Super Bowl Indulgences That May Harm Your Prostate Health

Updated Feb 4, 2025 | 11:56 AM IST

SummaryProstate glands are small yet extremely vital parts of the male reproductive system. Indulging in alcohol, cookies, fries, and red meat could jeopardies your prostate health.
Superbowl

Superbowl (Credit: Canva)

Superbowl is just around the corner and your brain is probably fixed on what you should be eating that day. Popcorn, cookies, sodas, alcohol and whatnot, the market is brimming with snacks. However, things might not be the same for individuals with prostate problems to whom this indulgence in snacks and drinks can pose health risks. Prostate glands are small yet extremely vital parts of the male reproductive system as they produce semen. Thus, it becomes extremely important to prevent and manage prostate issues.

Here are some Super Bowl foods to avoid for better prostate health

Processed Meats And Red Meat

If you’re attending a Super Bowl party, you'll likely encounter a spread of processed meats and red meat, from hot dogs to cheeseburger sliders. Unfortunately, these foods should be avoided if you have prostate issues. A 2022 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition links red and processed meats to an increased risk of prostate cancer, as well as other cancers, such as colorectal and pancreatic cancer. These meats often contain carcinogens that can contribute to the development of cancer, so it's best to skip them during your Super Bowl feast.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats, commonly found in fried foods, cheese, and baked goods, should be limited when you have prostate concerns. According to a 2014 study in Nutrients, regular consumption of saturated fats can elevate the risk of prostate cancer. The study highlights that prostate cancer survivors should stick to low-fat diets, avoiding saturated fats like those found in fatty cuts of meat, dairy products, and processed snacks. Excessive intake of saturated fats can also increase the likelihood of advanced and fatal prostate cancer, as noted in a separate study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention. For a healthier Super Bowl experience, choose foods lower in saturated fats, such as vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Alcohol

Though not technically a food, alcohol consumption during the Super Bowl is often part of the celebration. However, for individuals with prostate problems, drinking alcohol can be detrimental. A 2009 study published in Cancer found that heavy drinking increases the risk of prostate cancer. Men who consume more than 20 alcoholic beverages a week are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as moderate drinkers. While it’s tempting to indulge in alcohol during the game, it's best to limit intake to no more than two drinks a day, as recommended by the US Dietary Guidelines. Moderation will help prevent alcohol-related health issues and support better prostate health.

Tips For Healthier Super Bowl Eating

Opt for lighter, prostate-friendly alternatives when preparing for your Super Bowl gathering. Fresh vegetable platters, lean meats like chicken or turkey, and whole-grain snacks offer delicious and nutritious options. You can also incorporate more plant-based foods like legumes and tofu, which are linked to better prostate health. Staying hydrated with water or herbal teas instead of sugary drinks or alcohol will help reduce the strain on your body, ensuring you enjoy the game without compromising your health.

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Your Body Pain Has a Pattern: Expert Reveals What It Really Means

Updated Sep 16, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST

SummaryWhen you go through a vigorous workout, you will experience muscle pain, if you experience blunt force like falling on your knees or hitting your knees on the pavement, it could be joint pain. However, sometimes it is difficult to decipher them. Here is how you can tell what is causing you pain.
Your Body Pain Has a Pattern: Expert Reveals What It Really Means

(Credit- Canva)

Sometimes body pain can be quite difficult to figure out. ‘Is it my shoulder muscle, or is it shoulder joint that’s causing me pain?’ We have all had these questions and struggled while answering them at the doctor’s office. This is a common experience that we all go through, and it can make things like finding what medication will help elevate the pain difficult.

So how do doctors figure this out? Explaining this in a video, Dr Pooja Chopra MD, shares a post on Instagram. Posted on 8th September, in the video caption Dr Chopra explained, “As a PM&R and Pain specialist, my first job is to be a detective. Tracing pain back to its precise source is the most critical step, because each source requires a completely different treatment plan.” She further goes on to give a simplified guide to help people understand their pain better. Understanding where the pain comes from can help people feel more at ease as well as figure out how serious the problem could be.

How To Tell Whether Your Muscle Is Causing Pain, Your Joint Or Nerve?

Muscle Pain

Muscle pain, also called myofascial pain, feels like a dull, deep ache. When you press on the sore spot, you'll feel tenderness and might even find what feel like tight knots or bands. This kind of pain gets worse when you use the muscle that's hurt, but it often feels better with simple things like resting, putting a heating pad on it, or doing some gentle stretches. You can usually point with one finger to exactly where it hurts.

Joint Pain

Joint pain, or articular pain, is a deep, internal ache that feels very stiff. It's not on the surface; it feels like it's coming from inside the joint itself. You might feel a sharp pain when you make a specific movement, like reaching high above your head. This type of pain is often at its worst when you first wake up in the morning, but it tends to get better as you start moving around and warm up the joint. Because the pain is deep, it can be hard to say exactly where it is.

Nerve Pain

Nerve pain, also known as neuropathic pain, is the most distinct kind of pain. It feels like sharp, shooting, burning, or "electric" shocks. People often describe it as a tingling sensation, like "pins and needles," or even numbness. A key sign of nerve pain is that it travels along a clear path, for example, from your neck all the way down your arm. This pain can come on unexpectedly, even when you're completely still and not moving the body part.

It's important to remember that these types of pain can be linked. For example, a problem with a joint could make the muscles around it tense up in a protective spasm, which could then pinch a nearby nerve. This is why a proper diagnosis from a specialist is so important. They use advanced tools like diagnostic ultrasound, which lets them see exactly what's happening inside your body, so they can treat the root cause of the pain precisely.

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Chronic Insomnia Could Increase The Risk Of Dementia By 40%: Study

Updated Sep 16, 2025 | 11:00 PM IST

SummaryBeing unable to sleep can be quite difficult and make even the most basic activities time consuming. However, that is not all, a new study reveals that it could also increase your risk of cognitive decline. How does sleep affect your memories and brain health? Here’s what you need to know.
Chronic Insomnia Could Increase The Risk Of Dementia By 40%: Study

A new study has pointed out that people who have chronic insomnia could be at higher risk of dementia. One of the best things a person can do to recover from a tiring day, whether it is from a stressful day or after a tiring workout. However, it is not easy for everyone, there are many people who suffer with sleep problems like chronic insomnia.

An estimate of 16.2% of people around the globe suffer with insomnia according to 2025 Sleep Medicine Reviews, which is a condition that makes it hard to fall or stay asleep. A big number of these people have what's called chronic insomnia, meaning they've had this problem for at least three months, with poor sleep happening three or more nights a week.

Previous studies have already connected insomnia to serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. But now, a new study in the medical journal Neurology has found an even more concerning link: people with chronic insomnia might be at a much higher risk for developing dementia and other memory problems. The study suggests that their brains could be aging faster as a result.

How Does Insomnia Cause Dementia?

For this study, researchers followed 2,750 older adults for an average of five and a half years. At the beginning, everyone was mentally healthy. The researchers found that the people who had chronic insomnia had a 40% higher chance of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Researchers explain that this is a huge finding because it means chronic insomnia could be a bigger risk factor for memory loss than having both high blood pressure and diabetes. They also discovered that those who slept less had more of the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's disease in their brains, like amyloid plaques, and other signs of damage to their brain's blood vessels. This shows that poor sleep isn't just about feeling tired—it's linked to real, physical changes in the brain.

Why You Should Prioritize Sleep?

Experts believe that a big part of the problem is that insomnia is often overlooked. Many older adults just assume that bad sleep is a normal part of getting older. However, doctors stress that chronic insomnia is a real medical issue that goes beyond typical age-related changes. They urge doctors to start talking to their patients about their sleep habits during every check-up.

The good news is that chronic insomnia is a treatable condition. The main treatment is a type of talk therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The hope is that by recognizing and treating insomnia, doctors can help protect a person's brain health for years to come.

How Does Insomnia Affect Our Memory

Previous studies have shown that our cognitive abilities are affected by how much we sleep. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, explained that there is a strong connection between a person's sleep and their risk of developing Alzheimer's. We know that sleep is crucial for learning and creating memories. Studies have found that a lack of sleep and conditions like insomnia are not just a symptom of Alzheimer's—they may also play a role in its development.

This means that sleep disorders can have a significant impact on whether someone gets Alzheimer's and how fast the disease progresses. Because of this, it's important for doctors to pay more attention to sleep issues when diagnosing and treating patients. By properly screening for and managing sleep disorders, we might be able to help prevent or slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

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Daylights Savings Time May Be Causing You Higher Risk Of Heart Attacks And Obesity, Study Backs Fixed Standard Time

Updated Sep 16, 2025 | 10:00 PM IST

SummaryMany Americans agree with the fact that daylight savings time cause them to face many issues, whether it is lack of sleep or less time to do things etc. However, new research shows that it not only does this disrupt your timetable, but also your health. Here is what you need to know.
Daylights Savings Time May Be Causing You Higher Risk Of Heart Attacks And Obesity, Study Backs Fixed Standard Time

A new study from Stanford University suggests that daylight saving time isn't just an inconvenience; it could actually be bad for our health. The research shows that our twice-a-year routine of changing the clocks disrupts our bodies' natural rhythms, which can lead to serious health issues. This is a big deal because it provides the first real scientific evidence that this time-switching practice has a biological cost.

What is Daylight Saving Time?

According to the Sleep Foundation, daylight saving time (DST) has been an official practice in most of the United States since 1966. Only a few places, like Hawaii and parts of Arizona, don't follow it. The routine is simple: on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward by one hour, losing an hour of sleep. Then, on the first Sunday in November, we set them back, gaining that hour of sleep. This is why many people remember it as "Spring Forward, Fall Back."

How Daylights Saving Time Affects Our Health

According to the study, if the U.S. got rid of daylight saving time and stayed on standard time all year, it could prevent thousands of strokes and significantly reduce obesity. The researchers, using mathematical models and data, estimated that this single change could prevent 300,000 strokes and lead to 2.6 million fewer people with obesity every year. This adds to what we already know about the negative effects of the time change, such as a spike in heart attacks and car crashes in the days after we lose an hour of sleep in the spring.

How Does Daylight Saving Time Affect Sleep?

Our body's internal clock is heavily influenced by light. When the clocks change, the amount of natural light we get in the morning and evening shifts. This can throw off our sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to feel alert in the morning and sleepy at night.

The “spring forward” change is particularly hard on us. One study found that on the Monday after the time change, the average person gets 40 minutes less sleep. This lack of sleep can build up over time, affecting our mood and increasing the risk of accidents.

While the "fall back" change in November can give us an extra hour of sleep, some people still struggle to adjust to the new schedule. For most people, the effects fade after a few days, but some studies suggest that others never fully adjust, leading to ongoing health problems.

Why Time Changes Mess With Our Bodies

The core problem lies in our body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Think of it as the conductor of an orchestra, directing all your body's processes. When it's working well, everything is in sync. But when it's thrown off, like by getting light at the wrong time of day, your body's systems can become disorganized.

This can weaken your immune system, mess with your sleep, and increase your risk for diseases like stroke and obesity. The study found that switching between standard and daylight saving time is the worst thing we can do for our body clock, much worse than staying on either time year-round. It's a bit like having the conductor suddenly change the tempo for no reason—the whole orchestra, or in this case, your body, gets thrown off.

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