vegetarian diet Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Is All Vegan Food Healthy?

The AHA! Team — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 08:03:40 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How do healthier plant-based diets compare to unhealthy plant foods and animal foods when it comes to diabetes risk? In my video on flexitarians, I discuss how the benefits of eating a plant-based diet are not all-or-nothing. “Simple advice to increase the consumption of plant-derived foods with compensatory [parallel] reductions in the consumption of foods from animal sources confers a survival advantage”— a live-longer advantage. The researchers call it a “pro-vegetarian” eating pattern, one that’s moving in the direction of vegetarianism, “a more gradual and gentle approach.” The benefits of eating a plant-based diet are not all-or-nothing. If you’re dealing with a serious disease, though, like diabetes, completely “avoiding some problem foods is easier than attempting to moderate their intake. Clinicians would never tell an alcoholic to try to simply cut down on alcohol. Avoiding alcohol entirely is more effective and, in fact, easier for a problem drinker… Paradoxically, asking patients to make a large change may be more effective than making a slow transition. Diet studies show that recommending more significant changes increases the chances that patients can accomplish [them]. It may help to replace the common advice, ‘all things in moderation’ with ‘big changes beget big results.’ Success breeds success. After a few days or weeks of major dietary changes, patients are likely to see improvements in weight and blood glucose [sugar] levels—improvements that reinforce the dietary changes that elicited them. Furthermore, they may enjoy other health benefits of a plant-based diet” that may give them further motivation. As you can see below and at 1:43 in my video Friday Favorites: Is Vegan Food Always Healthy?, those who choose to eat plant-based for their health say it’s mostly for “general wellness or general disease prevention” or to improve their energy levels or immune function, for example. They felt it gives them a sense of control over their health, helps them feel better emotionally, improves their overall health, makes them feel better, and more, as shown below and at 1:48. Most felt it was very important for maintaining their health and well-being. For the minority who used it for a specific health problem, mostly high cholesterol or weight loss, followed by high blood pressure and diabetes, most reported they felt it helped a great deal, as you can see below and at 2:14. Some choose plant-based diets for other reasons, such as animal welfare or global warming, and it looks like “ethical vegans” are more likely to eat sugary and fatty foods, like vegan donuts, compared to those eating plant-based because of religious or health concerns, as you can see below and at 2:26 in my video. The veganest vegan could make an egg- and dairy-free cake, covered with frosting, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate syrup, topped with Oreos, and served with a side of Doritos. Or, they may want fruit for dessert, but in the form of Pop-Tarts and Krispy Kreme pies. Vegan, yes. Healthy, no. “Plant-based diets have been recommended to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, not all plant foods are necessarily beneficial.” In the pro-vegetarian scoring system I mentioned above, you get points for eating potato chips and French fries because they are technically plant-based, as you can see below and at 3:07 in my video, but Harvard researchers wanted to examine the association of not only an overall plant-based diet, but healthy and unhealthy versions. So, they created the same kind of pro-vegetarian scoring system, but it was weighted towards any sort of plant-based foods and against animal foods; then, they created a healthful plant-based diet index, where at least some whole plant foods took precedence and Coca-Cola and other sweetened beverages were no longer considered plants. Lastly, they created an unhealthful plant-based diet index by assigning positive scores to processed plant-based junk and negative scores for healthier plant foods and animal foods. Their findings? As you can see below and at 3:51 in my video, a more plant-based diet, in general, was good for reducing diabetes risk, but eating especially healthy plant-based foods did better, nearly cutting risk in half, while those eating more unhealthy plant foods did worse, as shown in the graph below and at 4:03. Now, is that because they were also eating more animal foods? People often eat burgers with their fries, so the researchers separated the effects of healthy plant foods, less healthy plant foods, and animal foods on diabetes risk. And, they found that healthy plant foods were protectively associated, animal foods were detrimentally associated, and less healthy plant foods were more neutral when it came to diabetes risk. Below and at 4:32 in my video, you can see the graph that shows higher diabetes risk with more and more animal foods, no protection whatsoever with junky plant foods, and lower and lower diabetes risk associated with more and more healthy whole plant foods in the diet. So, they concluded that, yes, “plant-based diets…are associated with substantially lower risk of developing T2D.” However, it may not be enough to just lower the intake of animal foods; consumption of less healthy plant foods may need to decrease, too. As a physician, labels like vegetarian and vegan just tell me what you don’t eat, but there are a lot of unhealthy vegetarian fare like French fries, potato chips, and soda pop. That’s why I prefer the term whole food and plant-based nutrition. That tells me what you do eat—a diet centered around the healthiest foods out there. The video I mentioned is Do Flexitarians Live Longer?. You may also be interested in some of my past popular videos and blogs on plant-based diets. Check related posts below. Key Takeaways Adopting a “pro-vegetarian” eating pattern is associated with a survival advantage and may contribute to a longer, healthier life. That means gradually increasing the consumption of plant-derived foods while reducing animal-based foods. In cases of serious diseases like diabetes, completely avoiding problematic foods may be more effective than attempting moderation. Making significant dietary changes can lead to rapid improvements in weight, blood glucose levels, and overall health, and reinforce positive habits. Individuals choosing a plant-based diet for health reasons often do so for general wellness, disease prevention, improved energy levels, and immune function. The sense of control over health, emotional well-being, and overall health improvements are common motivations. People may choose plant-based diets for various reasons, including health concerns, animal welfare, or environmental reasons. A study suggests that “ethical vegans” might be more inclined to consume sugary and fatty foods compared to those motivated by religious or health concerns. While plant-based diets are recommended to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, not all plant foods offer the same benefits. A diet emphasizing healthy plant-based foods significantly reduces diabetes risk, while an intake of unhealthy plant-based foods may be associated with higher risk. Researchers suggest that reducing animal foods and choosing healthy plant-based options are crucial for diabetes prevention. To read the original article click here.

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This Modern Fad Is Making You Sick

The AHA! Team — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 08:26:47 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – The government declared war on fat almost 50 years ago. And as a result, we got slower, sicker, and fatter. In fact, the results of this big fat lie “led to some pretty disastrous consequences…that caused Americans to get fatter.” Those are the words of one of the most famous nutritionists in the world. Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was one of the first mainstream physicians to admit that the campaign to eliminate fat in the diet was a big mistake. But lately, he’s shifted gears. And today, he’s declared war on meat. I couldn’t disagree more… We come from hunter-gatherers who evolved over millennia to thrive on meat. We have canine fangs like dogs and wolves. These teeth are meant to rip and tear flesh from animals. Being a vegetarian is a modern fad. It was the brainchild of Reverend Sylvester Graham. He believed that all of America’s moral failings could be traced back to an “unholy diet.” So he created a strict meat-free meal plan that would “cure” the country of its “immoral urger.” He preached a gospel of fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat crackers that would eventually bear his name. But Graham and his followers got it wrong. Big time. They didn’t understand that humans are born meat eaters. And that being vegetarian takes a real toll on your health. When vegetarians give up meat, they force themselves to get the bulk of their calories from wheat or other grain products. So they wind up eating more bread, pasta, cereals, and other processed foods. Being vegetarian takes a real toll on your health In other words, they eat a lot of junk. Sound familiar? It’s the same thing that happened with the war on fat. For more than 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand the health problems of vegetarians in my practice. I’ve found that vegetarians: Have low energy and feel frail Get sick more often and age faster Have poor digestion and weaker bones Can’t produce growth hormones, testosterone, and thyroid hormone Have low sperm counts and more fertility problems And despite what Dr. Walter Willett declares, vegetarians don’t live longer… An important study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at data from two studies of more than 60,000 people in the U.K. It found no difference in mortality rates between vegetarians and meat eaters.1 And despite what you hear from the mainstream media, studies show vegetarian diets don’t lower the risk of heart disease2 or cancer.3 But a plant-only vegan diet does cause genetic mutations that increase the risks for both heart disease and cancer.4 The latest research shows that eating a plant-based diet also makes you depressed,5 increases your risk of broken bones,6 and decreases phospholipids.7 Phospholipids are vital for a healthy brain. You see when you don’t eat meat, it’s impossible to get many of the essential nutrients you need every day. If you were – or still are – eating a plant-based diet, you’re missing out on a number of key nutrients. Here’s how to get a few of them back: Supplement with B12. This vitamin, so vital to humans, is only found in meat. While some vegetarians claim that B12 can be found in algae, tempeh (a soy product sometimes used as a meat substitute), or even brewer’s yeast, these are false assumptions. I recommend at least 100 mcg per day. But I advise many of my patients to take as much as 2,000 mcg, especially if they are vegetarians. Replenish your zinc. Most vegetarians have a zinc deficiency. This is a problem. You can’t have a well-functioning immune system without this antioxidant. It also reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome, age-related macular degeneration, osteoporosis, and memory loss. I recommend taking 30 mg a day. CoQ10: CoQ10 is only found in animal products. You’ll find high concentrations of this heart- and brain-critical nutrient in organ meats. But you’ll also get it from the meat itself. CoQ10 supplies your cells with ATP, the energy required by every cell in your body for metabolism, energy production, and life itself. I recommend at least 50 mg of ubiquinol CoQ10 every day. This form is eight times more absorbable than conventional CoQ10. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Appleby P, et al. “Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jan;103(1):218-30. 2. Kaiser J, et al. “A systematic review of the association between vegan diets and risk of cardiovascular disease.” J Nutr. 2021 Jun 1;151(6):1539-1552. 3. “Does being a vegetarian lower your risk of cancer?” https://www.wcrf.org. 2020. Accessed on May 24, 2023. 4. Caspermeyer J. “Are we what we eat? Evidence of a vegetarian diet permanently shaping the human genome to change individual risk of cancer and heart disease.” Mol Biol Evol. 2016 Jul;33(7):1887-8. 5. Kohl I, et al. “Association between meatless diet and depressive episodes: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the longitudinal study of adult health.” J Affect Disord. 2023 Jan 1;320:48-56. 6. Webster J, et al. “Risk of hip fracture in meat-eaters, pescatarians, and vegetarians: results from the UK Women’s Cohort Study .” BMC Med. 2022 Aug 11;20(1):275. 7. Menzel J, et al. “Dietary and plasma phospholipid profiles in vegans and omnivores—results from the RBVD study.” Nutrients. 2022 Jul; 14(14):2900. To read the original article click here.

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Heavy Metal Detox Diet

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:00:44 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What dietary change can simultaneously help detoxify mercury, lead, and cadmium from the body? I’ve previously explored the issue of lead contamination in calcium supplements, such as bonemeal, but bone meal isn’t all that can be contaminated. “Substantial quantities of lead have been reported in some over-the-counter calcium supplement preparations,” and testing has revealed continued public health concern over bonemeal. Thankfully, bonemeal isn’t as popular these days, so most of us aren’t likely to get exposed directly to the lead in bonemeal anymore. We may, however, get exposed indirectly through the animals we eat, as I show at 0:31 in my video How to Lower Heavy Metals with Diet. In the United States, five billion pounds of meat and bonemeal are produced annually as slaughterhouse by-products. What do we do with these millions of tons every year? We feed it back to farm animals, particularly chickens. Now, most of the lead in the bonemeal passes right through the animals into their waste, but we take that waste—that cow, pig, and chicken feces—and feed it right back to the animals once again. So, you can see how the levels of contaminants might build up in their bodies. You may remember that I’ve talked before about what all this might mean for making something like chicken soup, but the original concern about these kinds of feeding practices, such as feeding cows to pigs, chickens, and even other cows, was about spreading prion diseases, like mad cow. This kind of recycling not only magnifies prions, however; it also magnifies other toxic substances, including lead. So, a more plant-based diet may be able to lower lead exposure, and an even more plant-based diet could theoretically lower exposure even more. What happens when you put it to the test? Should we really expect to find a benefit? As you can see at 1:42 in my video, even though lead is one of the toxins found in meat, half of our dietary exposure probably comes from plant foods. In fact, dietary modeling studies in Europe suggest that vegetarians would be exposed to about the same amount of lead compared to the general population, with the exception of those who eat a lot of wild game, which can have a thousand times more lead than most other foods, as you can see at 2:02 in my video. A vegetarian diet may even be higher in lead. It’s not what you eat, though; it’s what you absorb. As I’ve discussed previously, researchers found that the uptake of toxic heavy metals from “animal food sources” into human intestinal lining cells may be higher than from vegetable sources. This is why you can have a vegetarian with some of the lowest concentrations of lead and cadmium in their blood, despite having higher concentrations in their diet. As you can see at 2:41 in my video, there seems to be a tendency towards higher fecal elimination of lead following a change to a vegetarian diet. Researchers found that nine subjects, on average, tripled their elimination of lead, three were unaffected, and four saw their levels drop by about half. The study only lasted a few months, though, and the difference wasn’t statistically significant. So, what would happen in a year? Subjects made the shift to a diet “characterized by large amounts of raw vegetables, fruits, unrefined foods, and whole-meal products [whole grains] and the exclusion of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs” (though it did include fermented dairy, like a type of soured milk). They also cut back on processed foods and junk. Researchers took clippings of their hair before and after the dietary shift and got significant reductions in heavy metals, including cutting their lead level nearly in half. As you can see at 3:28 in my video, within three months of the dietary shift, the mercury, cadmium, and lead that had been oozing from their body into their hair went down and stayed down. How do we know the reduction in toxic heavy metal levels wasn’t just a coincidence? A few years after the study was over, after the participants had gone back to more of their regular diet, their mercury, cadmium, and lead levels shot back up to where they were before. Researchers found the same with a different group of subjects after two years on a vegetarian diet. The drop in mercury is easy to explain, as it’s presumably due to the drastic drop in fish consumption, and the drop in alcoholic beverages may have contributed to the drop in lead. There also could have been a cadmium-like effect, where the decrease in hair lead content could be due to the dietary shift that resulted in less absorption of lead into the body in the first place. I have a 16-part series on lead, starting with How the Lead Paint Industry Got Away with It. The series includes videos with specific food recommendations. For example, check out Best Food for Lead Poisoning: Garlic and Yellow Bell Peppers for Male Infertility and Lead Poisoning? KEY TAKEAWAYS Substantial quantities of lead have been found in some over-the-counter calcium supplements, and there is continued public health concerns over bonemeal. Although bonemeal is not as popular today, we may be getting exposed to lead indirectly through the animals we eat. Millions of tons of meat and bonemeal are produced each year in the United States as slaughterhouse by-products and may be fed back to farm animals, particularly chickens. Most of the lead in the bonemeal passes through them into their, but that cow, pig, and chicken feces may then be fed back once again to farm animals. In this way, levels of contaminants may build up in their bodies. These kinds of recycled feeding practices, such as feeding cows to pigs, chickens, and even other cows, facilitate the spread of prion diseases, like mad cow, but they also magnify other toxic substances, including lead. Lead is a toxin found in meat, but half of our dietary exposure likely comes from plant foods. (Notably, wild game can have a thousand times more lead than most other foods.) It’s not what we eat, though; it’s what we absorb, and researchers have found that the uptake of toxic heavy metals from “animal food sources” into our intestinal lining cells may be higher than from vegetable sources, explaining why vegetarians can have some of the lowest concentrations of lead and cadmium in their blood, despite having higher concentrations in their diet. After changing to a vegetarian diet, there seems to be a tendency towards higher fecal elimination of lead. Indeed, researchers took clippings of study participants’ hair before and after the dietary shift and found significant reductions in heavy metals, including cutting their lead level nearly in half and lowering the mercury and cadmium in their bodies. A few years after the study concluded and the subjects had gone back to more of their regular diet, their mercury, cadmium, and lead levels elevated back up. To read the original article click here.

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Plant-Based Diet Rich in Soy Reduces Troubling Menopause Symptoms by 84%

AHA Publisher — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 07:00:49 +0000

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine via News-Medical – A new study, published by the North American Menopause Society in the journal Menopause, found a plant-based diet rich in soy reduces moderate-to-severe hot flashes by 84%, from nearly five per day to fewer than one per day. During the 12-week study, nearly 60% of women became totally free of moderate-to-severe hot flashes. Overall hot flashes (including mild ones) decreased by 79%. The study, called the WAVS trial–the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms-shows that diet changes can be much more powerful for treating hot flashes than scientists had thought. Vasomotor symptoms refer to night sweats, hot flashes, and flushes. The study used no hormone medications or extracts. Instead, the research team tested a combination of a low-fat plant-based diet plus 1/2 cup of ordinary soybeans added to a salad or soup each day. “This is a game changer for women aged 45 and over, most of whom we now know can get prompt relief from the most severe and troubling menopause symptoms without drugs,” says lead researcher Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine. As many as 80% of postmenopausal women suffer from hot flashes. Heat wells up from the chest, causing flushing, sweating, and chills. At night, hot flashes interfere with sleep. Estrogen-based medications were once routinely used to treat hot flashes but have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and other serious problems. Isoflavoneextracts from soybeans work only modestly, leaving women and their doctors with few effective options. Study Details Postmenopausal women reporting two or more hot flashes per day were randomly assigned to either an intervention group–consisting of a low-fat, vegan diet, including half a cup of cooked soybeans daily–or to a control group that made no diet changes for 12 weeks. Frequency and severity of hot flashes were recorded using a mobile application, and vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms were assessed using the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL). Each participant was given a digital self-calibrating scale to track body weight day by day, a mobile app to track hot flashes in real time, and an Instant Pot to prepare soybeans at home. Each week, the group got together with the research team via Zoom. “Previous studies have shown that soy could be beneficial, so we decided to put a diet change to the test. We believe that the combination is what is important. By the end of the study, the majority of women on a plant-based diet rich in soy reported that they no longer experienced moderate-to-extreme hot flashes at all and that they experienced significant improvements in their quality of life.” Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, study author, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee Key Findings Total hot flashes decreased by 79% and moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased by 84% in the intervention group. At the study’s conclusion, 59% of intervention-group participants reported becoming free of moderate and severe hot flashes. There was no change in this variable in the control group. In previous randomized trials, soy products have been shown to modestly reduce the frequency of hot flashes. The researchers theorize that the effect may be a result of soy products containing isoflavones, which can be metabolized by gut bacteria into equol–a nonsteroidal compound that has been shown in some studies to reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. Previous studies have also shown that those following vegetarian or vegan diets produce higher levels of equol. The new study showed a more robust response, using the combination of a plant-based diet plus soy. Many study participants also reported improvements in sexual symptoms, mood, and overall energy. “This was basically a lifesaver for me,” said one study participant. “I’ve got my quality of life back.” Another said, “I am sleeping better, and my hot flashes diminished tremendously.” Several participants also noticed significant weight loss and better digestion. “Before you jump to any kind of medication, I would try this route, because it’s easy,” a study participant said. “Anybody can do it.” The study was based on the new approach to menopausal symptoms described by Dr. Barnard in his book Your Body in Balance. After the book was released in 2020, a reader contacted Dr. Barnard to let him know that his method eliminated her hot flashes within five days. Rather than using isoflavone extracts or soy foods such as soy milk or tofu, she used whole soybeans. To read the original article click here.

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Study Identifies Another Reason to Add Mushrooms to American Diet

AHA Publisher — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 08:00:34 +0000

FLM Harvest via News-Medical Net – The second study published in as many months has identified another reason to add more mushrooms to the recommended American diet. The new research, published in Food & Nutrition Research (February 2021), examined the addition of mushrooms to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns resulting in the increase of several micronutrients including shortfall nutrients while having a minimal to zero impact on overall calories, sodium or saturated fat. Dr. Victor L. Fulgoni III and Dr. Sanjiv Agarwal looked at the nutritional effect of substituting a serving of various foods recommended to be moderated in the diet by the 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines with an 84-gram serving of mushrooms on nutrient profiles in USDA’s Healthy US-style, Mediterranean-style and Vegetarian Eating Patterns. This is a similar approach that the USDA used for determining its Dietary Guidelines. For the mushroom serving, researchers looked at a composite of white, crimini, and portabella mushrooms at a 1:1:1 ratio; one scenario including UV-light exposed mushrooms, and one scenario including oyster mushrooms. “Simply adding an 84-gram serving, or what would be the equivalent of 5 medium white mushrooms, to USDA Food Patterns increased several shortfall nutrients including potassium as well as other B vitamins and minerals and had minimal to no impact on overall calories, sodium or saturated fat,” said Dr. Fulgoni. Depending on the pattern type and calorie level, key findings include: The addition of a serving (84 g) of mushrooms to the diet resulted in an increase in potassium (8%-12%), copper (16%-26%), selenium (11%-23%), riboflavin (12%-18%), and niacin (11%-26%), but had no impact on calories, carbohydrate, fat or sodium. The addition of a serving (84 g) of oyster mushrooms increased vitamin D (8%-11%) and choline (10%-16%) in USDA Food Patterns. Mushrooms exposed to UV-light to increase vitamin D levels to 200 IU/serving also increased vitamin D by 67%-90% in USDA Food Patterns. A composite of white, crimini, and portabella mushrooms at a 1:1:1 ratio would be expected to add 2.24 mg ergothioneine and 3.53 mg glutathione, while oyster mushrooms would provide 24.0 mg ergothioneine and 12.3 mg glutathione. (Note: the USDA Food Patterns, as well as USDA FoodData Central, do not include analytical data on either of these antioxidants at this time). Results Mirror a Similar Modeling Study Drs. Fulgoni and Agarwal also modeled the addition of mushrooms to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2016 dietary data looking at a composite of white, crimini, and portabella mushrooms at a 1:1:1 ratio; one scenario including UV-light exposed mushrooms, and one scenario including oyster mushrooms for both 9-18 years and 19+ years of age based on an 84g or ½ cup equivalent serving. Similar to the USDA Food Patterns, the NHANES data found the addition of a serving (84 g) of mushrooms to the diet resulted in an increase in dietary fiber (5%-6%), copper (24%-32%), phosphorus (6%), potassium (12%-14%), selenium (13%-14%), zinc (5%-6%), riboflavin (13%-15%), niacin (13%-14%), and choline (5%-6%) in both adolescents and adults; but had no impact on calories, carbohydrate, fat or sodium. Looking specifically at vitamin D, the study shows that when commonly consumed mushrooms are exposed to UV-light to provide 5 mcg vitamin D per serving, vitamin D intake could meet and slightly exceed the recommended daily value (98% – 104%) for both the 9 -18 year and 19+ year groups as well as decrease inadequacy of this shortfall nutrient in the population. In addition, a serving of UV-light exposed commonly consumed mushrooms decreased population inadequacy for vitamin D from 95.3% to 52.8% for age group 9-18 years and from 94.9% to 63.6% for age group 19+ years. Mushrooms Role in the Dietary Guidelines Mushrooms are fungi – a member of the third food kingdom – biologically distinct from plant and animal-derived foods that comprise the USDA food patterns yet have a unique nutrient profile that provides nutrients common to both plant and animal foods. Although classified into food grouping systems by their use as a vegetable, mushrooms’ increasing use in main entrees in plant-based diets is growing, supporting consumers’ efforts to follow food-based dietary guidance recommendations to lower intake of calories, saturated fatty acids, and sodium while increasing intake of under-consumed nutrients including fiber, potassium and vitamin D. When considering mushrooms’ role in diet quality and helping consumers achieve healthy eating patterns, a previous analysis of NHANES 2001-2010 data discovered that mushroom intake was associated with higher intakes of several key nutrients and thus better diet quality. However, intake was low – about 21g per day among mushroom consumers. Because of mushrooms’ culinary versatility and unique nutrient profile, greater recognition of mushrooms in dietary guidance is an opportunity to improve diet quality, particularly to increase consumption of vegetables. “Results from this current research on modeling the nutritional impact of mushrooms on USDA healthy eating patterns are now available for consideration by the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee,” said Mary Jo Feeney, MS, RD, FADA and nutrition research coordinator to the Mushroom Council. Mushrooms: A Nutrient Powerhouse Often grouped with vegetables, mushrooms provide many of the nutrient attributes of produce, as well as attributes more commonly found in meat, beans or grains. According to the USDA’s FoodData Central, one serving (5 medium/90g) of white, raw mushrooms contains 20 calories, 0g fat, 3g protein and is very low in sodium (0mg/<1% recommended daily value). Few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and mushrooms are unique in that they are the only food in the produce aisle that contain vitamin D. Specifically, one serving of raw, UV-exposed, white (90g) and crimini (80g) mushrooms contains 23.6mcg (118% RDA) and 25.52mcg (128% RDA) of vitamin D, respectively. More Research from the Mushroom Council Still to Come With mushrooms growing in awareness and consideration among consumers nationwide, in 2019, the Mushroom Council made a $1.5 million multi-year investment in research to help broaden understanding of the food’s nutritional qualities and overall health benefits. In addition to the analysis of mushrooms for bioactive/ergothioneine for inclusion in the USDA FoodData Central database, additional research projects approved include: Health-promoting effects of including mushrooms as part of a healthy eating pattern. Mushrooms’ relationship with cognitive health in older adults. Mushrooms’ impact on brain health in an animal model. Since 2002, the Council has conducted research that supports greater mushroom demand by discovering nutrient and health benefits of mushrooms. Published results from these projects form the basis for communicating these benefits to consumers and health influencers. To read the original article click here.

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Eating a Vegetarian Diet Rich in Nuts, Vegetables, Soy Linked to Lower Stroke Risk

AHA Publisher — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:00:54 +0000

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) via Newswise – “Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of disability…” Newswise — MINNEAPOLIS – People who eat a vegetarian diet rich in nuts, vegetables and soy may have a lower risk of stroke than people who eat a diet that includes meat and fish, according to a study published in the February 26, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of disability,” said study author Chin-Lon Lin, M.D., of Tzu Chi University in Hualien, Taiwan. “Stroke can also contribute to dementia. If we could reduce the number of strokes by people making changes to their diets, that would have a major impact on overall public health.” The study involved two groups of people from Buddhist communities in Taiwan where a vegetarian diet is encouraged, and smoking and drinking alcohol are discouraged. Approximately 30% of participants in both groups were vegetarians. Of the vegetarians, 25% were men. Researchers defined vegetarians as people who did not eat any meat or fish. At the start of the study, the average age of all participants was 50 and none had experienced stroke. The first group of 5,050 people was followed for an average of six years. The second group of 8,302 people was followed for an average of nine years. Participants were given medical exams at the start of the study and asked about their diet. Vegetarians ate more nuts, vegetables and soy than non-vegetarians and consumed less dairy. Both groups consumed the same amount of eggs and fruit. Vegetarians ate more fiber and plant protein. They also ate less animal protein and fat. Researchers then looked at a national database to determine the numbers of strokes participants had during the course of the study. In the first group of 5,050 people, there were 54 strokes. For ischemic strokes, which are strokes when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked, there were three strokes among 1,424 vegetarians, or 0.21%, compared to 28 strokes among 3,626 non-vegetarians, or 0.77%. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking and health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, researchers found vegetarians in this group had a 74% lower risk of ischemic stroke than non-vegetarians. In the second group of 8,302 people, there were 121 strokes. For both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, also called bleeding strokes, there were 24 strokes among 2,719 vegetarians, or 0.88%, compared to 97 strokes among 5,583 non-vegetarians, or 1.73%. After adjusting for other factors, researchers found vegetarians in this group had a 48% lower risk of overall stroke than non-vegetarians, a 60% lower risk of ischemic stroke and a 65% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke. “Overall, our study found that a vegetarian diet was beneficial and reduced the risk of ischemic stroke even after adjusting for known risk factors like blood pressure, blood glucose levels and fats in the blood,” said Lin. “This could mean that perhaps there is some other protective mechanism that may protecting those who eat a vegetarian diet from stroke.” One limitation of the study was that the diet of participants was only assessed at the start of the study, so it is not known if participants’ diets changed over time. Another limitation was that study participants did not drink or smoke, so results may not reflect the general population. Also, results from the study population in Taiwan may not be generalizable worldwide. Finally, there could be other factors, not accounted for, that might affect stroke risk. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Health: Vegetarian Diet Linked With Lower Risk of Urinary Tract Infections

AHA Publisher — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 08:00:31 +0000

Scientific Reports via EurekAlert – A vegetarian diet may be associated with a lower risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), a study in Scientific Reports suggests. UTIs are usually caused by gut bacteria, such as E. coli, which enter the urinary tract through the urethra and affect the kidneys and bladder. Previous research has shown that meat is a major reservoir for E. coli strains known to cause UTIs, but it is unknown whether avoiding meat reduces the risk of UTIs. Chin-Lon Lin and colleagues assessed the incidence of UTIs in 9,724 Buddhists in Taiwan, who participated in the Tzu Chi Vegetarian Study, a study investigating the role of a vegetarian diet on health outcomes in Taiwanese Buddhists. The authors found that the overall risk of UTIs was 16% lower in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians. Of the 3,040 vegetarians in the study, 217 developed a UTI compared to 444 UTI cases in 6,684 non-vegetarians studied. The reduced UTI risk associated with a vegetarian diet was greater in men than women, although overall UTI risk for men was 79% lower than for women, regardless of diet. The authors suggest that by not eating common sources of E. coli, such as poultry and pork, vegetarians may avoid ingesting E. coli that may cause UTIs. They also propose that the higher fibre diet of many vegetarians may prevent the growth of E. coli in the gut and decrease UTI risk by making the intestine more acidic. To read the original article click here.

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