The Science of Diet
7 proven strategies that will make you healthier
Seven live-longer food strategies
LAST YEAR was a good year in health news. A number of studies showed us easy diet and nutrition strategies that could contribute to our general health and longevity. Here, a roundup of some interesting medical news you can use to keep aging well.
Well-being and Happiness
1 Boosting your intake of fruits and vegetables may improve psychological well-being in just two weeks. Participants who upped their consumption of fruits and vegetables to 3.7 servings per day over the duration of two weeks experienced significant enhancements in motivation, flourishing and vitality.
Depression
2 A study from Japan showed that consuming more lowfat (as opposed to full-fat) dairy products decreases the risk of depression.
Diabetes and Blood Pressure
3 One study demonstrated that there is no evidence to suggest that a diet lower in sodium is beneficial for blood pressure. The same study found that having more potassium, calcium and magnesium is associated with having lower blood pressure. 4 An analysis of 39,740 adults demonstrated that consuming a diet rich in omega-6 could decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 35 per cent.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia
5 A study showed that extravirgin olive oil might protect the brain from symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease by preserving areas of the brain involved in communication among neurons and increasing autophagy – or the ridding of toxins – from nerve cells in brain tissue.
6 Furthermore, a green tea polyphenol called epigal- locatechin gallate was found to stop the formation of betaamyloid plaques, which are present in Alzheimer’s disease, by meddling with the function of beta-amyloid oligomers.
7 And a compound in strawberries – fisetin – could prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, by stopping stress, inflammation and cognitive decline.