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From positive effects on cholesterol levels to reducing the risk of heart disease and even some cancers, nuts are good for you. Ounce for ounce, they are nutrient powerhouses with beneficial fats and plant protein. Many studies recommend eating 1-1/2 ounces of nuts a day, but which are best? High levels of nutrients put these at the top of the list. Pistachios have antioxidants including lutein, important for eye health, beta-carotene and vitamin E. Eating pistachios may help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and maintain heart health, according to Penn State researchers. Shelling them yourself prolongs your enjoyment. One ounce is equal to 45 to 50 pistachios. Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, plus a good jolt of calcium. A Korean study found that eating about two ounces of almonds a day can improve levels of all blood fats, including triglycerides. A University of Florida study found that their fiber content could boost good bacteria in the gut and good health in general. One ounce is equal to about 24 almonds. Hazelnuts, or filberts, are also rich in vitamin E as well as the minerals copper and manganese. They’re being studied, along with almonds and walnuts, as a food to protect brain health. One ounce is equal to 15 to 20 hazelnuts. Pecans are high in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. A… read on >

Fifty-six of America’s 500 biggest cities have major gaps in life expectancy between neighborhoods, a new study reveals. These gaps can mean people in one neighborhood live 20 to 30 years longer than those just a mile away — and the inequalities are prevalent in cities with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation, according to New York University researchers. They said their findings should be a wake-up call for city leaders nationwide. “Your neighborhood shouldn’t influence your odds of seeing your grandchildren grow up,” said lead researcher Dr. Marc Gourevitch, chairman of the department of population health at NYU Langone Health System. His colleague, co-author Benjamin Spoer, said researchers have known for a while that conditions from neighborhood to neighborhood can have “profound influence” on how long and how well people live. “But we were surprised to see just how large the gap in life expectancy can be between neighborhoods, and how strong the link was between life expectancy and segregation, across all different kinds and sizes of cities,” Spoer said in an NYU news release. Chicago had the biggest gap in life expectancy between neighborhoods at 30.1 years. That was followed by Washington, D.C., at 27.5 years; New York City, 27.4; and New Orleans and Buffalo, N.Y., both at 25.8 years. Scores on measures of racial and ethnic segregation in these cities were… read on >

Vitamin supplements don’t appear to prevent type 2 diabetes in those at highest risk for the disease, a new study finds. Some studies have suggested that low vitamin D levels might increase the odds of developing diabetes and that boosting levels could prevent it, but these findings throw cold water on these assumptions. In this study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 2,400 people aged 30 and older across the United States were involved. Researchers randomly assigned half of them to take 4,000 units a day of vitamin D and the other half to take a placebo. After nearly three years, 24.2% of those taking vitamin D developed diabetes, as did 26.7% of those taking the placebo. This difference isn’t statistically significant, researchers said. “In addition to the study’s size, one of its major strengths is the diversity of its participants, which enabled us to examine the effect of vitamin D across a large variety of people,” lead author Dr. Anastassios Pittas said in an NIH news release. “When the study ended, we found no meaningful difference between the two groups regardless of age, sex, race or ethnicity.” Pittas is a professor and co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts University Medical Center in Boston. The report was published June 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine… read on >

The waning effectiveness of a flawed whooping cough vaccine is the main culprit in recent outbreaks of the highly contagious bacterial infection, a new study reports. More than four out of five confirmed whooping cough (pertussis) cases strike children who are fully vaccinated, the study authors said. That’s because the vaccine for whooping cough loses effectiveness over time, the researchers discovered. Up to age 7, kids have a five times higher whooping cough risk when they’re three years out from their last shot, compared to the year immediately after vaccination, according to the report published online June 10 in Pediatrics. And kids between 7 and 11 have double the risk if they are more than six years away from their last shot, compared with less than three years after, the findings showed. “We found children who received their vaccines and who are far away from their last vaccine were at increased risk of pertussis [whooping cough],” said lead researcher Ousseny Zerbo. He is a staff scientist in the Vaccine Study Center at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland. “As time goes by, the effectiveness starts to wane.” Researchers hastened to point out that the vaccine remains a vital means of preventing the disease. Risk of catching whooping cough is 13 times higher among unvaccinated children and twice as likely among kids who are behind on… read on >

Eight of every 10 American households buys sodas and other sugary drinks each week, adding up to 2,000 calories per household per week, new research shows. To put that in perspective, 2,000 calories is equal to the recommended average caloric intake for an adult for an entire day. With the obesity epidemic continuing for Americans young and old, it’s still tough to get the message out that sugary drinks may prove lethal over time, one expert said. “It startles me how many patients of mine state that they ‘understand that soda is not good’ — however, they continue to drink for the pleasure principle,” said Sharon Zarabi. She directs the bariatric program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. However, Zarabi added, “when you actually sit down and spend time explaining the contribution of excess calories, inflammatory markers, elevated triglycerides, addictive properties, weight gain, etc., you paint a different picture.” The new study was led by Stephen Onufrak, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report — and a number of related studies — were to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, in Baltimore. In the soda consumption study, the CDC team looked at data from a government survey of the weekly grocery-buying habits of nearly 5,000 U.S. households, compiled in 2012. The findings… 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 >

Juicing nutrient-rich green vegetables like kale, broccoli and spinach gives you a brew of many vitamins and minerals, all in just one cup. But green juices can have an overpowering flavor, so many people want to cut their “bite” with the natural sweetness of fruit and/or a bit of sweetener, such as plant-based stevia or a teaspoon of maple syrup or agave. Here’s how: If you have an overripe banana on your counter, toss it into the juicer with your greens and an apple for a juice that tastes like a sweet banana shake. Adding cherries, blueberries or blackberries will also mask the flavor of fresh greens while contributing plenty of antioxidants and other nutrients. If you’re a fan of spice, add a piece of peeled ginger root for extra kick. Do you crave chocolate? Juicing blueberries and cocoa powder along with greens is a delicious way to satisfy the urge. This recipe also calls for some water to give your juice volume, plus vanilla extract for richness. Finish it with a hint of sweetener and you have a chocolate drink that’s fit for any sweet tooth. Chocolate Juice 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 cups baby spinach 1/2 cup water Sweetener or sugar substitute of your choice If using frozen berries, defrost before juicing. Place… read on >

Exercise is important for all kids, because it boosts their overall health and wards off excess weight. But it holds added benefit for teens: According to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics, it improves their attention, which can help them do better in school. The greatest payoff came from about an hour a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity, the study found. It seems that sustained exercise at a moderate level releases a specific protein that improves numerous brain functions. But overly vigorous activity could make teens too tired to focus on learning. These findings suggest that exercise could also help children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as part of an overall care plan. With many schools cutting back on physical education time during the school day, encourage your teen to take up a sport or activity that calls for a daily conditioning session, ensuring that they’ll be active not just on game days. Some kids thrive on team sports, such as soccer and lacrosse, while others do better with activities that allow them to develop more as individuals, such as track and tennis. If you have home cardio equipment, like a treadmill or exercise bike, suggest that your teen use it while listening to music. Remember to model the behavior you want your kids to follow, so let them see you working out and having fun… read on >

Though rare, some children are born with an extra finger, a condition known as polydactyly. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers set out to see whether having this extra appendage is somehow beneficial. The answer is yes. The bottom line: Having an additional finger significantly boosts a person’s ability to manipulate objects, so much so that they can execute movements with a single hand that would otherwise require two. For the study, investigators at the University of Freiburg in Germany, Imperial College London in England and the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland focused on two patients, each of whom had an additional finger between their thumb and forefinger, on an otherwise normal hand. “We wanted to know if the subjects have motor skills that go beyond people with five fingers, and how the brain is able to control the additional degrees of freedom,” explained study author Carsten Mehring, from the University of Freiburg. The researchers conducted a series of brain scans and behavioral experiments designed to track how the two patients used their hands, and their brain activity while doing so. In each case, the investigators found the extra finger had its own muscles, which enabled each person to move that finger separately from the other five fingers. “Our subjects can use their extra fingers independently, similar to an additional thumb,… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Healthy Nuts: The Best of the Best

Race Affects Life Expectancy in Major U.S. Cities

Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Study

Whooping Cough Vaccine Effectiveness Fades With Time: Study

Sugary Sodas Still Popular, But Warnings, Taxes Can Curb Uptake

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

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

Add a Sweet Surprise to Your Veggie Juice: Chocolate

Encourage Your Teen to Work Out for Better Learning

Having an Extra Finger Can Come in Handy