Latest news with #TheKeriReport
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Science Just Linked These Popular Fruits To Boosted Longevity In Women
A new study found that consuming foods rich in flavanoids can help women age better. Over 24 years, researchers found that women who consumed a diet rich in flavanoids had a lower risk of frailty, impaired physical function, and poor mental health. Here's what else you should know about this essential chemical compound. There's no magic pill that will skyrocket you to peak longevity, but recent research has uncovered a slew of factors that can help women age in the healthiest way possible. And they're surprisingly simple (and don't involve crazy injections!). Yep, there's one more healthy aging hack to add to the list, and it's a delicious one: Eat more berries. New research suggests that loading up on foods that contain flavonoids (like berries) is linked with a slew of factors associated with healthy aging. Of course, throwing some strawberries on top of your morning granola once in a while won't *guarantee* you'll be a healthy ager, but it can help. And it's an easy enough thing to incorporate into your lifestyle. Plus, you might already be regularly tossing back flavonoid-rich foods in which case, keep going! With that in mind, here's what scientists uncovered about flavonoids and healthy aging, plus how to put the findings to work for you. Meet the experts: Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast; Scott Keatley, RD, co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy The study, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data on diet, lifestyle habits, and health from 62,743 women and 23,687 men collected over 24 years from two long-term studies (the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study). The researchers discovered that women who consumed the highest intakes of flavonoids—equivalent to three servings of berries a day or more—had a 15 percent lower risk of frailty, 12 percent lower risk of impaired physical function, and 12 percent lower risk of poor mental health at the end of the study period compared to those who consumed the least amount of flavonoids. (The link wasn't as strong for men, although they still seemed to get a mental health boost.) Overall, the researchers concluded that 'incorporating flavonoid-rich foods in the diet may be a simple strategy to support healthy aging.' Basically, they're a natural chemical compound. 'Flavonoids are a class of natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and cocoa,' says Scott Keatley, RD, co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. These compounds have antioxidant properties, points out Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast. 'They help protect our cells from free radicals that may cause damage to our body and contribute to inflammation,' she explains. The researchers didn't uncover exactly why flavonoid-rich foods are linked to healthy aging, but here are a few theories from experts. 'Research suggests flavonoids may support brain health, heart health, and overall cellular function—all important pieces of staying healthy as we get older,' Gans says. Also, flavonoids are known to tamp down on inflammation in the body, and inflammation is linked to a higher risk of developing a slew of serious health conditions that can interfere with your ability to age in a healthy way, Gans points out. Flavonoids are also found in plant foods, and eating a diet rich in plants has already been linked with longevity. But there may be another elements of flavonoid-rich foods that could explain this link that we just don't yet understand or recognize. As the researchers put it: 'It is possible that our findings might be due to other constituents found in the foods that contribute most to flavonoid intake." While berries are rich in flavonoids, Gans notes that you can also get this compound from a range of plant-based foods, including: Apples Citrus fruits Onions Red cabbage Grapes Soybeans Dark chocolate Red wine Tea If you want the best flavonoid bang for your buck, Gans recommends reaching for berries (which makes sense why the study points these out). 'Berries, especially blueberries and blackberries, are among the richest sources,' she says. Still, Gans stresses that it's good to mix things up in your diet, so you don't have to pick one type of flavanoid-rich food and stick with it. 'The goal is to include a variety of flavonoid-rich foods throughout the week to get the most benefit,' she says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Common Food Was Just Linked to Heart Disease, Parkinson's
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Two new studies on ultra-processed foods link them to a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson's disease. Ultra-processed foods make up around 70 percent of America's food supply, so they're hard to eliminate entirely. Eating too much could impact your heart and brain health by increasing inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. If you haven't stayed up-to-date on health news lately, here's a quick headline for you: Ultra-processed foods aren't so great for your health. In fact, studies have linked them to a slew of health issues, including diabetes and cancer risk, and having a lot of ultra-processed foods in your diet can even potentially make you age faster. But up to 70 percent of the food supply in America is made up of these products, making them tough to entirely avoid. Still, it's never a bad idea to take a step back to assess what you're eating on a daily basis, especially when we're still learning about how ultra-processed foods could affect us. Case in point: Two recent studies have found an association between eating ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson's disease. Given how life-altering each of these conditions can be, it's understandable to have concerns. Here's what dietitians and doctors want you to keep in mind. Meet the experts: Keri Gans, RDN, CDN, nutrition consultant and host of The Keri Report; Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety; Sonya Angelone, RD, a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco, California; Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Daniel Truong, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. The heart disease study isn't published yet, but it was presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in May. The scientific review analyzed data from 8,286,940 adults across 41 studies that looked at the link between ultra-processed foods and health issues. The researchers found a link between ultra-processed foods and high blood pressure, cardiovascular events (like a heart attack), cancer, digestive diseases, and dying from any cause. Each extra 100 grams (3.5 ounces) a day of ultra-processed foods was linked with a 14.5 percent higher risk of high blood pressure, 5.9 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events, 1.2 percent increased risk of cancer, 19.5 percent higher risk of digestive diseases and 2.6 percent higher risk of dying from any cause, according to the findings. There was also a link between eating ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and depression or anxiety. 'Reducing ultra-processed foods intake, even modestly, may offer measurable health benefits,' study co-author Xiao Liu, MD, a cardiologist at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a statement. This study was published in the journal Neurology and analyzed data from nearly 43,000 people with an average age of 48 who didn't have Parkinson's disease at the start of the study. The participants were followed for 26 years, during which time they completed regular medical exams, filled out food diaries, and answered health questionnaires. The researchers divided the participants into five groups based on how much ultra-processed foods they ate per day. They discovered that people who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed foods a day had a 2.5 times higher risk of having three or more early signs of Parkinson's disease than those who had less than three servings a day. (Those early signs included things like rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depressive symptoms, body pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness, and a reduced ability to smell.) It's important to point out that what the researchers counted as a "serving" can really add up. Like, one tablespoon of ketchup is a serving, and so is an ounce of potato chips. While the study didn't find that ultra-processed foods caused people to develop Parkinson's disease, the researchers pointed out that these early symptoms tend to come before a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. There are a few potential biological things going on here that could be resulting in this data that links ultra-processed foods with heart and brain health issues. 'It is thought that ultra-processed foods affect cardiovascular health through multiple mechanisms, including promotion of inflammation, increasing oxidative stress, and increasing insulin resistance,' explains Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. This can cause damage to blood vessels, create a build-up of plaque in your arteries—and raise the risk of heart attack or stroke, he explains. But despite the health risks, ultra-processed foods can be hard to resist, says Daniel Truong, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. They 'rapidly stimulate the brain's reward system, similar to addictive substances like nicotine and alcohol,' per Dr. Truong. As a result, you may end up eating a lot of these foods, raising the risk of health issues in the process. A big potential issue with ultra-processed foods is that they tend to crowd out healthier options, says Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. 'If [a person is] eating a lot of ultra-processed foods that don't offer much in the way of nutrients but contain a lot of calories, it can set them up for adverse health issues,' she says. Plus, these foods have been associated with higher risk of cancer, digestive problems, depression, anxiety, and diabetes, says Sonya Angelone, RD, a nutritionist based in San Francisco, CA. 'There is a dose-response relationship between these foods and poor health, which means the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the greater the risk for negative health,' she adds. But there's some good news: 'Reducing these foods even a little bit with less processed whole foods can provide some health improvements," says Dr. Angelone. That's why it's so crucial to focus on whole foods when building out your diet, says Keri Gans, RDN, CDN, nutrition consultant and host of The Keri Report. 'Instead of obsessing over what to cut out of our diets, we should think more about adding more plant-based foods, such as 100 percent whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes,' she says. Cording says there's no need to panic if you have some ultra-processed foods in your diet, given that they're almost impossible to completely avoid. But focusing on sourcing the bulk of your diet from whole foods could make a big difference in your overall health. 'Just do your best,' she says. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Just Discovered The Best Diet For Women As They Age—And It Involves A Certain Type Of Carb
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If you lived through the early aughts, the word "carbs" might still make you cringe and think of Regina George screaming about her "all carb diet." But it shouldn't, because we've learned over the years that all carbs aren't created equal, and they can be an essential macronutrient that can have pretty incredible health benefits. For example, resistant starches can help prevent cancer, and some carbs' soluble fiber can help reduce LDL cholesterol. If you find yourself in the anti-carb crew, it's understandble. After all, the messaging around carbs over the years hasn't been super positive. But here's something to consider: Choosing the right carbs may help you age better. That's the main takeaway from new research published in JAMA Network Open. Of course, aging is a very complex process, and it's difficult to say that doing something as simple as choosing multi-grain will make getting older a breeze. But the findings definitely provide some food for thought. Here's what you need to know. Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy; Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast The study analyzed data on diets and health outcomes of more than 47,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study, a longitudinal questionnaire-based study. The researchers specifically zeroed in on carbs, including how many carbs people consumed overall, including refined carbs, high-quality (unrefined) carbs, carbs from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and dietary fiber. The researchers also looked for signs of healthy aging, which they defined as the absence of 11 major chronic diseases, good mental health, and a lack of cognitive and physical function issues. After crunching the data, the researchers found that eating high-quality carbs and plenty of fiber in midlife was linked to an up to 37 percent greater chance of healthy aging. But the researchers also discovered that having higher amounts of refined carbs (like added sugars, refined grains, and potatoes), along with starchy vegetables was linked with a 13 percent lower chance of healthy aging. 'These findings suggest that intakes of dietary fiber, high-quality, and refined carbohydrates may be important determinants of overall health status in older adulthood,' the researchers wrote in the conclusion. Most of us tend to immediately conjure an image of pasta and white bread when we think about "carbs," but the macronutrient is far more complex than we give it credit for. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes also fall into the carb category—and they're what the researchers considered 'quality carbs' in the study. 'These foods provide fiber, micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—and a lower glycemic response compared to refined sources like white bread, pastries, juice, and added sugars,' says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. (Glycemic response is the rise and fall of blood sugar, in case you're not familiar with the term.) The study didn't dive into exactly why these quality carbs are helpful for healthy aging, but experts have a few theories. First of all, these foods are rich in antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, as well as support brain health as you get older, says Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast. 'Fiber also may support digestion, help manage weight, and promote a healthy gut, which plays a role in overall wellness and the gut-brain connection,' she adds. The nutrients and vitamins in these foods also 'help maintain cellular integrity, physical function, and mental health,' Keatley says. Finally, the foods promote stable blood sugar and insulin levels, 'offering protection against chronic conditions such as diabetes and cognitive decline,' Keatley says. You don't necessarily need to shun foods from your diet, but Gans suggests limiting added sugars, since they can promote inflammation. 'To support healthy aging, it's important to prioritize carbohydrates from nutrient-dense sources,' Keatley says. 'This includes whole grains like oats, quinoa, and farro; fruits such as berries and apples; non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens and broccoli; and legumes including lentils and chickpeas.' He suggests 'complementing' those with healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil and fatty fish to enhance their protective effects. Overall, just do your best. And remember, there's no reason to be scared of carbs! They could help you age better in the long run. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Type Of Food Was Just Linked To Heart Disease And A Serious Brain Condition—And It's Probably In Your Pantry
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Two new studies on ultra-processed foods link them to a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson's disease. Ultra-processed foods make up around 70 percent of America's food supply, so they're hard to eliminate entirely. But eating too much could impact your heart and brain health by increasing inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. If you haven't stayed up-to-date on health news lately, here's a quick headline for you: Ultra-processed foods aren't so great for your health. In fact, studies have linked them to a slew of health issues including diabetes and cancer risk, and having a lot of ultra-processed foods in your diet can even potentially make you age faster. But up to 70 percent of the food supply in America is made up of these products, making them tough to entirely avoid. Still, it's a never a bad idea to take a step back to assess what you're eating on a daily basis, especially when we're still learning about how ultra-processed foods could affect us. Case in point: Two recent studies have found an association between eating ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson's disease. Given how life-altering each of these conditions can be, it's understandable to have concerns. Here's what dietitians and doctors want you to keep in mind. Meet the experts: Keri Gans, RDN, CDN, nutrition consultant and host of The Keri Report; Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety; Sonya Angelone, RD, a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco, California; Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Daniel Truong, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. The heart disease study isn't published yet, but it was presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in May. The scientific review analyzed data from 8,286,940 adults across 41 studies that looked at the link between ultra-processed foods and health issues. The researchers found a link between ultra-processed foods and high blood pressure, cardiovascular events (like a heart attack), cancer, digestive diseases, and dying from any cause. Each extra 100 grams (3.5 ounces) a day of ultra-processed foods was linked with a 14.5 percent higher risk of high blood pressure, 5.9 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events, 1.2 percent increased risk of cancer, 19.5 percent higher risk of digestive diseases and 2.6 percent higher risk of dying from any cause, according to the findings. There was also a link between eating ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and depression or anxiety. 'Reducing ultra-processed foods intake, even modestly, may offer measurable health benefits,' study co-author Xiao Liu, MD, a cardiologist at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a statement. This study was published in the journal Neurology and analyzed data from nearly 43,000 people with an average age of 48 who didn't have Parkinson's disease at the start of the study. The participants were followed for 26 years, during which time they completed regular medical exams, filled out food diaries, and answered health questionnaires. The researchers divided the participants into five groups based on how much ultra-processed foods they ate per day. They discovered that people who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed foods a day had a 2.5 times higher risk of having three or more early signs of Parkinson's disease than those who had less than three servings a day. (Those early signs included things like rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depressive symptoms, body pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness, and a reduced ability to smell.) It's important to point out that what the researchers counted as a "serving" can really add up. Like, one tablespoon of ketchup is a serving, and so is an ounce of potato chips. While the study didn't find that ultra-processed foods caused people to develop Parkinson's disease, the researchers pointed out that these early symptoms tend to come before a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. There are a few potential biological things going on here that could be resulting in this data that links ultra-processed foods with heart and brain health issues. 'It is thought that ultra-processed foods affect cardiovascular health through multiple mechanisms, including promotion of inflammation, increasing oxidative stress, and increasing insulin resistance,' explains Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. This can cause damage to blood vessels, create a build-up of plaque in your arteries—and raise the risk of heart attack or stroke, he explains. But despite the health risks, ultra-processed foods can be hard to resist, says Daniel Truong, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. They 'rapidly stimulate the brain's reward system, similar to addictive substances like nicotine and alcohol,' per Dr. Truong. As a result, you may end up eating a lot of these foods, raising the risk of health issues in the process. A big potential issue with ultra-processed foods is that they tend to crowd out healthier options, says Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. 'If [a person is] eating a lot of ultra-processed foods that don't offer much in the way of nutrients but contain a lot of calories, it can set them up for adverse health issues,' she says. Plus, these foods have been associated with higher risk of cancer, digestive problems, depression, anxiety, and diabetes, says Sonya Angelone, RD, a nutritionist based in San Francisco, CA. 'There is a dose-response relationship between these foods and poor health, which means the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the greater the risk for negative health,' she adds. But there's some good news: 'Reducing these foods even a little bit with less processed whole foods can provide some health improvements," says Dr. Angelone. That's why it's so crucial to focus on whole foods when building out your diet, says Keri Gans, RDN, CDN, nutrition consultant and host of The Keri Report. 'Instead of obsessing over what to cut out of our diets, we should think more about adding more plant-based foods, such as 100 percent whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes,' she says. Cording says there's no need to panic if you have some ultra-processed foods in your diet, given that they're almost impossible to completely avoid. But focusing on sourcing the bulk of your diet from whole foods could make a big difference in your overall health. 'Just do your best,' she says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
