Health, Microbes, and More
Eating a handful of dried goji berries appears to have health benefits for the eyes - they may prevent or slow down age related macular degeneration (AMD). Goji berries contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids are essential components for eye health, and are associated with a reduced risk of cataract development and ...continue reading "Goji Berries Benefit Eye Health"
The possibility of amniotic fluid being flavored by the foods a mother eats is wild! Makes sense, but it is not something normally mentioned anywhere. It turns out that in the last few years a few studies were published that looked at foods flavoring the amniotic fluid and breast milk, and which later influence the ...continue reading "Amniotic Fluid is Flavored by the Foods the Pregnant Woman Eats"
Scientists have suggested for decades that a person's diet may play a role in the development of intestinal bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This is because these diseases are dramatically increasing in industrialized countries (e.g. USA and Canada) where people eat western diets with lots of ultra-processed foods (additives and ...continue reading "Ultra-Processed Foods and Intestinal Bowel Disease"
Eating mushrooms has always been considered part of a healthy diet. A group of researchers, after reviewing many studies, concluded that eating mushrooms frequently is associated with a lower risk of cancer, especially breast cancer. Thus consuming mushrooms may be protective against cancer. The Penn State College of Medicine researchers reviewed 17 studies (from 1966 ...continue reading "Eating Mushrooms Associated With A Lower Risk of Cancer"
Another study has been published finding that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (5 servings a day) is associated with a longer life. Researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health looked at the data from several large studies. They found that about 5 servings per day of fruit and vegetables was ...continue reading "Eat At Least 5 Servings A Day of Fruits and Vegetables"
Vegan diets may be popular, but there is concern whether someone following a vegan diet can get all necessary nutrients from the diet and whether this impacts health in a negative way. This is because a person following a vegan diet avoids all animal foods - which means no dairy, no meat, no eggs, no ...continue reading "Vegan Diets and Increased Risk of Bone Fractures"
Every study I've seen in the past decade finds that eating berries has health benefits. A recent study from Finland adds to this by finding that eating some blackcurrants after a meal has beneficial effects on blood glucose levels. This beneficial effect occurred even though the blackcurrants were eaten as a puree with a little ...continue reading "Benefits Of Eating Blackcurrants For Dessert"
Want to reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes? Two large studies published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains really reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. The first study (which took data from 3 large American studies) found that persons eating the most whole grain ...continue reading "Reduce Your Risk Of Diabetes By Eating Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables"
Once again a study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes, nuts, fish, and extra virgin olive oil is beneficial to the huge numbers of microbes living in our gut (the gut microbiome). This type of fiber-rich dietary pattern is generally called the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is associated ...continue reading "Feed Your Gut Microbes With A Mediterranean Diet"
Two recent studies point out the dangers of air pollution to the developing fetus. The first study found an association with high levels of air pollution during pregnancy and lower IQ years later when the children were between the ages of 4 to 6 (as compared to women exposed to less traffic-related air pollution during ...continue reading "Air Pollution Has Harmful Effects During Pregnancy"