Cocoa and Green Tea, impact on fatty foods

A November 2024 study by the University of Birmingham said,

• “We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. We have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress. In this study, we wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body”

• “Flavanols are a type of compound that occur in different fruits, vegetables, tea and nuts including berries and unprocessed cocoa. Flavanols are known to have health benefits, particularly for regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health.”

• “We took a group of young healthy adults and gave them two butter croissants with 10 g salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese and 250 ml whole milk as breakfast, and either a high-flavanol cocoa or a low-flavanol cocoa drink. Following a rest period, we asked the participants to complete a mental maths test which increased in speed for eight minutes, alerting them when they got an answer wrong. During the 8 minute rest period and 8 minute mental maths test, we measured forearm blood flow, cardiovascular activity and prefrontal cortex (PFC) tissue oxygenation. We also measured vascular function using Brachial Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), which is a prognostic measure for future risk of cardiovascular disease. This stress task induced significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, similar to the stress you may encounter in daily life.”

• “This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods.”

• Reference was made to recent published guidelines for flavanol intake

• “Modern life is stressful and the impact of stress on our health and the economy has been well documented, so any changes we can make to protect ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress is positive. For those who tend to reach for a treat when stressed or depend on convenient food because they work high-pressure jobs or are time-poor, incorporating some of these small changes could make a real difference.”

Low-Carb Diets Nutritious

A September 2024 study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal said

• “Many Americans struggle get the nutrients they need from typical food choices,”

• “Our findings suggest that, in addition to their well-established ability to support weight management, low-carb eating patterns can actually help promote better diet quality and close critical nutrient gaps.”

• “The idea that a low-carb diet must also be low in fiber is simply not supported by the data,”

• “High-fiber foods are actually an important part of a low-carb lifestyle, in part because fiber-rich food choices can help lower net carbohydrate intake. Non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and, in moderation, even higher-carb fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains can contribute fiber to the diet while keeping overall net carb intake in check, especially in the more liberal low-carb approach.”

• “Nutrition is often more complex than simply tallying the totals you see on a menu or a food label,”

• “Which foods your nutrients come from and how they fit within the broader context of your overall diet may play a more important role in determining health outcomes. For example, a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. And similarly, a more optimal sodium to potassium ratio may help lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.”

Baked Potatoes

An August 2024 study by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas said,

• “I like doing research on food items that are highly stigmatized in the nutrition world … Most people associate the potato as something that is mostly fried or has a lot of fat, and we wanted to shine a light on how a potato – when prepared properly – can be both functional and healthy.”

• “The results from our study provide evidence that white potatoes can be healthfully incorporated in the diet of individuals with Type 2 diabetes when substituted for other foods with a high glycemic load, such as long-grain white rice,”

• “Additionally, there were no harmful effects on measured health outcomes, and some cardiometabolic health benefits were shown, which aligned with what we expected to see. Therefore, diabetics should not shy away from potatoes.”

• “Potatoes are a very versatile food and can be eaten with most types of cuisines, but you want to make sure to incorporate them into a well-rounded diet,”

• “For those tight on time, consider making a large batch of baked or roasted potatoes and meal prep to last you a while. I’m not against boiling potatoes, but you want to keep as much of the potassium from the skin as you can, and you lose some of that when you boil them.”

• “A lot of people are shocked to learn that a potato has a higher level of potassium than a banana,”

• “Believe it or not, a baked potato is one of the most satiating foods consumed within the western diet. And, when it is consumed baked, it increases our ability to feel fuller throughout the day.” 

Fruit and Vegetables, Benefits for Those with Hypertension

An August 2024 study by Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, the lead author said,

"As a nephrologist (kidney doctor), my acid-base laboratory studies ways by which the kidney removes acid from the blood and puts it into the urine. Our animal studies showed years ago that mechanisms used by kidneys to remove acid from the blood can cause kidney injury if the animals were chronically (long term) exposed to an acid-producing diet. Our patient studies showed similar findings: that is, an acid-producing diet (one high in animal products) was kidney-harmful, and one that is base-producing (one high in fruits and vegetables) is kidney-healthy. Other investigators showed that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is heart-healthy. We hypothesized that one way that fruits and vegetables are both kidney- and heart-healthy is that they reduce the amount of acid in the diet and therefore the amount of acid that kidneys have to remove from the body."

The co-investigator Maninder Kahlon said,

"Importantly, fruits and vegetables achieved the latter two benefits with lower doses of medication used to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. This means that one can get the kidney health benefits with either fruits and vegetables or NaHCO3, but we get the blood pressure reduction and reduced cardiovascular disease risk with fruits and vegetables, but not with NaHCO3. This supports our recommendation that fruits and vegetables should be ‘foundational’ treatment for patients with hypertension, because we accomplish all three goals (kidney health, lower blood pressure, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk) with fruits and vegetables, and we can do so with lower medication doses.”

"Dietary interventions for chronic disease management are often not recommended and even less often executed because of the many challenges to get patients to implement them. Nevertheless, they are effective, and in this instance, kidney and cardiovascular protective. We must increase our efforts to incorporate them into patient management and more broadly, make healthy diets more accessible to populations at increased risk for kidney and cardiovascular disease.”

Reducing sugar for younger biological age

A July 2024 study by the University of California San Francisco looking at healthy eating using an epigenetic clock, a biochemical test approximating health and lifespan, said,

 “The diets we examined align with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health, and they highlight the potency of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients in particular,”

“From a lifestyle medicine standpoint, it is empowering to see how heeding these recommendations may promote a younger cellular age relative to chronological age.” 
 
“We knew that high levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor … Now we know that accelerated epigenetic aging is underlying this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar intake limits healthy longevity.” 

The researchers created a measure called the Epigenetic Nutrient Index (ENI) based on nutrients (not foods) that have been linked to anti-oxidative or anti-inflammatory processes and DNA maintenance and repair. These include Vitamins A, C, B12 and E, folate, selenium, magnesium, dietary fiber and isoflavones.’ 

 “Given that epigenetic patterns appear to be reversible, it may be that eliminating 10 grams of added sugar per day is akin to turning back the biological clock by 2.4 months, if sustained over time,”

“Focusing on foods that are high in key nutrients and low in added sugars may be a new way to help motivate people to eat well for longevity.”  

Prunes, Bone Density and Strength

In a July 2024 study by Penn State, it was said,

• “This is the first randomized controlled trial to look at three-dimensional bone outcomes with respect to bone structure, geometry and estimated strength,”

• “In our study we saw that daily prune consumption impacted factors related to fracture risk. That’s clinically invaluable.”

• “When we look at bone mineral density, we’re looking at how much bone there is, but we also want to know about the quality of the bone. When we look at a three-dimensional picture, we can look at bone structure, geometry and micro-architecture. In other words, it tells us how good the bone is,”

• “It’s pretty exciting data for a 12-month study,”

• “We were able to maintain and preserve bone at the weight-bearing, cortical bone of the tibia and the maintenance of cortical bone and bone strength is key to avoiding fracture.”

Calorie Restriction and Muscle Growth

An October 2023 study by a cohort of institutions said

"A 12% reduction in calorie intake is very modest,"

"This kind of small reduction in calorie intake is doable and may make a big difference in your health."
"Since inflammation and aging are strongly coupled, calorie restriction represents a powerful approach to preventing the pro-inflammatory state that is developed by many older people,"

Reference

Das JK, et al. Calorie restriction modulates the transcription of genes related to stress response and longevity in human muscle: The CALERIE study. Aging Cell. 2023; Oct 12:e13963. doi: 10.1111/acel.13963.

Carrots & a Multivitamin Beta Carotene

A June 2024 study by Samford University said,

• “Previous studies have demonstrated that skin carotenoid levels can be increased by consuming three times the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables every day for three weeks,”

• “Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary modification — incorporating baby carrots as a snack — can significantly increase skin carotenoid accumulation.”

• “We found that the combination of baby carrots and a multivitamin supplement that contains beta carotene can have an interactive effect on skin carotenoid accumulation,”

• “To get a beneficial effect, people should choose a multivitamin that contains beta carotene, and remember to eat baby carrots at least three times a week.”

Beetroot Juice and Heart Disease

In a June 2024 study of the heart risk of women post-menopause by Penn State University, it was said,

• “After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body,”

• “This loss of nitric oxide production contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women. Foods that are rich in nitrate — especially beets — are being investigated as a natural, non-pharmaceutical way to protect the heart and blood vessels.”

• “Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,”

• “Still, this research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during a period of accelerating heart disease risk.” 

• “Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure,”

• “By providing a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results.”   

• “Several of the participants said that they intended to continue consuming beetroot juice after the study concluded,” she said. “There seems to be a real desire on the part of postmenopausal women to support their cardiovascular health without taking additional medications. In part, I believe beets can be a complimentary food to improve blood vessel health in millions of women as they age.” 

BMI, Brain Volume, White Matter Lessions

A May 2024 report by Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University said,

• “High cumulative BMI is detrimental to brain health, especially for younger adults under 45 years, where it corresponds to approximately 12 years of brain aging,”

• “Maintaining a BMI below 26.2 kg/m² is suggested for better brain health.”

•  “This research provides crucial insights into the relationship between BMI and brain health, emphasizing the need for public health strategies to control BMI for better neurological outcomes,”

• “Future studies should focus on acquiring longitudinal neuroimaging data to further explore these associations.”

Ultra-Processed Foods & Cognition

A May 2024 study by the American Academy of Neurology said,

• “While a healthy diet is important in maintaining brain health among older adults, the most important dietary choices for your brain remain unclear,”

• “We found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a higher risk of both stroke and cognitive impairment, and the association between ultra-processed foods and stroke was greater among Black participants.”

• “Our findings show that the degree of food processing plays an important role in overall brain health,”

• “More research is needed to confirm these results and to better understand which food or processing components contribute most to these effects.”

Cranberries, Microbiota and Metabolic Disease

An April 2024 study by Université Laval said,

• “… these bacteria are stimulated by dietary fibre consumption. We observed the same effect with cranberry extract with a dose almost 20 times lower,"

• “[The] diet alters the microbiota, causes inflammation of the mucosa, and compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier, which plays a crucial role in protecting the body from bacteria present in the gut. Alteration of the intestinal barrier allows the passage of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from the intestinal microbiota, known as metabolic endotoxemia, and is a crucial factor in the onset and progression of inflammation and metabolic diseases,”

• “The constant inflammation that results from the presence of LPS in the body can lead to several chronic diseases, including diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,”

Brain Health and Nutrition

An April 2024 study by the Gerontological Society of America said,

• “Broaching the topic of diet and nutrition can be challenging. I start by asking patients what their goals are,”

• “These goals could include physical goals such as maintaining muscle mass, cognitive goals such as preserving memory, as well as functional goals such as being able to travel or play with grandchildren. Linking information about nutrition to helping adults achieve their goals is an effective strategy for stimulating motivation to implement healthy changes.”

• “I would love for everybody to get all of their micronutrients from food … Unfortunately, for most older adults, it’s really challenging to do that due to physiological changes that occur with aging and certain disease states that affect absorption, so we often recommend a multivitamin.”

Protein, Breakfasts and Saeity

A February 2024 study by Aarhus University said,

• "We found that a protein-rich breakfast with skyr (a sour-milk product) and oats increased satiety and concentration in the participants, but it did not reduce the overall energy intake compared to skipping breakfast or eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast,"

• "The results confirm that protein-rich meals increase a sense of satiety, which is positive with regard to preventing weight gain. However, the results also suggest that for this nutritional strategy to be effective, it’s not enough to just eat a protein-rich breakfast."

• "It’s intriguing that there can be such a big difference in the satiety effect of two different meals with the same calorie content. Had the women in the project been allowed to choose the size of the meal themselves, it’s likely that they’d have consumed more food and thereby more calories on the day they were served bread and jam than on the day they were given skyr and oats,"

• "We already have new data incoming from a trial where participants received either a high-protein breakfast or a low-protein breakfast. The objective was to study how the different types of breakfast affect body composition and other parameters such as microbiota and cholesterol levels,"

Nudged towards Healthier Deits

A February 2024 study by the University of Göttingen said,

• “Understanding public support – and its drivers – is important for designing politically viable, ethical, and effective nudges,”

• “We were surprised to find that the personal circumstances of our participants and whether their own behaviour would be affected by the nudge had little effect on their support. We found that the perception of upholding free choice and of effectiveness were key to public support.”

Nuts and Metabolic Syndrome

A December 2023 study published in the journal Nutrients said,

• “We know that snacking contributes almost 25% of total daily calories in young adults in the U.S.,”

• “Substituting typical high carbohydrate snacks with tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) would likely have a positive impact in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and its consequences in this age group.”

• “We need to encourage people—especially those Millennials at risk for MetSx—to get their handful of nuts every day.”

PTSD, diet, and the gut microbiome

An October 2023 study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital said,

• “There is a very intriguing relationship between the human gut microbiome and the brain,”

• “Through our study, we examined how factors, like diet, are associated with PTSD symptoms. While further research is needed, we are closer to being able to provide dietary recommendations for PTSD prevention or amelioration.”

• “Examining the gut-brain axis can provide insights on the interdependence of mental and physical health,”

• “Our findings suggest the PTSD and human gut microbiome relationship is a promising area of research that may lead to recommendations for alleviating the down-stream negative health consequences of PTSD.”

• “It’s exciting that our results imply that the Mediterranean diet may provide potential relief to individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms … We are eager to learn more about the relationship between PTSD, diet, and the gut microbiome. In a future study, we will attempt to validate the efficacy of probiotics as a method to prevent PTSD.”

Heavy Lifting, Protein, Sleep

“Heavy lifting … instructs your body to direct the raw materials for building muscle, bone, and joint material to the limbs you just exercised. And your body needs sleep to carry out this instruction.”

Catherine Shanahan “Deep Nutrition”

Potatoes and a healthy diet

An August 2022 study by Pennington Biomedical Research Center said, 

• “We demonstrated that contrary to common belief, potatoes do not negatively impact blood glucose levels. In fact, the individuals who participated in our study lost weight.”

• “People tend to eat the same weight of food regardless of calorie content in order to feel full,” 

• “By eating foods with a heavier weight that are low in calories, you can easily reduce the number of calories you consume. The key aspect of our study is that we did not reduce the portion size of meals but lowered their caloric content by including potatoes. Each participant’s meal was tailored to their personalized caloric needs, yet by replacing some meat content with potato, participants found themselves fuller, quicker, and often did not even finish their meal. In effect, you can lose weight with little effort.”

• “We prepared the potatoes in a way that would maximize their fiber content. When we compared a diet with potatoes to a diet with beans and peas, we found them to be equal in terms of health benefits,” 

• “People typically do not stick with a diet they don’t like or isn’t varied enough. The meal plans provided a variety of dishes, and we showed that a healthy eating plan can have varied options for individuals striving to eat healthy. In addition, potatoes are a fairly inexpensive vegetable to incorporate into a diet.”

• “Obesity is an incredibly complex disease that Pennington Biomedical is tackling on three different fronts: research that looks at how and why our bodies react the way they do, research that looks at individual responses to diet and physical activity, and policy-level discussions and community programs that bring our research into strategies our local and global communities can use to live healthier lives. These new data on the impact of potatoes on our metabolism is an exciting addition to the arsenal of evidence we have to do just that.”

Poor diet, blood vessels

An August 2022 study by Leipzig University said,

• “As vascular dysfunction drives all major pathologies, from heart failure to atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration, our research shows how bad eating habits molecularly promote the development of diverse diseases,” 

• “We want to elucidate molecular mechanisms of obesity in order to be able to offer patients tailor-made therapies in the future,”