Articles related to DIET & NUTRITION

Drinking beer and spirits is linked to elevated levels of visceral fat, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and other health complications. Moderate wine consumption shows no such association with levels of this harmful fat and may even protect against it.

New research into intermittent fasting has found that the practice is generally safe, producing few gastrointestinal, neurologic, hormonal, or metabolic effects. Additionally, the research found that intermittent fasting is on par with traditional calorie-restricted diets for weight loss.

Habitual alcohol consumption at all levels has been found to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between level of consumption and risk is not linear, and at lower consumption levels, other lifestyle patterns have mitigating effects.

At the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting, Carina Venter, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, provided the latest data on the role that maternal diet during pregnancy may have on the infant microbiome and the subsequent development of allergies and asthma. The findings are that eating plenty of vegetables and limited fried, low-fiber, and sugary foods may prevent asthma and allergies in unborn children.

Vitamin D supplementation for five years, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, reduced autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis by 22%, according to the findings of a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with or without vitamin D reduced the autoimmune disease rate by 15%, which was not statistically significant. Both treatment arms showed larger effects than the reference arm (vitamin D placebo and omega-3 fatty acid placebo).

Thinking of starting the new year off with a diet? According to U.S. News and World Report, the Mediterranean diet is the best overall diet for adults. The diet was ranked first in the categories of best diets for healthy eating, easiest diets to follow, and best diets for diabetes, among other measurable categories.