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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Advances in nutrition often depend on findings in related fields of science. Let’s take a look at some of the more recent advances that impact on nutrition.
Coffee may protect you from type 2 diabetes.
A protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) regulates the body’s sex hormones and has long been suspected of playing a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. It turns out, drinking coffee increases blood levels of SHBG.
In a study published in the journal Diabetes, women who drank 4 cups of regular coffee each day had higher levels of SHGB and were 56% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. Bad news for decafe lovers – decaffeinated coffee does not raise SHBG levels and does not lower diabetes risk.
Food stores near schools do not predict obesity risk for kids.
It has been suggested that the location of quick-service restaurants and convenience stores near schools, particularly high schools with open campuses, is one of the main drivers for obesity in children. Some cities have even proposed a ban on building and operating quick-service restaurants near schools.
A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior disputes this assumption. The study looked at 11 Maine high schools and found that students got food and sweetened drinks at many locations, including school. There were no relationships found between the closeness of food outlets or the number of food outlets near schools and the students’ risk for obesity. The assumption that stores selling calorie-dense foods near schools would increase the risk for obesity in students could not be proven.
It’s strawberries that will keep the doctor away.
A recent study from the Salt Institute’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory found that fisetin, a naturally-occurring flavonoid found most abundantly in strawberries, and to a lesser extent in other fruits and vegetables, can reduce the complications of diabetes. It may also reduce inflammation that is thought to promote some cancers. To reach the protective effect, a person would need to eat 37 strawberries a day. In practice this is not a realistic recommendation. But, this study, like many others, does reinforce the recommendation to include ample fruits and vegetables in our diets daily to promote health and prevent illness.
High fat meals are a no-no for asthma patients.
Australian researchers presenting at the American Thoracic Society meeting cautioned that asthma patients should avoid meals high in fat. High dietary fat intakes are known to activate the immune response, leading to inflammation, but this is the first research to show that a high fat meal can affect airway inflammation contributing to asthma. The high fat meal also inhibited the person’s response to the major asthma reliever medication Albuterol.
Trans fat can make you blue.
Researchers from Spain, following 12,059 volunteers in the SUN Project found that both trans fats and saturated fats increased the risk for depression, and that olive oil appears to protect against mental illness. Trans fats seem to be the most harmful. The greater the amount consumed the higher the risk for depression, with a 48% increased risk over those who did not eat trans fats. What was most interesting is that the population studied ate very low levels of trans fat, only 0.4% of their total energy intake. Despite these low intakes the risk for depression was high.
Weighing too much can disrupt your internal clock.
Humans are programmed through evolution to respond to day and night cycles. We eat and are active during daylight and we rest and sleep in darkness. There is a molecular basis for these rhythms and a group of genes called the circadian clock regulates these 24-hour, day/night cycles. Obese individuals frequently eat at irregular times and often eat late at night. They additionally suffer more sleep apnea, which disturbs their ability to get a good night’s sleep. Researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta showed that the master clock gene does not cycle correctly between day and night when a person is overweight, which disrupts the natural circadian rhythms. These natural cycles not only help regulate eating and sleeping but they also regulate the heart and blood vessels that move blood through the body. Disruption of the circadian clock genes not only disrupts eating and sleeping patterns but it could increase the risk for heart disease.
Four simple steps to living longer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following these 4 healthy practices reduces your risk for cancer and heart disease and increases your lifespan by slightly over 11 years.
Don’t smoke.
Eat well.
Be physically active.
Drink alcohol in moderation.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales of more than 8.5 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to TheNutritionExperts
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