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The more we learn about fiber, the more important the recommendation to get enough of it becomes. Key Health Benefits of Fiber Lowering cholesterol Lowering blood sugar Easing elimination Improving heart health Possibly reducing colon cancer risk Helping with weight control “Fiber” is actually an umbrella term for many different types in foods, so many that they’ve been likened to vitamins. They vary in function and amount needed, but all contribute to better health. Common thinking has been that soluble fiber, typically found inoatsand in legumes like peas and lentils, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar, while insoluble fiber, found in wheat bran and fruit and vegetables, helps keep you regular. Turns out that it’s not quite so black and white. Some soluble fibers like oat bran and psyllium do both jobs, while others don’t seem to affect cholesterol. That’s why getting a mix through a varied diet makes the most sense. But it’s also important to get enough fiber every day. While eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for many reasons, realize that even eating the skins contributes only slightly to meeting daily fiber needs. Try to increase and vary the total amount of fiber-rich foods you eat by adding whole grains like wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and buckwheat, along with legumes, nuts and seeds. The U.S. Food and Drug… read on >

About 22% of people who live in conflict areas suffer from mental health problems, a new study review finds. Common problems include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, according to the World Health Organization. About 9% have a moderate to severe mental health condition. These conclusions are based on a review of 129 previously published studies. The numbers are significantly higher than the global estimate of 1 in 14 in the general population. Researchers said earlier studies underestimated how living in war zones and other conflict areas affects mental health. They found that depression and anxiety increased with age, and said depression was more common in women than men. Mild mental health conditions were the most common (13%). An estimated 4% of conditions were moderate, and 5% were severe. The report was published June 11 in the journal The Lancet. “I am confident that our study provides the most accurate estimates available today of the prevalence of mental health conditions in areas of conflict,” lead author Fiona Charlson said in a journal news release. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia and the University of Washington in Seattle. Conflict areas today include Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In 2016, the number of wars was at a historic high — with 53 ongoing conflicts… read on >

Obesity can worsen multiple sclerosis symptoms, researchers say. Their study involved 140 patients with the relapsing-remitting form of MS, which means patients have periods of attacks (relapses), followed by periods of remission with no or few symptoms. The researchers found that obesity at the time of diagnosis was associated with more severe disability. The reason: increased inflammation. The researchers looked at the connection between the autoimmune disease, which can produce pain, stiffness and loss of balance, and excess weight. They checked levels of inflammation in the central nervous system, and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. They found that obese patients have higher levels of two proteins that promote inflammation — interleukin-6 and leptin, which is produced by fat cells. Excessively heavy patients also had lower levels of interleukin-13, an anti-inflammatory agent. Higher triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol previously have been linked to higher IL-6 levels, the researchers pointed out. “This study confirms that obesity is associated with greater symptomatic severity of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis,” said study co-author Dr. Mario Stampanoni Bassi, a neurologist at Neuromed Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Pozzilli, Italy. “Our results therefore suggest that excessive body weight, or altered lipid profile, are associated to increased central inflammation,” he said in an institute news release. This causes symptoms to worsen. Body weight and high cholesterol or triglycerides are implicated in various chronic inflammatory conditions,… read on >

It’s not just Moms: Just ahead of Father’s Day, a new survey finds that about half of American dads say they’ve been criticized about their parenting styles. The way they enforced discipline topped the list of things naysayers called them to task on, with two-thirds of critiques focused on that subject. Forty-four percent of the time, the criticism came from a family member, often the other child-rearing partner, the findings showed. “Addressing a child’s misbehavior is one of the greatest challenges of parenting, and parents aren’t always on the same page when it comes to expectations and consequences,” said survey co-director Sarah Clark, of the University of Michigan. That could prove problematic for families, Clark said. “Inconsistency between parents in responding to a child’s behavior can send mixed messages to the child, and result in conflict and criticism between parents,” she explained in a university news release. The next big topic for dad shaming involved the kinds of food men gave their kids (40% of critiques). Not paying enough attention to the children was also an issue of contention, as was the accusation that dad-child playtime could get too rough — about one-third of fathers said they’d felt judged for these two things. Other issues raised had to do with how a dad’s parenting style impacted a child’s sleep habits, safety or overall appearance. The… read on >

If your loved one’s crooning is music to your ears, the reason appears to rest with part of brain that is super-sensitive to pitch. That’s the upshot of a new study offering a fresh look into what makes us human. For the research, which aimed to understand the role of music in health, researchers compared how human brains and monkey brains respond to speech and music. Key finding: People have a far keener sensitivity to pitch than our evolutionary cousins, macaque monkeys. “This finding suggests that speech and music may have fundamentally changed the way our brain processes pitch,” said lead author Bevil Conway, of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. “It may also help explain why it has been so hard for scientists to train monkeys to perform auditory tasks that humans find relatively effortless.” In the study, researchers played a series of harmonic sounds, or tones, to healthy volunteers and monkeys, and used imaging to see how their brains responded. They also monitored brain activity in response to toneless sounds. Though the brains of monkeys and humans had similar hot spots in response to high frequency sounds, a brain area called the auditory cortex was far more sensitive to tones among the humans. “It’s when we added tonal structure to the sounds that some of these same regions of the human brain became… read on >

If you or a family member has asthma, your doctor has most likely mapped out the steps you need to take to treat an asthma flare. Creating a healthier home by minimizing your triggers can be as effective as medication for reducing symptoms and flares, according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Triggers include indoor pollutants like cigarette smoke and gas stoves, as well as allergens such as mold, pets and pests — from dust mites that hide in bedding to cockroaches. One approach is to talk to your doctor about allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibody tests or skin testing to identify the allergens that affect you most. Then you can map out a strategy to rid your home of the worst offenders. HEPA or “high-efficiency particulate air purifiers” do a great job of removing airborne allergens. True HEPA devices can trap particles in the air that are as small as 0.3 microns — that’s less than 1/25,000 of an inch. HEPA filters are available for your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and for specially equipped vacuum cleaners. Protect mattresses and pillows with zippered allergen-proof covers, and launder bed linens regularly in hot water followed by a hot spin in the dryer, experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest. To prevent mold, keep your kitchen, bathrooms and basement… read on >

Creamy and rich, yogurt is a versatile dairy food that can be turned into delicious meals. It’s high in protein, probiotics to help with digestion, and other essential nutrients like calcium. Research has shown that the fat in yogurt doesn’t damage your heart, so full-fat is fine unless you’re on a low-fat diet for health or to lose weight. In this case, 0% fat is for you. When it comes to yogurt flavors, however, skip the “fruit on the bottom” varieties and avoid the kids’ brands that come in a tube and have loads of sugar. Instead, start with plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. For extra creaminess, go for Greek yogurt. Thicker than sour cream, it can be used in its place in many recipes. If you don’t want the tanginess of plain yogurt, stir in the sweetener of your choice. This way you can control the amount of sugar. Also remember to check the expiration date before you buy. While you’re in the dairy section, check out kefir, a yogurt-like drink that contains even more probiotics than yogurt. It’s a great base for smoothies. Whether you prefer yogurt or kefir, here are three fun ways to enjoy them: For a fast dip, stir dried onions into 2% Greek yogurt along with celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and black pepper to taste. For… read on >

If you dread seeing the doctor and your blood pressure reading always seems to be high at the doctor’s office, a new review says you should take those elevated readings seriously. The problem is called white-coat hypertension (because of doctors’ traditional white coats) and it may signal an underlying problem. The research defined white-coat hypertension as elevated readings at the doctor’s office, along with normal blood pressure elsewhere. People who had untreated white-coat hypertension had double the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke compared with people with normal blood pressure. The odds of having a heart attack or stroke were also about one-third higher for those with white-coat hypertension, according to the new review. Their risk of dying prematurely from any cause was also increased by about a third compared to people with no blood pressure problems. “People with white-coat hypertension may not be monitored regularly. They may feel like nothing is wrong,” said lead author Dr. Jordana Cohen. She is an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. Cohen said everyone needs to know their blood pressure outside the doctor’s office. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a defined as a top reading of at least 130 or a bottom one of 80. The condition affects nearly a third of American adults, the researchers said. “Know… read on >

The kind of foods you eat, and even the order in which you eat them can affect your odds of developing type 2 diabetes, three new studies suggest. The studies — being presented to the American Society for Nutrition — found: Switching to a mostly plant-based diet (but one that could still include meat and dairy) could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 60%. Eating greater amounts of vitamins B2 and B6 was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while getting more B12 in the diet seemed to be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The order that you eat your foods appears to matter. People who ate vegetables before having meat or rice had lower blood sugar levels, along with positive changes in their hunger hormones. Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, reviewed the findings. “Emphasizing fruits and vegetables and whole foods is a very practical and easy way to manage type 2 diabetes,” she said. “Half your plate should be green, even at breakfast, when you could have an egg white omelet with spinach for example.” As for the sequence of eating, Kumar said vegetables, high-fiber foods and even protein take longer to leave the stomach, which slows down the rise in… read on >

While kids get some benefit from using digital and social media, such as early learning and exposure to new ideas, too much of it can negatively affect their health, sleep and eating habits, and even their attention span. But ruling out all media usage isn’t the answer either. An approach suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics can help you strike the right balance. It involves writing up a family media use plan that everyone agrees on and follows. The idea is for parents and children to adapt Academy-recommended guidelines on screen time, including TV, cellphones, computers, tablets and even smartwatches. This will include deciding on screen-free areas around the house such as the dining room, time limits on use, what time gadgets need to be turned off — and even where to charge equipment. It’s key for restorative sleep for all family members that no one sleep with any devices in their bedrooms and all use should stop at least one hour before bedtime. A family plan should include all key lifestyle habits, from getting an hour of exercise every day to getting the age-appropriate hours of sleep. You can create your own schedule or fill out the “Family Media Use Plan” on the Academy’s website. It lets you plug in your kids’ daily activities and determine how much time is available for media… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Which Foods Are the Best Sources of Dietary Fiber?

1 in 5 People Living in Conflict Areas Has a Mental Health Problem

Obesity Could Worsen MS Disability

‘Dad Shaming’ Is Real, Survey Shows

Why Humans Respond to Music and Monkeys Don’t

Your Guide to a Healthier Home for Better Asthma Control

Say Yes to Yummy, Healthy Yogurt

High Blood Pressure at Doctor’s Office May Be More Dangerous Than Suspected

What and How You Eat Affects Your Odds for Type 2 Diabetes

How to Put Limits on Your Family’s Screen Time