Category Archives: fruits

Women can live better with an improved diet

Women tend to live longer than men but typically have higher rates of illness. Now, new research from University of Georgia suggests these higher rates of illness can be improved by a better diet, one that is high in pigmented carotenoids such as yams, kale, spinach, watermelon, bell peppers, tomatoes, oranges and carrots. These bright-colored fruits and vegetables are particularly important in preventing visual and cognitive loss.

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“The idea is that men get a lot of the diseases that tend to kill you, but women get those diseases less often or later so they perseverate but with illnesses that are debilitating,” said Billy R. Hammond, a professor in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of psychology behavioral and brains sciences program and co-author of the study. “For example, of all of the existing cases of macular degeneration and dementia in the world, two-thirds are women … these diseases that women suffer for years are the very ones most amenable to prevention through lifestyle.”

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Fiber supplements aren’t one-size-fits-all – Study

Not all dietary fiber is created equal.

Stanford Medicine study that dug into two types of common digestive fiber supplements showed stark differences in how we react to them, and it’s not always good.

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The study also revealed insights into how one type of fiber reduces cholesterol — a mystery scientists have been chasing for years.

“We all know that high-fiber diets are good for us, but published reports of their effects can be highly contradictory,” said Michael Snyder, PhD, professor and chair of genetics and the senior author of the study, which was published April 28 in Cell Host & Microbe.

Snyder, the Stanford W. Ascherman, MD, FACS, Professor in Genetics, and his colleagues monitored thousands of molecules involved in metabolism and the microbiome, tracking the ebb and flow of the molecules as healthy volunteers ingested different amounts of two common dietary fibers — inulin and arabinoxylan.

The results showed that while arabinoxylan was overall a boon for reducing “bad” cholesterol, high doses of inulin caused a spike in inflammation in some people. There was, however, one volunteer whose body reacted well to high doses of inulin but not arabinoxylan. “Overall, this study revealed the effects of common fibers on human health and suggests strategies for personalized dietary interventions,” Snyder said.

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Higher fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake linked to lower risk of diabetes

Higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods are associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to two studies published by The BMJ.

The findings suggest that even a modest increase in consumption of these foods as part of a healthy diet could help prevent type 2 diabetes.

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In the first study, a team of European researchers examined the association between blood levels of vitamin C and carotenoids (pigments found in colourful fruits and vegetables) with risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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Fruits and veggies may lower risk of blockages in leg arteries – AHA

Exercise is excellent for keeping the body healthy, but what you put into that body is also critical. I saw a poster that said, ‘You can’t outrun your fork.’

Eating three or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day may lower your risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, an American Heart Association journal.

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PAD narrows the arteries of the legs, limiting blood flow to the muscles and making it difficult or painful to walk or stand.

Previous studies linked lower consumption of fruits and vegetables with the increased occurrence of coronary heart disease and stroke. However, there has been little research into the association of eating fruits and vegetables and PAD. Continue reading

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Some fruit and veggies may lower blood pressure

Here is yet another reason to be sad about the SAD – Standard American Diet.

A new study by  Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California researcher links increased dietary potassium with lower hypertension.

Consuming potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans, bananas — and even coffee — could be key to lowering blood pressure, according to a USC researcher.

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“Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure,” said Alicia McDonough, professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, “but evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension.” Continue reading

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More reasons to eat fruit – Infographic

As warm weather is upon us and summer approaches, I thought it might be nice to see the health benefits of some of our summer favorites.

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My own personal favorite among these is watermelon. Check out these posts for more health benefits of watermelon:

Vita Mix – drinking a watermelon

What about some polar opposites – watermelon and Twinkies? – Infographic

More good reasons to eat watermelon

Tony

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Eating Seven or More Portions of Fruit and Vegetables A Day Reduces Risk of Death By 42%

“We all know that eating fruit and vegetables is healthy, but the size of the effect is staggering,” says Dr Oyinlola Oyebode of UCL’s Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, lead author of the study. “The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age. Vegetables have a larger effect than fruit, but fruit still makes a real difference. If you’re happy to snack on carrots or other vegetables, then that is a great choice but if you fancy something sweeter, a banana or any fruit will also do you good.”

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Researchers at University College London used the Health Survey for England to study the eating habits of 65,226 people representative of the English population between 2001 and 2013, and found that the more fruit and vegetables they ate, the less likely they were to die at any age. Eating seven or more portions reduces the specific risks of death by cancer and heart disease by 25% and 31% respectively. The research also showed that vegetables have significantly higher health benefits than fruit.

This is the first study to link fruit and vegetable consumption with all-cause, cancer and heart disease deaths in a nationally-representative population, the first to quantify health benefits per-portion, and the first to identify the types of fruit and vegetable with the most benefit.

Compared to eating less than one portion of fruit and vegetables, the risk of death by any cause is reduced by 14% by eating…

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Dr. Oz Gives Dietary Tips

I am a big fan of Drs. Oz and Roizon, the authors of the YOU books, YOU on a Diet, YOU Staying Young, etc. I have read them and recommend them. I saw an ad that described them as “Serious science presented to you in a highly digestible way.” I think that is exactly right.

YOU on a Diet was the first Dr. Oz Book I ever read

YOU on a Diet was the first Dr. Oz Book I ever read

On the premise that Americans find filling out their tax forms easier than following dietary info, Dr. Oz offered several simple guidelines for losing weight and reducing belly fat.

1. Don’t eat foods with added sugars or added syrups. When possible, avoid artificial sweeteners, too. They lie to your appetite control system and can lead to weight gain.
2. Choose 100% whole grains. Your guts, immune system, and heart will thank you.
3. Eat slowly so you can tell when you’re full. Then stop.
4. Eat often (4 to 6 times a day) to prevent hunger. Hunger leads to overeating, which is bad for the heart and triggers weight gain.
5. Get nine servings of fruits and veggies a day. Think of it as nine fistfuls of goodness.
6. Opt for lean protein. Good sources include chicken (no skin), fish, beans, and whole grains. Spare your heart and brain the damage that too much saturated fat causes.
7. Get a blood test to check your levels of vitamin D and B12. Take supplements if you’re deficient.

I think these are a good supplement to my How to Lose Weight – And Keep it Off page.

Tony

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Wow. Really good information on further benefits from eating fruits and vegetables.

Cooking with Kathy Man

Eating more fruit and vegetables may make young people calmer, happier and more energetic in their daily life, new research from the University of Otago suggests.

Department of Psychology researcher Dr Tamlin Conner, and Dr Caroline Horwath and Bonnie White from Otago’s Department of Human Nutrition, investigated the relationship between day-to-day emotions and food consumption.

The study is published in the British Journal of Health Psychology today.

A total of 281 young adults (with a mean age of 20 years) completed an internet-based daily food diary for 21 consecutive days. Prior to this, participants completed a questionnaire giving details of their age, gender, ethnicity, weight and height. Those with a history of an eating disorder were excluded.

On each of the 21 days participants logged into their diary each evening and rated how they felt using nine positive and nine negative adjectives. They were also asked five questions about what…

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