Archive For The “Health” Category
Young adults can preserve their heart health decades later by eating fruits and vegetables, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.The study concluded “higher intake of fruits and vegetables during young adulthood was associated with lower odds of prevalent coronary artery calcium after 20 years of follow-up,” according to the article. “Our results reinforce the importance of establishing a high intake of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy dietary pattern early in life.”
Coronary artery calcium is used to measure the atherosclerosis, a disease that hardens arteries is a factor in many types of heart disease, according to a news release from the American Heart Association.
Researchers found that people who ate the most fruits and vegetables at the study’s start had 26% lower odds of developing calcified plaque two decade later, compared with the those who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables, according to data from more than 2,500 study participants.
The research represents the first study to evaluate whether eating more fruits and vegetables as young adults could produce a measurable improvement in heart and blood veseels years later.
“People shouldn’t assume that they can wait until they’re older to eat healthy — our study suggests that what you eat as a young adult may be as important as what you eat as an older adult, ” lead author Michael Miedema, senior consulting cardiologist and clinical investigator at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, Minn., said in the release.
“Our findings support public health initiatives aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable intake as part of a healthy dietary pattern,” Miedema said. “Further research is needed to determine what other foods impact cardiovascular health in young adults.”
Numerous compounds including vitamin C and beta carotene, as well as several polyphenolic compounds including gallic acid and their larger polymers gallotannins are contained within mangoes that have been linked to anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities.
The absorption, metabolism, and excretion of mango galloyl derivatives have not previously been investigated in humans. In a human pilot trial published in the journal of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 11 healthy volunteers between the ages of 21 and 38 years old consumed 400g/day of mango-pulp for 10 days, with blood and urine samples taken on days one and 10 of the study following mango consumption.
Participants refrained from consuming dietary supplements and foods which could be sources of gallic acid such as berries, grapes, and tea for one week prior to the beginning of the study and during the 10 days of mango consumption.
It was first necessary to study how these compounds are metabolized in the body to determine if these polyphenolic compounds have potential benefits to human health at realistic food consumption amounts.
Following 10 days of mango consumption, seven metabolites of gallic acid were identified in the urine of healthy volunteers, and of those two microbial metabolites were found to be significantly more excreted. The presence of gallic acid and pyrogallol metabolites in human urine after the consumption of 400gms of mango indicates the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of mango galloyl derivative and confirms the bioavailability of these mango-derived metabolites.
The research shows that mangoes have the potential to enhance the diet as a source of gallic acid and gallotannins, which may possess anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.
Source: news-medical.net
A handful of storms that have hit drought-stricken California this winter has put a damper on overall California strawberry shipments to date.
With the week ending March 5, 6.7 million trays of strawberries had been shipped. That was down significantly from the 12.9 million trays shipped at the same time last year. However, this year’s volume for that week was about 1 million trays more than the projected.
Despite the slow shipments in January, volume is increasing fast, particularly out of Oxnard. Those Ventura County loadings should continue until about mid-May.
Ventura County celery, berries, and lettuce shipments – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Strawberry Health Benefits Promoted
The California Strawberry Commission is promoting consumption of eight strawberries a day, citing research that finds it may aid cognitive function, among other health benefits.
The MIND diet — short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay — lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s as much as 53% in rigorous adherents and about 35% in those who follow it moderately well, according to a Rush University Medical Center study.
Berries are the only fruit specified for inclusion in the MIND diet, and the study’s authors have noted cognitive benefits from consumption of strawberries and blueberries.
The study results were published last September in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Separately, strawberries and other berries have been named by the American Diabetes Association as among the top 10 superfoods for a diabetes meal plan because of their low-sugar, vitamin, antioxidant and fiber content.
Eight medium strawberries equal about one cup a day and total 45 calories. Vitamin C content per serving exceeds that of oranges, according to the commission, and the fruit provides folate, potassium, three grams of fiber and seven grams of sugar.
By Sunsweet
Studies suggest that one in two women and up to one in four men, age 50 and older, will break a bone due to osteoporosis.1 The good news is that a balanced diet, combined with regular exercise, can help to optimize bone health at all ages and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.2 Recently, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) issued a position statement specific to developing “peak bone mass,” which highlights the nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle factors recommended to optimize peak bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures later in life.
The position paper, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, is considered the first systematic review of its kind. In addition to supporting the positive effect of calcium and vitamin D intake on bone strength, the authors note that a variety of other nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C are also important for bone health.
“People often think of dairy foods for building strong bones, but a bone-healthy diet also includes fruits and vegetables, like prunes, oranges, kale and potatoes, fatty fish, like salmon, sardines and tuna, and calcium and vitamin D fortified foods,” said Taylor C. Wallace, PhD, senior director of science, policy and government relations at NOF.
Dr. Shirin Hooshmand, Associate Professor, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University, agrees as she has been conducting nutrition research on the bone health benefits of eating prunes.
“Our research suggests that the consumption of nutrients found in prunes, like potassium, magnesium and vitamin K, are important for bone health,” notes Hooshmand. “The new Peak Bone Mass Study is an exciting addition to the growing body of evidence of the role that nutrition can play in developing optimal bone health.”
Hooshmand’s recent study suggests that osteopenic, postmenopausal women who ate 50 grams of prunes per day (4-5 prunes) for six months experienced improved bone mineral density at the end of the clinical trial.3 Similar results were seen in an earlier study conducted by Hooshmand using 100 grams of prunes per day (10-11 prunes).
Sunsweet Growers is the world’s largest handler of dried fruits including prunes.
By The Northwest Pear Bureau
A study has found that adult pear consumers had a lower body weight than non-pear consumers and they were 35 percent less likely to be obese.
In the new study, Fresh Pear Consumption is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Quality, and Weight Parameters in Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2010, published in Nutrition and Food Science, revealed new information regarding the health benefits of pear consumption, particular interest is given the high rates of obesity in the United States,
“We believe fiber intake may have driven the lower body weights that were seen in this study because there was no difference in energy intake or level of physical activity found between the fresh pear consumers and non-consumers,” the study states.
The epidemiologic study, led by Carol O’Neil of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, used a nationally representative analytic sample to examine the association of fresh pear consumption with nutrient intake, nutrient adequacy, diet quality, and cardiovascular risk factors in adults.
“The association between pears and lower body weight is very exciting,” said Dr. O’Neil. “We believe fiber intake may have driven the lower body weights that were seen in this study because there was no difference in energy intake or level of physical activity found between the fresh pear consumers and non-consumers.”
In addition to discovering a correlation between fresh pear consumers and lower body weight, the study found that pear consumption was associated with higher diet quality (as defined by the Healthy Eating Index). Moreover, the consumption of one medium fresh pear per day had a positive effect on nutrient intake since consumers had higher usual intakes of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, and potassium, and higher mean intakes of total sugars; consumers of fresh pears also had lower intakes of total, monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and added sugars.
Pears are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C. One medium pear provides about 24 percent of daily fiber needs for only 100 calories. They are sodium-free, cholesterol-free, fat-free and contain 190 mg of potassium. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that people who eat more fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to reduce their risk of some chronic diseases, although little is published on the health outcomes associated with individual fruits, including pears.
by American Heart Association
Researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables as young adults was associated with less calcified coronary artery plaque 20 years later. Coronary artery calcium can be measured by a CT scan to detect the presence and amount of atherosclerosis, a disease that hardens arteries and underlies many types of heart disease.
The researchers divided data from 2,506 study participants into three groups, based on their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Women in the top third ate an average of nearly nine servings of daily fruits and vegetables and men averaged more than seven daily servings. In the bottom third, women consumed an average 3.3 daily servings and men 2.6 daily servings. All servings were based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.
Researchers found that people who ate the most fruit and vegetable at the study’s start had 26 percent lower odds of developing calcified plaque 20 years later, compared to those who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables.
Previous studies have shown a strong association between eating more fruits and vegetables and reduction in heart disease risk among middle-age adults. However, this is the first study to examine whether eating more fruits and vegetables as young adults could produce a measurable improvement in the health of their heart and blood vessels years later.
“People shouldn’t assume that they can wait until they’re older to eat healthy—our study suggests that what you eat as a young adult may be as important as what you eat as an older adult, ” said lead author Michael D. Miedema, M.D., senior consulting cardiologist and clinical investigator at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Researchers studied health information from adults in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a government-funded study of black and white young adults, which started in 1985. At the study’s start, participants provided a detailed diet history, information on other lifestyle variables and cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, whether or not they smoked cigarettes, weight and others. Twenty years later, participants underwent a CT scan to check for buildup of calcium on the walls of the arteries of the heart, which is calculated as a coronary artery calcium score. Higher coronary calcium scores are associated with a higher risk for heart attacks and other coronary heart disease events.
“Our findings support public health initiatives aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable intake as part of a healthy dietary pattern,” Miedema said. “Further research is needed to determine what other foods impact cardiovascular health in young adults.”
Walnuts have 21 percent fewer calories than what is currently assigned to it by the USDA, according to a recent study.
One serving (1 ounce) of walnuts contains 146 calories, which is 39 calories less than the 185 calories assigned to the product, the USDA reports. Since late 19th century, the calorie value for the walnuts has been derived from the Atwater system that calculates the metabolisable energy of many foods.
The recent research discovered that the metabolisable energy of walnuts was 21 percent less than that established by the Atwater general factor system.
For the study, the USDA studied 18 healthy adults. Each participant was assigned randomly to follow two diet regimens: a controlled diet without walnuts, and a controlled diet with 1.5 servings (42g) of walnuts, each followed for a 3-week period.
Assigned diets to each participant, walnuts, fecal and urine samples were collected and calories were measured and this measurement was used to calculate the metabolisable energy of the walnuts.
“Our results could help explain why consumers of walnuts do not typically gain weight. And given the numerous potential health benefits of consuming walnuts, including reduced risk for cancer, cardiovascular and cognitive diseases, our results could potentially help alleviate any calorie-related concerns consumers might have with incorporating them into their everyday diet,” the USDA reported.
In earlier research too, it has been established that walnut provides benefits to health. Recently a study by researchers from the Life Sciences Research Organisation in the US showed that consuming two handfuls of walnuts daily could help stave off cardiovascular disease.
The study claimed that intake of about 60 grams of this tree nut everyday lowers total cholesterol levels in the body, thus cuts a person’s risk of heart attack.
Touted as the world’s healthiest food, walnut is a rich source of numerous important nutrients such as omega-3s, fibres, vitamins, protein and minerals as well as the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Research has shown a rhubarb-based drug could help fight against cancer. According to this research, an orange-coloured chemical in rhubarb, parietin, has powerful anti-cancer properties.
Parietin can zap cells in leukaemia as well as lung, head and neck tumours, however healthy cells will remain untouched. This is significant as many of the debilitating side-effects of chemotherapy, from nausea to hair loss, are caused by healthy cells suffering collateral damage.
Scientists in the US found parietin after searching for chemicals that would block a protein called 6PGD which helps cancers grow. Scientists carried out an experiment which showed that parietin killed diseased cells taken from a patient with the blood cancer acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Half of the cancerous cells were destroyed within 48 hours.
Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta have shown it is possible to alter the chemistry of parietin to make an even more powerful compound. This drug slowed the growth of tumours that were growing on mice but were made up of human cells, but more work and tests are needed to confirm that the rhubarb-based drugs are free of side-effects.
Even though rhubarb is only just being discovered in Western medicine, the plant has been a staple of Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. It is claimed it can aid everything from digestion and acne to burns and appetite.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans that include fruits and vegetables at the top of the list for a healthy diet have been released for 2015 to 2020.
Issued every five years, the guidelines not only provide the latest scientifically supported dietary advice, they often shape government policies on a range of food issues. The USDA department of Health & Human Services released the recommendations along with an updated MyPlate MyWins program.
The document recommends a diet based on a variety of nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, low-fat and fat-free dairy, lean meats and other protein foods and oils, while limiting saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars and sodium.
Americans are urged to eat a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes and starchy vegetables. The recommended amount of vegetables in the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern at the 2,000-calorie level is two-and-a-half cup-equivalents per day. For fruits, it’s two cup-equivalents per day, with at least half coming from whole fruits.
“The Dietary Guidelines provide science-based recommendations on food and nutrition so people can make decisions that may help keep their weight under control, and prevent chronic conditions, like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
by Jon Reidel, University of Vermont
One of the first studies to measure food consumption in schools before and after the implementation of a controversial mandate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms what school lunch officials initially feared and subsequently witnessed: students putting fruits and vegetables into the trash instead of their mouths.
The study, published online in Public Health Reports on Aug. 25, shows that although students selected more fruits and vegetables under the new mandate requiring them to take either a fruit or vegetable, they actually consumed slightly less of each. Through the use of digital imaging to capture students’ lunch trays before and after they exited the lunch line, researchers also found an increase in waste of approximately 56 percent.
“The basic question we wanted to explore was if under these 2012 USDA guidelines, does requiring a child to select a fruit or vegetable correspond with consumption,” says Sarah Amin, a researcher in Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Vermont and lead author of the study. “It was heartbreaking to see so many students toss fruits like apples into the trash right after exiting the lunch line.”