Latest news with #AmericanSocietyforNutrition
The Hill
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Drinking coffee daily tied to healthy aging among women, study finds
Related video: Could the cost of coffee rise due to tariffs? (NEXSTAR) – A study presented at the American Society for Nutrition Monday suggests that an eye-opening cup of java may also have long-term health benefits for women. 'Our study has several key strengths,' said Sara Mahdavi, lead researcher and an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, in a press release. 'In addition to the large sample size and 30 years of follow-up, we assessed several different aspects of longevity and healthy aging as well as very comprehensive information on nutritional and lifestyle habits that were collected every four years after the initiation of the study.' The study followed 47,513 women using dietary and health data from the Nurses' Health Study dating back to 1984. While not yet peer-reviewed or published, the supporting data is extensive, experts say, and its conclusion lines up with several other studies that have found coffee to have beneficial effects. 'The data is quite consistent that coffee consumption is actually beneficial,' a Tufts University professor not affiliated with the study told The New York Times. The study looked at the frequency with which the participants drank coffee, tea, cola or decaffeinated coffee, while accounting for other factors that could influence health aging, such as body weight, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, education level and protein consumption. Every four years, researchers collected follow-up information on the participants' nutritional and lifestyle habits, including regular caffeine consumption. After three decades, there were 3,706 women who met the definition of a health ager: 'living to age 70 or older, being free from 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining physical function, having good mental health, exhibiting no cognitive impairment and showing no memory complaints.' In mid-life, those same woman consumed, on average, 315 mg of caffeine per day, or about one and a half large cups of coffee. The vast majority of that caffeine intake came from regular coffee, according to the study. 'For women in the healthy agers group, each extra cup of coffee per day was tied to a 2% to 5% higher chance of doing well later in life, up to five small cups per day, or about 2.5 cups according to today's measures,' the news release stated. Alternatively, researchers found no link between healthy aging and decaffeinated coffee or tea. 'The health benefits apppeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly,' Mahdavi told Fox News Digital. 'We didn't see the same associations with decaf coffee, tea or caffeinated soda, suggesting that coffee's unique combination of bioactive compounds may play a key role.' Caffeinated soda, the study found, lowered participants' chances of healthy aging by 20 percent to 26 percent. 'These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health,' said Mahdavi. 'Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking. While this study adds to prior evidence suggesting coffee intake may be linked with healthy aging, the benefits from coffee are relatively modest compared to the impact of overall healthy lifestyle habits and warrant further investigation.' Despite the generous sample size, Mahdavi noted that the study mostly examined the health and habits of white, educated female health professionals. 'Further work is needed to confirm generalizability to broader populations,' she told Fox News Digital, adding that, while the results are positive for coffee drinkers, the study doesn't show a direct causal relationship between the beverage and long-term health. In other words, there's no guarantee that starting a coffee habit will lead to a healthier aging process, but the study suggests that coffee drinkers don't necessarily need to cut back on the beverage in an attempt to maintain their health as they get older, David Kao, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School told CNN. For those people who aren't already coffee drinkers, or abstain from caffeine, Mahdavi said her team does not recommend taking up the habit. People with medical concerns including high blood pressure, sleep issues or anxiety, should speak with a healthcare provider before drinking coffee, as it may not be advisable.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
People who eat certain type of diet are at low risk for dementia, research shows
Certain foods may feed the brain better than others. New research presented this week at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando, Florida, found that the MIND diet is particularly beneficial for cognitive health. Advertisement People who followed the MIND eating plan — which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay — were 'significantly less likely' to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, according to a press release from the American Society for Nutrition. What is the MIND diet? MIND is a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), the latter of which is designed to reduce blood pressure. The diet focuses on 'brain-healthy foods' like leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, and olive oil. 'The MIND diet is unique as the first eating plan focused on foods to specifically improve and support cognitive health,' Lauren Harris-Pincus, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of and author of 'The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook,' told Fox News Digital. Advertisement 5 New research presented this week at NUTRITION 2025 found that the MIND diet is particularly beneficial for cognitive health. bit24 – 5 Those who followed the diet were shown to have an overall 9% reduced risk of dementia. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – The plant-focused MIND diet highlights 10 types of food, including berries, leafy greens, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, legumes, seafood, poultry, and olive oil, according to Harris-Pincus, who was not involved in the research. 'These focus foods contain nutrients that play a critical role in supporting brain health, including flavonoids, carotenoids, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA), choline, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium,' she said. Advertisement 'The diet also suggests limiting foods such as pastries, refined sugar, red meat, cheese, fried foods, fast food, and butter or margarine.' 5 The plant-focused MIND diet highlights 10 types of food, including berries, leafy greens, veggies, and whole grains. monticellllo – MIND's impact on brain health Researchers from the University of Hawaii analyzed data from nearly 93,000 U.S. adults who reported their dietary habits during the 1990s as part of the Multiethnic Cohort Study. At the start of the study, participants ranged in age from 45 to 75. Advertisement 5 People who followed the MIND eating plan were 'significantly less likely' to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, according to a press release from the American Society for Nutrition. Jacob Lund – In analyzing which participants developed Alzheimer's or other dementias in later years, the MIND eating plan performed better than other healthy diets in terms of reducing dementia risk, with benefits seen among both younger and older groups. Those who followed the diet were shown to have an overall 9% reduced risk of dementia, and some groups — African American, Latino, and White participants — showed a 13% lower risk. Asian-Americans and native Hawaiians did not show as pronounced a risk reduction. 5 'Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life and their improvement over time may prevent Alzheimer's and related dementias,' said Song-Yi Park (not pictured), PhD, associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – The longer people adhered to the diet, the greater the reduction of risk. Those who followed the plan over a 10-year period had a 25% lower risk compared to those who didn't stick with it. 'Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life and their improvement over time may prevent Alzheimer's and related dementias,' said Song-Yi Park, PhD, associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, in the release. 'This suggests that it is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia.'
Observer
a day ago
- Health
- Observer
That cup of coffee may have a long-term perk
Most people who drink coffee appreciate the quick jolt of energy it provides. But in a new study, presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, scientists have found that coffee may offer the much longer-term benefit of healthy aging. The study has not been peer-reviewed or published, but it was rigorous and included a large number of women who were followed for many years. It also adds to a large body of evidence linking coffee to longer lives and various health advantages, including lower risks of certain chronic diseases — though all of these studies had limitations, including that they were observational and could not prove cause and effect. Still, the results linking coffee to healthier aging were not surprising, said Fang Fang Zhang, a professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University who was not involved with the study. 'The data is quite consistent that coffee consumption is actually beneficial,' she said. What did the new research find? In the study, researchers followed more than 47,000 female nurses for several decades beginning in the 1970s. Every few years, the women answered detailed questions about their diets, including how much coffee, tea and cola (like Coca-Cola or Pepsi) they typically drank. Then the scientists looked at how many of the women were still alive and met their definition of 'healthy aging' in 2016. Just over 3,700 women met that definition: They were 70 or older; reported good physical and mental health, with no cognitive impairment or memory problems; and were free of 11 chronic diseases such as cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The researchers found a correlation between how much caffeine the women typically drank (which was mostly from coffee) when they were between 45 and 60 years old; and their likelihood of healthy aging. After adjusting for other factors that could affect aging, such as their overall diet, how much they exercised and whether they smoked, those who consumed the most caffeine (equivalent to nearly seven 8-ounce cups of coffee per day) had odds of healthy aging that were 13 per cent higher than those who consumed the least caffeine (equivalent to less than one cup per day). Drinking tea or decaffeinated coffee was not associated with healthy aging, the researchers found. That may be because the study participants generally consumed less tea and decaffeinated coffee overall, so perhaps there were fewer chances for the researchers to find benefits linked to them, said Sara Mahdavi, an adjunct professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto who led the study. Tea and decaf coffee also have less caffeine and tea has different plant compounds from regular coffee, so that may explain the results, too, she added. Drinking cola, another potential source of caffeine, was associated with significantly decreased odds of healthy aging. If you drink coffee regularly, consider the new findings and others like it as good news that it may benefit your health. Mahdavi cautioned that while drinking up to seven small cups of coffee per day was associated with healthy aging in her study, that doesn't necessarily mean that drinking that much will benefit everyone, or that it is healthy to do so. Research in other groups of people suggests that the health benefits of coffee may plateau or even dip when they drink more than three to four cups per day. What does other research suggest? Many other studies have linked drinking coffee regularly to a lower risk of early death. In a study of more than 46,000 US adults published in May, Zhang and her colleagues found that those who consumed one to three cups of coffee per day were about 15 per cent less likely to die within the next nine to 11 years than those who didn't drink coffee. That benefit disappeared, though, for people who said they typically added more than about a half-teaspoon of sugar to their coffee and for people who added more than 1 gram of saturated fat (equivalent to about one tablespoon of half-and-half or 3.5 tablespoons of whole milk) per cup of coffee. Research has also suggested that people who drink coffee regularly have lower risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, osteoporosis and some types of cancer. These kinds of studies can't prove cause and effect, said Aladdin Shadyab, an associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego. But because the benefits associated with coffee have been so consistent, it's unlikely that they are entirely explained by other aspects of a person's life, Zhang said. If anything, drinking coffee is often associated with unhealthy habits, like smoking and less exercise. The fact that you see benefits after accounting for these differences means that coffee is probably helping, Zhang said. How might coffee protect your health? Researchers aren't entirely sure why coffee may be beneficial. 'It's a bit of a mystery,' said Marilyn Cornelis, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Studies of mice have found that caffeine may improve memory and protect brain cells from damage. And human studies have found links between regular (not decaffeinated) coffee and a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease. Both regular and decaf coffee contain hundreds of chemical compounds, including many that may lower inflammation and prevent cell damage, Mahdavi said. While the new study didn't find a benefit associated with decaf coffee, other research has linked it, along with regular coffee, to lower rates of Type 2 diabetes and other conditions, Cornelis said. Tea also contains many beneficial compounds and drinking it has been associated with better heart health and a longer life. What's the takeaway? If you drink coffee regularly, consider the new findings and others like it as good news that it may benefit your health — so long as you don't add too much cream or sugar, Zhang said. But if you don't enjoy coffee, Mahdavi added, there's no need to start drinking it. It can interfere with sleep or make some people feel anxious or jittery. There are plenty of other, more evidence-backed ways to boost your health and longevity, Shadyab added, such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and having an active social life. — The New York Times
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Advisory: Nutrition Priorities for GLP-1 Use in Obesity
Four clinical organizations jointly released a clinical advisory with evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle interventions to enhance glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) treatment outcomes for obesity. METHODOLOGY: An expert group comprised of multiple clinical and research disciplines assessed the literature to identify pragmatic priorities for nutrition and other lifestyle interventions relevant to GLP-1 treatment for obesity. Based on the group's findings, The Obesity Society, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, American Society for Nutrition, and the Obesity Medicine Association simultaneously published 'Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity' in their own peer-reviewed journals. The consensus-based clinical advisory reflects an interdisciplinary collaboration to help clinicians support patients receiving GLP-1 treatment with evidence-based nutritional and behavioral strategies. TAKEAWAY: The expert group found that GLP-1s reduced body weight by 5%-18% in trials, with modestly lower effects in real-world analyses, and multiple clinical benefits. Challenges included side effects, especially gastrointestinal (GI); nutritional deficiencies due to calorie reduction; muscle and bone loss; low long-term adherence and subsequent weight regain; as well as high costs resulting in low cost-effectiveness. The group recommended eight priorities to address the challenges: (1) Patient-centered initiation of therapy; (2) careful baseline nutritional assessment; (3) management of GI side effects, (4) personalized, nutrient-dense, minimally processed diets; (5) prevention of micronutrient deficiencies; (6) adequate protein intake and strength training to preserve lean mass; (7) leveraging a good diet to maximize weight reduction; and (8) promoting other lifestyle changes around activity, sleep, mental stress, substance use, and social connections to maximize long-term success. IN PRACTICE: 'Medical therapy for obesity and lifestyle changes go and-in-hand,' Marc-Andre Cornier, MD, The Obesity Society president, said in an accompanying press release. 'This guidance lays a nutrition roadmap to help providers support their patients on sustainable and lasting weight reduction journeys. It underscores the importance of nutrition on quality of life and is an important contribution to the literature about incorporating lifestyle interventions into obesity care.' SOURCE: The clinical advisory, led by Advisory Chair Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, of Tufts University, Boston, was published simultaneously in Obesity , American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine , The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , and Obesity Pillars . LIMITATIONS: Recommendations are based on a literature review and a consensus among expert group members. DISCLOSURES: Mozaffarian reported research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Kaiser Permanente Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation, National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation, Google Health, and The Rockefeller Foundation; scientific advisory board, Beren Therapeutics, Brightseed, Calibrate, Elysium Health, Filtricine, HumanCo, Instacart Health, January Inc., WndrHLTH; scientific consulting, Amazon Health; equity in Calibrate and HumanCo; and chapter royalties from UpToDate.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Microplastics in food and drinks damage our livers and affect metabolism, scientists say
'Waiter, there are fragments of synthetic polymers in my soup' does not have quite the ring to it as the old joke about the unappetising fly. Research presented at an American Society for Nutrition conference in Orlando, Florida, that ended this week suggests that food and drink are much more likely to harbour harmful plastics than toxic bugs. Microscopic plastic particles found in food and beverages may affect glucose metabolism and harm organs such as the liver,' according to scientists at the University of California, Davis, who warned that despite 'ubiquitous exposure' to microplastics and nanoplastics, the health implications have yet not been 'fully elucidated'. 'Our observations that oral ingestion of polystyrene nanoplastics contributes to glucose intolerance and signs of liver injury, confirm and extend what has been recently reported on the effects of nanoplastics in animal models,' the team warned, after comparing mice exposed to plastics to others that were not exposed. Increasing levels of plastic pollution have led to plastic breaking down into tiny shards called microplastics and nanoplastics that are eaten by animals and pass into the human food chain. Photo: Shutterstock 'With the growing concern around micro- and nanoplastic exposure, we wanted to evaluate the impact of this exposure on health,' said Amy Parkhurst of the University of California Davis.
