Scientists exploring a cave in southern Italy report finding a small stone grinding tool embedded with grains of starch. Botanist Marta Mariotti Lippi said the tool dates back 32,000 years; the starch probably came from a wild species of oats that grows in Europe. She suggests that humans at the time were probably grinding the oats into flour. The discovery is interesting because it adds to the evidence that fad ideas about the “Paleolithic diet” may be erroneous. Other studies have shown, for example, that the cereal grain sorghum formed part of the human diet 105,000 years ago.
"Flour Was Part of the Human Diet 32,000 Years Ago", Smithsonian.com, September 18, 2015
Prior to the 1990s, the leading causes of death globally were child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe water, sanitation, and lack of handwashing. But a new study finds a whole slew of new culprits. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers led by the Universities of Washington and Melbourne, looked at 79 risk factors for death in 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. The top death risk factors include: high body mass index (Middle East, Latin America); household air pollution, unsafe water (South and Southeast Asia); alcohol (Russia); smoking (high-income countries, the U.K.); childhood malnutrition, unsafe water and lack of sanitation, unsafe sex, alcohol use (sub-Saharan Africa); high blood pressure (Australia) and HIV/AIDS (South Africa).
"Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990–2013", The Lancet, September 18, 2015
Pasta enriched with indigestible fiber known as beta-glucan – found naturally in oats and barley – increases beneficial bacteria in the gut, reduces non-beneficial bacteria, and significantly lowers bad cholesterol in the blood, according to a new Italian study. Researchers tested blood and fecal samples at the beginning and end of the two-month study. There was a notable increase in beneficial Lactobacilli, and a reduction in Enterobacteriaceae, and other non-beneficial bacteria. In addition, the average low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol fell from 107.4 to 93.8 mg/dl.
"The role of whole-grain barley on human fecal microbiota and metabolome. ", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 18, 2015
Vitamin C supplements seem to provide the same cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise in overweight and obese adults. The key problem is the increased activity of a small blood vessel-constricting protein called endothelin (ET-1) in overweight people, making them more prone to vascular diseases. Exercise reduces ET-1 activity, but more than half of overweight people never exercise. The U.S. researchers found that taking 500 mg of time-released vitamin C daily reduced ET-1-related vessel constriction as much as walking did.
"Vitamin C an exercise replacement?", News release, research presented at an American Physiological Society meeting, September 17, 2015
Italian researchers have determined that low-income Europeans eat more salt than their more affluent peers, a fact that explains why they tend to have more disabilities and lower life expectancies. The researchers said that governments can help reverse this situation by discouraging manufacturers from producing cheap, salty foods and distributors from selling them. Lower-income people tend to eat these foods because they are inexpensive. The study focused on people living in less affluent southern Italy, but found similar results across Britain in a previous study.
"Geographic and socioeconomic variation of sodium and potassium intake in Italy: results from the MINISAL-GIRCSI programme. ", BMJ Open, September 16, 2015
School kids who have more time to eat lunch tend to eat healthier, a U.S. study finds. Data for the study were collected on six random days during the 2011 to 2012 school year as part a large controlled trial. When kids had less than 20 minutes in the cafeteria to eat lunch, they were much less likely to select a fruit. Peers who had at least 25 minutes were much more likely to eat a fruit (44 percent vs. 57 percent, respectively). Children with less than 20 minutes to eat lunch consumed 13 percent fewer entrees, 10 percent less milk, and 12 percent fewer veggies compared to students who had at least 25 minutes.
"Amount of Time to Eat Lunch Is Associated with Children’s Selection and Consumption of School Meal Entrée, Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk. ", Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, September 16, 2015
A long-term study involving 15,093 Spaniards demonstrates that eating a Mediterranean-type diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts – and low in processed meats – prevents the onset of depression. The researchers compared the Mediterranean diet, the Pro-vegetarian Dietary Pattern and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010. Participants used a scoring system to show how strictly they were adhering to their selected diet. The Alternative Healthy Eating diet was associated with the biggest reduction in depression risk, but most of that could be explained by its similarity to the Mediterranean Diet, the researchers said.
"A longitudinal analysis of diet quality scores and the risk of incident depression in the SUN Project. ", BMC Medicine, September 16, 2015
Scientists have shown that the nitrates in leafy green vegetables improve muscle performance in athletes. Now a new U.S. study shows that drinking nitrate-rich concentrated beet juice boosts muscle power in heart failure patients. The small clinical study involved nine patients with heart failure who drank beet juice and were tested two hours later. Patients showed a 13 percent increase in power in muscles that extend the knee, with the most benefit when muscles moved at a high velocity. The findings are important because many daily activities are power-based (e.g., lifting groceries, climbing stairs) and have a major impact on quality of life. “In general,” the researchers said, “physically more powerful people live longer."
"Acute Dietary Nitrate Intake Improves Muscle Contractile Function in Patients With Heart Failure", CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE. Circulation: Heart Failure, September 16, 2015
British researchers have found a three-decade pattern of sedentary lifestyles leading to increased obesity, despite a reduction in average consumption of calories. Obesity rates in the U.K. have tripled since 1985, while calorie intake has dropped 20 percent. The key reason is lifestyle changes. Men and women are less likely to work in strenuous occupations than in the past. They also spend more time watching TV and more time commuting by public transport or car, rather walking or cycling. The researchers said the link between work and calories should be taken into account “when evaluating policy interventions aimed at reducing obesity."
"New study reveals how changes in lifestyle are contributing to dramatic rise in obesity", News release, unpublished research, University of Royal Holloway London, September 14, 2015
Elderly people who are vitamin D deficient experience declining cognitive levels three times faster than those with adequate vitamin D levels, a U.S. study among 400 racially and ethnically diverse men and women has found. Participants were either cognitively normal, had mild cognitive impairment, or dementia. Insufficient vitamin D levels were associated with faster declines in mental performance, particularly in areas like executive function and memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The findings provide enough evidence to recommend that people in their 60s and older discuss taking a daily vitamin D supplement with their physicians.
" Vitamin D Status and Rates of Cognitive Decline in a Multiethnic Cohort of Older Adults. ", JAMA Neurology, September 14, 2015
A U.S.researcher who analyzed dietary data from 22,000 American adults found a link between regular drinking of diet beverages and consumption of high-calorie foods packed with sugar, sodium, fat and cholesterol. More than 90 percent of the people in the study regularly ate “discretionary” foods that are energy-dense, nutrient-poor, and do not belong to major food groups. They include cookies, ice cream, chocolate, fries and pastries. Ruopeng An hypothesized that people who drink diet beverages may feel justified in eating more; or, to feel satisfied they feel compelled to eat more high-calorie discretionary foods. They also suggested a third possibility: people choose diet beverages because they feel guilty about indulging in unhealthy food.
"Beverage Consumption in Relation to Discretionary Food Intake and Diet Quality among U.S. Adults, 2003-2012. ", Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, September 11, 2015
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The New York Times, September 02, 2015
The New York Times, August 29, 2015
Nutrition Insight, August 27, 2015
NewHope360.com, August 27, 2015
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