Krish-Arora on Ultrahuman Blog

Men’s Health Month: Five Things To Learn About Prostate Cancer

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 12:31:00 +0000

Introduction

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2018, there were 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.5 million deaths worldwide. By 2040, it is estimated that these numbers will rise to 29.5 million and 16.4 million, respectively.

Each year, 1.4 million people are diagnosed with prostate cancer (PC) and over 350,000 die from the disease. PC is one of the most common forms of cancer, and other than melanoma (skin cancer), is the most prevalent cancer in American men.

Zinc and your Health

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 12:11:00 +0000

During the pandemic, as scientists raced to formulate and deliver the vaccine, misinformation circulated about ways to fend off COVID-19. Amidst this fake news, zinc emerged as one way to help fight the deadly virus. Spoiler: it doesn’t, as the National Institute of Health (NIH) and World Health Organisation (WHO) confirm.

While it is too early to ascertain the benefits of nutrients such as zinc in the treatment of COVID-19, is there a link between zinc and our immunity in general? Zinc plays a vital role in maintaining our overall health and is responsible for several functions in our bodies.

The Science behind wearable tech to track Sleep

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 10:02:00 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, the emergence of wearable tech should not be an alien concept. Wearable smart devices have evolved and now monitor everything—from your activity during the day to those precious z’s at night. Sleep is essential to our physical and mental well-being; our bodies use this time to repair and rejuvenate cells and clear toxins away.

Let’s look beneath the surface and explore the essential function of sleep and the activities that take place in our bodies during slumber. Then, let’s delve into wearable tech in healthcare the science behind the latest devices and the advancements in sleep tracking.

How does dopamine impact blood glucose?

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 15:30:00 +0000

When you run a marathon, complete a task or eat a slice of chocolate cake, your brain produces a chemical called dopamine in response, giving you feelings of satisfaction. It is human nature to want to replicate this feeling, so you seek out more of the behaviour that led to the dopamine production. But an excess of any of these things will eventually catch up to us. For instance, overdoing slices of cake elevates the risk of diabetes in the long run, which affects over 500 million adults globally. Integral to preventing or managing diabetes is maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

Throw a Punch: The Health benefits of Kickboxing

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 11:21:00 +0000

Are you tired of running on the treadmill or simply lifting weights? Is your fitness regimen becoming stale and mundane? In order to stay healthy, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get between 150 and 300 minutes of moderately intense or between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorously intense physical aerobic activity per week. If you’re looking for a new way to break a sweat and reach these targets, we’ve got you covered. Kick the monotony out of your current fitness programme and consider kickboxing—a sure-fire way to get a comprehensive workout, keep you on your toes and make you feel great.

8 Signs You’re Pushing Way Past Your Workout Limits

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:56:00 +0000

At one point or another, we’ve all given in to couch potato syndrome. Sometimes the lure of a comfortable chair, the television blaring your favourite programme and that bag of crisps are too good to turn down. The long term ramifications of a sedentary lifestyle devoid of exercise are well documented. (6) Conversely, exercising excessively—or overtraining—has detrimental effects on your health too.

Highlights

Each individual has their own stress capacity; when one’s training load goes beyond this tipping point, they are considered overreached or overtrained,
Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) is an extreme form of non-functional OR characterised by a longer duration of the decreased performance (over two months) and can be triggered by high-intensity exercise, monotonous training, poor nutrition etc,
Rest and recovery are crucial to any training programme. Muscular glycogen (energy stores) that were depleted during exercise can be replenished and damaged muscle tissue repaired during periods of recuperation.

It’s a misconception that only professional athletes are susceptible to overtraining; anyone can suffer from it. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just embarking on your fitness journey, habits dictate whether you’re likely to experience symptoms of overtraining. If you’re too sore to get out of bed in the morning or have hit the metaphorical wall and can’t train like you used to, you’ve likely overdone it. Here, we present a definitive guide on overtraining, signs to look out for and what you can do to prevent it.

Metabolic Encephalopathies

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:48:00 +0000

The brain is the control centre of the human body. Our brains contain a network of approximately 100 billion neurons linked to each other by trillions of connections called synapses. In conjunction with the spinal cord, commonly referred to as the ‘information highway’, it forms the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is responsible for transporting messages to and from all parts of the body.

The brain processes our thoughts and information about our environment and controls voluntary and involuntary functions. To perform this heavy lifting, itn needs an uninterrupted supply of nutrients to feed billions of cells that make up the CNS. In fact, our brains comprise just 2% body mass, but consume 20% of cellular oxygen and receive 15% cardiac output. Glucose is the major oxidative fuel of the brain. Thus, proper brain function is closely tied to metabolism and metabolic health.

Common Traits of Blue Zones

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:35:00 +0000

Blue zones are geographic regions of the world where some of the oldest people are known to reside. They have the highest concentration of centenarians and supercentenarians on earth. Epidemiologist Gianni Pes and demographer Michel Poulain first identified blue zones while conducting a study on mortality in Sardinia, Italy. They drew blue concentric circles on a map, highlighting areas associated with longevity. In collaboration with National Geographic, they went on to identify four more blue zones across the globe. In this piece we will uncover the secrets behind the longevity of the residents of these blue zones.