This week, read about coffee & diabetes, dietary fiber, ice baths for recovery, how laughter eases stress, and nutrition updates from the Experimental Biology conference.
An excuse to drink more coffee? If you’re at risk for diabetes, you might want to think about your coffee drinking habits. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that increasing coffee consumption by on average 1.5 cups/day over 4 years reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes, while decreasing coffee consumption was linked to a higher risk of diabetes. People who maintained a high intake of coffee throughout the study (24+ oz/day) had 37% lower rates of diabetes that people who drank < 8 oz day. The authors speculate that the antioxidants and other bioactive compounds in coffee may be important for glucose metabolism. This study confirms previous research linking higher coffee intake to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and is the first study to show that changing coffee drinking habits also influences risk. Maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active remain the most important lifestyle habits you can change to reduce your diabetes risk. (Diabetologia ; Online April 24, 2014).
Fiber – Are You Getting Enough? Two new studies add to the knowledge of the many benefits of a fiber-rich diet. Researchers from Imperial College London shed light on how fiber makes us feel full by releasing an anti-appetite molecule called acetate. (Nature Communications 5, 3611 April 2014). Another study showed that dietary fiber benefits heart attack survivors, possibly by reducing inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing LDL cholesterol. These benefits were mainly from cereal and grain fiber sources (take note if you avoid grains!). (BMJ 2014;348:g2659)
- Most people aren’t consuming enough fiber. Aim for 35 g/day from a variety of sources. You can achieve this by eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds (animal foods contain no fiber). Read more about fiber here.
Do Ice Baths Help Recovery from Intense Exercise? Many elite athletes use ice baths after hard workouts to improve muscle recovery. In the past few years, several studies have questioned this practice. In a new study, researchers compared ice baths to regular-temperature baths. One of the regular-temperature bath groups also had “recovery oil,” which was simply soap, used as a “placebo” condition. The placebo condition did as well as the ice bath, suggesting that there’s no real benefit (beyond what you think) to bathing in ice cold water. While more research needs to be done, don’t ignore the power of your mind: if you think it’s going to help you, it probably will!
Laugh a Little, or a Lot! Two studies presented at the Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego showed how laughing benefits our health. One study showed that laughter has mental benefits similar to meditation. Another study showed that laughter might help fight memory loss by reducing the stress hormone cortisol, which can interfere with memory and learning: after watching a funny video, healthy seniors and seniors with diabetes had significantly reduced cortisol levels and improved scores on a memory test compared to seniors who hadn’t watched the video. These aren’t the first studies to show benefits to laughter. Previous research shows laughter can help depression and heart disease. Read more about the benefits of laughter here.
Nutrition News from Experimental Biology 2014. I wish I had been in San Diego last week! Not to escape Ottawa’s weather, or because I lived there for 7 years (o.k., while maybe), but because the American Society for Nutrition put together an excellent program at the Experimental Biology conference. Fortunately, science writer David Despain and Grad student Colby Vorland were reporting from the some of the nutrition-related sessions. Take a look at some highlights:
- Stop Singling Out Sugar
- Consult Your Physician if You Decide NOT to Exercise
- Are You Really Addicted to Food?
- How to Move Nutrition Science Forward
- Addressing Bias in Nutrition Science
Have a good week! Don’t go overboard with the coffee and the fiber, but you don’t need to worry about the laughter. . .
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