Archive for category: Health & Nutrition

Do you really need more Vitamin K?

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If you belong to the older adult group, then you may need to supplement your diet with more vitamin K., And if within that group you are a male, then you absolutely must add more vitamin K to your diet. Why? Because Dr. Sarah Booth of the Tufts University in Boston said so.

According to a study, aging is characterized by a low-grade, pro-inflammatory state, and vitamin K has shown to suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Low-grade inflammation is seen to be a contributing factor in the progression and onset of chronic aging problems like osteoarthritis, heart diseases, and others. This is reason enough why people should augment their diet with foods rich in vitamin K to lower their risk for age-related chronic inflammatory diseases.

Benefits of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is most famous for its role in the blood clotting mechanism. Without vitamin K, a lot of people may die of hemorrhage or continuous bleeding. Clotting is the process by which the body can suppress bleeding and begin wound healing.

On another note, vitamin K is also needed in the creation of the proteins that affect the health of blood vessels, cartilage, and bone. Emerging studies have linked vitamin K to a vital function in keeping tissues from calcification. A good example is osteoarthritis, where the knee cartilage calcifies, thereby causing great pain and decreased mobility.

Naturally Occurring Vitamin K

Many of us know that vitamin K can be found in dark green leafy vegetables. The greener and the darker green the color, the richer it is in the vitamin. The source is known as vitamin K1.

Vitamin K can also be found naturally in animal products and is known as Vitamin K2. Bacteria also produce it in our colon. Fermented foods, beef, and egg yolks are rich in vitamin K 2.

It has been reported that vitamin K2 is the superior form of this vitamin. However, scientific studies show that vitamin K1 is readily accessible, is safe for consumption, and can be converted to vitamin K2 if needed.

How Much Do You Need?

The daily recommended dietary allowance for vitamin K is 90mcg for women and 120mcg for men. In terms of food portions, a cup of raw dark green leafy vegetables will give you more than your recommended daily allowance. It is also highly recommended to serve your green leafy veggies with a drizzle of fat to enhance vitamin absorption.

Food and beverage companies can use certain GrandFusion products to add high concentrations of plant-based vitamin K1. Learn more about our products here.

When Using Blood Thinners

If you are on a medication to thin your blood, you may want to hold off on your vitamin K consumption because this will negate the effect of blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin) and increase your likelihood of blood clots.

Being on blood thinners, though, does not mean you have to hold off on green leafy veggies because they also contain potassium, folate, fiber, and antioxidants that your body needs. The key to balancing blood thinners and the vitamin is to be consistent on the amount of these foods that you take every day so that you do not need to alter your warfarin dose.

Inspired by www.consumerreports.org

Fad Diets and Busy Lifestyles Linked to Nutrient Deficiencies

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There are always two sides to every story. While there is an increase in the number of people who adopt healthy lifestyles, there are those that succumb to eating unhealthy foods because of the fast-paced lives that they live. In the United Kingdom, a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal shows that more young people are opting for junk foods and fad diets. They are at risk for nutrient deficiencies. Specifically, teenage girls between the age of 11 and 18 were found to be deficient from nine (9) essential nutrients such as Potassium, Magnesium, Selenium, Iodine, Zinc, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, Calcium, and Iron.

What Are the Numbers?

This particular study evaluated the intake of essential nutrients among British people from 1996 to 2016. Absorption of Calcium among teenage girls has fallen by 10%, which may affect bone strength and development among young women. Moreover, Vitamin D has fallen by 22%, and this is an essential nutrient for the bones, lungs, and brain. Iron, on the other hand, has fallen by 5%, and Potassium has decreased by 4%. Both Iron and Potassium are crucial for having a healthy cardiovascular system.  Vitamin A, which is vital for the eyes as well as reproductive health, has fallen by as much as 21%. Although this may be the case, protein intake increased by 10%, followed by Zinc and Magnesium by 4% and 2%, respectively.

On the other hand, the calorie and fat intake of teenage girls has also fallen by 17% and 25%, respectively. This is very surprising and ironic compared to countries where adolescent obesity is a big problem. Intake of an adequate number of calories and fats is necessary to drive the healthy metabolism of the body.

UK  Needs To Fortify Diets to Address Nutrient Deficiencies

Lead author Dr. Emma Derbyshire from the Health Consultancy Nutritional Insight Limited noted that despite that, there is so much information on health and nutrition, the UK diet has not improved. Moreover, the declining intake of vitamins and minerals from the right kinds of food is also a big problem as people are still opting for junk food that is, unfortunately, devoid of any nutrition. The lousy diet choices of people are responsible for around 90,000 deaths in Britain yearly. One in six deaths in the UK is associated with unhealthy foods.

The natural and easy way to do this is with our GrandFusion® fruit and vegetable powders. With just 1/4 teaspoon of powder in one of our blends, you can add as much as 50% of the daily value of 12 different vitamins from fruits and vegetables. GrandFusion® is the natural way to enhance your products and add all-natural vitamins and minerals from plants.

Why Teenage Girls Are Vulnerable

Teenage girls are vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies. One of the biggest culprits identified by the study is the modern and busy lifestyle that most young women follow. But more than the active lifestyle, Dr. Derbyshire also noted that social media is a significant driver in the nutritional deficiencies of many UK teenage girls. Many young women are conscious of their weight due to social media pressure; thus, they opt to go on great lengths to stay slim. Moreover, misinformation on the different fad diets or food groups is very rampant in social media, and it seems that this misinformation is moving faster than the science behind the food.

Inspired by www.dailymail.co.uk

Drinking Tart Cherry Juice May Promote Memory and Cognitive Performance

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The University of Delaware recently conducted a study that shows a promising link between the prevention of memory loss and boosting cognitive ability with the consumption of tart cherry juice.

Boosting cognitive performance and prevention of memory loss should not just be the goal of older adults. And neither should it be a goal solely to gain more money or traction up the corporate ladder. Even people in the prime of their lives should opt to promote and protect their brain health. Why? Cases of dementia are on the rise. It is an umbrella term used to refer to a decline in thinking, problem-solving, language, and memory skills that affect a person’s ability to perform daily chores.

The Study on Tart Cherry Juice

In a different study, the University of Delaware stumbled upon the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the tart Montmorency cherries. It was shown to be capable of reducing blood pressure. The researchers wanted to explore the cherries’ properties further and tested their efficacy on brain health.

The new study results showed that frequent consumption of tart cherry juice showed to improve cognitive abilities as demonstrated by their decision making and memory skills. This is in comparison to test subjects who did not consume any tart cherry juice at all. It was proposed that the cherries’ oxidative stress-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties may help boost the blood flow to the brain, thereby increasing mental capacity. It is also believed that the bioactive compounds it contains like melanin, anthocyanins, and polyphenols may be crucial to its blood-pressure-lowering effects.

Importance of Cognitive Function

It is crucial to reiterate that cognitive function is a vital indicator of the quality of life and independence—whether as an older adult or not. That’s why it is important to start providing your brain function with the support and protection it needs to continue to do its cognitive role efficiently and reliably. And one way of achieving this is through the frequent consumption of tart cherries in the form of juice as put forth by the study.

Inspired by www.foodandwine.com

Foods Rich in Flavonoids Have Cancer-Fighting Abilities

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What makes fruits and vegetables healthy are that they contain enzymes that can influence physiological processes in the body, and also contains flavonoids that can bring many benefits to the body.

A study conducted by researchers from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences analyzed data obtained from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort with 53,048 Danes for 23 years. The study found that people who regularly consume foods that are rich in flavonoids are less likely to die from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The study was published in the journal, Nature Communications, and is a collaboration between the Danish Cancer Society Research Center and Herlev & Gentofte University Hospital.

What Is the Study All About?

The lead researcher, Dr. Nicola Bondonno, noted that the protective effects of flavonoids are highest among people who are at risk of developing chronic diseases. This is especially true among people who heavily smoke and drink alcohol, particularly those who consume more than the recommended amount per day. The findings of the study are significant because flavonoid-rich foods can be used to prevent the onset and development of chronic diseases potentially.  But aside from people with chronic diseases, flavonoids can also benefit healthy people who want to maintain their good health.

Where to Get Flavonoids?

While many fruits and vegetables contain specific amounts of flavonoids, one can get more by consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as tea and apples. Other types of foods that are rich in flavonoids include broccoli, oranges, and berries. There is a myriad of fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of flavonoids. The study shows that consuming at least 500 milligrams of total flavonoids can reduce the risk of cancer as well as heart-related diseases.

How Many Flavonoid-Rich Foods to Consume?

But how much of these foods should you take in to benefit from flavonoids? The same study noted that it is easy to achieve the daily recommended amount by having an idea of the serving sizes of foods that you should eat. For instance, you can get 500 milligrams of flavonoids by consuming any of the following: one apple, one cup of tea, one orange, 100 grams of broccoli, and 100 milligrams of blueberries.

How Do Flavonoids Work?

While the study is conclusive that flavonoids can help promote better health, the mechanism on how it brings benefits to the body might still be a little vague. However, Dr. Bondonno noted that the protective effect of flavonoids is because it has anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-inflammatory properties can help improve blood vessel function as well as promote the immune system function.

The Future These Natural Wonders

Flavonoids come with potent anti-inflammatory benefits to the body, but Dr. Bondonno wants to research further the specific types of cancers and heart diseases that can benefit from flavonoids. Eventually, identifying the type of cancer and heart disease that can be prevented by flavonoids and the kind of food that can help the body may lead to the development of medicine made from nature.

Inspired by www.sciencedaily.com

What Kind of Nutrition Do You Need When You Work Out?

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Whether your workout goal is to lose weight or gain more muscle, it’s integral that you eat right for optimal results. The muscles engaged during exercise rely heavily on the fuel you provide them, which is why eating the right food before, during, and after can greatly impact the quality of your workout sessions and your overall results. Aside from this, research published by the Oxford University Press points out that the right nutrition can reduce the risks of various chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. That being said, it is of paramount importance now more than ever to focus on not only your workouts but also the food you consume, as Maryville University reveal how a staggering 164 million Americans will succumb to chronic diseases by 2025. This is a number that translates to nearly half of the population. Being mindful of your dietary choices will not only improve your performance but will also boost your overall health in the long run.

Here is a quick breakdown of the nutrition you’ll be needing before, during, and after a workout to help you with your eating plan.

Pre-workout Nutrition

Before you head to the track or the gym, make sure you consume nutrients that would help you sustain energy, preserve muscle mass, and speed up recovery. Your pre-workout nutrition should then consist of mostly carbohydrates, as well as some protein and heart-healthy fats.

That said, your main focus should be on eating enough quality carbohydrates that would provide your body the energy it needs for your workout. According to the Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the carbohydrates that give you the most nutrition are those that contain a lot of fiber, like whole-wheat toast, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables. A small amount of protein (to help increase muscle gain) and healthy fats (to give your body more fuel) should ideally be part of your pre-workout meal for better performance. Note that you also need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, or your body will have a hard time performing at its best.

For a full and well-digested meal, make sure to enjoy your pre-workout food at least 2-3 hours before you exercise. If you would like to consume anything later than that, it would have to be a small snack, or better yet, something liquid like a smoothie.

During Workout Nutrition

The most important thing to remember during any workout is to keep yourself hydrated. And as mentioned in our article enumerating ‘The Best Foods to Eat for Energy’, the best beverage for hydration is water. Make sure to take small, frequent sips of water in between sets. This should be enough to hydrate you during workouts, but for those who exercise intensely for over an hour, a sports drink can help replenish electrolytes lost through sweat.

Generally, there is no need to consume any food when you exercise for an hour or less. But for longer sweat sessions, you can fuel your body with sports drinks, fruits, and other high-carbohydrate food and drinks.

Post-workout Nutrition

After exercising, you will need the right nutrients for your body, with researchers from Massey University stating that the lack of adequate nutrition may hamper recovery, as well as beneficial adaptations and performance. Working out triggers the breakdown of muscle protein, so eating protein is a must to help our bodies repair and grow muscles. To help replace the glycogen stores used as fuel during your session, consuming carbohydrates afterward is also important.

That being said, the ideal post-workout meal should have a 1:1 ratio of protein and carbohydrates and must be consumed within 2 hours after you exercise. A good example of a post-workout meal would be a turkey sandwich with vegetables. Last but not least is water. Don’t forget that keeping yourself hydrated after exercising also aids in faster recovery.

At the end of the day, nutrition is just as important as exercise. However, it is important to note that people have different kinds of workouts and digestive systems, so listen closely to your body and do what works best for you.

Words by Mona Presson
Written exclusively for nf.simplygrandproperties.com/

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Lowered Risk for Cardiac Diseases is Tied to a Healthy Plant-Based Diet

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It may not sound surprising. Still, a US study has indicated that individuals who consume a healthy plant-based diet have a lower likelihood of developing and dying from heart-related problems.

The Study Background

Over three decades, researchers have followed 12,168 middle-aged adults and evaluated their food preferences and eating habits at various points of the study. Through the length of the study, there were a total of 5,436 contributors who died, and out of these numbers, it was shown that 1,565 of them did due to a cardiovascular problem.

As a background, the participants of the study were between the ages of 45 and 64 years old. During the beginning of the study, these participants did not have any heart problems. Further, the study also segregated the participants’ plant-based diet into four classes. One, the diet that was more unhealthy and starchy plants like processed foods and potatoes. Two, an entirely vegetarian diet. Three, a plant diet based more on green vegetables. And the fourth, an overall plant-based diet but not strictly vegetarian.

It was seen that people who adhered to diets 2 through 4 consumed less than a serving of processed food or red meat a day with an average of 4.1 to 4.8 servings of vegetables and fruits. While those on the first diet usually had 1.2 servings of processed or red meat daily with an average of 2.3 servings of fruits and veggies.

It is noted, though, that the study’s limitation is that the research relied on the participant’s capability of accurately recalling and reporting what they ate.

Key Intake from the Study Results

  • It was seen that throughout the study that those who embraced and carefully adhered to a plant-based diet were physically active, high school graduates, white, and women. And it was also seen that those who adopted the plant-based diet were less likely to suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity. Almost all of them were non-smokers.
  • Vegetarians and those participants who incorporated more plant-based and healthy food options in their diet had a 16% lower risk of getting diagnosed with a cardiovascular problem in succeeding follow-ups.
  • On the other hand, individuals who did not eat a lot of plant-based food in their diet increased their chance by 16% of getting non-fatal strokes or heart attacks and even developing heart failure in comparison to those individuals who ate more plant-based food.
  • What’s alarming is that the study showed a diet rich in refined carbs, and animal products have a higher chance of dying from heart disease. This chance is indexed at a 32% rate while the chances of dying—from any cause—during the study were pegged between 18 to 25 percent.

A Healthy Plant-Based Diet Can Make a Difference

As the study provides more evidence pointing to plant-based food being good for your heart health, everybody is urged to add more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in their diet while lessening the consumption of processed and red meat.

Inspired by www.reuters.com

Recent Global Study Crowned British Food as the Healthiest

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According to a significant study worldwide, when it comes to packaged drinks and foods, the UK is the healthiest compared to Australia and the US, 3rd and 2nd place, respectively.

Ranked according to the Health Star Rating System of Australia, the George Institute for Global Health used this rating system to analyze over 400,000 varieties of food and beverage products from places all over the world. The system employs a star rating process with 5-stars as the healthiest and ½ a star as the least healthy. It also considers nutrient levels like fiber, calcium, protein, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and energy, to name a few. The study conducted highlighted the amount of energy, salt, saturated fat, and sugar in favorite food items on grocery shelves.

With a star rating of 2.81, Australia finished at 3rd, followed by the US at 2.82 and 2.83 for the UK at the top. On the other end of the spectrum, with a star rating of 2.27, India has the lowest score, followed by China at 2.43.

Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, the lead author of the study, found these results concerning. Why? Because the global trend of using processed foods keeps rising. And the worse is, these grocery shelves are stocked with products that contain higher amounts of salt and sugar that are making us sick. Furthermore, it is the poorer nations, or highly populous nations of the world that are affected by these diet-related diseases brought about by unhealthy packaged food and drinks since they are least able to address these issues.

Important Intake from the Study

  • The most energy-dense packages food products came from India with 1,515kJ/100g of food. The least energy-dense came from South Africa at 1,044kJ/100g.
  • China had the highest content of saturated fat in their packaged food. Saturated fat is considered harmful to the diet and needs to be eliminated or consumed sparingly.
  • China also scored worst on the amount of sugar with 8.5 grams of sugar per 100g of food. India was not far behind at 7.3g/100g. Comparatively, this sugar content is almost double the amount found in packaged foods in the UK and Canada at 3.8g/100g and 4.6/100g, respectively.
  • When it came to sodium levels, at an average content of 291-mg sodium per 100g of food—Canada topped the charts. The US was not far behind at 279mg/100g.
  • When it came to pre-packaged drinks, South Africa had the lowest star rating of 1.92 on average. On the other hand, China’s prepackaged drinks were amongst the healthiest surveyed. However, their packaged food index was at 2.39 on average.

Conclusion

The study had a perfect message for all of us, not just for people in the business of pre-packaged food but also for consumers.

“Billions of people are now exposed to very unhealthy foods on a daily basis. The obesity crisis is just the first ripple of a tsunami of dietary ill health that is coming for us. We have to find a way that the food industry can profit from selling rational quantities of quality food, rather than deluging us with unhealthy junk. There are few greater priorities for human health.” ~Professor Bruce Neal, Co-Author of the Study

Inspired by www.sciencedaily.com

Plant-Based Diets May Reduce The Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases By 32%

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Different kinds of diets exist, and some are designed to benefit people, especially those who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. One such diet is the plant-based diet. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association noted that eating more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and fewer animal products can reduce the risk for severe cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart attacks. Lead author of the study Dr. Casey M. Rebholz from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore noted that eating more plant-based foods can have benefits to having a healthy heart and more.

Plant-Based Diets and Heart Health

The study involved 12,168 middle-age individuals enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study from 1987 to 2016. Those who have higher intakes of plant-based foods have better cardiovascular scores compared to those who consume more meat. The findings of the study also revealed that those who consume more plant-based whole foods are 16% less likely to suffer not only from a heart attack but also from a stroke.

You Don’t Need to Give Up on Animal Products

While consuming plant-based diets can help improve cardiovascular health, you don’t have to give up on animal products altogether. You can consume a smaller portion of animal-based food products on an occasional basis to enjoy the benefits of having good cardiovascular health. Reducing the number of animal-based products consumed can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by as much as 25% and improve the cardiovascular condition of people who are highly at risk of cardiovascular diseases by 32%.

Plant-Based Foods Provide More Nutrition

According to Chief Science Officer of the American Heart Association, Dr. Mariell Jessup, eating mostly plant-based foods provides more nutrition to the body. Vegetables and fruits, for instance, are rich in nutrients and are low in sugar, sodium, and cholesterol. Moreover, they don’t contain any saturated fat or trans-fat that may clog arteries easily.

Not All Plant-Based Foods Are Healthy

While plant-based foods are generally healthy, it is essential to take note that not all plant-based food is healthy. For instance, French fries or cauliflower pizza loaded with cheese is made from vegetables, but they are low in nutritional value. Moreover, they also contain high amounts of salt. When it comes to choosing the right plant-based foods, it is always ideal to go for unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Is Plant-Based Fool-Proof?

Given that there are so many studies involving the benefits of plant-based food on cardiovascular health, is the plant-based food fool-proof? The lead researcher of the study pointed out that previous studies focused on the benefit of plant-based food in a smaller population, particularly vegetarians.  However, the limitation of the study was that it was conducted decades ago; thus, the results of the study may no longer reflect the food industry today. Studies like this should be replicated to reflect the modern food industry.

Inspired by www.medicalnewstoday.com