With every flip of the calendar, it seems a new diet fad captures national attention, promising effortless weight loss. The Paleo diet is how our ancestors ate it must be healthy. No, try intermittent fasting. Scratch that this prune juice detox will take inches off your waist in days!

Prof. David Levitsky, nutritional sciences, describes obesity as the biggest public health problem we have. Its cause? Not carbohydrates or processed sugars as the latest trend might have you believe. The science behind obesity is simple: excess calorie intake.

The fundamental science behind nutrition and related physiology has not changed for decades, Levitsky said. Instead, its the media, with a motive to sell, writing about the science that changes. While some diets make it easier to consume less, they may be unnecessary.

Veganism

With this perspective on nutrition, the vegan diet may be the healthiest of them all. Vegans live longer than anyone else, Levitsky said. That should tell you something.

But its not the meat thats going to kill you, Levitsky explained. There is no magical quality of plant-based diets that will make you immortal. Vegan diets drastically improve health outcomes because, on average, theyre far lower in dietary fats compared to omnivorous diets and higher in fiber.

But despite the benefits it carries, Levitsky also urged caution towards vegan diets. Since vegan meals often dont contain complete proteins and are low in iron, vegans need to be very cognizant in planning their meals and combining appropriate protein sources.

Low-Carb Diets

Some of the most popular modern diets Paleo, Atkins and Keto, to name a few portray carbohydrates as the antithesis of health, a macronutrient to be avoided at all costs.

Carbohydrates dont deserve this reputation, Levitsky said. Like any other macronutrients, the problem is overconsumption,and carbs are the easiest to overeat, as we typically eat 60-65% of our calories from carbohydrates.

In a low-carb diet, that range drops to 10-15%, Levitsky said. He explained that this doesnt discount low carb diets efficacy for weight loss, but there are a few issues if one endures a low-carb diet.

First, the rapid drop in weight may not be from fat tissue, but instead from fluids. Excess carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen, which holds large amounts of water with it. As low-carb diets deplete these stores, the water rapidly flushes out.

The other problem is the fact that people cant stay on low-carb diets for long periods of time. If you look at the population statistics, most people cant stick to these for more than a few months. Levitsky said. And once you start indulging in those pre-meal bread rolls again, youre just going to put [the weight] back on immediately.

Ultimately, low-carb diets are not an effective way to lose weight and sustain it, Levitsky said.

Intermittent Fasting

A number of other fasting schemes have gained popularity recently, but the idea behind them is the same: limit the period of time during which you eat.

Levitsky describes these methods as very effective for losing weight, but emphasizes that there is no special benefit of eating only during specified windows. These are simple mechanisms to reduce caloric intake.

It turns out, most people cant do it for long periods of time. But if it fits into your lifestyle, theres nothing wrong with it, Levitsky said.

What is the ideal diet?

Levitsky also offered a few guides for students unsure about how they should eat. First, he recommends not eating the same foods for two days in a row in order to diversify your nutrient sources constantly. Next, never eat when youre not hungry this is a very easy way to consume less.

Another tip he gives is to take small portions. Perhaps the most prominent environmental signal to eat is whats on your plate, he said. By exercising portion control, we can simplify the dieting process substantially.

Ultimately, for those whose goal is to lose weight, they should be eating in moderation with a variety of foods and using the scale to objectively track progress for weight loss.

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To Lose Weight, Cut the Fad Diets and Stick to the Basics, Expert Says - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

People worry about having access to clean water, power, health care and healthy foods because they are essential for survival. But do they ever think about their access to microbes?

Every day, humans encounter microbes - in air, water, soil, food and buildings - and pick them up and leave them behind everywhere they go. Although you might be reaching for the hand sanitizer as you read this, many of these microbial exposures are beneficial to human health. But not everyone has equal access to good microbes.

Social equity is the practice of applying justice and fairness to our social policies. Society often measures it in terms of access. Do people have equal access to healthy food and clean water? Medical care? Safe housing? Parks and forests? My idea of microbes and social equity is rooted in the fact that we rely on the microbes that live in our bodies or in the environment around us. We need public policies that promote access to microbes.

Im a gut microbiologist, and I want to understand the microbes that pass through our digestive tract and how they impact us. For example, human beings cant digest plant fiber; we actually rely on several species of microbes in our gut to do this, which provides us with the nutrients we need. Microbes also help train our immune cells not to attack those trillions of microorganisms living in or on the body, thereby maintaining a delicate truce.

Connecting with good microbes

I wanted to create a space to learn about and discuss the idea of Microbes and Social Equity, so I developed and taught a course at the University of Oregon during the summer of 2019. I focused on how access to basic necessities like nutritious foods (and especially fiber), pre- and postnatal health care, and green space and city parks could influence microbial exposures and individual experiences throughout a lifetime. These findings and discussions have now been published as a peer-reviewed essay in the journal PLoS Biology.

Fibrous foods recruit microbes in the gut, especially ones that break down and ferment complex plant carbohydrates in order to create energy for themselves. In doing so, they produce several molecules (like butyrate) that we use for energy, and they yield a number of health benefits.

The paper in PloS Biology provides examples of research on microbes and health, such as the benefit of a fiber-rich diet in recruiting beneficial gut microbes and reducing the symptoms of diabetes. There are specific examples of social policies that might promote access to microbes, such as launching more school nutrition programs that require fruits and vegetables. There are also examples of policies with negative microbial impacts, such as inadequate food-service infrastructure in prisons, which can allow for the spread of foodborne illness.

My students were especially interested in policies that support maternal health care and enable breastfeeding. Breast milk contains important components to boost the infant immune system, as well as a diverse community of bacteria, some of which support digestion of milk in the infant gut and confer health benefits.

Infants who only receive formula recruit different gut microbes and are missing the ones derived from breast milk that protect against allergies and other health problems. Policies that provide pre- and postnatal care are known to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants. These policies also happen to support mother-infant microbial exposure, which can have huge health benefits. The lack of good policies may have the opposite effect: Many women identify a lack of social and infrastructural support as preventing them from breastfeeding their infants, which also deprives the babies of the microbes they need.

Poor-quality city infrastructure leads to poor-quality health

The quality of the environment greatly impacts health. Plants are known to produce chemical compounds that benefit human health, and exposure to the diverse microbes found in the natural environment can keep our immune systems fit. Living near industrial areas exposes residents to lower air quality, contamination of water sources with hazardous materials, noise pollution, and more. Worse, studies suggest that pollution-heavy industry is often intentionally placed in disadvantaged, low-income, or predominantly minority-resident neighborhoods because they lack the social capital to negotiate better zoning. And, heavily urbanized or industrial zones disperse different microbes than a forest or park would, changing outdoor microbial exposure for residents of poorly planned neighborhoods.

Inequalities in access - such as only putting parks in wealthier neighborhoods - creates social inequity in resource distribution. But it also creates inequity in microbial exposure and may affect your health. However, zoning could be used to aid in the equitable distribution of resources.

Access is the basis for creating social equity. Globally, many governments have a legal obligation to provide access to a safe and healthy natural environment. If we consider that microbes are integral to maintaining public health, it follows that there is also a legal obligation to provide policy and infrastructure to enable equitable access to microbes.

This can be done by providing affordable maternal health care and parental leave to facilitate breastfeeding and train the immune system with good microbes.

It can be done with access to an affordable, high-quality diet with lots of fiber, especially by making healthy food available in public schools, prisons and food deserts with inadequate shopping options.

It can also be done by equitably distributing natural environments and green space in urban settings. Encouraging urban farms, local farmers markets, bike lanes and walking paths, and giving stores incentives to stock and sell healthy food items, can make urban and rural areas healthier by promoting physical activity, good food, clean air and water and diverse microbial exposures.

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Sue Ishaq, Assistant Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine

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

Image: Reuters

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So This Is Weird: Stop Prioritizing Your Diet and Start Prioritizing Your Microbes - The National Interest Online

Hair dye & chemical straighteners may increase risk of breast cancer

Hair products are part of a billion dollar beauty industry and new information reveals that using hair dye and chemical hair straighteners may increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Some women are opting for nonpermanent hair color and relaxers amid news of a study that found women who use permanent hair dye and chemical straighteners may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, but doctors say you might have better success preventing breast cancer through diet and exercise changes.

According to the studyat the National Institutes of Health, higher breast cancer risk was associated with hair dye use, and the effects appeared to be stronger in African American womenparticularly those who are frequent users of the dyes and chemical straighteners.

At Renees Touch salon, Renee Montgomery has been using the CHI hair dye brandwhich does not include harsh chemicals like ammonia--but says she was still concerned when she heard about the new study.

"So many of my clients actually have color and have straighteners or relaxers in their hair, so I was very concerned," said Montgomery.

The study used data from 46,709 women and found that women who regularly used hair dye were 9 percentmore likely to develop breast cancer, but among women who used permanent hair dye every five to eight weeks, that risk increased to 60 percent for black womencompared to eight percent for white women.

"If you look at the number of African Americans in the study, it's very small compared to the number of Caucasians, so I don't know how accurate that would be if you applied it to a bigger population, said Julie R. Nangia, MD, from Baylor College of Medicines cancer center.

Nangia said more studies need to be done before shell recommend drastic haircare changes.

"I don't think I would recommend to my patients for them to stop using hair dye because of this study," said Nangia.

Montgomery said she personally avoids chemical straighteners and opts for a flat iron.

Nangia said if you want to avoid breast cancer, there are other factors to look at. Studies show alcohol use and not exercising have a much higher association with increased breast cancer risk.

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Doctor says diet, exercise are more important than hair dye when it comes to breast cancer - FOX 5 DC

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Keto diets work. That is, if you follow the rules even loosely, you will lose weight. Whether a diet focused heavily on fats and proteins and lacking in carbs is good for you long-term or not, however, is a subject of much debate.

The arguments for keto have another boost, though, in research from Yale University that appears to indicate ahigh-fat, low-carb diet has the potential to help you fight the flu.

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Let's be clear: It's not smart to mess with influenza. People should just get the vaccine. But every year plenty of people wait a little too long to get it, or they catch a flu bug not covered by the shot. In their study published in Science Immunology, Yale researchers revealed that through research with flu-infected mice they put on a keto diet they discovered that the keto mice simply had a better survival rate than the mice on a regular diet.

A Yale blog post published after the study was released in mid-November elaborated:

The ketogenic diet which for people includes meat, fish, poultry, and non-starchy vegetables activates a subset of T cells in the lungs not previously associated with the immune systems response to influenza, enhancing mucus production from airway cells that can effectively trap the virus, the researchers report.

"This was a totally unexpected finding, said co-senior author Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

A byproduct of keto's effect on the body appears to trigger an extra immune-boosting response, then, kind of an extra boost to the systems that fall in place when the body's normal defenses come into play.

The research project that discovered the keto effect on flu sufferers came about after a pair of trainee scientists noted that the immune system could produce damaging "inflammasomes," which are harmful because they can cause the body's bug-fighting defenses to kick into overdrive, overwhelming the organs and possibly killing the patient.

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Someone noticed that diets consisting ofmeat, fish, poultry, and non-starchy vegetables tended to block inflammasomes. So they went to work on their unfortunate miceand discovered the happy carb-consuming rodents were less likely to develop the mucous that can coat the lungs and isolate the body from influenza's onslaught.

Co-senior study author Vishwa Deep Dixit concluded, "This study shows that the way the body burns fat to produce ketone bodies from the food we eat can fuel the immune system to fight flu infection."

Chalk one up for keto this time, then. But seriously, don't rely on diet. Get the shot, no matter what.

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Research Reveals Keto Diet Could Help Fight the Flu - Maxim

While cardiovascular disease may be the leading cause of death in both the U.S. and the world, there are actionable steps you can take to reduce your risk. One powerful and modifiable risk factor is what you choose to eat regularly.

I like to focus on what we eat most of the time. Including more plant-based options for both meals and snacks can positively impact your weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and overall health.

Plants provide beneficial amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants while decreasing our intake of saturated fats, cholesterol and unhealthful trans-fats. In addition, eating more fiber helps you feel fuller longer which can help with both cravings and added calories.

Entering the produce aisle at your market can be overwhelming. Here are some easy tips to mix things up:

Leafy Greens

Kale is not only trendy but a super food. Raw, cooked or baked into chips you can include this power veggie in meals and snacks.

Most leafy greens are great sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables are easily added to omelets, enchiladas, pasta dishes, soups, smoothies and sandwiches.

Increasing variety often leads to more success when making dietary changes so dont limit yourself to salads. Every day is a new day to try new foods and keep your taste buds happy.

Fruits

Fruit is natures fast food and is easily added throughout the day. As with most vegetables, fruits add fiber, vitamins and minerals in every serving.

I find that having healthful fruit options with me at all times makes it easier to snack and avoid less healthful packaged foods. Fruit can also satisfy a sweet tooth!

Vegetables

As with any change, exploring your vegetable options is an excellent way to increase your intake of plants throughout the day.

Colorful veggies like carrots, broccoli, beets, bell peppers, brussels sprouts and all varieties of squash are as versatile as leafy greens and can be used similarly as well as added to wraps and casseroles.

Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)

Dont forget to include the power of the legume! These tasty alternatives are low in fat, high in folate, magnesium and potassium while containing no cholesterol and boosting protein intake.

Add black, white, pinto, garbanzo and kidney beans as well as lentils to soups, stews, tacos, enchiladas, crock-pot meals and salads. Look for low-sodium goods if buying canned, or buy dried and soak your own overnight to avoid the salt.

Looking for ideas? Searching the internet is a great resource for new recipes and ideas on plant-based eating.

Lynice Anderson is director of the Healthy Heart Program at Renown Health. Go to renown.org to learn more.

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There are plenty of miracle foods to follow a heart-healthy diet - Nevada Appeal

In a recent study undertaken by scientists from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Aging, researchers found the secret to longevity is linked with meal times.

The researchers separated 292 male mice into two groups and gave them different diets. They also examined how altering the meal times affected the life expectancy of the mice. At the end of the study period, the scientists found the results to be very impressive and concluded that the same might be true for humans. happy man longevity Photo: rottonara - Pixabay

They said the findings provided a beacon of hope for future studies and at the same time, suggested a particular diet to help improve longevity. This study, which was participated in part by scientists from the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, analyzed how longer fasting times could boost health and longevity. Researchers noted that increasing the time between meals improved the overall health of the male mice. They also lived longer compared to the other group who were fed and ate more frequently.

The scientists also report that health and life span greatly improved with increased fasting times, notwithstanding the type of food the mice ate or how many calories the food contained.Dr. Richard J. Hodes, a director at the NIA, said that the study revealed that the group of mice that consumed only one meal daily appears to enjoy a longer lifespan. They also seem to have better outcomes for age-related ailments like liver disease and a number of metabolic disorders.

He also said that the fascinating results using lab mice as the model which revealed the relationship of fasting and feeding time length and total caloric intake deserve a closer examination.

Dr. Rafael de Cabo, the studys lead author and Translational Gerontology Branch chief of the NIA Intramural Research Program, said increasing daily fasting times improved the overall health of male mice. He also said that their survival chances in a number of age-related ailments also increased. These positive results occurred regardless of the caloric intake and the type of diet the mice have.

The lead author hypothesized that the extended fasting period might have enabled the maintenance and repair mechanisms of the mices bodies to kick into place. Such a process would have been absent had the mice ate food continuously.Researchers of the study also revealed the results seem to suggest that those who are able to fast at least once a month may enjoy a longer and healthier life.

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You Can Improve Longevity By Having This Diet At Least Once A Month - International Business Times

Chief goal of Centre St. plan is pedestrian safety

The article Road diet backlash in W. Roxbury (Metro, Dec. 3) failed to provide much-needed context around the proposal to remove two lanes of vehicle traffic on Centre Street in West Roxbury. The primary goal of the so-called road diet design is pedestrian safety.

Study after study has shown that these designs two traffic lanes, with a third, center lane for turns are a safer alternative to four-lane roads; the evidence is so clear that the Federal Highway Administration describes them as a proven safety countermeasure to four-lane roads and a low-cost solution that addresses safety concerns and benefits all road users a win-win for quality of life. Whats more, the AARP promotes road diets to improve safety.

Studies also have shown that these types of road diets do not negatively affect business or significantly increase or divert traffic, and can even benefit emergency response times.

Giving a voice to our neighbors in opposition to the plan is important, but failing to mention the fact that the proposed design is a data-driven, pedestrian-focused solution to safety on Centre Street was a major omission.

Evan Judd

West Roxbury

Crossing four lanes of traffic is dangerous

I was disappointed in the article about changes to Centre Street traffic in West Roxbury. The opening line of the article leaves the impression that the proposed road diet is mainly intended to remove two lanes of cars so that we can have two lanes for bikes. The idea of reducing the current four lanes of vehicle traffic to two was inspired by the death of a pedestrian, Marilyn Wentworth, on Feb. 5, and is not centered around bicycles.

The 16 parking spaces that would be lost are due to daylighting removing one parking space from the end of a block so that pedestrians are more visible. The bicycle lanes would be an added benefit if we do reduce the road width, but they are not the primary reason to do it. Crossing four lanes of traffic is dangerous. Its a fact.

Pamela Haran

West Roxbury

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Road diet in West Roxbury is about more than just bike lanes - The Boston Globe

Vegetarians, much less vegans, would prefer not to becompelledto eat meat. Yet the reverse compulsion is what lurks in the growing proposals for a new plant-based planetary diet. Nowhere is this more visible than in India.

The subcontinent is often stereotyped by the West as a vegetarian utopia, where transcendental wisdom, longevity and asceticism go hand in hand.

Earlier this year, the EAT-Lancet Commission released its global report on nutrition and called for a global shift to a more plant-based diet and for substantially reducing consumption of animal source foods. In countries like India, that call could become a tool to aggravate an already fraught political situation and stress already undernourished populations.

The EAT report feeds into the false premise that traditional diets in countries like India include little red meat, which might be consumed only on special occasions or as minor ingredients in mixed dishes.

Disadvantaged castes and indigenous communities are being coerced into giving up their traditional foods.

In India, however, there is a vast difference between what people wouldwishto consume and what theyhaveto consume because of innumerable barriersaround caste, religion, culture, cost, geography, etc. Policymakers in India have traditionally pushed for a cereal-heavy vegetarian diet on a meat-eating population as a way of providing the cheapest sources of food.

Currently, under an aggressive Hindu nationalist government, Muslims, Christians, disadvantaged castes and indigenous communities are being coerced into giving up their traditional foods.

None of these concerns seem to have been appreciated by the EAT-Lancet Commissions representative, Brent Loken, who during the launchevent in New Delhi said India has got such a great example in sourcing protein from plants.

But how much of a model for the world is Indias vegetarianism? In theGlobal Hunger Index2019, the country ranks102ndout of117. Datafrom the National Family Health Survey indicate that only 10 percent of infants between 6 to 23 months are adequately fed.

As a result, 38 percent of children under the age of 5 are stunted. About 1 in 5 women and men are underweight, with a similar proportion being either overweight or obese, especially in urban settings.

Anemia affects almost 60 percent of children ages 6 to 59 months, more than half of women between 15 to 49 years old, and almost 1 in 4 men in that same age group. Subclinical vitamin A deficiency in preschool children is 62 percent and is closely associated with malnutrition and poor protein consumption. Hardly a model to be followed.

Which is why calls for a plant-based diet modeled on India risk offering another whip with which to beat already vulnerable communities in developing countries.

A diet directed at the affluent West fails to recognize that in low-income countries undernourished children are known tobenefit from the consumption of milk and other animal source foods, improving anthropometric indexes and cognitive functions, while reducing the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies as well as morbidity and mortality.

Or that, in India, bone fracture and shorter heights have beenassociated with lower milk consumption. Importantly, traditionallivestock gets people through difficult seasons, prevents malnutrition in impoverished communities and provides economic security.

EAT-Lancet claimed its intention was to spark conversationsamong all Indian stakeholders. The stakeholders, however, were carefully narrowed down to yea-sayers.

Vocal critics of the food processing industry and food fortification strategies, such as Indias Right to Food campaign, have been left out of the debate along with the National Institute of Nutrition, the 100-year-old government nutrition research body whose research points in favor of animal source foods. But the most blatant omission may as well be the fact that Indias farmers were conspicuously absent.

Yet the government seems to have given the report a thumbs-up. Rather than addressing chronic hunger and malnutrition through an improved access to wholesome and nutrient-dense foods, the government is opening the door for company-dependent solutions.

What is conveniently being ignored are the environmental and economic cost of shifting metric tons of micronutrients from Western countries on a permanent basis while at the same time destroying local food systems. Its a model fraught with danger for future generations.

By Sylvia Karpagam, Frdric Leroy and Martin Cohen

OZY partners with The Wire to bring you premium global features.

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India Shows Why the Global Shift to Plant-Based Diets Is Dangerous - OZY