Dialysis is the process of removing excess water from the blood when someone has suffered from kidney failure. When serum levels of the protein albumin are abnormally low it can be an indicator of chronic malnutrition. This can occur as a result of a loss of albumin in the urine due to kidney damage.

The results of the study were published in the March 2012 issue of Vascular Health Risk Management.

Participants in the study included 63 adults receiving dialysis treatment with serum albumin levels that were less than or equal to 3.9 g/dL. The normal range of serum albumin levels is 3.4 – 5.4 g/dL.

Over the course of 6 months, half of the group consumed a 30 mL liquid protein supplement plus 2.4 g of omega-3′s while the other half was given a placebo three times daily. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted increased levels of C-reactive protein—a marker of inflammation—in the placebo group but not in the supplement group. They also noted higher serum albumin levels compared to baseline in the supplement group.

They concluded that supplementation with protein and omega-3′s could improve nutrition and inflammation in people undergoing dialysis.

Omega-3s have been linked to an impressive number of other health benefits, including improved brain health, alleviating arthritis pain, better mood, improved joint mobility, helping with age-related macular degeneration, and aiding your immune system.

Because omega-3 fatty acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in DHA and EPA omega-3s, while ALA omega-3 fatty acids are plant derived and can be found in flaxseed oil, vegetable oil, and walnuts.

If you don’t like fish or you’re worried about the high mercury levels found in some fish, consider taking a daily high quality supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.

The researchers were based at the University of Barcelona and their results will be published in the June 2012 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Participants in the trial included 10 healthy adult males. For the first 15 days of the trial, the men were not allowed to drink any alcoholic beverage. Following that washout period, the men were assigned to consume either 9 oz. of de-alcoholized red wine, 9 oz. of red wine or 3.5 oz. of gin per day for 20 days.

Each of the men participated in all three interventions and the researchers took fecal samples to determine the effects of the beverages on gut microbial populations. All three of the beverages resulted in increased gut microbes, but the red wine interventions resulted in the greatest variety of bacteria.

Additionally higher concentrations of bifidobacteria were noted in the red wine groups. Bifidobacteria has been previously associated with lower levels of cholesterol and C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a marker of inflammation and a predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Red wine polyphenols have powerful antioxidant properties and have been associated with numerous health benefits. These include improving heart health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s, reducing cholesterol and inflammation and destroying free radicals.

It’s important to drink moderately, as high consumption of alcohol can reverse any health benefits received. A high quality supplement is a good alternative is you do not wish to consume red wine.

Their findings were published on May 9, 2012, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The meta-analysis looked at 63 randomized, controlled trials that tested the effects of probiotics on AAD and included 11,811 participants. The majority of the trials used lactobacillus-based interventions, alone or in combination with other probiotic strains.

The researchers found that probiotic consumption in conjunction with antibiotics was associated with a 42% lower risk of developing diarrhea when compared to not using probiotics. They noted that more research needs to be done to determine which strain of probiotics will have the best results.

Probiotics are most commonly known for improving digestion and gut health, but they have been linked with numerous other health benefits, including weight loss, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Probiotics can be found naturally in many foods, such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. You may also consider taking a high quality supplement but make sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany and published online ahead of print on May 2, 2012, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Four meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were included in this study. The researchers found that higher doses of epicatechin resulted in the greatest reductions in systolic (top number in reading) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure. Particularly, they noted that 25 mg led to a 4.1 mm HG reduction in systolic and a 2.0 mm HG reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

A 2 mm HG reduction in diastolic blood pressure is associated with a 10% lower risk of stroke mortality and a 7% lower risk of ischemic heart disease mortality.

The researchers believe that epicatechin raises levels of nitric oxide, which has been known to help blood vessels relax and expand.

Chocolate isn’t just for heart health; it has also been shown to help brain health, improve insulin resistance, and reduce blood pressure. To get the health benefits of chocolate, focus on darker chocolates which contain more flavanols.

It’s important to keep in mind that excessive consumption of chocolate could negate the positive effects seen here and in other studies, as chocolate also has high fat, sugar, and calorie content. Your best bet is to eat small amounts of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

The findings of the study, which was conducted by researchers with Columbia University Medical Center, were published online ahead of print on May 2, 2012, in the journal Neurology.

Participants included 1,219 people who were over the age of 65 and had no previous diagnoses of dementia. Over the course of 1.2 years, the participants provided information about their diets and the researchers tested their blood for beta-amyloid.

The researchers also examined levels of 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Participants who consumed one gram of omega-3 per week above the average consumed by all participants had 20 to 30% lower beta-amyloid levels. One gram of omega-3 is equivalent to half a fillet of salmon. None of the other nutrients seemed to have an effect on beta-amyloid.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been linked to numerous health benefits, including combating diabetes, lowering cholesterol, improving vision and relieving depression.

If you’re looking to increase your fish oil intake, try adding darker fish, such as salmon or tuna, to your diet. If you don’t like the taste of fish or are just finding it hard to work it into your meal plans, consider taking a high quality supplement. Make sure your supplement is tested for purity and potency in order to avoid harmful mercury levels.

The University of Texas based researchers recruited 20 young adults for their double-blind, randomized clinical trial. The participants consumed either a 17.5g whey supplement or 20g of the trial supplement one hour after they completed high-intensity leg resistance exercise. The trial supplement consisted of 25% isolated soy protein, 25% whey protein and 50% casein.

Muscle biopsies were conducted before the supplements were administered and then again at two different times: “early,” which was defined as 1-3 hours after exercise, and “late,” which was defined as 3-5 hours after exercise.

The researchers noted that the supplement blend provided amino acid delivery to the participants’ muscles up to 5 hours after ingestion, meaning that the supplement blend better protects your muscles from damage than whey protein alone.

These effects are probably a result of the different rates of digestion for the different types of protein. Whey is processed by the body quickly, providing immediate nutrition, while soy is processed a bit later. Casein takes the longest to work its way through the digestive system.

It takes at least 24-48 hours for muscles to recover after resistance training. Therefore when a person consumed the trial supplement post-workout, their muscles received important nutrients over an extended period of time to feed their muscles until their next meal.

75% of the proteins used in this trial were dairy-based, adding yet more evidence to the claim that dairy proteins are essential for muscle health. Dairy products have also been linked with bone health, diabetes prevention, weight loss, and improved mental function.

If you’re looking to add more dairy to your diet, make sure you stick to the low-fat dairy products as the high fat content of “whole milk” products could reduce the positive benefits.

Researchers from the Laboratoire Lescuyer and Aix Marseille Universite in France conducted the study. It was published in the European Journal of Nutrition on April 24, 2012.

Participants in the study included 39 adults between the ages of 21 and 55. All of them had mild hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). They were assigned to consume daily either a placebo or a supplement containing 500 mg of red yeast rice, 11.1 mg of a sugar-cane derived policosanol and 600 mg of artichoke leaf extracts.

After 16 weeks, the researchers noted a 19% reduction in LDL cholesterol, a 14% reduction in total cholesterol, and a 12% decrease in trigylicerides in the plant group. Smaller but notable reductions were also seen at the 4 week, 8 week, and 12 week marks. By contrast, the placebo group saw an increase in triglycerides and no reduction in cholesterol.

The researchers have yet to determine the exact elements that produced these effects, but they note that red yeast rice contains monacolin K, which inhibits a coenzyme that helps produce cholesterol.

There are also ways to manage cholesterol through more commonly consumed foods. Fiber in particular has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects. Fiber-rich foods include oats, peas, beans, fruits, brown rice and dark leafy vegetables.

The study was presented as an abstract at the 2012 American Society for Nutrition. The researchers were based at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland.

Sixteen individuals participated in the study. All of them consumed the same American-style pre-planned diet but were assigned either 0 ounces, 1.5 ounces, or 3 ounces of pistachios or almonds daily.

The researchers collected stool samples throughout the 19 day study period and examined the bacterial composition, including lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

At the end of the study, the researchers noted that participants who consumed up to 3 ounces of pistachios daily (equivalent to approximately 147 nuts) had increased levels of beneficial gut bacteria. Particularly, an increase was seen in butyrate-producing bacteria, which is thought to play an important role in colonic health.

The pistachio group showed a higher increase in gut microbes than the almond group.

The researchers believe that these positive effects come from the fiber found in pistachios that provide “prebiotic” qualities. Prebiotics are the nutrients that feed the bacteria in your gut, known as probiotics.

Pistachios also have high levels of protein and antioxidants and have been shown to reduce the risk of macular degeneration (age related vision loss), strengthen the immune system and protect against heart attacks. To maximize the benefits of pistachios and nuts in general, it is important to avoid salted, oil-roasted nuts.

The study was conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States. Their results were published online ahead of print on April 25, 2012, in Annals of Neurology.

The researchers examined data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which included more than 120,000 women. Starting in 1976, food frequency questionnaires were administered every 4 years.

The specific data set that the researchers worked with included 16,010 women who were over the age of 70. Between 1995 and 2001, the women participated in memory and cognitive functioning tests every 2 years.

The researchers found that higher consumption of strawberries and blueberries was associated with up to 2.5 years delay in the onset of cognitive decline.

While this is not the first study to examine the effects of berry consumption on cognitive decline, it is more long-reaching than any study conducted this far. The researchers noted that more needs to be done to determine if the flavonoids found in the berries caused these positive results or if other lifestyle factors, such as exercise, had more of an effect.

The flavonoids found in berries have previously been linked with weight management, reducing cholesterol and possibly preventing some cancers. Berries can easily be added to your daily diet by including them in a balanced breakfast of whole grains and yogurt or substituting frozen berries for your favorite dessert.

While this study focused specifically on berries, other foods that are good sources of flavonoids include citrus fruit, kidney beans, walnuts, pistachios, onions and dark chocolate.

The findings were published online ahead of print on November 3, 2011 in the Archives of Oral Biology.

Previous studies have shown that probiotics may prevent caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. The researchers sought to identify the lactic acid strains showing the best potential for oral health benefits.

100 strains of bacteria were isolated from healthy children, of which 46 were lactic acid bacteria and therefore qualified for this trial. The strains were tested in order to assess their ability to prevent oral disorders.

The researchers found that most of the strains tested were able to live in the mouth and actively work against gum disease. The strains showed high ability to adhere to oral tissues and did not present any antibiotic resistance. The researchers concluded that lactic acid bacteria could potentially be very useful for improving oral health.

Beyond oral health, probiotics have been shown to help aid in weight loss, improve digestion, prevent recurring yeast infections, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

You can get more probiotics by eating certain foods such as yogurt, milk and sauerkraut. For many people, taking a high quality supplement is an easier approach. If you choose this option, be sure it is packaged to block light, air and moisture which can easily kill probiotics.