Diet and nutrition Archive

In the journals

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Two recent studies have found that eggs do not raise the risk of heart disease, and in fact may even protect against it.

The first study, published online May 7, 2018, by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at how egg consumption affected 128 people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes; both conditions put people at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. For three months, half of the participants ate 12 eggs a week, while the other half ate two eggs or fewer per week. Everyone also followed the same weight-loss diet that avoided saturated fats like butter and included healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like avocado and olive oils.

How old you are when you go through menopause could be influenced by the foods you eat.

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Could the foods you eat help determine when you start menopause? They might, says a new study published online April 30 by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers found that women who ate more fish and beans and other legumes started menopause at a later age, while women who ate a diet heavy on refined pasta and rice went through the change earlier.

Why do the results matter?

How old a woman is when she goes through menopause may have implications for her health. Past research has linked certain health risks to menopause that occurs either very early (before age 40) or late (age 55 or older). Going through menopause at an earlier age has been associated with lower bone density and a higher risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, depression, and — in some instances — premature death.

Research we're watching

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Eating an egg a day may help protect against cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online May 21 by the journal Heart. Researchers found that people who ate an egg every day had an 18% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 28% lower risk of experiencing a deadly hemorrhagic stroke, compared with people who didn't eat eggs.

The study included more than 400,000 adults ages 30 to 79. Participants were from 10 survey sites in China. Researchers looked at how often study subjects reported eating eggs and then tracked their health for nearly nine years using registries and other methods.

By lowering your blood LDL ("bad") cholesterol level, even if it is normal, you help reduce your chances of having a heart attack. It's especially important if the LDL level is above 130 milligrams per deciliter. For every 10% drop in your cholesterol level, your heart attack risk potentially falls by 20% to 30%.

There are several steps you can take to lower your cholesterol level, like losing weight if needed, being more active, and choosing healthy foods. Here are three simple steps toward a healthier, cholesterol-lowering diet:

In the journals

Can higher protein intake build more muscle in older men? Not according to a study in the April 2018 JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers randomized 92 men, average age 73, into four groups. One group followed a daily diet containing 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight, the daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for all adults, and a weekly placebo injection; another consumed 1.3 g/kg and the placebo injection; a third consumed the 0.8-g/kg diet, but also received a weekly 100-mg injection of testosterone, and the fourth group ate a 1.3-g/kg diet and got a weekly testosterone injection. (The testosterone was included to see if higher protein increased the hormone's muscle-growing effect.)

In the journals

A higher intake of dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, is associated with higher bone density, especially in the spine, in older men, according to a study published online March 30, 2018, by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Men in their 50s do not experience the rapid loss of bone mass that women do in the years following menopause. However, by their late 60s, they lose bone mass at the same rate as women. These changes can increase their risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Eating an antioxidant-rich diet, wearing protective glasses, and controlling underlying conditions will help protect your vision.

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We all know how important vision is for remaining independent and enjoying the simple pleasures in life, like a colorful sunset or a grandchild's precious smile. But appreciation isn't enough to keep your vision intact. Aging increases the risk for vision loss and eye problems, including cataracts, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and dry eyes.

Adopting the following healthy habits will increase the odds that you'll protect your vision and independence as well as your view of the things that make life beautiful.

Strategies that cultivate self-awareness and compassion may help you lose weight and keep it off.

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Of all the recommendations for preventing heart disease, maintaining a healthy weight tops the list. Excess weight can raise your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol values, all of which harm the heart. But with about one in three Americans now overweight or obese, weight loss clearly remains a stubbornly elusive goal for many people.

One strategy that's gained traction in recent years is to focus less on what you eat and more on how and why you eat. How? By practicing mindfulness, which teaches you to focus on the present moment, while peacefully acknowledging and accepting your feelings and thoughts and the sensations in your body. Granted, that may sound a bit touchy-feely. But a review of a dozen studies, published in the March 2018 Current Obesity Reports, concluded that there is strong support for including mindful eating practices in weight management programs.

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Peppers, which belong to the genus Capsicum, come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors. Bell peppers (available in green, yellow, orange, red, and even purple) make a nice addition to a salad or plate of crudités. Supermarkets carry bags of assorted mini bell peppers that are convenient both for snacking and using in recipes.

While sweet bell peppers are crunchy and mild, hot peppers — such as jalapeños, serranos, and habaneros — provide a tongue-tingling punch of heat. They contain varying amounts of the phytochemicals responsible for the spiciness in hot peppers.