My Choices News Update

Consistent Sleep Is Essential for Heart Health, Just Like Diet and Exercise “Getting seven to nine hours of sleep is essential for adults, but what’s even better is keeping a consistent bedtime schedule every day. A new study found a link between sleep irregularity and atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque on artery walls that can lead to stroke, heart attack, or kidney disease.” Exercise could be the first line of attack in mental health treatment “Linking exercise with improved mental health outcomes is certainly not a new concept, with previous individual studies looking at the effects of physical activity on schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, as well as analysis of the duration and type of workouts. But researchers have now undertaken the most comprehensive meta-analysis of its kind, looking at nearly 100 studies featuring all modes of physical activity on depression, anxiety and psychological distress across broad adult populations to conclude that it’s as effective, if not more so, than psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy as an initial treatment.” Be well: Add an egg (or 3) to your daily diet for heart health “Eggs used to get a bad rap because of their high cholesterol content. Yet a new study shows they may actually be good for heart health. The study, which was recently published in the journal Nutrients, found that eating one to three eggs per week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 60%.” Doctor Stresses Screening for Colorectal Cancer “WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –  March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mary O’Donnell, chief of the Colon and Rectal Surgery for the National Capital Region and Cancer Liaison Physician at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, says that screening for the disease, especially if the cancer is caught early, has been shown to save lives.” Mediterranean lifestyle, not just diet, may greatly improve health “Much is known about the heart-health benefits of adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, with its heavy focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish and healthy oils. But what about the rest of the Mediterranean lifestyle? Short of lounging on the beaches of southern Italy or an island in Greece, could adopting the focus on relaxed, familial dining, afternoon naps and strong communal bonds also improve health?” Plant-based low-carbohydrate diet linked with lower risk of premature death for people with type 2 diabetes “Boston, MA—Following a low-carbohydrate diet comprised primarily of plant-based foods was significantly associated with lower risk of premature death among people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It is the first prospective cohort study to examine the relationship between low-carbohydrate diet patterns and mortality among people with diagnosed type 2 diabetes.” New York State Bill targets predatory food marketing “Statement of CSPI Senior Policy Scientist DeAnna Nara Families in New York and around the country are faced with the difficult task of trying to navigate a challenging food environment that works against us with aggressive, targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks. Parents need more tools in the toolbox to protect children from that kind of predatory food marketing. That’s why the Center for Science in the Public Interest stands in strong support of the Predatory Marketing Prevention Act introduced today in the New York state legislature.” NIH Releases 2020-2021 Nutrition Research Report “The mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. NIH supports and conducts a broad array of transformative and impactful research studies to better understand nutrition and how it relates to human health and disease. This research focuses on understanding how nutrients and food components are ingested, digested, absorbed, metabolized, stored, and excreted and their overall impact on the body. It also includes research studies to better understand the effects of behavior, including eating and food choice, and environmental exposures on nutritional status.”