Company’s Scientists Find That Its Weight Loss Program Works Well

A study conducted by scientists at weight loss company Medifast found the 4 & 2 & 1 Plan used at Medifast Weight Control Centers was effective for weight loss after 12 weeks. The scientists looked at the records of 310 customers, finding that the average weight loss was 24 pounds. The plan was also effective at preserving lean muscle mass and improving cardiometabolic risk factors. Customers – men, women, and younger and older adults – who stuck with the plan for 24 weeks lost an average of 35 pounds. More than 75 percent of active 12-week customers lost at least five percent body weight and more than 85 percent of 24-week customers lost five percent or more.

"Effectiveness of a Medifast meal replacement program on weight, body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese adults: a multicenter systematic retrospective chart review study", Nutrition Journal, September 22, 2015

New Generation Of Superfoods May Not Be So Super

Foodies and health food groupies who thrive on the cutting edge of the superfood world have apparently moved beyond acai, quinoa and chia seeds, especially now that those once exotic foods are available at Walmart and Costco. Instead, they have latched on to the newest wave of rare, foreign and super-nutritious beverages: moringa, E3 live blue-green algae, citicoline, freekeh, turkey tail mushroom, sideritis, etc. All promise enhanced wellbeing or super energy. But nutritionists warn that a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, etc., is probably all anyone needs to stay healthy. And no one really knows whether these so-called superfoods are really any good for you at all. Some, eaten with certain medications, may actually be harmful.

"New super-foods, from baobab to turkey tail, come with promises and caveats", The Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2015

Ancient Grinding Tool Embedded With Starch Suggests “Paleo” Diet Was Diverse

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

Causes Of Early Death Have Changed Globally Since 1980s

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

Changing Composition Of Gut Bacteria Offers Major Health Benefits

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 Works Like Exercise In Obese People

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

Cheap, Salty – And Harmful – Foods Are The Scourge Of Low-Income Europeans

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

Kids Will Eat Healthier Lunches At School If Given More Time

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

Mediterranean Diet Prevents Onset Of Depression

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

Beet Juice Strengthens Muscles In Heart Failure Patients

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

Less Active Lifestyles Are Key Contributor To Obesity In U.K.

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

Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With More Rapid Decline In Cognitive Abilities

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

Large Study Finds Link Between Diet Drinks And Junk-Food Consumption

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

Slowly But Surely Americans Are Eating More Whole Grains

For a long time, Americans pretty much ignored federal dietary guidelines and advice from nutritionists and health experts to eat more whole grains. But the tide is turning, according to the Whole Grains Council. The majority of Americans are now eating more whole grains than they did back in 2010, and at least half say half of the grains they eat are whole grains. A poll of U.S. consumers found that 64 percent have increased whole grain consumption "some" or "a lot" in the last five years. And two-thirds of those who mostly choose whole grains now have increased their whole grain consumption “a great deal” compared to five years ago. The WGC says the next step is to get Americans to go beyond bread, cereal and brown rice when they buy whole grains, and look for spelt, farro, amaranth and teff.

"Most Americans Now Make Half Their Grains Whole", News release, Oldways Whole Grains Council, August 31, 2015

"Personalized" U.K. Breakfasts Increasingly Feature Added Fruits And Nuts

British breakfast eaters are into customizing their morning meal, as more and more are adding fruits, seeds, and nuts to their cereal, yogurt and other foods, or are purchasing products that already contain those ingredients. According to Kantar Worldpanel research, consumption of fruits and nuts grew nearly 10 percent last year. Fruit was eaten in 2.2 billion breakfasts in 2014, a rise of 8.9 percent, while nuts were eaten in 116 million breakfasts, a rise of 221.1 percent. Food companies are helping to fuel the trend. A Weetabix “Weetabuddies” ad campaign targeted at kids touted healthy fruit ingredients. Ads for Alpro’s Simply Plain yogurt boasted of the product’s “infinite” topping possibilities, including fruits and nuts.

"Fruit, nuts and seeds benefit from DIY breakfast boom", The Grocer, August 27, 2015