While there's no magic potion to eliminate all diseases, there is plenty we can do to help lower the risk of obtaining them. A lot of what you eat is taken into consideration, as you need to watch what you're putting in your body. There are lots of foods you can eat, but also ones to stay away from to ensure your body, physically and mentally, is at its peak. One eating habit, in particular, can help lower multiple risks.

According to research posted in the Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, dietary diversity is the best eating habit to attribute to diet quality and helps lower the risk and severity of chronic diseases.

The article mentions defining dietary diversity as several food groups consumed over a certain period. It is the idea of increasing the variety of foods and food groups in your diet to help ensure a substantial intake of essential nutrients. Dietary diversity also encourages biodiversity and sustainability, allows for nutritional fairness, and minimizes unfavorable results of food on health.

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A community-based cross-sectional study took place between December 2016 and January 2017. The research studied 216 adults who took a dietary diversity questionnaire.

The results showed that an average of nearly 45.4% of participants had sufficient dietary diversity scores, meaning that more than half of the population does not achieve their dietary diversity goals. It was also found that age, residency, type of family, and occupation also have a significant impact on adequate dietary diversity.

Along with this conclusion, it was also discovered that increasing the variety of foods and food groups in the diet is essential from the very early stages of life for proper growth and development.

According to the article, several more studies have shown that the overall nutritional quality of the diet is improved with a diverse diet. A diet without diversity can have negative consequences on your health, well-being, and development. It does this by reducing physical capacities, resistance to infection, and impairing cognitive development, reproductive, and even social capacities.

Furthermore, the authors of the Sustainable Diet Series state that approximately 60% of all American adults live with at least one preventable chronic disease. These include cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Different foods contain different vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and phytochemicals. You get all of the nutrients needed to support your health and lower the risk of disease with a diverse diet.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The World Health Organization suggests that at least 20 to 30 biologically different types of foods should be consumed each week for a healthy diet. They also suggest a diverse range of nutrient-dense and locally available foods help prevent chronic malnutrition.

According to the Series, there are several ways of measuring dietary diversity. A more common way is by determining the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). For 24 hours, you record your food consumption. The HDDS score is calculated by placing your reported foods into food groups. The food groups are split up in the following ways:

You can also keep a food journal to jot down what you've eaten in the day. Other ways include trying out a new recipe and eating the rainbow- foods that are naturally different colors. These foods tend to have different nutrients and phytochemicals.

RELATED: Doing This One Simple Thing Will Motivate You to Eat More Fruits and Veggies, Says Study

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The #1 Eating Habit to Significantly Lower Risk of Disease, Says Science Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

According to a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a cleaner diet may help treat symptoms of major depression.

A twelve-week, randomized control trial conducted by the University of Technology Sydney enrolled a group of 72 males ages 18 to 25 who reported maintaining a poor daily diet. Half of the participants were prescribed the Mediterranean diet, which lead researcher Jessica Bayes chose due to its exclusion of fast food, processed sugar, refined starches, and processed meat, according to Science Daily. The Mediterranean diet is also known to include a variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats.

The other half of participants in the trial were prescribed befriending therapy, a type of emotional intervention that focuses on social support. Results of the study show participants randomized to the Mediterranean diet group scored significantly higher on the Beck Depression Inventory Scale, according to WebMD.

In addition to assessments that measure symptoms of depression administered at the beginning, half-way point, and conclusion of the trial, participants who switched to the Mediterranean diet also reported intending to continue the diet after the study had concluded.

A DEEPER DIVE INTO STUDY RESULTS

Bayes feels results of the study should allow a referral to a dietician to become the standard of care for patients being treated for depression.

According to Science Daily, Roughly 30 percent of depressed patients fail to adequately respond to standard treatments for major depressive disorder such as cognitive [behavior] therapy and antidepressant medications, which supports a growing field of nutrition science known as nutritional psychiatry.

Bayes told WebMD, around 90% of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis. To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them [fiber], which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables.

EXPLAINING THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS

The gut-brain axis refers to the bidirectional pathways of communication that exist between the nervous system of the brain and the nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract. The vagus nerve, one of the biggest nerves in your body, connects your gut and brain by sending signals in both directions, as reported by Healthline.

Naturopathic Doctor Laura Stix told The Food Institute: At one end, thoughts and emotions can affect digestion, and at the other end, gut microbes can impact the nervous system, as well as hormones and the immune system.

The gut-brain axis allows the community of bacteria which constitute the gut, known as microbiota, to directly impact mood, cognition, and mental health through the regulation and production of feel good hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Nutrition plays a huge role in dictating what kind of gut microbial community we have, so it must always be considered when looking to address depression or any mental health condition. A diverse range of phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals are critical components to a balanced gut, Stix said.

Gut microbiota also dictates what is allowed to pass into the body by permeating the intestinal walls, and what gets excreted, as reported by Healthline. An unbalanced gut results in too much of the wrong things passing into the body through the intestinal walls, which results in build-up of an inflammatory toxin called lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS has been associated with systemic inflammation and conditions such as depression, dementia, and schizophrenia.

FOOD BRANDS REACT

Many food brands have already begun shifting their focus to products that include a variety of plant ingredients and minimal additives such as herb and spice blends, fermented foods, and fiber-rich foods.

Registered Dietitian Amanda Sauceda told The Food Institute: Brands can align themselves with the gut-brain axis data by focusing on products that make the gut happy. The good news is that the products dont have to be fancy, with hard-to-find ingredients.

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Examining the Link Between Diet and Depression - Food Institute Blog

There is a new danger lurking at the gym, and it's not the possibility of getting injured by lifting toomuchweight. Certain unregulated sports supplements have been linked to the ability of pre-cancerous pancreatic cells to"turn on" and become full-blown pancreatic cancer, a new study has found. The study warns against takingcertain fat-burningsports supplements.

The other finding of the study was that a high-fat diet, usually full of meat and dairy, is also dangerous and linked to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. The common element in both, the sports supplement and the high-fat diet are ligands, which are essentially messengers that tell cells how to act.There are naturally occurring ligands in the body, and synthetic ones, in supplements. When exposed to excessive amounts of ligands, the pre-cancerous pancreatic cells in mice turned into full-blown pancreatic cancer.

The research, which came out of the University of Michigan, caused the authors to want to sound the alarm against using these unregulated fat-burning sports enhancers, of which Cardarine is one example. In a quick search of Cardarine online, one finds supplements that promise "fat-scorching" and market themselves as metabolism boosters. The ads don't mention that these same supplements carry an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

When these synthetic ligands first were found to reduce fatigue and boost fat-burning and metabolism in mice, the media caught wind of it and promoted them as miracle fat-burning supplements, but now this new study shows that they have a "dark side" and are tied to cancer, the study's lead author said.

"It's shocking to me," said the study's lead author,Imad Shureiqi, M.D.explains. "Initially, researchers found that these synthetic ligands reduced fatigue in mice. This news made its way to major media outlets, which nicknamedCardarine "exercise in a pill." "Unfortunately, what the media didn't address was the dark side of[these compounds]."

Syntheticligands also "help cancer cells get more energy from fats as a fuel source," he said. "Animal models repeatedly show the strong relationship between [synthetic ligands], and cancer promotion in the case of colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. Now we're gaining more information about how it affects pancreatic cancer."

The other risk factor, the study found, is a diet high in fat. Most people know by nowthat a diet high in fat is unhealthy, having been linked in studies to heart disease and risk of stroke. Butthisnew studyalso found correlations between a diet high in fat and pancreatic cancer.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, found that a cell nuclear receptor in the pancreas and ducts can be activated by high-fat diets as well as by synthetic fat-burning substances which may free up the body fat to be used as fuel, but that same mechanism appears to promote cancer cell growth in the pancreas.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly lethal form of cancer with a rising occurrence, according to the authors, andany way to either prevent or treat the diseaseisconsidered the highest priority within the medical community. Most cases of pancreatic cancer arise from pre-cancerous lesions called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, the authors note. What's even more shockingis as many as 55 to 80 percent of adults over 40 are estimated to have these low-grade pre-cancerous silent pancreatic lesions.

The study, published inNature Communications, and led by Dr. Shureiqi, who started his research at the MD Anderson Center, shows that pre-cancerous pancreatic lesions in mice, which act strikingly similar to those in humans, contain higher levels ofa receptor that influences lipid metabolism and cancer formation. These pre-cancerous cells appear to get "turned on" through a mechanismrelated to dietary fat or synthetic fat burners.

The cancer cells can be activated when exposed to certain ligands, both natural and synthetic. That's where the link to exercise supplements comes in: Some of these ligands are found in exercise supplements, such as Cardarine, a fat-burning supplement. Cardarine is marketed as a "fat scorcher" and is often used by bodybuilders to shed body fat effectively.

Synthetic ligands such as those in Cardarine were found in previous studies to reduce fatigue in mice.When that study was picked up and touted by media outlets,theynicknamed the ligands "exercise in a pill." "Unfortunately, what the media didn't address was the dark side of PPAR.," explains Dr. Shureiqi. "PPAR ligands also help cancer cells get more energy from fats as a fuel source," he adds.

Other synthetic forms of ligands, like Cardarine,now found in exercise supplements, were originally designed by pharmaceutical companies to encourage the body to use more fat and treat noncancerous conditions like obesity and hyperlipemia.

Pharmaceutical development of Cardarine for medical usewas discontinuedwhen studies uncovered their potential side effects which include promoting cancer cell growth in the body. Studieslinking these synthetic ligands tocolorectal cancer first surfaced in 1999, which prompted most medical usage to stop. But now, supplement companies and unregulatedsports enhancers are still selling substances like Cardarine and targeting young gym-goers, bodybuilders, and others who want to build muscle and burn fat.

The study, funded by the National Cancer, Institute, suggests that other than avoiding high-fat diets, such as those focused on meat and dairy, people should avoid fat-burning supplements such as the ones mentioned.

Conversely, avoiding meat and dairy and adopting a diet high in plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and protein from legumes and soy products is a way to be healthy. Replacing meat and dairy with a low-fat diet includes loading up on fiber, which slows the absorption of food, and allows the body to burn calories rather than store them as fat.

The ligands in a high-fat diet and those in certain unregulated exercise supplements could cause pancreatic pre-cancerous cells to turn into full-blown cancer. To be healthy, avoid saturated fat in meat and dairy and focus on a high-fiber diet of plant-based foods instead.

For more expert advice, visit The Beet's Health & Nutrition articles.

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Sports Supplements, High-Fat Diet Tied to Pancreatic Cancer - The Beet

Researchers discovered that supplementing a diet with the sea organisms Ascidiacea, also known as sea squirts, reverses some of the main signs of aging in an animal model.

Supplementing your diet with the sea organisms Ascidiacea, also known as sea squirts, reverses some of the main signs of aging, according to a new study using an animal model.

While the Fountain of Youth, the mythical spring that restores youth to anyone who bathes in it or drinks its waters, is clearly fantasy, scientists are hard at work looking for ways to combat aging. Some of these scientists just had a breakthrough: they discovered that supplementing a diet with sea squirts, reverses some of the main signs of aging.

While more research is needed to verify the effect in humans, as the study was conducted using mice, the findings are very promising.

If youve ever glanced in the mirror and seen greying hair and wrinkles, or if youve forgotten the name of a close friend, you may desire a medication that might halt or even reverse the effects of aging.

According to a new study, this may not be such a silly idea. Researchers from Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Stanford University, Shanghai Jiao tong University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that supplementing a diet with the sea organism Ascidiacea, also known as sea squirts, reverses some of the main signs of aging in an animal model.

Sea squirts can be eaten raw and are found in dishes from Korea (where it is known as meongge, or ) and Japan (hoya, or ). Credit: Jpatokal

Sea squirts may be eaten raw and can be found in recipes from Korea (where it is known as meongge, or ) and Japan (hoya, or ). These aquatic critters contain plasmalogens, which are essential to human body processes. Plasmalogens are naturally found throughout our bodies, notably in the heart, brain, and immune cells, but the quantity in our bodies declines as we age. This loss is also a characteristic of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

The researchers evaluated the effects of adding plasmalogens to the food of elderly mice to see whether increasing plasmalogen levels may prevent the effects of aging. They discovered that the supplements had a significant impact on the mices learning abilities and physical symptoms.

Professor Lei Fu, the corresponding author of the study, says: Our research suggests that plasmalogens may not just stop cognitive decline, but may reverse cognitive impairments in the aging brain. Additionally, aged mice fed with the plasmalogens grow new black hair that is thicker and glossier than aged mice not fed the supplement.

This study is the first to show, in detail, how plasmalogens affect the aging brain.

The sea organisms Ascidiacea, also called sea squirts, contain substances called plasmalogens, which are vital to our body processes. Credit: Prilfish

The effects of the plasmalogen supplement on learning and memory were evaluated by training mice to navigate a Morris water maze, which consists of a pool of water with a platform that acts as a resting place. Mice typicallydislike swimming, so after five days of training, they remember where the platform is and swim directly to it as soon as they enter the pool. Older mice, on the other hand, take longer to locate the platform following the same amount of training.

Astonishingly, when fed with plasmalogens, aged mice perform more like young mice, finding the platform much quicker than the control group of aged mice that have not been given the supplement.

To find the reason for the improvement shown by plasmalogen-fed mice, the researchers took a closer look at changes happening within the brain. They found that mice that were fed the plasmalogen supplement had a higher number and quality of synapses the connections between neurons than the aged mice not given the supplements.

Aged mice showed improved learning and memory when fed with plasmalogen supplements from Ascidiacea also known as sea squirts. In this study, mice were trained to find a hidden platform in a pool of water (Morris water maze), and the image shows the paths they took to reach the platform. After five days of training, young mice were able to remember the platforms location, whereas aged mice took longer and swam further to reach the platform as they forgot its location. However, when fed a plasmalogen supplement, the aged mice took a shorter, quicker route to the platform than those not given the supplement suggesting improved cognitive function. Credit: Lei Fu

Synapses are a fundamental part of our neural networks and, therefore, crucial for learning and memory. Our synapses tend to be very plastic as children, but they decrease in number and deteriorate with age and in neurogenerative diseases, resulting in cognitive impairments.

Accordingly, in this study, the aged mice fed with plasmalogen supplements showed greater potential for learning new skills and creating new neural networks than the aged mice whose diet was not supplemented. This suggests that dietary plasmalogens can halt the age-related deterioration of synapses.

A further characteristic of getting older, and thought to be a significant factor in neurodegeneration, is inflammation in the brain. Too much inflammation can have a negative effect on cognitive ability, as the brains immune system becomes overactive and turns on itself, attacking neurons and preventing synapses from functioning correctly.

In this study, the inflammation in aged mice was greatly decreased in those given plasmalogen supplements compared to those on a normal diet, providing some insight as to why they performed better in learning and memory tasks.

There are many varieties of sea squirts (Ascidiae). Some are shown in Ernst Haeckels Kunstformen der Natur (1904). Credit: Ernst Haeckel

Although it is still unclear how dietary plasmalogen supplements seem to cause such significant changes in learning and memory, Professor Fu speculates on possible pathways of action.

We found that plasmalogens significantly increase the number of molecules that aid the growth and development of neurons and synapses in the brain. This suggests that plasmalogens can promote neuroregeneration.

There is also an increasing body of evidence that plasmalogens directly affect the structural properties of synapses. Plasmalogens may increase the fluidity and flexibility of synaptic membranes, affecting the transmission of impulses between neurons.

Additionally, Professor Fu explains that plasmalogens may also have indirect effects on our brains.

Some studies have shown that dietary plasmalogens affect the microorganisms in the gut. It has been widely reported that the connection between the organisms in our gut and our brain influences neurodegeneration. It may be the plasmalogens effect on this connection that causes the improvements in learning and memory are seen in this study.

Professor Fu is so convinced by the results of this study that he takes a plasmalogen supplement each day.

For the first time, we show that plasmalogen supplements might be a potential intervention strategy for halting neurodegeneration and promoting neuroregeneration.

The oral intake of plasmalogens could be a feasible therapeutic strategy to improve cognitive function in older people.

So, it could be that a pill to keep you young may not be such an unrealistic proposition after all as long as it contains sea squirts.

Reference: Plasmalogens Eliminate Aging-Associated Synaptic Defects and Microglia-Mediated Neuroinflammation in Mice by Jinxin Gu, Lixue Chen, Ran Sun, Jie-Li Wang, Juntao Wang, Yingjun Lin, Shuwen Lei, Yang Zhang, Dan Lv, Faqin Jiang, Yuru Deng, James P. Collman and Lei Fu, 23 February 2022, Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.815320

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Stanford Scientists Discover That Adding a Particular Seafood to Your Diet Can Reverse Signs of Aging - SciTechDaily

New Delhi: Trying out new things is always an enthralling experience, especially when it comes to food. Amidst the mysterious world of flora, discovering exotic fruits and vegetables can help you achieve this thrill. While it's true that social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram have brought a bunch of these fruits into light, there are a bunch of exotic fruit varieties waiting to be discovered by the masses.

Today we'll look at some exotic fruits that you may or may not have heard about. Well, we can't promise that you'll like them, but we'd surely recommend you to try them for fun.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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5 exotic fruits that you must add to your diet - Times Now

Fiber is known for keeping your digestive system healthy and lowering cholesterol levels. Now, study findings suggest it also may protect the brain from dementia.

The study involved approximately 3,700 healthy adults, ages 40 to 64, who completed routine dietary surveys for 16 years. Researchers then monitored the participants for two decades to see which ones developed dementia. The study revealed that people who consumed the most daily fiber had the lowest rates of dementia. The reverse also was true those who ate the least fiber had the highest rates. Specifically, the low-risk group consumed an average of 20 grams daily, while those with the highest risk averaged only 8 grams. (The USDA recommends that men over age 50 eat 30 grams of fiber daily.)

The researchers speculated that several mechanisms could be at play. For instance, fiber-rich diets help lower weight and blood pressure, changes that protect against vascular dementia (a decline in thinking skills caused by reduced blood flow to the brain). Fiber also increases good bacteria in the gut, which might reduce brain inflammation via a connection called the brain-gut axis. The study only showed an association and cannot prove that differences in dietary fiber were responsible for changes in the risk of dementia. But, it highlights another way diet might support brain health. The results were published online Feb. 6, 2022, by Nutritional Neuroscience.

Image: yulka3ice/Getty Images

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