Search Weight Loss Topics:


Page 11234


Mar 22

Intermittent fasting may raise risk of heart disease death, study shows – The Washington Post

Intermittent fasting when people only eat at certain times of day has exploded in popularity in recent years. But now a surprising new study suggests that there might be reason to be cautious: It found that some intermittent fasters were more likely to die of heart disease.

The findings were presented Monday at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago and focused on a popular version of intermittent fasting that involves eating all your meals in just eight hours or less resulting in at least a 16-hour daily fast, commonly known as time-restricted eating.

The study analyzed data on the dietary habits of 20,000 adults across the United States who were followed from 2003 to 2018. They found that people who adhered to the eight-hour eating plan had a 91 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to people who followed a more traditional dietary pattern of eating their food across 12 to 16 hours each day.

The scientists found that this increased risk also applied to people who were already living with a chronic disease or cancer. People with existing cardiovascular disease who followed a time-restricted eating pattern had a 66 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease or a stroke. Those who had cancer meanwhile were more likely to die of the disease if they followed a time-restricted diet compared to people with cancer who followed an eating duration of at least 16 hours a day.

The study results suggest that people who practice intermittent fasting for long periods of time, particularly those with existing heart conditions or cancer, should be extremely cautious, said Victor Wenze Zhong, the lead author and the chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.

Based on the evidence as of now, focusing on what people eat appears to be more important than focusing on the time when they eat, he added.

Zhong said that he and his colleagues conducted the new study because they wanted to see how eating in a narrow window each day would impact hard endpoints such as heart disease and mortality. He said that they were surprised by their findings.

We had expected that long-term adoption of eight-hour time restricted eating would be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death and even all-cause death, he said.

The data didnt explain why time-restricted eating increased a persons health risks. But the researchers did find that people who followed a 16:8 time-restricted eating pattern, where they eat during an eight-hour window and fast for 16, had less lean muscle mass compared to people who ate throughout longer periods of the day. That lines up with a previous clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which found that people assigned to follow a time-restricted diet for three months lost more muscle than a control group that was not assigned to do intermittent fasting.

Holding onto muscle as you age is important. It protects you against falls and disability and can boost your metabolic health. Studies have found that having low muscle mass is linked to higher mortality rates, including a higher risk of dying from heart disease, said Zhong.

He stressed that the findings were not definitive. The study uncovered a correlation between time-restricted eating and increased mortality, but it could not show cause and effect. Its possible for example that people who restricted their food intake to an eight-hour daily window had other habits or risk factors that might explain their increased likelihood of dying from heart disease. The scientists also noted that the study relied on self-reported dietary information. Its also possible that the participants did not always accurately report their eating durations.

Intermittent fasting has been widely touted by celebrities and health experts who say it produces weight loss and a variety of health benefits. Another form of intermittent fasting involves alternating fasting days with days of eating normally. Some people follow the 5:2 diet, in which they eat normally for five days a week and then fast for two days.

But time-restricted eating is generally considered the easiest form of intermittent fasting for people to follow because it doesnt require full-day fasts. It also typically doesnt involve excessive food restriction. Adherents often eat or drink whatever they want during the eight-hour eating period the only rule is that they dont eat at other times of day.

Some of the earliest studies on time-restricted eating found that it helped prevent mice from developing obesity and metabolic syndrome. These were followed by mostly small clinical trials in humans, some of which showed that time-restricted eating helped people lose weight and improve their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. These studies were largely short-term, typically lasting one to three months, and in some cases showed no benefit.

One of the most rigorous studies of time-restricted eating was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022. It found that people with obesity who were assigned to follow a low-calorie diet and instructed to eat only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily lost no more weight than people who ate the same number of calories throughout the day with no restrictions on when they could eat. The two diets had similar effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and other metabolic markers.

The findings suggest that any benefits of time-restricted eating likely result from eating fewer calories.

Christopher Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, said he encouraged people to approach the new study with healthy skepticism. He said that while the findings were interesting, he wants to see all the data, including potential demographic differences in the study subjects.

Did they all have the same level of disposable income and the same level of stress, he said. Or is it that the people who ate less than eight hours a day worked three jobs, had very high stress, and didnt have time to eat?

Gardner said that studying intermittent fasting can be challenging because there are so many variations of it, and determining its impact on longevity requires closely following people for long periods of time.

But he said that so far, the evidence supporting intermittent fasting for weight loss and other outcomes is mixed at best, with some studies showing short-term benefits and others showing no benefit at all. I dont think the data are very strong for intermittent fasting, he added. One of the challenges in nutrition is that just because something works really well for a few people doesnt mean its going to work for everyone.

He said that his biggest complaint with intermittent fasting is that it doesnt address diet quality. It doesnt say anything about choosing poorly when youre eating, he said. What if I have an eight-hour eating window but Im eating Pop Tarts and Cheetos and drinking Coke in that window? Im not a fan of that long term. I think thats potentially problematic.

Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email EatingLab@washpost.com and we may answer your question in a future column.

Read the original:
Intermittent fasting may raise risk of heart disease death, study shows - The Washington Post

Read More..

Mar 22

A controversial study says intermittent fasting may shorten your lifespan. It shows how little we really know about the … – Yahoo News UK

Timing your meals around the clock with intermittent fasting may not boost longevity, a controversial new study suggests.Sasithorn Phuapankasemsuk/Getty Images

A new study links intermittent fasting to a higher risk of early death instead of longevity.

Some experts are skeptical, citing major limitations with the study like other lifestyle variables.

It's too early to say if fasting has long-term risks, so focus on what you eat instead of when.

Intermittent fasting may not be the key to longevity after all and may even be linked to dying earlier, according to controversial new research.

Once one of the hottest topics in longevity research, limiting your eating to a specific window of time each day with intermittent fasting has been touted as a way to reduce your "biological age" and extend your life.

That's why the authors of a new, as-yet-unpublished study about intermittent fasting were surprised to find it was linked to a higher risk of dying of cardiovascular disease, the lead researcher told Business Insider.

While there's not yet enough evidence to say intermittent fasting is risky, the findings suggest we may have a lot more to learn about whether it's good for our health in the long run.

Fasting is popular among longevity enthusiasts who believe it can help you stave off age-related diseases, so you feel younger for longer. They are backed by studies that found fasting has health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, helping manage weight, balancing blood sugar, and more.

However, some rigorous studies on intermittent fasting have found mixed results: some suggest it's no better for you than other diets, and isn't worth the side effects like hunger.

The long-term effects of fasting hadn't been as well studied, said Victor Wenze Zhong, co-author of the most recent study and professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.

Zhong's team looked at data from more than 20,000 American adults, comparing their self-reported eating habits to their rates of illness and death over an average of eight years.

Story continues

The researchers expected to find that people who only ate within an eight-hour window i.e. people who follow the 16:8 diet would have a lower risk of dying during the study, and better heart health. That's what other studies had found, after all.

What they found was that people who self-reported fasting for 16 hours a day were 91% more likely to die of cardiovascular illness during the study than their peers who ate during a longer window of time or didn't fast.

It's too early to say if intermittent fasting causes a higher risk of cardiac death since the study is observational and so far only suggests a link

The findings are part of preliminary research that will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions this week in Chicago. The study has also been submitted to but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Judging by the summary alone, independent experts are skeptical.

For one thing, the study analyzed participants' diets based on just two days worth of surveys on their eating habits.

"Two days of diet record data are not at all reflective of an individual's regular eating pattern this is a major limitation to the study," Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago who has published extensive research on fasting, told Business Insider.

Varady also noted that the study didn't account for lifestyle factors like exercise, socioeconomic status, alcohol and tobacco use, and other variables that can make a major difference in heart disease risk.

Other researchers were more blunt in their assessment of the study.

"So much is unclear about this study.In particular, why were the particular two days chosen to measure times of eating?How do they know whether food was eaten outside the 8-hour window and just not entered in the questionnaire?" David Spiegelhalter, emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement. "This abstract should not have been graced with a press release."

Some experts believe this may be a thread worth pulling.

More specific data could help scientists understand how fasting may affect our health over time, according to Christopher D. Gardner, a Stanford professor, and chair of the writing committee for the American Heart Association's 2023 scientific statement, who was not involved in the study.

"Overall, this study suggests that time-restricted eating may have short-term benefits but long-term adverse effects," Gardner said in a press release.

For example, Zhong's team said people on fasting diets tended to have lower muscle mass than those who didn't fast. Maintaining lean muscle is a crucial factor in healthy aging, and eating too little, or fasting for too long, can make it harder to build or maintain muscle.

"Loss of lean body mass has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality," Zhong said. "This will be an exciting research question, but we really do not know much right now."

To follow up, Zhong wants to look at what people eat, not just when they eat, since the study results suggest people who fasted tended to have a lower diet quality than people who didn't fast.

For now, there's good evidence that focusing on eating the right things, like plenty of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, can be a major tool in living a long, healthy life as we wait for future fasting research to offer some clearer answers.

Getting enough of these nutrients could be key to mitigating potential side effects to make fasting safer.

As for proven methods to eat for a healthy heart, the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are evidence-based ways to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Read more:
A controversial study says intermittent fasting may shorten your lifespan. It shows how little we really know about the ... - Yahoo News UK

Read More..

Mar 22

Everything you need to know about the Military Diet plan – The Manual

Romina BM / Unsplash

When you hear of the Military Diet plan, you likely assume it is something that members of the armed services follow. However, the diet is actually not even associated with the military! It is a strict way of eating that has been popularized on social media.

The Military Diet is designed to be a quick fix for weight loss a way to lose a significant amount of weight rapidly. As such, there are real concerns about the safety and sustainability of the Military Diet.

Whether youve seen the viral posts on social media of people touting their weight loss success stories on the Military Diet or want to lose weight quickly (we caution you against that) and want to learn more about the Military Diet, keep reading for our guide to the Military Diet, including what the diet entails and whether the Military Diet is safe and effective.

The Military Diet is a fad diet that is purported to help you lose weight rapidly up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in one week and 30 pounds in one month by restricting calories and revving your metabolism. This diet is high in protein and low in calories, fat, and complex carbohydrates.

The metabolic boost is said to come from consuming certain combinations of foods prescribed on the meal plan. The Military Diet only consists of modifying what you eat and drink. It is a free program, and there are no supplements to take or specific products to buy.

The Military Diet is a version of a crash diet as well as a macro version of intermittent fasting. It involves following a calorie-restricted diet for three days, followed by four days of free eating. That said, the four days of free eating still have a set meal plan, but its less restrictive than the first three days.

Participants are encouraged to follow this weekly pattern for a full month (three days of restricted eating followed by four days off).

During the three-day restricted phases of the diet, your food intake is limited to three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) with no snacks between meals. The total daily calorie intake comes out to approximately 1,100-1,400 calories (1,400 calories on day one, 1,200 calories on day two, and 1,100 calories on day three), which classifies the Military Diet as a low-calorie diet. Note that any dietary pattern that limits daily caloric intake to 800-1,200 calories is classified as a low-calorie diet.

Moreover, theres a recommended meal plan for the off days, but those plans still only provide around 1,500 calories per day.

The Military Diet guide involves two phases: a three-day restricted eating meal plan and a four-day less restrictive eating plan. During the restricted phase, you can only eat 16 foods. In other words, your three meals are confined to the same choices of 16 potential foods, and you can select what you want to eat from these foods.

The foods permitted on the Military Diet include the following:

The Military Diet encourages you to drink water or herbal tea. You are also permitted to drink caffeinated tea or coffee up to twice per day, but you cannot add creamers, sugars, or other sweeteners.

There is some flexibility in what you eat, but if you follow the recommendations, this is what the meal plan looks like on the Military Diet.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

For those following a plant-based diet (vegans and vegetarians, for example), the three-day meal plan for the Military Diet consists of the following:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

After the three-day restricted phase on either the omnivorous or plant-based version Military Diet, you can theoretically eat whatever you want as long as you follow a healthy eating plan. That said, there is a suggested 1,500-calorie diet to follow.

There are no research studies demonstrating the efficacy of the Military Diet. However, a calorie deficit is required for weight loss, so theoretically, its possible to lose weight on the Military Diet, provided your metabolic needs exceed the number of calories youre consuming (1,100-1,400 per day).

However, the Military Diet purports that participants can lose up to 10 pounds in a week. Its important to note that this is neither healthy nor true fat loss. A healthier and more reasonable goal is to lose one to two pounds per week.

While some people could lose 10 pounds according to the scale, much of this is just water weight rather than fat loss. To lose one pound of body fat, you have to create a deficit of 3500 calories, which essentially means you have to eat 3,500 calories less than you burn. Therefore, to lose 10 pounds of fat, you have to create a 35,000-calorie deficit per week. This equates to 5,000 calories per day, which is frankly nearly impossible.

You would have to be exercising intensely for the majority of the day and consuming next to nothing, which would not be sustainable, advisable, or healthy. So, although you can lose weight and lose some fat on the Military Diet, much of the downward movement you see on the scale is a loss of water from consuming less salt, sugar, alcohol, processed food, and overall food mass.

As mentioned, the Military Diet is a low-calorie diet since it restricts the caloric intake to around 1,200 calories per day. This intake falls well below the recommended daily caloric intake for adults according to the 2020-2025 United States Dietary Guidelines. Under these recommendations, adult men should aim for a minimum of 2,200to 2,400 calories, while adult females should aim for 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day.

The Military Diet also includes highly processed foods like hot dogs, saltines, and vanilla ice cream with low nutritional value and it contains very little fiber.

If you choose to follow the Military Diet plan, be sure to keep a close watch on your overall health (its always a good idea to check in with your doctor before starting any new diet plan), as the restrictive nature of the Military Diet does carry some potential risks.

Because people adhering to the Military Diet can have some nutrient deficiencies, complications like weakness and fatigue can be common. Your mental state can also be impacted, leading to irritability, mood swings, and feeling stressed out. In some extreme cases, people who become overly obsessed with restricting their caloric intake can develop anxiety about their eating habits, which, in some extreme cases, can lead to eating disorders. Keep reading for a more sensible and sustainable approach to long-term weight loss.

A more sensible and sustainable approach to weight loss than the restrictive Military Diet is to follow a calorie-controlled diet with a moderate caloric deficit created through reducing calorie intake and an increase in exercise. For example, to lose one pound of fat per week, you need to create a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories, which can be accomplished by increasing your physical activity to expend an additional 250 calories and reducing your current caloric intake by 250 calories. In terms of your diet, focus on nutritious, whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, eggs, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.

Read more from the original source:
Everything you need to know about the Military Diet plan - The Manual

Read More..

Mar 13

Wegovy Approved By FDA to Reduce Heart Attack Risk – The New York Times

Wegovy, the blockbuster weight loss drug, is now approved for a new use: reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or have obesity.

The new indication, which the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday, will pave the way for even more patients to use the sought-after medication and could potentially broaden insurance coverage. The drugs maker, Novo Nordisk, said it had also filed for an expanded label in the European Union.

The F.D.A. approval was based on the results of a large study of over 17,000 adults ages 45 and older. Researchers either gave participants shots of Wegovy or a placebo and followed them for several years. Among those who received placebo shots, 8 percent had a heart attack, stroke or died from a cardiovascular event, compared with 6.5 percent of participants who took Wegovy.

While its not clear whether the effect of the drug is purely from weight loss, or whether the drug has other heart benefits, the data shows that when you treat obesity seriously in people who have a high burden of disease, you can get really good outcomes, said Dr. Melanie Jay, director of the N.Y.U. Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity.

The new indication comes at a challenging moment for the relatively new class of drugs that includes Wegovy and Ozempic. The medications are highly effective, but costly: Wegovy has a list price of over $1,300 for about a months supply. And doctors typically say patients may need to take these drugs for the rest of their lives. Those cost considerations have led some employers and health plans to stop covering the medications, or to limit access or cap spending amid soaring demand.

The updated label will likely deepen the pressure on payers and employers to cover the drugs. Many of the patients who could qualify for Wegovy under the new indication may be on Medicare, said Dr. Andrew Kraftson, clinical associate professor in the division of metabolism, endocrinology and diabetes at Michigan Medicine.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Continue reading here:
Wegovy Approved By FDA to Reduce Heart Attack Risk - The New York Times

Read More..

Mar 13

What Happened To Krystal S. After My 600-Lb Life Season 12? – Screen Rant

Summary

My 600-lb Life alum, Krystal Stoor, didnt have an easy weight-loss journey while filming season 12. The reality show recently returned to TV and premiered with Krystal's story, a 36-year-old Idaho resident who struggled with obesity. The first episode of My 600-lb Life season 12 started with Krystal waking up and talking about her current situation. She revealed she lived with her parents but hated that they had to care for her like a child. Krystal also discussed being in constant pain, even allowing the film crew to film her in the shower.

Krystals family talked about how she had always struggled with weight, being nearly 105 pounds in kindergarten. They were worried about her health but couldnt do anything about her food addiction. Krystal talked about how she got run over by an SUV in childhood, and it became a pivotal point, resulting in her weight gain. She also got pregnant at a young age and went through multiple breakups, which pushed her toward obesity. Krystal revealed she was finally happy with her latest boyfriend, Damian; however, she wanted to lose weight before getting married, so she should have a fresh start.

Krystals weight-loss journey began when she decided to consult Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. While she was worried about the 25-hour trip, it didnt stop her from taking the first step toward a healthier life. When Krystal did her first weigh-in, she discovered she weighed 690 pounds; however, Krystal was happy she wasnt over 700 pounds, but Dr. Now quickly humbled her. The surgeon gave her some exercise options and lifestyle changes to allow her to drop enough weight so she's cleared for bariatric surgery.

Krystal began working on herself in the coming months, exercising twice a day and making rapid progress. She began planning her wedding with Damian and getting ready to become his wife. Halfway through her episode, Krystal finally took the big step and tied the knot with her boyfriend. She couldnt wait to lose more weight and have her first dance with him. Dr. Now kept encouraging Krystal to stay active, and she continued to make him proud by sticking to her routine. Ultimately, the My 600-lb Life star lost 186 pounds, reaching 505 pounds, and received theweight-loss surgery.

Like most My 600-Lb Life cast members, Krystal was excited about her new life after bariatric surgery. She felt free as she was able to be more active and social after years of being trapped. According to Distractify, Krystal returned to Idaho and began living in Idaho Falls as a stay-at-home mom. She also broke up with Damian, which was unfortunate, because she saw a future with him. In mid-2023, the My 600-lb Life star hinted more at a new relationship. Unfortunately, she didnt say much about her weight loss or ongoing lifestyle.

Krystal reached 505 pounds in 12 months. She dropped a lot of weight ahead of her weight-loss journey but has since not shared about her ongoing wellness journey. Krystal may return to My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now sometime in 2024 to share real-time updates on her life. Since Krystal is part of the latest season, it wouldnt be beneficial for her to share her updates. Shell likely share more about her life if she returns to the spin-off.

Many My 600-lb Life cast members face mistreatment outside the show. The preview clip of episode 1 showed Krystal at a grocery store with her family and noticed people making fun of her body. Luckily, Krystal had her family by her side and defended her by calling these people out for laughing and taking pictures of Krystal. The preview clip also showed Krystals daughter supporting her.

Things must have improved for Krystal over the last two years. At the end of her episode, she weighed 505 pounds, and Dr. Now even said Krystal should lose more weight post-surgery. The grocery incident occurred when Krystal was at her lowest point, weighing 690 pounds. However, Krystal has made efforts to improve herself since, and hopefully, she wont get the same reaction from people anymore.

Krystal is on social media but doesnt post much. She goes by Krystal Anglesey on Facebook, a newer account. According to her bio, she lost access to her other account and had to make a new one. Krystal has shared a few updates since the conclusion of her reality TV journey. She has seemingly moved to Idaho Falls, which she labels as her current city. She also started a relationship with Joey Ormsbee, which she discussed in November 2023.

Krystal hasnt posted many new photos since her weight-loss surgery and doesnt seem to have an Instagram. However, her new boyfriend is active on social media and has shared some recent pictures of Krystal. In January 2024, Joey posted a close-up selfie of Krystal, where she looked better than ever. Joey titled the post, isnt she beautiful yall, and got an immediate thank you from Krystal. The My 600-lb Life star looked much healthier and happier, suggesting shes likely to stick to her weight-loss regime and diet after the show.

My 600-lb Life airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.

Sources: Distractify, Krystal Anglesey/Facebook, Joey Ormsbee/Facebook

My 600-lb Life is a reality television series that airs on TLC. Since 2012, each episode follows a year in the life of a morbidly obese person. These individuals seek help from renowned bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, AKA Dr. Now. He performs weight loss and skin removal surgeries on the patients. My 600-lb Life is an inspiring series that documents the patients' setbacks and successes.

See the article here:
What Happened To Krystal S. After My 600-Lb Life Season 12? - Screen Rant

Read More..

Mar 13

Arctic survival: Can shorebirds adjust to changes in their diet? – Earth.com

In the quiet, frost-kissed mornings of the Arctic tundra, a delicate dance of survival unfolds, one that has persisted through the ages, yet now teeters on the brink of disruption. As the planet warms, the icy grip of winter loosens earlier, beckoning a flurry of insect life to emerge from its slumber.

This should be a feast for the migrating shorebirds arriving from southern climes, yet an ecological quandary looms: are these avian travelers arriving too late to partake in this insect banquet, potentially jeopardizing their breeding success?

Misha Zhemchuzhnikov, an ecologist at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), stands at the forefront of unraveling this complex tapestry. His research, set against the stark beauty of northern Russia and Greenland, delves deep into the intricate relationships between shorebirds and their arthropod prey.

As Zhemchuzhnikov prepares to defend his PhD thesis at Groningen University, he offers a cautionary tale against hasty conclusions regarding natures mismatches.

Shorebirds, those intrepid wanderers of the tundra, exhibit a remarkable adaptability in their dietary habits. Zhemchuzhnikovs research reveals a nuanced picture of their feeding strategies.

While these birds can indeed dine on a wide array of insects, they show a marked preference for crane flies, a choice that becomes apparent through the meticulous analysis of DNA in their droppings. This preference underscores the importance of examining specific insect populations rather than relying on general biomass measurements, which can misrepresent the true availability of key prey items.

Looking at just general insect numbers or just biomass may also provide a deceiving picture, said Zhemchuzhnikov. Based on the long-term monitoring near the research station of Zackenberg, we know that numbers and biomass are not always in sync. This may result in different conclusions about the trophic mismatches.

Zhemchuzhnikov advocates for a rigorous, data-driven approach to understanding these ecological dynamics. He proposes the use of standard field trials with brightly colored pitfalls to capture, count, and weigh the insects that populate the tundra.

This method, while demanding in terms of scientific endurance, promises to shed light on the true nature of trophic relationships in this changing landscape.

With the bright colors of these pitfalls, one can also catch flying insects the pollinators of the Arctic flowers, said Zhemchuzhnikov. But it takes a lot of scientific stamina to be able to draw sound conclusions in the long run.

However, there is an alternative way for going back in time and getting an idea about diet composition. We know that the chemical fingerprint that specific species of insects leave behind in birds can be found in feathers as well. And luckily, we have a huge sample of these feathers from the juvenile birds, collected for several decades in their wintering sites.

Therefore, we are working on a method where we can track back the diet of the birds, analyzing the feathers that were formed during their growth in the breeding grounds.

By analyzing the chemical signatures left by specific insect species in the feathers of juvenile birds, scientists can reconstruct historical diets, offering insights into how these birds have adapted (or not) to shifts in their food supply over time.

The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research serves as a vital hub for marine and coastal research, playing a pivotal role in our understanding of how climate change impacts ecological systems.

Zhemchuzhnikovs work is just one example of the institutes commitment to advancing our knowledge of the natural world, with implications that stretch far beyond the Arctic tundra.

Zhemchuzhnikovs journey into the heart of ecological dynamics is a testament to the resilience and complexity of nature. It serves as a reminder that in the face of rapid environmental change, our assumptions must be continually challenged and refined. This story is not just about shorebirds and insects; its about the interconnectedness of all life and the delicate balances that sustain it.

As we ponder the future of these Arctic landscapes, let us approach with curiosity, armed with the knowledge that every creature, no matter how small, plays a role in the tapestry of life. The work of scientists like Zhemchuzhnikov illuminates the path forward, guiding us toward a deeper understanding of our planet and our place within it.

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Here is the original post:
Arctic survival: Can shorebirds adjust to changes in their diet? - Earth.com

Read More..

Feb 29

To reconnect with food, I’m unplugging my diet – Salon

When I first moved back to Chicago after over a decade away, I embraced the city by frequently practicing what English writer Virginia Woolf affectionately termed street haunting in a 1927 essay of the same name. Where she turned an errand to buy a new pencil halfway across London into an opportunity for flneuserie pausing to note that when passing, glimpsing, everything seems accidentally but miraculously sprinkled with beauty Id set out purposely hungry, ravenous for both food and some of the human connection stifled by pandemic lockdown.

As such, many of the restaurants that remain my favorites are the ones I discovered seemingly by happenstance: the empanada stand I found while biking in the shadow of Wrigley Field on game day, its electric blue and hot pink walls lined with glass bottles of Topo Chico and Mexican Coke; the Jewish deli with a ridiculously overloaded pastrami on rye, located just a few blocks north of the commercial stretch where I run weekly errands; the fern-lined neighborhood coffee shop which has transformed one of their two bathrooms into a propagation station for houseplants.

Of course, though, life sometimes gets in the way of wandering, especially once the gentle luster of getting reacquainted with ones home begins to fade. Instead of being avenues of wonder, streets slowly become just streets, the thoroughfares we tread to get to grocery stores and dentist offices and train stations, where we can then be shuttled at a faster clip to yet other streets. And so it goes until you see a little detail out in the wild that truly surprises you (like an unexpected flock of clucking urban chickens, or back-alley graffiti written in a loopy, distinctly feminine font, warning, I was here. I am here. I will hurt you).

Or until a college student you know asks: How did you all find new restaurants before the internet?

Thats a good question.

While Id like to say that I exclusively consult the food section of my local print publications for recommendations for where to eat that weekend, or that Im more tied into the age-old tradition of solid word of mouth than I actually am, thats just not the case anymore. Its maybe a little embarrassing to admit, but outside of searching for places to eat and food trends for work, my relationship to food in my downtime has become increasingly passive and increasingly digital. Instead of heading out my front door hungry for novelty, I come across a beautifully flaky croissant while doomscrolling Instagram and check to see if its local, or a random article pops up in my news feed, or I catch a sponsored restaurant ad on Facebook.

This isnt just about how organically I find restaurants or the way in which I discovered that espresso martinis are back (through so, so many tweets); as a child of the early '90s, I often feel a bit like I was born on a cusp between the analogue and digital realms, but have become increasingly tethered to the World Wide Web since my middle school dial-up days.

Im not alone. When the Pew Research Center began tracking Americans internet usage in early 2000, only about half of all adults were online, compared to the 95% who use the internet today. That said, those numbers dont necessarily curb some broader concerns I have about how being plugged in for so long has impacted my ability to find, think about and create things I really care about, a rapidly growing apprehension that the students question had unintentionally pricked.

Since then, Ive spent a fair amount of time considering what unplugging my diet would actually look like and how that would tie to the ways I buy my groceries, how I satisfy my cravings and how I enjoy my community. I think the first step is simply walking out the door, hungry and without a destination.

Read more

about this topic

See the article here:
To reconnect with food, I'm unplugging my diet - Salon

Read More..

Feb 21

A plant-based diet and its relationship with oxidative biomarkers in footballers – News-Medical.Net

In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers investigated the association between plant-based diets and oxidative biomarkers by calculating the plant-based diet index score and determining the levels of urinary biomarkers for oxidative stress in professional footballers.

The accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the body leads to the damage of protein, lipids, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is known as oxidative stress. The concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and F2alpha-isoprostane (F2a-IP) in urine have often been used as markers of oxidative stress. Diets that are largely plant-based have been thought to reduce oxidative stress and protect against reactive oxygen species.

Plant-based diets are also becoming increasingly popular, especially among athletes who have high energy and endurance requirements. These diets are categorized based on the proportion of plant to animal-based components in the diet. They range from completely plant-based, such as vegan diets, to semi-vegetarian diets that include some animal-based components.

Given that football is a sport that consists of activities such as intense bursts of running, jumps, and sprints that require high energy levels, adherence to nutritional diets is vital to the performance of footballers. They provide an ideal group to investigate how plant-based diets are associated with oxidative stress.

In the present study, the researchers compared the levels of urinary biomarkers F2a-IP and 8-OHdG and the plant-based diet index scores between professional male footballers and matched non-athlete controls to examine whether plant-based diets were associated with decreased oxidative stress.

Footballers who had at least two years of professional experience and had strict training schedules were included in the study if their metabolic equivalent of the task was greater than 3000 minutes per week. They were also required to be non-smokers and not consume alcohol or take any antioxidant supplements. Healthy males with matched ages and body mass index (BMI) measures who had a metabolic equivalent of task between 600 and 3000 minutes per week were included as controls.

Interviews were conducted to determine the medical history, food intake data, physical activity levels, and general information on nutrition from all the participants. Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight were measured to calculate the BMI, and urine samples were obtained to measure the oxidative stress biomarker levels. A questionnaire was also used to determine physical activity levels.

A semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was used to determine the food intake of all the participants over the previous year, including the consumption of specific items being determined in terms of grams per day. The plant-based diet index score was calculated using this information, and the results were used to classify the diets into three major groups healthy plant foods, less healthy plant foods, and animal foods.

The healthy plant foods diets consisted of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, coffee, tea, and vegetable oils, while the less healthy plant food diets consisted more of refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts. The diets that were predominantly animal food-based consisted mainly of meat, eggs, seafood, fish, dairy, and animal fat.

The results showed that the plant-based diet index score of the footballers was significantly higher than that of the matched non-athlete controls, but the healthy and unhealthy plant-based diet index scores that were separately calculated based on the diet groups were not significantly different for the footballers and non-athletes.

Furthermore, plant-based diets were found to be linked to lower levels of the oxidative stress biomarker F2a-IP in the urine samples of all participants, indicating improved antioxidant status due to plant-based diets. Compared to non-athletes, footballers were also found to be more adherent to plant-based diets, as hypothesized by the researchers.

Footballers were found to consume more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts than non-athletes, while the consumption of total and animal fats was lower among footballers than non-athletes.

The researchers also discussed the potential role of antioxidants and polyphenols present in plant-based diets in lowering oxidative stress. They also discussed findings from other studies that found inverse associations between F2a-IP concentrations and vegetable components such as lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein, suggesting that diets rich in vegetables lower oxidative stress.

Furthermore, dietary fats are known to increase the production of F2a-IP and influence the concentrations of F2a-IP transporters in plasma, which could potentially explain why diets low in dietary fats were associated with lower F2a-IP levels in the urine.

Overall, the results suggested that adherence to plant-based diets among footballers was linked to lower levels of the oxidative stress biomarker F2a-IP in urine. Additionally, the plant-based diet scores also showed that footballers were more likely to adhere to nutritional plant-based diets than non-athletes.

See the article here:
A plant-based diet and its relationship with oxidative biomarkers in footballers - News-Medical.Net

Read More..

Feb 21

Wolves in Washington State: Where They Live, Risk to Humans, and Diet – AZ Animals

Wolves are powerful apex predators that live in packs with a fascinating social hierarchy. Despite being widespread in the past, wolves were extirpated from many areas. They now inhabit thirteen states within the United States, although the majority of the countrys wolves inhabit Alaska. However, populations are gradually recovering in many areas, including Washington. So, keep reading to learn about wolves in Washington State, including where they live and what they eat.

Washingtons wolf population is steadily increasing.

Armelle LL/Shutterstock.com

There are currently 216 wolves in Washington State, based on the figures from the latest official wolf count in 2022. These are comprised of 37 different packs, of which 26 feature successful breeding pairs. The figures were released in April 2023, and as of yet, there are no records available from the 2023 survey.

Washingtons wolf population has been increasing for the last fourteen years. The figures from this wolf count are an increase on the previous years, which found a population of 206 wolves that were located within 33 packs and included 19 pairs of breeding animals.

Wolves remain a federally endangered species in the western two-thirds of the state but are no longer federally protected in the remaining area. However, they are still considered to be a state-endangered species across the entire area, making it illegal to kill or harass them.

Wolves are highly adaptable animals and are capable of living in a variety of habitats, although they do tend to prefer to live in forests and mountainous regions. Most of Washingtons wolves live in the north and northeastern regions of the state, although there are a small number of packs in the southern half.

Wolves were once much more widespread across the state but were extirpated from the state by the 1930s. This was largely due to human-wolf conflict and the hunting of wolves over a long period of time. However, after being absent from the state for more than 50 years, wolves returned to the state.

Wolves were never officially reintroduced to Washington but have gradually recolonized in the state, having travelled across the border from neighbouring states. By 2008, it was confirmed that there was a pack in Okanogan County and that they had successfully given birth to cubs. The number of packs and wolves has continued to grow steadily in the state since then, and their range has gradually expanded. In particular, packs have recently recolonized in the South Cascades in the winter of 2022-2023.

Wolves are powerful predators they typically prey on large mammals.

AB Photography/ via Getty Images

Wolves are apex predators, which means that they are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. Their diet typically consists of large ungulates, such as moose, deer, and elk. However, if food is scarce then they will turn to smaller animals, such as rabbits, hares, and beavers.

Wolves are pack animals, and the structure of the pack is vitally important when hunting for food. By working together in a pack, wolves are much more likely to have a successful hunt than if they were working alone, particularly when they are hunting a larger animal. When it comes to hunting larger animals, the wolf pack will typically pursue the prey and then spread out to surround it before moving in for the kill.

Although wolves can be considered as having a somewhat opportunistic nature when it comes to their diet, they are actually incredibly important to the ecosystem. This is because they can keep the populations of prey animals in check. This not only helps to maintain an appropriate predator-prey balance, but it can also stop animals such as deer from over-browsing their habitat. This then allows the vegetation to recover and can prevent animals from starving. Additionally, wolves will often prey on sick and injured animals the weakest in the herd which keeps populations healthy and strong.

Wolves are not usually dangerous to humans unless they are threatened in some way.

Holly Kuchera/iStock via Getty Images

Although wolves are powerful predators, they are not typically dangerous to humans. Wolves are very shy and secretive animals and are scared of humans, much preferring to stay out of our way. There are no documented records of any wolf attacking a human in Washington State, and the risk of being attacked by one is very low. However, there are occasions when theres a greater risk of an attack if a wolf is threatened or provoked. Therefore, if you do encounter a wolf, its important to remember to remain calm. Never attempt to run away as the wolf will be more likely to give chase. Instead, you should stand tall but back away slowly.

Although the risk to humans is low, wolves do sometimes prey on livestock. There are several reports of livestock predation in the state, with one ranch reporting approximately 40 animals killed by wolves in a short period of time.

Many farms already try to minimize the risk of a wolf attack by implementing measures to deter them. These include carrying out lambing and calving in barns, using lights or noise to scare away wolves, using livestock guardian animals (dogs, donkeys, alpacas), and not turning out very young calves into the pasture. However, Washington State has just recently approved a pilot scheme which allows the owner of the livestock to shoot the first wolf that returns to the site of a livestock predation without the need for a permit.

The photo featured at the top of this post is slowmotiongli/Shutterstock.com

Original post:
Wolves in Washington State: Where They Live, Risk to Humans, and Diet - AZ Animals

Read More..

Feb 13

Can kimchi really help you lose weight? Hold your pickle. The evidence isn’t looking great – The Conversation

Fermented foods have become popular in recent years, partly due to their perceived health benefits.

For instance, there is some evidence eating or drinking fermented foods can improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes. They can lower blood lipid (fats) levels and blood pressure in people with diabetes or obesity. Fermented foods can also improve diarrhoea symptoms.

But can they help you lose weight, as a recent study suggests? Lets look at the evidence.

Read more: What is kombucha and how do the health claims stack up?

Fermented foods are ones prepared when microbes (bacteria and/or yeast) ferment (or digest) food components to form new foods. Examples include yoghurt, cheese, kefir, kombucha, wine, beer, sauerkraut and kimchi.

As a result of fermentation, the food becomes acidic, extending its shelf life (food-spoilage microbes are less likely to grow under these conditions). This makes fermentation one of the earliest forms of food processing.

Fermentation also leads to new nutrients being made. Beneficial microbes (probiotics) digest nutrients and components in the food to produce new bioactive components (postbiotics). These postbiotics are thought to contribute to the health benefits of the fermented foods, alongside the health benefits of the bacteria themselves.

Read more: Space travel taxes astronauts' brains. But microbes on the menu could help in unexpected ways

A study published last week has provided some preliminary evidence eating kimchi the popular Korean fermented food is associated with a lower risk of obesity in some instances. But there were mixed results.

The South Korean study involved 115,726 men and women aged 40-69 who reported how much kimchi theyd eaten over the previous year. The study was funded by the World Institute of Kimchi, which specialises in researching the countrys national dish.

Eating one to three servings of any type of kimchi a day was associated with a lower risk of obesity in men.

Men who ate more than three serves a day of cabbage kimchi (baechu) were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity (excess fat deposits around their middle). And women who ate two to three serves a day of baechu were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity.

Eating more radish kimchi (kkakdugi) was associated with less abdominal obesity in both men and women.

However, people who ate five or more serves of any type of kimchi weighed more, had a larger waist sizes and were more likely to be obese.

The study had limitations. The authors acknowledged the questionnaire they used may make it difficult to say exactly how much kimchi people actually ate.

The study also relied on people to report past eating habits. This may make it hard for them to accurately recall what they ate.

This study design can also only tell us if something is linked (kimchi and obesity), not if one thing causes another (if kimchi causes weight loss). So it is important to look at experimental studies where researchers make changes to peoples diets then look at the results.

Read more: Is apple cider vinegar really a wonder food?

There have been several experimental studies looking at how much weight people lose after eating various types of fermented foods. Other studies looked at markers or measures of appetite, but not weight loss.

One study showed the stomach of men who drank 1.4 litres of fermented milk during a meal took longer to empty (compared to those who drank the same quantity of whole milk). This is related to feeling fuller for longer, potentially having less appetite for more food.

Another study showed drinking 200 millilitres of kefir (a small glass) reduced participants appetite after the meal, but only when the meal contained quickly-digested foods likely to make blood glucose levels rise rapidly. This study did not measure changes in weight.

Another study looked at Indonesian young women with obesity. Eating tempeh (a fermented soybean product) led to changes in an appetite hormone. But this did not impact their appetite or whether they felt full. Weight was not measured in this study.

A study in South Korea asked people to eat about 70g a day of chungkookjang (fermented soybean). There were improvements in some measures of obesity, including percentage body fat, lean body mass, waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference in women. However there were no changes in weight for men or women.

A systematic review of all studies that looked at the impact of fermented foods on satiety (feeling full) showed no effect.

Read more: How much weight do you actually need to lose? It might be a lot less than you think

The evidence so far is very weak to support or recommend fermented foods for weight loss. These experimental studies have been short in length, and many did not report weight changes.

To date, most of the studies have used different fermented foods, so it is difficult to generalise across them all.

Nevertheless, fermented foods are still useful as part of a healthy, varied and balanced diet, particularly if you enjoy them. They are rich in healthy bacteria, and nutrients.

Read more: Im trying to lose weight and eat healthily. Why do I feel so hungry all the time? What can I do about it?

Some fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut, have added salt. The latest kimchi study said the average amount of kimchi South Koreans eat provides about 490mg of salt a day. For an Australian, this would represent about 50% of the suggested dietary target for optimal health.

Eating too much salt increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Read more: Remind me again, why is salt bad for you?

Read more from the original source:
Can kimchi really help you lose weight? Hold your pickle. The evidence isn't looking great - The Conversation

Read More..

Contact Us Today


    Your Full Name

    Your Email

    Your Phone Number

    Select your age (30+ only)

    Select Your US State

    Program Choice

    Confirm over 30 years old

    Yes

    Confirm that you resident in USA

    Yes

    This is a Serious Inquiry

    Yes

    Message:


    Page 11234

    matomo tracker