Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
The dessert that protects your heart
Weekly wisdom
On our radar
-
The best 10-minute health investment?
Arnold’s Podcast
Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Health
The Dessert That Protects Your Heart
Who says being healthy can’t taste good?
A new analysis found that dark chocolate reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Scientists reviewed 31 randomized controlled trials to determine how dark chocolate bars, cocoa snacks, cocoa beverages, and even cocoa capsules affect health.
Those who ate a little bit of cocoa every day reduced their LDL cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. However, the cocoa did not change weight, body fat, or waist circumference.
Despite its reputation as a treat, cocoa is a fruit loaded with polyphenols, which have long been associated with reducing inflammation and protecting your cells from damage. The study found that cocoa with higher flavonoid levels or dark chocolate had more positive outcomes than lower flavonoid options. If you want to upgrade your chocolate, look for bars that are at least 70 percent (or more) cocoa, as they tend to have higher flavonoid content.
Some of you might be worried about heavy metals in chocolate. Studies have found that dark chocolate can contain low levels of cadmium and lead. But before you panic, know that low levels are natural (there are metals in the soil), and the poison is in the dose.
A recent study found that 1 ounce of dark chocolate per day does not accumulate dangerous levels of heavy metals. (That’s because your body — including your kidneys and GI tract — can filter the metals out of your body).
If you’re worried about metals in your chocolate, here’s a list of the amount of lead and cadmium in chocolate, separated by brand. There’s no need to lean into fear, but it helps make informed decisions.
Weekly Wisdom
On Our Radar
The Belly Fat Blaster
We know resistance exercise builds muscle, but that might not be the only reason it transforms your body.
New research suggests that weight training also changes how your body burns fat.
Resistance training helps with fat loss because you burn calories during exercise, and the muscle you build is also more metabolically active than fat. However, it appears that pumping iron works on a deeper level to fight fat cells.
The latest study found that a single training session releases molecules (miR-1) from your working muscles that get delivered to your abdominal tissues and trigger more fat breakdown. This means that the muscle, through these vesicles, can communicate with fat cells, effectively altering their function after exercise.
The researchers found that doing lower body exercises (think squats and leg presses) led to the breakdown of stored fat in your belly. More research is needed to understand the mechanism better, but it’s one more reason why resistance training is one of the most efficient ways to achieve multiple health goals.
Longevity
The Best 10-Minute Health Investment?
We don’t just write these emails to help you become better. We do it with the hope that you can support and inspire those around you with evidence that little actions make a big difference.
If you have a friend or family member who struggles with health or being more active, here’s some great news: a little effort can have a life-changing impact.
New research found that a 10-minute walk is enough to extend lifespan by up to 1.5 years.
The researchers studied the behaviors of more than 40,000 women and 30,000 men. They assessed how different combinations of volume and intensity were associated with changes in life expectancy for both men and women.
While more exercise and higher intensity are associated with longer life, the researchers found that the protective benefits of exercise kick in even if you can only move at a low intensity for a short period of time. So, if you need to start somewhere, aim for at least 10 minutes of movement per day.
As we’ve mentioned before, the goal is to achieve approximately 150 minutes of activity each week, which is associated with adding about four years to lifespan compared to inactive people.
If you’re already exercising consistently, the study suggests you don’t want to go “all gas, all the time.” Intensity is great — and a key determinant of progress — but pushing yourself to the limit every day isn’t as effective as managing fatigue.
The greatest benefits were observed in individuals who combined moderate and vigorous activities, suggesting that a mix of different intensities may be the most effective strategy for increasing life expectancy.
And that’s it for this week! Thanks for being a part of the positive corner of the internet, and we hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
—
Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
