The benefits of regular exercise are well-documented, but a new study suggests that even just two workouts a week can have a significant impact on the health of adults with diabetes. Researchers from several top universities recently published their findings in Annals of Internal Medicine, showing that diabetics who engaged in physical activity had lower risks of heart disease and death compared to those who were inactive.

The study analyzed data from over 51,000 adults with self-reported diabetes who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2018. The participants were divided into four categories based on their exercise habits: inactive (no reported physical activity), insufficiently active (less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week), weekend warriors (at least 150 minutes of physical activity, but only on one or two days a week), and regularly active (at least 150 minutes of physical activity, distributed across three or more days a week).

The results were striking. Compared to inactive participants, those who engaged in insufficient physical activity had a 12% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Weekend warriors had an even greater benefit, with a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Regularly active participants also saw significant benefits, with a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

While the study did not find as strong a link between physical activity and cancer mortality, the overall message is clear: any amount of exercise can have a positive impact on the health of adults with diabetes. Whether it’s a quick walk after dinner or a weekend hike, getting moving can make a big difference in reducing the risk of heart disease and death.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a friend or family member, lace up your shoes, and get out there to enjoy some fresh air and exercise. Your body – and your diabetes – will thank you!

The Pistachio Paradox: How Swapping Bedtime Snacks Can Rewire Your Gut and Help Prevent Diabetes

A third of people in the United States live with prediabetes, a condition that often progresses to Type 2 diabetes. While dietary interventions have shown promise, effective strategies remain limited. A recent study by researchers at Penn State has shed new light on how nighttime pistachio consumption can reshape the gut microbiome and potentially prevent diabetes.

Researchers led by Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences, found that replacing a traditional carbohydrate-based bedtime snack with pistachios can significantly alter the gut bacterial landscape in adults with prediabetes. The study, published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, demonstrated that consuming about two ounces of pistachios each night for 12 weeks resulted in distinct stool microbial community profiles compared to those who consumed the recommended 15 to 30 grams of a carbohydrate snack.

Specifically, researchers observed increased abundance of “good” bacteria like Roseburia and members of the Lachnospiraceae family, which produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Butyrate serves as a primary energy source for colon cells, helps maintain the gut barrier, and supports anti-inflammatory processes.

Pistachio consumption also led to reductions in bacterial groups linked to less favorable metabolic outcomes, such as Blautia hydrogenotrophica and Eubacterium flavonifractor. The study’s design, a randomized crossover clinical trial, allowed researchers to better understand how specific foods like pistachios can influence the gut microbiome.

While the study demonstrated shifts in gut bacteria, it remains unclear whether these changes directly translate to improvements in health. Researchers hope to explore this question further in future research.

This study has significant implications for people working to improve their metabolic health. By incorporating pistachios into one’s bedtime snack routine, individuals may be able to reshape their gut microbiome and potentially prevent the progression of prediabetes to Type 2 diabetes.

The study was funded by the American Pistachio Growers, Penn State’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, and additional support from Juniata College and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

At a time when federal funding cuts threaten research progress, studies like this one demonstrate the importance of continued investment in scientific inquiry that can improve the lives of people across the country and around the world.

The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was one of the deadliest in human history, claiming an estimated 20-100 million lives worldwide. Despite its devastating impact, the genetic makeup of the virus responsible for this pandemic had remained a mystery – until now.

Researchers from the University of Basel and Zurich have successfully reconstructed the genome of the influenza virus that ravaged Europe during the first wave of the pandemic in Switzerland. The study, led by paleogeneticist Verena Schünemann, used a 100-year-old specimen taken from an autopsy sample of an 18-year-old patient who died in July 1918.

The researchers identified three key adaptations that allowed the virus to spread and persist throughout the pandemic. These mutations made the virus more resistant to human immune system defenses, allowing it to bind more efficiently to human cells and increasing its infectiousness.

This breakthrough study has significant implications for tackling future pandemics. By understanding how viruses adapt and evolve over time, scientists can develop targeted countermeasures and improve public health responses. The researchers emphasize the importance of medical collections as archives for reconstructing ancient RNA virus genomes and highlight the need for further reconstructions to inform models for future pandemics.

The study’s authors stress that their interdisciplinary approach, combining historico-epidemiological and genetic transmission patterns, provides an evidence-based foundation for calculations and will be crucial in developing targeted strategies for addressing future pandemics.