Don’t let loneliness deliver gut-punch
Researchers compared fecal samples from volunteers ages 28 to 97 with their self-reported measures of loneliness, social support and social engagement. It turned out people who are lonely are most likely to have an unstable gut biome. That reduces their resistance and resilience to stress-related disruptions and disease. Stress-related disruptions and disease can lead to bodily changes that evoke feelings of isolation.
The “gut-brain axis” links your gastrointestinal system to emotional and cognitive centers of the brain, and they talk to each other through neural activity, hormones and the immune system.
So if you want to feel less lonely, cultivate a diverse gut biome by eating a diet full of pre- and probiotics. Also, stop eating gut-damaging ultra-processed foods, red meats and added sugars, and consider taking a daily probiotic. Conversely, if you want your gut to feel better, reach out to friends and family and volunteer to help others.
Go green for muscle power
It’s only recently that researchers published a study in the Journal of Nutrition explaining that a nitrate-rich diet — predominantly from leafy, green vegetables such as spinach — is essential for optimal muscle function.
The study found that over a 12-year period, 1 cup a day of nitrate-rich foods gave folks 11 percent stronger lower limb strength compared with folks with the lowest nitrate intake and up to 4 percent faster walking speed. As they got older, they were better protected from falls too. Nitrates also help the body produce blood-vessel-relaxing, heart-friendly nitric oxide.
Confused by nitrates, which are sometimes lumped with nitrites as a “bad” additive? Well, when the duo is used as a preservative in processed meats and cheeses, the whole package ups your risk for heart disease and dementia, plus some cancers (from the conversion of nitrates into carcinogenic nitrosamines). But vegetables acquire nitrates and nitrites from the soil they grow in, and because they also contain vitamin C, polyphenols and fiber, which inhibit nitrosamine formation, they’re not a worry.
The most nitrate-rich veggies are greens, in order from No. 10 to No. 1: beets, Swiss chard, oak leaf lettuce, beet greens, basil, spring greens like mesclun mix, butter-leaf lettuce, cilantro, rhubarb, and the winner … arugula (18 times more nitrates than kale).