Staff should be allowed to start work at 10am and the traditional 9am-5pm day scrapped because it may harm workers' health

A headteacher, who was the first in England to move start times to 10am so students could have a lie in, is calling on workplaces to ditch nine to five days. 

Dr Paul Kelley, the former headmaster of Monkseaton community school in Tyneside and researcher in sleep science, wants office workers to start work later.

The former headteacher believes that workers who ignore their natural body clock and sleep pattern may be harming their health. 

Dr Kelley says bosses who want healthy and happy employees should delay start times by at least an hour so staff can work in their natural sleep patterns.

He says some workers should even be allowed to start at midday, depending on their body clocks.

He told Sian Griffiths of The Sunday Times: 'Across the western world, adults are averaging 6 and a half hours sleep a night during their working lives, when science shows we need at least eight.' 

Dr Kelley's interest in sleep began when he fell ill at 15 after having to catch a bus to school at 6am to start lessons at 7.15am in California. 

The researcher published a new book, Body Clocks, which identifies five types of sleepers, ranging from 'definitely morning', to 'definitely evening'.

He said: 'Start times of 10am are the fairest (and best) if everyone had to choose a single start time. That would reduce sleep loss for the population as a whole. 

'This would have an immediate positive impact on current levels of adult sleep deprivation caused by early workday start times. 

'It would reduce sleep deprivation by 70 per cent to 36 minutes on average a day.'  

Dr Kelley's new book suggests everyone should take a test to work out their natural sleep pattern and try to adapt their working days accordingly.

High profile people have commented on being adversely affected by lack of sleep. 

The Lloyds Banking Group boss, Antonio Horta-Osorio checked into a mental health clinic for exhaustion from insomnia.  He likened the experience to torture.

John Vincent, co-founder of the Leon chain of restaurants, reveals in his book that he is a workaholic that it is usual for him to 'go to bed at midnight and wake at 6.45am'.    

What is your body clock? 

Definitely morning

Wake at 5am and prefer to go to sleep at 9pm

Morning

Wake at 7am and prefer to sleep at 11pm

Evening

Wake at 9am and sleep at 1am

Definitely evening

Wake at 10am and sleep at 2am 

The Scientifically Proven ways to live TEN YEARS longer

Don't act your age

The secret of longevity owes more to a zest for life than to lucky genes, say researchers. A study of 660 volunteers aged 50 or over found those who had more positive perceptions of their own ageing lived an average of seven and a half years longer, even taking into account their income, age and health.

Ageing is, in fact, only 10 per cent genetics and 90 per cent lifestyle, according to research focusing on longevity hotspots around the world.

A US study of ‘super agers’ – those who live beyond 80 – found they shared a more positive outlook than their peers. They were also more sociable, keeping busy long after retirement.

Positive thinking has been linked to stress reduction, which has a knock-on effect on general health and helps to boost the immune system. ‘Negative beliefs and attitudes lead to inactivity, isolation, depression and preventable diseases,’ says Sir Muir Gray, a public health consultant at Oxford University.

LIFE GAIN: Seven and a half years.

Avoid early retirement 

Delaying retirement might sound counter-intuitive but it can add years to your life, according to a 2016 study. Researchers at Oregon State University followed 2,956 people and found that healthy adults who retired aged 66, rather than at 65, had an 11 per cent lower risk of death from all causes than those of the same age who had retired earlier.

Even workers who were unhealthy when they retired still had a nine per cent reduced risk of death if they worked for just a year longer.

‘The findings seem to indicate that people who remain active and engaged gain a benefit from that,’ said the researchers.

LIFE GAIN: 11 per cent lower risk of death from all causes at 66.

Become a parent 

People with children live at least two years longer than those who are childless, according to a study last year.

Researchers in Sweden tracked 704,481 men and 725,290 women born between 1911 and 1925 and found that the risk of death was greater among those who did not have children.

They say that childless people may not have the same support networks in place, leaving them more vulnerable.

‘Emotional feelings can be just as relevant to our health as overall physical factors,’ says Dr Elizabeth Webb, a researcher at AgeUK.

LIFE GAIN: Two years.

Stay out of hospital

Patients requiring hospital treatment for long periods, for whatever reason, are likelier to die earlier – and not just because they were already sick.

A paper published last October found 7,800 extra deaths occurred between July 2014 and June 2015 in England and Wales where frail, elderly people were stuck in hospital for longer than necessary.

And US research suggests about one-third of patients aged over 70 and more than half of patients over 85 leave hospital more disabled than when they arrive.

‘Hospital settings are dangerous places because you can pick up superbugs such as MRSA or C Difficile more easily,’ says Dr Webb. ‘Good hospitals try to get people discharged as soon as possible.’

LIFE GAIN: No gain but a lower risk of disability or illness.

Go for a walk 

Fitness needn’t be exhausting: American and Swedish researchers found people over 40 who take regular brisk walks live longer than those who are inactive. 

People following the World Health Organisation weekly minimum of 150 minutes of brisk walking could look forward to up to four and a half years of extra life compared with couch potatoes. Walking briskly for just half the recommended time resulted in an increased life expectancy of nearly two years.

Fitness builds muscle strength and improves cardiovascular health. ‘Unfortunately, fitness is lost starting from the time we get our first desk job, and this has a knock-on effect on our health,’ says Sir Muir.

‘It is always better to struggle to the shops on foot rather than take the car.’

LIFE GAIN: Four and a half years.

Have an active love life 

A study of 918 men in the Welsh town of Caerphilly between 1979 and 1993 found those who made love twice a week had a 50 per cent reduced risk of death compared to those who had sex less than once a month. A man who has 350 orgasms a year lives an average of four years longer than a man who has a typical tally of a quarter of that, according to other research.

Women who have regular sex have longer telomeres – a DNA component that indicates longevity. The longer the telomere, the longer the lifespan. Sex raises levels of the feelgood hormone oxytocin and dehydroepiandrosterone, which reduces stress, and increases levels of infection-fighting immunoglobulins in the blood.

LIFE GAIN: Four years for men, increased life expectancy for women.

Drink Greek coffee

Drinking strong coffee could hold the secret to why the population of the Greek island of Ikaria has the highest rate of longevity in the world – one per cent live to 90 compared to the European average of just 0.1 per cent.

Researchers looked at the coffee-drinking habits of 673 inhabitants over the age of 65. They found that 87 per cent consumed Greek coffee – finely ground, and boiled in a tall, narrow pot. And those who did so daily had better cardiovascular health than those who didn’t drink the morning brew.

Greek coffee is rich in chemicals called polyphenols and antioxidants which help mop up damaging free radicals in the blood. It is also relatively low in caffeine compared to instant coffee.

LIFE GAIN: Potentially a tenfold increase in living to 90.

Get enough sleep

Several studies show both people who don’t get enough sleep and those who get too much reduce their life expectancy.

A 2010 study, looking at a million people in eight countries, found sleeping fewer than six hours a night made people 12 per cent more likely to die prematurely. 

Meanwhile, sleeping more than nine hours made them 30 per cent more likely to die early.

‘The side effects of sleep deprivation include obesity, heart disease, hypertension and depression,’ says sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. ‘However, too much could be a sign that the body is struggling with an underlying illness or depression.’

LIFE GAIN: At age 60, a 12-30 per cent cut in the risk of early death.

The surprising supplements doctors take themselves: From evening primrose oil for period pain to collagen for foot ache, here's what medical professionals swallow

UROLOGIST: VITAMIN C TO PREVENT URINE INFECTIONS

Professor Christopher Eden, 57, is a consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

I see a lot of patients — both men and women — with urinary tract infections, which can be debilitating and painful, and can only be treated with antibiotics.

One of the key triggers for these infections is alkaline urine, as this environment is ideal for the bacteria to thrive.

To avoid getting such infections, and regardless of what I’m eating that day, I take a 1g supplement of vitamin C daily. (The recommended daily amount, or RDA, is 40mg, which is equivalent to a large orange.)

This amount of vitamin C makes the urine mildly acidic and increases the levels of an antimicrobial protein called siderocalin, found naturally in urine, which makes the environment less favourable to bad bacteria and reduces the risk of infection.

MENOPAUSE GP: PROBIOTICS FOR HORMONE IMBALANCE

Louise Newson, 48, is a GP and menopause specialist based in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Most people don’t realise that there’s a strong link between a healthy gut and hormone health, as hormone receptors in the gut help with the function of the bowel.

Women going through the menopause or perimenopause may get bowel symptoms such as bloating which are due to hormone imbalances affecting the balance of gut bacteria. Probiotic (good bacteria) supplements correct this imbalance and are also linked to levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which can improve mood. This is important during the menopause.

I make sure I take a probiotic daily, specifically one with a high bacteria count including Lactobacillus acidophilus. I look for one that has to be kept in the fridge, as this is a sign of a quality product.

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON: COLLAGEN FOR PAIN

Professor Tony Kochhar, 45, is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at London Bridge Hospital.

Having taken statins for a couple of years, I developed tendonitis, inflammation in the foot, which caused pain around the outside of it.

My GP told me to stop taking the statins, which helped, and I now control my condition with diet. I also take a supplement of collagen (a natural protein found in the tendons) to build up tendon structure and reduce pain. 

I take two 1,200mg collagen supplements daily and it has really helped. Within two weeks of starting them, my pain had gone.

ONCOLOGIST: VITAMIN D TO WARD OFF CANCER

Dr Anne Rigg, 51, is a consultant oncologist at London Bridge Hospital.

Vitamin D is required for the general functioning of a healthy body — but the reason I take a supplement is because low levels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, though it’s not clear why.

One theory is that vitamin D may help control normal breast cell growth and may even stop breast cancer cells from growing.

The body creates vitamin D from sunlight on the skin when we are outdoors, but because of the British weather and the rightful use of sunscreen, it’s easy to become deficient.

I take the recommended daily dose of 10mcg. [Fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel are good sources, too, but you’d have to eat them in large amounts to get the recommended daily dosage.]

It’s vital not to overdose, as it can increase the risk of kidney stones: the vitamin helps absorb calcium from the diet, which can build up into stones.

OPTOMETRIST: VISION BOOSTING ANTIOXIDANTS

Dr Rob Hogan, 62, is an optometrist at iCare Consulting

An optometrist with poor vision isn’t much use to anyone.

But as I get older, and through patients I see, I’m aware, too, of the increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of sight loss in people over 60.

This is where the small central portion of the retina (the macula) at the back of the eye deteriorates. So I take MacuShield, a supplement which, studies have found, can help improve vision and keep the back of the eye healthy.

It contains a mixture of natural compounds — lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin — which are antioxidants that have been found in studies to improve vision and eye health. I take one a day, usually with a meal.

DENTIST: CALCIUM TO PREVENT TOOTH DECAY

Dr Milad Shadrooh, 37, is a dentist in Basingstoke, Hampshire

I take a varied supplement daily to maintain good health and, specifically, healthy teeth. It contains calcium (an adult’s RDA is 700mg, which is equivalent to three 200ml cups of milk) as most people, including me, don’t get enough in their diet.

Tooth enamel, the protective covering on teeth, is made up of calcium, so it is therefore an important mineral to supplement to protect against decay. I also take iron, as a deficiency can cause mouth ulcers [as a symptom of anaemia — where the blood contains too few red blood cells].

DERMATOLOGIST: ZINC FOR STRONG NAILS

Dr Joanna Gach, 49, is a consultant dermatologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Every so often, I take a multivitamin capsule containing zinc, selenium and biotin. These are all helpful for sorting out my brittle nails and maintaining healthy hair.

You can’t just take the odd one — you need to take a course for several weeks at a time to see a difference — so I might take a daily supplement for two months at a time, or until I see an improvement.

A 2013 study in the journal Annals Of Dermatology on 312 people with hair loss found that all had lower zinc concentrations in their blood than those with healthy hair.

ORAL SURGEON: VITAMIN B FOR ULCERS

Luke Cascarini, 47, is a consultant maxillofacial surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Looking inside people’s mouths on a daily basis, I am very aware of the need for good oral health.

I take a daily vitamin drink containing a high-dose vitamin B complex, which is necessary for good oral health.

Low levels of vitamin B12, in particular, can cause mouth ulcers and a swollen tongue.

This is because the vitamin is needed to keep the mucosa — the membrane lining the inside of the mouth — healthy. As B vitamins are water soluble, they are absorbed best on an empty stomach — so I take them first thing, before breakfast. I hardly ever get ulcers.

GYNAECOLOGIST: PRIMROSE OIL

Dr Jenni Byrom, 44, is a consultant gynaecologist at Birmingham’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

I take evening primrose oil for premenstrual symptoms such as breast pain. I take 1g of evening primrose oil daily and have found it really makes a difference.

Some women with breast pain might not have high enough levels of certain ‘fatty acids’ found in evening primrose oil.

One theory is that high levels of the hormone prolactin (secreted by the pituitary gland) may lead to breast pain.

Evening primrose oil contains a fatty acid, gamma-linoleic acid, that can be converted into a compound called prostaglandin, which is believed to control the effects of excess prolactin.

GP: VITAMIN C TO PREVENT COLDS

Dr Sarah Myhill, 60, is a GP based in Wales.

As A GP, I’m on the front line in terms of coming into contact with people who are harbouring colds, flu and other infections, so I take 10g of vitamin C dissolved in a glass of water every day before I start my shift — and I never get colds.

I believe that high doses of vitamin C can kill bad microbes on contact — or, at least, help reduce the severity of infections such as colds and sore throats.

SPORTS SURGEON: SORE MUSCLES SPRAY

Jonathan Dearing, 49, is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports injuries at BMI Carrick Glen Hospital in Ayrshire.

I carry a vitamin D oral spray and use it after exercise, as it helps improve muscle recovery by regulating various processes that help them repair and grow.

When I was younger, I used to play rugby, but these days I train for triathlons.

I exercise every day if I can — everything from road running for 10km, swimming a mile or going out on a bike for one or two hours.

Afterwards, I always use a vitamin spray to help soothe sore muscles.

MAGNESIUM FOR A STRONGER HEART 

Dr Glyn Thomas, 46, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at the Bristol Heart Institute.

I take a magnesium supplement as it can help address an extra heartbeat — something I suffered with for 20 years. 

Although harmless, these extra beats, known as premature ventricular contractions, disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing a heart flutter or palpitation. It’s very common to have extra beats when you’re stressed, anxious or fatigued.

Magnesium is important for co-ordinating the activity of the heart muscle and the nerves that initiate heartbeat. I take 300mg daily — which is the RDA, and equivalent to two cups of spinach — with the result that I no longer get the extra heartbeats.

What You Need to Know About Autoimmunity

Three experts talk about the autoimmunity epidemic — and how to reverse it.

One in 12 Americans has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac, type 1 diabetes, or any one of some 80 other conditions in which the body attacks its own tissues.

This alarming rate of autoimmunity is new — and on the rise. Researchers have observed a worldwide surge in recent decades: Mayo Clinic reports that U.S. lupus rates alone have nearly tripled in the last 40 years. 

The increase is too rapid to be attributed to genetics, which change slowly. The more likely trigger, experts say, appears to be environmental: some combination of toxins, stress, and poor nutrition.

While many conventional physicians generally consider autoimmune conditions incurable, integrative practitioners have reported notable successes using diet, detoxification, and mind–body strategies to treat and even reverse these diseases.

The autoimmune epidemic was the focus of this year’s Institute for Functional Medicine conference, where we asked several experts what they think everyone needs to know about autoimmunity. This is what three leading researchers had to say.

TOP TAKEAWAYS

Helen Messier, PhD, MD, CCFP, medical director of Healix Health in Vancouver, B.C.

“The most important thing to understand about autoimmunity is that it’s not a life sentence. It’s something that’s reversible.

“More often than not, it’s microbiome and gut health that are the root causes for many autoimmune diseases. A healthy microbiome is a balanced microbiome. You need enough good and bad bacteria, because they stimulate the immune system and keep it ready to go.

“If you can understand what’s affecting your microbial health, identify it, and address it, you can reverse autoimmunity. It’s not like you catch autoimmune disease and you have it forever.”

Terry Wahls, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa

“The vast majority of risk [for autoimmunity] is not your genes, which might increase your risk by 1 percent. The vast majority of your risk is how your lifetime of diet, lifestyle, and environmental and infection exposures interact with your genes. That’s what leads to autoimmune diagnosis, and you have a whole lot of control over that.

“Food is part of your environment, stress is part of the environment, physical activity is part of your environment, self-talk is your environment, your social networks are your environment — and you control all of those.”

Alessio Fasano, MD, W. Allan Walker Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital and director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

“The timeline of these [autoimmune] epidemics is way too short to blame genetics. So, the increase in autoimmunity most likely is due not only to the fact that some people are genetically predisposed, but that we have changed the environment way too fast for us to adapt.

“In autoimmunity, the immune system fights your own body, rather than fighting an enemy. But when an enemy is defeated, the immune system [should] turn off the weaponry. I think you can do the same for autoimmunity — turn off the weaponry. We cannot edit the human genes, but we can affect one of the four key additional elements involved in inflammation: gut permeability; the immune system, which is hypervigilant; microbiome composition and function; and/or nutrition.”

The Role of Poultry Viruses in Human Cancers

The incidence of cancers has been rising for the last half century, and the question is why? Up to 20 percent of all cancers are caused by infectious agents, chiefly viruses. We’ve known this was possible for a century, when a cancer-causing virus was discovered in chickens. The idea was considered such heresy that Dr. Peyton Rous, the man who made this landmark discovery, wouldn’t get his Nobel Prize until 55 years later.

If there are cancer-causing chicken viruses, might they have any effect on people who handle or eat poultry? Concern has been raised about the potential infectivity of cancer-causing farm animal viruses for decades. The first question was whether there was any evidence of human exposure, and, indeed, people do have antibodies to these cancer-causing chicken viruses in their bloodstream. This indicates that the virus is no stranger to our immune systems. Is there any evidence, though, that the virus itself can get into our blood? There wasn’t any such evidence…until 2001.

  Researchers used DNA fingerprinting techniques to test the blood of 202 people and found that 20 percent, or one in five individuals, had viral DNA in their bloodstream. Testing positive for avian herpesvirus doesn’t mean these diseases can necessarily infect human cells, however. But, as it turns out, they can indeed. 

But do they cause human disease? How can that be figured out? Since we can’t just inject people, researchers looked at poultry workers, which is the way we figured out how other farm animal diseases, such as brucellosis and anthrax, jumped to humans. In fact, studying workers is also how we discovered the carcinogenic nature of things like asbestos and benzene. If the poultry workers, who are exposed day in and day out, don’t have higher cancer rates, then presumably the viruses are harmless. Unfortunately, they do have higher rates. In fact, those with high exposure to cancer-causing poultry viruses have “increased risk of dying from several cancers.”

As such, “the relative ease” with which some of the viruses can infect human cells, as well as infect and cause tumors in primates in laboratories, “may be of public health significance, particularly because of the…increased risk of cancer in meat workers” and the evidence that we may become infected with these viruses. However, even if poultry workers are at risk, it doesn’t mean people who merely eat chicken or eggs are. For example, workers who kill chickens were found to be six times more likely to die from brain cancer compared to workers who do not kill poultry, but the slaughterers have live birds flapping in their faces. The “intensity of exposure to these viruses in the general population cannot be expected to be as high as those experienced by poultry workers…[but] the general population is nevertheless widely exposed” to the viruses simply because we eat so many chickens and eggs.

This is supported by data showing that it’s not only the factory farm workers who are at higher risk for brain tumors, but also butchers and meat cutters who have no exposure to live birds, particularly those who don’t wear gloves and frequently have cuts on their hands. These workers are at higher risk for other cancers, as well.

Those who handle meat for a living also have higher rates of non-cancer mortality, such as increased death from heart disease and other health concerns outlined at 3:32 in my video. Some of the poultry viruses not only cause cancer in chickens, but also atherosclerosis. Indeed, that cancer-causing poultry herpesvirus also triggers the buildup of cholesterol crystals in chickens. But, what about in people? “Because chickens infectedwith Marek disease virus, a herpesvirus, develop atherosclerotic lesions after infection, [researchers] looked for the presence of herpesvirus or parts thereof in human artery wall tissue…” Evidence of the virus was found, though any role they play in human heart disease remains speculative.

“Considerable attention has been paid to substances present in animal food before and after cooking as risk factors for human diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers…[and] exposures have included heme [iron], fat or cholesterol, dioxins,” and the cooked meat carcinogens. We didn’t think, however, about the animal viruses, which “are important not only for supermarket workers and other workers in the meat and poultry industries, but also because the general population is exposed.” Indeed, the study that found chicken virus DNA circulating in people’s bloodstreams also found about the same rates in office workers as they did in chicken slaughterhouse workers.

Here’s How High Blood Pressure Can Affect Your Eyes

High blood pressure can do critical damage to your heart. But it affects other parts of the body, too, including the eyes. Believe it or not, when you don’t take care of your heart, you may be causing harm elsewhere, too. Here’s how blood pressure can affect your eyes.

Hypertension damages blood vessels in the retina

When you have high blood pressure, it means the pressure of the blood pushing against your artery walls is greater than normal. This can be caused by several things, but it’s most commonly genetics or a high-sodium diet. When you eat too much sodium, your kidneys can’t filter your blood properly. As a result, the blood cells retain water, making it harder for them to push through your arteries. Your artery walls, similar to a muscle, get stronger and thicker to keep up with the harder work of pushing blood through. When the artery walls get too thick, they cause a blockage.

Your eyes are full of blood vessels. When you have hypertension, those blood vessels don’t function properly, leading to potentially severe eye damage.

It can lead to eye disease

The damage done to blood vessels in the eyes has a name: Hypertensive retinopathy. It occurs when the blood vessels near the retina are damaged. The retina is what helps focus images — it’s the backbone of how we see. If your hypertension isn’t treated, the eye disease will only get worse. Hypertensive retinopathy might not yield any symptoms at first — high blood pressure usually doesn’t show itself anywhere. But if you go for an eye exam, your doctor will likely discover it. He or she will examine the back of your eye ball and notice certain signs, such as narrowed blood vessels, spots on the retina, swelling of the retina and optic nerve, and bleeding toward the back of the eye.

Eventually, vision loss can occur

If your hypertensive retinopathy is never treated, and you continue to have high blood pressure, it can result in permanent vision problems. Other eye problems, such as nerve damage and fluid buildup, also stem from high blood pressure and can lead to vision loss. If these diseases are left untreated, they eventually worsen to the point where the retina can no longer properly function.

Another problem that may come along with high blood pressure is a stroke. When you have a stroke, there is a blockage in the arteries that prevents oxygenated blood from getting to your brain. When this happens, the brain can’t function properly, and one common side effect is vision loss.

Through diet and exercise, you can keep your blood pressure stable

Even after you find out you have high blood pressure, there are plenty of ways to maintain it and prevent damage to your body. The most important things to do are eat a healthy diet and exercise frequently. Loading your body with high-sodium foods, such as fast food, fried food, and foods with added salt, is a big way to guarantee high blood pressure later in life. Fill your diet with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Make sure to exercise daily; take a walk to get your heart working. The heart is a muscle, which means it needs to be exercised in order to work its best. Preventing hypertension is possible if you take the right steps and form healthy habits.

Can Energy Drinks Damage Your Heart?

In 2017, a South Carolina teenager collapsed during the school day and was rushed to the hospital. He didn’t survive.  According to the coroner, his autopsy could have remained a mystery, since he was a healthy, young teen. However, his friends had informed authorities that the boy drank a dangerous amount of caffeine during lunch. The caffeine ultimately stopped his heart. In 2015, the World Health Organization labeled energy drinks as a danger to public health. This boy consumed more caffeine than most do in a day — but can energy drinks actually lead to heart problems? 

Energy drinks increase the heart rate

Energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and sugar. Some energy drinks contain as many as 500 milliliters of caffeine. (For reference, one cup of coffee contains about 100 milliliters.) When you consume an energy drink, it takes about 10 minutes for your heart rate and blood pressure to begin rising. The average heart rate is anywhere from 60 to 100 beats per minute. A person’s heart rate is unique to them, so the amount it’s affected by an energy drink varies. But if you’re consistently experiencing rates of more than 100 beats per minute while consuming energy drinks, you should discontinue use.

About one hour after consuming an energy drink, your energy levels will already start to drop. Depending on your activity, this may cause you to consume an additional drink. However, caffeine levels in your system are still very high. Consuming another drink might bring those energy levels up, but it will put double the amount of caffeine in your body, which your liver is already working hard to break down.

A new study says energy drinks may damage blood vessels

In addition to increasing your heart rate, WebMD reports that a new study shows energy drinks might actually damage your blood vessels — even after drinking only one. The study was small; it only included 44 young, healthy students in their 20s. The study checked blood vessel health before and after the students consumed energy drinks. 90 minutes after the drink was consumed, researchers saw that students’ blood vessel health was much worse than prior to consuming the drink. Researchers blamed the difference on the ingredients in the energy drink: High levels of caffeine, plenty of sugar, taurine, and certain herbals.

Consuming an energy drink before exercising may be dangerous

Many young people consume energy drinks prior to working out. But this new study sheds light on the dangers of doing so. As you work out, your body gets more exhausted, requiring more oxygenated blood to keep it functioning properly. When blood vessel function isn’t at its best, it means oxygenated blood has a harder time traveling through the body. If this happens, the body isn’t getting what it needs to keep up with such a hard workout, so the heart must work much harder to try and pump more and blood throughout the body.

Over time, the cardiovascular system may become permanently damaged due to consumption of energy drinks. However, experts note that this study is small, which means it can’t be used as definitive proof that energy drinks will damage the cardiovascular system. More research needs to be done, but it is an unsettling discovery.



Here’s How High Blood Pressure Can Affect Your Eyes

High blood pressure can do critical damage to your heart. But it affects other parts of the body, too, including the eyes. Believe it or not, when you don’t take care of your heart, you may be causing harm elsewhere, too. Here’s how blood pressure can affect your eyes.


Hypertension damages blood vessels in the retina

When you have high blood pressure, it means the pressure of the blood pushing against your artery walls is greater than normal. This can be caused by several things, but it’s most commonly genetics or a high-sodium diet. When you eat too much sodium, your kidneys can’t filter your blood properly. As a result, the blood cells retain water, making it harder for them to push through your arteries. Your artery walls, similar to a muscle, get stronger and thicker to keep up with the harder work of pushing blood through. When the artery walls get too thick, they cause a blockage.

Your eyes are full of blood vessels. When you have hypertension, those blood vessels don’t function properly, leading to potentially severe eye damage.

It can lead to eye disease

The damage done to blood vessels in the eyes has a name: Hypertensive retinopathy. It occurs when the blood vessels near the retina are damaged. The retina is what helps focus images — it’s the backbone of how we see. If your hypertension isn’t treated, the eye disease will only get worse. Hypertensive retinopathy might not yield any symptoms at first — high blood pressure usually doesn’t show itself anywhere. But if you go for an eye exam, your doctor will likely discover it. He or she will examine the back of your eye ball and notice certain signs, such as narrowed blood vessels, spots on the retina, swelling of the retina and optic nerve, and bleeding toward the back of the eye.

Eventually, vision loss can occur

If your hypertensive retinopathy is never treated, and you continue to have high blood pressure, it can result in permanent vision problems. Other eye problems, such as nerve damage and fluid buildup, also stem from high blood pressure and can lead to vision loss. If these diseases are left untreated, they eventually worsen to the point where the retina can no longer properly function.

Another problem that may come along with high blood pressure is a stroke. When you have a stroke, there is a blockage in the arteries that prevents oxygenated blood from getting to your brain. When this happens, the brain can’t function properly, and one common side effect is vision loss.

Through diet and exercise, you can keep your blood pressure stable
Even after you find out you have high blood pressure, there are plenty of ways to maintain it and prevent damage to your body. The most important things to do are eat a healthy diet and exercise frequently. Loading your body with high-sodium foods, such as fast food, fried food, and foods with added salt, is a big way to guarantee high blood pressure later in life. Fill your diet with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Make sure to exercise daily; take a walk to get your heart working. The heart is a muscle, which means it needs to be exercised in order to work its best. Preventing hypertension is possible if you take the right steps and form healthy habits.