Category: ICYMI

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5 Fruits and Veggies a Day May Be Optimal for the Greatest Mortality Benefit

Five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — in particular, three vegetables and two fruits — provide the greatest mortality benefit, according to an observational study and meta-analysis in Circulation.

Researchers analyzed results from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Over 100,000 people regularly completed food-frequency questionnaires and were followed for up to 30 years. During that time, nearly a third of participants died.

After multivariable adjustment, the greatest mortality benefit was seen for five servings of produce a day, compared with two servings (hazard ratio, 0.88). Eating more than five servings a day was not associated with greater risk reductions.

5 Fruits & Veggies a Day May Be Optimal in Terms of Survival — https://www.jwatch.org/fw117568/2021/03/01/5-fruits-veggies-day-may-be-optimal-terms-survival

There is a link to download the original study on the NEJM Journal Watch page. The discussion section of the study is worth reading if you’re interested in the details.

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Still Disinfecting Your Grocery Items? You Can Stop Now

I have a Covid shelf in my Pandemic Pantry which can now be redeployed.

The question is what do I do with all of those disinfectant wipes I bought?

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7 lifestyle modifications to minimize the adverse effects of COVID-19

Since the initial outbreak, physicians and scientists have learned that infections with SARS-COV-2, severe enough to require hospitalization, can elicit an over-activation of the immune system. The inflammation can become severe enough to cause extensive organ damage, but the degree of damage may not be known or recognized for weeks to months after recovery.

In an effort to mitigate the potential damage, some hospitals have employed strategies to intervene. Mitchell A. Miguel, MD, MHA, a hospitalist and frontline worker at TriHealth Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, told me that as a standard of care he provides, hospitalized COVID patients requiring oxygen, with dexamethasone, a steroid, and nutritional supplementation. Both interventions have the capability to decrease inflammation.

7 lifestyle modifications to minimize the adverse effects of COVID-19 — https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/7-lifestyle-modifications-to-minimize-the-adverse-effects-of-covid-19.html

To continue reading this article follow the link above (I hope it works!). This list of seven lifestyle mods is pretty much common sense. But the list is useful even if only a reminder to do the things we should be doing to stay healthy. Take a guess what lifestyle mod sits at number one on this list? Diet.

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More on Entomophagy

Black soldier fly larvae contains more zinc and iron than lean meat and its calcium content is higher than milk. Less than half a hectare of black soldier fly larvae can produce more protein than cattle grazing on around 1200 hectares, or 52 hectares of soybeans. New research has identified the barriers for introducing fly protein into Western human diets as a sustainable, healthy alternative to both meat and plant proteins.

Black soldier fly larvae as protein alternative — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201029104951.htm

I’d rather eat crickets. See my earlier post This Giant Automated Cricket Farm Is Designed To Make Bugs A Mainstream Source Of Protein.

Neither product coming soon to a grocery store near you.

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The States That Drink the Most Alcohol in America [Map] — VinePair

America loves to drink. According to an April 2020 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Americans’ alcohol consumption reached 7.8 billion gallons in 2018. U.S. residents reportedly drank 6.3 billion gallons of beer, 900 million gallons of wine, and 570 million gallons of spirits. As a country, we drink an average…

via The States That Drink the Most Alcohol in America [Map] — VinePair

Oklahoma!  What happened???

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Social Distance and Dine With Mannequins at This Michelin-Starred Restaurant — VinePair

Walking backstage at a theater, in a toy store, or even in a hair salon, it’s not uncommon to come across costumed mannequins. Now, it won’t be uncommon to see the lifelike dolls in some restaurants either. In an effort to get creative amidst cautious restaurant reopenings, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Virginia is adding mannequin…

via Social Distance and Dine With Mannequins at This Michelin-Starred Restaurant — VinePair

Uh… no thanks.

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Coconut Oil? No Thanks

Clinical trials don’t support the public’s positive perception of coconut oil, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis suggests. The study, published in Circulation, found that compared with other vegetable oils, coconut oil increases low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)—the “bad” kind that ups cardiovascular disease risk—while offering no improvements to weight, blood glucose, or inflammation markers.

From the authors: “Despite the rising popularity of coconut oil because of its purported health benefits, our results raise concerns about high coconut oil consumption. Coconut oil should not be viewed as healthy oil for cardiovascular disease risk reduction and limiting coconut oil consumption because of its high saturated fat content is warranted.”

Read the full article at the link below.

Coconut Oil’s Health Halo a Mirage

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Eat More Fiber

If there’s one thing the standard American diet (SAD) lacks, it’s fiber. Daily recommendations are set at 25 to 30 grams, but less than 3 percent of Americans consume that much.[1] In fact, most are getting an average of only 15 grams per day.[2] By contrast, among more than 71,000 subjects participating in the Adventist Health Study-2, those consuming a vegan diet (5,694 subjects) consumed an average of 46 grams of fiber daily.[3]

The Fiber Dilemma – Eating Plant-Based Without Tummy Trouble

Read the full article at the link above.