Drinking sugary beverages such as soda and juice have been linked to an increased risk of weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.  According to a recent study, increasing consumption of sugary drinks may also increase the risk of cancer.

Researchers from the National Health and Medical Research Institute at the Paris 13 University looked at data from the NutriNet Santé study, which began in 2009 and includes 101,257 adults. Participants completed five questionnaires at the beginning of the study that asked about sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, dietary intakes, physical activity, and health status. Weight was collected every six months. Participants filled out a 24-hour dietary record every six months. Health events were recorded through a yearly questionnaire.

The researchers found that a consuming as little as 3.3 ounces of sugary drinks per day was associated with an 18% increase in the risk of overall cancer and a 22% increase in the risk of breast cancer. This association was found for sugar sweetened beverages and 100% pure fruit juice. No association was found between the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and cancer.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. It was published on July 10, 2019 in the journal BMJ.

People with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, A new study suggests that supplementation with the gut bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila may help improve insulin sensitivity and cholesterol in obese or overweight people with some symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Participants in the study included 32 overweight or obese adults who were insulin resistant. Half of the participants took 10 billion CFU of live Akkermansia muciniphila, 10 billion CFU of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila,or a placebo daily for three months. The researchers measured insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, circulating lipids, visceral adiposity, and BMI at baseline and at the end of the study.

Particpants who took the live or pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila had improved insulin sensitivity and reduced concentrations of insulin in the blood at the end of the study.  They also had decreases in total plasma cholesterol and inflammation biomarkers. In addition, they lost an average of 5 pounds, but the weight loss was not statistically significant.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. It was published on July 1, 2019 in the journal Nature Medicine.

Consumption of red meat, especially processed red meat, has been associated with a higher risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Now a new study has found that consuming increasing amounts of red meat could result in an increased risk of death.

For their study, the researchers looked at data from 53,553 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study and 27,916 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All the participants completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1986 and every four years thereafter. The researchers analyzed changes in red meat consumption over eight years, and mortality risk during the subsequent eight years.

Participants were divided into five categories based on their changes in red meat consumption:

1. increase of >0.5 serving per day or 3.5 servings per week;
2. increase of 0.15-0.5 serving per day or 1-3.5 servings per week;
3. decrease of >0.5 serving per day or 3.5 servings per week;
4. decrease of 0.15-0.5 serving per day or 1-3.5 servings per week;
5. and one reference category (increase or decrease of <0.15 serving per day or <1 serving per week).

During the study period, the leading causes of death were cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurogenerative disease. Participants who increased their red meat consumption by at least 3.5 servings per week over eight years had a 10% higher risk of death in the next eight years.

Participants who exchanged one serving of red meat per day for more whole grains, vegetables, or other protein foods were found to have a lower risk of death. Exchanging one serving per day of red meat for one serving of fish over eight years was associated with a 17% lower risk of death.

The study was conducted by researchers from Fudan University, China and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It was published June 12, 2019 in The BMJ.

High levels of beta-amyloid protein and tau protein are risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. A new study has found an association between declining sleep quality as people age and having higher levels of beta-amyloid protein and tau protein.

Participants in the study included 95 people who took part in the Berkeley Aging Cohort Study. All the participants had their brains scanned with PET to detect beta-amyloid tangles and tau protein tangles. They also filled out questionnaires that asked about sleep quality in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s.

Participants that reported a decline in sleep quality in their 40’s and 50’s were found to have beta-amyloid protein tangles in their brains later in life. Participants that reported a decline in sleep quality in their 50’s and 60’s had more tau protein tangles in their brains later in life.

The researchers also found that participants with high levels of tau protein in their brains were more likely to lack the synchronized brain waves that are associated with good sleep. This synchronization of brain waves occurs during deep or non-rapid eye movement sleep. This is the stage of sleep during which the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California Berkeley. It was published June 17, 2019 in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Polyphenols act as antioxidants and help protect cells and body chemicals against damage caused by free radicals. A new study suggests that consuming polyphenol-rich bilberries, lingonberries, and cinnamon for breakfast may offer cardiometabolic protective effects.

Thirteen healthy but overweight adults participated in the study. All the participants underwent four interventions, each separated by a six-day washout period. The night before each intervention, the participants ate a standardized meal of spaghetti, tomato sauce, chicken, cheese, and soybean oil. For the intervention, they consumed a high calorie/high fat breakfast of 910 calories with a fat contribution of 455 calories, or one of three breakfasts that incorporated 3 grams of cinnamon, 100 grams of bilberries, and 100 grams of lingonberries into the high calorie/high fat breakfast. Circulating biomarkers associated with cardiometabolic risk were measured post-meal for 4 hours.

The researchers found that consumption of bilberries and lingonberries reduced the elevation of cholesterol typically caused by a high fat meal. Consumption of bilberries also had regulating effect on triglyceride response to the high fat meal. Consumption of cinnamon reduced glycemic response and postprandial endotoxemia.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Campinas, Brazil and the Food for Health Science Centre, Sweden. It was published online ahead of print on July 4, 2019 in the Journal of Functional Foods.  

Previous studies have linked spending too much time sitting down to an increased risk of being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease. A new study compared the effects of too much time sitting watching tv and sitting at work and found that time sitting watching tv is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Participants included 3,592 African American adults who took part in the Jackson Heart Study. Participants reported how much time they spent sitting while watching tv and sitting while working. They also reported how much time they spent exercising. They were followed for an average of 8.4 years.

Participants who reported watching 4 or more hours of tv per day had a 50% greater risk of cardiovascular events and death compared to those who spent less than 2 hours per day watching tv. However, participants who reported sitting the most at work had the same risk of cardiovascular events and death as those who reported sitting the least.

In addition, participants who reported watching 4 or more hours of tv per day and engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise at least 150 minutes per week did not have an increased risk of cardiovascular events or death.

The study was conducted by researchers from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. It was published on July 2, 2019 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate is one of the main components of milk protein. A recent study suggests that supplementation with refined alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate may help improve sleep quality.

Forty-eight adults with a mild to moderate degree of sleep disturbance participated in the study. The participants took either 300 mg of refined alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate or a placebo daily for four weeks. The participants switched interventions after a four-week washout period. The researchers continuously monitored the participants’ subjective sleep quality, daytime functioning, and psychiatric characteristics. The participants kept a daily sleep record that included when they went to sleep and woke up, time in bed, time taken to fall sleep, and number and time of each waking after sleep onset.

The researchers found that refined alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate supplementation resulted in improvements in sleep disturbance, daytime functioning, and psychiatric characteristics. Supplementation also increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency, and reduced sleep latency and wake after sleep onset.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. It was published on June 27, 2019 in the journal Nutrients.

Electrolytes are minerals in the body that have an electric charge, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They help balance the amount of water in the body. A new study suggests that lowering sodium and increasing potassium and magnesium intake may help improve blood pressure.

The researchers included 32 analyses in their review. The analyses looked at the effect of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium on blood pressure. In the studies on sodium, sodium intake was reduced from 1.2 to 5.7 g/day and salt reduction was 2 to 9.6 g/day. In the magnesium studies, supplements were between 6 and 250 mmol/day. For the calcium studies, calcium intake was between 0.5 and 2 g/day. Intake in the magnesium studies ranged from 120-1006 mg/day.

Lowering sodium intake resulted in an average 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and an average of 3 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. Increasing potassium resulted in an average 7 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and an average 4 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

Sufficient calcium intake was found to lower the risk of gestational hypertension. Increasing magnesium intake resulted in an average 9 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and an average 5 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.

The study was conducted by researchers from The Medical University Vienna. It was published on June 17, 2019 in the journal Nutrients.

The five risk factors for metabolic syndrome are high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high triglycerides, and low levels of HDL cholesterol. According to a new study, supplementation with Amla extract may help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with metabolic syndrome.

The study participants included 59 people with metabolic syndrome and an average age of 57. They were assigned to one of three interventions: Amla supplement of 250mg twice daily, Amla supplement of 500 mg twice daily, or a placebo twice daily for four weeks. A lipid profile was completed to measure cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein. The researchers also measured oxidative stress and endothelial function.

The researchers found that supplementation with 500 mg of Amla extract led to an 11% reduction in total cholesterol, a 21% reduction in LDL cholesterol, a 19% reduction in triglyceride, and a 7% increase in HDL cholesterol. In addition, they found that both dosages led to significant improvements in endothelial function, markers of oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation biomarkers.

The study was conducted by researchers from Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, India. It was published online ahead of print on May 6, 2019 in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Aronia is a berry that contains very high levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. A new study suggests that Aronia may help improve cholesterol levels.

The researchers used seven studies for their analysis. The doses of Aronia used in the studies ranged from 3.4 ounces for juices to 225 mg for supplements. The studies lasted from 4 to 24 weeks. They all looked at the effect of Aronia on lipid profiles, blood pressure, and biomarkers of inflammation.

When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that Aronia consumption resulted in an average increase in HDL cholesterol of 1.48 mg/dl. It also resulted in an average decrease of 2.55 mmHG in diastolic blood pressure. For studies that lasted less than 10 weeks, total cholesterol decreased by 7.2 and LDL cholesterol by 5.8. No significant changes were seen in systolic blood pressure or biomarkers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-1.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Coventry University, Chongqing Medical University, and Christian Medical College and Hospital. It was published online ahead of print on June 24, 2019 in the journal Phytotherapy Research.