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Mercy Medical Center-Centerville complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. For more information, see link on our home page at www.mercycenterville.org. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-641-437-4111. (TTY Voice: 1-800-735-2943; TDD: 1-800-735-2942) 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。 請致電 1-641-437-4111。 (TTY Voice: 1-800-735-2943; TDD: 1-800-735-2942) Health and wellness news you can use. healthbeat Healthfocus is provided as a community service of Mercy Medical Center–Centerville. Clint Christianson, President Ann Young, Vice President Healthcare Experience 641-437-4111 GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP = LOWER RISK OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION People with insomnia are 10 times more likely to become depressed and 17 times more prone to experience anxiety, according to the National Sleep Foundation. A recent study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry may help explain why. Researchers involved in the study found that those who slept fewer than eight hours every night had a more difficult time filtering out repetitive negative thoughts — a potential risk factor for both depression and anxiety. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults sleep at least seven hours every night. If you're feeling anxious or blue, you may benefit from an extra hour of rest. TAME SALTY CRAVINGS WITH SPICY FOODS Roughly 90 percent of Americans eat too much salt, according to a report prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent research published in Hypertension found that simply adding some spice to your favorite dishes may help curb salt intake. A research team in China studied the effect salty and spicy foods have on certain areas of the brain. They found that eating spicy foods enhances the brain's sensitivity to salt, which may explain why study participants who enjoyed spicy foods ate less sodium, preferred less salty foods and had lower blood pressure. ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A HEALTHY HEART An inactive lifestyle is linked to a higher risk of heart failure later in life due to heart muscle stiffness, per the American Heart Association. The good news is adopting a regular exercise program may help reverse this damage, according to research published in Circulation. Based on a study that compared results from different exercise programs, healthy but inactive middle-aged adults who began performing moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise at least four days a week decreased heart muscle stiffness and improved their bodies' use of oxygen. Taking a Zumba class, jogging, running, swimming and biking all count as aerobic exercise. MERCY MEDICAL CENTER-CENTERVILLE /// www.mercycenterville.org 2