Healthy eating for older adults Archive

There's mounting evidence that sitting for long periods can have health risks. However, little is known about how the effects of sitting can be countered by standing occasionally. A team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Australia designed a two-day study involving 22 overweight or obese postmenopausal women with high blood sugar who were at risk for diabetes. On the first day, the women were assigned to one of three groups. One group sat for 7.5 hours straight. The other two sat over a 7.5-hour period, but one group was told to stand in place for five minutes every half-hour, and the other was told to walk for five minutes every half-hour. The second day, all the groups sat for 7.5 hours straight.

On both days, the researchers tested each participant's blood levels of glucose, insulin, fatty acids, and triglycerides—all indicators of metabolism. They found that both walking and standing reduced glucose, insulin, and fatty acids—signs of a higher metabolic rate—in women who either stood or walked compared with those who sat the entire time. Moreover, in the two active groups, some of the beneficial effects persisted into the next day, when everyone sat for the entire session.

In the January Health Letter, we gave you suggestions for finding healthy frozen food entrees. Because of a typographical error, the text of the article incorrectly stated that you should look for 5 or fewer grams of fiber per serving. In contrast, the table (reproduced below) noted accurately that you should look for entrees with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. We apologize for the error in the text.

Most Americans don't get the recommended amount of these potentially heart-protecting fats.

Recently, a Harvard Heart Letter subscriber emailed us a question about omega-3 fatty acids, the unique fats abundant in many types of fish that may be linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Is there a difference, he wondered, between farm-raised and wild-caught salmon in terms of omega-3 fatty acid content?

It's a reasonable question, especially considering that wild salmon is often far more expensive than the farm-raised variety. But how much omega-3 fatty acid do we really need in our diets? And are fish the only source? Here's a brief summary of what you should know about omega-3s.

The longstanding "More Matters" campaign urges Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables (see www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org). Evidence to support this healthy habit keeps piling up, with the latest from a study that pooled dietary data from three large, long-term studies that followed more than 187,000 people for an average of over 20 years.

The researchers found that people who ate more whole fruits—especially apples, pears, grapes, and raisins—were less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who rarely ate those foods. As for vegetables, broccoli and carrots appeared to be the best choices for staving off high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables provide minerals such as potassium and substances called flavonoids, both of which are linked to lower blood pressure. The study was published online in the Dec. 7, 2015, issue of Hypertension.

If someone you know has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you might be wondering about how you can lower your own risk. Fortunately, multiple studies have shown that many of the same healthy eating choices that can help your friend or loved one control their diabetes can also help you prevent it. The exact relationship between eating specific types of foods and the risk of developing diabetes remains somewhat controversial. But the study findings are consistent with what experts consider to be healthy eating habits for most adults.

So, if you're interested in lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes, it can't hurt to try getting more of the foods and nutrients that can lower your risk — and to avoid those that can raise it.

They're convenient and affordable, but they don't replace a relationship with a primary care physician.

Walk into a drugstore, supermarket, or "big box" store these days, and you'll find more than prescriptions, food, and household goods. Many now feature health clinics. They're part of the big trend of making health care more convenient. "Twenty years ago you had to go to an emergency department if you got sick and needed immediate care. Now we have an explosion of options, such as retail health clinics," says Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, a researcher on the topic and an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

The clinics

Retail health clinics began showing up about 15 years ago. Today, there are about 2,000 clinics across the United States, mostly in large retail chain settings. A typical clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, and is staffed by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant. Clinics offer all kinds of health services—everything from treating minor illness like a cold, pinkeye, or a urinary tract infection to providing physicals, health screenings, lab work, smoking cessation help, and vaccinations.

Ask the doctor

Q. I'm a 23-year-old man who reads my mother's copy of the Harvard Health Letter. You often talk about how regular exercise improves health, particularly heart health. Since heart disease doesn't usually start until a man is in his 60s, at what age should I get serious about exercise?

A. Right now. Probably five years ago would have been even better. I will admit that most of the studies linking regular exercise with health benefits have been done in adults over age 50. But recently a study from doctors at Johns Hopkins was published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine that is directly relevant to you. The study enrolled nearly 5,000 young adults, ages 18 to 30, and followed them for nearly 27 years. These study participants came from different geographic areas in the United States and included both males and females and people of different racial and ethnic groups.

They're cute, cuddly, and loving, but dogs and cats aren't always appropriate for older adults.

There's a reason dogs are dubbed man's best friend. Dogs—and cats, too—make wonderful companions and provide many emotional and physical benefits. "I'm a believer in the beneficial effects of having a pet, and I'm impressed with the ability of dogs in particular to form bonds with human beings. I think the science is starting to support their special ability to do that," says psychiatrist Dr. Greg Fricchione, director of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. However, there are a number of considerations to mull over before adding a pet to your household.

Benefits

The most obvious benefits of pet ownership are love and companionship. "We do best medically and emotionally when we feel securely attached to another, because we're mammals and that's the way we've evolved," says Dr. Fricchione. He points out that we feel especially secure with dogs and cats because of the unconditional love they provide. "No matter what you do or say, your dog or cat accepts you and is attached to you," says Dr. Fricchione. Taking care of a dog or a cat can provide a sense of purpose and a feeling of validation when you wake up or come home and there's someone who's happy to see you.