Eating this fruit once a day is neuroprotective.
Children’s brain are particularly sensitive early on — in the womb and through their first years of life.
Children’s brain are particularly sensitive early on — in the womb and through their first years of life.
Eating more fruit during pregnancy increases the cognitive skills of children, new research finds.
The study was inspired by previous resea rch finding that mothers who eat more fruit have smarter children, when measured at one-year-old.
Another study has found that children fed a healthier diet from an early age have a higher IQ,
Children who were breastfed and later given plenty of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods had IQs up to two points higher at age 8.
Children’s brain are particularly sensitive early on — in the womb and through their first years of life.
Junk food and ready-made baby meals have both been linked to lower IQs in children when they reach 8-years-old.
Meanwhile, a diet low in sugars, fats and processed foods consumed at a young age may increase intelligence.
Dr Claire Scavuzzo, study co-author, said:
“Our findings replicated what was found in humans and fruit flies.
In a controlled, isolated way we were able to confirm a role for prenatal fruit exposure on the cognitive development of newborns.
We see this as especially valuable information for pregnant mothers, as this offers a nonpharmacological, dietary intervention to boost infant brain development.”
The latest study was carried out on rats.
The results showed that pregnant rats fed fruit juice gave birth to babies with better memories.
Ms Rachel Ward-Flanagan, the study’s first author, said:
“Our results show that there is significant cognitive benefit for the offspring of mothers that ingest more fruit during pregnancy.”
Ms Ward-Flanagan continued:
“The idea that nutrition may also impact mental health and cognition has only recently started to gain traction.
People want to be able give their kids the best possible start in life, and from our findings, it seems that a diet enriched with fruit is a possible way to do so.”
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE (Ward-Flanagan et al., 2020).
Moving to this diet can put brain health in jeopardy and increase the risk of nutrient deficiency.
Moving to this diet can put brain health in jeopardy and increase the risk of nutrient deficiency.
A vegan diet can increase the risk of brain malnutrition and damage due to lack of essential nutrients, new research finds.
While a plant-based diet is an effective way to combat heart disease and cancer and it supports environmental sustainability, there are dangers.
Choline is mainly found in meat and, like omega-3 fatty acids, is an essential nutrient that has to be obtained from food.
This vitamin-like essential nutrient is also produced by the liver, but the amount is too small to fulfill the body’s requirements.
Choline is part of lecithin which is known for its effect in treating memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Egg yolk, beef, fish, chicken, wheat germ, soy beans, dairy products, peanuts, almonds are good source of this nutrient and smaller amounts are found in broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and baked beans.
For example, 100g of cooked beef liver provides 431mg of choline, one boiled egg provides nearly 150mg of choline, and 100g cod fish provides 84mg of choline.
Whereas, 100g of broccoli contains 40mg of choline, 100g of baked beans contains 31mg, and a 100g of spinach contains 25mg of choline.
Promoting healthy plant-based foods to protect the environment is important, but restricting eggs, animal protein, and dairy can reduce choline and other essential nutrients.
According to the US Institute of Medicine the minimum daily intake of choline for men is 550mg and 425mg for women.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women require at least 450mg and 550mg choline per day respectively, due to the crucial role of this nutrient in infant development.
Despite these daily requirements, national dietary surveys show that choline intake on average is low in the US, Europe and Australia.
Choline is not only essential for brain health but also influences liver function as shortfalls in this nutrient can cause cell damage and irregularities in fat metabolism.
These insights come from a study authored by Dr Emma Derbyshire who said:
“This is….concerning given that current trends appear to be towards meat reduction and plant-based diets.”
Currently, choline is excluded from UK dietary guidelines, food composition databases and dietary surveys.
Dr Derbyshire said:
“Given the important physiological roles of choline and authorisation of certain health claims, it is questionable why choline has been overlooked for so long in the UK.
More needs to be done to educate healthcare professionals and consumers about the importance of a choline-rich diet, and how to achieve this.
If choline is not obtained in the levels needed from dietary sources per se then supplementation strategies will be required, especially in relation to key stages of the life cycle, such as pregnancy, when choline intakes are critical to infant development.”
The study was published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health (Derbyshire, 2019).
The supplement can help glutamate receptors work more effectively.
This common health condition is linked to lower than normal zinc levels, a study found.
This common health condition is linked to lower than normal zinc levels, a study found.
High blood pressure can be related to zinc deficiency by changing the way that sodium is handled in kidneys, research finds.
People with chronic diseases like kidney failure or type 2 diabetes are deficient in zinc.
Zinc is a mineral vital for the immune system, wound healing, cognitive functions, vision, taste, smell and so on.
Cacao, red meats, cashew nuts, peanuts, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, shellfish, dairy products, and eggs are good sources of zinc.
Now, a study reveals that people who have lower than normal zinc levels are more likely to develop hypertension.
Sodium is filtered by the kidneys either by sending it back into the bloodstream or passing it into the urine.
A pathway called the sodium chloride co-transporter (NCC) is responsible for filtration of sodium in the kidney.
Normally, less sodium in the urine indicates higher blood pressure and so NCC is important for controlling blood pressure.
Zinc plays an important role here as it helps regulate specific proteins which are causing the NCC activity.
The study compared healthy mice that had normal zinc levels to mice that were zinc deficient.
Sodium excretion in the urine was low in mice with zinc deficiency and they had high blood pressure.
After feeding these mice a zinc-rich diet, their zinc level began to improve.
Once they were no longer zinc deficient, their urinary sodium levels improved and their blood pressure dropped.
The research team wrote:
“These significant findings demonstrate that enhanced renal [sodium] reabsorption plays a critical role in [zinc-deficiency]-induced hypertension.
Understanding the specific mechanisms by which [zinc deficiency] contributes to [blood pressure] dysregulation may have an important effect on the treatment of hypertension in chronic disease settings.”
Sodium is a mineral and an important electrolyte that helps keep the body’s water in balance.
It is key to maintaining normal blood pressure levels as well as being necessary for muscle and nerve function.
However, consuming salt or foods high in salt will increase the sodium level in the bloodstream and damage the balance and so the kidneys cannot remove the sodium.
Higher blood pressure is the result and, if this abnormality is left uncontrolled, it will harm the delicate blood vessels around the kidneys.
Injured kidney arteries cannot filter blood well enough and deliver blood to the kidney tissue, resulting in chronic kidney disease.
The study was published in American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology (Williams et al., 2019).
The link between poor sleep and nutritional deficiency is particularly strong in women.
The remedy reduces symptoms in people experiencing the symptoms of depression.
The remedy reduces symptoms in people experiencing the symptoms of depression.
Eating better reduces depression symptoms, new research finds.
Three common diets have similar positive effects, whether people are trying to lose weight, reduce fat or just improve the nutrients in their diet.
There is no need for a special depression-busting diet: simply eating more fruit and veg and avoiding junk food will help.
Dietary changes are particularly beneficial for women, the scientists found.
Dr Joseph Firth, the study’s first author, said:
“The overall evidence for the effects of diet on mood and mental well-being had up to now yet to be assessed.
But our recent meta-analysis has done just that; showing that adopting a healthier diet can boost people’s mood.
However, it has no clear effects on anxiety.”
The conclusions come from almost 46,000 people who were involved in every existing clinical trial looking at diet and mental health problems.
The results showed that all three types of diet — a nutrient boosting, weight loss and fat reduction diet — ease depression symptoms.
Dr Firth said:
“This is actually good news.
The similar effects from any type of dietary improvement suggests that highly-specific or specialised diets are unnecessary for the average individual.
Instead, just making simple changes is equally beneficial for mental health.
In particular, eating more nutrient-dense meals which are high in fibre and vegetables, while cutting back on fast-foods and refined sugars appears to be sufficient for avoiding the potentially negative psychological effects of a ‘junk food’ diet.”
Exercise will boost the positive effects of diet changes, said Dr Brendon Stubbs, study co-author:
“…when dietary interventions were combined with exercise, a greater improvement in depressive symptoms was experienced by people.”
It is not yet clear how diet improves mental health, said Dr Firth:
“It could be through reducing obesity, inflammation, or fatigue—all of which are linked to diet and impact upon mental health.
And further research is still required to examine the effects of dietary interventions in people with clinically-diagnosed psychiatric conditions.”
The study was published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine (Firth et al., 2019).
Sugary drinks are drunk by over half of US adults every day.
Large decade-long study reveals what works best long-term in weight management.
Large decade-long study reveals what works best long-term in weight management.
Dieting is not the answer to effective weight management, new research concludes.
Indeed, people who carefully control what they eat put on more weight in the long-term, the large 10-year study found.
It is far better to avoid dieting and simple eat regular healthy meals.
Taking care of one’s psychological well-being is also important, as is finding a sense of meaning in life.
These are the conclusions of a Finnish study that followed over 4,900 people for a decade.
The results showed that almost everyone gained weight between the ages of 24 and 34 — around 1kg per year.
Men and women who dieted and had irregular eating habits put on more weight over the decade.
It is thought around 50% of adults are dieting at any one time.
Ms Ulla Kärkkäinen, the study’s first author, said:
“Often, people try to prevent and manage excess weight and obesity by dieting and skipping meals.
In the long term, such approaches seem to actually accelerate getting fatter, rather than prevent it.”
In addition, women who were unhappy with their life and who drank more sugary drinks also put on more weight.
For men, smoking was a risk factor for putting on more weight.
Ms Ulla Kärkkäinen, the study’s first author, said:
“Generally speaking, weight management guidance often boils down to eating less and exercising more.
In practice, people are encouraged to lose weight, whereas the results of our extensive population study indicate that losing weight is not an effective weight management method in the long run.
Prior research has shown that approximately every other adult is constantly dieting.
According to the National Institute for Health and Welfare, nearly a million Finns diet every year.
Even though dieting may seem a logical solution to weight management problems, it can actually increase weight gain and eating problems in the long run.”
The study was published in the journal Eating Behaviors (Kärkkäinen et al., 2018).
Irritability, depressed mood and tiredness peaked two to three days after giving up.
Irritability, depressed mood and tiredness peaked two to three days after giving up.
People trying to quit junk food experience drug-like withdrawal symptoms, new research finds.
In the first two to five days of giving up pizza, French fries and pastries, people experience irritability, sadness, tiredness and cravings.
The withdrawal symptoms likely make it hard for people to give up these highly processed foods that often contain large amounts of sugar.
People trying to quit junk food may benefit from some of the same strategies that drug addicts use.
Whether it is better to slowly taper off the junk food or suddenly go ‘cold turkey’, though, is not yet known.
The conclusions come from a study that asked 213 people about their experiences of junk food withdrawal.
The results showed that irritability, depressed mood and tiredness peaked two to three days after giving up junk food.
Most symptoms had reduced after around one week.
The study was published in the journal Appetite (Schulte et al., 2018).
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