Why 'Healthy Coke' Isn't Good for You

When an influencer on tiktok claimed to have a healthier alternative to Coke, the internet was all ears. Amanda Jones has racked up 6.4 million views since she disclosed the recipe to her fans on the video-sharing social media site on June 6.

“You're going to think I’m insane," she says while mixing up the drink, a combination of balsamic vinegar, guava-flavored La Croix seltzer, and ice. “I swear to God it tastes like a Coke, and it's healthy and good for you,” she adds.

Those statements have been hotly debated, however. In the wake of Jones’ viral video, plenty of people have tried the drink combo with less than rave reviews. But even if it doesn’t taste exactly like cola, is this combo actually good for you? Nutrition experts weigh in, and also offer some alternative carbonated beverage recipes that might not only taste better, but be better for you.

Is 'Healthy Coke' Actually Healthy?

Drinking vinegar-infused bubbly water may boast some health benefits, suggests Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, plant-forward chef, culinary nutritionist, and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook. Research has found that vinegars, including balsamic vinegar, contain bioactive compounds that may offer antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic benefits.

One review found that consuming acetic acid, aka vinegar, before or with a high-carbohydrate meal reduces the resulting glucose response in both healthy individuals and those with diabetes. Further research found that consuming vinegar for 8 to 12 weeks led to a small but significant reduction on the results of an A1C, a blood test that measures average blood sugar levels and is one of the common ways to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For those reasons , Newgent encourages people who have prediabetes or diabetes to enjoy vinegar in their meals for both flavor and function.

There is one major drawback to drinking vinegar, however: It could damage teeth. “The acidity in both the vinegar and carbonated drinks can weaken your enamel, making your teeth prone to staining, decay, and breakage,” says Rhonda Kalasho, DDS, founder of TruGlo Modern Dental in Beverly Hills, California. “The acid that forms cavities has a pH level of 3, and believe it or not, carbonated drinks have even more acid,” she says. While data from the American Dental Association states that in general, sparkling water is no more damaging to teeth than plain water, the combination with vinegar, which has a pH level of about 2 or 3, makes this drink “a recipe for weakened teeth,” says Kalasho.

Of course, in order to do damage to your teeth, you would need to be drinking “rather large quantities” of vinegar, says Keri Gans, RDN, a nutrition consultant in New York City and author of The Small Change Diet. Also, research on carbonation and its negative effect on tooth enamel so far has not been conclusive, she points out.

Bottom line: While “healthy coke” might be an improvement from a can of the sugar, calorie, and caffeine-filled original, it’s not really something you want to drink everyday. And if you are one of the many critics of the taste, try one of these healthy, RD-approved alternatives.

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Sleep quality may decline as global temperatures rise

     Sleep quality may decline as global temperatures rise

:Researchers investigated the effects of temperature on sleep quality via wearable sleep-tracking devices.

:They found that higher nighttime temperatures are linked to poorer sleep quality globally.

:The study concluded that climate change is projected to erode sleep and widen global inequalities.

Sleep quality and temperatures

The researchers examined 10 billion sleep observations for their study, comprising over 7 million repeated daily sleep records from 47,628 adults across 68 countries on every continent, excluding Antarctica. These observations included nighttime sleep duration and sleep timing: sleep onset, midsleep, and offset.

The researchers then compared this data with geolocated meteorological and climate data .They found that increases in nighttime temperature reduce sleep duration regardless of location and that effects intensify as temperature increases.

They noted that the probability of sleeping less than 7 hours increases gradually up to 10°C, and when the temperatures exceed 10°C, the chance of reduced sleep increases at an elevated rate.

Nighttime temperatures higher than 25°C were linked to 14 minutes less sleep than those sleeping at temperatures below 10°C.

Certain demographics were more affected than others. A one degree  Celcius  increase in minimum temperature affected the elderly twice as much as other groups.

Those living in poorer countries were almost three times more affected than those in wealthier countries, and women were significantly more affected than men.

They further found that people do not adapt to sleeping in warmer temperatures meaning that sleep quality is generally poorer in warmer climates than in cooler ones.

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How Sleep Deprivation Effects Our Body

                       How Sleep Deprivation Effects Our Body

Getting proper sleep every night is important to help recharge and reset the body . Lack of proper sleep can cause numerous health complications .An adult is recommended to sleep for about seven to nine hours each night. Sleep deprivation is defined as receiving less than the necessary amount of sleep. Children and teenagers require even more sleep every night as compared to adults. Even one night of sleeplessness or shortage of sleep can leave you feeling tired and frustrated the next day. However, prolonged sleep deprivation might cause worse effects on the body.

This is what prolonged sleep deprivation does to your body: 

Increase weight

Prolonged lack of sleep affects the levels of food-related hormones in the body. The two hormones, leptin (an indicator of fullness/appetite) and ghrelin (an indicator of hunger) are reduced and increased, respectively. Hence, making you feel hungry faster. Furthermore, the reduction in leptin might make you overeat without realising it. 

Reduce physical activity

Prolonged lack of sleep can hinder your energy levels and might make you feel tired and fatigued. This might make you reduce your physical movement and activity or quit working out altogether. 

Affect immune system

Lack of proper sleep can also hinder the capabilities of your immune system. When you are asleep, your immune system works toward fighting off any external factors that might harm your body such as viruses and bacteria. Shortage of sleep might reduce the body's ability to make enough substances to fight off these invaders.

Negatively impact mental health

Shortage of sleep can poorly impact our mood as well as cause mental disorders. Lack of proper sleep has proven to cause mental disorders such as paranoia, anxiety, depression, etc. In fact, long periods of sleeplessness might even cause hallucinations. A state in which you might hear, see or feel things that do not exist in reality. 

Cause heart-related diseases

Sleep also affects the regular functioning of the heart as well as blood sugar, blood pressure and other heart-related functions. Adequate sleep equips the body to repair and heal all and any heart-related issues. A prolonged lack of sleep can increase your risk of getting cardiovascular disease. A study has shown that insomniacs are more prone to strokes or heart attacks.

Cause diabetes

As discussed above, the body requires adequate sleep to perform heart-related functions properly. Shortage of sleep can affect the body's ability to regulate blood sugar in the body. This can cause the body to develop diabetes or other metabolism-related disorders.

Cause hormonal imbalances

Just like food-related hormones discussed above, all hormones-producing organs require the body to get adequate rest in order to produce hormones in the correct amount. Lack of sleep can affect growth hormone production in children. Sleeplessness can also affect the production of testosterone in the body.

As discussed above, it is extremely essential for us to get adequate sleep regularly. Shortage of sleep impacts our mood and makes us feel tired. In addition to this, prolonged lack of sleep might cause irreversible damage to the body. If the lack of sleep is prolonged, we encourage you to see a health professional. A doctor can help you navigate what is causing disturbance to your sleeping routine. Furthermore, help you understand how to better your sleep cycle.

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    Digital health care in optometry

Optometry has been skeptical of digital eye care models that have burst onto the scene during the past decade. 

 Optometry has been skeptical of digital eye care models that have burst onto. This skepticism, rooted in the reality that online spectacle and contact lens sellers ate into the retail revenues of optometric practices, may indeed be justified for technology services offering digital eye care such as online refractions.

And it may be reinforced by concerns that such eye care services are fundamentally unable to match the quality of in-person interaction, examination, and evaluation.

However, digital health care models present an opportunity to increase the reach and services of a practice in a way that some digital eye care models have not.

By viewing digital health care as a series of adjunctive tools that supplement—rather than replace—a clinician’s expertise, optometrists might reframe their thinking of digital health care as a structure to be embraced instead of a threat to be mitigated.

Further, by adopting digital health care models as part of a practice paradigm, optometrists can increase their reputation in their local market, differentiate themselves from the competition, and provide a uniquely high level of care—all without relying on heavy capital investments that could take years to recoup.

Embracing digital health care may be especially effective in caring for patients with potentially vision-threatening retinal disease.

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Morning cup of coffee may extend your life

                Morning cup of coffee may extend your life

 Morning Cup of Coffee May Extend Your Life

Folks who take their coffee with a little cream and sugar have reason to rejoice, health-wise . A new study shows that coffee's potential health benefits persist, even if you add a bit of sugar to your java.

People who drink any amount of unsweetened coffee are 16% to 21% less likely to die early than those who don’t imbibe, based on data drawn from more than 171,000 British participants without known heart disease or cancer.

And even folks who take their coffee with sugar saw some health benefits, researchers found, 

That Morning Cup of Coffee May Extend Your Life

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How old is your liver ?

 

                             How old is your liver?

No matter how old you are, your liver is always roughly less than three years old, according to a new study .That's because the liver is constantly renewing itself and replaces its cells equally well in young and old people, the German study explained.

The liver clears toxins from our bodies, putting it at risk of regular injury. To overcome this problem, it has a unique ability to regenerate itself after damage. But it was unclear if the liver's capacity to renew itself diminished with age.

Your Liver Is Just 3 Years Old

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