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Today’s Health Upgrade

• An Arnold surprise

• Does sugar cause cancer?

• Supercharge your antioxidants

• Smell of horse, stress less

Welcome to Arnold Intelligence (A.I.)

Those of you who came to our book launch at Gold’s were in for a surprise. I hope it was a good surprise. Watch the video below now. I always love doing this.

And here is a video and an article from the Wall Street Journal about topics discussed in Be Useful. Enjoy!

Does Sugar Cause Cancer?

Are the foods you eat today setting you up to potentially get cancer tomorrow? There’s no shortage of information suggesting that your diet choices can lead to disease, so here’s what you need to know:

Research suggests that sugar, fat, or protein do not cause cancer.

We spoke with cancer researcher Dr. Joe Zundell to make sense of this sensitive topic. He explained why there’s a big difference between what fuels cancer and what causes it.

“There is no doubt that nutrients like glucose (sugar), amino acids (protein), and fats can fuel processes that worsen cancers. However, it doesn’t mean these things can cause cancer in a healthy person. To cause cancer, these fuels would need to transform a healthy cell into a cancerous one. The research shows us that glucose, amino acids, and fats don’t inherently transform healthy cells into cancerous ones.”

These foods get targeted because cancer cells change how your body uses and metabolizes nutrients for food. Cancer is a disease that wants to grow and spread. Research suggests that effective treatments are the ones that can target cancer metabolism to slow their growth.

Because of the complex nature of cancer, each disease variation needs to be treated individually. Whereas a ketogenic diet might help one person, it can be harmful for another person. This is why cancer researchers continue to work on personalized solutions while combining lifestyle adjustments with chemotherapies, which continues to be the most effective approach to fighting cancer.

According to Dr. Zundell, you can’t beat the basics of quality sleep, a nutrient-diverse diet, and consistent exercise if you want to be healthy.

Supercharge Your Antioxidants

Do you stress over which foods or vitamins can help you fight free radicals that cause damage to your body and harm overall health?

Instead of worrying about superfoods, it’s time to focus on supercharging your natural antioxidant defense.

Research suggests that high-intensity exercise provides the ultimate protection for keeping your cells healthy.

The study examined how much a single, 30-second bike sprint helps reduce “oxidative stress,” which represents a breakdown in your body. The researchers found that the one sprint led to nearly a 180 percent increase in “cellular scavenging,” which is the process of fighting or cleaning up unwanted pathogens or waste. That's a significant boost in your body’s antioxidant defenses and could help reduce the risk of oxidative stress-related diseases, ranging from fatigue or the common cold to something more serious, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

It’s just another reminder that the intensity and challenges you create for your body help build your body stronger and healthier so you feel better and can fight off what makes you feel worse. Need help pushing the intensity? Try Monday’s workout of the week.

Smell of Horse, Stress Less

Ashwagandha is an ancient herb with a name that translates to "smell of horse." It’s a funny name with some serious potential. A 10-year review of research suggests ashwagandha might help your body manage stress.

Scientists reviewed 12 studies where Ashwagandha usage varied from 200 mg to more than 12,000 mg per day. There appeared to be no safety concerns, but — more importantly — ashwagandha appears to reduce stress and anxiety.

The studies showed that ashwagandha supplementation significantly reduced cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress response, by up to 30 percent. This means that incorporating ashwagandha into your daily routine could potentially help you better manage stress and promote a sense of calmness. But that’s not all.

According to another analysis, ashwagandha also has other potential health benefits. The review highlighted several studies demonstrating how ashwagandha improved memory, attention span, and overall cognitive performance. One study even found that ashwagandha supplementation led to a 28 percent improvement in memory scores.

Furthermore, the review discussed ashwagandha's antioxidant properties, which help protect our cells against damage caused by free radicals. Ashwagandha was found to increase glutathione levels, a powerful antioxidant, by 36 percent. Incorporating ashwagandha into your diet could boost your body's natural defense against oxidative stress and support overall cellular health.

If you’re interested in giving it a try, benefits were seen with participants who used 300 to 500 mg per day, and those above 40 years old saw the most improvement from using 600 mg per day.

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell