Some people can make this change overnight, which is fantastic if this is the best way for you. Maintain sight of your destination while traveling at your own pace. A vegan diet may appear complicated or overly restrictive at first glance. Like any other lifestyle change, going vegan requires getting used to something new and figuring out what works best for you. It is a subjective experience, and there are numerous approaches to this situation.

Making minor changes to your daily menu is the simplest way to increase your intake of plant-based foods.

You can begin by committing to one meat-free day per week and work your way up from there. Another option is to replace one product at a time, such as cow's milk with soy or almond milk, butter with coconut oil, or margarine. Additionally, if you don't have a budget, you shouldn't worry because many recipes are inexpensive.

Planning a diet that includes all the vitamins and nutrients you need will be very simple if you eat diverse and tasty plant-based foods. Make sure that you are not deficient in essential nutrients! Because there are vegan options for almost every type of junk food, being vegan does not imply that you are healthy. Vegan diets tend to be low in vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, selenium and iodine.

A common myth is that its difficult to get protein from plant foods. In reality, they can provide all the essential protein building blocks that we call amino acids. Good sources include beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya products, peanut butter, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds, Heather Russell, a registered dietician at the Vegan Society, said in an interview with The Guardian.

"Fortified plant milk contains the same amount of calcium as cow's milk, and fortified yogurt alternatives, calcium-set tofu, and a soya and linseed bread fortified with extra calcium are also rich sources," he added.

New foods and flavors will tantalize your taste buds. Vegan recipes from all over the world abound. You will be surprised that many of your favorite dishes are vegan by default and others require just small changes.

Always be aware that becoming a vegan is a process where you live in a non-vegan world, with a vegan lifestyle that requires curiosity and courage. Do not forget to enjoy your chose a vegan lifestyle and the benefits you experienced after making the switch.

As a huge advantage, vegan diets allow you to maintain a healthy weight. Veganism is not restrictive, and you should not consider yourself on a diet. Vegan counterparts can satisfy almost all your non-vegan-style pleasures. You can find them in your supermarket and alternatively grow your fruit and vegetables.

Vegans typically abstain from animal products specifically for health reasons. Switching to a vegan diet is not difficult, though it requires additional nutrition knowledge.

Advice from a specialized dietitian is always helpful.

Although vegans may prefer to avoid animal products for their diet, they frequently select extensions that go beyond diet. In reality, Veganism is a lifestyle strongly related to animal rights. As a result, many vegans avoid purchasing clothes made of silk, wool, leather or suede.

Generally, a vegan diet based more on whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and fruits can bring a higher daily intake of nutrients, fibers, minerals and vitamins. Important to mention here is to consider an additional supplement for nutrients such as vitamins B12 and D, zinc, and calcium, because these may be lacking in some foods.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Continued here:
How does the vegan transition process work - Blasting News United States

We all know that mosquitoes drink blood. What you may not know is that some mosquito larvae are also cannibals.

Before becoming adults, mosquito larvae live in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and even neighborhood gardens. While most mosquito larvae feed on algae and bacteria, some feed on other aquatic insects including other mosquito larvae.

Robert G. Hancock, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biology at Metropolitan State University of Denver, first observed mosquito larvae attacking other larvae under a microscope in an undergraduate course in the 1980s.

It was so incredibly fast, he said in a news release. The only thing that we saw was a blur of action.

Since that undergraduate course, advances in video and microscope technology have allowed Hancock and his students to observe mosquitoes in extreme slow motion. His groundbreaking research, published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, shows not just that they eat other larvae but how.

RELATED: Whats behind Colorados West Nile virus surge?

Hancocks report includes 10 videos of larvae from three species of mosquito. The Toxorhynchites amboinensis and Psorophora ciliate species diets rely on consuming other insect larvae. The Sabethes cyaneus species eats microorganisms and sometimes other larvae.

The Toxorhynchites and Psorophora larvae strike prey by elongating their necks, almost completely removing their heads from their bodies. Then, they grab the prey and snap their mandibles closed.

Hancock recalls his surprise when he and his researchers first successfully recorded the strike on film. I saw it first, he said, and my jaw dropped. And it still does every time I watch it.

Sabethes mosquito larvae use their long tails to sweep prey toward their heads, then open their mandibles and maxillae (pincerlike mouth parts) and snap onto the prey.

The larvaes use of the tail was also a surprise, Hancock said.

Both striking mechanisms take about 15 milliseconds. That speed indicates an almost-reflexive behavior called a fixed-action pattern, Hancock said. He compared it with the action of swallowing, which involves multiple muscular movements that work together in the blink of an eye. All of this stuff has to work in concert we all do it so automatically, he said. And thats exactly what these (mosquito-larvae strikes) have to be. Its a package deal.

Toxorhynchites and Psorophora mosquitoes are well-known for their predatory characteristics. The Toxorhynchites species has been studied as a potential tool for controlling mosquitoes that carry germs because it preys on the Ades species, which spreads zoonotic diseases such as Zika. Because a single Toxorhynchites larva could consume up to 5,000 larvae before maturing into adulthood, adult Toxorhynchites mosquitoes are some of the largest in the world, as are Psorophora.

Hancock recorded the strikes in 2020 with students at MSU Denver using a high-speed digital camera that captures more than 4,000 frames per second. The lights needed to view the larvae under the microscope were so bright and hot that they had to use protective filters to not just cook the larvae, he said. They also wore dark sunglasses to protect the researchers eyes.

Hancock has studied mosquitoes for most of his career and says this new research can help unveil the mysteries of nature, especially in aquatic species. The videos could open peoples eyes to the species living in even the smallest pools of water. Small containers of water that dont move are primarily the domain of mosquitoes, he said.

Continue reading here:
These insects are vampires and cannibals - RED. Relevant. Essential. Denver

The Argentinian singerMara Becerra was spotted in beautiful Spain. On Instagram, she shared a picture of herself on a pool lounger, showing off her tattoos. She says she always likes to take advantage of a free moment to enjoy the pool and beach. "Siempre aprovechando cada momento libre para pileta y playita," she wrote. How does she do it? Read on to see 5 ways Mara Becerra stays in shape and the photos that prove they workand to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

In this video by Recording Academy, Mara reveals she is a vegan. Vegans restrict their intake of animal products, of course. According to Tufts Medical Center, "vegan diets can be a part of a healthy lifestyle when planned and implemented correctly. Like any eating plan to restrict specific food groups, vegan diets can come up short in essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12. If planned and supplemented (as needed) appropriately, vegan diets can certainly be a part of a healthy lifestyle."

Mara enjoys her herbal teas, she shared with the Recording Academy, such as "ginger, lemon, turmeric." But she also drinks plenty of water. She does mention she needs her mate when on tour. Mara explains that mate is a tradition in Argentina, and contains of a thermos with hot water infused with herbs, mate, and some honey or sugar. Mara says that the drink is best enjoyed when shared. Per Harvard, "Drinking enoughwatereach day is crucial for many reasons: to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood."

Mara loves to cook! In this video for Tastemade, she shares her favorite dish, a gluten free pasta, and how to prepare it. The dish features fresh ingredients such as lemon, garlic, and herbs, and also nuts. The UW reminds us that "Many commercially prepared foods are high in fat, salt, and sugar. When we prepare our own food, we know exactly which ingredients and how much of each are going into our food."df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

On TikTok, Mara shares some of her dances. Not only that, she takes on challenges as well! In all of them, we can see her moving. As the CDC states, "Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits. Only a few lifestyle choices have as large an impact on your health as physical activity". So, move that body!

It would be to no one's surprise that Mara follows a rigorous workout routine. But to stay true to her heritage, she knows how to kick a ball around as well! Take a look at this Instagram post. Staying active goes beyond the fitness club. And play, such as playing soccer with a friend of going for a bike ride, can go a long way!

See the original post here:
Mara Becerra in Bathing Suit Visits the "Pool and Beach" Celebwell - Celebwell

Fitness influencer Bru Luccas works hard for her physique, and she's proud to show it off. Luccas posted a picture of herself wearing a printed floral bathin in Barcelona, Spain, much to the appreciation of her many fans. "Hermosa", one commenter said. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Luccas stays in shape and the photos that prove they workand to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

Luccas enjoys working out on a trampoline, especially with friends. "Jumping causes you to repeatedly tense and release your muscles, which is good for your circulation," says exercise coordinator Lori Lyons, MBA, AFAA, CWA. "Then, when you're done jumping, your muscles are loose and relaxed."df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

Luccas likes to spend time in the sauna and spa when she's winding down. "Sauna bathing at a temperature of 113-212 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 10-30% mimics a physiological response similar to moderate- to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise like cycling, swimming or running," says Michael Daignault, MD.

Luccas is a big fan of fresh fruit, especially strawberries. "Strawberries have a low glycemic index (GI) and as such help moderate blood sugar release," says registered nutritionist Jo Lewin. "Studies suggest that a diet with plenty of low GI foods may be beneficial for weight management and for reducing the incidence of obesity-related diseases. Strawberries are also low in calories, yet sweet tasting so may be helpful as a sweet fix."

Luccas likes to incorporate CBD products into her wellness routine. "CBD is a chemical found in marijuana. CBD doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that produces a high," says Brent A. Bauer, MD. "The usual CBD formulation is oil, but CBD is also sold as an extract, a vaporized liquid and an oil-based capsule. Food, drinks and beauty products are among the many CBD-infused products available online."

Luccas makes a point of never dieting or restricting food groups. "I don't do diets I eat like any other person," she says. "I love ice cream! I only know what's good for my body. Girls should focus on their own bodies. You should do whatever makes you happy."

See the original post here:
Bru Luccas in Bathing Suit is "Hermosa" Celebwell - Celebwell

The CDC should recommend agricultural reforms to reduce pandemic risks caused by factory farms.

The U.S. public has many lovescar ownership, large sports events, and Fourth of July fireworks. But no love affair burns quite as hot as the publics love for cheap, plentiful meat.

But could consuming large amounts of meat affect more than just your cholesterol levels?

Some scientists and activists have already warned that factory farming, which is the rearing of livestock under extreme confinement, emits dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases, abuses animals, and worsens nutritional diets and health. Despite these reasons for consumers to cut back on eating meat, the threat of another global pandemic could finally persuade U.S. consumers to reduce their meat consumption.

Changing meat-eating habits and encouraging stronger animal advocacy is difficult, but COVID-19 has forced more disruptive changessuch as altering work schedules, social habits, schooling, masking requirements, and more. To amass public support and spur agricultural change, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should propose non-binding recommendations that encourage factory farms to limit extreme animal confinement, improve facility hygiene, cease antibiotic overuse, and reduce selective breeding practices.

Researchers have linked concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with increased viral and bacterial transmissions. Environmental stressors on CAFOssuch as animal overcrowding, enclosed facilities, illness-inducing grain feed, and unsanitary conditionsfacilitate the spread of disease. These conditions also take a substantial toll on farm animals bodies and their ability to fight off infections.

In addition, CAFO operators administer large quantities of antibiotics to farm animals, increasing bacterias likelihood to mutate, develop antibiotic resistance, and pass to humans. Moreover, operators rear animals for profitable physical characteristics, such as breeding chickens to have large breasts. Breeding practices that produce genetically similar animals permit easier spread of infections because the animals lack the genetic variation needed to combat new viruses or bacteria.

Globalized markets add another layer of risk. International trade of farm animals and human travel redistributes pathogens and viral hosts, facilitating the exchange of genetic material between strains that otherwise would not have encountered each other.

Despite the global pandemic risk created by factory farming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture only has congressional authorization to regulate animal slaughtering, animal transportation, and animal product inspection, which all occurs after handlers have already removed animals from the CAFO facility.

Some agencies have attempted to reduce on-farm infection risks even without a specific law authorizing regulation of CAFO conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, released nonbinding guidance to reduce animal ingestion of antibiotics that are critical to human health. Yet, factory farms have not drastically decreased antibiotics use and still pose a global pandemic risk.

Just as FDA attempted to redress factory farming pandemic risks through guidance, the CDC should release guidance recommending the elimination of extreme animal confinement and cleaner living and waste disposal standards. The CDC should also recommend ceasing antibiotics overuse and limiting selective breeding that produces genetically homogeneous animal populations. These recommendations would decrease the probability that novel viral or bacterial strains would survive and spread in factory farms, which decreases the probability that a human would become infected and spread illness to others in turn.

Although CAFO operators and managers would likely refuse to comply with such CDC guidance, the agency should not limit the guidances ambition because of anticipated noncompliance. Instead, the guidance should serve as a publicity tool to inform the public about the substantial and unjustifiable pandemic risks that factory farms impose on the United States and the entire globe.

And because the CDC has become a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, it currently has the publics attention and is in the best possible position to issue non-binding guidance about factory farms extraordinary pandemic risks.

Theoretically, the CDC could go a step further and issue binding regulations on factory farms to reduce pandemic risks. Under the Public Health Service Act, the CDC can issue regulations that are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases, that manifest in CAFOs.

But even if the CDC were to issue binding regulations, a court might invalidate them.

The U.S. Supreme Court has demonstrated that it will disregard an agencys action if based on a legal interpretation that implicates major political or economic issues, even though courts in the past have usually deferred to agencies interpretations of ambiguous laws.

For example, the Supreme Court rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys ability to regulate an energy transition from polluting plants toward less carbon-intensive energy generation under a certain section of the Clean Air Act. The Court determined that the Acts section did not give the agency clear authority to regulate a fundamental sector of the economy and force a nationwide transition toward green energy.

Similarly, the Court would likely invalidate a CDC attempt to regulate the meat industryfor which the CDC lacks institutional expertisebecause of the meat industrys scale and profitability. The CDC might be able to regulate some less-consequential on-farm activities, such as requiring protective respirators for workers, but it is unlikely to dismantle the abusive practices that concern animal activists.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court and various district courts have clawed back the CDCs regulatory power during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court, for instance, held that the CDCs second authorization of an eviction moratorium exceeded its legal authority, noting that the Public Health Service Act only explicitly authorizes inspections, fumigations, and other sanitary measures. Given the current trend, a CDC attempt to regulate factory farms as a pandemic threat would likely not survive judicial review.

But when binding legal approaches fail, rule makers can still facilitate change through nonbinding guidance. Despite no clear congressional authorization to regulate factory farm conditions, the CDC should issue guidance to illuminate the industrys catastrophic pandemic risks. Then, consumers can determine whether they would rather uphold the meat industry as it currently exists or advocate agricultural changes to reduce risks of another life-altering global pandemic.

Read the original post:
How Factory Farming Could Cause the Next COVID-19 - The Regulatory Review

A grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation may help Royal Oak and neighboring cities make a number of changes, including road diets, along the 11 Mile Road corridor from Stephenson Highway to Greenfield Road in the next several years.

The other cities include Huntington Woods, Berkley and Oak Park.

Royal Oak City Manager Paul Brake said staff is seeking approval from city commissioners Monday for the city to take part in a federal pilot program aimed at reconnecting communities.

This brings the communities together and would help us promote a safer (11 Mile Road) for motor vehicles, pedestrians and non-motorized transportation, Brake said. It enables us to design cities around people and not cars.

A key premise of the project is to analyze the possibility of road diets on 11 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway.

In Royal Oak that could include bike lanes east of Woodward to allow riders from the other communities to wheel into Royal Oaks downtown, Brake said.

Other features for the communities involved could also include enhanced crosswalks, permeable pavers, bioswales, more lighting and a few added traffic signals.

With the communities joining together it shows this is a priority for our region, Brake said.

The city is working with a consultant engineer and the pilot grant, if it happens, would cover the first phase of work.

Still, the city is set to proceed with a budgeted resurfacing of 11 Mile Road in 2024-25 from Main Street to Campbell Road. Other stretches of the road are planned to follow in the three subsequent years.

Funds have also been earmarked to have a gateway project on 11 Mile just west of I-75 for those entering the city.

Royal Oaks traffic committee has already been looking at 11 Mile Road for lane conversions that might include implementing a left-hand turn lane. A traffic study that was done shows 11 Mile averages about 14,000 motor vehicles a day.

A left turn lane would be safer, Brake said. That means the roadway would be reduced to one lane in each direction instead of two.

The city traffic study showed that between 2016 to 2020 there were 568 crashes on 11 Mile in Royal Oak, with 140 of them resulting in injuries.

At this point its unclear how many changes will be made along the roadway by all four cities seeking the federal pilot grant.

Oak Park City Manager Erik Tungate said officials there have yet to consider what changes it would make to the section of 11 mile that runs through the city from Coolidge to Greenfield.

A traffic study will have to be done to meet the needs of the pedestrians as well as the vehicular traffic coming through here, Tungate said.

Having the four cities collaborate in the pilot grant program will allow them to coordinate quality-of-life investments, from road changes to public seating, lighting and other features, Tungate said.

Its not often (multi-city) partnerships like this have been fulfilled, he said. Were excited to work with the other cities and this fits with other improvements were making in Oak Park.

Several restaurants and two breweries have located on 11 Mile in Oak Park in recent years.

Improving the road among the four cities will make them each part of a larger seamless district, Tungate said.

Weve got some momentum building and seized this opportunity to build more momentum in Oak Park, he said.

Madison Heights woman recognized for piloting world record flight

Im ashamed and embarrassed: Waterford man sentenced to four years for role in Whitmer kidnap plot

Man enters plea on day 2 of murder trial

South I-75 exit, entrance ramps to close at 11 Mile in Royal Oak

Read the original here:
Royal Oak, 3 other cities join to seek grant for 11 Mile Road changes - Oakland Press

New funding will advance research on the role of diet and race in knee arthritis pain and pain sensitivity, respectively, in transgender community.

Burel Goodin, Ph.D., and Robert Sorge, Ph.D.Two University of Alabama at Birmingham faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology have received R01 grants from the National Institute for Nursing Research to further their research projects.

Professor Burel Goodin, Ph.D., and Associate Professor Robert Sorge, Ph.D., received $472,384 in funding for their project titled Sex, Hormones and Identity affect Nociceptive Expression, or SHINE, and $525,800 in funding for the project Diet Interventions, by Race, Evaluated as Complementary Treatments for Pain, or DIRECTPain.

These grants will allow Dr. Sorge and me to continue our work focused on improved pain management options, as well as better understand the pain experiences of people historically under-represented in research, Goodin said.

SHINE will focus on the understudied transgender community and aims to determine the impact of gender identity, sex assigned at birth and hormone status on pain sensitivity. The goal is to examine social and psychological factors that contribute to pain sensitivity in these groups, and it is the first study to examine evoked pain sensitivity and immune cell responsivity between cisgender and transgender individuals.

DIRECTPain is the first study to examine the efficacy of diets to reduce knee osteoarthritis pain with an emphasis on race, sex and interactions. The overall aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of diets to reduce evoked pain and to determine the contribution of race and sex to these effects, with an emphasis on psychosocial variables.

Both of these grants are the natural extension of our work examining ways in which biopsychosocial variables can affect chronic pain in populations that are historically undertreated for pain, Sorge said. Providing a non-drug alternative for chronic pain through DIRECTPain and partnering with local community groups through SHINE will allow us to directly impact those shouldering the greatest burdens and at the highest risk for poor health outcomes.

Go here to see the original:
Nearly $1 million in R01 grants to support UAB psychology research - University of Alabama at Birmingham

In the past, the BRAT diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast was often used to help treat diarrhea and other stomach issues. The diet was widely recommended for both children and adults, along with pregnant women experiencing issues like morning sickness.

The BRAT diet was thought to be beneficial because these foods are bland, which can be ideal when experiencing stomach issues, says Rhyan Geiger, registered dietitian and owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian. Geiger goes on to explain that these foods are also fairly easy to digest: Because there is very little fiber and fat in this diet, it is unlikely to cause any gut irritation.

Indeed, for some people, the BRAT diet may help with diarrhea, adds Jane Guo, a registered dietitian based in Dallas.The bland foods on this diet are easier on the digestive system and not likely to cause further stomach upset in most people.

Additionally, several of the foods recommended on the BRAT diet contain nutrients that may be lost due to vomiting or diarrhea. For instance, bananas are rich in potassium, an important electrolyte that regulates fluid balance and muscle contractions. Similarly, rice and toast are both good sources of magnesium, another key micronutrient needed to maintain optimal health.

In an article in Practical Gastroenterology, researchers state that bananas and rice may possess antidiarrheal properties and have both been associated with improved outcomes in children with diarrhea.However, they also note that there are no clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of the BRAT diet specifically.

In addition to easing stress on the digestive system, the BRAT diet also emphasizes foods with binding properties, which can add firmness to stool to treat diarrhea.

The four foods included in the BRAT diet are also widely available and easy to prepare, which may be particularly appealing for those who arent feeling well and are unable to spend lots of time on cooking or meal prep.

Continue reading here:
What Is The BRAT DietAnd What Should You Eat With An Upset Stomach? - Forbes

Does eating red meat increase ones risk of heart disease? Would eating more vegetables help? Is leaving high blood pressure untreated really a death wish? The answers might vary, depending on who a person asks, which friend or TikTok nurse, and when. Researchers at the University of Washington want to make it easier to find current, evidence-based health advice.

A new tool from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, unveiled Monday in Nature Medicine, uses a 5-star rating system to show how much evidence exists to support some diet and lifestyle changes. The researchers analyzed hundreds of studies in hopes of helping consumers, clinicians and policymakers awash in a landscape of wellness influencers, food lobbyists and quack advice cut through the chatter and know the scientific consensus. The result is what they are calling the Burden of Proof studies, since its on the research to prove something is legitimate.

Other such reviews exist, the Cochrane Library being a repository of many of them. This new tool, the authors say, is complementary to what exists, but also slightly different. Many epidemiologists assume that risk increases about the same no matter how many grams of vegetables someone eats a day, for example. Burden of Proof allows us to understand better how the risk actually changes with consumption, the authors said.

advertisement

In medicine, theres always been some skepticism about how changes to peoples behaviors can affect their long-term health, especially when it comes to recommending specific foods or activities, said Christopher Murray, senior author of the papers and founder of the IHME.

Clickbait headlines and grocery cart contents reflect the uncertainty. Cows milk is bad, and then its good. Butter nay, all fats must be gone, but then theyre back. Once the shopping cart is full, the Mediterranean, Keto, Paleo and South Beach diets compete for dominion on magazine covers in the checkout line. The peanut butter cups loom. (Is chocolate good or bad? Wait, what about peanut butter?)

advertisement

Diet research is really challenging, said Jeffrey Stanaway, assistant professor of global health and lead author on the groups analysis of vegetable health studies. It is difficult for researchers to measure how much people eat, to do so over time, and to separate their diet from other health factors (people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables are more likely to exercise, for example).

And yet, diet and other behaviors play a significant role in disease prevention. About half of the U.S. population has a chronic condition, and long-term illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer are major drivers of disability and death worldwide. The vast majority of what makes you healthy happens outside the doctors office, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

By evaluating the available data for any link between vegetable eating and five different health outcomes, Stanaway could come to a conclusion: The evidence on vegetables is pretty good, he said. Even a conservative interpretation of the evidence, which the IHME tool uses, showed eating more vegetables is tied to a reduced risk of chronic disease, though future studies could affect that. The model is meant to be updated, and will be, as additional research becomes available, the team said.

A three-star relationship between an increase in non-starchy, fibrous vegetable consumption and ischemic stroke was the strongest link of the bunch. Data suggest increasing vegetable consumption from one to four servings per day carried about a 23% reduction in stroke risk. The analysis also showed a two-star rating for vegetable-eating and heart disease (two on the verge of three, Stanaway said). The study did not include starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes or corn, and also excluded cured and pickled vegetables (kimchee, sauerkraut).

For the most part, dietary habits landed between one and three stars, indicating a need for more rigorous research. I was very surprised at how many of the diet-risk relationships were much weaker than expected, Murray said. He has a slight bit more tolerance for eating red meat after seeing those results, he said.

All evidence on red meat and its links to disease were weak. That wasnt unexpected to Benjamin, who wasnt involved in the research. The things that have always been kind of fuzzy still look kind of fuzzy, he said.

The strongest ratings on a meat-heavy diet were two stars, for colon and rectum cancer, breast cancer, ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In the case of strokes, the researchers found a diet high in red meat could actually have some protective effects, and gave that evidence one-star ratings. Low star-ratings should be seen as areas for research investment, the IHME team said a large, well-designed study on people with diets high in red meat could make a big impact.

Tobacco is often the place where all of the fiery debate comes to rest. There is wide consensus among health professionals that smoking tobacco is bad for humans. IHMEs tool found evidence for strong or very strong links across eight diseases or outcomes, including larynx cancer, aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs, tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and others.

It is irrefutable that tobacco is a major risk to health and really has a broad set of impacts across multiple cardiovascular and cancer outcomes, all in all, Murray said.

Still, there was less robust evidence on the connection between smoking and numerous other illnesses, including ischemic heart disease, esophageal cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and others. Strangely, there was a one-star-rated link between smoking and asthma, a finding that surprised the researchers. Cannabis smoking was not included in the analysis.

The risk of ischemic heart disease was strongly linked to high systolic blood pressure a five-star rating validating both common dogma among clinicians and the IHME tools accuracy, the researchers said in a news conference.

The IHME team has already analyzed nearly 200 other risk-outcome combinations, ranging from alcohol drinking, air pollution and high body-mass index, to other diet factors, such as eating whole grains and legumes. Those results will be published in the future, Murray said.

Benjamin said it will take time for clinicians, policymakers and patients to see the value of this tool the data alone might not be enough to sway the publics understanding of risk.

Where the rating system could be useful in the long run is the doctors office, when a clinician is crafting a care plan for a patient with multiple risk factors (say, smoking, high blood pressure and low vegetable consumption). If what we know about those risks can be weighed against each other, then the doctor and patient might have a better sense of what to prioritize, Benjamin said. The less things you give people to do, the better, and the more likely they are to comply, he said.

STATs coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant fromBloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supportersare not involved in any decisions about our journalism.

Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STATs free newsletter Morning Rounds.Sign up here.

Read the original:
Which diet and health habits are backed by science? Now there's a tool for that - STAT

While theres a lack of research focusing on this specific diet plan, there is an abundance of research on plant-based eating.

There is abundant research overwhelming, in fact on the general health benefits of diverse dietary patterns that emphasize whole plant foods, Dr. Katz adds.

The other fasting-related aspects of the longevity diet fasting-mimicking and intermittent fasting are less studied. It channels the science of calorie restriction and fasting, but whether this practice, twice a year, really does translate into altered longevity for humans, independently of other factors, is, of course, unknown, says Katz. But animal research suggests this style of eating may hold promise.

In theApril 2022 issue of Cell, Longo notes that fasting-mimicking diets have been linked with metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice. These results could reduce risk factors for certain diseases, he writes.

A review published in October 2021 in the Annual Review of Nutrition states that intermittent fasting patterns such as time-restricted eating (which is a part of the longevity diet) is a safe way to improve metabolic health for people who are obese. Yet the jury is out regarding other benefits. For example, one study, published in April 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a time-restricted diet was not more beneficial for weight loss in people with obesity compared to a calorie restricted diet.

Heres a snapshot of some of the possible health effects of this eating plan.

Given the name of the diet, this potential perk likely comes as no surprise. The element of the longevity diet that researchers have studied most widely is plant-based eating.

Research suggests one can boost life expectancy by 3 to 13 years by replacing the Western diet of red meat and processed foods with a diet that contains more nutrient-rich foods that include vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, explains Palumbo. The research Palumbo points to, published in February 2022 in the journal PLOS Medicine, notes that when people start the diet earlier, the gains may be even greater.

Katz, though, adds a caveat. The only evidence in direct support of longevity, per se, is observation of the links between dietary intake patterns and longevity in populations such as the blue zones, he says. There are, for obvious reasons, no intervention studies or randomized trials assessing actual longevity in humans, as such trials would span the lifetimes or more of the researchers who initiated them, and few would be willing to participate as subjects, Katz adds.

Plant-based eating, which features plenty of produce, is a smart choice for heart health. As the World Health Organization points out, heart diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide.

Areview published in February 2017 in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that five servings of vegetables and fruits a day was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. And even more servings per day (around 10) was associated with even lower risk.

Another review of research found that the more vegetables and fruits people consumed, the lower their odds of developing cardiovascular disease, compared with people who ate only 1.5 servings of vegetables per day.

Research published in June 2022 in the European Heart Journalfound that a diet rich in potassium (from longevity dietapproved foods like avocados and salmon) was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, and especially helped women who had high levels of sodium in their diet.

While fish isnt necessarily a staple in a plant-based diet, it is a feature of the longevity diet, and fish is good for the heart, research suggests. For example, a study published in June 2022 inJAHA found that 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily was associated with lower blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a risk factor for heart disease, as the CDC notes.

Plant-based eating may help protect against cancer. In the aforementioned review in the International Journal of Epidemiology, not only did researchers find that a diet rich in fruits and veggies was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but they also found it lowered peoples odds of cancer.

In addition, research published in February 2022 in the journal BMC Medicine found that those who ate a low-meat or meat-free diet (in this study, that was defined as meat five times or less per week) had a lower overall cancer risk than those who consumed more.

Eating ample plant-based foods, like vegetables, legumes, and nuts is a key pillar in the longevity diet. And research published in April 2022 in the journal Diabetologia suggests that a higher total fruit and vegetable intake may be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in men specifically (there wasnt an association with women in this particular study).

Meanwhile, a diet high in red meat and poultry may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, research published in May 2017 in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows.

A healthy, plant-based diet may help prevent eye diseases that can come along with old age, like cataracts and macular degeneration, according toHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For example, research suggests that high amounts of vegetables and fruits are associated with a lower risk of cataracts (yet there was no reduced risk for cataract extraction even among people who ate the highest amounts of fruits and vegetables). In the study, the high group of fruit and veggie eaters consumed around 10 servings a day, while the lowest group consumed about three servings each day.

Here is the original post:
What Is the Longevity Diet? A Detailed Scientific Guide - Everyday Health