Amazing Wellness January/February 2019

AMAZING NEWS
BAD for the BONE
The average American
consumes more than 100
pounds of sugar a year. And
that’s not just bad for our
weight— it may also be bad
for our bones. “Sugar causes
inflammation in the joints,
making arthritis and other
conditions worse,” according
to Victor Romano, MD, a
board-certified orthopedics
and sports medicine doctor.
Sugary foods cause a spike in
insulin, which starts a cascade
of biochemical reactions
that lead to inflammation.
Research also shows that
sugar depletes important
minerals needed for proper
muscle contraction and
relaxation. If you suffer from
joint and/or muscle aches,
boost your intake of foods with
anti-inflammatory properties,
including omega-3-rich fish,
chia, and flaxseed, as well as
curcumin and turmeric, which
have been found to assist in
alleviating joint pain.
HUG it OUT
A new study published in a recent issue of the journal
PLOS One finds that hugs shield us from the harmful effects
of a bad mood that comes from conflicts with others.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University say
people who consider themselves huggers have better
overall health and stronger relationships. They analyzed
data of 404 men and women between the ages of
21 and 55. Participants, who were all in good
health, were interviewed every night for two
weeks about their interactions with others
each day. The researchers found that people
who received a hug on the same day they
experienced a conflict with another person
showed a smaller decrease in positive
emotions, and a smaller increase in
negative emotions, compared with those
who were not hugged. In other words,
being hugged at some point in the
day may have prevented them from
feeling more upset. In fact, hugs
were shown to help reduce bad
moods in participants through
the following day, as well.
Let the (Sun) Light In
We know that sunlight has mood-boosting benefits. Studies also show that people with higher levels of
vitamin D, called the “sunshine vitamin,” have a lower risk of disease. And now a new study published
in the journal Microbiome revealed that the sun offers another perk: it can kill disease-causing bacteria.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Oregon, set up 11 identical dollhouse-size
rooms. Some of the rooms were exposed to daylight through regular glass, some rooms were exposed
to ultraviolet light only, and other rooms were kept completely in the dark. The miniature rooms were
then filled with dust to replicate an actual living environment and placed outside for 90 days, after
which the rooms’ bacterial levels were tested. The rooms exposed to daylight had fewer germs than
their darkened counterparts. In fact, the sunlit rooms had 50 percent less viable bacteria. However,
researchers did not expect the UV rooms to perform as well as they did. In fact, the rooms exposed
only to UV light fared even better than the naturally lit rooms, as they had the lowest bacteria levels
of all. That said, researchers still do not know what the optimum level of light is — the perfect amount
for killing germs, that is — but they hope further studies will yield this information so architects and
builders can incorporate this information into future designs.
DOGGONE IT
54% of dog owners would actually consider ending a relationship
if they felt like their dog didn’t approve of their love interest.
—rover.com
14 WINTER 2019 | AMAZING WELLNESS