What can you add to a wide variety of dishes, from cereals to salads, that are crunchy, satisfying, and tasty – as well as heart-healthy? The answer is nuts. While all nuts are packed with beneficial nutrients, walnuts may be especially beneficial for cardiovascular health, according to a recent study published in the journal Circulation that corroborates prior research in this area.
What is the purpose of the study?
The Walnuts and Healthy Aging research was a randomized controlled experiment funded by the California Walnut Commission. It followed healthy older persons in two towns. Researchers divided 708 adults aged 63 to 79 residing in Loma Linda, California, or Barcelona, Spain, into two groups for the study. For two years, one group consumed a half-cup of walnuts daily, while the other group did not.
After two years, the walnut group had somewhat reduced average levels of dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Notably, roughly a third of participants were taking cholesterol-lowering statins, indicating that both groups' average cholesterol levels were already within the normal range. According to the study, the cholesterol-lowering effects of walnuts may be more obvious among persons who have increased cholesterol levels. There is no way to tell if this is true based on current data.
"This latest experiment verifies what other research has discovered, namely that eating walnuts appears to lower cholesterol levels," says Dr. Deirdre Tobias, obesity and nutritional epidemiology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Additionally, the current research lasted significantly longer than previous walnut investigations. However, it is unclear whether foods were substituted for walnuts in the participants' diets, which could impact the amount of the advantages observed by the researchers. For instance, Dr. Tobias notes that substituting walnuts for unhealthy, ultra-processed snacks would probably have a bigger benefit than a lateral shift from healthy to walnuts.
A number of studies have suggested a connection between an increased risk of heart attack or other heart-related disorders and a diet heavy in calcium supplements. However, this association remains controversial. The National Osteoporosis Foundation and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology have identified no such association in more recent research.
According to other specialists, the association between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular disease may have been coincidental.
What do you do if you're too embarrassed to go to the doctor?
Here are some pointers for when you're feeling uneasy, bashful, or even ashamed at the physician's office.
Doctors are responsible for all aspects of our health, down to our birthday suits and the most personal mental and physical problems. It's all part of the work description for professionals who deal with sensitive facts all day, every day.
However, you may feel awkward being candid or vulnerable with professionals you visit just a few times a year — or with whom you have just met. This may prevent you from being candid during a doctor visit; according to some studies, up to 81 percent of patients suppress information about their health behaviors from doctors out of fear of being criticized or chastised.
Alternatively, you may choose to avoid scheduling an appointment in the first place. And this hesitancy may have a negative impact on one's health.
Common concerns
There are numerous reasons why you may be hesitant to consult a physician. For instance:
You disregarded the physician's advice. Perhaps you did not follow your doctor's advice to take drugs, exercise, cut back on alcohol, lose weight, or quit smoking.
You are aware of the stigma associated with a sickness or disease. Discussing sensitive health issues — such as sexual dysfunction, sexually transmitted disease, diarrhea, flatulence, or mental illness — can be challenging. "Certain people experience embarrassment or shame as a result of having a certain illness. They do not want the public to be aware of it "According to Dr. Salamon.
You are obese. It can be embarrassing to walk on a scale, particularly in a public area such as a doctor's office hallway.
You do not wish to undress. "Some people are reluctant to undress due to shyness or dissatisfaction with their body image," Dr. Salamon explains.
Q. According to my doctor, measurements such as my body mass index or other measurements are more predictive of my future health than my weight. What are these additional measurements?
A. What is the purpose of a doctor weighing you? Determine how much fat you have, particularly harmful fat. There are various clever and expensive methods for determining one's body fat percentage, but they are most useful in research investigations.
Your total body weight, of course, indicates not only the amount of fat in your body but also the amount of numerous other tissues — muscle, liver, heart, and brain, to name a few. Additionally, if you are taller, the total weight of your body tissues is likely to be greater.
As a result, scientists developed the body mass index, or BMI, a measurement based on a person's weight and height. Numerous studies have demonstrated that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 represents a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 suggests obesity, and 30 or above indicates morbid obesity. Obesity is related to poor health and earlier mortality.
The BMI is calculated by combining your weight and height, as being overweight is proportional to your height. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, you are not overweight; nevertheless, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand only 5 feet tall, you are significantly overweight – indeed, obese.
While BMI is a far more accurate indicator of health than weight alone, it is not without limitations. It does not do as well in assessing body fat in older persons as it does in younger adults. And it makes no distinction between belly fat and fat found in other areas of the body, such as the hips. Excess abdominal fat is more detrimental to your health than other types of fat.
As a result, waist circumference has been researched as a health indicator. It is measured around your natural waist, which is defined as the area between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, or around the belly button. It is a highly accurate method of assessing abdominal fat. Increased waist circumference is a major predictor of poor health and death earlier in life. However, standardizing precisely where to measure the waist circumference is difficult: two different health professionals may obtain somewhat different measures of your waist circumference.
Additionally, the link between the waist and hip measurements is utilized. A higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the likelihood of negative health consequences and early death. Regrettably, like the waist measurement, the hip measurement is difficult to standardize.
Your total body weight, of course, indicates not only the amount of fat in your body but also the amount of numerous other tissues — muscle, liver, heart, and brain, to name a few. Additionally, if you are taller, the total weight of your body tissues is likely to be greater.
As a result, scientists developed the body mass index, or BMI, a measurement based on a person's weight and height. Numerous studies have demonstrated that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 represents a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 suggests obesity, and 30 or above indicates morbid obesity. Obesity is related to poor health and earlier mortality.
The BMI is calculated by combining your weight and height, as being overweight is proportional to your height. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, you are not overweight; nevertheless, if you weigh 200 pounds and stand only 5 feet tall, you are significantly overweight – indeed, obese.
While BMI is a far more accurate indicator of health than weight alone, it is not without limitations. It does not do as well in assessing body fat in older persons as it does in younger adults. And it makes no distinction between belly fat and fat found in other areas of the body, such as the hips. Excess abdominal fat is more detrimental to your health than other types of fat.
As a result, waist circumference has been researched as a health indicator. It is measured around your natural waist, which is defined as the area between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, or around the belly button. It is a highly accurate method of assessing abdominal fat. Increased waist circumference is a major predictor of poor health and death earlier in life. However, standardizing precisely where to measure the waist circumference is difficult: two different health professionals may obtain somewhat different measures of your waist circumference.
Additionally, the link between the waist and hip measurements is utilized. A higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the likelihood of negative health consequences and early death. Regrettably, like the waist measurement, the hip measurement is difficult to standardize.
Are you searching for style ideas of what to wear to a Nigerian wedding? When it comes to choosing a Nigerian wedding guest dress, every female has her doubts. It's difficult to settle on a certain look, hue, or combination of colors. But you have to realize is that your style choice is endless. Styles like fringe ornamentation, fringed hemlines, high-waisted hemlines, waistline slits, mesh fabrics, and peplum tops are all in fashion right now!
Look through these Nigerian wedding guest gowns and choose one out for yourself, don't forget to accessorize, and don't forget your makeup and gele if necessary!
While advancements occur on a daily basis in science, real breakthroughs are uncommon. What does it take to make game-changing scientific discoveries? Some are the consequence of a fortunate accident paired with curiosity: scientists driving down one road discover a reason to deviate onto another, one they had not intended to travel – a route that may possibly lead nowhere.
Other significant discoveries have occurred as a result of scientists pursuing a very specific dream. They have an idea that they can't stop thinking about one day, usually early in their career. They think it's insane, but is it truly impossible? They consult with respected peers, who frequently remind them of all the reasons their proposal can fail and the potential consequences for their career. It's a sobering lesson, but the concept will endure. As a result, they search for financial assistance and colleagues prepared to take the risk of driving down that road with them — a route that may or may not lead somewhere. However, occasionally, the path leads to big advances such as penicillin and mRNA vaccines.
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