Power Balance Bracelets a bust; get a dog, lose weight

Here are some short health news items:
Bracelet may be a bust
An American Council on Exercise (ACE) and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse study found that Power Balance bracelets do not improve flexibility, balance, strength or power.
According to the ACE, “The study evaluated 42 college-aged NCAA Division III athletes who were asked to perform two trials of the following four tests, without warm-up: trunk flexibility, balance, strength and the vertical jump.
“Subjects were tested in the same order, but half wore the placebo bracelet in the first trial round, switching to the Power Balance in the second round; the other half first wore the Power Balance bracelet and used the placebo bracelet in the second round. Neither the participants nor the examiners knew which bracelet was used in which trial phase due to the randomized and double-blind exam protocol.
“In the end, none of the tests demonstrated a significant difference between using the Power Balance braceletversus using the placebo. The only consistent finding was the subjects always did better during the second trial, whether they were wearing the Power Balance bracelet or the placebo bracelet.”
Walnuts are the top nut
A new study shows walnuts to be the healthiest of all tree and ground nuts, which are considered to be among Mother Nature’s most nearly perfect packaged foods. Walnuts have a combination of more healthful and higher-quality antioxidants than any other nut.
According to researcher Joe Vinson, a professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, they have more antioxidants than almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias and pecans.
In fact, his research showed that a handful of walnuts contains almost twice the antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. However, the heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants, so they need to be eaten raw to get full benefit.
Nuts in general have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits in addition to antioxidants. They contain high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Eating nuts has been shown to decrease risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones and Type 2 diabetes.
Does sitting around really harm your waistline?
Obviously, sitting all day is not a way to lose weight and become heart healthy. However, a study in the European Heart Journal has reported it is not just the length of time people spend sitting but also the number of breaks they take that can make a difference.
The study found prolonged periods of sedentary time (even for those who exercise) resulted in larger waists, lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats). The researchers found that the more breaks people took, the smaller their waists and the lower their levels of C-reactive protein.
As a result, they suggest standing up to take phone calls; walking to see a colleague rather than using email or phoning; standing during meetings; using the bathroom on a different floor; and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Get a dog and lose weight?
It makes sense: If you have to walk a dog, you will probably exercise more.
Fewer than half of all Americans meet the minimum government standard for leisure-time physical activity 150 minutes per week. A new study led by a Michigan State University researcher and appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health shows people who own and walk their dogs are 34 percent more likely to meet that standard and become healthier.
The study showed people who walked their dogs generally walked about an hour longer per week than people who owned dogs but did not walk them.
The researchers also found the dog walkers were more active overall. So, there appears to be a strong link between owning and walking a dog and achieving higher levels of physical activity that go beyond the actual dog walking.
Other findings revealed middle-age people have the least amount of time to walk their dogs; younger and older people get the most physical activity benefit; dogs 1 year old or younger were more likely to be walked than older dogs; and larger breeds (over 45 pounds) were walked for longer than smaller dogs.