HEALTHY LIVING Health Insider
ALLERGIES TO COMMON FOODS INCREASE RISK OF HEART DISEASE Researchers from the University of Virginia say that sensitivity to common food allergens, such as dairy and peanuts, may be an unrecognized cause of heart disease. The increased risk could be as great as — or even greater — than that from smoking, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers examined thousands of adults and found that IgE antibodies, which are produced in response to allergies to cow’s milk, peanuts, shrimp, and other foods, are linked to a significantly higher risk of dying from heart disease. Although about 15% of adults produce IgE antibodies in response to certain foods, many are unaware because they have no obvious food allergy. “While these responses may not be strong enough to cause acute allergic reactions to food, they might nonetheless cause inflammation and over time lead to problems like heart disease,” said allergy and immunology expert Jeff rey Wilson, M.D., Ph.D.
COMMON FOOD
ADDITIVES INCREASE CARDIAC RISK
Emulsifiers used in processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life are linked to an increased risk of
cardiovascular disease (CVD),
suggests a study published by The BMJ. Emulsifiers are often added to processed and packaged foods such as bread, cakes, pastries, and ice cream. A seven-year French study found that cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose, monoglycerides and diglycerides, and trisodium phosphate emulsifiers were associated with higher risks of CVD. “Nobody should be surprised about these findings,” said David Brownstein, M.D., author of Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health newsletter. “Synthetic chemicals do not belong in our food. Food should supply nutrients for the body, not cause inflammatory problems like cardiovascular disease.”
CUTTING SALT LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Adults who were already taking drugs to lower their high blood pressure reduced it even further by lowering their intake of salt, according to a study published in JAMA. “Middle-aged to elderly participants reduced their salt intake by about one teaspoon a day compared with their usual diet,” said Deepak Gupta, M.D. “Systolic blood pressure declined by about six millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), an eff ect comparable to the results obtained using a common first-line medication for high blood pressure.” Reducing salt lowered blood
pressure in 72% of study participants in their 50s to 70s in only one week.
94 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | MARCH 2024
MIDLIFE BELLY FAT LINKED TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE People who have higher amounts of visceral abdominal fat (belly fat) in midlife are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease years later. Visceral fat is the fat surrounding internal organs. Elevated levels are linked to higher amounts of inflammation in the brain, and PET scans revealed that the brains of people with excess belly fat had higher levels of amyloid buildup. “Brain changes occur as early as age 50, on average — up to 15 years before the earliest memory loss symptoms of Alzheimer’s occur,” said Cyrus A. Raji, M.D., Ph.D.
STRONG QUADS
MAY LOWER RISK FOR KNEE
REPLACEMENT SURGERY
More than half of people diagnosed with advanced
knee osteoarthritis are projected to undergo total
FOOD ALLERGY STATISTICS
1 in 10
The number of American adults who have food allergies.
200,000 Americans require
emergency medical care each year for allergic reactions to food.
90%
The percentage of food allergies in children caused
by peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, and tree nuts.
knee replacement surgery eventually. But a study from the University of California, San Francisco found that stronger quadriceps muscles (the muscles on the front of thighs), relative to the hamstrings (muscles that run down the backs of thighs), may reduce the need for surgery. Stronger quadriceps — in relation to hamstring muscles — are “significantly associated with lower odds of total knee replacement surgery in two to four years,” said Upadhyay Bharadwaj, M.D., Ph.D.
ALLERGEN/MONTICELLO/SHUTTERSTOCK / SALT/COMPONENT/SHUTTERSTOCK / HEART/OLESIA BECH/SHUTTERSTOCK
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