Archive For The “Health” Category
By Diana McClean, Ocean Mist Farms
I often sing the praises of artichokes being easy to prepare, fun to eat and a great ingredient in salads to desserts. However, today I want to make sure that you are aware of the superior nutrition benefits found in this edible flower bud! Immunity and nutrition is top of mind for many of now as we protect ourselves from cold and flu season (COVID too).
I’ve listed eight nutritional highlights from gut boosting properties to fatigue-fighting benefits found in fresh artichokes and backed by science. Hang onto this information as you decide on the fresh veggies to add to your shopping list and meal rotation.
1. Gut Boosting
Artichokes contain both prebiotics and probiotics which have been shown to positively impact the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota, leading to improved immunity, digestion, and nutrient absorption. The gut microflora is essential for inhibiting pathogenic bacteria growth which is essential for a healthy gut!
2. Anti Inflammatory
Artichokes have long been used as a digestive aid to reduce inflammation and therefore symptoms of IBS, including bloating, abdominal pain, and cramps, as well as reducing both diarrhea and constipation through normalization of GI mobility. Extracts from artichoke leaves have also been used to reduce IBS symptoms and evaluated in at least two clinical studies.
3. Anti- Aging
Artichokes rank No. 1 over all vegetables in terms of antioxidant count, according to research conducted by the US Department of Agriculture. A recent study testing polyphenols in artichokes found them to be potential anti-inflammatory agents by protecting the lymphatic vessels from oxidative damage as well as improving the expression of genes involved in anti-aging processes.
4. Appetite- Reducing
People who incorporate more fiber into their meals generally report feeling more satiated and eat less. Prebiotic fiber like inulin, which is found in artichokes, appear to have additional benefits in terms of healthier body weight.
Researchers found that daily prebiotic consumption reduces appetite, lowers body weight and/or fat mass, and improves glucose tolerance.
5. Sleep- Promoting
A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial found that supplementation of magnesium helped improve subjective measures of insomnia, sleep efficiency, and sleep time as well as early morning awakening in elderly people.
Just one medium artichoke contains 77 mg of magnesium, almost 20 percent of the recommended daily intake.
6. Blood Sugar Balancing
Often referred to as “good bacteria”, probiotics are similar to the bacteria found naturally in the body; prebiotics such as the inulin in artichokes stimulate the growth and health of these probiotics “good bacteria”. In a recent review study, researchers concluded that probiotics can help reduce inflammation, increase insulin sensitivity and reduce autoimmune response.
7. Fatigue Fighting
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. Poor gut flora has been linked to decreased nutrient absorption and therefore less efficient energy production. Since artichokes are a good source of pre-and pro-biotics, they can help combat fatigue and promote increased energy for those who regularly consume them.
8. Special Diet-Friendly
Because artichokes are gluten and grain-free, dairy-free, nut and nightshade-free, and low in carbohydrates and fat, they fit into any diet and lifestyle. Whether you prefer paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Whole30, and/or keto, artichokes can be a welcome part of your diet.
High consumption of vegetables alone won’t help prevent heart disease in adults who are deficient in physical activity and other lifestyle factors, according to a new study.
In the study of about 400,000 middle-aged adults in the United Kingdom with a 12-year follow-up, higher consumption of raw but not cooked vegetables was associated with lower heart disease risk.
However, researchers at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health and other institutions said even the benefit of raw vegetables to reduce heart disease was probably not as important as other lifestyle factors, including physical activity, smoking, drinking, fruit consumption, red and processed meat consumption, and use of vitamin and mineral supplements.
“This study suggests the need to reappraise the evidence on the burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to low vegetable intake in the high-income populations,” the research summary said.
The study was published Feb. 21 in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
Mollie Van Lieu, vice president of nutrition and health for the International Fresh Produce Association, said she wasn’t surprised to see the research results.
“We know that contributors of poor heart health are obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and a host of other factors from eating an excess of foods that aren’t fresh fruits and vegetables,” Van Lieu said. “If an individual continues to eat a diet high in sugar, sodium, unhealthy fats and refined ultra-processed carbohydrates, we cannot expect vegetables to singularly fix the harm that those foods cause.”
That being said, there is “no question” that a healthy dietary pattern must include a wide variety of vegetables, said Van Lieu, and that increasing consumption of whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables can help individuals reduce consumption of other foods that contribute to poor health.
“We don’t want studies like this to distract from the importance of growing consumption,” she said. “But what studies like this can point to is that we need an overall nutrition strategy that addresses all the factors that contribute to poor dietary health and prevents our population from consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.”
Taylor Wallace, principal and CEO of the Think Healthy Group and adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies for George Mason University, said the United Kingdom study adjusted for far more variables than a typical study.
“An issue with nutrition epidemiology (in general) is that you can easily ‘overcorrect,’ which leads to null findings,” he said. “The ‘residual confounding’ argument the authors give in the conclusion works the opposite way, too … its more likely they overcorrected and lost the effect. Just because its cloudy outside doesn’t mean the sun isn’t shining.”
Another limiting factor in the study, Wallace said, was that intake of vegetables was assessed only once at baseline.
“This makes the study a very weak and ill-designed prospective cohort study that has limited utility,” he said. “Cohort studies that show beneficial effects of vegetables (of all forms) used validated food frequency questionnaires many times over a 12-year period, as dietary patterns often change. This is not a good measure of food intake at all.”
In addition, he said the study couldn’t account for cooking methods, such as whether vegetables were fried, baked or boiled. Those diverse types of cooking methods may have very different influences on cardiovascular disease and overall health, Wallace said.
“Not accounting for factors like this is equivalent to throwing dice down a roulette table and then claiming the game is impossible to win at because you lost,” he said.
Also, he said findings not reported in the abstract but apparent in the supplemental files show that adjustment for all the covariates didn’t make a difference in regard to all-cause mortality. “There was still a large protective effect of cooked and raw vegetables,” Wallace said.
In general, he said, the study data goes against what has consistently and frequently been reported in systematic reviews and other epidemiological analyses.
HERSHEY, Pa. — Mushrooms have been making headlines due to their many health advantages.
Not only do they lower one’s risk of cancer and premature death, but new research led by Penn State College of Medicine also reveals that these superfoods may benefit a person’s mental health.
Penn State researchers used data on diet and mental health collected from more than 24,000 U.S. adults between 2005 and 2016. They found that people who ate mushrooms had lower odds of having depression.
According to the researchers, mushrooms contain ergothioneine, an antioxidant that may protect against cell and tissue damage in the body. Studies have shown that antioxidants help prevent several mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.
“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine — an anti-inflammatory which cannot be synthesized by humans,” said lead researcher Djibril Ba, who recently graduated from the epidemiology doctoral program at the College of Medicine.
“Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression.”
White button mushrooms, which are the most commonly consumed mushroom variety in the U.S., contain potassium, which is believed to lower anxiety.
In addition, certain other species of edible mushrooms, especially Hericium erinaceus, also known as Lion’s Mane, may stimulate the expression of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor synthesis, which could have an impact on preventing neuropsychiatric disorders including depression.
According to the researchers, college-educated, non-Hispanic white women were more likely to eat mushrooms. The average age of surveyed participants was 45, and the majority (66%) were non-Hispanic white people.
The investigators observed a significant association between mushroom consumption and lower odds of depression after accounting for socio-demographics, major risk factors, self-reported diseases, medications and other dietary factors. They said, however, that there was no clear additional benefit with relatively high mushroom intake.
“The study adds to the growing list of possible health benefits of eating mushrooms,” said Joshua Muscat, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and professor of public health sciences.
The team conducted a secondary analysis to see if the risk of depression could be lowered by replacing a serving of red or processed meat with a serving of mushrooms each day. However, findings show that this substitution was not associated with lower odds of depression.
Prior to this research, there have been few studies to examine the association between mushroom consumption and depression, and the majority have been clinical trials with fewer than 100 participants.
The researchers said this study highlights the potential clinical and public health importance of mushroom consumption as a means of reducing depression and preventing other diseases.
The researchers noted some limitations that could be addressed in future studies. The data did not provide details on the types of mushrooms. As a result, the researchers could not determine the effects of specific types of mushrooms on depression. Food codes issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were used to determine mushroom intake; therefore, some entries may have been misclassified or inaccurately recorded.
John Richie and Xiang Gao from Penn State Cancer Institute; Laila Al-Shaar and Vernon Chinchilli from Penn State College of Medicine; and Robert Beelman from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences also contributed to this research. The researchers declare no conflicts of interest or specific funding support.
Just one in 10 Americans eat recommended levels of vegetables, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.
In 2019, the CDC report said 12.3% and 10% of surveyed adults met fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, respectively.
Hispanic adults had the highest fruit intake average (16.4%), meeting recommended consumption levels, while males (10.1%) had the lowest average.
In 2019, the median frequency of reported fruit intake was once per day, the report said.
Adults over age 51 had the highest average (12.5%) for eating vegetables at recommended levels, while the lowest average for vegetables was found with adults with low income (6.8%).
The CDC said the median frequency of reported vegetable intake was 1.6 times per day, ranging from 1.5 times per day in Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and New Mexico to 1.9 times per day in Maine and Vermont.
West Virginia had the lowest level of its population meeting fruit intake recommendations (8.4%), while Connecticut had the highest (16.1%). Kentucky had the lowest level of its population meeting recommended intake levels for vegetables (5.6%), while Vermont had the highest (16%).
The report said perceived barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption include cost, limited availability and access.
“For some persons, such barriers might have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, related to economic and supply chain disruptions that could further limit ability to access healthier foods,” the report said. “Tailored intervention efforts to increase fruit and vegetable intake are needed to reduce age, sex, racial/ethnic and income disparities in meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations among U.S. adults.”
Watermelon is a unique fruit with compounds that may have health effects throughout the body, supporting normal cardiovascular and metabolic health, a new study has found.
According to a new comprehensive review of the scientific literature on watermelon, eating watermelon regularly may help promote health. This research paper, authored by Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., and colleagues from Illinois Institute of Technology was recently published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports.
“Research is unveiling the health-promoting potential of watermelon. The current literature review provides evidence that watermelon intake and citrulline supplementation lower blood pressure in human trials. Although more research is needed, favorable effects on lipids/lipoprotein metabolism are emerging based on the data we reviewed and reported in preclinical models,” said lead author Burton-Freeman.
According to the research, watermelon contains essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. It also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which both act as a precursor to nitric oxide, a molecule that plays a role in blood pressure regulation, lipid reduction and glucose control. Polyphenols and carotenoids, particularly lycopene, are also abundant in watermelon.
The nitric oxide benefits of citrulline and arginine coupled with the bioactivity of polyphenols and carotenoids found in watermelon suggests that this fruit may support normal cardio-metabolic health.
Burton-Freeman and colleagues reviewed the preclinical and clinical trial evidence published from 2000 to 2020 to assess watermelon intake and citrulline (a signature compound found in watermelon) on cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes, and to identify future directions important for establishing dietary guidance and recommendations.
They explored studies related to the whole fruit as well as citrulline supplementation, focusing on key cardio-metabolic risk factors. More research is needed to confirm findings of the studies identified in this literature review.
The investigators concluded that watermelon provides a combination of nutrients and phytochemicals working across multiple mechanisms to induce biological effects. Citrulline and arginine are central to these cardio-metabolic effects, and polyphenols, lycopene, potassium and magnesium contribute as well.
Continued research is needed to determine the level of sufficient intake for clinical outcomes and will also need to be studied in a variety of populations. Research on the whole fruit and its products (i.e., juice) is also needed to help determine the level of sufficient intake.
The research identified additional potential benefits from watermelon consumption that warrant further research, such as body weight control (possibly through satiety mechanisms), glucose control, and brain and gut health.
Low fruit intake is one of three dietary factors associated with death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), as are high salt intake and low whole-grain intake. These dietary factors affect people regardless of age, sex and other socio-demographic variables.1 Recent research also shows that eating a variety of fruit helps reduce the risk of T2DM2, while the amount of fruit and the type of fruit selected provide cardiovascular benefits
Do you want to live another decade? A new study shows a plant-rich diet can add 10 years to your life.
The study, published in PLOS Medicine, examined a diet which was heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. According to the models, a 20-year-old who went all-in on the plant-based diet could add 10 years to their life. Even just making a partial change could add six years of life expectancy. And, an 80-year-old who started a plant-based diet could add three years to their life.
The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Bergen, Norway, and titled “Estimating Impact of Food Choices on Life Expectancy: A Modeling Study.
“A sustained dietary change may give substantial health gains for people of all ages both for optimized and feasible changes. Gains are predicted to be larger the earlier the dietary changes are initiated in life,” according to the study authors.
Like the Alliance for Food and Farming’s popular residue calculator, which clearly and visually shows consumers how safe their favorite fruits and vegetables are, the study authors created their own calculator, Food4HealthyLife, where users can calculate how dietary changes can impact their life expectancy.
This new study complements decades of research that verifies consumption of fruits and vegetables prevents diseases, boosts immune function, promotes better health, improves cognition and increases lifespan. It is worth noting that most of these positive health studies were conducted using conventionally grown produce.
The overwhelming nutritional benefits of a produce-rich diet and the equally impressive science showing the safety of all fruits and vegetables is why consumers should ignore efforts by certain groups who attempt to discourage consumption of popular produce items by using inaccurate and inflammatory safety claims.
With only one in 10 of Americans eating enough each day, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control, consumers should be urged to eat whatever produce they enjoy and is accessible and affordable for them. Organic and conventionally grown – both are safe and can be eaten with confidence.
Let science be your guide and don’t let anyone or any group discourage you from eating the fruits and vegetables you prefer.
Higher walnut consumption may be associated with a lower risk of death and an increase in life expectancy among older adults in the U.S., compared to those who do not consume walnuts.
A new study conducted Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers, has been supported by the California Walnut Commission.
“What we’ve learned from this study is that even a few handfuls of walnuts per week may help promote longevity, especially among those whose diet quality isn’t great to begin with,” Yanping Li, Senior Research Scientist at the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and lead investigator of this research.
“It’s a practical tip that can be feasible for a number of people who are looking to improve their health, which is top of mind for many people,” Li said.
This study found five or more one-ounce servings of walnuts per week may provide the greatest benefit for mortality risk and life expectancy.
Eating five or more servings per week was associated with a 14% lower risk of death (from any cause), a 25% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, and a gain in about 1.3 years of life expectancy, compared to those who didn’t consume walnuts.
Consuming walnuts two to four times per week could have its benefits, too, with the study finding a 13% lower risk of death overall, 14% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, and a gain in about one year of life, compared to non-walnut consumers.
Participants were relatively healthy when they joined the studies and were followed for about 20 years (1998-2018).
Dietary intake was assessed every 4 years in which participants reported on their overall dietary intake – including how often they consumed walnuts, other tree nuts, and peanuts – as well as lifestyle factors like exercise and smoking status.
Based on this data, the researchers were able to identify associations between walnut consumption at varying levels and different health indicators related to longevity.
As a prospective observational study, these results do not prove cause and effect, but they do shed light on how walnuts may support an overall healthy lifestyle that promotes longevity.
Participants who consumed greater amounts of walnuts tended to be more physically active, have a healthier diet, lower alcohol consumption, and take multivitamins.
All of these factors could influence life expectancy, however, the researchers adjusted for these aspects in their analysis. In addition, it’s important to note that this data was collected before the current Covid-19 pandemic.
One ounce of walnuts is a powerhouse of important nutrients for optimum health, including protein (4g), fiber (2g), a good source of magnesium (45mg) and an excellent source of the essential omega-3 ALA (2.5g).
Bakersfield, CA based Country Sweet Produce’s Bako Sweet line of sweet potatoes are now certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program just in time to celebrate American Heart Month and National Sweet Potato Month this February.
As shoppers look for healthier, but still tasty ways to incorporate fresh foods into their diets this year, sweet potatoes remain top of mind. Not only are they heart-healthy, but they have also taken center stage as a gluten-free alternative thanks to Whole30 influencers who brought us sweet potato toast and Vegan influencers who made sweet potatoes the star of so many plant-based dishes. Just last month, Bako Sweet’s Organic Sweet Potato Steam Bags won the Eat This, Not That 2022 Food Award for Best Healthy Starchy Side.
To celebrate National Sweet Potato Month this month, Bako Sweet is hosting a Grown With Love giveaway on its Instagram page from Feb. 1 – 28, where people have the opportunity to win a year of free sweet potatoes, a heart-shaped Le Creuset dish, and their new “sweet potato lovers” swag. Last year the brand hosted a similar giveaway and saw more than 5,000 participants.
Bako Sweet offers a library of heart-healthy recipes that also work well for Superbowl and Valentine’s Day, including:
“Sweet potatoes are such a fun food and their nutritious benefit is hard to beat since they are rich in Vitamin C, potassium, and loaded with fiber,” said Whitney Stuart, dietitian and diabetes educator at Whitness Nutrition. “A sweet potato is the perfect high-fiber compliment to any meal since they can be used for sweet or savory dishes.”
By The California Table Grape Commission
Fresno, CA – A new clinical study published in the scientific journal Nutrients found that consuming grapes significantly increased the diversity of bacteria in the gut which is considered essential to good health overall. Additionally, consuming grapes significantly decreased cholesterol levels, as well as bile acids which play an integral role in cholesterol metabolism. The findings suggest a promising new role for grapes in gut health and reinforce the benefits of grapes on heart health.
In the intervention study[1], conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, and led by principal investigator Zhaoping Li, M.D., Ph.D., healthy subjects consumed the equivalent of 1.5 cups of grapes[2] per day – for four weeks. The subjects consumed a low fiber/low polyphenol diet throughout the study. After four weeks of grape consumption there was an increase in microbial diversity as measured by the Shannon index, a commonly used tool for measuring diversity of species. Among the beneficial bacteria that increased was Akkermansia, a bacteria of keen interest for its beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as on the integrity of the intestinal lining. Additionally, a decrease in blood cholesterols was observed including total cholesterol by 6.1% and LDL cholesterol by 5.9%. Bile acids, which are linked to cholesterol metabolism, were decreased by 40.9%.
“We found that grapes have a beneficial effect on gut bacteria, which is great news, since a healthy gut is critical to good health,” said Dr. Li. “This study deepens our knowledge and expands the range of health benefits for grapes, even as the study reinforces the heart health benefits of grapes with lowered cholesterol.”
Adolescence is a critical period for the evolution of cardiometabolic risk factors that are largely influenced by diet and lifestyle. Understanding these risk factors is essential to developing effective dietary guidance for disease prevention targeting this critical age period. Recently published research in the British Journal of Nutrition found that 9-17 year-old girls who consumed up to one cup of potatoes daily had no increased risk of becoming overweight or developing high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, or impaired fasting glucose by the end of the study in late adolescence.
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, girls aged 9 – 18 are encouraged to consume 1½ to 3-cup equivalents per day of vegetables, depending on their calorie needs, but most fail to meet these guidelines. In this study, the highest levels of potato consumption ranged from 1/5 to 1 cup per day and at that level, no adverse effects were observed.
“Our results show that nutrient-rich potatoes can be part of a healthy diet in young girls during this important period of growth and development,” says Lynn L. Moore, DSc, MPH, Boston University, the study’s senior author. “There is growing evidence that overall diet quality is what really matters in the preservation of heart health. Potatoes are an affordable food, with a number of valuable nutrients, and our research suggests that moderate intakes of potatoes, along with many other types of vegetables, can be a regular part of a healthy diet pattern.”
Higher intakes of all forms of potatoes (including fried) during the ‘tween’ years of nine to 11 were associated with higher intakes of potassium and dietary fiber, two nutrients of public health concern, [i] as well as vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium. Black girls in this study with the highest intakes of potatoes also consumed more fruit and non-starchy vegetables and had higher diet-quality scores.
Study Design, Strengths and Limitations
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,000 subjects (approximately 50% Black, 50% White) from the National Growth and Health Study, a longitudinal study of the development of obesity and other cardiovascular-related outcomes in adolescent girls.
- For girls at 9-11 years of age, researchers analyzed data on total potato intake (white and sweet) as well as separate intakes of fried and non-fried potatoes.
- For girls at 9-17 years of age, researchers analyzed data for total potato intake (white and sweet).
Diet was assessed using 3-day diet records at baseline when girls were 9-10 years old, and during the follow-up years 2-5, 7, 8, and 10. The intake of potatoes (both white and sweet potatoes) was extracted from total vegetable servings. Anthropometric measures of body fat and body composition and blood pressure were measured annually. Additionally, fasting triglycerides, other lipids, and glucose were measured in later adolescence (at 18-20 years of age)
Repeated measures of a number of potential confounding variables were examined, including socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), changes in height, physical activity, television viewing, intakes of food groups and nutrients, as well as diet quality measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. The study’s strengths include its prospective design as well as the use of multiple sets of three-day diet records, which is considered the gold standard method for dietary assessment. Researchers also took repeated measures of cardiometabolic risk factors and most potential confounders.
The investigators acknowledge limitations to the study, such as reliance on self-reported dietary intakes from adolescents who may have had difficulty accurately estimating portion sizes and reporting details. However, parents and other caregivers were actively involved in the completion of these diet records, especially during the earlier years of the study. Researchers were unable to assess the effects of very high levels of potato intakes since few girls reported consuming more than one cup equivalent of potatoes per day. They were also unable to analyze any differences between white and sweet potato consumption, given the low intakes of sweet potatoes within the study population. Finally, the researchers were unable to control for baseline values of fasting glucose or triglycerides due to missing or unreliable data at the initial exam.
This study was selected as the Nutrition Society’s Paper of the Month. Every month, the Editors-in-Chief of the Nutrition Society’s journals select one paper as being of particular interest or originality, and/or because it challenges previously conceived notions in nutritional science and public health. The research manuscript, “Potato consumption is not associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk in adolescent girls,” is published in the British Journal of Nutrition (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114521003445). Authors include Ioanna Yiannakou, Mengjie Yuan, R. Taylor Pickering, Martha R. Singer, and Lynn L. Moore, Boston University. In addition to funding from the National Institutes of Health, funding was provided by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE); APRE had no input on interpretation of the results or manuscript development.