Archive For The “Health” Category
As we grow older, we lose strength and muscle mass. However, the cause of age-related muscle weakness and atrophy has remained a mystery.
Scientists at the University of Iowa have discovered the first example of a protein that causes muscle weakness and loss during aging. The protein, ATF4, is a transcription factor that alters gene expression in skeletal muscle, causing reduction of muscle protein synthesis, strength, and mass. The UI study also identifies two natural compounds, one found in apples and one found in green tomatoes, which reduce ATF4 activity in aged skeletal muscle. The findings were published online recently in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could lead to new therapies for age-related muscle weakness and atrophy.
“Many of us know from our own experiences that muscle weakness and atrophy are big problems as we become older,” says Christopher Adams, M.D., Ph.D., professor of internal medicine in the UI Carver College of Medicine, and senior study author. “These problems have a major impact on our quality of life and health.”
Previously, Adams and his team had identified ursolic acid, which is found in apple peel, and tomatidine, which comes from green tomatoes, as small molecules that can prevent acute muscle wasting caused by starvation and inactivity. Those studies set the stage for testing whether ursolic acid and tomatidine might be effective in blocking the largest cause of muscle weakness and atrophy: aging.
In their latest study, Adams’ team found that ursolic acid and tomatidine dramatically reduce age-related muscle weakness and atrophy in mice. Elderly mice with age-related muscle weakness and atrophy were fed diets lacking or containing either 0.27 percent ursolic acid, or 0.05 percent tomatidine for two months. The scientists found that both compounds increased muscle mass by 10 percent, and more importantly, increased muscle quality, or strength, by 30 percent. The sizes of these effects suggest that the compounds largely restored muscle mass and strength to young adult levels.
Looking for patterns in food consumption among elementary school children, researchers at Texas A&M University found something interesting about when and why kids choose to eat their vegetables. After analyzing plate waste data from nearly 8,500 students, it appears there is at least one variable tending to affect whether kids eat their broccoli, spinach or green beans more than anything: what else is on the plate.
In short, kids, are much more likely to eat their vegetable portion when it’s paired with a food that isn’t so delicious it gets all the attention. When chicken nuggets and burgers, the most popular items among schoolchildren, are on the menu, for instance, vegetable waste tends to rise significantly. When other less-beloved foods, like deli sliders or baked potatoes, are served, the opposite seems to happen.
The problem has been blamed, at least in part, for the deteriorating diets of American youth. It has also been on clear display ever since the government updated, in 2013, its nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program. Children, suddenly confronted with vegetables on every plate (as required as part of the change), have responded not by eating them, but by leaving them on their plates — untouched.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nine out of 10 children still don’t eat enough vegetables.
Americans’ vegetable habits lean towards french fries and ketchup, and proof of that is in new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Nearly 50 percent of vegetables and legumes available in the U.S. in 2013 were either tomatoes or potatoes. Lettuce came in third as the most available vegetable.
The USDA’s dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, but the agency’s researchers found only 1.7 cups per person are available.
The federal dietary guidelines do not recommend relying primarily on potatoes, tomatoes and lettuce for most of our vegetable needs. They prescribe a varied mix that includes dark leafy greens, orange and yellow vegetables, and beans—along with those potatoes and tomatoes. The USDA wants us to eat them because they help reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and some cancers as well as help keep a healthy weight.
So the vegetables that are available don’t really match what we’re supposed to be eating. What about what we are actually eating?
Some 87 percent of adults failed to meet the vegetable intake recommendations during 2007-2010. Recent survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a lot of variation state to state — with 5.5 percent of people in Mississippi getting enough vegetables to 13 percent in California meeting the recommendations.
Most people are likely to be eating tomatoes and potatoes, but as the USDA points out we often get them in the not-so-nutritious forms of french fries and pizza. About one-third of potatoes, and two-thirds of tomatoes, were bound for processing via items ranging from chips, to sweetened pizza sauce and ketchup.
Maybe Popeye had it right: Spinach makes you stronger. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found the high nitrate content in the leafy greens like spinach, as well as beets, improves muscle performance.
In a new study, published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, investigators found drinking concentrated vegetable juice – in this case made from beets – increased muscle power in nine patients with heart failure.
“It’s a small study, but we see robust changes in muscle power about two hours after patients drink the beet juice,” said Linda R. Peterson, M.D., associate professor of medicine. “A lot of the activities of daily living are power-based – getting out of a chair, lifting groceries, climbing stairs. And they have a major impact on quality of life.
Nitrates in beet juice, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables such as arugula and celery are processed by the body into nitric oxide, which is known to relax blood vessels and have other beneficial effects on metabolism.
The results of the study found that two hours after the treatment, patients demonstrated a 13 percent increase in power in muscles that extend the knee. The researchers also pointed out that participants experienced no major side effects from the beet juice, including no increase in heart rates or drops in blood pressure, which is important in patients with heart failure.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Compounds found in purple potatoes may help kill colon cancer stem cells and limit the spread of the cancer, according to a team of researchers.
Baked purple-fleshed potatoes suppressed the growth of colon cancer tumors in petri dishes and in mice by targeting the cancer’s stem cells. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and responsible for more than 50,000 deaths annually, according to the American Cancer Society.
Attacking stem cells is an effective way to counter cancer, according to Jairam K.P. Vanamala, associate professor of food sciences, Penn State and faculty member at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute.
“You might want to compare cancer stem cells to roots of the weeds,” Vanamala said. “You may cut the weed, but as long as the roots are still there, the weeds will keep growing back and, likewise, if the cancer stem cells are still present, the cancer can still grow and spread.”
There is a 2.3% decline in retail fresh vegetable availability — what’s displayed on store shelves — but a 3.5% increase for fresh fruit in 2013, newly updated per capita availability statistics show.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reported figures for fresh produce in a recent report. The report said that loss-adjusted U.S. fruit and vegetable availability falls well short of dietary guidelines, with per-capita availability of fruit totaling just 43 percent of dietary recommendations.
Per-capita availability of fresh vegetables are representing 66 percent of U.S. dietary recommendations, according to the report. In contrast, per-capita availability of meat was 131 percent of recommendations, with per-capita availability for grains 112 percent of recommended levels, according to the USDA.
Fresh fruit availability, adjusted for loss at all levels including in consumers’ homes, was projected to be 50.4 pounds per capita, up 3.5 percent from 2012 and 8percent higher than in 2003. For fresh vegetables, the loss-adjusted per-capita was 83.7 pounds, down 2.3 percent from 2012, and down 12 [percent from 2003.
Federal nutrition mandates have hurt the financial health of school meal programs, say 70 percent of U.S. school nutrition directors in a survey.
The survey by the National Harbor, Md.-based School Nutrition Association said 58 percent of those responding said school lunch participation declined under the new standards, with 93 percent of that group citing “decreased student acceptance of meals” as a factor in the decline, according to a news release about the poll.
The School Nutrition Association said the survey supports the argument for more funding and more flexibility in school meal nutrition requirements, including the mandate for a half a cup or fruit or vegetable at each reimbursable meal.
“School nutrition standards have resulted in many positive changes, but we cannot ignore the repercussions — the financial impact of these rules threatens school meal programs and their efforts to better serve students,” Jean Ronnei, SNS, SNA president and chief operations officer at Saint Paul Public Schools, Minn., said in the release. “To ensure programs remain financially sustainable for the children they serve, Congress must provide more funding and reasonable flexibility under the most stringent rules.”
The survey found nearly three in four school districts with a la carte service report decreased revenue since the 2014 Smart Snacks in School rules took effect, according to the release.
The report cited USDA statistics that the updated school nutrition standards have resulted in one million fewer students choose school lunch each day under the new rules.
About the SNA survey said eight in 10 school districts have attempted to offset losses with a variety of measures, according to the release, including:
- 49 percednt of districts have reduced staffing;
- 41 percent have diminished the meal program’s reserve fund;
- 36 percent have limited menu choices and variety; and
- 32 percent have deferred or canceled equipment investments.
“Schools are trying to expose students to a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, but faced with rising costs and shrinking revenue, many have been forced to limit pricey choices like snap peas and berries and serve more affordable options, like celery and juice,” Ronnei said in the release.
By The American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif. — Eating pistachio nuts does not contribute to weight gain or an increased body mass index – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – when included in a balanced diet, according to a scientific review of several clinical studies. This is among the many findings described in a review article published in the British Journal of Nutrition titled, “Nutrition attributes and health effects of pistachio nuts.” The article analyzes the results of more than 100 research studies and clinical trials regarding nut consumption and health, highlighting the potential health benefits of pistachios, which are a source of plant-based protein, vitamins and minerals and also a good source of fiber.
Pistachios and Weight Management
Reviewers analyzed randomized controlled trials that looked at pistachios’ effect on body weight and found that diets that include pistachios have not been linked to weight gain. In fact, one study found a decrease in body mass index, and another noted a significant decrease in waist circumference for those who ate pistachios.
An important component of weight management is satiety, the feeling of fullness after eating, and evidence shows that all nuts help promote satiety, suppress hunger and inhibit eating.
Heart Disease
Researchers also looked at five studies that examined the effects of pistachios on heart disease. Many of the studies found that diets that include pistachios tend to be linked to significantly lowered cholesterol and blood pressure levels, even for those who are at high risk of diabetes.
Nutrition
Researchers found that a one-ounce serving of pistachios (about 49 nuts) provides 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein and 11 percent of the RDA of fiber for adults. With three grams of fiber per serving, pistachios rank among the top two nuts in fiber content. The authors note that fiber intake is linked to decreased weight gain and helps lower the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.
Pistachios vs Other Nuts
- Vitamin Content: Pistachios contain Vitamin K and the B vitamins, including thiamin (B1), pyridoxine (B6), and folic acid (B9).
- Mineral Content: Pistachios contain a number of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and manganese, which are thought to play a role in blood pressure control, bone health management, and the prevention of several chronic diseases.
- Antioxidant Support: Numerous studies suggest that pistachios contain phytochemicals that may act as antioxidants in the body.
- Role in Eye Health: Pistachios contain approximately 13 times more lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids) than the next highest nut. High amounts of these carotenoids are found in the retina of the eye and are known to benefit eye health, which may help prevent vision loss associated with aging.
by Rebecca Riffkin, Gallup
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are more likely to say they actively try to avoid including soda or pop in their diet than 14 other foods, including sugar and fat. At least six in 10 U.S. adults say they are trying to steer clear of these drinks — regardless of whether they are diet or regular.
Americans are most likely to say they actively try to include fruits and vegetables in their diet. Gallup asked 1,009 Americans about the foods they try to include or avoid in their diet as part of its annual Consumption Habits poll in July. Previous Gallup reports have focused on Americans’ avoidance or inclusion of gluten-free foods and salt or fat.
Americans appear to be aware of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, with at least nine in 10 saying they actively try to include each in their diet. At least three in four Americans also say they try to include chicken and fish in their diet, meats that nutrition experts often recommend to help with heart health, in lieu of beef and other red meat — which nevertheless, 63% of Americans still actively try to include in their diet.
Adding fresh fruits and vegetables into Arkansas school meals not only lowers obesity rates but can also save hundreds of dollars per-child to prevent obesity, according to a new study.
Conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the study was done in a state where residents report some of the nation’s highest childhood obesity rates.
The study focused on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program which was designed to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten by students in the nation’s poorest elementary schools.
Obesity rates dropped from 20% to 17% in sampled low-income elementary schools, once the program began.
The study calculated that the fruit and vegetable program costs were about $50-75 per-child per-year to reduce the obesity rate by 3%, small compared to the $280 to $339 per-student per-year cost of an effort to reduce childhood obesity by 1%, according to 2011 research.
“By this measure, our results suggest that the fresh fruit and vegetable program is a very cost-effective obesity prevention tool,” Rodolfo Nayga, a researcher and division professor, said in a press release. “Moreover, prevention of childhood obesity is in addition to the other nutritional benefits that come from increased fruit and vegetable consumption.”
USDA reimburses schools that offer students free fresh produce outside of breakfast and lunch.