Newsbriefs: Pain Management with Diet; Poor Food Choices; Mediterranean Diet
Healthy Diet Linked With Less Pain
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet could decrease the chances an overweight person will experience regular pain, new research suggests. In the study (Pain, February 2017), which included 98 people age up to 78, following a Mediterranean-style diet high in fish and plant-based proteins, such as nuts and beans, was linked with less pain regardless of a person’s body weight. The link between body weight and chronic pain is well established, and previous studies have suggested that systemic inflammation—which is more common in overweight and obese individuals—may play a role. The researchers posit that anti-inflammatory proteins present in the beneficial foods may explain the link with decreased pain.
Many Deaths Attributed to Poor Food Choices
A diet containing more unhealthy foods was linked to more than 400,000 deaths from heart and blood vessel diseases in 2015, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions in March 2017. Dietary factors linked to cardiovascular disease deaths included low intakes of nuts and seeds, vegetables, and whole grains, along with excess salt intake.
Mediterranean Diet With Extra Olive Oil May Boost Effects of “Good” Cholesterol
A Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil (VOO) could enhance the cardioprotective benefits of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, say researchers writing in Circulation, Feb. 13, 2017. HDL helps eliminate excess LDL (“bad” cholesterol) from the bloodstream, as well as performing numerous other beneficial functions. Researchers assigned study participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease to one of three diets for a year: a Mediterranean diet enriched with VOO (about 4 tablespoons each day), a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra nuts (about a handful each day), or a healthy “control” diet that reduced consumption of red meat, processed food, high-fat dairy products, and sweets. While none of the diets increased HDL levels significantly, the Mediterranean diets improved HDL function, with the largest improvement seen in those consuming more VOO.
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