Weekly Health Quiz: Exercise, Cleaning and Depression

1 Which of the following statements is true?

• Eating high-oxalate food with calcium-rich food will increase your risk of kidney stones
• Taking a calcium supplement without oxalate-containing food, such as leafy greens or nuts, increases your risk of kidney stones

  Taking a calcium supplement without oxalate-containing food increases your risk of kidney stones. To minimize this risk, take your supplement with an oxalate-containing meal. Oxalate-rich foods include dark green vegetables (especially spinach and Swiss chard), bran, rhubarb, beets and beet greens, chocolate, nuts (especially almonds, cashews and peanuts) and nut butters. Learn more.

• Eating a low-calcium diet is recommended for those prone to kidney stones
• Eating a high-oxalate diet is recommended for those prone to kidney stones

2 Which of the following is one of the main contributors to heart disease?

• Telomeres
• Astaxanthin
• Stress

  There are compelling links between cardiac health and mental health. For example, having untreated depression or anxiety disorder increases your odds of having a heart attack or developing heart disease. Stress hormones are again a primary culprit. Learn more.

• Ergothioneine

3 A growing number of seniors are prescribed antidepressants despite only 14.3% meeting the criteria for a depressive episode. In seniors, depression is associated with:

• Better mood, improved cognitive ability and reduced hospital admissions
• Better overall health, reduced risk of diabetes and greater longevity
• Favorable support system, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and lower potential for gout
• Cognitive decline, dementia and poor medical outcomes

  A growing number of seniors are prescribed antidepressants despite only 14.3% meeting the criteria for a depressive episode. In seniors, depression is associated with cognitive decline, dementia and poor medical outcomes. Learn more.

4 Exercising vigorously at least three times a week can:

• Help you function better and more independently after a stroke

  Those who exercised vigorously at least three times a week were able to function better and more independently both before and after a stroke. Learn more.

• Improve your eyesight after a stroke
• Reduce the chance of you becoming iron-deficient after a stroke
• Serve as a substitute for healthy eating after a stroke

5 What is the biggest danger of excessive cleaning?

• Removing healthy bacteria and sebum from skin
• Causing bacteria, viruses and fungi to develop resistance
• Respiratory and skin reactions to cleaning product
• All of the above

  Excessive cleaning causes microbial resistance, removes the body's healthy bacteria and may cause respiratory and skin harm. Learn more.

6 Which of the following is a crucial longevity molecule required by longevity-related enzymes and DNA repair?

• IGF-1
• NAD+

  NAD+ is one of the most important longevity molecules that we know of. NAD+ is a coenzyme needed by longevity-related enzymes called sirtuins. It's also required for DNA repair, but levels plummet with age, necessitating ways to boost NAD+ levels. Strategies include time-restricted eating, fasted exercise and supplementation. Learn more.

• Heat shock protein
• NADPH oxidase