Latest Health News - Diet = Good and Bad foods

 Good for you: mushrooms, avocados, water, prunes, coffee, cranberries, walnuts, home cooking, intermittent fasting, yogurt

Bad for you: salt, any amount of alcohol,  artificial sweeteners, processed meat in the evening

Replacing table salt with a reduced-sodium, added-potassium ‘salt substitute’ prevents death and disease
Replacing table salt with a reduced-sodium, added-potassium ‘salt substitute’ is cost-saving and prevents death and disease in people at high risk of having a stroke, according to new research. Salt substitution has been shown to reduce stroke risk by 14 percent and the number of strokes and heart attacks combined by 13 percent, but this new analysis revealed that the costs saved as a result outweighed the cost of the intervention. The results will be presented at the American Congress of Cardiology in Washington DC on April 3 by Professor Bruce Neal, Executive Director of The G... read more

Benefits of eating more mushrooms
Next time you order a pizza or whip up a creamy risotto, go ahead and load on the mushrooms. Adding more of the edible fungi into your diet may be one way to counteract the health risks associated with the Western-style diet (WSD), which often features an abundance of fatty foods and added sugars. The benefits of consuming mushrooms is the focus of new research by University of Massachusetts Amherst nutritionist Zhenhua Liu, an associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, who has received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agricu... read more

Eating two servings of avocados a week linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Eating two or more servings of avocado weekly was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and substituting avocado for certain fat-containing foods like butter, cheese or processed meats was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Avocados contain dietary fiber, unsaturated fats especially monounsaturated fat (healthy fats) and other favorable components that have been associated... read more

Good hydration may reduce long-term risks for heart failure
Staying well-hydrated may be associated with a reduced risk for developing heart failure, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their findings, which appear in the *European Heart Journal*, suggest that consuming sufficient amounts of fluids throughout life not only supports essential body functioning but may also reduce the risk of severe heart problems in the future. Heart failure, a chronic condition that develops when the heart does not pump enough blood for the body’s needs, affects more than 6.2 million Americans, a little more than 2% of the popul... read more

Prunes prevent bone loss at hip and protect against fracture risk
In a new study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that daily prune consumption preserved bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip and protected against increased fracture risk in postmenopausal women. The study findings were presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases – the leading clinical conference on bone, joint, and muscle health. BMD is known to decrease rapidly after menopause and women over the age of 50 are more likely to experience hip fractures, which commonly lead to hospitalization, diminished quality of... read more

Large study challenges the theory that light alcohol consumption benefits heart health
Observational research has suggested that light alcohol consumption may provide heart-related health benefits, but in a large study published in *JAMA Network Open*, alcohol intake at all levels was linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published by a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, suggest that the supposed benefits of alcohol consumption may actually be attributed to other lifestyle factors that are common among light to moderate drinkers. The study included 371,46... read more

Daily coffee may benefit the heart - Drinking two to three cups a day - greatest heart benefits
Drinking coffee—particularly two to three cups a day—is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. These trends held true for both people with and without cardiovascular disease. Researchers said the analyses—the largest to look at coffee’s potential role in heart disease and death—provide reassurance that coffee isn’t tied to new or worsening heart disease and may actually be heart protective. “Because co... read more

Study suggests association between consuming artificial sweeteners and increased cancer risk
Artificial sweeteners reduce added sugar content and corresponding calories while maintaining sweetness. A study publishing March 24th in *PLOS Medicine* by Charlotte Debras and Mathilde Touvier at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France and colleagues suggests that some artificial sweeteners are associated with increased cancer risk. Many food products and beverages containing artificial sweeteners are consumed by millions of people daily. However, the safety of these additives has been a subject of debate... read more

New clues about how a high-salt diet contributes to cardiometabolic diseases found deep in the brain
Deep in the brain a group of large neurons produce a hormone which prompts our bodies to hold onto more fluid and increase blood pressure. Scientists say these neurons play a critical role in enabling our bodies to maintain healthy homeostasis by using this skill set to efficiently eliminate the excessive salt we consume in an unhealthy meal. But scientists at the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia State University also say that the chronic high-salt diet most Americans consume can turn this system against us, resulting in hyperactivity of these neurons, continuing production... read more

100g of cranberries a day improves cardiovascular health
A new clinical trial found daily consumption of cranberries for one month improved cardiovascular function in healthy men. The new study, published today in *Food & Function*, included 45 healthy men who consumed whole cranberry powder equivalent to 100g of fresh cranberries per day (9 g powder) or a placebo for one month. Those consuming cranberry had a significant improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which signals improvement of heart and blood vessel function. FMD is considered a sensitive biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk and measures how blood vessels widen wh... read more

Plant-based omega-3s may boost heart health, reduce risk of heart disease
People often think of salmon when they think of omega-3 fatty acids, but a new research review found that the major plant-based version of the nutrient, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), can benefit heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease for those who don’t eat seafood. In a comprehensive literature review, the researchers found that consuming ALA that is found in plant-based foods like walnuts and flaxseeds was associated with a 10% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20% reduced risk of fatal coronary heart disease. Penny Kris-Etherton, Evan Pugh University Professor... read more

Research shows healthy home cooking equals a healthy mind
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found being confident in the kitchen is not only good for your taste buds: it’s also good for your mental health. The study follows ECU’s successful partnership with The Good Foundation and Jamie’s Ministry of Food initiative, with a mobile food kitchen providing cooking classes in the community as well as at the University’s Perth and SW campuses, throughout 2016 to 2018. In total, 657 participants undertook the seven-week healthy cooking course. At the same time, ECU Institute for Nutrition Research academics measured the... read more

Cocoa flavanol supplement shows promise for reducing cardiovascular risk
More info here - Large-scale randomized trial found signs of preventive cardiovascular effects for cocoa flavanols, including a 27 percent reduction in the secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death - There was a 10 percent reduction in total cardiovascular events, the trial’s primary outcome, that was not statistically significant The first large-scale trial to test the long-term effects of a cocoa flavanol supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease offers promising signals that cocoa flavanols could have protective cardiovascular effects. In papers published i... read more

Guidelines, recommendations for intermittent fasting
A University of Illinois Chicago team has summarized research on intermittent fasting to provide insights into its effects on the body and to provide advice for incorporating these diets in everyday life. They have also presented recommendations for future research into these popular diet methods. “Clinical application of intermittent fasting for weight loss: progress and future directions,” was recently published in *Nature Reviews Endocrinology*. Krista Varady, professor of nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences, is the lead author. The three main forms of i... read more

Why yogurt lowers the risk of developing diabetes
Scientists have known for some years that eating yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, but the reasons behind this protective effect were unclear. A study published today in *Nature Communications *by researchers at Université Laval and Danone Nutricia Research reveals that this protection could come partly from the gut microbiota as well as from specific metabolites produced by the lactic bacteria in yogurt. “These metabolites, called branched chain hydroxy acids (BCHA), result from the action of yogurt lactic bacteria on naturally occurring amino acids in milk,”... read more

Less processed meat in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes
The time of day that people with diabetes eat certain foods may be just as important to their well-being as portion size and calories, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's *Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.* Mealtimes should be in line with the biological clock -- a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours. Health outcomes for people with diabetes may be improved if certain foods are eaten at different times of the day. "We observed that eating potatoes in the morning, whole grains in the af... read more

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