Omega-3’s have been shown to have many health benefits, including improving eye health, improving cardiovascular disease risks, fighting inflammation, and reducing the risk of depression. According to a new study, intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are well below the recommended levels in the United States.

Researchers from various universities examined data from the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA were calculated for 45,347 people, ranging in age from toddlers and young children (1 to 5) through to mature adults (55 and older).

The researchers found that children aged 1-19 had significantly lower omega-3 intake compared to adults and seniors. Intakes for children were only approximately 40% of the intake recommended by the National Academy of Medicine. Women had lower intake levels than men, particularly adult and senior women. Women also consumed less fish than men, 5.8 servings per month compared to 6.1 servings.

Average intakes for all adults and seniors were well below recommended levels. Specifically, intakes were just 16% and 21%, respectively, of the 325 mg/day per 1,000 calories recommended by the Workshop on the Essentiality of and Recommended Dietary Intake for Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids. When the researchers used the minimum recommendation of 200 mg/day given by many organizations, they found that the majority of adults and seniors met less than 60% of the intake recommendation.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Arizona, the Pennsylvania State University, and the University of California Riverside. It was published January 15, 2019 in the journal Nutrients.

Reactive agility is the ability to rapidly change direction in response to a stimulus. Two new studies have found that supplementation with spearmint extract may help improve reactive agility, energy, and focus.

Participants in the first study included 10 military personnel who were members of an elite counterterrorism unit. Half of them took 900 mg of spearmint extract containing rosmarinic acid and half took a placebo for 17 days. Physical, cognitive, and executive functioning were tested at baseline and one hour after completing a military operation.

At the conclusion of the study, the supplementation group reported higher feelings of energy, focus, and alertness compared to the placebo group. In addition, all the participants in the supplementation group identified the correct target, compared to 60% in the placebo group.

For the second study, 142 young, healthy, recreationally active adults received 900 mg of spearmint extract with rosmarinic acid or a placebo for 90 days. Reactive agility was determined by measuring the number of hits and average reaction time on a Makoto Arena II, a 360° audio-visual device that measures stationary, lateral, and multi-directional active choice reaction performance. Measurements were taken at days 0, 7, 30, and 90.

The participants in the supplement group showed improvements in a stationary test of choice reaction by day 7. Improvements in hit rate in both stationary and multi-directional choice reaction were seen by day 30. The improvements were still present by day 90.

The first study was conducted by researchers from the Institute of Exercise Physiology and Wellness. It was published December, 2018 in The Journal of Special Operations Medicine.

The second study was conducted by researchers from the MusclePharm Sports Science Institute. It was published December 12, 2018 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

The onset of mild cognitive decline (MCI) is often accompanied by an increase in cerebral blood flow, as the brain tries to compensate for the inability to function properly. A new study suggests that exercise training may help reduce this compensatory blood flow and improve cognitive function in people with early MCI.

Participants in the study included 25 people between the ages of 61 and 88. Half of them had MCI and half did not. All of the participants underwent 12 weeks of exercise training that consisted of 4 30-minute sessions of moderate intensity treadmill walking per week. The researchers used and MRI scan to measure changes in cerebral blood flow in specific areas of the brain regions known to be involved in the progression of MCI.

The researchers found that participants with MCI had a decrease in cerebral blood flow, compared to an increase in the participants without MCI. Participants with MCI also showed improved working memory and verbal fluency following the exercise training. In addition, participants without MCI also saw significant improvements on the cognitive tests.

The study was conducted by researchers with the University of Maryland School of Public Health. It was published January 22, 2019 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Flow-mediated dilation refers to the widening of an artery when blood flow increases in that artery, and is used to measure blood vessel health. A new study has found that hibiscus tea may help increase flow-mediated dilation.

Twenty-five men with 1-10% cardiovascular disease risk participated in the study. They consumed either 250 ml of hibiscus tea or water with a high fat breakfast. They later consumed a high fat lunch. Blood pressure was measured at baseline and hourly for 4 hours following the meal, and flow-mediated dilation was measured at baseline, hour 2, and hour 4. After a two-week washout period, the participants switched interventions.

The researchers found that consumption of the hibiscus tea resulted in a significant increase in flow-mediated dilation. No significant changes in blood pressure were seen.

The study was conducted by researchers from The University of Reading, UK and Bayero University in Nigeria. It was published online ahead of print on February 5, 2019, in the journal Nutrients.

If you’re having trouble sticking to your diet, you may want to start incorporating exercise into your week. A new study has found that exercising regularly may be linked to healthier eating habits.

Participants in the study included 2,680 young adults who were not exercising regularly or dieting prior to the study. Participants underwent 15 weeks of 30-minute aerobic workouts three times per week. Exercise duration, intensity, and dose were recorded during each session using heart rate monitors. Participants were instructed not to change their diet in any significant way. Diet information was collected at baseline and at the end of the study.

At the end of the study period, the participants were more likely to choose healthy foods such as lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Preferences for fried foods, sodas, and other unhealthy options decreased. A longer duration of exercise was associated with decreased preferences for the western and snacking dietary patterns. A higher intensity of exercise was associated with an increased preference of the prudent dietary pattern.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Austin and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It was published online ahead of print January 18, 2019, in the International Journal of Obesity.

An Omega-3 index in the range of 8-12% may help to maintain heart, brain, eye, and joint health. A recent study has found that Americans would need to consume oily fish 3 times or more per week and take an EPA+DHA supplement in order to achieve an Omega-3 index of 8% or greater.

Researchers with OmegaQuant looked at data from 3,458 people who submitted dried blood spot samples for Omega-3 index testing. The participants also answered questions regarding their fish intake and supplement use. Approximately 50% of the participants reported taking omega-3 supplements, 32% reported no fish intake, and 17% reported eating fish more than twice per week.

The average Omega-3 index for those who reported taking no supplements and consuming no fish was 4.1%. Participants who reported taking omega-3 supplements and consuming fish three times per week had an average Omega-3 index of 8.1%. Participants in the highest supplement and fish intake group had a 44% higher likelihood of having an Omega-3 index greater than 8%, compared to those in the lowest intake group. Participants who consumed fish twice per week but did not take supplements had a 10% higher likelihood of having an Omega-3 index greater than 8%, compared to those in the lowest intake group.

The American Heart Association currently recommends consuming 1 to 2 seafood meals per week. The researchers suggest that the recommendation should be changed to 4 to 5 servings of oily fish per week or 2 to 3 servings per week in conjunction with an EPA+DPA supplement.

The study was published online ahead of print January 11, 2019, in the journal Prostoglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.

Migraines are headaches whose symptoms include sensitivity to light, smells, or sounds, eye pain, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. A new study has found that taking a probiotic supplement may decrease migraine attacks and migraine intensity.

Participants in the study included 39 people who suffer from chronic migraines and 40 who suffer from episodic migraines. Half of them took a probiotic supplement and the other half took a placebo. The supplement contained 14 strains, including Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcuslactis, and Stretpcoccus thermophilus.Participants used a diary to record drugs consumed, migraine days, frequency and duration of attacks. Migraine severity was assessed by visual analog scale.

Participants in the probiotic group saw a significant decrease in migraine attacks: 45% in the chronic migraine group and 40% in the episodic migraine group. No change was seen in the placebo group. Migraine intensity was also improved in the probiotic groups: 31% in the chronic migraine group and 29% in the episodic migraine group. The use of drugs taken to manage migraines was also significantly reduced in the probiotic group, compared to the placebo group.

Researchers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print January 8, 2019, in the journal Cephalalgia.

Some people believe that losing weight faster will improve your overall health more than if you lose it slowly. However, a new study compared metabolic health markers in people who lost weight at different rates and found no significant difference.

The researchers looked at data from 11,281 people who attended a publicly funded clinical weight management program between July 2008 and July 2017. They had an average treatment period of 12.7 months. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol were measured at baseline and at the end of treatment. Body weight was recorded at each patient visit. The participants were grouped into three different groups: Fast weight loss rate (WLR), Recommended WLR, and Slow WLR.

Participants in the Fast WLR group lost an average of 54 pounds in the first 3-6 months, compared to 29 pounds in the Recommended WLR group and 11 pounds in the Slow WLR group. Initially, it appeared that those in the Fast WLR group had greater improvements in waist circumference and blood pressure. However, when the researchers looked at total weight loss, they found that participants who lost the most weight in all three groups showed similar improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL levels.

Researchers from York University and the Wharton Medical Clinic conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print January 29, 2019, in theJournal of Obesity.

Age-related hearing loss occurs gradually in most of us as we grow older and is one of the most common conditions affecting mature adults. A new study has found that hearing loss may be associated with a up to a 54% higher risk of cognitive decline.

The researchers looked at data for 10,107 men with an average age of 62 who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Subjective cognitive function was assessed based on responses to a six-item questionnaire that was given in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Participants were excluded from the study if they reported one or more cognitive concerns on the 2008 questionnaire. Hearing loss was assessed using a questionnaire in 2006.

Compared with men with no hearing loss, the relative risk of cognitive decline was 30% higher in men with mild hearing loss.  In men with moderate hearing loss, the risk rose to 42%, and in men with severe hearing loss it rose to 54%.

The researchers also looked at whether hearing aids would affect cognitive decline risk.  They found that cognitive decline risk decreased to 37% in men with severe hearing loss who used hearing aids, but it was not a statistically significant difference.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print January 29, 2019, inAlzheimer’s & Dementia.

Exercise dramatically increases oxygen consumption and can cause oxidative stress. According to a new study, taking vitamin C before exercising can increase antioxidants levels in the blood and decrease oxidative stress.

The participants in the study were 19 healthy, sedentary women who had not participated in a regular exercise program for at least one year. On one exercise day, half of the participants took 1,000mg of ascorbic acid or a placebo, then performed 30 minutes of moderate intensity cycling. After a one week wash-out period, participants switched interventions and performed the cycling again. Blood samples were taken immediately before, immediately after, and 30 minutes post-exercise to determine plasma albumin, total protein, glucose, oxidative stress and muscle damage markers.

Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly increased after exercise in the placebo group, but not in the supplement group. Superoxide dismutase activity is a marker of oxidative stress in the body. In addition, plasma albumin and total protein levels increased immediately after exercise in the placebo group, and glucose decreased slightly.  These changes were not seen in the supplement group.

The study was conducted by researchers with Chiang Mai University in Thailand. It was published online ahead of print on January 21, 2019, in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition