Latest news with #TheInternationalJournalofObesity
The Star
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Are you bad at directions and always getting lost? Blame junk food
Regularly eating foods high in fat and sugar makes you worse at navigating, new research suggests. — dpa Eating too much fatty and sugary food not only swells midriffs and expands waistlines, but also has the reverse effect on cognitive ability and navigation skills, which appear to be diminished by eating unhealthily. Following 'world-first research' involving tests on students, scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia have found high-fat and high-sugar food to have a 'detrimental effect on some aspects of cognitive function', and on spatial awareness and navigation skills in particular. 'Young adults who frequently consumed foods high in fat and sugar were worse at remembering the location of a treasure chest in the virtual maze,' the researchers said in a paper published in The International Journal of Obesity . The results highlight the 'adverse effect' of snacking on 'spatial learning and memory', while confirming 'the importance of making healthy dietary choices for cognitive health', the team contended. Previous research has found eating too much fats and sugars to not only be causes of diabetes, obesity and heart disease, but also to be 'associated with faster rates of age-related cognitive decline in middle age and older adults', as the team put it in their research paper. And while the researchers have found that young people are not exempt from the ill- effects of processed or junk food, the good news is that it is likely not the brain as a whole that is affected, but just the hippocampus – the part of the brain that helps manage spatial navigation and memory formation. In other words, should you find yourself unable to remember your way home or turn left a la Zoolander after bingeing on jelly babies and deep-fried Mars bars, there is hope. 'Dietary changes can improve the health of the hippocampus, and therefore, our ability to navigate our environment, such as when we're exploring a new city or learning a new route home,' said study lead author Dr Dominic Tran. – dpa
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Diabetes Advice for Weight Loss Success and Blood Sugar Lowering
The different types of diabetes—prediabetes, type 1, type 2, type 1.5—have different courses of treatment and management. But health experts agree on one thing: There's a universal need to improve blood-sugar regulation. 'Everyone benefits from steadying their levels,' says Georgetown University–trained biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, author of The Glucose Goddess Method. Here, expert advice on how to reduce blood-sugar spikes, whether you have diabetes or not. And don't miss the inspiring diabetes success story at the end where Shannon Clark shares how she lost 204 pounds and lowered her blood sugar numbers by 400 points! Expert tips for managing blood sugar levels… 'Remember, fixing your food is always the place to start,' says Inchauspé. Even if you need diabetes medication, 'diet is a very strong tool for controlling blood sugar,' adds Peter Brukner, MD, chairperson of the Defeat Diabetes program. In fact, dietary changes can also help you cut back on diabetes medication. Here are some ways to tweak your diet: 'I have yet to see a patient, in all my years of assessing thousands of women, who doesn't have a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, which is leading them down the path toward diabetes.' -Florence Comite, MD Yale- and NIH-trained endocrinologist Florence Comite, MD, says, 'I have yet to see a patient, in all my years of assessing thousands of women, who doesn't have a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, which is leading them down the path toward diabetes. It's in our genetic makeup to store carbohydrates as fat.' So doctors often advise on lowering overall carbs, or keeping carb intake between 26 percent and 45 percent of daily calories. There is an exception to the low-carb rule. When eating carbs, choose complex carbs with a low glycemic index, such as whole grains, legumes and nonstarchy veggies. This is a surefire way to lose weight: A study out of Paris found that people eating a blood sugar–reducing diet like this lost 2,500 percent more body fat than those eating a blood sugar–spiking diet. Reach for entrees made with lean poultry, fish, tofu or beans to satisfy cravings and cut down on mindless snacking. Bonus: Eating this way can spur weight loss. A study published in The International Journal of Obesity found that overweight people who ate protein-rich eggs for breakfast shed 65 percent more weight than those who chose carb-rich foods in the morning. Try foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish to improve insulin sensitivity, boost energy and speed weight loss. A 2025 study published in the journal Nature Medicine estimates that every year, 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes are diagnosed, thanks to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda—a number that accounts for 10 percent of type 2 diabetes cases around the world. Opt for plant-based options like veggies, fruits and whole grains. It aids in blood-sugar control and improves overall gut health. There's a growing mountain of research on the ability of specific minerals to naturally improve blood-sugar regulation. Supplementing with chromium helps many people, like Shannon Clark, who lowered her blood sugar from 500 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL. (Check out her story below…) Finally, getting plenty of vitamins and minerals in general can support immunity to guard against autoimmune attacks that can trigger diabetes types 1 and 1.5. Managing weight and blood sugar goes beyond the food on our plate. Check out these healthy habits: Getting exercise, even a brisk walk, helps shuttle blood sugar out of the bloodstream so it isn't stored as body fat. A Cleveland Clinic study shows that exercising after a meal reduces blood-sugar bumps by 45 percent. Maintaining a healthy weight this way can also help in the long run. Obesity strains the body by requiring it to make more insulin. 'For people predisposed to diabetes, this increased demand could potentially accelerate the loss of insulin-producing cells,' explains Soma Mandal, MD, an internist and women's health specialist. This habit has been shown to improve diabetes symptoms by lowering stress and inflammation. In fact, the hormones cortisol and adrenaline can hinder insulin function, causing insulin resistance. One techy tool to try: The Breathing App for Diabetes, which can reduce stress by 44 percent in just 28 days. The free app offers a set of daily breathing practices scientifically proven to drop A1C levels—a measurement of blood sugar over three months. One supplement helping people manage blood sugar and avoid damaging spikes was developed by biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, The Glucose Goddess. Anti-Spike Formula contains four active ingredients, including mulberry leaf extract (250 mg), shown in 22 studies to improve blood sugar. A study in PLOS One found the ingredient reduced spikes by up to 40 percent after a meal. Inchauspé calls the 'amazing wealth of data' on mulberry leaf to be 'mind blowing.' After slipping and falling in the shower, Shannon Clark, 57, of Texas, received a dire warning from her doctor: 'You can plan your funeral or you can do something about it.' Shannon had always been tall (she's 6'5') and able to carry extra pounds, but her carb cravings led to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and the need to take 10 Rx medications. Plus, her blood-sugar readings were sky-high. So, following the holidays, Shannon adopted a low-carb/high-protein diet, began supplementing with blood sugar–lowering minerals like chromium and started exercising on a rowing machine at a gym called Row House Fitness. In three weeks, she dropped 32 pounds. And within two months, she was down 50 pounds. While Shannon is still working toward her goal and living with type 2, she has shed an amazing 204 pounds since January 2023, reduced her cholesterol, gotten off six meds and lowered her dose of metformin. 'My blood-sugar readings went from 500 to 100, and my A1C fell from 9.6 to 4.7!' Today, she shares, 'I am back to wearing clothes from 2017.' The busy dental consultant adds, 'It has been three years of getting my life back. For the first time, I feel like I have a future!' The Weight Loss Secret That Helped 1 Woman Shed 155 Pounds and Reverse Diabetes This Kind of Chocolate Can Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes by 21%—Experts Explain Why FDA Approves Ozempic for Kidney Disease—Here's What Doctors Say About Its Benefits This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
