A large body of evidence shows that daily consumption of EVOO can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Part I of this two-part series highlighted the contributions of oleic acid (OA). The other bioactive components of EVOO that protect against CVD are its more than 30 polyphenols.
Factors that contribute to CVD include oxidative stress, inflammation, cholesterol, blood-vessel function, and high blood pressure (hypertension). Below, we’ll look closely at the mechanisms by which polyphenols work in the body to modify and improve these factors.
What are polyphenols? Polyphenols are naturally occurring substances in many plants and fungi. Most polyphenols are antioxidants, which means they help neutralize chemical compounds formed in the body that can damage cells. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) has been identified as the polyphenol in EVOO that is essential in the prevention of CVD.
HT combats oxidative stress
Oxidative stress can cause cell mutations and has been identified as an underlying cause of multiple aspects of CVD. Injured tissues release ions—charged particles—that bind to oxygen, creating an excess of unstable molecules. As an antioxidant, HT directly neutralizes these unstable molecules, or reactiveoxygen species (ROS). HT has also been shown to inhibit the cell damage produced by ROS and to enhance the antioxidant abilities of cells in the blood vessel walls.
Lowers inflammation
HT can block some of the processes that signal for cells to mount an inflammatory response. In this way, HT reduces the impact of inflammatory substances that are linked to oxidative stress as well as to impaired blood vessel function, a key risk factor for CVD.
Reduces “bad” cholesterol and improves “good”
Polyphenols reduce the amount of small molecules of LDL (“bad” cholesterol), which do the most damage. Polyphenols also help prevent LDL from forming plaques that build up in the arteries, or atherosclerosis. In a 3-week clinical trial, HDL (“good” cholesterol) functioning improved significantly in healthy patients who consumed high-polyphenol EVOO, compared with low-polyphenol EVOO.
Protects the blood vessel lining and lowers blood pressure
Polyphenols help prevent damage to the endothelium, the inner lining of the blood vessel walls, by increasing the production of nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator—a substance that relaxes the blood vessels. By enhancing the production of NO, polyphenols can improve endothelial function, protect against arterial stiffness, and lower blood pressure.
References: 1. Lu Y, Zhao J, Xin Q, et al. Food Science and Human Wellness. 2024;13:529-540. 2. Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009;2(5):270-278. doi:10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498 3. Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010;4(8):118-126. 4. Hernáez Á, Fernández-Castillejo S, Farràs M, et al. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014;34(9):2115-2119.
Mascarpone Mousse Recipe, Spotlight on Passionfruit, Chill Your Beaters, Sip Away Stress with Cocoa, and A Heart Threat Even for Active People
Whether you’re indulging à deux or hosting a large New Year’s Eve get-together, you’ll love this creamy mousse recipe with a passionfruit sauce drizzle. If you’re also looking to get a jump on healthful New Year’s resolutions, two research findings fit the bill: how to tap into the benefits of flavanol-rich drinks, and how to find motivation to sit less and stand more in 2025—both of which benefit the heart.
This is a melt-in-your-mouth mousse made without eggs. I love it topped with fresh passionfruit pulp, but since fresh fruits can be hard to find, I’ve included a rich sauce recipe that you can make with frozen pulp (with seeds) or purée (without seeds). Both the mousse and the sauce can be made early in the day or even the day before the big event.
Ingredients
For the mousse:
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
14 ounces frozen passionfruit, defrosted
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Optional: fresh berries
Directions
Step 1
To make the mousse, whip the cream until very firm, then whip in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 2
To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar, then whisk in the passionfruit, eggs, and yolks. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 2 minutes; it should be thick.
Step 3
Off the heat, whisk in the olive oil, then let the sauce cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 4
To assemble, mound equal amounts of mousse in 6 elegant stemware glasses and top with spoonfuls of sauce and fresh berries, if desired.
Yields 6 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Passionfruit
This exotic citrus fruit, a favorite of pastry chefs, is truly unique. Oval-shaped and with a hard deep purple or bright yellow shell (it’s about the size of a lemon), it has an edible inside that is a fairly runny gel of yellow pulp and crunchy black seeds—sweet and tangy at the same time. Passionfruit has vitamin C plus some vitamin A, and small amounts of iron, potassium, and fiber. It is originally from South America, although some varieties thrive in southern California and central Florida.
A passionfruit should feel full and weighty in your hand. Some people wait just until the shell starts to wrinkle as a sign of ripeness, but as long as the fruit is not green, you can enjoy it soon after purchase. Aficionados love to simply scoop it out and eat it with a spoon as is (rinse the fruit first, then cut in half on a plate or over a bowl to catch every drop). It’s also delicious when folded into yogurt, frozen into sorbet, and turned into sauces and creamy desserts.
Fresh passionfruit pulp can be frozen for future use in ice cube trays; once frozen, pop the cubes into a freezer-safe container. In the offseason, look for the Goya brand of frozen pulp in the freezer case. There are also some companies that sell pouches of purée on Amazon—choose 100% fruit, no sugar added.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Chill Your Beaters
It takes a moment of forethought, but to get the best results when whipping cream, make sure everything is cold—your beaters, your metal mixing bowl, and the cream itself. Pop the beaters and bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes or in the freezer for 10 before getting started.
For Your Best Health
Sip Away Your Stress
A new study from researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK, published in the journal Food and Function,has followed up on their earlier work that showed food choices made during periods of stress can influence the effect of stress on cardiovascular health: high-fat foods can negatively affect vascular function and oxygen delivery to the brain, while foods high in flavanol compounds, like cocoa and green tea, can protect vascular function during periods of everyday stress.
Their latest research found that drinking cocoa high in flavanols in combination with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of the fatty food and protect the vascular system from stress. Rosalind Baynham, PhD, research fellow in sport, exercise, and rehabilitation sciences at Birmingham and first author on the paper, explained, “Flavanols are a type of compound that occurs in different fruits, vegetables, tea, and nuts, including berries and unprocessed cocoa. Flavanols are known to have health benefits, particularly for regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health.” Recent guidelines for flavanol intake recommend between 400 and 600 mg a day—about two cups of black or green tea or a combination of berries, apples, and high-quality cocoa.
Participants in the new study were given a breakfast of two butter croissants with 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) salted butter, 1.5 slices of cheddar cheese, and 250 mL (about 1 cup) whole milk and either a high-flavanol or a low-flavanol cocoa drink. The cocoa drinks were both made from 12 grams cocoa powder and 250 mL whole milk, but the low-flavanol cocoa was alkalized to reduce total flavanols to 5.6 mg per serving while the high-flavanol cocoa was a non-alkalized powder, delivering 695 mg per serving. (Alkalization is a process typically used in chocolate making to enhance flavor, but it also reduces the flavanol content.)
Following an 8-minute rest period, participants completed an 8-minute mental math test with questions coming at progressively increased speed and with alerts when an answer was wrong—a stress-inducing exercise that leads to significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, similar to the stress someone might encounter in everyday life. During both the rest and test periods, researchers took a variety of measurements including forearm blood flow, cardiovascular activity, prefrontal cortex tissue oxygenation, and vascular function using brachial flow-mediated dilatation, a prognostic measure for future risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers found that consuming fatty foods with the low-flavanol drink when mentally stressed resulted in reduced vascular function that lasted up to 90 minutes after the stressful event was over. The cocoa drink high in flavanols, by contrast, was effective at preventing the decline in vascular function following stress and fat consumption. Also, brachial flow-mediated dilatation was significantly higher in the high-flavanol group than in the low-flavanol at both 30 and 90 minutes after the math test.
“This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods,” said Catarina Rendeiro, PhD, assistant professor in nutritional sciences at Birmingham.
Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, PhD, professor of biological psychology at Birmingham and a co-author of the paper, added, “Modern life is stressful, and the impact of stress on our health and the economy has been well documented, so any change we can make to protect ourselves from some of the symptoms of stress is a positive. For those who tend to reach for a treat when stressed or who depend on convenient food because they work high-pressure jobs or are time-poor, incorporating some of these small changes could make a real difference.”
Fitness Flash
A Heart Threat Even for Active People
More time spent sitting, reclining, or lying down during the day may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, and presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2024.
Insufficient exercise is a known risk factor for CVD. Achieving over 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week is recommended to promote heart health. However, study experts say exercise is only a small fraction of overall daily activity, and the current guidelines don’t provide specific guidance on sedentary behavior, which accounts for a much larger portion of daily activity, despite evidence that it’s directly linked with CVD risk.
This study examined the amount of sedentary time at which CVD risk is greatest and explored how sedentary behavior and physical activity together impact the chances of atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and cardiovascular (CV) mortality.
Among the 89,530 study participants, who came from UK Biobank, the average age was 62 years and 56.4% were women. Participants submitted data from a wrist-worn triaxial accelerometer that captured movement over seven days. The average sedentary time per day was 9.4 hours. After an average follow-up of eight years, 3,638 individuals (4.9%) developed incident AF, 1,854 (2.1%) developed incident HF, 1,610 (1.84%) developed incident MI, and 846 (0.94%) died of CV causes.
The effects of sedentary time varied by outcome. For AF and MI, the risk increased steadily over time without major shifts. For HF and CV mortality, increase in risk was minimal until sedentary time exceeded about 10.6 hours a day, at which point risk rose significantly, showing a threshold effect for the behavior. For study participants who met the recommended 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, the effects of sedentary behavior on AF and MI risks were substantially reduced, but effects on higher risk of HF and CV mortality were not significantly reduced.
“Our findings support cutting back on sedentary time to reduce cardiovascular risk, with 10.6 hours a day marking a potentially key threshold tied to higher heart failure and cardiovascular mortality,” said Shaan Khurshid, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-senior author of the study. “Too much sitting or lying down can be harmful for heart health, even for those who are active. Future guidelines and public health efforts should stress the importance of cutting down on sedentary time. Avoiding more than 10.6 [sedentary] hours per day may be a realistic minimal target for better heart health.”
In an accompanying editorial comment, Charles Eaton, MD, MS, director of the Brown University department of family medicine, said the use of wearable accelerometers has shown that exercise is significantly overestimated when self-reported and sedentary behavior is underestimated. Dr. Eaton said that replacing just 30 minutes of excessive sitting time each day with any type of physical activity can lower heart health risks. Adding moderate-to-vigorous activity cut the risk of HF by 15% and CV mortality by 10%, and even light activity made a difference by reducing HF risk by 6% and CV mortality by 9%.
The study has several limitations, including lack of information on where or why people are sitting or lying down for extended periods, which could have different impacts on CV risks. Accelerometers worn on the wrist are imperfect at detecting posture and therefore may misclassify standing time as sedentary time. A longer monitoring period may provide more accurate data on activity habits and patterns.
Potato Frittata Recipe, Spotlight on Condimento Bianco Senape and Blackcurrants, Steaming Potatoes, and A Surprising Benefit of Exercise for Women
Autumn is a wonderful time to get together with family and friends, and what better way than over brunch? If you’re looking for a simple yet satisfying dish, my potato frittata fits the bill. It features Condimento Bianco Senape, a unique vinegar in my brand new collection of artisanal vinegars from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections. Sweet, fragrant, and with a hint of mustard, it’s crafted in the style of a fine Italian balsamic (read below to learn why there’s actually no such thing as “white balsamic”). You’ve never tasted anything like it before—get ready to fall in love!
Also in this issue…I’m sharing fascinating research on blackcurrants, a powerful member of the berry family that might hold the answer to protecting women’s bones in midlife and beyond. Keep reading and you’ll also find out about a surprising benefit of exercise.
Elegant enough for a brunch party, this egg-and-potato dish is also easy enough for a casual weekend breakfast. The potatoes can be steamed a day or two in advance.
Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Steam them on a steamer rack over simmering water until tender, about 25 minutes.
Step 2
In a bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites show, then whisk in the cheese, milk, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined.
Step 3
Heat a 14-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and the leeks. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and sauté until the leeks soften and turn light brown, about 10 minutes. Layer on the potato slices, overlapping them a bit. Pour on the egg mixture. Cover the pan and cook without disturbing over medium heat until the eggs firm up, about 8 minutes. Drizzle on the vinegar, cover the pan again, and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Drizzle each portion with more olive oil and vinegar.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Condimento Bianco Senape
I want to set the record straight—“white balsamic” is not a recognized type of vinegar in Italy. That’s because, by its very nature, balsamic vinegar must be made solely with grape must (grape juice made from all parts of the grapes) that naturally darkens to its signature purple-brown color. That being said, my new Condimento Bianco Senape, or White Condiment with Mustard, is reminiscent of a fine balsamic because it’s crafted in the perfect ratio of two parts white cooked grape must to one part white wine vinegar by the amazing vinegar producers known for their balsamic vinegars, Società Agricola Acetomodena in Modena, Italy. Both the grape must and wine vinegar are made solely from Acemodena’s own Trebbiano grapes, which give it its unique light color, and not their Lambrusco ones, which give traditional balsamic its deep color.
The idea for creating a complex, mustard-seed infused white wine vinegar in the sweet style of balsamic came from Patrizia Vecchi, the wife of Acetomodena owner Paolo Vecchi. She was inspired by the ancient Roman cooking technique of using a white vinegar along with honey and mustard to get a delicious crust on spit-roasted pork. The white mustard seeds, which are entirely edible, add a subtle layer of flavor to my Condimento Bianco Senape that would be lost in a traditional balsamic.
You’ll use this mustard vinegar to effortlessly create a rich and silky vinaigrette just by whisking in fresh-pressed olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. I love its sweetness yet will also blend it with other vinegars when I want a bit more tartness. Use it as a marinade for poultry, pork, and fish. Drizzle it on steak and burgers, gourmet sandwiches with prosciutto and other meats, bruschetta with tomatoes, fresh salads like rocket with pine nuts and a drizzle of honey, and my eggless Caesar salad which along with the potato frittata are just two of the many recipes included in the Vinegar Report that comes with the collection.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Steaming Potatoes
Steaming potatoes keeps them from falling apart and preserves more of their nutrients than boiling. Simply scrub and slice or cube your potatoes and arrange them in a steamer basket set over two inches of simmering water in a stockpot. You can load the basket with two layers of potatoes, but try to keep some space between the pieces for the steam to get through. The potatoes are done when the tip of a knife easily pierces the flesh; start checking after 25 minutes.
For Your Best Health
Blackcurrants for Better Bones?
Research done at the University of Connecticut (UConn) has identified blackcurrants, a tart berry known in French foods and liqueurs as cassis, as a potential way of countering the bone density loss experienced by women in the years surrounding menopause.
For many years, Ock Chun, PhD, MPH, professor of nutritional sciences in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), has been investigating the berry’s potential to ameliorate a host of conditions including postmenopausal bone loss and osteoporosis. One of her previous studies showed that in mice, blackcurrant supplements helped prevent bone density loss postmenopause, and that the best time to start taking these supplements is in the transition between pre- and postmenopause, before bone loss has significantly progressed. With these findings in hand, Chun and her team wanted to see whether the benefits would translate to people. The new study, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, found that the supplements prevented the loss of, and in some cases even increased, whole-body bone mineral density in women.
The study involved 40 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal participants between the ages of 45 and 60. They were randomly assigned to take either one or two capsules of blackcurrant powder (392 milligrams per capsule) or a placebo daily for six months. The researchers found that the supplements prevented the loss of whole-body bone mineral density and that the group of participants who took two capsules a day actually showed overall increases in bone mineral density at the end of the six-month trial period.
The researchers looked at changes to the gut microbiome and immune system, which interact to play a key role in bone metabolism. They found that the blackcurrant supplements decreased levels of proteins called interleukin-1 beta and RANKL. Interleukin-1 beta stimulates the expression of RANKL, which causes bone resorption and thus a decrease in bone density. “The reduction in RANKL is important because that can cause shifts toward excessive bone resorption, so we’d want to see a decrease in that,” said graduate student Briana Nosal, first author of the paper.
Taking the supplements also increased Ruminococcus 2, bacteria found in the gut microbiome that help degrade polysaccharides and fibers. This is a key function that transforms the foods we eat into energy. This led the researchers to infer that it could be one of the bacteria driving the protective effects blackcurrant has on bones. “It’s all related, and there’s a lot of research showing the gut can regulate various systems in the body,” Nosal said.
The researchers identified a total of four proteins that had increased expression in the group of participants who took two daily supplement capsules. These could serve as potential biomarkers for the changes in bone density that they observed and potentially allow researchers or medical professionals to quickly and easily assess whether the blackcurrant supplementation is benefiting bone density.
This study is especially important for perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women who have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis. While medications for osteoporosis do exist, compliance is low due because of side effects. If a blackcurrant supplement can improve bone density without the same side effects, it could prove to be an effective alternative.
As the research team continues to study the relationship between blackcurrant and its benefits to the body, they’ll try to better understand why exactly they’re seeing these results and “how all our findings connect to each other,” Nosal said. “Conducting that multifaceted research will really paint the picture of how everything works, the different mechanisms, and what we can do for next steps.”
Fitness Flash
A surprising Benefit of Exercise for Women
Recent research led by Donald S. Wright, MD, MHS, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that sticking with an exercise program is linked to older women staying out of the hospital.
This retrospective study evaluated 718 older adults with a mean age of 69.5; three-quarters were women. The researchers compared the outcomes of those who participated in a structured, individualized exercise training program at a privately owned gym in their community for at least three months (411 participants) to the outcomes of those who did not. The structured program consisted of guided sessions of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training monitored by exercise physiologists. Participants completed a baseline physical assessment and quarterly reassessments of physical performance including measuring vital signs, strength (bicep curl or grip strength), mobility (as measured by the ability to easily go from sitting to standing), balancing on one leg, and aerobic capacity. These data were paired with regional hospital data and a national mortality database. Participants were followed for over two years.
When the researchers compared outcomes of older adults who participated in the exercise program with outcomes of those who did not, they found that the risk for all-cause hospitalization was 46 percent lower among the women in the exercise program. Surprisingly, this benefit was not seen among the men.
The researchers pointed out that the study doesn’t establish cause and effect between exercise and not needing healthcare, just a link, albeit a positive one for women. It’s also not known whether the people who dropped out of the structured exercise program exercised independently, potentially narrowing the observed differences between the groups. They also warned that participants may not be fully representative of the broader US population because they were all from one area of the country and had all been motivated to sign up for the gym program on their own.
Late Summer Fruit Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Nectarines, Zesting-then Squeezing, Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and Your Sleep, Preventing Falls
It’s still stone fruit season—the perfect excuse for a luscious fruit salad with a zesty dressing. My recipe is a great example of healthy eating that still tastes indulgent. Enjoying “whole” foods, meaning foods in their most natural state, is the antidote to the dangers of ultra-processed foods, which now include insomnia. Read more on this below, along with a new advisory on avoiding falls for people over 65—food for thought for anyone at risk for falling, regardless of age.
Stone fruit—nectarines, peaches, and plums—are the stars of this juicy dessert, with figs, berries, and a sweet and citrusy dressing in supporting roles. This salad, high in antioxidants, also makes a delicious breakfast
Pit and section the stone fruit, then place in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Whisk in the lime juice, zest, and mint. Pour the dressing over the fruit in the bowl and toss gently. Allow the juices and the dressing to meld for 30 minutes. Just before serving, arrange the figs and blackberries on top of the stone fruit.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Nectarines
Think of nectarines as peaches’ little siblings. The main difference between the two popular fruits is simply genetic—nectarines lack the fuzz gene that peaches have. Also, nectarines tend to be smaller and firmer yet sweeter and more intensely flavored and scented than peaches…a strong aroma is a key sign of ripeness.
As with peaches, there are dozens of varieties to choose from, though they fall into the same main categories: freestone and cling free (cling-free varieties making slicing much easier) as well as white and yellow flesh. Nectarines are antioxidant rich and have twice the amount of vitamin A and slightly more vitamin C and potassium than peaches, along with vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium, fiber, and some iron.
To ripen nectarines, store them at room temperature until they’re no longer firm. If you can’t eat them right away, you can refrigerate them, but for no more than three to five days.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Zest, then Squeeze
Whenever a recipe calls for zest and juice from a piece of citrus, always zest first, optimally with a handheld Microplane grater. It’s not only easier than trying to zest halves, but you’ll also get the most zest. When juiving, if you’re using a handheld press, always position the fruit cut-side down into the empty cup to extract the most juice.
For Your Best Health
Why Those Chips Are Wrecking Your Sleep
We know that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are the unhealthiest food choices because they have the highest levels of saturated fats, starches, and added sugars plus all sorts of additives like artificial colors and flavors; are devoid of nutrients; and have virtually no fiber. Packaged baked goods and snacks, frozen foods, and processed meats are typically considered ultra-processed. Much of the research on the detriments of UPFs has looked at the links between these foods and health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Now a new study has added sleep problems, including chronic insomnia, to that list. This can have a snowball effect on health because sleep disorders and insomnia have independently been linked with anxiety and depression as well as health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. With sleep health now a wellness goal on its own right, a better diet can be one way to get there.
Lead investigator Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, associate professor of nutritional medicine and director of Columbia University Irving Medical Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research, said, “At a time when more and more foods are highly processed and sleep disturbances are rampant, it is important to evaluate whether diet could contribute to adverse- or good-quality sleep. Our research team had previously reported associations of healthy dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and high-carbohydrate diets with an elevated risk of insomnia.”
For this cross-sectional study, Dr. St-Onge and some of her colleagues included 38,570 French participants with a mean age of 50 who completed a sleep questionnaire and at least two 24-hour dietary records. An analysis revealed a statistically significant association between ultra-processed food intake and chronic insomnia, independent of participants’ sociodemographic, lifestyle, diet quality, and mental health status. Overall, the study participants got 16 percent of their daily energy from UPFs. Nearly 20 percent of participants reported symptoms of chronic insomnia, and this group tended to eat more ultra-processed foods.
There are various reasons for the diet-sleep link. First, people who eat more saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and free or added sugars tend to eat less fruit, vegetables, legumes, and seafood, which are all sources of sleep-promoting compounds, the researchers pointed out. Also, ultra-processed foods are highly inflammatory and can negatively affect the gut microbiome—and the gut microbiome is known to play a role in the quality of your shuteye.
Fitness Flash
Preventing Falls
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a volunteer group of experts in different fields from across the country, recently issued its guidance regarding preventing falls in people over age 65. According to the CDC, over 14 million Americans, or one in four adults ages 65 and older, report falling each year, and for about 37 percent, doing so resulted in an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day.
After its review of existing research, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that exercise interventions provide a moderate net benefit and that multifactorial interventions, such as three-dimensional exercises (movement through all three spatial planes or dimensions: forward and back, side to side, and up and down), provide a small net benefit in preventing falls and fall-related morbidity in older adults at increased risk for falls. Effective exercise interventions include supervised individual physical therapy and group exercise classes.
While the USPSTF stated that it’s difficult to identify specific components of exercise that are particularly effective, the most commonly studied exercise components were gait, balance, and functional training, followed by strength and resistance training, flexibility, and endurance training. A smaller number of trials included three-dimensional exercise, such as group dance or tai chi classes. The most common frequency and duration for exercise interventions was two to three sessions per week for 12 months, although the duration of the studies ranged from two to 30 months.
The USPSTF also recommended that a program be tailored to each individual based on the findings of a health and risk factor assessment that might include balance, gait, vision, postural blood pressure, medication, environment, cognition, and psychological health. This could be done by your doctor or another expert familiar with your health history so that he or she can factor in any chronic medical conditions, medications taken, and alcohol use as well whether you had a prior fall, all of which could affect your fall risk.
The USPSTF statement included a reminder about the multiple health benefits associated with physical activity that go beyond fall prevention: a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality, as well as lower blood pressure, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower risk of high cholesterol. It added: “The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity—or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity—aerobic physical activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups, twice a week or more.”
