New research reinforces advice to include more whole grains in your diet. A diet heavy in “refined” grains (such as white bread, cookies and muffins) may increase your risk for heart disease and early death, while whole grains may lower it, according to the study. “We encourage people to have moderate consumption of carbohydrates and to have different types of grain, especially whole grain,” said lead researcher Mahshid Dehghan, of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. “Reduction in quantity and improving the quality of carbohydrates is the message of our study,” Dehghan said. Grains like oats, rice, barley and wheat make up about half of diets around the world and as much as 70% in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa and South Asia, the researchers noted. The findings don’t prove that a diet heavy in refined grains causes stroke, heart attacks or other forms of heart disease, only that there seems to be a link. For the study, the research team collected data on more than 137,000 people in 21 countries who were aged 35 to 70, had no history of heart disease and were tracked for more than nine years. People who reported eating 12 ounces of refined grains a day were found to have 27% higher odds of early death and a 33% higher risk…  read on >  read on >

If you have had a heart attack and a stroke, you might want to stock up on green tea. New research from Japan finds survivors who drink plenty of green tea may live longer lives. Stroke survivors who drank at least seven cups per day were 62% less likely to die during the study period, versus non-drinkers. Similarly, the risk was cut by 53% among heart attack survivors who downed that much tea. Green tea was not the only beverage tied to longer life. For heart attack survivors — as well as people with no cardiovascular problems — moderate coffee intake was also linked to better survival. The coffee benefit did not extend, however, to stroke survivors. What does it all mean? The findings do not prove that either beverage is a life-prolonging elixir. But they do add to evidence that plant compounds called flavonoids are good for cardiovascular health, according to Dr. Andrew Freeman. Freeman, who was not involved in the study, is director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. There are no magic bullet foods, and a few cups of green tea won’t “cancel out the effects of a bacon cheeseburger,” Freeman said. He stressed the importance of an overall diet low in processed foods and rich in plant-based ones — including fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and…  read on >  read on >

Homemade juices are a popular way for health-conscious people to get their veggies. But the juicing method of choice makes a difference, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that three different techniques — using either a blender or a low- or high-speed juicer — produced beverages with different levels of antioxidants and various plant compounds. But anyone hoping for a simple verdict on the best buy is out of luck. The nutrient findings were mixed, and no “winner” appliance emerged, according to senior researcher Bhimanagouda Patil. “We’re not making any recommendations on which method is best,” said Patil, who directs the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. In general, the study found, both juicers beat the blender when it came to antioxidant activity and phenolics — a broad group of plant compounds. Low-speed juicing, in particular, often churned out the highest concentrations. But that also depended on the vegetable in question: With kale, for example, low-speed juicing clearly squeezed out the most phenolics. That wasn’t the case, however, with beets or carrots. Meanwhile, blenders were not always in last place. They performed well when it came to compounds called alpha-amylase inhibitors, which help control blood sugar levels after a meal. “It’s complicated,” Patil said. Beyond that, the study assessed only a limited number of vegetables and plant compounds — what Patil called…  read on >  read on >

Homemade juices are a popular way for health-conscious people to get their veggies. But the juicing method of choice makes a difference, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that three different techniques — using either a blender or a low- or high-speed juicer — produced beverages with different levels of antioxidants and various plant compounds. But anyone hoping for a simple verdict on the best buy is out of luck. The nutrient findings were mixed, and no “winner” appliance emerged, according to senior researcher Bhimanagouda Patil. “We’re not making any recommendations on which method is best,” said Patil, who directs the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. In general, the study found, both juicers beat the blender when it came to antioxidant activity and phenolics — a broad group of plant compounds. Low-speed juicing, in particular, often churned out the highest concentrations. But that also depended on the vegetable in question: With kale, for example, low-speed juicing clearly squeezed out the most phenolics. That wasn’t the case, however, with beets or carrots. Meanwhile, blenders were not always in last place. They performed well when it came to compounds called alpha-amylase inhibitors, which help control blood sugar levels after a meal. “It’s complicated,” Patil said. Beyond that, the study assessed only a limited number of vegetables and plant compounds — what Patil called…  read on >  read on >

It’s not just sagging that ages a face, but loss of fat under the skin as well, according to a new study. The findings could help plastic surgeons give their patients a more natural look, the study authors said. For the study, researchers analyzed CT scans of the faces of 19 people, taken at least a decade apart. The study participants were an average age of 46 at the time of the first scan and 57 on average at the second scan. The patients weren’t undergoing facelift surgery or other cosmetic procedures. The scans were useful for measuring changes in fat deposits in the midface, which is the area between the eyes and the mouth. The total volume of facial fat decreased by about 12% at the follow-up scan. Fat volume in the superficial compartment, which is just under the skin, decreased by an average of about 11%, while there was a greater loss in the deep facial fat compartment, an average reduction of more than 18%, the investigators found. The findings support the volume loss theory, according to the report published in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “In particular, we think that deep facial fat loss removes support from the overlying fat,” said study author Dr. Aaron Morgan, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. “That causes deepening of the…  read on >  read on >

Black American children have higher rates of shellfish and fish allergies than white children, a new study finds. The research confirms the important role that race plays in children’s food allergies, the study authors said. “Food allergy is a common condition in the U.S., and we know from our previous research that there are important differences between African American and white children with food allergy, but there is so much we need to know to be able to help our patients from minority groups,” said study co-author Dr. Mahboobeh Mahdavinia. She is chief of allergy and immunology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “In this current paper, our goal was to understand whether children from different races are allergic to similar foods, or if there is a difference based on their racial background,” Mahdavinia said in a medical center news release. The research team studied 664 children, aged 12 and under, who’d been diagnosed with a food allergy. Of those, 36% were Black and 64% were white. Compared to white kids, Black children were more likely to have shellfish and fin fish allergy, and to have a wheat allergy, the investigators found. Cockroach exposure can trigger shellfish and fin fish allergy in children, and there are higher levels of cockroach allergens in poorer inner-city neighborhoods where many Black children live, the study authors noted.…  read on >  read on >