ScienceDaily

Date:
December 1, 2017
Source:
Columbia University
Summary:
Researchers have developed a new microscopy technique that allows for the direct tracking of fatty acids after they’ve been absorbed into living cells. What they found using this technique could have significant impact on both the understanding and treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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FULL STORY

Saturated fatty acids build lipids that form ‘frozen islands’ (blue) in cell membrane (green).
Credit: Nicoletta Barolini, Columbia University
In our increasingly health-conscious society, a new fad diet seems to pop up every few years. Atkins, Zone, Ketogenic, Vegetarian, Vegan, South Beach, Raw — with so many choices and scientific evidence to back each, it’s hard to know what’s healthy and what’s not. One message, however, has remained throughout: saturated fats are bad.

A new Columbia University study reveals why.

While doctors, nutritionists and researchers have known for a long time that saturated fats contribute to some of the leading causes of death in the United States, they haven’t been able to determine how or why excess saturated fats, such as those released from lard, are toxic to cells and cause a wide variety of lipid-related diseases, while unsaturated fats, such as those from fish and olive oil, can be protective.

To find answers, Columbia researchers developed a new microscopy technique that allows for the direct tracking of fatty acids after they’ve been absorbed into living cells. The technique involves replacing hydrogen atoms on fatty acids with their isotope, deuterium, without changing their physicochemical properties and behavior like traditional strategies do. By making the switch, all molecules made from fatty acids can be observed inside living cells by an advanced imaging technique called stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy.

What the researchers found using this technique could have significant impact on both the understanding and treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Published online December 1st in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team reports that the cellular process of building the cell membrane from saturated fatty acids results in patches of hardened membrane in which molecules are “frozen.” Under healthy conditions, this membrane should be flexible and the molecules fluidic.

The researchers explained that the stiff, straight, long chains of saturated fatty acids rigidify the lipid molecules and cause them to separate from the rest of the cell’s membrane. Under their microscope, the team observed that those lipid molecules then accumulate in tightly-packed “islands,” or clusters, that don’t move much — a state they call “solid-like.” As more saturated fatty acids enter the cell, those islands grow in size, creating increasing inelasticity of the membrane and gradually damaging the entire cell.

“For a long time, we believed that all cell membrane is liquid-like, allowing embedded proteins to change their shape and perform reactions,” said Principal Investigator Wei Min, a professor of chemistry. “Solid-like membrane was hardly observed in living mammalian cells before. What we saw was quite different and surprising.”

Lipid molecules made from unsaturated fatty acids on the other hand bear a kink in their chains, Min said, which makes it impossible for these lipid molecules to align closely with each other as saturated ones do. They continue to move around freely rather than forming stationary clusters. In their movement, these molecules can jostle and slide in between the tightly-packed saturated fatty acid chains.

“We found that adding unsaturated fatty acids could ‘melt’ the membrane islands frozen by saturated fatty acids,” said First Author Yihui Shen, a graduate student in Min’s lab. This new mechanism, she said, can partly explain the beneficial effect of unsaturated fatty acids and how unsaturated fats like those from fish oil can be protective in some lipid disorders.

The study represents the first time researchers were able to visualize the distribution and dynamics of fatty acids in such detail inside living cells, Shen added, and it revealed a previously unknown toxic physical state of the saturated lipid accumulation inside cellular membranes.

“The behavior of saturated fatty acids once they’ve entered cells contributes to major and often deadly diseases,” Min said. “Visualizing how fatty acids are contributing to lipid metabolic disease gives us the direct physical information we need to begin looking for effective ways to treat them. Perhaps, for example, we can find a way to block the toxic lipid accumulation. We’re excited. This finding has the potential to really impact public health, especially for lipid related diseases.”

Story Source:

Materials provided by Columbia University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Yihui Shen, Zhilun Zhao, Luyuan Zhang, Lingyan Shi, Sanjid Shahriar, Robin B. Chan, Gilbert Di Paolo, Wei Min. Metabolic activity induces membrane phase separation in endoplasmic reticulum. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201712555 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712555114
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Columbia University. “How saturated fatty acids damage cells: Observations of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid behavior could impact public health.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 December 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171201181545.htm>.

Study Proves Sugar Is Responsible for Remarkable Rate of Disease

Story at-a-glance

Sugar has become a daily habit in the past 100 years, during which rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses have skyrocketed
Recent research demonstrates cancer cells use sugar as their primary fuel and are functionally starved when sugar is withheld, upholding previous research by German biochemist, Otto Warburg
The metabolic theory of cancer holds sugar damages mitochondrial function and energy production, triggering cell mutations that are then fed by ongoing sugar consumption
Your healthiest choice is to avoid or eliminate refined sugar from your diet by eating whole, organic foods, and carefully reading labels of any packaged foods you buy

By Dr. Mercola

Refined sugar was not consumed on a daily basis until the past 100 years. Before that, it was a treat afforded only by the very rich as sugar cane was a difficult crop to grow. In the past 100 years, rates of obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and numerous other chronic diseases have skyrocketed.

When sugar and tobacco were introduced by Native Americans to Europeans as they began to settle America, the average life span was relatively short.¹ This meant health consequences from sugar and tobacco were easily buried in the myriad of other life challenges the early settlers faced.

As early as the 1920s, research documented the damage sugar does to your body. To this day, tobacco continues to be a leading a cause of premature death.² Unfortunately, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call tobacco the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., that title may well belong to sugar. Yet people who would never consider smoking may have little concern over the amount of sugar and starch eaten each day.

From a nutritional standpoint, your body does not need refined sugar. Although you need glucose, your body manufactures the glucose it needs in your liver through a process called gluconeogenesis. If you never ate another morsel of candy, sugar or starch again, you would live quite comfortably and likely in far better health.

Sugar Feeds the Growth of Cancer Cells

Recent research reported in this short news video demonstrates that the amount of sugar you eat each day should be an important consideration in your nutritional plan. In 1926, German biochemist Otto Warburg observed cancer cells fermented glucose to lactic acid, even in the presence of oxygen (known as the Warburg effect), and theorized it might be the fundamental cause of cancer.³ This led to the idea that tumor growth could be disturbed by cutting off the energy supply, namely sugar.

For decades, scientists and researchers dismissed the idea, and the sugar industry backed them up. Warburg received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1931 for his work in cellular respiration and energy production. His life’s mission was to find a cure for cancer, but his findings were largely ignored by the conventional medical community as they were considered simplistic and didn’t fit the genetic model of disease that was widely accepted.

Recent research from Belgium⁴ shows there is indeed a strong link between glucose overstimulation and mutated proteins often found inside human tumor cells, which make the cells grow faster.⁵ The study began in 2008, triggered by the researchers’ desire to gain a greater understanding of the Warburg effect.

The rapid breakdown of glucose in tumor cells is not seen in healthy cells, making glucose the primary energy source for cancer. Researcher Johan Thevelein, Ph.D., a molecular biologist from LU Leuven in Belgium, commented on the results of the study in a press release, saying:⁶

“Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth. Thus, it is able to explain the correlation between the strength of the Warburg effect and tumor aggressiveness.

This link between sugar and cancer has sweeping consequences. Our results provide a foundation for future research in this domain, which can now be performed with a much more precise and relevant focus.”

Cell Mutation Not Limited to Sugar Consumption

They’re quick to point out that while they believe the presence of added sugar in your diet may increase the aggressive growth of cancer cells, their research does not prove it triggers the original mutation.⁷ That said, previous research has shown that the genetic mutations found in cancer cells are actually a downstream effect caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, not the original cause, and excessive sugar consumption is one of the things that triggers mitochondrial dysfunction. I’ll discuss this more in a section below.

Granted, there are thousands of manufactured chemicals in your home, car and workplace that may cause or contribute to cell mutations. Air pollution, personal care products, plastics and chemical treatments often contain chemicals with carcinogenic properties, and such exposures also play a role.

The mutation of a cell, fed by your daily sugar habit, may grow into cancer. Cell mutation from sugar consumption occurs after mitochondrial damage. However, sugar also provides nutrition to cells mutated by contaminant exposure, and is required for these mutated cells to grow and multiply. As such, your sugar intake becomes an important factor, and one that you have a great deal of control over.

Normally, energy is drawn from glucose through a process of oxidation that requires the presence of oxygen.⁸ But, cancer cells use a process of fermentation, even when oxygen is present, to create energy. The process, called glycolysis, extracts less energy during the process, but requires less energy and fewer steps to get energy from glucose.

This means that even in the absence of oxygen, tumor cells can extract energy from glucose molecules. Rapid cell division of cancer cells to fuel growth requires the presence of a lot of sugar. Warburg believed a defect in the mitochondria of cancer cells allows the cells to use glycolysis to fuel growth, which suggests cancer is actually a metabolic disease that is affected by your diet.

Research Supports Cancer Is a Metabolic Disease

In the U.S. an estimated 600,000 people will die from cancer this year, costing over $125 billion in health care expenses.⁹ The World Health Organization finds cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 8.8 million deaths in 2015.¹⁰Imagine if that many people were dying each year from the flu or polio. This would be headline news each day. Have we become so used to the idea of cancer that 1.6 million new cases every year in the U.S. is old news?

Conventional cancer treatment focuses on surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. However, many of these treatments have only been successful at lengthening lives by months and not in curing the disease. The basis for these treatments is that cancer is a genetic problem and not one triggered and fed by mitochondrial dysfunction. As a result, the nutritional link is typically overlooked.

The featured study exposes the flaw in using only pharmaceutical, surgical and radiation treatments on tumors and other cancer growths. Warburg postulated that by cutting off the food supply cancer cells rely on for survival, you effectively starve them.

Research has also shown that genetic mutations are not the trigger for cancer growths but rather a downstream effect resulting from defective energy metabolism in cell mitochondria. This defective energy metabolism changes the way your cells function and promotes the growth of cancer cells.

In other words, if your mitochondria remain healthy, your risk of developing cancer is slim. Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D., author of “Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management and Treatment of Cancer,” has received many awards and honors through his long and illustrious career for the work he’s done expanding knowledge of how metabolism affects cancer.

He is one of the pioneers in the application of nutritional ketosis for cancer. While in nutritional ketosis, your body burns fat for fuel instead of starches and carbohydrates. By eating a healthy high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low- to moderate-protein diet, your body begins to burn fat as its primary fuel. Research from Ohio State University demonstrates athletes who eat a ketogenic diet experience significant improvements in their health and performance.¹¹

Nutritional ketosis is also showing great promise in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease,¹² Type 2 diabetes¹³ and seizures¹⁴ that are unresponsive to medications. This recent research from Belgium confirms the work Warburg, Seyfried and others have done, and supports the hypothesis that cancer is a metabolically-based disease and not a genetic problem.

Chemotherapy May Not Be the Answer

Traditional administration of chemotherapy may increase your risk of metastasis (the spread of cancer cells through your body) and may trigger additional tumor growth. Chemotherapy is sometimes recommended prior to surgery to help shrink the size of the tumor, increasing the likelihood a woman could have a lumpectomy instead of a full mastectomy.

Recent research reveals that giving chemotherapy prior to breast cancer surgery may promote metastasis of the disease, allowing it to spread to other areas of your body.¹⁵ This greatly increases the risk of dying. The study found that mice had twice the amount of cancer cells in their blood and lungs after treatment with chemotherapy. The researchers also found similar results in 20 human patients whose tumor microenvironments became more favorable to metastasis after chemotherapy.

Other studies in men with prostate cancer have demonstrated chemotherapy may cause DNA damage in healthy cells that boosts tumor growth and helps the cancer cells resist treatment.¹⁶ Research continues to reveal the effect chemotherapy has on your body and the devastating effect it has on healthy cells. At least as far back as 2004, researchers have known that “chemotherapy only makes a minor contribution to cancer survival.”¹⁷

Your Healthiest Choice Is to Avoid Sugar

Sugar is a primary factor driving the development of a number of different health conditions and chronic diseases. Sugar contributes to several of the leading causes of death in the U.S., including:¹⁸

Heart disease	Hypertension	Atherosclerosis	Cancer
Stroke	Diabetes	Chronic liver disease	Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease¹⁹

While all forms of sugar are harmful when consumed in excess, processed fructose — the most commonly found sugar in processed foods — appears to be the worst. Manufacturers use the addictive property of sugar to drive sales, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) allows them to achieve their goals at a lower price. Although it tastes like sugar, HFCS gives your body a bigger sugar jolt. Dr. Yulia Johnson, family medicine physician with The Iowa Clinic, comments on the use of HFCS:²⁰

“Your body processes high fructose corn syrup differently than it does ordinary sugar. The burden falls on your liver, which is not capable of keeping up with how quickly corn syrup breaks down. As a result, blood sugar spikes quicker. It’s stored as fat, so you can become obese and develop other health problems, such as diabetes, much faster.”

It stands to reason that if you want to live a healthier life and reduce your health care costs and your risk for cancer, you’d be wise to avoid refined sugar as much as possible, if not eliminate it from your diet entirely.

Eating real food (ideally organic), following a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein diet described in “Fat for Fuel,” and fasting are all things you can do to optimize your health and reduce your risk of chronic disease. For inspiring stories of others who have used a ketogenic diet to stabilize their health, read my article, “Promoting Advances in Managing Cancer as a Metabolic Disease Need Your Support.”

If you do pick up packaged foods, read the labels carefully so you can make an informed decision about the sugar you’re adding to your diet. Sugars may masquerade under several different names on food labels. Some of the more common names are listed below, but there are more than are listed here.

Labels list ingredients in order of the amount in the product. In other words, there is more of the first ingredient than the second, and so forth. When evaluating sugar, remember if it is listed in the fourth, sixth and ninth positions, the combined total may put it in the first or second position.²¹

Fruit juice concentrate	Evaporated cane juice	Cane juice crystals	Blackstrap molasses
Buttered syrup	Fruit juice	Honey	Carob syrup
Caramel	Brown rice syrup	Corn syrup solids	Florida crystal
Golden syrup	Maple syrup	Molasses	Refiner’s syrup
Sorghum syrup	Sucanat	Treacle	Turbinado
Barley malt	Corn syrup	Dextrin	Dextrose
Diastatic malt	Ethyl maltol	Glucose	Glucose solids
Lactose	Malt Syrup	Maltose	D-ribose
Rice syrup	Galactose	Maltodextrin	Castor

– Sources and References

Pistachios Lower Blood Pressure

6 Oct, 2017 by DrSarahBrewer
Pistachios make a healthy snack which, as well as tasting great, can lower a high blood pressure, too. There are several different ways in which pistachios can lower your blood pressure, so enjoy these guilt-free snacks.

Pistachios for high blood pressure
Pistachios are among the top 50 foods when it comes to antioxidant content, including carotenoid pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin), polyphenols, vitamin C and vitamin E which can improve blood vessel elasticity

Pistachios are packed with protein (20% weight), including a high percentage (2% weight) of l-arginine which has a powerful blood pressure lowering effect. Pistachios are also a good source of minerals that can lower blood pressure, especially potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Compared with other nuts, pistachios are relatively low in fat, of which most is beneficial monounsaturated fats (similar to those found in olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats. Pistachios also provide phytosterols which can lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Nuts are an important part of the DASH diet which has beneficial effects on blood pressure control. The effects of eating different nuts was therefore assessed from the results of 21 clinical trials, involving 1652 people, to see which nuts had the most powerful blood pressure lowering effects.

Overall, pistachios were the only type of nut found to significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. Eating 30g to 60g pistachios per day could reduce a high blood pressure by around 3/1.6 mmHg.

A study which asked 28 people with high cholesterol levels to eat 1 or 2 servings of pistachios per day found average reductions in systolic blood pressure of 4.8/2.4 mmHg. The greatest reductions in blood pressure were seen after acute stress produced by cold exposure or challenging maths tests.

Adding pistachios to your diet
Shell-on roasted pistachios are one of the healthiest snacks for high blood pressure.

Removing the kernels from the shell helps to pace your intake, and allow for more mindful eating.

Don’t eat salted pistachios, as the sodium will offset any health benefits you gain from the pistachio nuts themselves.

Dark chocolate coated pistachios are also good for blood pressure, as dark chocolate is one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidant polyphenols, and is a good source of magnesium.

Sprinkle pistachios over breakfasts, salads, desserts, yoghurt or add to smoothies.

You can also use pistachios instead of pine nuts to make a pistachio pesto sauce.

How to make a Pistachio Pesto Sauce
Pistachio pesto sauce is one of my favourite dressings – drizzle it over salads, cold meats, roast vegetables or whole meal pasta. But, whatever you do, when making it from scratch, omit the salt!

A recent study found that the salt content of ready-bought pesto sauces remains high despite campaigns to lower sodium salt consumption.

120g (5 cups) fresh basil leaves and stems
50g (½ cup) grated cheese – use Grana Padano cheese to boost blood pressure benefits
40g (⅓ cup) pistachio kernels
3 large peeled cloves garlic
80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
Simply blend the basil, cheese, pistachios and garlic together to form a thick paste, then slowly add the olive oil to make a super healthy pesto sauce. (Again, don’t add the pinch of salt!)

If your blood pressure is raised, self-monitoring will help you maintain good control.

Click here for advice on choosing a blood pressure monitor to use at home.

See my recommended upper arm blood pressure monitors.

Image credits: pixabay; ckim06/wikimedia; pixabay;

TenFold increase in Childhood Obesity

Tenfold increase in childhood and adolescent obesity in four decades, new study finds
October 10, 2017
adolescent
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
The number of obese children and adolescents (aged 5 to 19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades, according to a new study led by Imperial College London and the World Health Organization (WHO). If current trends continue, more children and adolescents will be obese than moderately or severely underweight by 2022.
The study is published in The Lancet ahead of World Obesity Day (11 October). It analyzed weight and height measurements from nearly 130 million people aged over five (31.5 million people aged 5 to 19, and 97.4 million aged 20 and older), the largest number of participants ever involved in an epidemiological study. More than 1000 researchers contributed to the study, which looked at body mass index (BMI) and how obesity has changed worldwide from 1975 to 2016.
During this period, obesity rates in the world’s children and adolescents increased from less than 1% (equivalent to five million girls and six million boys) in 1975 to nearly 6% in girls (50 million) and nearly 8% in boys (74 million) in 2016. Combined, the number of obese 5 to 19 year olds rose more than tenfold globally, from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. An additional 213 million were overweight in 2016 but fell below the threshold for obesity.
Lead author Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial’s School of Public Health, said: “Over the past four decades, obesity rates in children and adolescents have soared globally, and continue to do so in low- and middle-income countries. More recently, they have plateaued in higher income countries, although obesity levels remain unacceptably high.”
Professor Ezzati adds: “These worrying trends reflect the impact of food marketing and policies across the globe, with healthy nutritious foods too expensive for poor families and communities. The trend predicts a generation of children and adolescents growing up obese and also malnourished. We need ways to make healthy, nutritious food more available at home and school, especially in poor families and communities, and regulations and taxes to protect children from unhealthy foods.”
More obese than underweight 5 to 19 year olds by 2022
The authors say that if post-2000 trends continue, global levels of child and adolescent obesity will surpass those for moderately and severely underweight for the same age group by 2022.

Nevertheless, the large number of moderately or severely underweight children and adolescents in 2016 (75 million girls and 117 boys) still represents a major public health challenge, especially in the poorest parts of the world. This reflects the threat posed by malnutrition in all its forms, with there being underweight and overweight young people living in the same communities.
Children and adolescents have rapidly transitioned from mostly underweight to mostly overweight in many middle-income countries, including in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors say this could reflect an increase in the consumption of energy-dense foods, especially highly processed carbohydrates, which lead to weight gain and poor lifelong health outcomes.
Dr. Fiona Bull, programme coordinator for surveillance and population-based prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at WHO, said: “These data highlight, remind and reinforce that overweight and obesity is a global health crisis today, and threatens to worsen in coming years unless we start taking drastic action.”
Global data for obesity and underweight
In 2016, there were 50 million obese girls and 74 million obese boys in the world, while the global number of moderately or severely underweight girls and boys was 75 million and 117 million respectively.
The number of obese adults increased from 100 million in 1975 (69 million women, 31 million men) to 671 million in 2016 (390 million women, 281 million men). Another 1.3 billion adults were overweight, but fell below the threshold for obesity.
Regional/Country data for obesity, BMI and underweight
Obesity:
The rise in childhood and adolescent obesity in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Asia, has accelerated since 1975. Conversely, the rise in high income countries has slowed and plateaued.
The largest increase in the number of obese children and adolescents was seen in East Asia, the high-income English-speaking region (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK), and the Middle East and North Africa.
In 2016, obesity rates were highest overall in Polynesia and Micronesia, at 25.4% in girls and 22.4% in boys, followed by the high-income English-speaking region. Nauru had the highest prevalence of obesity for girls (33.4%), and Cook Islands had the highest for boys (33.3%).
In Europe, girls in Malta and boys in Greece had the highest obesity rates, at 11.3% and 16.7% of the population respectively. Girls and boys in Moldova had the lowest obesity rates, at 3.2% and 5% of the population respectively.
Girls in the UK had the 73rd highest obesity rate in the world (6th in Europe), and boys in the UK had the 84th highest obesity in the world (18th in Europe).
Girls in the USA had the 15th highest obesity rate in the world, and boys had the 12th highest obesity in the world.
Among high-income countries, the USA had the highest obesity rates for girls and boys.
BMI:
The largest rise in BMI of children and adolescents since 1975 was in Polynesia and Micronesia for both sexes, and in central Latin America for girls. The smallest rise in the BMI of children and adolescents during the four decades covered by the study was seen in Eastern Europe.
The country with the biggest rise in BMI for girls was Samoa, which rose by 5.6 kg/m2, and for boys was the Cook Islands, which rose by 4.4 kg/m2.
Underweight:
India had the highest prevalence of moderately and severely underweight under-19s throughout these four decades (24.4% of girls and 39.3% of boys were moderately or severely underweight in 1975, and 22.7% and 30.7% in 2016). 97 million of the world’s moderately or severely underweight children and adolescents lived in India in 2016.
Solutions exist to reduce child and adolescent obesity
In conjunction with the release of the new obesity estimates, WHO is publishing a summary of the Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) Implementation Plan. The plan gives countries clear guidance on effective actions to curb childhood and adolescent obesity. WHO has also released guidelines calling on frontline healthcare workers to actively identify and manage children who are overweight or obese.
Dr. Bull added: “WHO encourages countries to implement efforts to address the environments that today are increasing our children’s chance of obesity. Countries should aim particularly to reduce consumption of cheap, ultra-processed, calorie dense, nutrient poor foods. They should also reduce the time children spend on screen-based and sedentary leisure activities by promoting greater participation in physical activity through active recreation and sports.”
Dr. Sophie Hawkesworth, from the Population Health team at Wellcome Trust, which co-funded the study, said: “Global population studies on this scale are hugely important in understanding and addressing modern health challenges. This study harnessed the power of big data to highlight worrying trends of both continuing high numbers of underweight children and teenagers and a concurrent stark rise in childhood obesity. Together with global health partners and the international research community, Wellcome is working to help identify new research opportunities that could help better understand all aspects of malnutrition and the long-term health consequences.”
Explore further: Study finds one in five teenage French girls too thin
More information: The Lancet (2017). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3 , http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32129-3/fulltext?elsca1=tlpr
Journal reference: The Lancet
Provided by: Imperial College London

The Health Benefits of Peas

Green peas are packed with various health benefits. Peas are really little powerhouses of nutrition that are a boon for your health. This vegetable is low in fat content but packed with fiber and protein. They help in improving digestion, preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol, and keeping the entire body strong and young. Just add some seasoning to a cup of boiled peas and eat them as mid-day snacks. Let’s see amazing health benefits of Green peas here.

Incredible Nutritional benefits of Green Peas – a Healthiest Food
Health Benefits of Green Peas

Filled with protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, these sweet seed-like bulbs are perfect to add to any meal or to have on their own. They are one of the best plant-based sources of protein, which is a major reason why they are so filling, along with their high amount of fiber. Green peas have a low glycemic index and are rich in fiber and protein, all of which are important factors for blood sugar control.

Health Benefits of Green Peas
Green Peas

Weight Management
Peas are low-fat but high-everything-else. A cup of peas has less than 100 calories but lots of protein, fiber, and micronutrients.

Control Diabetes
Green peas have a few characteristics that are known to aid blood sugar control, which is an important factor in preventing and controlling diabetes. Their fiber and protein prevent your blood sugar levels from rising too quickly, which helps keep diabetes under control.

Prevents Stomach Cancer
Peas contain high amounts of a health-protective polyphenol called coumestrol. A study in Mexico City determined you only need 2 milligrams per day of this phytonutrient to prevent stomach cancer.

Lowers Cholesterol Level
Green peas contain plenty of soluble fiber, which is important for keeping low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in balance. High LDL cholesterol levels can lead to the development of strokes, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes, which is why it’s important to keep it in check.

Improves Immunity
High levels of antioxidants in peas prevent several reactions in the body that may cause serious diseases. They are rich sources of many minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, copper, manganese etc. which enhances the immune system of your body.

Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease
Vitamin K present in peas helps you in the prevention of serious diseases like Alzheimer’s and arthritis. In Alzheimer’s afflicted patients, regular consumption of peas limits neuronal damage in the brain.

Good for Healthy Bones
Just one cup of peas contains 44% of your Vitamin K, which helps to anchor calcium inside the bones. Its B vitamins also help to prevent osteoporosis.

Why Avocado is a Superfood or Super Fruit

The Avocado is known as the Alligator Pear for its form and also natural leather-like appearance. It’s taken into consideration one of the healthiest food. This Alligator Pear contains vitamins A, B, E, K, and c, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as potassium. Here, on this page, we will find interesting facts and useful health benefits of avocado.

Avocado is definitely nutrient-dense fruit. From glowing skin to a strong heart, it has several properties to boost health. Avocados are full of many beneficial nutrients including vitamin E, niacin, and riboflavin. Avocado has twice the potassium of a banana.

Avocado has smooth creaminess and nutty buttery taste and has been eaten in more than 35 millions of the green fruits each year. Beneath the inedible skin is a fruit which is largely made up of monounsaturated fat, one of the healthiest form of fats which is also found in rapeseed and olive oils. Half a large avocado contains 180 calories and counts as one of your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

As it is high in potassium, which is essential for protecting the vascular system and helps to regulate the heart as it pumps blood around the body. People who are trying to lose weight can expect to feel ‘fuller’ and eat less if they make sure that avocados are part of their diet.

Avocados contain high amounts of the B vitamin, folic acid, which protects against birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Folate is an important regulator of embryonic and fetal nerve formation and helps to reduce the risk of giving birth too early.

Let’s have a look at a few of fascinating health benefits of avocado –

Health Benefits of Avocado Fruit

Health Benefits of Avocado Fruit: Eating it may help you Lose Weight. If this holds true in the long-term, then including it in your diet could help you naturally eat fewer calories and have an easier time sticking to a good diet. These are also high in fiber, and very low in carbs, two attributes that should also help promote weight loss, at least in the context of a real food based diet. They are also abundant in vitamin E, Glutathione and also monounsaturated fat which maintains the heart strong. The potassium in it also assist control and keep regular blood pressure. It’s high folate material help in protecting against the risk of stroke or various other cardiovascular troubles.

Health Benefits of Avocado Fruit: The anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-oxidants components in them, strengthen the physical body’s immune system and its ability to combat diseases. These components likewise work as anti-cancer residential properties because it boosts the physical body’s oxidative and inflammatory stress levels, therefore, lower the chances of cancer cells cell expansion. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that are essential to eye and vision. These two carotenoids act as antioxidants in the eye and can minimize the damage and reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Another benefit of foods with high levels of folate is a lowered risk of depression. Folate helps to prevent an excess of homocysteine forming in the body, which can block blood and other nutrients from reaching the brain.

Avocado Fruit Images, Photos, Pics, Picture

Health Benefits of Avocado Fruit: Being rich in antioxidants, these are beneficial in preventing aging symptoms. The glutathione in them may boost immune systems, slows down the aging process, and encourages a strong nervous system. The levels of essential minerals in it are significant, including zinc, phosphorous, copper, and trace amounts of calcium and selenium. All of these are connected to lowered risks of osteoporosis and improvements in bone mineral density. The avocado oil is added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. It also aids in treating psoriasis, a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation.

Folate is also extremely important for pregnant women. Adequate intake protects against miscarriage and neural tube defects. They are one of the best natural mouthwash and bad breath remedies. It cleanses intestine which is the real cause of coated tongue and bad breath.

Why Avocado is a Superfood or Super Fruit

Let’s have a look at a few of fascinating health benefits of avocado –

Health Benefits of Avocado Fruit

Avocado Fruit Images, Photos, Pics, Picture

Lower Brain Glucose Levels found in Diabetics and Obese People

Lower brain glucose levels found in people with obesity, type 2 diabetes

Date:: October 19, 2017
Source:: Yale University
Summary:: Glucose levels are reduced in the brains of individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes compared to lean individuals, according to a new study. The finding might explain disordered eating behavior — and even a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease — among obese and diabetic individuals, the researchers said.
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Glucose levels are reduced in the brains of individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes compared to lean individuals, according to a new Yale study. The finding might explain disordered eating behavior — and even a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease — among obese and diabetic individuals, the researchers said.

The study was published Oct. 19 in JCI Insight.

Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked to decreased metabolism in the brain. This hypometabolism is also associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but researchers have not pinpointed why. To examine the mechanism, the Yale team studied brain glucose levels in three different groups of adults: individuals who are lean and healthy, and those with either obesity or poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

After fasting overnight, the study participants received intravenous infusions of glucose for two hours. During the infusions, the researchers used a brain scanning technique — magnetic resonance spectroscopy — to measure levels of glucose in the brain.

While blood glucose levels among the participants were similar, the researchers detected significant differences in brain glucose. Among the obese and diabetic participants, “we found decreased or blunted entry of glucose into the brain,” said first author and assistant professor of medicine Janice Hwang, M.D.

That blunting could be one mechanism that undermines the ability of the brain to sense glucose, she noted.

The researchers also rated participants’ hunger, satisfaction, and fullness before and after the infusions. “The lean people who had more glucose entry into the brain also felt more full, even though they hadn’t eaten overnight,” she said.

Hwang explained further: “Glucose is the most primitive signal to the brain that you’ve eaten. Could it be that obese individuals are not getting sugar into the brain, and not sensing it; thus the feedback loop to stop eating could also be blunted?”

The study points to the importance of sugar transport from the blood into the brain as both a target for further research and possible pharmacological intervention in people with obesity and types 2 diabetes, the researchers noted.

Gut Bacteria and Fat Lose

Faster metabolism makeover—nurturing your gut bacteria

Here’s how to take control of your cravings and lose weight for good by improving your gut health. You’re not alone! Right now, you’ve got 100 trillion bacteria living in your digestive system. Most of us are familiar only with these tiny critters’ embarrassing habit of releasing smelly gas at the wrong moments, but the truth is, your gut bugs are intimately involved with your weight. There’s growing evidence that the right mix of bacteria in your intestines can help you make healthier food choices and stay slim, while the wrong mix encourages weight gain and a taste for junky processed foods. When researchers carefully checked the types of bacteria found from the digestive systems of 154 people, they found that those who were obese had the smallest variety of gut bacteria. A lab study with mice from the same team found that having more of a type of bacteria called Firmicutes may be related to weight gain. These bugs are great at sucking more kilojoules out of food—digesting complex sugars that other bacteria can’t and converting them into simple sugars and fatty acids that get absorbed from your intestines into your bloodstream. In contrast, having more of a type of bacteria called Bacteroidetes has been associated with a slimmer physique. Gut bugs help control your weight in several ways, research suggests. Some send more kilojoules into your body, where they’re likely to be stored as fat. But that’s not all. Scientists have found that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori is involved in the regulation of certain hormones, including the hunger hormone ghrelin. While nobody wants an overabundance of H. pylori (it can cause painful stomach ulcers), the researchers note that the widespread use of antibiotics has reduced levels of H. pylori and could be making weight loss more difficult. In a 2011 study of 92 people published in the journal BMC Gastroenterology, found those who were prescribed antibiotics to knock out H. pylori (due to digestive-system problems) also saw ghrelin levels rise sixfold after the bacteria were completely eliminated. And in a recent lab study in mice, researchers found that a fatty acid called acetate, which is pumped out by gut bacteria, increased eating behaviors. The elevated release of acetate also increased production of ghrelin and of insulin, a key blood sugar control hormone that also promotes the storage of body fat….For example, when 21 people increased their daily intake of fiber by 21 grams, they had more Bacteroidetes and fewer Firmicutes in their systems after 3 weeks, according to a study. Bacteria, especially the good guys, love munching on the fiber found in abundance in clean foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. But loading up on processed junk food takes things in the other direction in a hurry.
Faster metabolism makeover—nurturing your gut bacteria
Faster metabolism makeover—nurturing your gut bacteria

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Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults and Youth: United States, 2015–2016
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Key findings
What was the prevalence of obesity in adults in 2015–2016?
Were there differences in the prevalence of obesity among adults by race and Hispanic origin in 2015–2016?
What was the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years in 2015–2016?
Were there differences in the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years by race and Hispanic origin in 2015–2016?
What are the trends in adult and childhood obesity?
Summary
Definition
Data source and methods
About the authors
References
Suggested citation
NCHS Data Brief No. 288, October 2017

PDF Version (589 KB)

Craig M. Hales, M.D., Margaret D. Carroll, M.S.P.H., Cheryl D. Fryer, M.S.P.H., and Cynthia L. Ogden, Ph.D.

Key findings

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

In 2015–2016, the prevalence of obesity was 39.8% in adults and 18.5% in youth.
The prevalence of obesity was higher among middle-aged adults (42.8%) than among younger adults (35.7%).
The prevalence of obesity was higher among youth aged 6–11 years (18.4%) and adolescents aged 12–19 years (20.6%) compared with children aged 2–5 years (13.9%).
The overall prevalence of obesity was higher among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults than among non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian adults. The same pattern was seen among youth.
The observed change in prevalence between 2013–2014 and 2015–2016 was not significant among both adults and youth.
Obesity is associated with serious health risks (1). Monitoring obesity prevalence is relevant for public health programs that focus on reducing or preventing obesity. Between 2003–2004 and 2013–2014, there were no significant changes in childhood obesity prevalence, but adults showed an increasing trend (2). This report provides the most recent national estimates from 2015–2016 on obesity prevalence by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin, and overall estimates from 1999–2000 through 2015–2016.

Keyword: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

What was the prevalence of obesity in adults in 2015–2016?

The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults was 39.8% (crude). Overall, the prevalence among adults aged 40–59 (42.8%) was higher than among adults aged 20–39 (35.7%). No significant difference in prevalence was seen between adults aged 60 and over (41.0%) and younger age groups (Figure 1).

Among both men and women, the prevalence of obesity followed a similar pattern by age. Men aged 40–59 (40.8%) had a higher prevalence of obesity than men aged 20–39 (34.8%). Women aged 40–59 (44.7%) had a higher prevalence of obesity than women aged 20–39 (36.5%). For both men and women, the prevalence of obesity among those aged 60 and over was not significantly different from the prevalence among those aged 20–39 or 40–59.

There was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between men and women overall or by age group.

Figure 1. Prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and age: United States, 2015–2016
Figure 1 shows the prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and age in the United States from 2015 through 2016.

1Significantly different from those aged 20–39.
NOTES: Estimates for adults aged 20 and over were age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. Crude estimates are 39.8% for total, 38.0% for men, and 41.5% for women. Access data table for Figure 1.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.

Were there differences in the prevalence of obesity among adults by race and Hispanic origin in 2015–2016?

The prevalence of obesity was lower among non-Hispanic Asian adults (12.7%) compared with all other race and Hispanic-origin groups. Hispanic (47.0%) and non-Hispanic black (46.8%) adults had a higher prevalence of obesity than non-Hispanic white adults (37.9%). The pattern among women was similar to the pattern in the overall adult population. The prevalence of obesity was 38.0% in non-Hispanic white, 54.8% in non-Hispanic black, 14.8% in non-Hispanic Asian, and 50.6% in Hispanic women. Among men, the prevalence of obesity was lower in non-Hispanic Asian adults (10.1%) compared with non-Hispanic white (37.9%), non-Hispanic black (36.9%), and Hispanic (43.1%) men. Non-Hispanic black men had a lower prevalence of obesity than Hispanic men, but there was no significant difference between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white men (Figure 2).

Among non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic adults, women had a higher prevalence of obesity than men. There was no significant difference in prevalence between non-Hispanic white men and women.

Figure 2. Age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2015–2016
Figure 2 shows the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and race and Hispanic origin in the United States from 2015 through 2016.

1Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian persons.
2Significantly different from non-Hispanic white persons.
3Significantly different from Hispanic persons.
4Significantly different from women of same race and Hispanic origin.
NOTES: All estimates are age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. Access data table for Figure 2.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.

What was the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years in 2015–2016?

The prevalence of obesity among U.S. youth was 18.5% in 2015–2016. Overall, the prevalence of obesity among adolescents (12–19 years) (20.6%) and school-aged children (6–11 years) (18.4%) was higher than among preschool-aged children (2–5 years) (13.9%). School-aged boys (20.4%) had a higher prevalence of obesity than preschool-aged boys (14.3%). Adolescent girls (20.9%) had a higher prevalence of obesity than preschool-aged girls (13.5%) (Figure 3).

There was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between boys and girls overall or by age group.

Figure 3. Prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and age: United States, 2015–2016
Figure 3 shows the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2 through 19 years, by sex and age in the United States from 2015 through 2016.

1Significantly different from those aged 2–5 years.
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 3.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.

Were there differences in the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years by race and Hispanic origin in 2015–2016?

The prevalence of obesity among non-Hispanic black (22.0%) and Hispanic (25.8%) youth was higher than among both non-Hispanic white (14.1%) and non-Hispanic Asian (11.0%) youth. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of obesity between non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian youth or between non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth. The pattern among girls was similar to the pattern in all youth. The prevalence of obesity was 25.1% in non-Hispanic black, 23.6% in Hispanic, 13.5% in non-Hispanic white, and 10.1% in non-Hispanic Asian girls. The pattern among boys was similar to the pattern in all youth, except Hispanic boys (28.0%) had a higher prevalence of obesity than non-Hispanic black boys (19.0%) (Figure 4).

There were no significant differences in the prevalence of obesity between boys and girls by race and Hispanic origin.

Figure 4. Prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2015–2016
Figure 4 shows the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2 through 19 years, by sex and race and Hispanic origin in the United States from 2015 through 2016.

1Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian persons.
2Significantly different from non-Hispanic white persons.
3Significantly different from non-Hispanic black persons.
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 4.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.

What are the trends in adult and childhood obesity?

From 1999–2000 through 2015–2016, a significantly increasing trend in obesity was observed in both adults and youth. The observed change in prevalence between 2013–2014 and 2015–2016, however, was not significant among both adults and youth (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Trends in obesity prevalence among adults aged 20 and over (age adjusted) and youth aged 2–19 years: United States, 1999–2000 through 2015–2016
Figure 5 shows trends in obesity prevalence among adults aged 20 and over (age adjusted) and youth aged 2 through 19 years in the United States from 1999 through 2000 through 2015 through 2016.

1Significant increasing linear trend from 1999–2000 through 2015–2016.
NOTES: All estimates for adults are age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. Access data table for Figure 5.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2016.

Summary

The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% among adults and 18.5% among youth in the United States in 2015–2016. The prevalence of obesity was higher among adults aged 40–59 than among adults aged 20–39 overall and in both men and women. Among youth, the prevalence of obesity among those aged 2–5 years was lower compared with older children, and this pattern was seen in both boys and girls.

Women had a higher prevalence of obesity than men among non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic adults, but not among non-Hispanic white adults. Among youth, there was no significant difference in obesity prevalence between boys and girls of the same race and Hispanic origin.

Overall, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults and youth had a higher prevalence of obesity compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups. Obesity prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic Asian men and women compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups. Among men, obesity prevalence was similar between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white men, but obesity prevalence was higher among Hispanic men compared with non-Hispanic black men. For women, obesity prevalence was similar among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women, and both groups had a higher prevalence of obesity than non-Hispanic white women. Among youth, obesity prevalence among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth was higher than both non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian youth. This pattern was similar among boys and girls, except Hispanic boys had a higher obesity prevalence than non-Hispanic black boys.

Obesity prevalence increased in both adults and youth during the 18 years between 1999–2000 and 2015–2016. Previous analyses showed no change in prevalence among youth between 2003–2004 and 2013–2014 (2). In addition, the observed increase in prevalence between 2013–2014 and 2015–2016 was not significant among youth or adults.

Obesity is defined using cut points of body mass index (BMI). BMI does not measure body fat directly, and the relationship between BMI and body fat varies by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin (3,4). Morbidity and mortality risk may vary between different race and Hispanic-origin groups at the same BMI. Among some Asian subgroups, risk may begin to increase at a lower BMI compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups, although study results have varied (5,6).

The definition of obesity is based on BMI for both youth and adults, but the definitions are not directly comparable. Among adults, there is a set cut point based on health risk, while among children, the definition is statistical and is based on a comparison to a reference population (7).

The prevalence of obesity in the United States remains higher than the Healthy People 2020 goals of 14.5% among youth and 30.5% among adults (8).

Definition

Obesity: BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, rounded to one decimal place. Obesity in adults was defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 30. Obesity in youth was defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts (7).

Data source and methods

Data from nine 2-year cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, and 2015–2016) were used for these analyses. Data from NHANES 2015–2016 were used to test differences between subgroups. This 2-year NHANES survey cycle provides the most recent estimates of obesity. However, the precision of the estimated prevalence of obesity and the ability to detect differences in the prevalence when a difference does exist are lower than when estimates are based on 4 years of data because of the smaller sample sizes. In testing for trends in obesity, orthogonal contrasts were used with the nine 2-year cycles.

NHANES is a cross-sectional survey designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the civilian non institutionalized U.S. population (9). The survey consists of interviews conducted in participants’ homes and standardized physical examinations, including measured height and weight, in mobile examination centers.

The NHANES sample is selected through a complex, multistage probability design. Starting in 2011, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic persons, among other groups, were oversampled to obtain reliable estimates for these population subgroups. Race- and Hispanic origin-specific estimates reflect individuals reporting only one race; those reporting more than one race are included in the total but are not reported separately.

Examination sample weights, which account for the differential probabilities of selection, nonresponse, and non coverage, were incorporated into the estimation process. All variance estimates accounted for the complex survey design by using Taylor series linearization. Pregnant females were excluded from analyses.

Prevalence estimates for the adult population aged 20 and over were age adjusted using the direct method to the 2000 projected U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. Differences between groups were tested using a univariate t statistic at the p < 0.05 significance level. All differences reported are statistically significant unless otherwise indicated. Adjustments were not made for multiple comparisons. Data management and statistical analyses were conducted using SAS System for Windows version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, N.C.), SUDAAN version 11.0 (RTI International, Research Triangle Park, N.C.), and R version 3.4.1 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria), including the R survey package (10) to account for the complex sample design.

About the authors

Craig M. Hales, Margaret D. Carroll, Cheryl D. Fryer, and Cynthia L. Ogden are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

References

National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults—The evidence report. Obese Res 6(Suppl 2):51S–209S. 1998.
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryer CD, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS data brief, no 219. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015.
Flegal KM, Ogden CL, Yanovski JA, Freedman DS, Shepherd JA, Graubard BI, Borrud LG. High adiposity and high body mass index-for-age in U.S. children and adolescents overall and by race-ethnic group. Am J Clin Nutr 91(4):1020–6. 2010.
Deurenberg P, Deurenberg-Yap M, Guricci S. Asians are different from Caucasians and from each other in their body mass index/body fat per cent relationship. Obes Rev 3(3):141–6. 2002.
Jafar TH, Islam M, Poulter N, Hatcher J, Schmid CH, Levey AS, Chaturvedi N. Children in South Asia have higher body mass-adjusted blood pressure levels than white children in the United States: A comparative study. Circulation 111(10):1291–7. 2005.
Zheng W, McLerran DF, Rolland B, Zhang X, Inoue M, Matsuo K, et al. Association between body-mass index and risk of death in more than 1 million Asians. N Engl J Med 364(8):719–29. 2011.
Ogden CL, Flegal KM. Changes in terminology for childhood overweight and obesity. National health statistics reports; no 25. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2020 Topics & Objectives: Nutrition and weight status.
Johnson CL, Dohrmann SM, Burt VL, Mohadjer LK. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Sample design, 2011–2014. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 2(162). 2014.
Lumley T. Survey: Analysis of complex survey samples. R package (Version 3.32) [computer program]. 2017.

Suggested citation

Hales CM, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2015–2016. NCHS data brief, no 288. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.

All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., M.B.A., Director
Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science

Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Kathryn S. Porter, M.D., M.S., Director
Ryne Paulose-Ram, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science

Health Benefits of Squash

Eat Squash Vegetable for Better Vision, Skin Health and Immune System

Squash is one of the most versatile and delicious vegetables available throughout the world, and it also packs a serious punch in terms of health and medicinal benefits. Different varieties of squash have the ability to improve the quality of your sight, boost skin health and strengthen the immune system. The seeds of squash are also edible and can be made into a number of different forms or their oils can be extracted. Squash is an umbrella term that includes different vegetables like zucchinis, pumpkins and marrows, etc. Let’s see amazing health benefits of Squash vegetable for better vision, skin and immune system.

The peel of squash also contains many nutrients so it’s better to never peel summer squash. Squash is also very low in calories. Squash is high in vitamins A, C, and niacin while containing useful amounts of folate, potassium. Most squash also contains protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, manganese and other vital nutrients.

Health Benefits of Squash

Benefits of Squash for Better Vision

Summer squash contains high amounts of beta-carotene and lutein. Dietary lutein plays an important role in preventing the onset of cataracts and macular degeneration, which often leads to blindness. A cup of summer squash contains about 135 milligrams of beta-carotene and 2400 micrograms of lutein. Carotenoids found in winter squash also reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Boosts Immunity

Squash is an important source of many nutrients, including vitamin C, magnesium, and other antioxidant compounds. These vitamins and minerals are important antioxidant components in the body, which help to neutralize free radicals throughout the body. Free radicals are the natural, dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism, and they have been connected with a wide swath of illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, and premature aging. Furthermore, it contains very high levels of vitamin A, including carotenoid phytonutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. All of this together helps the body boost its immune response and defend against foreign substances, as well as the free radicals produced by our own body, that may do us harm over the long-term

Benefits of Squash for Maintaining Skin Health and Prevent Aging

A balanced diet greatly helps in providing certain vital nutrients that can keep your skin healthy. Vegetables, in general, are good for skin and squash is one of them. Being rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, squash is quite beneficial for your skin. Squash is an excellent source of vitamin A. It has beta-carotene that gets converted into vitamin A within the body. Being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin A is required for maintaining proper health and integrity of the skin.

One of the essential benefits of squash includes protection against the damaging effects of sun exposure and preventing dehydration. Moreover, it contains high levels of vitamin C, which fights free radicals within the body, thus preventing signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. Regular consumption of squash keeps your skin hydrated.

Prevent cancer

Squash contains some vitamin C which acts as an antioxidant that can fight cancer. Some studies reported that the juice of squash can prevent the cell from mutation which is triggered by free radicals damage.

Fight inflammation

Inflammation usually happens as result of infection in the body. Squash contains beta-carotene which is known as both powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Eating or consuming squash juice can help you to reduce inflammation.

Prevent diabetes

Carotenoids which presence in squash can help to regulate blood sugar level . so does the fiber that found in squash can also double the effect in lowering blood sugar level. That’s why squash is considered as a healthy snack for diabetes patients.

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Health Benefits of Squash

Eat Squash Vegetable for Better Vision, Skin Health and Immune System

Health Benefits of Squash

Benefits of Squash for Better Vision

Boosts Immunity

Benefits of Squash for Maintaining Skin Health and Prevent Aging

Prevent cancer

Fight inflammation

Prevent diabetes

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