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CNET
6 days ago
- Health
- CNET
Your Apple Watch Might Not Be as Accurate as You Think, New Study Finds
The first thing that always crosses my mind when testing fitness wearables is how accurate the data is. Smartwatches and fitness trackers aren't cheap, and if you're using them to monitor something as crucial as your health, then accuracy matters. Everyone and their brother wear some sort of fitness tracker, whether it be an Apple Watch, Google Pixel Watch, Oura Ring or Whoop. It's estimated that one in three Americans uses a wearable device for health and fitness tracking features. That brings me back to whether these things can be trusted. If they're not accurate… What's the point? Should we all go back to analog? Researchers from the University of Mississippi conducted a meta-analysis of 56 studies that compared the Apple Watch with reference tools when measuring factors like heart rate, step count and energy burned. While there's always some expected error, we have a more definitive answer for how much stock you should put in the numbers you see on your watch. Apple Watches are good at measuring steps and heart rate The meta-analysis findings show that the Apple Watch accurately measures your heart rate and step count. We know this based on the mean absolute percentage error measurement (the standard way to measure accuracy) reported for each health metric. Heart rate had a percentage error of 4.43%, while step count had an error of 8.17%. Anything below 10% is considered excellent, so you should feel pretty confident in what your Apple Watch says your heart rate and step count are for the day. However, you shouldn't rely on the energy expenditure metric The same can't be said for energy expenditure or calories burned. The percentage error for this metric was 27.96%. That's a significant jump in inaccuracy. Researchers found energy expenditure inaccurate across all activities tested, including walking, running, mixed-intensity workouts and cycling. This isn't a new problem. Several studies have found that smartwatches and trackers don't do a great job of calculating calorie burn. They can be off by 40% to 80%. A different study revealed that the Apple Watch Series 9 can vary in energy expenditure and heart rate measures across skin pigmentation. While this study was specific to Apple Watches, I expect similar trends across other devices because they often measure similarly. One study found that the Fitbit Surge had a mean error of 27% when measuring calories burned. Smartwatches calculate how many calories you burn throughout the day, using factors such as your movements, heart rate and data from the sensors inside the watch. Other factors, such as your age, weight and gender, are also included in this calculation. None of them will be 100% accurate. Where does this leave you and your data? This news doesn't scare me as a smartwatch wearer who uses my daily data to track my workouts and sleep. I still think the data smartwatches give us is a great way to stay motivated. I've used the Google Pixel 3 watch to monitor my heart health thanks to the cardio load metric. When it comes to sleep, I've noticed some inaccuracy when it comes to when I fall asleep and wake up, though it's not a huge difference. Most trackers use your heart rate and movement to track your sleep, so it's unsurprising to see some degree of error. There's always some error, and for my use, that's OK. I use my data for trends of my progress, rather than extremely granular data. Though if you're a serious athlete who tracks down to the calorie, it's essential not to rely on your smartwatch for this number. Your smartwatch is a tool to guide you through your wellness journey. Use it to build habits and make meaningful changes, not diagnose medical conditions. That said, I wouldn't count out smartwatch features like Apple's Vital app, fall detection or the loss-of-pulse detection feature that Google Pixel watches are getting. Apple and other brands continuously release updates to improve their tech over time. And if you're wondering which smartwatch you should get for the best accuracy, it's hard to say. They all have their own tracking methods, even if they often overlap. None of them are perfect, so it's best to choose which one fits your budget and vibe best.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why eating too much ginger, turmeric or cinnamon could interfere with your prescription medication
A sprinkle of cinnamon on your porridge, a pinch of turmeric in your curry, or a dash of ginger in your biscuits – these popular spices are kitchen staples around the world. For centuries, spices haven't just been used to flavour food but also valued in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for their healing properties. But could something as innocent as a spoonful of spice interfere with your medication? Take cinnamon, for example. Sourced from the bark of Cinnamomum trees, it contains active compounds like cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and coumarin. Cinnamon oil, derived from the bark or leaves, is often used in food flavouring, fragrances and herbal remedies. Cinnamon has been linked to a range of potential health benefits: it's rich in antioxidants, it may reduce inflammation, it helps regulate blood sugar levels, it lowers the risk of heart disease, and even improves brain function. Traditionally, it's also been used to ease digestion and ward off infections. But a recent study from the University of Mississippi has raised concerns that cinnamon could reduce the effectiveness of certain medications. In lab tests, cinnamaldehyde was found to activate receptors that speed up how drugs are cleared from the body – potentially making them less effective. While this research is still in the early stages and hasn't yet been tested in humans, it raises important questions about how cinnamon interacts with modern medicines. The type of cinnamon matters too. The cinnamon commonly found in supermarkets – cassia cinnamon – is cheaper, widely available and comes from parts of Asia. Ceylon cinnamon, often labelled as 'true cinnamon,' originates from Sri Lanka and is generally more expensive. Cassia cinnamon contains higher levels of coumarin, a natural compound that can harm the liver in high doses, according to studies. Coumarin is also a known anticoagulant, meaning it helps prevent blood clots, which is useful in medicine but risky when combined with blood-thinning drugs like warfarin. There have been a few case reports suggesting that cinnamon supplements could increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulants. This is probably due to coumarin affecting liver enzymes responsible for breaking down drugs like warfarin. Some research also suggests cinnamon could potentially interact with other medications, including painkillers, antidepressants, anti-cancer drugs and diabetes medications. But before you throw out your spice rack, it's important to remember: the risks come from high doses, particularly in supplement form. A light sprinkle of cinnamon on your porridge is unlikely to cause problems. Another spice with medicinal promise – and potential risks – is turmeric. Known for its vivid yellow colour and use in both cooking and traditional medicine, turmeric contains curcumin, a compound praised for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, information on turmeric's interactions with medications is still limited. Most of what we know comes from lab and animal studies, which don't always translate directly to humans. Still, there's evidence that curcumin can affect how some drugs are metabolised, particularly by interfering with liver enzymes. This means it could potentially interact with antidepressants, blood pressure medications, chemotherapy drugs and certain antibiotics. Turmeric also has natural blood thinning properties, which could amplify the effects of medications like warfarin or aspirin. Animal studies suggest turmeric may also lower blood sugar, meaning it could increase the effects of anti-diabetic drugs or insulin. Additionally, turmeric has been shown to reduce blood pressure, which, when combined with blood pressure medications, could cause an excessive drop. As with cinnamon, these effects are most often linked to high dose supplements, not the small amounts used in food. Ginger is another spice celebrated for its health benefits, particularly its anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory effects. But its active compounds, including gingerol, may also influence how your body handles medications. Ginger can act as a mild blood thinner, which means combining it with anticoagulants could raise the risk of bleeding. The evidence is mixed when it comes to ginger and diabetes: while some studies suggest it may lower blood sugar, more research is needed to fully understand the effect it may have when taken alongside anti-diabetic medications. While lab studies suggest these spices may affect how the body processes certain medications, the vast majority of these effects have been observed in high doses –usually from supplements, not everyday cooking. If you're taking medications, especially blood thinners, diabetes medicines, or chemotherapy drugs, it's worth having a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any new herbal supplements. But for most people, using spices in typical culinary amounts is safe – and a delicious way to add both flavour and potential health benefits to your meals. So go ahead: sprinkle, pinch, or dash – just be mindful of what's in your medicine cabinet – and be wary of taking any herbal supplement in high does. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Dipa Kamdar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
