Category: Diet and Nutrition

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Diet and NutritionTags : Leave a comment

Reducing Sodium in Everyday Foods may Yield Heart-health Benefits Across Populations

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Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

Consuming too much sodium is a major risk factor for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, which can lead to health complications such as heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, dementia and other forms of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

To address the global concern about excessive sodium consumption many countries have implemented salt-reduction strategies to improve public health and reduce health costs.

Two studies – one in France involving salt-reduction targets for baguettes and other bread products in 2025, and the other in the United Kingdom focusing on 2024 goals for takeaway and packaged foods – estimated the potential impact on the general population if those salt-reduction targets were met. The projections calculated in these two studies indicate that minor adjustments in sodium content to some of the most common prepared foods in each country would require no effort from people to change their eating habits, yet may produce significant public health benefits.

“This approach is particularly powerful because it does not rely on individual behaviour change, which is often difficult to achieve and sustain. Instead, it creates a healthier food environment by default,” said Clémence Grave, M.D., lead author of the study from France and epidemiologist and public health physician at the French National Public Health Agency, headquartered in Saint-Maurice near Paris.

The World Health Organization recommends adults should consume less than 2,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, however, global intake is much higher. The American Heart Association recommends daily intake of no more than 2300mg of sodium a day – equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt; but also says the ideal limit is no higher than 1500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure.

Sodium reduction in bread (France)

In 2019, France set a national public health goal to reduce salt consumption by 30%. In 2022, a voluntary agreement was signed between the government and bread producers to lower salt content by 2025. Bread, especially the baguette, is a culturally and nutritionally central food in France, yet it can be high in salt– traditionally contain about 25% of total daily recommended intake of salt. By 2023, most breads made in France already met the new sodium standards.

To understand the potential impact of the agreement on public health, researchers used national data and a mathematical model to estimate how many cases of cardio-cerebrovascular disease (conditions and diseases that affect both the heart and the brain’s blood vessels), kidney disease and dementia could be prevented if the salt-reduction targets met full compliance.

The analysis found that with bread consumption remaining the same and sodium-reduction targets fully met, less salt in baguettes and bread would decrease daily intake by 0.35 g per person, leading to slightly lower blood pressure across the population.

“This salt-reduction measure went completely unnoticed by the French population – no one realised that bread contained less salt,” Grave said. “Our findings show that reformulating food products, even with small, invisible changes, can have a significant impact on public health.”

Sodium reduction in packaged foods and take-out meals (United Kingdom)

For the study in the U.K., researchers used national survey data to estimate the amount of salt people consumed from pre-prepared packaged and take-out meals. They then estimated daily sodium intake if all relevant food categories met the 2024 sodium-reduction targets.

Sales-weighted average and maximum salt content targets were set for 84 grocery food categories – including bread, cheeses, meats, and snacks – and, for the first time, 24 out-of-home categories such as burgers, curries, and pizza. The modelling also covered how these changes could affect heart disease, stroke, quality of life and health care costs.

The research found that fully meeting the sodium reduction goals could have reduced average salt intake from about 6.1 g to 4.9g per day – translating to an estimated average of 17.5% less salt consumed per person per day. Men would experience slightly larger reductions than women because they tend to consume more salt in general.

Even this small, daily reduction in salt would lower blood pressure modestly across the population, and the improvements could add up.

Source: American Heart Association

Categories : Ageing Diet and NutritionTags : Leave a comment

Trial Results Show Daily Multivitamin Use May Slow Biological Ageing

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An analysis led by Mass General Brigham investigators found slower aging in older adults after two years of a daily multivitamin, with greater benefits for those who began the trial with accelerated biological age.

‘Biological age’, age on a cellular level, can differ from chronological age. Using data from a large randomised clinical trial of older adults, researchers at Mass General Brigham evaluated the effects of taking a daily multivitamin over the course of two years on five measures of biological ageing and found a slowing equivalent to about four months of ageing. The benefits were increased in those who were biologically older than their actual age at the start of the trial. Their results are published in Nature Medicine.

“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” said senior author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. “It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological ageing. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality ageing.”

Epigenetic clocks estimate biological ageing based specific sites in our DNA that regulate gene expression (known as DNA methylation) and change naturally as we get older, helping track mortality and the pace of ageing. This study, which uses data from the well-established COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS), analysed DNA methylation data from blood samples of 958 randomly selected healthy participants with an average chronological age of 70.

The study participants were randomised to take a daily cocoa extract and multivitamin; daily cocoa extract and placebo; placebo and multivitamin; or placebos only. Samples were analysed for changes in five epigenetic clocks from the start of the trial and at the end of the first and second years. Compared to the placebo only group, people in the multivitamin group had slowing in all five epigenetic clocks, including statistically significant slowing seen in the two clocks that are predictive of mortality. The changes equated to about four months less biological ageing over the course of two years. Additionally, people who were biologically older than their actual age at the start of the trial benefited the most.

“We plan to do follow-up research to determine if the slowing of biological ageing – observed through these five epigenetic clocks, and additional or new ones – persists after the trial ends,” said co-author and collaborator Yanbin Dong, MD, PhD, director of Georgia Prention Institute, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta Univeristy.

Further studies are also needed to determine how improvements in biological aging may explain reductions in clinical outcomes. The COSMOS team plans to investigate how the effects of a daily multivitamin on biological aging may extend to different outcomes they have seen evidence of benefits for, such as improvements in cognition and reductions in cancer and cataracts.

“A lot of people take a multivitamin without necessarily knowing any benefits from taking it, so the more we can learn about its potential health benefits, the better,” said Sesso. “Within COSMOS, we are fortunate and excited to build upon a rich resource of biomarker data to test how two interventions may improve biological aging and reduce age-related clinical outcomes.”

Source: Mass General Brigham

Categories : Antibiotics Diet and NutritionTags : Leave a comment

Honey from Australian Wildflowers has Potent Power to Kill Bacteria

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Photo by Benyamin Bohlouli on Unsplash

Kenya Fernandes, University of Sydney

Before antibiotics and antiseptics, healers across ancient Egypt, Greece, and China reached for honey to treat wounds. Archaeological evidence shows humans have been harvesting and collecting honey for thousands of years – and for much of that time, we understood it to be more than just food.

Today, honey sits in most kitchen cupboards as a perfectly ordinary pantry staple. But honey has never entirely shed its medicinal reputation. And modern research shows us why: it possesses genuine antimicrobial properties, capable of killing or inhibiting a wide range of bacteria, including drug-resistant strains.

This matters now more than ever. Antimicrobial resistance – where bacteria evolve to survive drugs designed to kill them – is one of the defining public health crises of our time. Infections caused by these resistant microbes are becoming harder and more expensive to treat, creating an urgent need for alternative therapies.

Our new study, published in the journal MicrobiologyOpen, shows honeys from Australia’s native flora might be a big part of the solution.

What did we do?

We analysed 56 honey samples collected from more than 35 apiaries across New South Wales. Many samples came from landscapes recovering from the 2019–2020 bushfires. Most were derived from native Australian plants such as eucalyptus, leptospermum and melaleuca.

We tested the honeys against two common bacterial pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph) and E. coli – both among the six leading causes of deaths associated with antibiotic resistance. For each sample we measured the minimum concentration needed to stop bacterial growth. The lower the concentration, the more potent the honey.

We also carried out comprehensive chemical profiling, measuring sugars, organic acids, amino acids, enzymes and a wide range of plant-derived compounds. Statistical and machine-learning analyses helped us identify which chemical features best explained antibacterial strength.

What did we find?

More than three-quarters of the honey samples stopped bacterial growth even when the honeys were diluted to 10% or less. This places Australian native flora honeys alongside some of the world’s most potent varieties.

The most striking factor was floral diversity.

Honeys from mixed floral sources – where bees foraged across multiple native plant species rather than a single species – were consistently the most antimicrobial.

This potency wasn’t due to any single compound but to a chemically rich combination.

Multiple bioactive factors – substances that have a measurable effect on living cells or tissues – worked together to inhibit bacteria. These included naturally produced hydrogen peroxide, plant-derived phenolic compounds (naturally occurring chemicals that plants produce as part of their own defence systems), and antioxidants.

When bacteria encounter honey, this combination acts on several fronts at once. The low moisture content draws water out of bacterial cells, while the acidity disrupts their metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide damages their cellular structures, and phenolic and antioxidant compounds interfere with their ability to function and reproduce.

The strength of mixed floral honeys may also reflect the health of the bees themselves.

Access to diverse forage keeps colonies well nourished. And healthier bees produce more biologically active honey as their enzymes help integrate and activate the plant compounds into a complex antimicrobial mixture.

What does this mean for antimicrobial resistance?

Honey won’t replace antibiotics for serious or systemic infections.

But for topical applications – chronic wounds, burns, or surgical site infections – it is a genuinely promising option. Because honey attacks bacteria through multiple simultaneous mechanisms, resistance is far less likely to emerge than with single-target drugs. Our team is now exploring these applications in more detail.

Australia is particularly well-placed to lead in bioactive honey production. Around 70% of Australian honey comes from native plants. These plants are found not only in forests but also across farmland, regional landscapes, and urban green spaces.

Our findings show that prioritising floral diversity over monoculture isn’t just good for ecosystems – it produces more potent honey. With the beekeeping industry under serious pressure from bushfires, floods, and now the varroa mite, protecting and restoring florally-rich landscapes is critical: for bee health, for industry resilience, and for expanding our natural antimicrobial toolkit.

In the meantime, the next jar of Australian honey you buy may just be doing more good than you realise.

Kenya Fernandes, Research Fellow, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Three-quarters not Meeting Recommended Intakes of Omega-3, Study Shows

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More than three-quarters of the global population are not getting enough omega-3, according to new research

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A review by the University of Southampton found that 76% of people worldwide are not meeting recommended intakes of the omega-3s EPA and DHA. The peer-reviewed paper, published in Nutrition Research Reviews, was a collaboration with scientists at the University of East Anglia and Holland & Barrett.

It is the first global review of national and international omega-3 intake recommendations across all life stages for generally healthy people.

Professor of Nutritional Immunology Philip Calder from Southampton, who was part of the study, said: “The omega-3s EPA and DHA are essential for health throughout the life course. But to benefit from these nutrients, people first need to understand how much they should be consuming.

“In this review, we brought together all the recommendations for EPA and DHA intake in healthy populations from authorities around the world to help answer the important question: ‘how much do I need?’ What is clear is that most people are not meeting these recommendations.”

Omega-3 consumption supports a healthy lifestyle throughout all stages of life.

The new review found that the most frequently recommended intake for adults is 250mg per day of combined EPA and DHA, with an additional 100–200mg of DHA advised for pregnant women.

Prof Calder said these targets can be achieved by eating more oily fish, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel, or through supplementation where needed.

The paper also identified challenges that different populations have in achieving current omega-3 recommendations.

These include difficulties in meeting oily fish recommendations due to low seafood consumption, or sustainability concerns, as well as some populations having limited access to supplementation advice.

Dr Abbie Cawood , Science Director at Holland & Barrett and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, led the study.

She said: “Omega-3s play such a vital role in health, ensuring people can meet their needs either through diet or with the support of supplementation is essential at every life stage.

In fact, our review highlights that supplementation is often required to meet recommended intakes especially in pregnancy and in those with low fish intakes. We are hopeful that this publication can act as an enabler to inform omega-3 dietary guidelines and shape future nutrition policy and public health strategies.”

The full paper can be viewed at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41277237 .

Source: University of Southampton

Categories : Diet and Nutrition Metabolic DisordersTags :

Vegan Diet Helps People With Type 1 Diabetes Cut Insulin Costs by 27%

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Novolog insulin pen. Photo by Dennis Klicker on Unsplash

A low-fat vegan diet that doesn’t limit calories or carbohydrates could help people with type 1 diabetes reduce insulin use and insulin costs, according to new research by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in BMC Nutrition.

The new research, which is a secondary analysis of a 2024 Physicians Committee study, compared the effect of a low-fat vegan diet to a portion-controlled diet on insulin use and insulin costs in people with type 1 diabetes. The analysis found that the total dose of insulin decreased by 28%, or 12.1 units, per day in the vegan group, compared to no significant change in the portion-controlled group. The reductions in insulin use in the vegan group likely reflect improved insulin sensitivity, or how well the body responds to insulin. Total insulin costs decreased by 27%, or $1.08 per day, in the vegan group, compared to no significant change in the portion-controlled group.

The 2024 study found that a vegan diet also led to an average weight loss of 11 pounds, improved insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control, and improved cholesterol levels and kidney function in people with type 1 diabetes.

The new research comes as insulin prices in the United States continue to rise. Spending on insulin in the United States tripled in the past 10 years, reaching $22.3 billion in 2022, due to the increased usage and higher price of insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association. The inflation-adjusted cost of insulin increased by 24% from 2017 to 2022.

“As insulin prices continue to rise, people with type 1 diabetes should consider a low-fat vegan diet, which can help improve their insulin sensitivity and reduce the amount of insulin they need, potentially saving them hundreds of dollars a year,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study and director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Source: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Too Many Saturated Fats may be More Harmful than Too Many Refined Carbohydrates

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Mice who consumed high-fat diets, especially the ketogenic diet, experienced more weight gain, liver damage and other negative health effects than those who ate a high-carbohydrate diet

Photo by Mariana Kurnyk

In recent years, many media reports and social media influencers have emphasised the dangers of eating too many carbohydrates. Though a carbohydrate-heavy diet can be harmful, consuming too many fats may cause more health problems, according to a study in mice led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences.

In a study published in the February issue of Journal of Nutrition, the researchers analysed how diets containing different ratios of fats and carbohydrates affected metabolic health and liver function in mice over time. They found, overall, higher-fat diets were more harmful than high-carbohydrate diets, but that fibre supplementation might be able to reduce harm in specific conditions.

Mice consumed one of four diets: high carbohydrate, high fat, ketogenic or a standard chow that was rich in whole grains and served as the experiment’s control group. In mice of normal weight, the keto diet led to weight gain, impaired the use of glucose, disrupted the balance of lipids in the body and increased inflammation and fat deposits in the liver. The high-fat diet also led to weight gain and other health problems not seen in mice who consumed the high-carbohydrate diet. Overall, mice who consumed the standard chow displayed the best markers of health.

“Human beings and mice have very different metabolisms, but there are relevant lessons in this study for people,” said Vishal Singh, associate professor of nutritional sciences and senior author of the study. “Most people are aware that a balanced diet is important, but some people are attracted to diets with very high fat content – like the keto diet – for weight loss. This research points to very real harm to the liver that can occur when these diets are not used appropriately.”

Fats versus carbohydrates

In each experimental diet in the study, the protein level of the food was always 18% of the total calories, so only the fat-to-carbohydrate ratios differed. The high-fat diet contained 42% carbohydrates and 40% fats, the high-carbohydrate diet contained 70% carbohydrates and 11% fat and the ketogenic diet contained 1% carbohydrates and 81% fats.

The fats in these diets were largely saturated fats, which are a group of fats that are typically solid at room temperature. The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats make up 6% or less of the total calories in a person’s diet.

The carbohydrates in these diets were largely refined, which are processed foods including white flour and added sugars. Scientific research has frequently connected refined carbohydrates to metabolic dysfunction and other harmful physical and mental health outcomes.

These diets were compared to a whole-grain rich chow that is a standard diet for laboratory mice. It contained 29% proteins, 57.5% carbohydrates and 13.5% fats.

The researchers measured blood sugar and a broad array of markers of liver function and health at regular intervals during the 16-week study. Other measurements were gathered after the experimental diets concluded.

“We wanted to understand how altering the balance of carbohydrates and fats would affect health when the diet was maintained for 16 weeks,” said Umesh Goand, postdoctoral researcher in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and first author of the study.

Keto and high-fat diets harmed liver and increased weight

In the ketogenic or ‘keto’ diet carbohydrate consumption is nearly eliminated. This induces a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose, the typical source of energy.

Results from the study demonstrated that the high-fat and keto diets promoted obesity, with the weight of mice on these diets doubling over the 16 weeks of the study. Mice on the control diet increased weight by around 10% – a normal rate for mice of that age – despite all mice in the study consuming roughly the same number of calories. In addition, the high-fat and keto diets impaired glucose tolerance and compromised liver function. Liver damage and elevated levels of blood sugar were observed after only two weeks of both diets.

Mice on the keto diet also developed elevated levels of triglycerides and showed increased levels of systemic inflammation. Additionally, they developed fat deposits in the liver and expressed genes associated with inflammation and liver scarring.

“The keto diet was very damaging to the livers and overall health of mice with regular weights,” Singh said, explaining that the body can utilise fat for energy, but there are metabolic consequences associated with the increase in fat processing. “People who hear about the keto diet’s reputation for weight reduction may be tempted to try it themselves. What this research says is – don’t! This diet should only be considered when properly supervised by a physician and/or dietician.”

Whole grains and carbohydrates

In comparison, mice on the high-carbohydrate diet did not continuously gain weight nor experience liver damage like those on the high-fat diets. Singh emphasized that a highly processed, carbohydrate-heavy diet is not inherently healthy, but it did less damage to the liver than the high-fat diets.

Mice on the whole-grain rich chow diet gained the least weight and demonstrated the best health indicators.

“A whole-grain-based diet is always a win – for mice or people,” Singh said.

The potential of fibre

In a separate experiment in the study involving mice with obesity, the high-fat and keto diets also led to further weight gain. However, when the keto diet was supplemented with fibre – a condition not tested in mice with normal weights – mice with obesity maintained more stable weight and better health indicators in several areas compared to mice on the high-fat diet or the keto diet without extra fibre.

The researchers also found that fibre supplementation did not hinder ketogenesis in mice who ate the keto diet. This is important, Singh said, because the keto diet is used for managing specific medical conditions, like epilepsy.

“Incorporating dietary fibres into the keto diet may reduce gastrointestinal complications associated with very high-fat diets while maintaining the therapeutic benefits of ketogenesis for patients,” Singh said.

Dietary choices are complex, but that does not make them equivalent

The important thing to remember, Singh said, is that diet is complex, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“Over time, researchers have learned a lot about what is healthy or unhealthy based on an individual’s health status, but there is no single dietary magic bullet for weight loss or any other metabolic health concern,” Singh said. “Anyone who experiences health problems or is concerned about their diet should talk to their physician or a registered dietician to develop a plan, based on research, that fits their specific needs and life circumstances.”

Source: Penn State University

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Evidence Behind Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss Fails to Match Hype

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Intermittent fasting is unlikely to lead to greater weight loss in overweight or obese adults than traditional dietary advice or doing nothing, a new Cochrane review finds. 

Obesity is a significant public health problem that has become a leading cause of death in high-income countries. Worldwide adult obesity has more than tripled since 1975, according to the WHO. In 2022, 2.5 billion adults were overweight. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity.

Intermittent fasting has surged in popularity in recent years, fuelled by social media, lifestyle influencers, and claims of rapid weight loss and metabolic benefits.

No meaningful difference in weight loss

Researchers analysed evidence from 22 randomised clinical trials involving 1995 adults across North America, Europe, China, Australia, and South America. Trials examined multiple forms of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and time-restricted feeding. Most studies followed participants for up to 12 months.

The review compared intermittent fasting with traditional dietary advice and with no intervention. Intermittent fasting did not appear to have a clinically meaningful effect on weight loss compared to standard dietary advice or doing nothing. 

Reporting of side effects was inconsistent across trials, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The evidence base remains limited, with only 22 trials, many with small sample sizes and inconsistent reporting. 

Hype outpaces the evidence

First author Luis Garegnani also cautioned against the hype surrounding fasting online. 

Intermittent fasting just doesn’t seem to work for overweight or obese adults trying to lose weight. It may be a reasonable option for some people, but the current evidence doesn’t justify the enthusiasm we see on social media.

— Luis Garegnani, Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Cochrane Associate Centre. 


Few trials have looked at the long-term results of intermittent fasting. The authors stressed that obesity is a chronic condition, and short-term trials make it difficult to guide long-term decision-making for patients and clinicians. 
 
The majority of the included studies enrolled predominantly white populations in high-income countries. As obesity is a rapidly growing crisis in low- and middle-income countries, further research is needed in these populations.

The authors therefore warn that these results may provide clues, but cannot be extrapolated to the entire population, as they may vary depending on sex, age, ethnic origin, disease status, or underlying eating disorders or behaviours.
 

With the current evidence available, it’s hard to make a general recommendation. Doctors will need to take a case-by-case approach when advising an overweight adult on losing weight.

— Eva Madrid, Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit Iberoamerica. 

By Mia Parkinson

Source: Cochrane Review

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Two Hours’ Longer Fast Before Bed Improves Cardiometabolic Health

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Participants stopped meals three hours before bed, dimmed the lights and extended their overnight fast by two hours

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A new Northwestern Medicine study has personalised overnight fasting by aligning it with individuals’ circadian sleep-wake rhythm, an important regulator of cardiovascular and metabolic function, all without changing their caloric intake. 

The study found that among middle-age and older adults who are at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease, extending the participants’ overnight fast by about two hours, dimming the lights and not eating for three hours prior to bedtime improved measures of cardiovascular and metabolic health during sleep, as well as during the daytime. Nighttime blood pressure fell by 3.5mmHg while heart rate dipped by 5% compared to controls. while adherence was good – nearly 90%.

“Timing our fasting window to work with the body’s natural wake-sleep rhythms can improve the coordination between the heart, metabolism and sleep, all of which work together to protect cardiovascular health,” said first author Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, research associate professor of neurology in the division of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The study was published Feb. 12 in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, part of the American Heart Association.

“It’s not only how much and what you eat, but also when you eat relative to sleep that is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating,” said corresponding author Dr Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine and the chief of sleep medicine in the department of neurology at Feinberg.

Previous research has found only 6.8% of US adults had optimal cardiometabolic health in 2017 to 2018. Poor cardiometabolic health can lead to chronic illness, including type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases.

Time-restricted eating has continued to surge in popularity because research has shown it can improve cardiometabolic health and rival traditional calorie‑restricted diets, but most studies have focused on how long people fast, not how their fast lines up with their sleep schedule – a key factor in metabolic regulation.

Given the nearly 90% adherence rate in the study, the study’s novel approach of leveraging the sleep period as an anchor for the timing of time-restricted eating may be a more accessible non-pharmacological strategy for improving cardiometabolic health, particularly in middle-aged and older adults who are at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease, the study authors said.

The study authors said they plan refine the protocol from this study and take it to larger multi-centre trials. 

Improved blood pressure, heart rate, blood-sugar control

In the 7.5‑week study, people who finished eating at least three hours before going to bed saw meaningful improvements compared with those who kept their usual eating routines. They experienced:

  • Improved nighttime patterns in blood pressure (dipping by 3.5%) and heart rate (dipping by 5%): Their bodies showed a more natural drop in both measures during sleep, which is an important sign of cardiovascular health. Notably, their hearts beat faster during the day when they were active and slowed at night when they were resting. A stronger day-night pattern is linked to better cardiovascular health.
  • Better daytime blood‑sugar control: Their pancreas responded more efficiently when challenged with glucose, suggesting it could release insulin more effectively and keep blood sugar steadier.

In the study, 39 overweight/obese participants (36 to 75 years old) completed either an extended overnight fasting intervention (13 to 16 hours of fasting) or a control condition (habitual fast of 11 to 13 hours). Both groups dimmed the lights three hours before bedtime. The intervention group consisted of 80% women.

Source: Northwestern University

Categories : Diet and Nutrition NeurologyTags :

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk, Better Cognitive Function

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A new prospective cohort study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and colleagues analysed 131 821 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), finding that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee (2-3 cups a day) or tea (1-2 cups a day) reduced dementia risk, slowed cognitive decline, and preserved cognitive function. Their results are published in JAMA.

“When searching for possible dementia prevention tools, we thought something as prevalent as coffee may be a promising dietary intervention – and our unique access to high quality data through studies that has been going on for more than 40 years allowed us to follow through on that idea,” said senior author Daniel Wang, MD, ScD, associate scientist with the Channing Division of Network Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Wang is also an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard Chan School and an associate member at the Broad Institute. “While our results are encouraging, it’s important to remember that the effect size is small and there are lots of important ways to protect cognitive function as we age. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle.”

Early prevention is especially crucial for dementia, since current treatments are limited and typically offer only modest benefit once symptoms appear. Focus on prevention has led researchers to investigate the influences of lifestyle factors like diet on dementia development. 

Coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients like polyphenols and caffeine, which have emerged as possible neuroprotective factors that reduce inflammation and cellular damage while protecting against cognitive decline. Though promising, findings about the relationship between coffee and dementia have been inconsistent, as studies have had limited follow-up and insufficient detail to capture long-term intake patterns, differences by beverage type, or the full continuum of outcomes—from early subjective cognitive decline to clinically diagnosed dementia.

Data from the NHS and HPFS help to overcome these challenges. Participants repeated assessments of diet, dementia, subjective cognitive decline, and objective cognitive function and were followed for up to 43 years. Researchers compared how caffeinated coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee influenced dementia risk and cognitive health of each participant.

Of the more than 130 000 participants, 11 033 developed dementia. Both male and female participants with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared with those who reported little or no caffeinated coffee consumption. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also had lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (7.8% versus 9.5%). By some measurements, those who drank caffeinated coffee also showed better performance on objective tests of overall cognitive function.

Higher tea intake showed similar results, while decaffeinated coffee did not – suggesting that caffeine may be the active factor producing these neuroprotective results, though further research is needed to validate the responsible factors and mechanisms.

The cognitive benefits were most pronounced in participants who consumed 2–3 cups of caffeinated coffee or 1–2 cups of tea daily. Contrary to several previous studies, higher caffeine intake did not yield negative effects – instead, it provided similar neuroprotective benefits to the optimal dosage.

“We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results – meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing dementia,” said lead author Yu Zhang, MBBS, MS, PhD student at Harvard Chan School and a research trainee at Mass General Brigham. 

Source: Mass General Brigham

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Diet and NutritionTags :

Mediterranean Diet Linked to Reduced Risk for All Stroke Types

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Following a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of all types of stroke among women, according to a study published on February 4, 2026, in Neurology® Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that the Mediterranean diet is the cause of the lower risk of stroke; it only shows an association.

The diet was associated with a lower risk of stroke overall, as well as ischaemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke. The Mediterranean diet includes a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish and healthy fats such as olive oil, and a low intake of dairy products, meats and saturated fatty acids.

“Our findings support the mounting evidence that a healthy diet is critical to stroke prevention,” said study author Sophia S. Wang, PhD, of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California. “We were especially interested to see that this finding applies to haemorrhagic stroke, as few large studies have looked at this type of stroke.”

The study involved 105 614 women with an average age of 53 at the start of the study who had no history of stroke. The participants filled out a questionnaire at the start of the study about their diet. Participants were given a score of zero to nine based on how closely they followed the Mediterranean diet. People received one point if they consumed above the overall average in the population in these categories: whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and fish, plus drinking a moderate amount of alcohol.

They also received one point if they consumed a below-average amount of red meat and dairy products. A total of 30% of participants had scores of six to nine – the highest group. And 13% had scores of zero to two, the lowest group.

The participants were followed for an average of 21 years. During that time, 4083 strokes occurred, with 3358 ischaemic strokes and 725 haemorrhagic strokes. For ischaemic strokes, there were 1058 among the 31 638 people in the highest group compared to 395 cases among the 13 204 people in the lowest group.

For haemorrhagic stroke, there were 211 strokes among those in the highest group, compared to 91 among the lowest group. When researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect stroke risk, such as smoking, physical activity and high blood pressure, they found that those in the highest group were 18% less likely to have a stroke than those in the lowest group. They were 16% less likely to have an ischaemic stroke and 25% less likely to have a haemorrhagic stroke.

“Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, so it’s exciting to think that improving our diets could lessen our risk for this devastating disease,” said Wang. “Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to help us understand the mechanisms behind them so we could identify new ways to prevent stroke.”

A limitation of the study is that people reported their own diet information, so they may not have remembered correctly.

Source: American Academy of Neurology