Pregnancy sleep linked to child obesity
It’s common for moms late in pregnancy to struggle with sleeping, but new research shows a connection between that poor sleep and their baby’s weight.
Researchers at the University of Southern California and Washington University in St. Louis examined data from nearly 650 mother-child pairs. They found those who experienced the worst sleep had children with low birth weights, but those babies gained a significant amount of weight as they approached year 1 and after.
The researchers say the findings highlight the importance of sleep during pregnancy and suggest that addressing poor sleep could help support healthier growth for moms and babies.
Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Plant-based diets for kids have benefits later
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While most kids don’t eat plant-based diets, those who do eat more plant foods are more likely to reap the benefits later in life, a new study has found.
As part of the Generation R Study, a cohort of nearly 20,000 women and their children, researchers in the Netherlands looked at answers from a food-based questionnaire and cardiac outcomes later in the kids’ childhoods.
The results showed that children who had higher plant-based diet scores, or included more plant foods in their diets, experienced lower blood pressure and cholesterol as they approached their teen years.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Preservatives’ effects on blood pressure
A new study shows common preservatives found in several types of food and drinks can increase a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure.
Researchers at Sorbonne Paris North University tracked the diets of more than 112,000 participants over several years and discovered those who consumed preservatives at the highest levels had a 24% greater risk.
The additives researchers identified as those most concerning included potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulphite, sodium nitrite, sodium ascorbate, sodium erythorbate, ascorbic acid, citric acid and rosemary extract. These preservatives are commonly found in items including wine, processed meats, processed fruits and vegetables and oils and fats.
Source: European Heart Journal
Alcohol use dips
For the first time in nearly six years, alcohol use has dropped in the U.S., according to researchers from the University of Southern California and Thomas Jefferson University.
A study looked at surveys of more than 114,000 adults and found a 2% decline in overall drinking since the COVID-19 pandemic. Generation Z accounted for the largest drop, more than 5%.
However, the study also noted that drinking rates are higher than they were before the pandemic, despite the most recent decline.
Source: Annals of Internal Medicine
Orange juice good for blood vessels, too
Orange juice is a popular morning beverage, and new research says drinking a glass a day can improve vascular health as well.
Researchers at the Human Nutrition Unit under France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, discovered that men who drank about 11 ounces of 100% orange juice for six weeks straight experienced lower blood pressure. Their vessels were also better able to relax and widen.
