Latest news with #HealthProfessionalsFollow-UpStudy
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Experts reveal that THIS diet can reduce heart disease risk
A recent Harvard study, presented at NUTRITION 2025, reveals that food quality is paramount for heart health, surpassing the focus on simply cutting carbs or fats. The decades-long research, involving nearly 200,000 participants, demonstrates that diets rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables significantly lower coronary heart disease risk by approximately 15%, regardless of whether they are low-carb or low-fat. Heart diseases are on the rise, with it still being one of the leading causes of death globally. Cardiovascular diseases account for 17.9 million deaths worldwide in 2023. Diet plays a crucial role in heart health and in reducing the risk of heart disease. A recent study examined the relationship between heart disease and diet and has identified one that benefits the heart. A large study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that the quality of the food matters more than cutting carbs or fat. The findings will be presented at NUTRITION 2025 , the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, which will be held in Orlando this week. Quality over quantity The new study found that when it comes to protecting the heart , the types of foods one eats may be more important than whether they follow a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet. To understand what works in favour of the heart, the researchers followed almost 200,000 people for several decades, and observed that the quality of food consumed matters as much as following a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet. The findings suggested that choosing healthy, high-quality foods is key to protecting the heart. Previously, low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets have been endorsed by health experts for their potential health benefits, such as weight management and improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels. However, the impact of these diets on reducing heart disease risk has remained an ongoing debate. 'We found that what you eat on low-carb or low-fat diets matters just as much as the diet itself. Healthy versions of these diets—those rich in plant-based foods and whole grains—were linked to better heart health outcomes and improved metabolic function. In contrast, low-carb and low-fat diets emphasizing unhealthy foods were associated with a higher risk of heart disease,' said Zhiyuan Wu, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Qi Sun, MD, ScD, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a release. The study To understand the link, the researchers analyzed data from three large cohorts: 43,430 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2016), 64,164 women in the Nurses' Health Study (1986–2018), and 92,189 women in the Nurses' Health Study II (1991–2019). The scientists followed these nearly 200,000 participants for several decades, tracking their dietary habits and whether they developed heart disease. Participants completed detailed food frequency questionnaires over time, allowing researchers to score their diets based on the quality of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins consumed. The researchers classified carbohydrates, fat,s and proteins from foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nut,s and legumes as high-quality nutrients, or healthy, while carbohydrates from potatoes and refined grains, as well as saturated fats and proteins from animal-based foods, were categorized as low-quality, or unhealthy. For more than 10,000 participants, the team also examined blood metabolites to understand how diet quality influenced metabolic health. 'This approach allowed us to better understand the biological effects of these diets and strengthened our findings,' Wu said. Take away The researchers found that the participants who followed a healthy low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet had a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, while those on unhealthy versions saw an increased risk. These healthy diet patterns, whether a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet, lowered the risk of developing heart disease by about 15%. You Clean Your Diet, But What About Your Company? Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati's Powerful Truth 'Our findings suggest that improving food quality is crucial for improving heart health. Regardless of whether someone follows a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet, emphasizing whole, minimally processed and plant-based foods and limiting refined grain, sugar, and animal foods, can significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,' Wu added. What to do To keep heart diseases at bay, the researchers suggest incorporating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes while cutting back on processed meats, refined carbs and sugary foods. Pro tip? Check food labels and be mindful of added low-quality ingredients, such as added sugars in juices and processed snacks. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Early Signs of Parkinson's Disease
Ultra-processed foods are associated with a rogues' gallery of health problems, including elevated risk for obesity, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Yet despite experts' warnings, ultra-processed foods are satisfying, cheap, and easy, making them popular across much of the world. In the US, more than half of all calories adults consume at home now come from ultra-processed foods. As researchers race to keep up, the list of suspected risks continues to grow. According to an international team of researchers who analyzed decades of records from tens of thousands of health workers, people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease than those who don't. This does not prove causation, but it does reveal a noteworthy association, especially in the broader context of health concerns related to ultra-processed foods. It also adds to mounting evidence that diet is key to brain health. "Eating a healthy diet is crucial as it has been associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and the dietary choices we make today can significantly influence our brain health in the future," says co-author Xiang Gao, a nutritional epidemiologist with the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai. In the new study, researchers focused on signs of Parkinson's disease that appear before more specific symptoms develop, which can include body pain, constipation, depressive symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and an impaired sense of smell. At this stage, while patients may not have characteristic features of the disease, neurodegeneration may have already begun. "There's growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease. Our research shows that eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas and packaged snacks, might be speeding up early signs of Parkinson's disease," Gao says. The researchers conducted a longitudinal analysis using data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, letting them track details about the diet and health of nearly 43,000 people for up to 26 years. This sample included men and women with an average age of 48 years, who had no history of Parkinson's disease. The subjects had received regular medical exams and completed biennial health questionnaires, which Gao and his colleagues reviewed for early signs of Parkinson's disease. Subjects also submitted responses to surveys at two- to four-year intervals, offering insight into their dietary habits. Researchers used this to estimate each subject's average daily ingestion of ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova classification system for food processing. The study covered several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; packaged savory snacks; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and animal-based products. Subjects were split into five groups based on their consumption of ultra-processed foods. Those in the highest group ate 11 or more servings per day on average, while the lowest group averaged fewer than three daily servings. The researchers adjusted for factors such as age, alcohol intake, body mass index, caffeine intake, physical activity, and tobacco smoking, among others. Subjects who ate 11 or more daily servings of ultra-processed foods were 2.5 times likelier to have at least three early signs of Parkinson's disease compared with subjects who ate fewer than three servings per day, the authors report. Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked with increased risk of almost all early signs of Parkinson's disease used in this study, they found, with the exception of constipation. There are some important caveats to these findings. They show an association between ultra-processed foods and increased risk for early signs of Parkinson's disease, but more research is needed to clarify the nature of the relationship. The focus on early signs of Parkinson's disease also involves some ambiguity, as the authors acknowledge, since these are potential hints of the condition rather than definitive indicators. Many of the early signs – body pain, for example, or daytime sleepiness – are common as people age and don't necessarily herald Parkinson's disease. All of these features considered in composite, however, are "strongly predictive" of subsequent Parkinson's disease diagnoses, the researchers write. "Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health," Gao says. "More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease." The study was published in Neurology. AI Discovers Suspected Trigger of Alzheimer's, And Maybe a Treatment One Stage of Sleep Seems Critical For Reducing Risk of Dementia World First: US Baby Treated With Personalized CRISPR Gene-Editing
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Parkinson's disease prevention may ‘begin at the dinner table'
Eating about a dozen servings of ultraprocessed food each day could more than double your risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. A single serving in the study was 8 ounces of diet or sugar-sweetened soda, a single hot dog, one slice of packaged cake, a mere tablespoon of ketchup or 1 ounce of potato chips — a typical small bag of chips is 1.5 ounces. 'Our research shows that eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas and packaged snacks, might be speeding up early signs of Parkinson's disease,' said senior study author Dr. Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, in a statement. This latest study is part of the 'growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease,' Gao said. While the study found that people who ate more ultraprocessed foods tended to report more early symptoms, it did not find a direct increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease itself, said Dr. Daniel van Wamelen, a clinical senior lecturer in neuroscience at King's College London. He was not involved in the new research. 'The study did not track whether participants were diagnosed with Parkinson's later on,' van Wamelen said in a statement. 'That said, having more of these symptoms suggests a higher risk over time.' The study analyzed years of health and diet data on nearly 43,000 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, two studies in the United States that have been gathering information on health behaviors for decades. The average age of people in the study was 48, and none had Parkinson's disease at the beginning of the study. All self-reported what they ate every few years — a limitation of the new research as participants may not have remembered their food intake accurately. Ultraprocessed foods measured by the study included artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; condiments, sauces and spreads; packaged sweets snacks or desserts; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; breads and cereals; and packaged savory snacks. The study found a link between early signs of Parkinson's disease and all types of ultraprocessed foods except breads and cereals — a finding that indicates an underlying feature among most classes of ultraprocessed foods that may explain the results, the study said. One reason could be ultraprocessed foods typically have less dietary fiber, protein and micronutrients — but do have added sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats, the study said. Ultraprocessed foods also may impact the balance of flora in the gut, while additives may increase inflammation, free radicals and neuron death, the study said. 'With a sample size exceeding 42,800 participants and a long follow-up period up to 26 years, this study stands out not only for its power but also for its methodological rigor,' wrote the authors of a corresponding editorial published with the study. The editorial was coauthored by Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University in New York City, and dietitian Maria Maraki, an assistant professor of sports medicine and exercise biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Neither were involved in the new research. 'The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases may begin at the dinner table,' they wrote. 'Excessive UPF consumption not only is a risk factor for metabolic diseases but may also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and associated symptoms.' In the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, researchers looked at the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease — early signals that appear years to decades before the tremors, stiff muscles, slow gait and changes in posture that are hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's. Body pain, constipation, signs of depression, changes in the ability to smell or see colors, and excessive daytime sleepiness can all be early signs of Parkinson's disease, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. An extremely unusual sleep disorder, in which people can move during REM, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, is also a key early sign, according to research. The body is typically paralyzed during REM sleep so it cannot get up and act out any dreams. The study found that people who ate about 11 servings a day of ultraprocessed food — compared to people who only ate three — had a 2.5-fold greater likelihood of exhibiting three or more of the early signs of Parkinson's. In addition, eating more ultraprocessed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation, according to the study. This finding held true even after researchers accounted for other factors, such as age, physical activity and smoking, that might impact the results. 'Parkinson's is an incurable disease,' Gao said in an email. 'In our previous study based on the same populations used for the current analysis, we found that a healthy dietary pattern and physical activity could slow the disease progression. 'Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health.' Sign up for CNN's Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.
CNN
07-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Ultraprocessed food linked to early signs of Parkinson's disease, study says
See all topics Eating about a dozen servings of ultraprocessed food each day could more than double your risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. A single serving in the study was 8 ounces of diet or sugar-sweetened soda, a single hot dog, one slice of packaged cake, a mere tablespoon of ketchup or 1 ounce of potato chips — a typical small bag of chips is 1.5 ounces. 'Our research shows that eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas and packaged snacks, might be speeding up early signs of Parkinson's disease,' said senior study author Dr. Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, in a statement. This latest study is part of the 'growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease,' Gao said. While the study found that people who ate more ultraprocessed foods tended to report more early symptoms, it did not find a direct increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease itself, said Dr. Daniel van Wamelen, a clinical senior lecturer in neuroscience at King's College London. He was not involved in the new research. 'The study did not track whether participants were diagnosed with Parkinson's later on,' van Wamelen said in a statement. 'That said, having more of these symptoms suggests a higher risk over time.' The study analyzed years of health and diet data on nearly 43,000 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, two studies in the United States that have been gathering information on health behaviors for decades. The average age of people in the study was 48, and none had Parkinson's disease at the beginning of the study. All self-reported what they ate every few years — a limitation of the new research as participants may not have remembered their food intake accurately. Ultraprocessed foods measured by the study included artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; condiments, sauces and spreads; packaged sweets snacks or desserts; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; breads and cereals; and packaged savory snacks. The study found a link between early signs of Parkinson's disease and all types of ultraprocessed foods except breads and cereals — a finding that indicates an underlying feature among most classes of ultraprocessed foods that may explain the results, the study said. One reason could be ultraprocessed foods typically have less dietary fiber, protein and micronutrients — but do have added sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats, the study said. Ultraprocessed foods also may impact the balance of flora in the gut, while additives may increase inflammation, free radicals and neuron death, the study said. 'With a sample size exceeding 42,800 participants and a long follow-up period up to 26 years, this study stands out not only for its power but also for its methodological rigor,' wrote the authors of a corresponding editorial published with the study. The editorial was coauthored by Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University in New York City, and dietitian Maria Maraki, an assistant professor of sports medicine and exercise biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Neither were involved in the new research. 'The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases may begin at the dinner table,' they wrote. 'Excessive UPF consumption not only is a risk factor for metabolic diseases but may also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and associated symptoms.' In the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, researchers looked at the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease — early signals that appear years to decades before the tremors, stiff muscles, slow gait and changes in posture that are hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's. Body pain, constipation, signs of depression, changes in the ability to smell or see colors, and excessive daytime sleepiness can all be early signs of Parkinson's disease, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. An extremely unusual sleep disorder, in which people can move during REM, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, is also a key early sign, according to research. The body is typically paralyzed during REM sleep so it cannot get up and act out any dreams. The study found that people who ate about 11 servings a day of ultraprocessed food — compared to people who only ate three — had a 2.5-fold greater likelihood of exhibiting three or more of the early signs of Parkinson's. In addition, eating more ultraprocessed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation, according to the study. This finding held true even after researchers accounted for other factors, such as age, physical activity and smoking, that might impact the results. 'Parkinson's is an incurable disease,' Gao said in an email. 'In our previous study based on the same populations used for the current analysis, we found that a healthy dietary pattern and physical activity could slow the disease progression. 'Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health.' Sign up for CNN's Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life .
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Have Pinpointed The Best Diets to Boost Healthy Aging
Old age awaits everyone, but it hits some harder – and earlier – than others. The way we age hinges partly on factors beyond our control, like genes or exposure to pollutants. But research suggests we can still influence the outcome with key behaviors, especially in how we sleep, exercise, and eat. In a new 30-year study, researchers have taken an in-depth look at the links between eating habits and healthy aging, which they define as reaching age 70 without major chronic diseases or declines in cognitive, physical, or mental health. The study is among the first to analyze multiple dietary patterns in middle age in relation to overall healthy aging, explains co-author Frank Hu, epidemiologist at Harvard University. "Studies have previously investigated dietary patterns in the context of specific diseases or how long people live," Hu says. "Ours takes a multifaceted view, asking, 'How does diet impact people's ability to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life as they age?'" Hu and his colleagues used longitudinal data from 105,000 adults between the ages of 39 and 69 (averaging 53 years old), collected between 1986 and 2016 as part of the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Subjects regularly completed dietary questionnaires over the 30-year period. The authors of the new study scored their eating habits by adherence to eight dietary patterns, seeking to learn which is most likely to promote healthy aging. The eight dietary patterns are: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), the healthful plant-based diet (hPDI), the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), the empirically inflammatory dietary pattern (EDIP), and the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH). All eight dietary patterns share some basic inclinations, the researchers note, such as a focus on whole, plant-based foods and healthy fats. In addition to those eight patterns, the study examined subjects' consumption of ultra-processed foods – industrial creations often featuring many ingredients and excessive sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. The study found 9,771 participants met their definition of healthy aging, representing 9.3 percent of the sample population. All eight dietary patterns were associated with healthy aging, the study found, so adhering to any one of them raised a person's odds of staying spry at 70. This suggests the solution isn't simple, the researchers note, and no single diet is best for everyone. That said, one contender did stand out. The best diet overall for healthy aging is the AHEI, according to the findings. It's similar to the older Healthy Eating Index, the researchers explain, but more oriented toward preventing chronic disease. Subjects in the top quintile for the AHEI were 86 percent more likely to achieve healthy aging at 70 than those in the lowest quintile, the study found. If the cutoff age was 75, the top quintile was 2.24 times likelier to age healthily. The AHEI emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, while minimizing red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks, sodium, and refined grains. "Since staying active and independent is a priority for both individuals and public health, research on healthy aging is essential," says co-author Marta Guasch-Ferré, Harvard nutritionist. "Our findings suggest that dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods, with moderate inclusion of healthy animal-based foods, may promote overall healthy aging and help shape future dietary guidelines," she adds. While the AHEI showed the best results, it was closely followed by several others, including the aMED, DASH, PHDI, and MIND, the researchers report. Along with the strongest link to overall healthy aging, the AHEI had the strongest link with maintaining physical function and mental health. The PHDI showed the strongest link with maintaining cognitive health and surviving to age 70. Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, was associated with a lower likelihood of healthy aging. "Our findings also show that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. Healthy diets can be adapted to fit individual needs and preferences," says lead author Anne-Julie Tessier, nutritionist at the University of Montreal. The study was published in Nature Medicine. Scientists Identified a Healthier Way to Cook Broccoli – But There's a Catch Skin Injuries And Food Allergies May Have a Mysterious Connection Cancer's Devastating Effect on a Brain Circuit Could Destroy Will
