Eats « Weekly Gravy

Consuming greater amounts of certain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may reduce the risk of asthma in kids — but only those with a common gene variant, British researchers say. They focused on the long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. “Asthma is the most common chronic condition in childhood and we currently don’t know how to prevent it,” said study senior author Seif Shaheen, of Queen Mary University of London. “It is possible that a poor diet may increase the risk of developing asthma, but until now most studies have taken ‘snapshots’, measuring diet and asthma over a short period of time,” he said in a university news release. To find out if intake of omega-3s might matter, the researchers analyzed data on more than 4,500 Britons who were born in the 1990s and whose health has been tracked since birth. The researchers analyzed the association between intake of EPA and DHA from fish at 7 years of age and rates of newly diagnosed asthma in these kids as they reached 11 to 14 years of age. Overall, omega-3 intake from fish was not associated with asthma onset. But it did seem tied to a lower odds for asthma in a subgroup of children with a particular genetic makeup. The DNA… 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 >

There have been good and bad changes to U.S. children’s diets during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say. “Providing healthy meals and snacks to our kids can be a challenge even when we’re not experiencing a pandemic,” said senior study author Susan Carnell. She’s an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore. “The pandemic has massively disrupted families and caused a lot of stress, and this has naturally affected interactions around food,” Carnell said in a school news release. To find out how the pandemic is affecting children’s diets, the Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers surveyed 318 parents of children aged 2 to 12 across the United States. Parents who reported higher levels of stress due to the pandemic were more likely to use food to manage children’s emotions and behaviors. For example, they might use less healthy food and snacks, such as cookies, to reward their children, the study found. Stress specifically related to COVID-19 among parents was also associated with children eating more sweet and savory snacks throughout the day. But the survey also revealed some positive trends. For example, 75% of respondents said their children had regular breakfast, lunch and dinner times. The researchers also found an association between lower stress levels, consistent mealtimes and routines, and positive food-related interactions, such as parents eating… read on > read on >

FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — New federal dietary guidelines encourage Americans to focus more on eating healthy throughout life, to be flexible in their eating patterns and to cut down on empty calories. The recommendations, released every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, are designed to promote nutrition and prevent chronic disease. The guidance influences food and nutrition programs at the federal, state and local levels, and impacts how food companies formulate their products. “The high prevalence of diabetes, cancer and heart disease could be reduced if people ate better,” said Judith Wylie-Rosett, a professor of health promotion and nutrition research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. “Chronic diseases are often related to obesity and poor nutritional habits.” Here are five important takeaways from nutrition experts: There’s flexibility to customize The recommendations emphasize that healthy eating comes in many forms and can be adjusted to fit cultural traditions, personal tastes and different budgets. Swapping out red meat, for example, doesn’t mean people have to force down their least-favorite source of protein. “You can go with a plant-based diet or eat seafood, poultry and legumes rather than red meat,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, a distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. The new focus… read on > read on >

While researchers continue to try to find the key that unlocks the cause of Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests that what a person eats could make a difference. Researchers in Canada found a strong correlation between eating either a Mediterranean diet or the MIND diet (which combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and a diet known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), and a delay in onset of Parkinson’s disease. “Sticking really closely to these diets, both the MIND and the Mediterranean diet, coincided with a later onset of Parkinson’s disease,” said Avril Metcalfe-Roach, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. “For women, that was actually up to 17.4 years when they adhered really closely to the MIND diet and for men it was about eight years.” The study, published online recently in the journal Movement Disorders, offers a glimmer of hope because there’s a lack of medications to prevent or delay Parkinson’s disease, the researchers noted. Metcalfe-Roach acknowledged that the study has limitations. It asked the 167 study participants what they ate after they were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and presumed those were eating habits they had maintained for some time. “That is a limitation of our study. We don’t really know how long they have been on those diets, but ideally for neurodegenerative diseases and your health in general,… read on > read on >