moderate‑to‑vigorous exercise during midlife have a 50% higher chance of developing brain abnormalities over the next 25 years, recommending at least 1 hour and 15 minutes of such activity per week. He proceeds to mention a Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics finding that preterm birth is correlated with higher rates of generalized anxiety disorder in childhood and adolescence. The American Diabetes Association’s warning signs for type 1 diabetes are then listed, emphasizing early detection to avoid complications. Finally, a Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation study is summarized, revealing that older age, higher BMI, smoking, and structural spine changes increase perceived disability in low back pain patients, while regular exercise reduces disability. Throughout, Dr. Koivuranta encourages viewers to stay informed, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and seek medical advice when needed, while also noting upcoming video schedules.
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Hello everyone, it's Dr. Dave. Hopefully you're all doing well, enjoying your week, staying warm, especially if you're in North America right now with our friend the polar vortex. Bundle up and, uh, keep smiling. Coming at you on behalf of the Toronto Neck and Back Pain Clinic with your daily health update. It's Thursday, February 11th, 2021. Gonna share with you 6 areas of health and wellness based on the latest research and literature. Somewhere around this video you can read through all 6 of those areas, but if you would like a copy, reach out to us. You can DM us on social, call the clinic, send us an email, and we'll be sure to get that to you. Not gonna treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any illness or disease with our time together today. However, do promise to share with you some useful information from these 6 areas of health and wellness that may or may not pertain to some of the things that you're trying to do with your health and wellness, or maybe with the health and wellness of those around you. However, at the very least, even if they do not pertain to you or someone you know, the usefulness is simply being here as regularly as possible and on each day plugging into something, if not this daily health update, then something else that provides you with some good information with respect to health and wellness so that you can keep some positive momentum in your life when it comes to those thoughts, decisions, and actions with your own health and wellness activities and goals and whatever you may be working on or supporting and maintaining. All right, so good for you for putting that time and effort in. One of the things I like to eat are spicy foods. Sometimes I just feel that inherently there's got to be some benefit, and now according to the International Journal of Epidemiology, January 2021. They found that spicy foods may reduce the risk for some cancers. So they used data from the China Cadbury Biobank study, and they estimate that people who eat spicy foods several times a week may have a reduced risk for cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, our digestive system, particularly those who do not regularly smoke or drink alcohol. So of course, enjoying a tasty beverage in moderation, but excessively drinking and being a smoker or exposed exposed to secondhand smoke may change those odds when it comes to cancer, and we probably know that. But if you do stay away from those and you add in some spicy foods, you may be stacking the deck in your favor of not getting gastrointestinal cancer, which is amazing. The journal Nature Medicine, January 2021, also talked about what we may or may not eat, and they found some benefits to a plant-based diet. They looked at 1,100 adults, and there was an association with diets rich in fruits and vegetables and a greater population of bacteria in the gut that are linked to a reduced risk for several chronic diseases. So a lot of discussion over the last 5 years or so about that healthy gastrointestinal flora. And, um, we just want to make sure we can continue to support that healthy gut bacteria. And getting a plant-based diet helps support that environment, and that has some good health benefits apparently. So that's something good you can focus on and add to your routine if you're not already. Another thing to do along with your food, of course, is your fitness. And if you're in middle age, getting that fitness into your routine is good for your brain. According to the journal Neurology, January 2021, they looked at 1,600 adults, and those who failed to exercise in middle age were 50% more likely to develop abnormalities in the brain over the following 25 years. The, uh, authors suggest that getting at least an hour and 15 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity a week or more during midlife may be important throughout your lifetime for promoting brain health and preserving the actual structure of your brain. So some more motivation to get that fitness into your routine and some portion of that fitness to be moderate to intense. Get that heart rate up, break a sweat, and, uh, push your body a little bit. Interestingly, from the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, January 2021, they're finding, uh, a correlation between a preterm birth and, uh, generalized anxiety disorder increased during childhood and adolescence. So interesting little connection they found there in their research. You may want to follow up and read some more about, as you may want to read about the warning signs of type 1 diabetes as well. That's from the American Diabetes Association, January 2021. There are some signs and symptoms that may indicate somebody may be having or does have type 1 diabetes. And some symptoms may include urinating often, feeling very thirsty, feeling very hungry, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, cuts and bruises that heal slowly, and weight loss. Early detection is valuable, as it is in many cases, to have an effective treatment to reduce, reduce the risk of complications. So keep an eye out for those symptoms together and seek some medical advice accordingly. Finally, from the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehab, December 2020, Disability in Patients with Low Back Pain. According to some questionnaires completed by 528 patients with a variety of low back spinal disorders, it revealed an association between greater perceived disability and a diagnosis of structural changes in the spine. That was more likely with increased age, higher body mass index, and a history of smoking as well. But participants who regularly exercised reported less disability. So maintaining or trying to maintain an ideal body weight, staying as young and youthful— youthful, not useful, everybody's hopefully useful— but as young and youthful as you can regardless of the chronology, but trying to stay fit and take care of yourself. And as well avoiding that smoking again, not just for cancer but to help with your spine. And then also putting that exercise in will help you feel like if you do get pain, it's less likely to create a long-term disability. Alright, so that's your daily health update for Thursday and another week behind us with the videos. We'll throw a written format at you tomorrow, Friday, and you can read through that. Enjoy your weekend, a Family Day weekend in some provinces here in Canada, so enjoy the extra day no matter what you find yourself doing. And we'll probably not have a video on Monday We might take a break, so we'll probably catch up with you on Tuesday of next week with your next video daily health update. All right, but until then, stay warm, stay well, and take care of yourself and those around you, and we'll talk to you soon. All the best.
