Vibration Plate, Review After 6 Months: Is It Worth It?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Is it push-button exercise, or an expensive fad, or something else entirely? Robin, from “The Science of Self-Care”, has insights:
Science & Experience
According to the science (studies cited in the video and linked-to in the video description, underneath it on YouTube), vibration therapy does have some clear benefits, namely:
- Bone health (helps with bone density, particularly beneficial for postmenopausal women)
- Muscle recovery (reduces lactate levels, aiding faster recovery)
- Joint health (reduces pain and improves function in osteoarthritis patients)
- Muscle stimulation (helps older adults maintain muscle mass)
- Cognitive function (due to increased blood flow to the brain)
And from her personal experience, the benefits included:
- Improved recovery after exercise, reducing muscle soreness and stiffness
- Reduced back pain and improved posture (not surprising, given the need for stabilizing muscles when using one of these)
- Better circulation and (likely resulting from same) skin clarity
She did not, however, notice:
- Any reduction in cellulite
- Any change in body composition (fat loss or muscle gain)
For a deeper look into these things and more, plus a demonstration of how the machine actually operates, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesnโt Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Recommended
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Hazelnuts vs Pistachios โ Which is Healthier?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Our Verdict
When comparing hazelnuts to pistachios, we picked the hazelnuts.
Why?
An argument could be made for either, depending on what we prioritize! So there was really no wrong answer here today, but it is good to know what each nutโs strengths are:
In terms of macros, pistachios have more fiber, carbs, protein, and (mostly healthy) fat. That does make them the “more food per food” option, but it’s worth noting that while hazelnuts have more fiber, they also have a higher margin of difference when it comes to their greater carb count, and resultantly, hazelnuts do have the lower glycemic index. That said, they’re still both low-GI foods, so we’ll call this section a win for pistachios overall.
When it comes to vitamins, hazelnuts have more of vitamins B3, B5, B9, C, E, K, and choline, while pistachios have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, and B6. So, a fair 7:4 win for hazelnuts here.
In the category of minerals, hazelnuts have more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc, while pistachios have more phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. A clear 6:3 win for hazelnuts.
In short, both are good sources of many nutrients, so choose according to what you want to prioritize, or better yet, enjoy both.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts
Take care!
Share This Post
-
Scattered Minds โ by Dr. Gabor Matรฉ
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
This was not the first book that Dr. Matรฉ sat down to write, by far. But it was the first that he actually completed. Guess why.
Writing from a position of both personal and professional experience and understanding, Dr. Matรฉ explores the inaptly-named Attention Deficit Disorder (if anything, thereโs often a surplus of attention, just, to anything and everything rather than necessarily what would be most productive in the moment), its etiology, its presentation, and its management.
This is a more enjoyable book than some others by the same author, as while this condition certainly isnโt without its share of woes (often, for example, a cycle of frustration and shame re โwhy canโt I just do the things; this is ruining my life and it would be so easy if I could just do the things!โ), itโs not nearly so bleak as entire books about trauma, addiction, and so forth (worthy as those books also are).
Dr. Matรฉ frames it specifically as a development disorder, and one whereby with work, we can do the development later that (story of an ADHDerโs life) we should have done earlier but didnโt. In terms of practical advice, he includes a program for effecting this change, including as an adult.
The style is easy-reading, in small chapters, with ADHDโd-up readers in mind, giving a strong sense of speeding pleasantly through the book.
Bottom line: when itโs a book by Dr. Gabor Matรฉ, you know itโs going to be good, and this is no exception. Certainly read it if you, anyone you care about, or even anyone you just spend a lot of time around, has ADHD or similar.
Click here to check out Scattered Minds, and unscatter yours!
Share This Post
-
Saffron For The Brain (& More)
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Saffron For The Brain (& More)
In yesterdayโs edition of 10almonds, one of the items in the โhealth news from around the worldโ section was:
Clinical trial finds herbal medicine Sailuotong effective for brain health in older people
But, what is it?
โSaiLuoTong (SLT) is a modern compound Chinese herbal medicine preparation in capsule form containing standardized extracts of Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, and Crocus sativus Lโ
Weโve written previously about ginseng and ginkgo biloba:
So, whatโs this about Crocus sativus L.?
That is the plant better known as saffron. And, for all its wide availability (your local supermarket probably has at least a tiny amount in the spice section), thereโs a reason we donโt see much of it:
โSaffron blooms only once a year and should be collected within a very short duration. It is picked during 3โ4 weeks in October-November. The method for the cultivation of saffron contributes greatly to its high price. According to some reports, this species is a sterile triploid and so does not produce fertile seeds. Germination can take 1โ6 months at 18ยฐC. It takes 3 years for plants to flower from seed.โ
Source: Crocus sativus L.: A comprehensive review
Thatโs fascinating, but what does it do for us?
Well, in the words of El Midaoui et al. (2022):
โIn the frame of a double-blind-placebo-controlled study, 30 mg per day supplementation with saffron for 16 weeks resulted in improved cognitive function in patients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimerโs disease.
Moreover, the follow-up of this study in which the authors evaluated the effects of saffron (30 mg/day) for 22 weeks showed that saffron was as effective as donepezil in the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimerโs diseaseโ
Read the full review: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): A Source of Nutrients for Health and for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric and Age-Related Diseases
Not just that, but it also has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties beyond the brain (though the brain is where research has been most focused, due to its neuroprotective effects).
(this, too, is a full research review in its own right; weโre getting a lot of โbang for buckโ on papers today)
And more?
Yes, and more. Lots more. To bullet-pointify even just the abstract from another research review:
- Saffron has been suggested to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of disorders including coronary artery diseases, hypertension, stomach disorders, dysmenorrhea and learning and memory impairments.
- In addition, different studies have indicated that saffron has anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, antigenotoxic and cytotoxic activities. (This is all good; the cytotoxic activities are about killing cancer cells)
- Antitussive effects of stigmas and petals of C. sativus and its components, safranal and crocin have also been demonstrated.
- The anticonvulsant and anti-Alzheimer properties of saffron extract were shown in human and animal studies.
- The ef๏ฌcacy of C. sativus in the treatment of mild to moderate depression was also reported in clinical trial.
- Administration of C. sativus and its constituents increased glutamate and dopamine levels in the brain in a dose-dependent manner.
- It also interacts with the opioid system to reduce withdrawal syndrome.
- C. sativus and its components can be considered as promising agents in the treatment of nervous system disorders.
For more details on any of those items, see:
The effects of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its constituents on nervous system: a review
Is it safe?
The effective dose is 30mg/kg and the LD50 is more than 20g/kg, so yes, itโs very safe. Given the price of it, this also means that if youโre the size of this writer (a little over 70kg, or a little over 150lbs) to poison yourself effectively youโd need to consume about 1.4kg of saffron at a time, which would cost well over $6,000.
Where can I get it?
Your local supermarket probably has a tiny amount in the spice section, or you can get better prices buying it in โbulkโ online. Hereโs an example product on Amazon, for your convenience
Enjoy!
Share This Post
Related Posts
-
The Vaccine vs Joint Pain (And More)
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
…and other items from this week’s health news:
Vaccine may put an end to chikungunya-related inflammatory joint pain!
Researchers (Dr. Nivethika Sivakumaran et al.) have developed experimental adjuvant-free biopolymer particles designed to prevent chikungunya infection and the months-or-years of joint pain that often follow it.
How the vaccine works: Dr. Sivakumaran and her team engineered E. coli to assemble synthetic particles displaying chikungunya surface antigens that closely mimic the virus without causing disease.
This is important, because chikungunya commonly causes severe joint and muscle pain, and up to 60% of patients develop chronic joint symptoms that can persist for months or years and resemble rheumatoid arthritis.
Next, she plans to move things into clinical development, starting with safety trials of course, before progressing to studies that test how well the vaccine prevents infection and long-term joint damage on a larger scale.
Read in full: Chikungunya vaccine update: Experimental adjuvant-free particles aim to prevent months of joint pain
Related: Why Rheumatoid Arthritis Often Defies Drugs (& What Else you Can Try)
Nestlรฉ doing another recall, this time Danone is too
Commercial giants Nestlรฉ and Danone have recalled infant formula across more than 60 countries since December, due to possible toxin contamination.
The toxin in question, cereulide, isnโt destroyed by cooking or preparation and can cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps if consumed.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the issue is linked to arachidonic acid (ARA) being used in the manufacturing process. The FSA also says that investigations are ongoing, and that the manufacturers must explain what went wrong and show how theyโll prevent a repeat.
Read in full: More baby formula products recalled over toxin fears
Related: Breast Milkโs Benefits That Are (So Far) Not Replicable
Body composition changed by changing hormones
It turns out that if you change the hormones that are responsible for changing body composition, body composition changes!
When you put it like that, it may not seem like breaking news, and in a way it shouldn’t be, but a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed 52 studies, with 43 included in a meta-analysis covering 6,485 participants aged 14โ41 years. In total this pooled sample included 2,943 transgender women, 2,309 transgender men, 5,68 cisgender women, and 6,65 cisgender men.
In this current age, the US has recently adopted the stance first imposed on the Olympics by Nazi Germany in 1936, that is to say, that trans women must not be allowed to compete.
So, where does the science stand on this? Head to head…
Transgender women vs cisgender women: no statistically significant differences were found in relative fat mass, relative lean mass, upper-body strength, lower-body strength, or aerobic capacity, and after 1โ3 years of hormone therapy, transgender women generally showed increased fat mass and decreased lean mass and upper-body strength.
Could we have known this before? Well, maybe. Most Americans have seen pictures of the famous Nazi book burnings. Most don’t know what those books were; it was the library of the Institut fรผr Sexualwissenschaft, containing most of the world’s scientific research so far assembled on what Dr. Magnus Hirschfield called “sexual intermediacy”, which covered a lot of matters of primary and secondary sexual characteristics, the influence of various factors on various outcomes, and also the sciences of diverse traits such as homosexuality, intersexuality, and transsexuality. But, to the Nazis, this research was all “Jewish sexual degeneracy”, so they burned it all.
A great loss for science, and here we are, nearly 100 years later!
Read in full: New meta-analysis challenges claims of athletic advantage for transgender women
Related: ROAR โ by Dr. Stacy Sims โ an excellent book on female athleticism, hormones, body composition, hormone-modulated physical performance, and more
Enjoy!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Teen Daily Delivery Requested
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Itโs Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit โreplyโ to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where weโve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future tooโthereโs always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, weโll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, weโll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
I thoroughly enjoy your daily delivery. Iโd love to see one for teens too!
Thatโs great to hear! The average age of our subscribers is generally rather older, but itโs good to know thereโs an interest in topics for younger people. Weโll bear that in mind, and see what we can do to cater to that without alienating our older readers!
That said: itโs never too soon to be learning about stuff that affects us when weโre olderโthere are lifestyle factors at 20 that affect Alzheimerโs risk at 60, for example (e.g. drinkingโexcessive drinking at 20* is correlated to higher Alzheimerโs risk at 60).
*This one may be less of an issue for our US readers, since the US doesnโt have nearly as much of a culture of drinking under 21 as some places. Compare for example with general European practices of drinking moderately from the mid-teens, or the (happily, diminishingโbut historically notable) British practice of drinking heavily from the mid-teens.
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Asparagus vs Sweetcorn โ Which is Healthier?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Our Verdict
When comparing asparagus to sweetcorn, we picked the asparagus.
Why?
In terms of macros, sweetcorn starts off strong with slightly more protein and notably more carbs for the same fiber, while still keeping glycemic index low, so we say this first round is a marginal win for corn.
In the category of vitamins, asparagus has a lot more of vitamins A (yes, really, 4x more!), B2, B7, B9, E, and K (138x the amount for this one), while sweetcorn has more of vitamins B2, B5, and C, giving asparagus an overwhelming win here.
For anyone wondering “why are we so surprised about the vitamin A?”, it’s because vitamin A makes things yellow, and corn is yellow while asparagus is green. But, there are more factors that affect the color of each plant, that’s all.
Looking at minerals, asparagus has more calcium, copper, iron, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while corn has more magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, yielding a compelling 5:3 win to asparagus (especially with asparagus having 12x the calcium; do not underestimate green things as a source of calcium; where do you think cows get theirs from?).
In other considerations, asparagus has a higher polyphenol content (with quercetin scoring notably), while sweetcorn is high in carotenoids such as lutein (whence the yellow color, by the way). So, we’ll call it a tie in this round.
Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for asparagus on tie-breaks (both plants won two sections each, but asparagus had the greater margins of difference by far), but by all means enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Whatโs Your Plant Diversity Score?
Enjoy!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
