Nutrition Archive

Research we're watching

Thanks to marketing strategies that tout coconut oil as healthy, many people consider this solid, white fat a health food. But a new analysis confirms what nutrition experts have said for years: Coconut oil raises harmful LDL cholesterol (a well-known contributor to heart disease) much more than other vegetable oils.

The study, published online March 10, 2020, by the journal Circulation, pooled findings from 16 trials involving a total of 730 people. Most of the trials lasted one to two months and compared coconut oil consumption with that of other fats, including other vegetable oils such as soybean, safflower, canola, and olive oils. Compared with these vegetable oils, coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by 10 points, on average. An editorial accompanying the study states "In culinary practice, coconut oil should not be used as a regular cooking oil, although it can be used sparingly for flavor or texture."

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Drinking coffee is linked to many health benefits, such as less weight gain, lower average daily blood pressure, and a reduced risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But which brewing method will help you get the most from your cup? A study published online April 22, 2020, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that filtering coffee (for example, with a paper filter) — not just boiling ground coffee beans and drinking the water — was better for health, particularly for older people. Researchers analyzed the survey responses of more than 500,000 healthy coffee drinkers (ages 20 to 79) who were followed for about 20 years. People younger than 60 who drank one to four cups of coffee, particularly filtered coffee, had lower rates of artery disease and death. The lower rate of death with filtered coffee drinkers persisted in people ages 60 or older, but was lost in people who drank five or more cups per day. The study is observational and doesn't prove that filtered coffee is healthier than unfiltered coffee, but it makes sense. Unfiltered coffee contains diterpenes, compounds that can raise cholesterol, and researchers say a cup of unfiltered coffee contains 30 times more diterpenes than a cup of filtered coffee. So use that coffee filter, save the French press or Turkish unfiltered coffee for rare occasions, and consider limiting your coffee intake to less than five cups per day, on average.

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Q: I've heard that people shouldn't drink grapefruit juice if they're taking a statin. Why?

A: Certain classes of drugs — most notably statins — are metabolized (broken down) in your intestines by an enzyme called CYP3A, which normally reduces the amount of drug that enters your bloodstream. Grapefruit juice contains compounds called furanocoumarins that stop CYP3A from doing its job. As a result, more of the drug is absorbed, making it more powerful than it's meant to be — even toxic in some cases.

Given the economic stresses stemming from the current pandemic situation, many of us are trying to maintain healthy eating habits while also spending less. Adjusting your food purchases to include more plant-based choices can help your health and your budget.

Want to improve heart health? New research based on blood samples from the original DASH diet shows the DASH diet and another diet high in fruits and veggies can lower measures of heart strain and heart muscle damage within eight weeks.

Although quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is officially classified as a seed, most people think of it as a whole grain. Quinoa is usually boiled and eaten as a side dish or added to salads or soups. The small seeds come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, red, and black.

Native to South America, quinoa became popular in this country over the past decade and is widely available in grocery stores, either packaged or in bulk bins. Quinoa's impressive nutrient profile has earned it a reputation as a "superfood." Unlike most plant proteins, quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids — the protein components that our bodies are unable to make on their own.

Research we're watching

Eating a vegetarian diet may lower your risk of stroke, according to a study in the March 17 issue of Neurology.

The study included two groups of people from Buddhist communities in Taiwan, where vegetarian diets are encouraged. About 30% of the more than 130,000 participants were vegetarian, meaning they didn't eat any meat or fish. Their average age was 50, and none had a prior stroke.

Take this list to the grocery store when stocking up on supplies.

Social distancing, severe weather, a lack of transportation — each one can keep you from getting to a grocery store, leaving you with precious little to eat. When you're looking at a near-empty pantry with an oddball collection of remaining goods — like a lonely box of penne pasta or a random can of beans — it's a sign to prepare differently next time. Fortunately, it's not hard to create an emergency supply kit to hold you over until you can get to the store or have someone shop for you.

Important supplies

Lean on nonperishable items if you're worried about losing power, and add frozen foods if the bigger concern is not getting to a grocery store. Avoid convenience foods like frozen dinners and canned soups, which typically contain excessive amounts of salt, fat, calories, preservatives, and added sugars.

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Struggling with high blood sugar or diabetes? A study published online March 6, 2020, by PLOS Medicine suggests that increasing your daily fiber intake may help. British researchers combed through dozens of studies with about 10,000 participants who had prediabetes, gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes, or type 2 diabetes. Compared with people who ate low-fiber diets (19 grams of fiber per day), people who ate another 16 grams of fiber per day (a total of 35 grams per day) weighed less and had lower levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, and inflammation. There were also 14 fewer deaths per 1,000 people among those who ate high-fiber diets. If you'd like to increase your fiber intake, try to eat more fiber-rich foods at each meal. Good sources include whole-grain cereals, legumes, and nuts. For example, a cup of bran cereal has up to 47 grams of fiber, depending on the brand; half a cup of white beans has about 10 grams of fiber; and an ounce of almonds has about 13 grams of fiber. Increase fiber intake slowly, to give your digestive tract time to adjust, and remember to increase your water intake as well.

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What’s the healthiest way to eat? It depends on whom you ask. Many medical and nutrition experts claim to know the "perfect" way to eat for health, yet some of these dietary advocates disagree with each other in some fundamental ways. So, who’s right . . . and who’s wrong?

The truth is that there is no single way to eat for good health. As a species, humans are quite similar on a genetic level, yet as individual specimens we can be amazingly diverse. That’s why some people may feel great on a vegan diet while others prefer a paleo diet— two dietary patterns that would appear to be polar opposites. The paleo diet includes meat but excludes grains and legumes, while the vegan diet includes grains and legumes but excludes meat and other ani­mal products.