In advanced economies, households generally cook less than half of their meals leading to an increased concern among nutrition policy makers that fewer meals are being cooked at home.

Reasons for this are varied and include lack of skills and confidence, little access to basic food commodities, cooking facilities and the availability of commercial alternatives. The food security of some vulnerable groups, like the aged, can be compromised as a result, although programs like Meals-on-Wheels can alleviate the risk.

In the study a team of Taiwanese and Australian researchers looked at the cooking practices of a group of free-living elderly Taiwanese people aged 65 and over.

The researchers found that nearly half (43 per cent) of the study population never cooked; 17 per cent cooked 1-2 times a week; 9 per cent cooked 3-5 times a week and 31 per cent cooked up to 5 times a week.

During the 10 year study, 695 of the participants died and an analysis of the cooking habits of the studies participants, revealed that those who cooked more were more likely to still be alive (only 59 per cent of the frequent cooks died). The possibility of other factors, besides cooking, was also extensively investigated, but the aforementioned link still remained.

Those found to be cooking the most (and living the longest) were unmarried women who lived and ate alone, had not been highly educated, were non-drinkers and non-smokers, got around by public transport, walking and cycling, and shopped more than once a week. Along with cooking more frequently, these women also reported enjoying a better, more nutritious diet than others in the study, with diets high in fibre, vitamin C and low in cholesterol.

Women who cooked for a spouse or other family members also lived longer. Men were more likely never to cook or to cook infrequently. They were also more likely to die at a younger age.

This gender difference may have something to do with men’s inability to cook to a similar health advantage as women with regard to food choice aptitude or extent of cooking skill. In a forthcoming accompanying Editorial (Erlich, Wahlqvist and Yngve, Public Health Nutrition 2012 ) the authors note, “One reason why women may benefit most from cooking later in life is that they are cooking for someone else, as they have probably always done: that is, they are cooking with greater purpose than simply preparing meals for themselves”.

Cooking has achieved prominence in the media but has been subject to little scientific enquiry. As the study’s lead author, Prof Mark Wahlqvist, who works in international health and nutrition, observed, “it has become clear that cooking is a healthy behaviour. It deserves a place in life-long education, public health policy, urban planning and household economics. The pathways to health that food provides are not limited to its nutrients or components, but extend to each step in the food chain, from its production, to purchase, preparation and eating, especially with others”. PhysOrg

Experts found that weight management was not only safe but could also reduce complications for pregnant women and be advantageous to the baby.

The risk of pre-eclampsia – which causes high blood pressure – diabetes and premature birth can all be reduced if the mother-to-be sticks to a healthy, calorie-controlled diet, the British Medical Journal study found.

In contrast, excessive weight gain during pregnancy was linked to a number of serious health problems.

In the UK, more than half of women of reproductive age are said to be overweight or obese, and across Europe and the US up to 40 per cent of women gain more than the recommended weight in pregnancy.

But the team of researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, who carried out the study found weight management interventions in pregnancy were effective in reducing weight gain in the mother.

Dietary intervention resulted in the largest average reduction in weight gain (almost 4kg) compared with 0.7kg for exercise and 1kg for a combination of the two.

Diet also offered the most benefit in preventing pregnancy complications, the study found.

Researchers concluded: “Dietary intervention is effective, safe and potentially cost effective and dominates physical activity-based intervention.” But experts at St Thomas’ Hospital in London suggested there was not yet sufficient evidence to support any particular intervention.

Lucilla Poston, director of the maternal and fetal research unit, and Lucy Chappell, clinical senior lecturer in maternal and fetal medicine, said it would be “premature” for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to reassess its guidelines, which do not advise regular weighing of pregnant women.

The researchers analysed the results of 44 randomised controlled trials involving more than 7,000 women. Irish Times

“When looking at changes in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake did not really matter, but the type of fat did,” study researcher Dr. Olivia Okereke, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a statement.

Bad fats include saturated fats, or those fats found mostly in animal products, and trans fats, which are unsaturated (good) fats that have been partially saturated with hydrogen to extend their shelf life. Trans fats can elevate the unhealthy type of cholesterol (called LDL cholesterol), research has shown. And doctors are pretty much in agreement that eating foods loaded with saturated fats, such as butter, red meat and pork, can cause heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The new research finds, in particular, saturated fat is associated with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time. They also found that a “good” fat — mono-unsaturated fat — was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory.

“Our findings have significant public health implications,” Okereke said. “Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory.”

Okereke and colleagues analyzed data from a subset of 6,000 women, all over the age of 65, from the Women’s Health Study. The women participated in three cognitive-function tests, which were spaced out every two years for an average testing span of four years. These women filled out very detailed food-frequency surveys prior to the cognitive testing.

Compared with those women who ate the lowest amounts of saturated fats, women in the highest saturated-fat category showed worse overall cognition and memory over the four years of testing. Women who ate the most mono-unsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time. Trans fats weren’t associated with changes in cognition over time, the researchers reported.

These findings could lead to strategies to stave off and prevent cognitive decline in older people. Even subtle declines in cognitive functioning can lead to higher risk of developing more serious problems, like dementia and Alzheimer disease. The Himalayan

In a study published in The Lancet, investigators said they found no evidence to back the belief that higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol routinely reduce the risk of a heart attack.

High concentrations of HDL are one of the big markers for blood tests.

They are monitored as much as low levels of “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) as a yardstick of dangerously clogged arteries.

The paper used a method called mendelian randomisation to compare heart-attack risk among people who inherited known genetic variants that gave them higher HDL levels.

According to conventional wisdom, these individuals would have a lower risk of a coronary.

But the study, which looked at nearly 12,500 people with a history of a heart attack and over 41,000 otherwise healthy counterparts, found this was not always the case.

The results are important because of the use of drugs, sometimes inflicting side effects, which are administered to boost HDL cholesterol levels.

“These results show that some ways of raising HDL cholesterol might not reduce risk of myocardial infarction [heart attack] in human beings,” said Sekar Kathiresan of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

“Therefore, if an intervention such as a drug raises HDL cholesterol, we cannot automatically assume that risk of myocardial infarction will be reduced.”

In contrast, the study said “bad” cholesterol remained an accurate marker of cardiac risk.

Separately, a study, also carried in Thursday’s Lancet, confirmed the benefits of LDL-lowering statins for protecting people with no previous history of cardiovascular disease. Khaleej Times

The brain freeze from that hot fudge sundae might last longer than you think.

A new UCLA study on rats is the first to show how a diet high in processed sugar slows the brain, hampering memory and learning.

“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” study author Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said. “Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information.”

Fortunately, the study also found that the omega-3 fatty acids in foods such as salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds can counteract the disruption, he said.

The UCLA team focused its study on high-fructose corn syrup — the inexpensive liquid six times sweeter than cane sugar that’s commonly added to soft drinks, condiments and a host of processed treats.

“We’re not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants,” Gomez-Pinilla said.

The researchers studied two groups of rats that each consumed a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids.

The animals were fed standard rat chow and trained on a maze twice daily for five days before starting the experimental diet.

After six weeks on the fructose fluid, the researchers tested the rats’ ability to recall the route and escape the maze.

The rats that received the omega-3 fatty acids navigated the maze much faster than their counterparts, the researchers said.

“The (omega-3 deprived) animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity,” Gomez-Pinilla said. “Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

HEALTHY SNACKS TIP

The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology published the study results in its May 15 edition.

“Our findings suggest that consuming (omega-3 fatty acids) regularly protects the brain against fructose’s harmful effects,” Gomez-Pinilla said. “It’s like saving money in the bank. You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases.” By Nancy Dillon, New York Daily News

This is a salad lover’s delight! Thinly cut strips of purple cabbage with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or Greek olive oil can create a fun, healthy dish. Purple cabbage is also pickled and added to stir-fries!

Health benefit: Cabbage is a great store of vitamin C and vitamin K. The rich deep colour of this vegetable is due to a high concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols (strong dietary antioxidants, possessing anti-inflammatory properties), making it have even more phytonutrients than a green cabbage. A few studies also show that anthocyanins may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is rich in anti-oxidants which makes skin supple and clear.

How to store: Keep the purple cabbage in a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Here is a quick fix recipe:

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Ingredients:

Purple cabbage, thinly sliced: About 8 cups

Butter: 2 tbsp

Sugar: 3 tbsp

Balsamic vinegar: 1/4 cup

Sultanas and pine nuts: A handful

Method:

Take a large saucepan and melt the butter in it. Now, add the cabbage and saute this for a few minutes. Sprinkle the sugar and add the vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat, season, add the sultanas and nuts. Serve. By Ismat Tahseen, The Times of India

Researchers have long linked consumption of tree nuts, despite their significant fat content, to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and even Parkinson’s disease. Now comes evidence that they also improve cognition in general and specific ways. Most have high concentrations of vitamin E, the B vitamins (including folate), antioxidants, minerals such as magnesium, as well as omega-3 fats, all of which support myriad functions of the nervous system.

Test best

Crack open some walnuts and improve your ability to think critically. Researchers find that eating a high concentration of walnuts (half a cup a day) boosts inferential verbal reasoning, especially the ability to distinguish true from false. An array of compounds in walnuts, including vitamin E, folate, melatonin and varied antioxidative polyphenols, protect the central nervous system and speed synaptic transmission. The significant supply of alpha-linolenic acid is essential for stability of neuronal membranes, through which all neuronal actions transpire.

Memory tracks

Although not strictly tree nuts — they are the seed of a fruit related to plums — almonds may help save your memory. Mice rendered temporarily amnesiac were more apt to remember their way around a maze 24 hours later if they first consumed an almond paste.

The evidence suggests that almonds slow the decline in cognitive abilities linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Investigators attribute the memory effects to the presence of the essential amino acid phenylalanine and L-carnitine, believed to boost neurotransmitters essential to memory.

Waist not

A hefty handful of Brazil nuts can spare the obese the vascular damage associated with adiposity. An excess of fat tissue stimulates low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can lead to cardiovascular disease.

With high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and bioactive substances that combat inflammation — selenium, phenolic compounds, folate and magnesium among them — Brazil nuts improved microcirculation, lowered cholesterol levels and normalized blood lipid profiles without causing weight gain in 17 obese female adolescents.

Almond joy

For the world’s 20 million diabetics, almonds may improve blood-sugar control while decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. In a randomized controlled study, a team of Chinese and American researchers found that four weeks of an almond- augmented diet improved blood lipid levels, abolished a postprandial rise in glucose levels and reduced body fat in 20 patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The magnesium, fiber, monounsaturated fat and polyphenols in the nuts all contribute to the improvements in glycemic control.

Extended action

Pecans may slow the rate of age-related motor degeneration. University of Massachusetts scientists fed two versions of a nut-rich diet to rats specifically bred to develop motor-neuron decline. All pecan-fed animals outperformed control animals on subsequent tests of activity, and those fed the highest percentage of nuts outran them all. The researchers believe the high concentration of antioxidant vitamin E shields neurons from degenerative conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease. By Julie Bodenmann, Buffalo News

The results of a two-year dietary study led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nystrom, professor of internal medicine at the Linkoping University, Sweden, show that this kind of diet could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids.

Diabetes millitus type-2 is a lifelong disease in which there are high-levels of blood sugar (glucose). Diabetes is caused by a problem in the way your body makes or uses insulin. Insulin is needed to move glucose into cells, where it is stored and later used for energy.

In type-2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. Consequently, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy. Increased fat also makes it harder for your body to use insulin the correct way.

The study is based on 61 patients who were randomised into two groups, where they followed either a low-carbohydrate (high fat) diet or a low-fat diet, the journal Diabetologia reports.

In both groups, the participants lost approximately four kg on an average. Besides, a clear improvement in the glycaemic (blood sugar) control was seen in the low-carbohydrate group after six months, according to a Linkoping statement.

Despite the increased fat intake with a larger portion of saturated fatty acids, the HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol content increased on the high-fat diet.

In the high-fat diet, 50 percent of the energy came from fat, 20 percent from carbohydrates, and 30 percent from protein. For the low-fat group, the distribution was 30 percent from fat, 55-60 percent from carbohydrates, and 10-15 percent from protein.

The participants were recruited from two primary health care centres and met for four group meetings during the first year of the study. All 61 participated in the study for the follow-up.

“In contrast to most other studies of this type, we lost no patients at all, which vouches for the good quality of our data,” Guldbrand says. Khaleej Times

Banana: This is one fruit that’s abundantly available in India all through the year. We know it’s a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium and helps reduce menstrual cramps. The effect of banana on skin too is not something that can be ignored. Banana is rich in vitamin A, B and E and hence works as an anti-aging agent. A fresh mashed banana facial can do wonders to your skin.

Lemon: Lemon juice is an important ingredient in most Indian recipes. This is also a fruit of all seasons and almost always finds place on your kitchen shelf or refrigerator. With its vitamin C content, its juice will keep your skin beautiful. A glass of warm water with a tsp of honey and a dash of lemon juice on an empty stomach every morning is a great skin cleanser. With its astringent properties, it can be used to lighten the skin tone and also diminish acne scars. Rub the inside of a lemon peel on your elbow remove dark spots. Mix lemon and honey and use it as a natural bleach on your skin.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away is cliched, but its health benefits are undisputable. Apple’s antioxidant property prevents cell and tissue damage. Studies by nutritionists have shown that apples contain abundant amounts of elastin and collagen that help keep the skin young. Applying a mixture of mashed apple, honey, rose water and oatmeal can act as a great exfoliating mask on your skin.

Orange: Rich in vitamin C that improves skin texture. Like apple, orange too contains collagen that slows skin aging process. Rub the insides of orange on your skin to tighten the skin. Oranges can be dried and powdered and used as a natural scrub. Like lemon, oranges too help clear skin blemishes.

Papaya: The benefits of this fruit on skin have perhaps been talked about since the time of our ancestors. Papaya is rich in antioxidants and contain a special enzyme called papain that can kill dead cells and cure skin impurities. A glass of papaya milk or just applying the flesh of papaya on your skin can do wonders to your skin.

Mangoes: Rightly called the king of fruits for not just its taste but also for health benefits. The soft pulpy fruit has an amazing effect on skin too. Rich in vitamin-A and antioxidants, it fights skin aging, regenerates skin cells and restores the elasticity of skin. By Reshmi AR, The Times of India

Here’s the skinny (well, not really): Virtually all commercially-available chickens now have what many call the “obese gene,” which makes birds gain weight quickly to speed up production from birth to slaughter. That, combined with no exercise and a constant supply of high-energy (caloric) food, makes today’s chicken the opposite of lean: The amount of fat in modern chicken may be five or even 10 times what it used to be, according to a UK-based study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. So if you serve a whole chicken to your family like grandma did, you may be serving them 10 times as much fat than the days of yesteryear. That’s a whole lotta fat, and big trouble for the waistline.

The nonprofit Farm Forward explains that this is another consequence of inhumane factory farming.

“This type of chicken husbandry needs to be reviewed with regard to its implications for animal welfare and human nutrition,” wrote lead researcher Dr. Yiqun Wang. “The cocktail of gene selection for fast weight gain, lack of exercise and high-energy food available 24 hours a day, is a simple and well-understood recipe for obesity.”

Farm Forward is on to something important, and they are taking the research even further. They teamed up with Kansas State University to compare the fat and protein content of heritage birds to commercial ones found in the grocery store. KSU professor Dr. Liz Boyle started the research in February with heritage chickens from Frank Reese Jr. of Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch in central Kansas. Heritage birds are the genetic breeds that existed before the days of industrialized meat. Reese’s chickens take at least 120 days to mature. Most all chickens available at the grocery store take about 40.

Fast-growing chickens go right alongside chicken welfare problems, explains Farm Forward, so the worse the conditions they are raised in (cramped and barely able to move or support their unnatural weight), the fatter (and more fattening) the chicken meat is. For chickens raised in factory farms (99 percent of the meat at market is from factory farms), their pitiless fate seems to be accompanied by a drastic rise in fat grams. “The fat went from less than 2 grams to 23 grams of animal fat per serving, twice as much fat than ice cream,” says physician and author Dr. Michael Greger, who has his own interesting commentary on Dr. Wang’s study. “So now chicken has 10 times more fat and ten times more calories, so that could explain why chicken has been tied to human abdominal girth.”

Ten times more fat and 10 times more calories can be related to a fat belly, that’s for sure. It makes sense that our crisis of obesity might very well be closely tied to the daily consumption of chicken by many millions of Americans.

Farm Forward and KSU plan on conducting more studies when this one is complete. “The consequences of disregarding animal welfare go far beyond the question of cruelty,” Dr. Aaron Gross of the University of San Diego and CEO of Farm Forward explained to me. “What we are discovering more and more is that many of the environmental and public health problems with meat are intimately connected with animal welfare.” So basically, what’s bad for the chickens is bad for us; it’s all related.

We’ve all seen chicken portrayed as the low-fat, heart-healthy alternative to red meat for years, but it no longer adds up. You might want to lean away from eating birds and lean toward more plant-based options of protein like black beans, lentils, tofu, chickpeas and whole grains. No cruelty, far less fat, zero cholesterol. It’s a sensible swap for the waistline and good news for the birds!  By Kathy Freston, Huffington Post