Being in nature: Good for mind, body and nutrition
Researchers from Drexel University investigated how feeling connected with the natural world benefits dietary diversity and fruit and vegetable intake.
Drexel University, April 25, 2022
In late 2020, Canadian doctors made headlines for “prescribing nature,” or recommended time outdoors based on research that suggests people who spent two or more hours in nature per week improved their health and wellbeing. Knowing this, transdisciplinary researchers from Drexel University investigated how nature relatedness – simply feeling connected with the natural world – benefits dietary diversity and fruit and vegetable intake, in a study recently published the American Journal of Health Promotion. “Nature relatedness has been associated with better cognitive, psychological and physical health and greater levels of environmental stewardship. Our findings extend this list of benefits to include dietary intake,” said Brandy-Joe Milliron, PhD, at Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions and lead author of the publication. “We found people with higher nature relatedness were more likely to report healthful dietary intake, including greater dietary variety and higher fruit and vegetable consumption.” The research team surveyed over 300 adults in Philadelphia to measure their self-reported connection to nature, including their experience with and perspective of nature, and the foods and beverages they had consumed the previous day to assess their dietary diversity and estimate their daily fruit and vegetable consumption.
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Overnight fasting may reduce breast cancer risk in women
University of California at San Diego, April 20, 2022
A decrease in the amount of time spent eating and an increase in overnight fasting reduces glucose levels and may reduce the risk of breast cancer among women, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. "Increasing the duration of overnight fasting could be a novel strategy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. This is a simple dietary change that we believe most women can understand and adopt. It may have a big impact on public health without requiring complicated counting of calories or nutrients." Women who fasted for longer periods of time overnight had significantly better control over blood glucose concentrations. The data shows that each three hour increase in nighttime fasting was associated with a 4 percent lower postprandial glucose level, regardless of how much women ate. Women in the study reported eating five times per day with a mean nighttime fasting of 12 hours. Those who reported longer fast durations also indicated they consumed fewer calories per day, ate fewer calories after 10 p.m. and had fewer eating episodes.
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Micronutrients (vitamins + minerals) show benefit for children with ADHD and emotional dysregulation
Evidence from a randomized clinical trial shows broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation with all known vitamins and essential minerals resulted in global improvement of attention and mood based on blinded clinician ratings
Oregon Health & Science University, April 26, 2022
A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that children with ADHD and emotional regulation randomized to take a micronutrient formula were three times more likely to show symptomatic improvement on blinded clinician ratings, compared to those in the placebo group (54% versus 18%). The micronutrient formula, consisting of all known vitamins and essential minerals, was administered for eight weeks.
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Raspberry, a Promising Alternative in the Treatment of Hyperglycemia and Dyslipidemias
University of Guadajara (Mexico), 11 April 2022
Raspberry production and consumption have increased in recent years due to its polyphenol content such as anthocyanins and ketones, bioactive compounds that have been studied to reduce blood glucose levels and stabilize the blood lipid profile. Original articles from in vitro and in vivo enzyme inhibition studies, animal models, and human clinical studies were compiled in PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. Studies showed satisfactory results regarding blood glucose level reduction after consumption of frozen or lyophilized raspberry, infusion of raspberry leaves, seed oil, as well as compounds, extracted from the fruit by inhibiting enzymes such as α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and other mechanisms that increase insulin production and insulin sensitivity. A reduction in cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels is reported, as well as an increase in high-density lipoproteins. A According to the results, raspberry can be included in the nonpharmacological treatment of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemias; however, further research is considered necessary.
