health briefs

Cordyceps Sinensis Enhances Performance in Distance Runners

A Himalayan fungus that has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cordyceps sinensis, attracted global attention in 1993 when Chinese athletes broke world records in track and field. To study its effects, Brazilian researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which they gave 30 amateur marathoners two grams of the fungus each day for 12 weeks. Compared to the placebo group, those in the Cordyceps group had significantly lower heart rates at eight weeks and improved aerobic performance at 12 weeks.

Malignant Melanoma Linked to Seafood Consumption

Eating higher amounts of fish, specifically tuna and non-fried fish, appears to increase the risk of malignant melanoma, according to a Brown University study of 491,367 U.S. adults published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control. Examining 15 years of data, the researchers found that compared to subjects with a median daily fish intake of .11 ounces, those with a median daily intake of 1.5 ounces had a 22 percent higher risk of malignant melanoma and a 28 percent increased risk of melanoma in situ, characterized by abnormal cells in the outer layer of the skin. “We speculate that our findings could possibly be attributed to contaminants in fish, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, arsenic and mercury,” says study author Eunyoung Cho, an associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology. Pending further research on the underlying biological mechanisms, the authors did not recommend any changes to fish consumption.

Viewing Art Online Improves Well-Being

Art and music have long been said to soothe the savage soul, and hundreds of studies have shown that people’s moods and sense of well-being are improved by everything from artwork displayed in mental institutions and offices to regularly visiting art museums. With the pandemic, many museums began offering extensive online tours and exhibits, and a new study from the University of Vienna suggests that online art can have the same effect as “real life” art.

Researchers tested 84 individuals that viewed Monet’s The Water Lily Pond and also photographs of a Japanese bento box that included information on its traditions and food preparation, such as might be found in a history museum. Participants typically spent one to two minutes with each viewing. Follow-up questionnaires found that even a short online experience encouraged positive states like serenity, happiness and stimulation, while also lowering negative states like fear, anger, anxiety and loneliness. Well-being effects are most pronounced, wrote the authors, when “such content is beautiful, meaningful and inspires positive cognitive-emotional states in the viewer.”

Probiotic May Increase Skin Moisture

Dry skin can afflict people at any age, particularly those living in dry climates, and it is commonplace in older people due to the natural loss of oil glands. Japanese researchers have found a possible solution: a probiotic originally fermented from a Southeast Asian rice-and-fish dish that boosts skin moisture within weeks. In a double-blind study, they tested 80 middle-aged adults with a supplement of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotics for 12 weeks. They found the supplement significantly increased skin water content and reduced transepidermal water loss in the face, particularly for seniors and those with the driest skin.

photo by NutraIngredients.com