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The Nordic Times

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The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/health/its-never-too-late-older-adults-can-regain-their-health/

Health

It’s never too late – older adults can regain their health

Published today 11:37 am – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Older adults can regain full health and quality of life even after serious health problems, shows a new study. Nearly one in four people over 60 with poor well-being had completely recovered after three years.

In the study, researchers from the University of Toronto examined data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a long-term study that collects data on aging in Canada. First, they examined people who had reduced health and quality of life and were 60 years or older during the years 2011–2015.

They then followed up with these participants three years later, during 2015–2018, to see how their health had changed and, above all, whether it had improved. A total of 8,332 people participated in the study.

Participants' well-being was measured through the absence of serious physical, cognitive or emotional problems as well as high self-reported physical and mental health, happiness and life satisfaction. Furthermore, researchers also examined whether participants had a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, good sleep, avoided smoking and whether they participated in social activities.

The results, which were published in PLOS One, show that nearly one in four people over 60 who reported poor well-being at the start of the study had regained optimal health and quality of life after three years. Those who already had strong psychological and emotional well-being at the beginning were more than five times more likely to regain optimal health.

— It's incredibly encouraging to see that, with the right supports and lifestyle, many older adults can reclaim full health, happiness, and independence - even after serious health challenges, says lead author Mabel Ho to Medicalxpress.

Often, studies about older adults focus on health deterioration and functional decline, but this study does the opposite – it shows that it is possible for older adults to regain good health and that it is not uncommon either.

— We want this study to reshape how society views aging. With the right environment, resources, and supports, older adults don't just survive after struggling with health or well-being issues -  they thrive, says Ho.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/health/wireless-earbuds-may-cause-thyroid-nodules/

Health

Wireless earbuds may cause thyroid nodules

Published November 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Prolonged use of wireless earbuds can cause thyroid nodules, according to various studies. Furthermore, research shows that these types of earbuds expose users to varying degrees of magnetic fields.

Abnormal growths in the thyroid gland typically manifest as localized swellings in the thyroid tissue. Most thyroid nodules are benign, asymptomatic and require no treatment, but some can be malignant – something that has increased dramatically in the population over the past 15 years according to a study published earlier this year.

A study from 2024 showed that prolonged daily use of wireless earbuds that transmit 2.4 GHz Bluetooth microwaves is strongly linked to an increased risk of thyroid nodules, writes the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation. This is explained by the fact that the thyroid gland, which is very sensitive to radiation, is one of the most exposed organs when using such earbuds as well as a mobile phone. The study also showed that sensitivity to developing thyroid nodules increased with advancing age.

"Our study highlighted a significant impact relationship between prolonged Bluetooth headset use and increased thyroid nodule risk, emphasizing the importance of considering health impacts in the use of modern technology, especially for devices like Bluetooth headsets that are frequently used daily", the researchers conclude.

Magnetic fields

Wireless earbuds emit radiation, but studies also show that they emit magnetic fields. In a study published in 2023, researchers examined six models of in-ear earbuds. These provided exposure to static magnetic fields from 20 mT at the surface to tens of μT in the inner ear. The researchers note that more research is needed on the combination of exposure to elevated magnetic fields and microwaves – recommending the use of air tube headphones.

Apple's wireless AirPods, for example, "communicate with one another using a magnetic induction field, a variable magnetic field sends through your brain to communicate with the other", explained Dr. Joel Moskowitz in the Daily Mail, who is one of the leading experts in the field of health risks from electromagnetic radiation and a member of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF). He noted that research on the health effects of this exposure is completely lacking.

Probably carcinogenic

Microwave radiation is something that research has shown can damage cellular DNA, cause oxidative stress and damage brain cells and function, which can have effects such as headaches, impaired memory, cognitive ability and sleep – and it is precisely this type of radiation found in wireless earbuds, something the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation has written about.

The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified microwave radiation as possibly carcinogenic, class 2B. Many researchers today believe that the radiation should be considered carcinogenic.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/health/pfas-during-pregnancy-alters-childs-brain/

Health

PFAS during pregnancy alters child’s brain

Published October 16, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Research shows for the first time how PFAS in pregnant women can alter children's brain structure several years later.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

For the first time, researchers can demonstrate how PFAS in pregnant women affects their children's brains long-term. The Finnish-Swedish study shows that structural changes can be observed in children when they are five years old.

The study, which has been published in Lancet Planetary Health, is a collaboration between Örebro University (Sweden), Åbo University (Finland), and Turku University Hospital (Finland), and is part of the EU project INITIALISE (Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health).

PFAS consists of a range of chemicals that are difficult to break down and have been found not only in nature, but also in humans and animals. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to health. Research has shown that PFAS can affect the immune system and is also suspected to have effects on metabolism, hormonal balance, and brain development.

Because PFAS remains in the body, it can also pass from a pregnant woman to the placenta, which means the child can be exposed. Previous studies have, for example, indicated that if pregnant women have PFAS in their blood, there is a greater risk that the child will become overweight later in life.

Affected brain structure

This study is the first of its kind to examine the entire brain simultaneously in a brain scanner in children in relation to PFAS exposure during pregnancy – several years after birth.

The study was conducted using the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, which was established at Åbo University (Finland) in 2011. It is a long-term study that follows thousands of children and mothers from pregnancy onward. Some of the children underwent brain scans, and these results have been compared with the levels of PFAS measured in the mothers during pregnancy.

The results show that there is a connection between higher levels of PFAS in pregnant women and changes in both the brain's structure and in the connections between different brain regions in their children. These changes were observed five years later.

This is the first time researchers have been able to describe how PFAS in pregnant women can be linked to changes in their children's brains several years later.

— This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how chemicals can affect children's development. Step by step, we are gaining more knowledge about how different environmental factors interact and can contribute to health problems, says Tuulia Hyötyläinen, professor at Örebro University, in a press release.

Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy and also during early development in the child is considered particularly sensitive, the researchers say, because the brain and other organs grow rapidly and are formed during that time. More research is now needed on how PFAS affects brain function.

— Overall, the research shows that PFAS can affect brain development even at low levels. More research is needed on how chemicals affect cognition and brain function in children, what the causes are, and what it leads to, says Hyötyläinen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Researchers' tips to avoid PFAS while awaiting stronger legislation:

  1. Eat fish, but avoid fish from lakes contaminated with PFAS. For more information about contamination levels, contact your local municipality. Also reduce consumption of takeaway food and microwaveable meals in grease- and water-repellent paper packaging.
  2. Avoid cooking with non-stick products.
    Avoid makeup, soap and beauty products containing PFAS. In ingredient lists, look out for: PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, "...perfluoro..." or "...polyfluoro...".
  3. PFAS is often found in water-repellent functional clothing. Since most PFAS is released during production, buying second-hand clothes can help reduce these chemicals in nature.

https://nordictimes.com/health/study-diet-crucial-against-obesity-not-activity-level/

Health

Study: Diet crucial against obesity – not activity level

Published October 6, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The problem is not a sedentary lifestyle – but too much and the wrong kind of food, according to the researchers.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sedentary and physically active people can burn almost the same amount of energy per day, shows a new American study. The researchers therefore argue that the fight against obesity must focus more on diet – and less on exercise.

In the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, researchers compared data from 4,200 people from different continents with different lifestyles - including herding cultures in Siberia, hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, as well as people from both low-income and high-income countries. In total, they compared 34 different population groups.

The results show that total daily energy expenditure did not differ significantly between the different population groups. This means that, for example, a hunter-gatherer used the same amount of energy as an office worker in Sweden during a day.

— Even when people live different lifestyles, once we account for the effects of body size, we do not see meaningful differences in the total number of calories people burn, says Amanda McGrosky at Elon University in the US, who is the lead author of the study, in a press release.

McGrosky points out that obesity is therefore primarily about increased calorie consumption, not decreased activity expenditure.

— If you are worried about excess body fat, focus on calories in, not calories out, the researcher suggests.

Westerners eat too much

Obesity and overweight are growing health problems in the Western world, something often linked to the increasingly sedentary culture. However, this study suggests that sedentary behavior is not the biggest problem causing obesity, and McGrosky believes the study offers hope in the fight against obesity. Instead, one should look at diet and especially reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods and increase the proportion of healthy ones.

The researchers therefore suggest that it is not sedentary behavior that is the culprit in Western countries' obesity epidemic, but rather that people simply eat too much and too unhealthily.

Exercise is still important

However, the researchers point out that this does not mean one should exclude exercise and movement, as it has a range of health-promoting benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death, and also improves mental health.

— A key takeaway from the study is that increases in body fat that accompany changes in lifestyle are primarily linked to changes in energy intake, or diet. Physical activity is still very important for all-around health and should be considered complementary to diet, says McGrosky.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/health/fifteen-minutes-in-the-park-can-reduce-anxiety/

Health

Fifteen minutes in the park can reduce anxiety

Published September 26, 2025 – By Editorial staff
All types of green spaces in cities improve residents' mental health, but urban forests stand out – particularly when it comes to reducing depression and anxiety.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Just fifteen minutes in urban green spaces is enough to improve mental health, a study shows. The best approach is to sit or rest in the park for a while.

Today, approximately 55 percent of the world's population lives in cities, according to the UN. This figure is expected to increase to nearly 70 percent by 2050. This means a greater absence of nature and also more health problems linked to city life, such as anxiety, which is more common among urban dwellers.

In a study by researchers at Stanford University in the US and Leiden University in the Netherlands, results from 449 published studies were compiled and 78 field experiments analyzed to examine how different types of urban green spaces affect 12 different aspects of mental health. Nearly 5,900 participants were included in total.

The results, published in Nature, show that all types of urban green spaces improved mental health, but urban forests stood out – particularly when it came to reducing depression and anxiety. And you didn't need to spend particularly long to get a positive effect; less than fifteen minutes was enough. However, spending more than 45 minutes in nature provided greater benefits.

— Our results show that even brief contact with nature can provide significant mental benefits, says Roy Remme from Leiden University, according to Medical Xpress. What's more, longer nature exposure is linked to even greater reductions in stress and boosts in vitality.

Rest or sit

Young adults see even greater benefits, which is remarkable considering that most mental health problems begin before age 25. However, there was also a significant benefit for other age groups. Primarily, it was beneficial for mental health to sit or rest in the park or natural area, while moving around in nature increased energy and positivity.

Based on the results, the researchers emphasize the importance of protecting forests and parks in cities, but also promoting smaller parks and more street trees to improve residents' access to nature. Furthermore, they point out that simpler changes, such as placing more windows facing greenery or organizing community programs with guided meditation, for example, can be cost-effective ways to promote public health.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com