Newsletter #133: Playing Sports and Eating Chili Peppers 🌶️
Welcome to the latest edition of the humanOS newsletter! We hope all of our friends here in the US have a happy and safe Thanksgiving this week.
This week, we learned that playing team sports twice per week can lower blood pressure in a manner comparable to certain anti-hypertensive drugs; people with low aerobic and muscular fitness are nearly twice as likely to experience depression; and regular consumption of chili peppers is linked to significantly reduced risk of death.
Scroll down to learn more 👇
This Week’s Research Highlights
🏑 Playing team sports just twice per week can quickly and dramatically improve vascular health.
Seventeen postmenopausal women were recruited, nine of whom had hypertension and eight of whom had normal blood pressure. All participants engaged in small-sided floorball games twice weekly (floorball is a type of indoor hockey played with plastic sticks). After ten weeks, the women with hypertension showed decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 15 and 9 mmHG respectively. This is a level of reduction comparable to what is achieved by some anti-hypertensive medications and corresponds to a 40% lower risk of death by heart attack, and a 30% reduced risk of coronary artery disease. Notably, the women with normal blood pressure also benefited, showing a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 10 mmHG from just two workouts per week. As an added bonus, the women also experienced a 10% reduction in visceral fat mass. This mirrors prior research on the impact of small-sided soccer games, which have been shown to improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, bone density, physical fitness, and other indices of health.
🌶️ Regularly consuming chili peppers is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer.
Researchers analyzed four large studies, including a total of 570762 subjects, which reported health outcomes for participants and included data on chili pepper consumption. Pooled analysis revealed that, compared to individuals who rarely/never ate chili peppers, those who consumed chili peppers regularly had a 26% relative reduction in cardiovascular mortality, a 23% relative reduction in cancer mortality, and a 25% relative reduction in all-cause mortality. These findings are in agreement with earlier studies in East Asian and Mediterranean populations showing similar reductions in mortality. Underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear, but adding some chili peppers to your diet seems like a fairly harmless intervention (although, like with most things, some people do take it a little too far).
🧠 Lower physical fitness is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers analyzed data from 152978 participants in the UK Biobank study. Validated questionnaires were used to estimate the incidence of common mental disorders. An exercise test via a stationary bike was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular strength was assessed through measuring grip strength. After seven years, they were tested again, and the researchers found that higher aerobic and muscular fitness at baseline was associated with better mental health. Specifically, people with the lowest combined aerobic and muscular fitness had nearly double the odds of depression, as well as 60% higher odds of anxiety. Encouraging people to exercise regularly (and to make sure to perform both aerobic and strength training) is an easy and inexpensive way to improve not just physical health but also our mental health. This seems especially relevant presently, as reports suggest that people are less physically active right now due to the threat of the coronavirus, and rates of depression appear to be rising in parallel.
Question of the Week
Starting about a decade ago, I adopted a strategy where I could enjoy everything at Thanksgiving dinner but reduce the amount of what I was eating so that I wasn’t too full after the meal. I also plan a walk immediately after the meal is complete. Since then, I have enjoyed Thanksgiving more, not less. If you will be celebrating Thanksgiving this coming week, can you consider your strategy on how to feel your best instead of eating the most?
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Nick Hiebert: Micronutrients, anti-nutrients, and non-essential nutrients. Via Sigma Nutrition.
- Paul Offit: An expert perspective on COVID-19 vaccines. Via The Drive with Peter Attia.
- Julie Parsonnet: Our average body temperature is getting cooler. Via Science Friday.
Products We Are Enjoying
Gochujang fermented chili paste
You can use this stuff on almost anything - it is really good in stir-fries, as a spread for sandwiches/wraps, or as a dipping sauce for veggies. I like to slather it on sweet potatoes and other starches. Highly recommended, even for people who aren’t really spice aficionados.
