Energy bars, for the first time took off in the market in 1980s. This was first marketed as a "workout fuel" for athletes. Then, followed the advertising of the cars as something that also helps with weight loss. Now, they are not only something that only can be seen in gyms, but have made it to the mainstream. They are available in almost everywhere, in snack aisle of a gas station, supermarket, and even drugstores. As per a market research agency Mintel, around 40% of people say they eat an energy bar one a few time a week.

The way it has been marketed, and packaged make you seem like it is good for you. However, it may not be the case with most of them. In fact, even with the bars that claim to have high protein, are nothing, but just candy bars. So, how to know which one is good for you?

What are "Energy" bars?

There are many studies that reveal that there is no one special ingredient in these bars that works as an energy booster. Energy usually means calorie, which is measured in how much food or a drink fuels the body. As per experts, calories come from many sources including carbohydrates, protein and fat. However, for your body, it is easier to break down carbs faster than protein or fats. Thus, all carbs are converted to glucose, which is a sugar that enters the bloodstream and is used by cells for energy.

In fact, even in carbs, sugar and white flour is broken fastest of all. This could be helpful if you perform a demanding activity, such as running a marathon, as it can deplete your cells existing glucose. This is why eating a quickly digested carb, like an energy bar, can replenish them and gives you a little push to keep you going.

However, not everyone needs this push for a day-to-day life. Simple carbs also make your sugar levels rise rapidly, but it also falls back down just as quickly. This is because your body pumps out insulin to sweep the glucose into cells. This sugar crash can in fact, make you feel tired and hungry all the time. In such a case, what you body really needs is sustained energy that only comes from carbs combined with fiber, protein and fat. These slowly releases glucose into your bloodstream and keep the blood sugar levels steadier.

What's good And What's Not?

There are bars that combines a combination of carb, fiber, protein and fat, but not all of them use wholesome ingredients. For a healthier pick, always look for ingredients which uses unprocessed foods and whole grains like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. These nutrients are usually more nutrient packed than the ones that are processed.

For grain-based bar, check for whole grains like oats or quinoa. Whole grains also reduce inflammation and harmful LDL cholesterol which protects the heart. As per a 2016 BMJ study, three servings a day could also reduce the risk of heart diseases by 22%.

In terms of what to avoid, you can look out for:

Too Many Calories: If you are someone who exercises a lot, then you can go for a 200 to 400 calorie bar. If you are not someone who exercises a lot, then such a high calorie rate could lead to weight gain.

Added Sugar: There is rarely any need to say why it is harmful for health. As per the American Heart Association, 25 grams is the recommended daily added-sugar threshold for women and 36 grams for men. Too much added sugar could lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and heart problems. In an "energy" bar, the natural sources of added sugars can be concentrated fruit juices and honey, which are not the better options than sugar or syrups.

Even if you bar says zero added sugar, make sure to read it correctly, as some of them use artificial sweeteners or dried fruits.

Processed Protein: While many think protein is great for building muscles and losing weight, not always does protein help, especially if the protein is processed. If in a bar, the source of protein is from protein powder, then it is not the best thing to choose. Always go for whole food proteins such as eggs, nuts or seeds. The daily recommendation is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight or 54 grams for a 150 pound person.

Processed Fiber: The recommended fiber intake is 28 grams daily, but most Americans also do not get this. Here too, read the label to see if your fiber comes from whole grains, nuts and fruits, and not from processed fibers like chicory root or inulin.

If you're making a smoothie for a health boost, especially for your brain and heart, you might want to leave out bananas. New research suggests that adding a banana to your drink can actually block your body from absorbing key healthy compounds.

Bananas have always been a big favorite for healthy drinks and desserts. You may have seen many healthy smoothie recipes like banana and coffee smoothie, or bananas and berries, being listed along with other healthy food recipes. While it does have many health benefits, how healthy it is with other nutrients involved has been questioned.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis found that bananas interfere with the absorption of powerful nutrients called flavanols. These compounds are fantastic for health, but if you blend them with a banana, you might not get the benefit you're looking for.

Should You Add Bananas In Health Smoothies?

The researchers found that bananas block how well we absorb flavanol. Flavanols are beneficial natural chemicals found in foods like berries, apples, grapes, and cocoa. When you eat enough of them regularly, they are known to help your memory, reduce swelling inside your body, which is called inflammation, and make your blood flow better.

So, why does the banana stop this? The culprit is a specific enzyme, a kind of protein, that is found in high amounts in bananas. It's called polyphenol oxidase (PPO). This is the same enzyme that makes a peeled banana or apple slice turn brown quickly. The researchers found that when PPO mixes with flavanols in the blender, it somehow stops your body from being able to use them. Lead researcher Javier Ottaviani said it was surprising to see how quickly even just one banana dropped the levels of flavanols your body could absorb.

Why Do Bananas Block Nutrients?

The scientists conducted a very clear experiment to figure this out. They had people drink three different things and then measured the flavanols in their bodies, by testing their blood and urine:

The Banana Test

A smoothie made with banana, which is high in the PPO enzyme.

The Berry Test

A smoothie made with mixed berries, which are low in the PPO enzyme.

The Control Test

A plain capsule of pure flavanols, just to see what 100% absorption looked like.

The results were impossible to ignore, the people who drank the banana smoothie had 84% less flavanols show up in their system compared to the people who took the pure flavanol capsule. This clearly proved that the banana was the reason the healthy compounds weren't getting absorbed.

How to Get Your Daily Flavanols?

If you're trying to meet the daily recommendation of flavanols, which is about 400 to 600 milligrams, to help your heart and overall health, you need to be smart about your smoothies.

The main takeaway is to skip the bananas if you're mixing it with high-flavanol foods like berries. If your smoothie already contains ingredients that are low in the PPO enzyme—like berries, pineapple, oranges, mango, or yogurt—then you are maximizing the amount of healthy flavanols your body will actually get. This finding opens the door for more research into how simple acts of cooking or preparing food, like how you brew tea (a major flavanol source), can change the nutrients you absorb.

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that alternates between periods of eating and fasting on a set schedule. Studies show that intermittent fasting can help manage weight and even reduce the risk of certain diseases. But some people worry whether fasting could harm the brain or lead to cognitive decline.

Researchers addressed this concern in a paper published in Psychological Bulletin, reporting that short-term fasting of less than 24 hours does not appear to affect the mental performance of adults.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves alternating between times when you don’t eat and times when you do, sometimes with calorie restrictions on specific days.

This practice dates back thousands of years and is woven into several cultural and religious traditions. Scientists began studying it for weight control in the early 1900s, and recent research has expanded to explore its broader health effects.

There are three widely followed types of intermittent fasting, as per Healthline:

• Time-restricted eating: You eat within a fixed time window and fast during the remaining hours. The 16/8 pattern is the most popular, where you eat during an 8-hour window and fast for 16 hours (including sleep). Other variations include 14/10 and 20/4.
• Alternate-day fasting: You rotate between normal eating days and fasting days, when you consume very few calories, around 500 on average. Some prefer spreading this limited intake across the day, while others eat one small meal.
• 5:2 fasting: Instead of alternating daily, this plan limits calorie intake to 500–800 calories on two chosen days each week, while the rest of the week follows a regular eating routine.

Intermittent Fasting and Brain Health: How Are They Related?

Only recently have scientists started exploring how intermittent fasting influences the brain. Early findings suggest it might offer certain cognitive benefits as we age and even help reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression.

“Many people assume fasting will make it hard to focus or perform well at work or school,” said David Moreau, PhD, a neuroscientist at the University of Auckland and senior author of the study. “Our findings show that for most healthy adults, short-term fasting doesn’t significantly impact mental sharpness.”

The research did note that children and teenagers experienced slight declines in attention and memory while fasting, emphasizing the need for a balanced breakfast before school. Adults, meanwhile, tended to perform a little worse later in the day while fasting, possibly because hunger can heighten natural dips in alertness due to circadian rhythm.

“Humans evolved with periods of limited food, so it makes sense our brains can function well without constant eating,” Dr. Moreau added. “Still, younger people seem more affected, which aligns with their higher energy demands.”

Intermittent Fasting Unlikely to Cause Cognitive Decline

According to recent studies, as per Healthline, intermittent fasting is unlikely to cause cognitive decline. Experts who reviewed the findings say it reinforces the safety and benefits of fasting. “The key takeaway is that fasting doesn’t harm mental performance,” said Dr. Mir Ali, bariatric surgeon and medical director at the MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center, California.

The meta-analysis reviewed 63 studies across the world, including over 3,400 participants. Most individuals fasted between 8 and 24 hours, with a median duration of 12 hours.

Researchers concluded that fasting “neither enhances nor impairs mental performance.” They identified three main factors that influence cognitive function:

• Fasting duration
• Type and timing of the cognitive test
• Individual characteristics, such as age or body composition

They also noted that glycogen—the body’s stored form of glucose provides energy during normal eating. When glycogen levels fall during fasting, the body shifts to using ketones derived from fat as an alternate energy source.

How To Practise Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone, particularly those with a history of eating disorders or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, for most healthy adults, it offers flexibility in timing and approach.

During fasting hours, you can still drink water, black coffee, or unsweetened tea. Light exercise is also permitted. Healthline advises focusing on nutrient-rich meals during eating periods, staying hydrated, and maintaining good sleep habits.

For beginners, it’s best to start slowly, perhaps by fasting for 6 to 8 hours at first, then gradually extending to 8–10 hours, and eventually to the more balanced 12–14-hour fasting window.

Coffee is almost everyone's favorite, whether it is to get you up and moving in the mornings, especially when the winter comes in, or to ensure your productivity is at best, or for when you hit the gym. And, if you are wondering to drink it or not with heart disease, the good news is, you can! A new study published in JAMA Network says so.

Traditionally, coffee has been associated with being a troublemaker, however, this thing could soon be put in past, as scientists are now asking people to drink coffee, because it might actually be good for their heart.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, researchers found that a daily cup of caffeinated coffee could actually protect the heart.

What Was The Study?

The study is led by researchers from UC San Francisco and the University of Adelaide. The study noted that drinking coffee every day may reduce the risk of Atrial fibrillation or A-Fib. Published in JAMA Network, the study said that coffee worked best against the condition, which is an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that causes symptoms like palpitations, fatigue, and breathlessness. All of these could significantly increase the risk of stroke and heart failure.

It is caused by chaotic electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart – known as atria, which leads to ineffective blood pumping and can cause blood clots to form.

Till now, those with A-Fib were advised not to drink caffeine out of fear that it may trigger symptoms. However, this trial – named DECAF - concluded that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced the deadly condition by 39%.

What Are The Experts Saying?

As per the researchers, and other scientists, coffee increases physical activity and reduces atrial fibrillation. Since caffeine is a diuretic, it potentially reduces blood pressure and, in turn, lowers the risk of A-Fib.

“There are many other ingredients in coffee that also have anti-inflammatory properties with positive effects,” said senior author Dr Gregory M. Marcus, who holds the Endowed Professorship in Atrial Fibrillation Research and is an electrophysiologist at UCSF Health.

How Was The Study Conducted?

Researchers wanted to understand how coffee affects people with A-Fib, so they enrolled 200 coffee drinkers who had persistent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. All of them were already scheduled for electrical cardioversion, a procedure that uses a controlled electric shock to reset the heart’s rhythm.

Participants were randomly split into two groups. One group had to drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee or an espresso shot every day. The other group had to avoid all coffee and caffeine for six months. By the end of the study, the coffee group had a 39 percent lower risk of A-Fib coming back. They also showed signs of reduced inflammation.

The researchers suggested that coffee might help simply because it replaces less healthy drinks. “The results were astounding. Doctors have long told patients with A-Fib to cut back on coffee, but this trial suggests coffee is not only safe but may actually protect the heart,” said lead author Dr Christopher X. Wong of UCSF and the University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital.