“Diet high in vitamin C could protect against gestational diabetes”
A new study finds that women who incorporate more vitamin C into their diets, lower their risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Nianhong Yang, PhD, a professor and director of the department of nutrition and food hygiene at Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Hubei, China, studied the data of over three thousand pregnant women during the gestational period. Participants provided lifestyle information through a questionnaire and vitamin C supplement intake and dietary behavior were assessed via in-person interviews.
“The researchers defined dietary vitamin C intake into three groups: inadequate (< 115 mg per day), adequate (115 mg per day to 200 mg per day) and above adequate (> 200 mg per day).”
During the study 344 women developed gestational diabetes and 744 women had “inadequate” vitamin C intake. “The primary source of dietary vitamin C consumption was leafy green vegetables, cabbage and chili, along with other fruits and vegetables.”
The study found that women with above adequate vitamin C intake were less likely to develop gestational diabetes. However, women with inadequate had a negative correlation with gestational diabetes.
To learn more: Diet high in vitamin C could protect against gestational diabetes – Healio
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“Many Americans Slicing Meat From Their Diet”
A recent study by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore has found that Americans are beginning to cut down on poultry, fish, and red meat consumption. The two primary findings for this study, include the cost of meat products as well as their negative implications towards health and the environment.
The research provided a survey to 1,100 individuals asking them about their meat consumption habits over the past three years. Lead scientist, Roni Neff, says, “Many Americans continue to have strong preferences for meat, but this survey adds to a growing body of evidence that a significant portion of the population may be purposefully reducing their meat consumption.”
55% of participants reduced overall meat consumption and 41% cut down on red meat specifically. 64% of the participants who reduced overall meat consumption admitted to doing so due to finances. This was evident as individuals with incomes less than $25,000 were more likely to decrease meat intake while households bringing in $75,000+ were less likely. 42% chose to have meatless meals, 32% had meatless days, and 9% avoided meat altogether.
It was also reported that middle aged individuals (ages 45-59) were more likely to decrease intake than younger participants. Women typically ate less than men as well. Individuals who did not curb meat intake “felt that meat was essential for a healthy diet.”
The survey is thought to help fuel future campaigns on the importance of raising awareness about nutrition, plant-based eating and the effect meat production has on the environment.
“The report was published recently in the journal Public American Nutrition.”
For more information, visit “Many Americans Slicing Meat From Their Diet” HealthDay
You can learn more: Risk in Red Meat? National Institute of Health
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Happy Valentine’s Day | Dark chocolate can lower stress and inflammation, improve memory
Happy Valentine’s Day from Diabetes Education Services! Enjoy something sweet.
No guilt required. Recent studies have shown dark chocolate has a positive impact on brain function. The study conducted by Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center found that dark chocolate, with a cacao concentration of at least 70%, reduced stress and inflammation, improved mood, memory, and immunity.
The health benefits from cacao are determined by the large amount of flavanoids present. Flavanoids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and to have antioxidant effects. The study found that, “the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity, and other beneficial effects.
Another study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health in 2017 determined that “consuming moderate amounts of dark chocolate lowered the risk of atrial fibrillation”. Their research also concluded that dark chocolate prevents white blood cells from sticking to the walls of the arteries and can help loosen stiff arteries, thus decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis.
For more information on how dark chocolate can benefit you, visit Dark chocolate can lower stress and inflammation, and improve memory
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Mindful Monday | Eat more fiber – live longer
The benefits of fiber have been supported by over a 100 years of research. A large new study reveals that eating more fiber can lower your risk of developing serious illness over time.
“When compared with those who consume very little fiber, people at the high end of the fiber-eating spectrum saw their risk for dying from heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and/or colon cancer plummet by 16 to 24 percent, investigators reported.”
Exciting enough, the more fiber a person consumed, the risk of developing those illness continued to decrease. The range of illness that higher intake of fiber seemed to impact surprised scientists.
The results come from 185 observational studies and 58 clinical trails performed over four decades.
Researchers say that American’s on average, eat less than 15 grams of fiber per day. However increasing intake to 25-29 gms per day is just “adequate.” The more fiber a person incorporates in their diet, the greater the decrease in overall risk of an early death.
Every additional 15-gram bump in daily whole grain intake was found to curtail an individual’s overall risk of early death — as well as their risk of early death from heart disease — by between 2 and 19 percent.
Researchers also found that increasing fiber intake had no risky health effects and that it is never too late to start embracing fiber every day!
“When considering all the trials of increasing fiber intakes, those participants that did reduced both their body weight and the total cholesterol in their blood, two important predictors of disease.”
Although none of these discoveries are surprising, scientists hope this will lead to changes in dietary recommendation. “This is just one more piece of evidence that supports and further solidifies the recommendations registered dietitian nutritionists have been making for years,” said Sandon.
It is never to late to start eating healthy and fiber may be a great starting point for many!
Here are some common foods and their fiber content:
- 1 slice of whole wheat bread has 2 grams
- 1 cup of boiled broccoli has 5 grams
- 1 medium orange has 3 grams
- 1 cup of cooked black beans has 15 grams.
To learn more: “More Proof High-Fiber Diets Help Prevent Cancers, Heart Disease” – Health Day
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]DASH Diet – Does it really lower blood pressure?
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet studies and results have been groundbreaking and powerful enough to stand on the test of time.
The first DASH study results were published in 1997, As a result of the powerful results, the DASH diet is still the dietary standard for the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
The DASH diet recommends a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, beans, whole grains, oils and nuts, and limit sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats. Overly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages should be avoided or limited.
The original DASH study began by assessing how blood pressures rises with age. Half of the adults in the United States suffer from high blood pressure, which is a precursor for heart attacks and strokes. 459 adults were split into three different diet groups: a typical American diet, an American diet with extra fruits and vegetables, and a DASH diet (more fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy).
All food was prepared by the researchers which made the outcomes of this study well-controlled. After a period of eight weeks, the group consuming extra fruits and vegetables greatly reduced their blood pressure. However, the group on the DASH diet demonstrated even better results.
DASH also conducted a study assessing sodium intake. All three diets from the previous study had similar sodium intakes. Researchers on the study were curious to see if reducing sodium intake in the DASH diet and the American diet showed any specific change. 412 individuals were split into high-sodium (3,300 mg), moderate-sodium (2,400 mg), and low-sodium groups (1,500 mg). The participants consuming a lower sodium diet showed a substantial decrease in blood pressure across the board with older adults demonstrating even more drastic results.
Due to these results, DASH decided to conduct one more study on carbohydrate reduction. The goal of this study was to reduce carbohydrate intake and to replace it with unsaturated fats and protein. It adopted the same healthy DASH dietary pattern. This study found even greater results with lowering blood pressure than the original DASH diet.
All three studies are further confirmation that a diet high in plant foods and lean protein as well as low in sodium is one of the best solutions for lowering blood pressure. The authors are still investigating why these foods make such a significant impact on hypertension.
What is the take home message? Encouraging people with diabetes to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, beans, whole grains, oils and nuts, and limit sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats and added salt can make a big difference in blood pressure and overall health.
For more information on the DASH diet, visit “5 diet studies that made a difference.”
Contributed by: Sofia Sepulveda
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Type 2 diabetes: Gut bacteria may influence drug effectiveness
415 million people across the globe have Type 2 Diabetes and it is now considered a “global epidemic.”
Diabetes drugs have varying success from person to person. New research conducted by Hariom Yadav, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular medicine at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, studies have suggested that gut bacteria is a key indicator to a drug’s success. This research suggests a correlation between medication effectiveness and the gut bacteria of a person with Type 2 Diabetes.
“For example,” explains the lead researcher, “certain drugs work fine when given intravenously and go directly to the circulation, but when they are taken orally and pass through the gut, they don’t work.”
Metformin on the other hand works best when given orally. Based on the study, researchers believe that the individuals’ gut bacteria are affecting how well a person metabolizes the medication.
The study focused on whether or not the microbiome “boosted or inhibited” the effectiveness of the medication. “Our review showed that the metabolic capacity of a patient’s microbiome could influence the absorption and function of these drugs by making them pharmacologically active, inactive, or even toxic,” said Yadav.
Although this field of research is only about 10 years old, there are strong signs that our gut microbiome play a key role in our overall health this may include how we interact with medication. Yardav plans to continue to study the gut bacteria as it relates to the treatment of disease.
To learn more: “Type 2 diabetes: Gut bacteria may influence drug effectiveness” by Medical News Today
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“How endurance exercise affects your gut bacteria”
New studies continue to link physical exercise to the diversity in gut bacteria. One of the most powerful discoveries is that exercise alone has the ability to change your gut microbiome. A new study at the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Turku in Finland, examines the correlation between endurance exercise and bacteria.
Researchers found that exercise can boost the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This bacteria helps with inflammation and keeping your get healthy.
The study enrolled 17 women who lived sedentary lifestyles, but were other wise healthy, into a 6-week program of bicycle endurance training. They did not change anything about their diet during this program.
“Overall, at the end of the program, the researchers found a decrease in so-called proteobacteria — that is, gut bacteria that have the potential of causing inflammation — and an increase in beneficial bacteria called Akkermansia, which have links with a better metabolism.”
Previous studies have found the bacteria Akkermansia was more commonly found in people who are physically active and may even protect individuals from diabetes and obesity.
The exercise also had an effect on cardio metabolic health. “We found that phospholipids and cholesterol in VLDL [very low-density lipoprotein] particles decreased in response to exercise. These changes are beneficial for cardiometabolic health,” Pekkala explains, “because VLDL transports lipids from the liver to peripheral tissues, converts into ‘bad’ LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol in the circulation, and thus has detrimental cardiovascular effects.”
The scientists believe that if the training program continued, they would have seen greater effects on the participants gut bacteria and overall health.
To learn more: “How endurance exercise affects your gut bacteria” – MedicalNewsToday
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“Even when families have issues, eating together can improve teen diets”
A new study finds that teenagers whose families eat dinner together are more likely to make better food choices, regardless of the family’s communication skills.
The study suggest regardless of the how well the family functions, when you are bringing a family together for a meal you are often considering the adolescent’s nutrition. This leads to setting a healthy example for children and continued nutrition awareness into adulthood.
“Many, many studies have looked at the benefit of family meals, and over and over they have found that this leads to adolescents eating more fruits and vegetables and less fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages,” said Walton, now a research fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Critics of the study suggest the dysfunction of the family would lead to less meals together and it would effect the nutritional value of the food in the house all together. However, researchers found that the more teens ate dinner with their family, the more fruits and vegetables were included in their diet.
There are many benefits to eating a quality meal with family. Kathryn Walton, who was a doctoral student at the University of Guelph, Canada, presents ways in which parents can make family dinner a priority even with a busy schedule. Including your teens in meal prep as well as making dinner a more casual affair can help increase the frequency.
This simple idea, can have a big impact on health!
Learn more: Even when families have issues, eating together can improve teen diets – Reuters
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