More kids skipping fruits, vegetables
A new analysis finds kids aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables – and the problem isn’t just here in the U.S.
Researchers at Tufts University in Boston found that globally, children younger than 1 eat just one serving a day on average, while teens eat fewer than four. In the U.S., babies and young children are among those who eat the most produce, with older kids eating much less.
In the U.S., nutritional guidelines state that children who are 4 and younger should eat one cup each of fruit and vegetables daily. Teens should eat three cups of veggies and two cups of fruit. A lack of produce in children’s diets can lower their energy and affect their metabolism and mood, researchers say.
Source: BMJ Global Health
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Super movers have better brain health
If you tend to walk fast, you may be less likely to develop cognitive impairments as you age.
Researchers at Stony Brook Medicine in New York found individuals 80 and older who are considered “super movers,” those who walk much faster than others the same age, have a 50% less risk of declining cognitively than other seniors. Physicians who led the study say the findings show that mobility and brain health are connected.
Source: Neurology journal
Health care spending gap is widening
University of Chicago researchers say the amount of money low-income and high-income adults spend on health care is widening, with those making more spending more. They add that the gap shows high-income U.S. residents are spending more on outpatient care and prescription drugs that can be unavailable to those who make less.
The study, published in Health Affairs, noted that spending was similar on inpatient and emergency care, but raised concerns whether lower-income Americans have access to the same levels of care.
Source: UChicago Medicine
Teen girls who exercise have lower breast density
A new study shows teenage girls who exercise for at least two hours a week have lower breast density markers than those who don’t exercise. The findings are important because high breast density is linked to greater risks for developing breast cancer.
Studies have shown exercising in general can reduce a person’s risk of breast cancer, but researchers at Columbia University have found fitness earlier in life can affect these risks later in life, specifically in Black and Hispanic girls. The study also showed that girls who exercise as teens had lower oxidative stress markers in their urine.
Source: Breast Cancer Research journal
Whiff of chocolate good for workouts
Researchers at the University of Malaya have found that sniffing dark chocolate can reduce appetite and increase reps for those doing strength training at the gym.
As part of the study, three groups were exposed to odor samples — a liquified dark chocolate with 90% cocoa, a liquified milk chocolate and a water sample that served as the study’s control group. All participants had not eaten in 10 hours before doing leg extensions at the gym.
Those who smelled dark chocolate reported feeling fuller and added an average of 18 more repetitions to their leg extensions. Researchers say learned cues and perceived feelings of fullness may explain the findings, since dark chocolate is often associated with a state of fullness after eating.
