Fewer Americans are reaching for sugar sweetened beverages, but consumption remains high – prompting a call for more aggressive measures to further reduce ingestion, according to new research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overconsumption of sugary-sweetened drinks has been linked to obesity and other health conditions.
A healthy gut is dependent on getting enough prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics escapes digestion in the small intestine and utilized by probiotics. Prebiotics are fiber sources derived from fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Sources of FOS include bananas, onions and garlic, while GOS are in foods and beverages such as milk, beans and lentils. Eating these types of fiber sources promotes good probiotic bacteria in the gut that breaks down food into short-chain fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids have been shown in studies to reduce inflammation and possibly prevent cancer. They also aid in the absorption of important nutrients from food.
Increased level of blood carotenoids may slow cellular ageing, says a new study from Seoul National University in Korea. According to the study, doubling the amount of carotenoids were associated with a 2% longer telomeres, the part of DNA that shortens as cells replicate and age. Carotenoids are found in foods such as oranges, carrots, pumpkin, and red and yellow peppers.
In Elle, one article the author cites the results of a a15-year study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine, U.S. adults of all ages whose daily calorie count consisted of 17 to 21 percent added sugar (not naturally found in food) were more than a third more likely to die of heart disease than those who kept their consumption to less than 8 percent of the total—regardless of their BMIs.
In the same article, the results of a survey show that being weaned off of sugar has health effects including "low energy, depression, flulike symptoms, and mental fogginess, at least temporarily. Ninety-five percent of the participants demonstrated that in two weeks of abstaining from sugar there was a change in taste preference. They claimed that many sugary foods and drinks were too sweet. All in all, the participants claimed they had intense sugar cravings within 3 days and in 6 days some suffered from headaches. So you see, the brain does act differently on sugar!
The new study suggests an underlying mechanism through which this link might operate. It reveals the effect that a high-fat diet has on the biology of stem cells in the lining of the gut of mice and how this might make cancer more likely.
A recent study determined that 56% of a sampling of 164 food supplements for weight loss contained active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). These adulterants ranged from pharmaceuticals that have been taken off the market because of toxicity to antidepressants. According to the results of this study, it is obvious the poor manufacturing processes for weight loss supplements and the need for better quality control.
According to a study in Neurology in 2015. The Mediterranean Diet may slow brain atrophy, which has an effect similar to 5 years less of brain aging. The Mediterranean Diet includes fruits and vegetables, fish, seeds, nuts, red wine with limited amounts of red meat.
