The latest foods found to help fight off diseases

The latest foods found to help fight off diseases.  This year’s annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, Nutrition 2018, will feature the latest scientific discoveries on foods that can help lower the risk of health issues such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Shirin Pourafshar of the University of Virginia will present research that demonstrates a link between eggs and a lower risk of diabetes.

The 12-week investigation was focused on individuals with type-2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Study participants who ate an egg each day showed greater improvements in fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance compared to those who ate an egg substitute.

Diane L. McKay of Tufts University will introduce research that suggests a daily diet of pecans lowers cardiometabolic risk factors.

For the investigation, overweight adults aged 45 and older added 1.5 ounces of whole pecans to their diet every day for four weeks. The researchers found positive changes across cardiometabolic risk factors, including blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and insulin-producing cell function.

Yumie Takata of Oregon State University  will present a review of dairy products that may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

The study was focused on 101,677 adults between the ages 54 and 83. The experts found that individuals who consumed low-fat or cultured dairy products such as yogurt had the lowest risk for developing colorectal cancer.

Puja Agarwal of Rush University Medical Center will present evidence that vegetables and berries help to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

The follow-up study was focused on over 700 participants for an average of 4.6 years. The analysis revealed that eating more berries and vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s or slow its progression in older patients.

Gaoxing Ma of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will discuss research that shows how components of edible mushrooms fight inflammation.

The team’s analysis of two polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii provided evidence that the carbohydrates can inhibit inflammatory responses. The study is the first to demonstrate the potential of these complex carbohydrates, PPEP-1 and PPEP-2, as dietary supplements.

Emily Hu of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will present a study that suggests coffee is beneficial to the liver.

The investigation revealed that participants who drank three or more cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of liver-related hospitalizations compared to those who never drank coffee. The results indicate that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for liver disease.

The findings of all of the mentioned studies are considered to be preliminary, as they have not yet undergone the peer review process.

—

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer