Cuts to processed meat intake bring a range of health benefits

 

Reducing consumption of processed meat by around one-third could prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes in the US over 10 years, a study suggests.

Cutting US adults’ processed meat intake by 30 per cent – the equivalent of around 10 slices of bacon a week – would also lead to tens of thousands of fewer cases of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, researchers say.

A team from the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems together with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has developed a simulation tool to estimate the health impacts of reducing consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat.

While many studies have identified links between high levels of processed meat consumption and chronic disease, few have evaluated the impact on multiple health outcomes. Some previous research also suggests unprocessed red meat may contribute to chronic disease risk but evidence is still limited.

The researchers used data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national health survey to create a simulated, representative sample of the US adult population – a so-called microsimulation.

Their microsimulation is the first to estimate the effects of reducing processed meat and unprocessed red meat consumption – from between 5 and 100 per cent – on multiple health outcomes in the US.

The team estimated how changes in meat consumption affect adults’ risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and death. The effects were evaluated in the overall population and separately based on age, sex, household income and ethnicity.

As well as preventing more than 350,000 cases of diabetes, cutting processed meat intake by 30 per cent would lead to 92,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 53,300 fewer colorectal cancer cases over a decade, researchers say.

In this scenario, white males and those with an annual household income between $25,000 and $55,000 were found to experience the greatest health benefits. 

Researchers also analysed the impacts of reducing unprocessed red meat intake alone and cutting consumption of both processed meat and unprocessed red meat.

Reducing consumption of both by 30 per cent resulted in 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 382,400 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 84,400 fewer colorectal cancer cases.

Cutting unprocessed red meat intake alone by 30 per cent – which would mean eating around one less quarter-pound beef burger a week – resulted in more than 732,000 fewer diabetes cases. It also led to 291,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 32,200 fewer colorectal cancer cases.

The finding that more disease cases were prevented by reducing unprocessed red meat compared to processed meat is partly due to the average daily intake of unprocessed red meat being higher than processed meat, at 47g a day versus 29g a day, respectively.

As less is known about the effect of eating unprocessed red meat on chronic disease risk, the team says these estimates should be interpreted with caution and that more research is needed.

Public fails to appreciate risk of consuming raw milk

 – Consuming raw milk or products made with it is riskier than drinking pasteurized milk. Yet fewer than half of U.S. adults know that drinking raw milk is less safe than drinking pasteurized milk and many Americans do not understand the risks of consuming raw milk, according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s latest health survey. 

The survey finds that 47% percent of U.S. adults know that drinking raw milk is less safe than drinking pasteurized milk, while nearly a quarter (24%) of Americans either think incorrectly that pasteurization is not effective at killing bacteria and viruses in milk products (4%) or are not sure whether this is true (20%).

“It is important that anyone planning to consume raw milk be aware that doing so can make you sick and that pasteurization reduces the risk of milk-borne illnesses,” said Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute at the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

APPC’s survey was conducted by SSRS, a market research company, on June 7-10, 2024, as a cross-sectional survey of 1,031 U.S. adults who are part of the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus. The margin of error for total respondents is ±3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. (See the end of this release or the topline for further details.)

Why consuming raw milk is risky

Milk from animals including cows, sheep, and goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs is called unpasteurized or raw milk. Unpasteurized dairy products are estimated to “cause 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized products.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that consuming unpasteurized milk and products made from it “can expose people to germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella.”

Heightening these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported in an open letter on June 6, 2024, that bird flu has been detected in cow’s milk. Cattle infected with avian influenza “shed the virus in their milk.” Technically known as highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) of the H5N1 subtype, the CDC has noted that H5N1 bird flu is “widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows.” The presence of H5N1 bird flu was confirmed in cattle in the United States in mid-March 2024. As of June 21, 2024, there had been four human cases of H5N1 in the United States since 2022, three in April and May of 2024 following exposure to cows and one in April 2022 following exposure to poultry. As of mid-June, 95 cattle herds in 12 states were identified as infected.

The FDA says it does not currently know whether the HPAI H5N1 virus can be transmitted to humans through consumption of raw milk and products made from raw milk from infected cows. However, a study conducted in mice concluded that the virus in “untreated milk can infect susceptible animals that consume it” and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says this suggests that drinking raw milk “may pose a risk of transmission to people.” As of mid-June 2024, the FDA concluded “that the totality of evidence continues to indicate that the commercial milk supply [which is pasteurized] is safe.”

Although the FDA has prohibited the interstate sale of raw milk since 1987, 30 states in the United States allow the sale of raw dairy milk in some form, according to the NIH. While an FDA food safety report in 2016 said just 4.4% of U.S. adults reported consuming raw milk at least once in the past year, raw milk sales have been increasing, according to the Associated Press, which reports that weekly sales of raw milk from late March to mid-May grew from 21% to as much as 65% over the same period last year.

What people know about the risks of raw milk and benefits of pasteurization

The CDC notes that “pasteurization is crucial for milk safety, killing harmful germs that can cause illness” and the NIH says “dairy milk purchased in the grocery store has been pasteurized – heated to a level high enough and long enough to kill most viruses or bacteria in the milk.”

Yet in the APPC survey, over half of the respondents (54%) either think drinking raw milk is safer (9%), just as safe (15%), or are unsure (30%) whether it is more or less safe than drinking pasteurized milk. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed question the effectiveness of pasteurization at killing bacteria and viruses in untreated milk – 20% are unsure whether it is effective and 4% incorrectly assert that it is not effective.

Who holds correct and mistaken beliefs about raw milk?

An analysis of survey data shows that adults who are 65 and older, college educated, or who identify with the Democratic Party are more likely to understand the benefits of pasteurization and to believe that pasteurization does not destroy the nutrients in milk. The survey finds that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that drinking raw milk is less safe than pasteurized milk (57% vs. 37%). People living in an urban environment also are more likely to believe that raw milk is less safe than pasteurized milk than people in a rural environment (49% vs. 32%).

“The difference in views of raw milk that we see between Democrats and Republicans is difficult to disentangle from the difference between rural and urban dwellers,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “Those in rural areas are both more likely to identify as Republicans and to consume raw milk.”

However, a regression analysis conducted by APPC research analyst Shawn Patterson Jr. shows that both which political party one identifies with and where one lives independently predict an individual’s beliefs about the safety of raw milk. But the analysis also shows that where one lives does not independently predict beliefs about the effectiveness of pasteurization nor the effect pasteurization has on the nutrients of milk. (See the appendix for regression analysis.)

The nutritional value of pasteurized vs. raw milk

Viral online videos championing the purported benefits of raw milk attracted millions of views between late March, when the presence of bird flu virus was first confirmed in U.S. cattle, and mid-May, according to reports in the Associated Press and Washington Post. Drinking raw milk has been encouraged as well by some political leaders, including presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who told the audience at an October 2022 meeting of his Children’s Health Defense that he drinks raw milk exclusively.

Among the arguments advanced in favor of consuming raw milk is that pasteurization destroys valuable nutrients – but the CDC states that pasteurized milk “offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption.”

Our survey finds that less than half of Americans (43%) know that pasteurization “does not destroy nutrients in milk,” while 16% believe that it does destroy nutrients and 41% are not sure. Notably, the survey finds that younger people (18- to 29-year-olds) are more likely to believe than older adults (65 and older) that pasteurization destroys the nutrients in milk (25% vs. 5%) and Republicans are much more likely to believe it than Democrats (23% vs. 8%). Whether one lives in an urban vs. rural setting is not significantly different in this belief.

Eating more soy foods could improve thinking and attention in kids

 A new study found that school-aged children who consumed more isoflavones from soy foods exhibited better thinking abilities and attention. These findings pave the way for future research aimed at unraveling how soy foods can positively impact children's cognitive abilities.

Isoflavones are naturally occurring compounds found in various plants, particularly soybeans and soy products. Although previous research in adults has suggested that soy isoflavones can improve memory, the benefits haven’t been studied well in children.

“Soy foods are often not a regular part of children’s diets in the United States,” said Ajla Bristina, a neuroscience doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Our study adds evidence of the importance of nutrients found in soy foods for childhood cognition.”

Bristina will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 29–July 2 in Chicago.

To examine the potential benefits of soy isoflavones, the researchers examined previously available data from a cross-sectional study that included 128 children ages 7 to 13. They used information from 7-day diet records to calculate each child’s average dietary intake, including the amounts of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and isoflavones consumed. To assess the children’s general intellectual ability, the researchers used a set of pencil and paper tests adjusted for grade level. They also measured attentional abilities using a computerized task known as the flanker task while electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded and used to measure information processing speed and attention.

“No other studies have examined the association between soy isoflavones and attentional abilities using EEG or similar measures to record electrical activity generated by the brain,” said Bristina.

Overall, the analysis revealed that the children in the study tended to consume low amounts of isoflavone-containing soy foods. However, those who did consume more soy foods showed faster responses during the attentional tasks and exhibited faster processing speed. No association was observed between soy isoflavone intake and general intellectual ability.

“The children in our study consumed an average of 1.33 mg of isoflavones per day, which while relatively low, aligns with previously reported values for the United States,” said Bristina. “Soy consumption for individual participants ranged from 0 to 35 mg/day. To put this into perspective, an 8 fl. oz serving of soy milk provides about 28 mg of isoflavones, a serving of tofu provides about 35 mg and half a cup of steamed edamame provides about 18 mg of isoflavones.”

Bristina says that snacks like roasted edamame, soynuts or soymilk are a good way to incorporate more soy into the diet. Tofu, tempeh or soy-based nuggets are also good options for meals.

“Correlational studies like this are only the first step,” said Bristina. “To better understand the effects of eating soy foods on children’s cognitive abilities and the precise amount of isoflavone intake necessary to elicit faster response times will require intervention approaches.” To find out more, the research team recently began a clinical trial examining the effects of soy foods on thinking abilities, sex hormones, metabolic health and gut health.

Too much treadmill? This could help your shin splints

 

IMAGE: 

“THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FINDING FOR CLINICIANS, AS THIS GIVES US A TOOL TO USE TO HELP THESE RUNNERS,” SAID RESEARCHER DAVID J. HRYVNIAK, DO, A RUNNING MEDICINE SPECIALIST WHO IS PART OF UVA Health’s Runner’s Clinic.

 

view more 

CREDIT: UVA HEALTH

Good news for all the treadmill runners who suffer from stubborn and painful shin splints: A little outdoor gait training may help, new research suggests.

A randomized controlled trial found that four weeks of gait training outdoors, in addition to home exercises often prescribed for shin splints, led to improved running biomechanics even when the runners were using a treadmill. These improvements included decreasing the time the runners’ feet were in contact with the ground or treadmill, a recently identified contributor to shin splints.

Based on the trial results, the researchers, including UVA Health sports medicine expert David J. Hryvniak, DO, are recommending that clinicians begin including outdoor gait training as part of rehabilitation programs for patients struggling with chronic shin splints.

“This is an important finding for clinicians, as this gives us a tool to use to help these runners,” said Hryvniak, a running medicine specialist who is part of UVA Health’s Runner’s Clinic. “These gait-training cues can be an easy thing to add into a rehab program to help patients improve running mechanics that can underlie many common running injuries.”

Soothing Shin Splints

Affecting approximately 40% of all runners, shin splints typically begin as tenderness in the lower leg that goes away after exercising. But for regular runners, this pain can worsen and become persistent. In severe cases, shin splints can even lead to stress fractures.

Prior research has found that short courses of outdoor gait training can significantly reduce shin-splint pain for outdoor runners. But experts had been uncertain if these benefits would transfer to the flat, regular surface of treadmill running. That prompted an interdisciplinary team of researchers – from UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences, School of Education and School of Medicine, as well as Virginia Commonwealth University, Plymouth State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – to launch a randomized trial to find out if outdoor gait training would benefit treadmill users.

The researchers enrolled 17 treadmill runners between ages 18 and 45 who ran at least three times a week and who had been suffering lower leg pain during or after running for at least a month. The volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: One group received four weeks of outdoor gait training and performed commonly prescribed home strengthening exercises, while the other group only performed the home exercises.

During the gait training, participants were provided with “vibrotactile feedback” –meaning they felt a little vibration – when special sensors in their shoes detected their feet were in contact with the ground for too long. This helped them improve their stride and gait to reduce this potential contributor to shin splints.

At the end of the study period, both groups saw strength improvements in their legs. But the gait trainers also had improved running technique, or what the researchers call “favorable adjustments in running gait mechanics.” And, sure enough, these gait improvements were seen during both outdoor runs and treadmill runs.

That suggests outdoor gait training could be an important new tool to help treadmill users work up a sweat pain-free, the researchers say.

“Shin splints are a very common running injury, especially with those who are new to the sport,” Hryvniak said. “These gait cues are something that have been shown to be an effective tool that patients can use literally ‘on the run.’”

Findings Published

The researchers have published their findings in the Journal of Biomechanics

What you eat at age 40 could influence your quality of life at 70

 We all want to age with grace, but a new study found that fewer than 1 in 10 people were able to live free of disease and maintain good physical, cognitive and mental health to age 70 and beyond. The study suggests that sticking to a healthy diet in midlife could increase your chance of achieving healthy aging. 

The research, based on data from over 100,000 people spanning 30 years, revealed that people who followed a healthy diet from their 40s onward were 43-84% more likely to be well-functioning physically and mentally at age 70 compared with those who did not.

“People who adhered to healthy dietary patterns in midlife, especially those rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, were significantly more likely to achieve healthy aging,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. “This suggests that what you eat in midlife can play a big role in how well you age.”

Tessier will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 29–July 2 in Chicago.

In terms of particular foods, the researchers found that higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy were associated with greater odds of healthy aging, while higher intakes of trans fat, sodium, total meats, red and processed meats were associated with a lower odds of healthy aging.

While many previous studies have shown that a healthy diet can help to ward off chronic diseases, the new research is unique in its focus on healthy aging — defined not just as the absence of disease but the ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as we grow older. 

“Traditionally, research and derived dietary guidelines have focused on preventing chronic diseases like heart disease,” said Tessier. “Our study provides evidence for dietary recommendations to consider not only disease prevention but also promoting overall healthy aging as a long-term goal.”

Researchers analyzed data from over 106,000 people going back to 1986. Participants were at least 39 years old and free of chronic diseases at the start of the study and provided information about their diet via questionnaires every four years. As of 2016, nearly half of the study participants had died and only 9.2% survived to age 70 or older while maintaining freedom from chronic diseases and good physical, cognitive and mental health.

The researchers compared rates of healthy aging among people in the highest versus lowest quintiles for adherence to each of eight healthy dietary patterns that have been defined by previous scientific studies. The strongest correlation was seen with the alternative healthy eating index, a pattern that reflects close adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Participants in the top quintile for this dietary pattern were 84% more likely to achieve healthy aging than those in the bottom quintile.

Strong correlations were also found for the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia diet (associated with a 78% greater likelihood of healthy aging), planetary health diet (68%), alternative Mediterranean diet (67%), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet (66%), the Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet (59%) and empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (58%). A somewhat more modest association was found for the healthful plant-based diet (43%).

“A finding that stood out was the association between the planetary health diet and healthy aging,” said Tessier. “This diet is based on the EAT Lancet Commission’s report which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, plant proteins and healthy fats from sustainable sources. The fact that it emerged as one of the leading dietary patterns associated with healthy aging is particularly interesting because it supports that we can eat a diet that may benefit both our health and the planet.”

The ties between diet and healthy aging remained strong even when the researchers accounted for physical activity and other factors that are known to impact health. Tessier noted that each of the healthy dietary patterns was linked with healthy aging as a whole, as well as with the individual components of healthy aging, including physical health, cognitive functioning and mental health.

Given the study’s focus on dietary patterns in middle age, Tessier said that future research could help to elucidate the potential impacts of switching to a healthier dietary pattern later in life.  

The Mediterranean Diet is linked to lower risk of mortality in cancer survivors

 

The Mediterranean Diet is a powerful ally for health even after a cancer diagnosis. This is the key result of an Italian study carried out as part of the UMBERTO Project, conducted by the Joint Research Platform Umberto Veronesi Foundation - Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed of Pozzilli, in collaboration with the LUM "Giuseppe Degennaro" University of Casamassima (BA). According to this research, people diagnosed with any type of tumor, who had a high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in the year preceding their enrollment into the study, live longer and have a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality, compared to those with lower adherence to this diet.

The study, published in JACC CardioOncology, examined 800 Italian adults, both men and women, who had already been diagnosed with cancer at the time of enrollment in the Moli-sani Study, between 2005 and 2010. Participants were followed for over 13 years, and detailed information on their food consumption during the year before enrollment was available for all of them.

“The beneficial role of the Mediterranean Diet in primary prevention of some tumors is well known in the literature – says Marialaura Bonaccio, first author of the study and Co-Principal Investigator of the Joint Research Platform at the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the IRCCS Neuromed - However, little is known about the potential benefits that this dietary model can have for those who have already received a cancer diagnosis".

Considering that the number of cancer survivors is expected to increase in the coming years, possibly due to targeted and effective therapies, it is crucial to understand the extent to which a healthy diet can prolong survival. This is why Italian researchers examined the role of the Mediterranean Diet in relation to mortality in people who already had a history of cancer at time of enrollment into the Moli-sani study, one of the largest population cohorts in Europe.

“The results of our study - continues Bonaccio - indicate that people who had cancer and reported a high adherence to a Mediterranean way of eating had a 32% lower risk of mortality compared to participants who did not follow the Mediterranean Diet. The benefit was particularly evident for cardiovascular mortality, which was reduced by 60%”.

“These data support an interesting hypothesis - underlines Maria Benedetta Donati, Principal Investigator of the Joint Platform - that different chronic diseases, such as tumors and heart diseases, actually share the same molecular mechanisms. This is known in the literature as 'common soil', namely a common ground from which these two groups of disorders originate."

“The Mediterranean Diet – explains Chiara Tonelli, President of the Scientific Committee of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation – is mostly composed of foods such as fruit, vegetables and olive oil, that are natural sources of antioxidant compounds, which could explain the advantage observed in terms of mortality not only from cancer, but also from cardiovascular diseases, that can be reduced by diets particularly rich in these bioactive compounds. The UMBERTO Project is therefore oriented to increase knowledge of the mechanisms, in order to clarify the benefits of this dietary model also for more vulnerable population groups, such as cancer survivors".

Strawberries may lower cardiovascular disease risk and improve glucose control

 

Strawberries, America’s favorite fruit, are top for consumers in taste, and research shows that they may be a good choice in promoting heart health as well.  A new study looking specifically at cardiovascular health and improved glucose control was presented in a poster session at Nutrition 2024, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, on June 30 in Chicago. Primary investigator Lasantha Krishan Hirimuthugoda, M.D., postdoctoral research associate at Illinois Institute of Technology, presented the findings. The study aimed to investigate dose-related effects of strawberry fruit intake on endothelial function and glucose control, specifically investigating the relationship of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) responses to intervention on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.   

The study included 36 women and 32 men, aged 20 to 62 years with a body mass index (BMI) 29.8±4.8 kg/m2. Researchers assessed the effects of strawberry intake on FMD as well as the relationship of the FMD responses to intervention on CVD risk. FMD% was significantly influenced by eating strawberry daily for 4 weeks compared to control suggesting a dose-response toward higher to lower median, respectively (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.001). Preliminary analyses of CGM suggest no significant differences between interventions in changes from baseline (Kruskal-Wallis test p>0.05). In a logistic regression model (with goodness of fit p=0.33) using all interventions with FMD responses and a 2% increase in FMD as an indicator of reduced CVD risk, suggested strawberry intake dose-dependently reduced CVD risk by 8-times compared to the control group (p<0.001). The sensitivity analysis, in which missing primary outcome data were imputed, resulted in similar findings (odd ratio, 8.029; to 7.029; p<0.001 to p=0.002). 

"A diet low in fruit is among the top three risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” said co-author Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. “Adding as little as one cup of strawberries a day to your diet may show beneficial effects on your cardiovascular health.” 

As one of the most popular and accessible fruits in the U.S., strawberries are a flavor-favorite with consumers. A serving of 8 strawberries (one cup) fulfills the daily recommended value of vitamin C and delivers a host of other nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds. Available year-round, strawberries offer consumers a versatile and convenient fruit option loved by kids and adults.  

Why whole grains are healthiest

 

Whole wheat retains far more of its nutritional value during milling and baking compared with refined flours and breads

What does whole wheat have that refined flour lacks? A new study reveals key differences in nutrient content along with exactly where nutrients are lost — and sometimes gained — along the journey from farm to table.   

While previous studies have assessed the nutrients contained in various crops or in food products, the new study is among the first to bridge the two by tracing how processing and baking influence nutrient composition at each step.

Researchers report that levels of major minerals were cut by nearly three-quarters in refined flour and breads made with refined flour compared with whole wheat. Additionally, milling and baking markedly reduced the amount of other nutrients, such as vitamin E, in both refined and whole wheat products compared with raw wheat kernels.

“Tracking nutrient content from farm to table is key for appraising what agricultural products actually contribute to the diet,” said David Killilea, PhD, a researcher at the University of California San Francisco. “Our experimental approach revealed that both milling and baking had significant impacts on multiple nutrient levels within wheat flour and bread.”

Killilea will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 29–July 2 in Chicago.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that whole grains constitute at least half of the total grains we consume, but research shows that most people do not meet this recommendation. By revealing the stark differences in nutritional value between more refined and less refined wheat products, the study underscores the importance of a diet rich in whole grains.  

“Whole grains have an important role to play in the nutritional palette of the Western diet, and we strongly support the promotion of whole grain consumption,” said Killilea. “Processes that enrich the nutrient density of wheat-based foods should be encouraged, while processes that deplete nutrient density should be understood.”

For the study, researchers obtained raw wheat kernels from a single farm source, milled the kernels to produce three different types of flour and then used the flours to prepare breads. They assessed the levels of major minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium), trace minerals (copper, iron, molybdenum, zinc), carotenoids (vitamin A-like compounds) and vitamin E at each step.

The three flour types were intact whole wheat flour (produced by stone-milling), reconstituted whole wheat flour (produced by roller-milling) and refined white flour (produced by roller milling with bran and germ removed).

In the two types of whole wheat flours, levels of major minerals remained virtually unchanged from kernel to flour to bread, while the levels of some trace minerals actually increased during processing. In refined flours and breads, major minerals were reduced by up to 72% and trace minerals were reduced by up to 64% compared with wheat kernels.

Vitamin E levels dropped substantially with each processing step, regardless of the type of flour used to prepare the breads. Ultimately, breads made with all flour types contained less than one-fifth the amount of vitamin E as wheat kernels. Levels of carotenoids were also reduced when the flours were baked into breads, with all breads containing less than one-quarter the amount of carotenoids as wheat kernels.

Next, the researchers plan to study how different farming or processing practices could influence the nutrient density of wheat and wheat products. Since inadequacies of vitamins A and E are a significant health concern in the U.S., they plan to focus particularly on whether fermentation or other processes could help to preserve the vitamin content of wheat products. 

Want to stay mentally sharp longer? Eat a healthy diet now

 

 Eating a high-quality diet in youth and middle age could help keep your brain functioning well in your senior years, according to new preliminary findings from a study that used data collected from over 3,000 people followed for nearly seven decades.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that a healthy diet could help ward off Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. Whereas most previous research on the topic has focused on eating habits of people in their 60s and 70s, the new study is the first to track diet and cognitive ability throughout the lifespan — from age 4 to 70 — and suggests the links may start much earlier than previously recognized.

“These initial findings generally support current public health guidance that it is important to establish healthy dietary patterns early in life in order to support and maintain health throughout life,” said Kelly Cara, PhD, a recent graduate of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “Our findings also provide new evidence suggesting that improvements to dietary patterns up to midlife may influence cognitive performance and help mitigate, or lessen, cognitive decline in later years.”

Cara will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 29–July 2 in Chicago.

Cognitive performance, or thinking ability, can keep improving well into middle age, but typically begins to decline after age 65. More severe conditions such as dementia can also develop alongside aging-related declines. Researchers say that eating a healthy diet — in particular, a diet rich in plant-based foods that contain high levels of antioxidants and mono- and polyunsaturated fats — can support brain health by reducing oxidative stress and improving blood flow to the brain.

For the new research, scientists used data from 3,059 U.K. adults who were enrolled as children in a study called National Survey of Health and Development. Members of the cohort, called the 1946 British Birth Cohort, have provided data on dietary intakes, cognitive outcomes and other factors via questionnaires and tests over the course of more than 75 years.

Analyzing participants’ dietary intakes at five timepoints in relation to their cognitive ability at seven timepoints, researchers found that dietary quality was closely linked with trends in general, or “global,” cognitive ability. For example, only about 8% of people with low-quality diets sustained high cognitive ability and only about 7% of people with high-quality diets sustained low cognitive ability over time compared with their peers.

Cognitive ability can have important impacts on quality of life and independence as we age. For example, at age 68-70, participants in the highest cognitive group showed a much higher retention of working memory, processing speed and general cognitive performance compared to those in the lowest cognitive group. In addition, nearly one-quarter of participants in the lowest cognitive group showed signs of dementia at this timepoint while none of those in the highest cognitive group showed signs of dementia.

While most people saw steady improvements in their dietary quality throughout adulthood, the researchers noted that slight differences in diet quality in childhood seemed to set the tone for later life dietary patterns, for better or worse. “This suggests that early life dietary intakes may influence our dietary decisions later in life, and the cumulative effects of diet over time are linked with the progression of our global cognitive abilities,” said Cara.

To assess diet quality, the researchers used the 2020 Healthy Eating Index, which measures how closely one’s diet aligns with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Study participants who sustained the highest cognitive abilities over time relative to their peers tended to eat more recommended foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains and less sodium, added sugars and refined grains.

“Dietary patterns that are high in whole or less processed plant-food groups including leafy green vegetables, beans, whole fruits and whole grains may be most protective,” said Cara. “Adjusting one’s dietary intake at any age to incorporate more of these foods and to align more closely with current dietary recommendations is likely to improve our health in many ways, including our cognitive health.”