This Just In: Bad Eating Habits; Stress Eating; Vegan Diet

Eating Late, Skipping Breakfast Bad for the Heart

An observational study published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, April 17, 2019, found that eating late at night (within two hours of bedtime) and skipping breakfast (not having anything other than coffee or water until lunchtime) increased risk of a second heart attack, angina, or death within 30 days of being released from the hospital among patients who had a first heart attack. Of 118 people observed, 57.5 percent skipped breakfast, while 51.3 percent ate within two hours of bedtime. Over the 30-day observation period, nearly one-fourth (23 percent) suffered additional consequences, with 17.7 percent having either a second heart attack or angina, while 5.3 percent died. The average age of participants was 59.9; 26.7 percent of the group were women.

Stress Eating May Cause You to Store More Fat

A neurotransmitter called NPY in the amygdala—the emotional center of the brain—activates when someone is under stress and turns to eating high-fat food, according to a study published in Cell Metabolism, April 25, 2019. The stress, combined with a high-calorie diet, creates more insulin resistance, resulting in fewer calories burned and increased desire to eat more unhealthy food. Stressed mice were compared to stress-free mice with minimal changes in insulin level. But when comparing stress-free mice on a normal diet to stressed mice on a high-calorie diet, insulin levels for the latter diet rose 10-fold. When stressed mice ate unhealthy food higher in calories, it made them want more.

Poor Diet Responsible for More Deaths Than Smoking

Researchers searched two global databases with several hundred million people across the year 2017 to evaluate dietary patterns of 15 foods and nutrients and their relationship to how people died. Dietary risk factors included diets low in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, milk, nuts, seeds, or legumes. Results, published in The Lancet, April 3, 2019, showed that dietary risks were linked with 11 million adult deaths, with cardiovascular disease having the highest connection to dietary pattern. More than half of diet-related deaths were attributed to sodium, followed by low intake of whole grains and fruits. Sodium ranked first among older adults, while lack of whole grains was a chief factor among younger adults.

Phenolic Acids May Reduce Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk

Researchers reviewed data on 11,000 women’s consumption of 136 food items over 12 years. Their answers were cross-referenced with a ranking of each food item’s phenolic acid content (from plant-based foods). Women who consumed the highest amounts of hydroxycinnamic acid, a type of phenolic acid, had a 62 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who consumed the least amount. In addition, women who consumed the highest amounts of chlorogenic acid, a type of hydroxycinnamic acid specific to coffee and most fruits and vegetables, had the lowest risk of breast cancer, at 65 percent. The study was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow in April 2019 but has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Vegan Diet Is Healthiest for Lowering Disease Risk

Researchers analyzed blood sugar levels, urine samples, and abdominal tissue from 840 people, who also filled out food-frequency questionnaires. The data were then segmented into one of five dietary groups: vegan (no animal products), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (consumes dairy), pesco-vegetarian (consumes dairy and seafood), semi-vegetarian (occasionally eats meat), and non-vegetarian (regularly eats meat). Scientists looked for markers including carotenoids (antioxidants, which reduce disease), isoflavones (anti-inflammatories), enterolactone (which breaks down plant-based foods in the gut flora), saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins. Compared with non-vegetarians, vegans had the highest concentrations of carotenoids, isoflavones, enterolactone, omega-3s, and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid), and the lowest concentrations of saturated fats.

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