Do statins cause muscle pain?

Statins are a regular feature of many people's daily drug regimes particularly as they get older. Patients often complain of muscle weakness, pain and aching once they start taking statins and many stop taking them as a result. Such adverse reactions are routinely dismissed by doctors and the drug companies pushing their use. A major new study published in The Lancet seeks to allay fears around the problems associated with statins dismissing claims they affect a person's muscle health. In a neat take down investigative journalist, Maryanne Demasi's critical analysis picks apart the study to reveal the conflicts of interest preventing third party researchers from delving into the data while revealing the truth of the health problems statins can and do cause for so many, yet which are so flippantly dismissed as being down to the 'nocebo' effect.

Taking a daily multivitamin reduces cognitive decline

Conducted over a three year period, a new study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found study participants taking a daily mutivitamin and mineral supplement were less likely to suffer signifcant cognitive decline. The results of the trial suggested that those suffering from cardiovascular disease saw the most benefit from the supplements. It's worth noting the supplements used were from Pfizer Health's (now rebranded as Haleon) Centrum range, which use forms of micronutrients that are less bioavailable than others. Appropriate micronutrient supplementation tailored to individual needs alongside diet and lifestyle changes can bring powerful benefits not only in the form of improved mental alertness and cognition but to overall health and wellbeing. ANH executive coordinator, Meleni Aldridge, talks about the power of food to help reset our health and our new book RESET EATING in a recent interview with Bright Light News.

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Taking an hour long nature-based walk reduces stress levels

Walking in nature for at least an hour significantly reduces stress levels. Researchers from the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience examined the activity of the parts of the brain involved in dealing with stress in two groups of volunteers. One group took a walk through an urban environment, while the second walked in a forest. The group that walked through the forest were found to have far less activity in the stress centres of the brain than those exposed to the busy urban environment. The results of the study were published in Molecular Psychiatry. For more tips and help on becoming more resilient and stress tolerant check our Health Hack and find out more about the benefits of being in a forest environment plus experience a nature-based meditation for calming and reducing the impact of stress.

Eating ultra-processed foods increases risk of chronic disease

Eating large quantities of highly processed foods, known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are devoid of nutrients and pumped full of chemical additives, increases your risk of developing chronic disease and dying early. The results of a study, published in The BMJ, showed that those who eat high levels of UPFs, smoke, have a higher BMI and take little exercise are at higher risk of developing bowel cancer. A second related study links the consumption of UPFs with an increased risk of dying from heart disease and all cause mortality. These studies underpin yet again the dire need for information to be cascaded from governments and conventional health authorities us regarding the need to eat minimally processed, nutrient dense foods as close to their natural state as possible. Eating foods that nourish our bodies and gut microbiome promote excellent health throughout our life. It's not rocket science.

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