Eating yogurt helps ease depression

Eating yogurt rich in lactobacillus -- a probiotic bacteria -- may help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, a finding that could lead to new strategies for treating psychiatric conditions, researchers have found.

Depression is a huge problem and the treatments are not very good, because they come with huge side effects.

"The study will help us not to bother with complex drugs and side effects when we can just play with the microbiome. It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health -- and your mood," said lead researcher Alban Gaultier from the University of Virginia in the US.

In the study, conducted on mice, the researchers have discovered a specific mechanism for how the lactobacillus bacteria affect mood, providing a direct link between the health of the gut microbiome and mental health.

For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team induced depression symptoms in mice to analyse their composition of the gut microbiome and found that the major change was the loss of lactobacillus.

With the loss of lactobacillus came the onset of depression symptoms. Conversely, feeding the mice lactobacillus with their food returned them to almost normal, the researchers said.

"A single strain of lactobacillus, is able to influence mood," Gaultier observed.

In addition, the study found that the amount of lactobacillus in the gut affects the level of a metabolite in the blood -- called kynurenine -- which has been shown to drive depression.

When lactobacillus was diminished in the gut, the levels of kynurenine went up -- and depression symptoms set in.

While there is no harm in people with depression eating yogurt, people receiving treatment for depression should not stop taking their medications without consulting their physicians, the researchers suggested.

Based on the findings, the researchers plan to begin studying the effect in humans as soon as possible.

Fruits, veggies reduce psychological stress risk in women

If you are a woman and want to cut out on stress, add 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables daily to your plate, a new study has showed. This habit may lead to a 23 per cent reduction in the risk of developing psychological stress. The findings showed that women who ate 3-4 daily serves of vegetables had an 18 per cent lower risk of stress, and those who ate two daily serves of fruit had a 16 per cent lower risk of stress. "We found that fruits and vegetables were more protective for women than men, suggesting that women may benefit more from fruit and vegetables," said lead author Binh Nguyen, doctoral student at University of Sydney in Australia. However, fruit consumption alone had no significant association with a lower incidence of stress and no significant association was found between higher levels of fruit and vegetable intake (greater than 7 daily serves) and a lower incidence of stress. "This study reveals that moderate daily vegetable intake alone is linked to a lower incidence of psychological stress. Moderate fruit intake alone appears to confer no significant benefit on people's psychological stress," said Melody Ding from the University of Sydney. Further, the study appearing in the British Medical Journal Open, also noted that for both men and women who ate 3-4 daily serves of vegetables had a 12 per cent lower risk of stress and those who ate 5-7 daily serves of fruit and vegetables had a 14 per cent lower risk of stress. For the study, the team included more than 60,000 Australians aged 45 years and above and measured participants fruit and vegetable consumption, lifestyle factors and psychological distress.

Eat more whole grains to live longer

Consuming nearly four servings of whole grains such as bran, oatmeal and quinoa a day can reduce the risk of premature death, says a new study.
The findings showed that the multiple bio-active compounds in the whole grains contribute to various health benefits.

Also, whole grains contain high fiber that is likely to lower cholesterol production, glucose response and increase satiety.
Further, people who consume around 70 grams of whole grains a day showed 22 per cent lower risk of total mortality, 23 per cent lower risk of heart diseases mortality as well as a 20 per cent lower risk of cancer mortality in comparison to those who ate little or no whole grains.

“These findings further support current dietary guidelines that recommend at least three daily servings (or 48 grams) of whole grains to improve long-term health and prevent premature death,” said Qi Sun, Assistant Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in the US.
The results were published online in the journal Circulation.

People should choose foods that are high in whole grain ingredients and reduce the consumption of unhealthy refined carbohydrates, the researchers suggested.
For the study, the team conducted a meta-analysis of 12 published studies and which included 786,076 people in US, Britain and the Scandinavian countries between 1970 and 2010.

Sweet cravings in obese people

Obese people may find it difficult to stay away from sweet foods than individuals who are lean, because of a dysfunction in their brains, finds a new study.

Extra body fat can exert effects on how our brains perceive rewards when we eat sweets, the study said.

The findings showed that the reward system in obese people brains’ operates in a different manner than in those who are lean.

As people move from adolescence to adulthood, they tend to be less fond of sweets as a result of a decrease in dopamine levels-the main chemical in the brain that makes us feel good.

The fall in dopamine levels makes the older adults less attracted to sweets.

Both younger age and fewer dopamine receptors were found to be associated with a higher preference for sweets in those of normal weight.

“We found disparities in preference for sweets between individuals and also found individual variations in dopamine receptors,” said Tamara Hershey, Professor at Washington University.

“Some people have high levels and some low. In people with normal weight having fewer dopamine receptors was associated with a higher preference for sweets,” Hershey noted.

However, in people with obesity, that is not the case, the researchers said.

Dysfunctioning in the brain’s reward system of obese individuals makes them more vulnerable to sweet cravings.

The relationship between their age, sweetness preferences and dopamine receptors also did not follow the pattern seen in people who weighed less.

Insulin resistance or some other metabolic change linked to obesity could contribute to the absence of these associations in the obese group, the researchers explained.

“We believe we may have identified a new abnormality in the relationship between reward response to food and dopamine in the brains of individuals with obesity,” lead author M Yanina Pepino, Assistant Professor at Washington University, added.

For the study, published online in the journal Diabetes, the team analysed 20 healthy volunteers who were aged between 20-40 years and compared them with 24 people considered obese, each of whom had a body mass index of 30 or higher.

The participants received drinks containing varying levels of sugar to determine the degrees of sweetness each individual preferred.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans was conducted to identify dopamine receptors linked to rewards in each person’s brain.

Eat nuts to cut mortality risk from prostate cancer

Nut

Men suffering from prostate cancer may significantly reduce their risk of mortality by consuming nuts like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts, new research suggests.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and second most lethal cancer for men.

“Prostate cancer should be considered seriously as more men are prone to such diseases,” said lead researcher Ying Bao from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US.

The findings showed that people who consume nuts five or more times in a week had a 34 per cent decreased risk of mortality due to prostate cancer in comparison to those who consumed nuts less than once per month.

“Just 1.5 ounces of nuts per day (about 1/3 cup) can have a positive impact on health,” added Maureen Ternus, Executive Director at the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation-a US based non-profit organisation.

‘Insulin resistance’, a condition in which the cells of the body become resistant to the hormone insulin, is involved in prostate cancer risk and progression.

Tree nuts have also been associated with improved insulin sensitivity and reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, thereby lowering the total mortality factor.

In addition, nuts contain important nutrients such as unsaturated fats, high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and phyto-chemicals, all of which offer cardio-protective, anti- carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the researchers said.

For the study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer, the team evaluated 47,299 men, for an overall period of 26 years.

The participants were diagnosed with non-metastatic cancer. Only 10 per cent of them died from prostate cancer. Around one-third died from cardiovascular disease and other causes.

“These findings add to the growing body of evidence showing that nuts should be part of a healthy diet,” Ternus noted.

(^_^) Boost your digestive health with mint

Mint

Mint is one of the most common herbs used in our food items. It is easily available and used widely in our cuisine. Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser, and it promotes digestion. It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation.

Packed with antioxidants and phytonurients that can work wonders for your stomach, the menthol present in mint helps the enzymes necessary for digestion. They relax the smooth muscles of the stomach, reducing the chances of indigestion and spasms.

They can also act on these muscles to activate them and help work more efficiently to carry out digestion.

Here are a few quick and easy of incorporating more mint in your food habit. 

1. Add roughly chopped mint to your salads. It will add a crunch and a lovely aroma as well.

2. Blend mint with your lemonade for a refreshing drink.

3. You can also make tea with mint. Mint tea also helps soothing nausea.

4. Mix finely chopped mint with yogurt for a salad dressing.

5. Blend watermelon with mint and freeze it. Scoop and serve easy sorbet.

6. Blend mint, coriander and green chili with lemon. Add salt and sugar to taste and there you have a vibrant green dip for appetizer.

7. Blend mint,capers, honey, olive oil and lemon juice and use it as a sauce for grilled fish.

Snack for Weight Loss

Consuming the right snacks at the right time, can help one lose weight. Keeping this is mind, we have listed out some interesting snack ideas, which promise to curb cravings and spearhead your weight loss journey.

Banana and chocolate:

Bananas do not make you fat and they fill you up. Having a banana reduces your cravings, while dark chocolate can boost your metabolism.

Roasted peanuts with salt, spice or jiggery:

Even though roasted peanuts contain fat, they are rich in antioxidants like vitamin E, reservation and falconoid. This protein rich nut is also rich in lecithin, manganese, copper and vitamin B3.

Honey and yoghurt:

The trick here is to consume low-fat yoghurt to avoid excess calories. Drizzle honey on your yoghurt not only for taste, but also for its health benefits, as it has anti-bacterial properties. Honey also prevents colds, coughs, gastrointestinal disorders and heart diseases.

Fruit Salads:

Rely on seasonal fruits, natural sweeteners or spices, and maybe some skimmed yogurt to make your fruit salads more tasty.

Peanut butter sandwich:

To reap the complete benefits, select whole wheat bread to make a sandwich. A peanut butter sandwich is a powerhouse of energy and is recommended as a pre- workout snack.

Popcorn:

Feel satiated and energised with popcorn without the caramel, chocolate, salt and butter. Munching on popcorn during the day will also keep your energy levels up.

HomeLifestyle Search Type Keywords Potatoes may increase high blood pressure risk

Love to binge on potatoes and French fries? If yes, you may be at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, warns a new study.
Potatoes are one of the world’s most commonly consumed foods-and are a high source of potassium.

The findings showed that participants who consumed four or more than four servings a week of boiled, baked or mashed potatoes, are at an 11 percent increased risk of hypertension.

Also, a higher consumption of French fries was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of hypertension in both women and men.

However, consumption of potato chips (crisps) was associated with no increased risk.

In addition, potatoes have a high glycaemic index compared with other vegetables, thus it can also trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.

“In the study, participants who did not have high blood pressure at baseline, and consumed four or more servings a week of potatoes (boiled, baked or mashed) later had a higher risk of developing hypertension compared to those who consumed one or less than one serving a month,” said lead author Lea Borgi, physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.

Replacing one serving a day of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes with one serving of a non-starchy vegetable can lower the risk of developing hypertension, the researchers suggested.

For the study, published online in the British Medical Journal, the team followed over 187,000 men and women from three large US studies for more than 20 years.

Dietary intake, including frequency of potato consumption, was assessed using a questionnaire.

The results “have potentially important public health ramifications, as they do not support a potential benefit from the inclusion of potatoes as vegetables in government food programs but instead support a harmful effect that is consistent with adverse effects of high carbohydrate intakes seen in controlled feeding studies,” the researchers concluded.