Nutrition Spotlight Archives - Page 26 of 28

Newsflash! Potato chips still aren’t good for you. That’s probably pretty obvious. And you already know a healthy diet and activity are important for maintaining your weight. But one large, long-term study got very specific about the worst foods for your waistline.

Researchers spent 20 years studying over 120,00 healthy people. Evaluations every four years helped the study pinpoint foods and behaviors that have the biggest impact on weight gain over time.

A More Complex Remedy

You probably already have some guesses. But before we start naming names, there were some interesting overall conclusions. They may reinforce what you know and add information to shape your healthy lifestyle.

Let’s start with the one you might guess. Highly refined or processed foods, liquid carbohydrates, and alcohol consumption were found to contribute to weight gain. But fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains showed the opposite effect—limiting weight gain.

That’s kind of a no-brainer, but the next one is less obvious. Mostly because it’s common to hear “eating less and exercise is all you need.” It’s an easy way to describe the change to a healthy lifestyle. But the study adds some nuance.

Their analysis suggests “dietary quality (the types of foods and beverages consumed) influences dietary quantity (total calories).” So it shifts the conversation from “less is more” to “the right amounts of the right foods.” Overall, it means choosing better, healthier options help keep your overall energy balance in check.

Weight Gain Can Sneak Up on You

Weight management is inextricably tied to the laws of thermodynamics. It all comes back to the conservation of energy—total energy in a system remains constant. Basically, you can’t make energy disappear. If you eat calories and don’t use them, they’re stored.

That reality makes weight gain easy over time. While a cheat meal won’t pack on five pounds of fat, constant calorie overruns impact your weight and health. And it doesn’t take much.

The study found that consistently having an extra 50–100 kcal per day is enough to add weight. Those small increases stack up over time. That’s how the average study participant gained 3.35 pounds during each four-year interval.

Findings like this underline the importance of daily dietary diligence. And shows the wisdom of taking the long-term approach of lifestyle change over quick-fix, fad diets.

Top 6 Worst Foods for Your Waistline

Now the part you’ve been waiting for—time to see how close your guesses were. Here are the worst offenders:

Potato chips: The absolute worst—of the foods in the study, at least. Increased servings of these snacks contributed a four-year average gain of 1.69 pounds.
Potatoes: You can’t have potato chips without potatoes. It’s probably no surprise that increased servings of the starchy root tacked on a four-year average of 1.28 pounds.
Sugar-sweetened beverages: Exactly one pound was added for study participants who increased sugary-drink intake.
Unprocessed red meats: The study found an 0.95-pound average gain for those who increased red-meat servings over four years.
Processed meats: You hear about how bad these are for your health. And the study found processed meats accounted for 0.93 extra pounds on average.
Alcohol: An additional drink each day meant participants added 0.41 pounds, on average, over four years. Again, that’s almost half a pound for each drink you add per day.

How did you do? Hopefully the clues above about starches, refined grains, and processed foods helped you out. Or maybe you were tipped off by other studies that have found similar results about these types of food.

The authors suggest the satiating inability of starches and refined grains may be to blame. Since they don’t make you feel as full, you eat more to fill yourself up. That could account for the constant extra calories that can really add up.

Foods to Stock Up On

The study didn’t just have bad news for carb cravers. It also identified some of the food types that showed positive effects on weight over each four-year period. Here’s what they found:

Yogurt: Kind of surprising that this was the study’s best of the best. The authors admit it could be confounding factors or maybe the bacterial benefits could be to blame. Other research over two decades has linked calcium-rich foods and weight. Whatever the cause, the results showed a four-year average of -0.82 pounds for participants that increased servings of yogurt.
Nuts: Nothing crazy about this one. Nuts are constantly mentioned as a part of a healthy diet. The study showed an average of -0.57 pounds for these protein-packed snacks.
Fruits: Those who ate more fruit ended up -0.49 pounds, on average over four years. The study didn’t find the same results for 100-percent fruit juice.
Whole grains: Unlike their processed cousins, whole grains showed a four-year average of -0.37 pounds.
Vegetables: This large variety of this category might explain why vegetables only accounted for an average of -0.22 pounds. But that’s still another reason to eat more vegetables.

The results probably reinforce your ideas about what a healthy diet looks like. The authors list some reasons why this group of foods showed benefits for keeping weight gain in check. And it goes beyond simple calories.

The study suggests satiety may to blame again. With higher fiber content and slower digestion speeds, these foods make you feel full. And if you’re eating more whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, you may not feel the need to fill up on other more processed, higher calorie foods.

Time to Start Healthy Habits

Diet is only a piece of a healthy lifestyle. And this study took a look at behaviors and habits that impacted weight gain over time, as well.

Health isn’t as simple as diet and exercise. But physical activity did have a huge, positive impact. Across all groups, physical activity accounted for a four-year average of -1.76 pounds. So, those who got moving fared well in the battle against weight gain.

A sedentary activity—watching television—had the predictably opposite effect. Study participants added 0.31 pounds per hour, per day. Some of this was tied to the snacking that happens during television session. Either way, it gives binge watching a new meaning.

For most of us, sleep is a pretty physically idle experience. But your sleep was tied to positive outcomes. Those whose nightly sleep averaged less than six hours or more than eight hours showed more weight gain.

The study’s advice might sound familiar—eat a fresh, healthy diet, sleep, and get off the couch. But it adds some complexity to the common “just eat less and lose weight” idea.

And whether your guesses about the foods were right, it’s a nice reminder. Checking your progress towards a healthy lifestyle can have an impact. The authors say repeated assessment over time is important. So use the information to make changes and build your health lifestyle.

References

Mozaffarian, Dariush, M.D., Dr.P.H; Hao, Tao, M.P.H.; Rimm, Eric B., Sc.D.; Willett, Walter C., M.D. Dr.P.H.; Hu, Frank B., M.D., Ph.D. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. N Engl J Med. 2011 Jun 23; 364(25): 2392–2404.

Shot of female runner stretching legs before her workout. Woman warming up before outdoor workout with sun flare.

Bones and your skeletal system are often misunderstood. They do a lot of heavy lifting to support your body and give it shape. But that’s not all. Your bones do much more to make your body healthy and strong. And they’re more alive than you realize. Learning about your bone anatomy is the first step to properly supporting your bone health.

Basic Bone Anatomy

Skeletons can remind us of sickness and death. They often symbolize danger or poison. But your bones are alive and well. And solid bone health starts at the cellular level.

Your skeleton is full of cells—each with a specialized job to do. The cells in your bones create everything from new bone to the blood pumping through your heart. But the main focus here will be on the structural components of your bone anatomy.

There are three types of cells that help maintain bone integrity. Their names tell us important information about their function. It is important to understand how bone cells operate. Knowing how your bones function can explain how braces straighten teeth and how broken bones heal.

Osteoblasts

The builder cells of the bone (osteo = bone; blast = germ, grow). Their name literally means bone growth. Osteoblasts make new bone and rebuild old or broken bones. These cube-shaped cells stack like building blocks. When osteoblasts come together, they secrete a flexible material called osteoid. Blood vessels and nearby bone cells deposit calcium and other mineral salts in the osteoid to make it hard and strong. After the osteoid hardens, those osteoblasts are stuck and they transform into another type of bone cell—osteocytes.

Osteocytes

Mature bone cells (osteo = bone, cyte = cell). They come from osteoblasts that have stopped making new bone. Osteocytes grow long branching arms that connect them to neighboring osteocytes. Through these connections they can exchange minerals and communicate through cell-signaling pathways. Osteocytes monitor the bone and detect mechanical stress. They tell osteoblasts when sections of bone need reinforcement.

Osteoclasts

The opposite of osteoblasts. Osteoclasts (osteo = bone, clast = break) break down bone. But this kind of bone breaking isn’t bad. Osteoclasts make room in and on bones for muscles and blood vessels. They also recycle old bone so new, healthy bone can replace it. This keeps bones strong and resistant to mechanical stress. Osteoclasts are large cells outlined with a ruffled border. Their wrinkled exterior grips tightly to bone. These cells secrete hydrochloric acid which strips minerals like calcium and phosphate from the bone. This process is called osteolysis (osteo = bone, lysis = break apart).

It’s a team effort between all these cells to maintain your bone health. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts perform opposite roles but work together to make your bones strong. When a bone is broken, osteoclasts remove the broken pieces and smooth any jagged edges. Osteoblasts add new bone to fill in the gaps.

It is difficult to see bone cells at work. But your teeth work like bones do, and provide a good example.

To straighten crooked teeth, the bones in your jaw are constantly being broken down and repaired. Braces apply pressure to your teeth and jaw. This pressure stimulates osteoclasts to get rid of bone in the wrong place. Then osteoblasts put new bone in the right place. The result is a beautiful smile of straight teeth.

Role of Bones in the Body

You may have heard that without your bones, you’d be a puddle of flesh and blood. And it’s true.

The skeleton provides the framework and support your body needs to stay rigid and upright. Bones serve as attachments for muscle groups. They act as levers and allow for muscle flexing and extension. These important muscle attachments help us to walk, run, sit, and stand.

Your bones also protect your vital organs from harm. They can absorb the impact of injuries and shield the organs underneath them. Think of all the vital organs your rib cage protects. Your skull is a case for your invaluable brain.

And you would be unrecognizable without your bones. While the muscles in your face and neck are responsible for facial expressions, the bones underneath give your face shape. The position of your cheeks, your chin, and nose are all determined by your skeleton.

Advanced Bone Anatomy: Lengthening and Strengthening

You try to avoid stress, pressure, and tension as much as possible. But these three forces compel your bones to grow and develop. Your bone anatomy makes this possible. Mechanical stimulation triggers osteoblasts and osteoclasts to reinforce the bones in your body. This kind of stress is good, it makes bones stronger.

To lengthen, bones need to be pulled on by the muscle groups attached to them. Regions of bone called growth plates are near the ends of the long bones in your body. Growth plates are sections of active bone tissue. When your muscles tug on the ends of long bones, they provide the necessary stress to encourage bone growth. Osteocytes sense the tension in the growth plate and direct osteoblasts to lay down new bone tissue. When this happens too quickly in children, it can lead to a nagging, dull pain. This constant discomfort is often referred to as growing pains.

Bones grow in length, but they also increase in thickness. Exercise thickens bones, making them stronger and harder to break. Athletes have often been recognized for having longer than average leg bones. Longer legs, especially thighs, may be seen in athletes because they constantly apply pressure to their bones from frequent exercise.

Eventually, our bones stop growing in length when growth plates slow down their activity. For women, this occurs around age 16. For men, it’s about age 19. Between ages 25 and 30, most people will reach their peak bone mass. Maintaining bone mass after age 40 is important and part of a healthy lifestyle.

Bone Health Maintenance

The best way to protect your bones is to fortify them with healthy habits. Diet and exercise are two of the best ways to help maintain your bone health.

By far the most valuable mineral to your bones is calcium. When calcium stores are lacking, your body pulls it from your bones to use elsewhere. To safeguard your bones, eat a diet rich in calcium.

This essential mineral is found in milk, yogurt, and cheese, but also in green leafy vegetables and soft-bone fish. Some foods make it difficult for your body to absorb calcium. Soda and carbonated beverages decrease the amount of calcium absorbed by the intestines. Evaluate your diet and see if you can include more calcium. When in doubt, taking a multi-mineral or other supplement with a calcium component is always a great idea.*

Another critical component to your bone health is magnesium. Besides being one of the minerals in found in bone, magnesium stimulates the thyroid to secrete calcitonin. Calcitonin is a hormone that helps preserve bone strength by channeling calcium from your bloodstream to your bones. Not only does magnesium help strengthen your bones, but this key mineral can help maintain healthy muscle function.*

Vitamin D is also a critical player in bone health. Vitamin D allows our bodies to absorb the calcium in our diets. Your body can make its own vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun. And some foods and dairy products are fortified with vitamin D. They can help you get what your body needs. But those still falling short should consider taking a supplement with vitamin D.*

Bone Health Throughout the Lifespan

Bones provide your body with strength and mobility throughout your whole life. Maintaining these important organs will keep your bones working for years to come. Even though bones stop growing in length before age 20, cells are actively repairing and replacing themselves every day.

Bone cells regenerate at a pretty remarkable rate. It’s a myth that you only get one skeleton during your lifetime. In fact, your skeleton completely replaces itself every two to 12 years—depending on your age. It turns over more quickly when you are young, and slows as you age. Without this regeneration, bones weakened by prior fracture or constant mechanical stress would never fully mend. Instead these regions grow to be stronger than ever.

This constant regeneration and turnover should give you hope. Every day is a new opportunity to help out your skeleton. So it’s never too late to develop habits of diet and exercise that will strengthen and protect your bone health.

More Bone Fun Facts

Learn these 11 bone anatomy facts and share them the next time someone tells you that skeletons are spooky. It will remind them that bones aren’t scary—they’re awesome.

Your bones are vascular. This means blood vessels run to your bones and deliver oxygen and nutrients to bone tissue. Nutrients are brought to your bones in the bloodstream. They are necessary for making bones hard and strong.
The number of bones in your body actually decreases as you age. Newborn babies have close to 270 bones in their tiny skeletons. As they mature, smaller bones fuse together to form more complex shapes. The human skull is made up of 22 bones that fuse together as we grow. By adulthood, humans have only 206 bones in their bodies.
Red blood cells are constantly circulating in the bloodstream. However, their origins are less well known. Bone marrow, the thick substance at the center of bones, produces red blood cells. There are two types of bone marrow—red and yellow. Red bone marrow forms red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Yellow bone marrow can be converted into red bone marrow in the case of severe blood loss.
The femur (thigh bone) is the longest and strongest bone in your body. Some experts have hypothesized that the femur is stronger than a piece of steel of the same weight. The shortest bone is the stapes (bone of the middle ear).
While still considered part of the skeletal system, teeth are not bones. Bones and teeth have a lot in common. They are both hard, white, and packed with calcium, but there are a few differences that distinguish the two. Teeth do not have the regenerative powers of bone tissue. Teeth are unable to heal themselves when broken. Bones, on the other hand, have a network of cells at their disposal designed to heal cracks and make them stronger.
Collagen is a protein found in bones that helps them withstand tension and pressure. Collagen is also an important protein in your skin. It gives skin elasticity and helps your bones absorb shock.
Even though they lack collagen, teeth still manage to be stronger than bone. Teeth are the hardest part of the body and are made primarily of a protein called dentine. Dentine is covered completely by hard tooth enamel, and it is this enamel that makes teeth so strong.
In the animal kingdom, skeletons are quite rare. Close to 97 percent of all animal life is invertebrate. That means they lack a spinal column. Humans are in the minority. It is our spinal column and the joints attached to it that allow us to walk upright.
Of the 206 bones in your body, 106 (more than half) are found in your hands and feet.
If you can speak, you owe a lot to a very unique bone. The hyoid bone is responsible for holding your tongue in place. You can feel your hyoid bone by gently pressing near the top of your throat. The hyoid bone is completely surrounded by muscle and the esophagus. This bone is special because it is the only bone in the body not attached to another bone.
Bones are considered organs. Taken together they provide no fewer than six essential functions to your body. These include: support, movement, protection, blood-cell production, nutrient storage (mostly iron, calcium, and magnesium), and hormone production.

As you can see, bones are much more than stiff, static structural elements. They provide many functions you need to live a healthy life. Start thinking more about bone anatomy and doing everything you can to look after your bone health.

About the Author

Sydney Sprouse is a freelance science writer based out of Forest Grove, Oregon. She holds a bachelor of science in human biology from Utah State University, where she worked as an undergraduate researcher and writing fellow. Sydney is a lifelong student of science and makes it her goal to translate current scientific research as effectively as possible. She writes with particular interest in human biology, health, and nutrition.

References

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/anatomyvideos/000104.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152283/

https://askabiologist.asu.edu/bone-anatomy

https://www.healthline.com/health/fun-facts-about-the-skeletal-system#3

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/your-body-is-younger-than-you-think.html

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/03/how-does-your-skeleton-grow

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00317

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16225203

https://www.livescience.com/33130-why-are-teeth-not-considered-bones.html

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/

In today’s world of powerful technology, many people feel the urge to simplify and get back to nature. To experience the health benefits of outdoor recreation, it’s necessary to unplug and recharge in the wilderness. Those who are able to soak up everything nature has to offer find out why being outside is important—it comes down to health.

Long before smartphones and self-driving cars, Japan deemed “forest bathing” an essential part of its national health program. With forest bathing, the soaking isn’t literal. Bathing takes on a new meaning—immersing yourself in the natural environment.

The concept stems from Japanese Shinrin-Yoku Forest Therapy, and goes back to 1982. Over three decades later, the goal of forest bathing is still to reintroduce people to the healing power of nature. Much study and research has confirmed what the Japanese have long believed—nature benefits wellbeing in many ways.

The popularity of forest bathing has risen in the United States, particularly in metropolitan areas. Individuals, families, and friends have taken to the woods together for therapeutic hikes and nature walks. But forest bathing isn’t the only thing you can use the outdoors to improve your wellbeing.

There are so many ways you can take advantage of the benefits of nature. We’ll leave the how to you—hint: it starts with putting down your phone and experiencing the outdoors. We’ll supply the why. Here are 10 reasons why being outside is important to improving the health of you and your family.

1. Relieve Stress

Getting outside can help you escape the stress of work or school. Stress can tear up a healthy mind and immune system. High levels of stress at work and school are associated with depression, obesity, and high blood pressure. Stress is unhealthy when not managed properly. Luckily, there is a natural stress reliever right in your backyard.

Spending time in nature relieves stress in teens and adults. Bloodstream levels of the stress hormone cortisol are lowered after time spent outside. For a group of male students in China, those who spent their break from school hiking and camping returned with lower cortisol levels than those who spent time in the city. And these lower cortisol levels persisted for several days after their retreat to the wilderness.

The results suggest regular trips outdoors are a reliable way to manage stress. Experiences in nature are low cost and accessible to everyone. For the next long weekend, choose to spend time in nature over a trip to the city. You will reduce your stress load and return feeling rejuvenated.

Pro tip: Nature can help create more job satisfaction. Office workers with window views are more satisfied and less stressed at work. If you don’t have a window, take time every day to look outside and feel the stress-busting effects of nature views.

2. Strengthen Immunity

Staying indoors can have a negative impact on your immune health. The immune system works best when challenged regularly. That doesn’t happen when we spend time indoors.

Healthy doses of nature will help prepare your body fight. Here’s how it works.

A study published in 2010 evaluated the effect of forest bathing on immune function. For a group of Japanese adults, a three-day trip to the forest increased the number of white blood cells in their blood. These levels of white blood cells stayed elevated for more than 30 days after their adventure in the woods. White blood cells are crucial to your immune system. They help your body battle germs by recognizing pathogens and harmful intruders with the help of antibodies.

The boost in immunity from a trip into nature can help keep you feeling healthy. For active adults and growing children, increased immunity is a valuable asset in a healthy lifestyle. Strengthening your body’s natural germ-fighting power with a regular trip into the wild.

3. Sharpen Your Focus

In the general population, studies have shown that attention is almost uniformly enhanced by exposure to natural environments. A study published in 2009 found that the same holds true for children with attention deficits. Spending twenty minutes walking in a nearby park was sufficient enough to elevate attention performance in children with ADHD. This so-called “dose of nature” could prove to be a more natural solution to attention deficits in children.

The same effects can be seen in adult attention. Views of nature from an office window and breaks from work in the outdoors have both been shown to increase productivity and concentration.

For a significant boost in focus and creativity, escape to the woods for longer periods of time. Creative problem solving and cognitive function can be boosted by nearly 50 percent after spending several days exploring the outdoors. Wilderness retreats may help you tackle a big assignment or personal goal. If you’re still wondering why being outside is important, it can enhance your creativity.

4. Helps Develop a Healthier Diet

Looking for a hobby to get you outside? Gardening is a great way to increase your time outdoors. Not only does gardening keep you active, it provides you with access to healthy fruits and vegetables on a regular basis.

Outdoor recreation has long been associated with a healthy lifestyle. But being active in your garden also lets you can reap the healthy dietary rewards of your labor and get exercise at the same time.

5. Calm the Mind

Anxiety and depression can be crippling. Coping with mental illness is difficult and methods vary from person to person. Most physicians and therapists recommend regular exercise in addition to therapy and medication. Getting that recommended exercise outdoors can help ease emotional and mental pain while improving mood.

There are several physical responses our bodies have to being in nature. Sitting outside can reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, and decrease cortisol levels. When we are outside our body slows down, helping us feel peaceful and calm.

Our minds work in a similar way. Spending time outside improves mood and reduces feelings of anxiety. We can focus better in nature, and our improved concentration can help us address feelings of stress and anxiety. Self-esteem can also receive a boost after time spent wandering outdoors.

Peace and mental clarity is a big reason why being outside is important. Find it by adding time in nature to your mental healthcare regimen.

6. Aids in Weight Management

Nature offers beautiful views and fresh air, so choose an exercise regimen that will get you outside. Research at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than one third of American adults are obese.

Exercise and proper diet are the two most effective ways to stop the spread of obesity. You can burn 149 calories each half hour of walking in the park, and 372 calories every half hour by riding your bike. To encourage kids to get exercise outside, find a fun activity to do as a family. Increase your time walking, biking, running, and playing outside and lower your risk of obesity. Take your exercise outside the gym and enjoy all the health benefits nature has to offer.

7. Better Your Short-Term Memory

Nature could be the answer to remembering names, not forgetting your keys, and taking better notes in class. There is growing evidence that both short-term and working memory can be improved by time spent outside.

At the University of Michigan, a simple experiment backed this theory. Two groups of students were given a memory test and then assigned to take a walk through a garden or down a city street. After their walks, the participants performed the memory test again. Those who walked through the garden improved their scores by 20 percent. No consistent improvement was observed in the participants who walked in the city.

Natural scenery and garden views calm our minds and help us focus. Urban settings are full of traffic, street noise, lights, and lots of people. These things pull our attention in several directions. This makes it hard to sharpen our focus and recall things we just learned. Pondering new information in a peaceful, natural setting may help enhance your short-term memory.

8. Improve Vision

Your eyes provide another reason why being outside is important. A study following Australian school children linked time spent outside and better vision. Of the 2,000 children followed during the study, those who spent more time playing outside significantly reduced their risk of becoming nearsighted. This suggests that outdoor activity has a protective effect on the eyes of children.

These results are striking because the same was not observed in children who spent time playing indoor sports. Being outside in fresh air and sunlight protects growing eyes more than equal physical activity indoors.

Dim indoor lighting makes it difficult for young eyes to focus on an image. This causes the eye to change shape in order to see clearly. The ample light of the outdoors keeps kid’s eyes from working harder than they need to. So when encouraging play time and exercise, take the fun outside and protect your child’s eye health.

9. Fight Nature Deficit Disorder

We’re spending more time inside than ever before. Computers, tablets, cell phones, and video games hog our attention and keep us from getting into nature. That’s especially bad for our children.

Playing outside encourages kid’s creativity, builds their attention spans, and increases their desire to explore. The book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv outlines this growing pattern. Louv coined the term nature-deficit disorder to explain what happens when kids spend too much time indoors.

Recent findings show children ages 8-18 spend more than six hours each day with electronic media. A study published in 2002 found that 8-year-old children could better identify Pokémon characters than plants or animals in their neighborhoods. As children spend less time outside, unhealthy habits begin to form.

Children who spend little time outside are at risk for developing chronic health problems. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression are common companions of a sedentary indoor lifestyle. Help your family learn healthy habits and encourage playing outside over electronic devices.

10. Increase Longevity

A 2015 study followed 108,630 American women to determine the relationship between nature and longevity. Women who lived near parks, lawns, trees, and forests had significantly lower mortality than women living far from nature. The results held regardless of urban or rural settings.

The longer life expectancy associated with living near vegetation could be caused by several factors. Air quality is known to increase longevity and is better in areas of more dense vegetation. Being close to parks and nature trails can encourage more frequent exercise, which helps maintain heart health. Time spent outside also increases social engagement and can improve mental health.

Whatever the exact cause, getting outdoors will help you live happier and longer—and that’s the ultimate reason why being outside is important. So, when establishing a place to live, pick a location where you and your family have regular access to nature.

Get Healthy, Get Outdoors

Find time today to venture outside and take advantage of the health benefits of the outdoors. Replace time spent inside on electronic devices with a bike ride or a walk to a local park. Take up forest bathing or gardening as a new hobby. And remember outdoor recreation can be enjoyed alone or as a family.

There’s no wrong way to get outside and so much to be gained by exploring the natural world. You know why being outside is important. It’s time to reconnect with nature. Your body and mind will thank you for it later.

About the Author

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Driessnack M. Ask the expert. Children and nature-deficit disorder. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2009;14(1):73-5.

Lauren F Friedman and Kevin Loria. “11 scientific reasons you should be spending more time outside.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 22 Apr. 2016.

Haile, Rahawa. “’Forest Bathing’: How Microdosing on Nature Can Help With Stress.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 30 June 2017.

“How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing.

Maas J, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, De vries S, Spreeuwenberg P. Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006;60(7):587-92.

Mao GX, Lan XG, Cao YB, et al. Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China. Biomed Environ Sci. 2012;25(3):317-24.

“Professional Practice.” Health Benefits of Nature.

Taylor AF, Kuo FE. Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. J Atten Disord. 2009;12(5):402-9.

Tennessen CM, Cimprich B. Views to nature: Effects on attention. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 1995;15(1):77-85.

“This Is Your Brain on Nature.” National Geographic, 7 June 2017.

Your brain is powerful. You can even use it to think about how the brain itself works. But this power doesn’t make your brain immune to factors that impact the rest of your body. Lifestyle and environment can affect your brain health. Luckily, there are nutrients for brain health shown to support cognitive function.

You’ll read about a handful of the most important nutrients for your brain. And you’ll find brain foods that contain these key nutritional components of maintaining cognitive health.

Healthy Lipids

For a long time, dietary fats (lipids) have been connected to brain health. Originally, lipids’ effect on the cardiovascular system was thought to facilitate that connection. But more recent research shows beneficial dietary fats have more direct actions on the brain.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (like DHA from fish oil) normally make up cell membranes throughout your body. And like other saturated fats, they’re fundamental building blocks for your brain cells. That’s part of the reason fish is often called a brain food.

But fatty, cold-water fish aren’t the only food you should turn to for healthy lipids for supporting brain health. Add these options to your brain health shopping list:

Avocados
Nuts (almonds to walnuts and everything in between)
Seeds
Plant-based oils
Soybean

Flavonoids

The antioxidant effects of flavonoids are well-established in a test-tube setting. But these plant compounds—like cocoa, ginkgo, and grape-seed extracts—have more complex actions in the body that is are continually being researched.

Some flavonoids show promising results in maintaining healthy brain function. Quercetin—a flavonoid that’s a major component of ginkgo biloba extracts—has been shown to maintain memory and learning abilities in some studies. Further research on the subject is needed.

Flavonoids come from a variety of colorful plant foods. That provides ample options for packing your diet with flavonoids. Try these:

Berries
Dark chocolate
Dark green, leafy vegetables
Grapes
Tea
Plums
Broccoli

Carotenoids

Like their phytonutrient cousins, carotenoids are pigments, providing color to fruits and vegetables. The yellows, reds, and oranges bringing warm color to your diet come from carotenoids.

Some powerful members of this phytonutrient family—lutein and zeaxanthin—are more known for supporting eye health than the brain. But research has shown ties between these carotenoids and maintaining normal, healthy cognitive function.

Other carotenoids are sought out by the brain. They are used as antioxidants to help protect your brain from oxidative stress.

To help in your brain’s quest for more carotenoids, turn to:

Carrots
Pumpkin
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Red bell peppers
Tomatoes (canned and raw)
Kale

B Vitamins

Adequate levels of the B vitamin folate are essential for brain function. The proof? Folate deficiency can lead to neurological and cognitive issues.

Clinical trial results have deepened the connection between folate and cognitive function. These studies have shown folate supplementation—by itself or in conjunction with other B vitamins (B6 and B12)—to be effective at maintaining healthy cognitive function during aging.

Finding folate and other B vitamins is fairly easy. Seek out these foods:

Legumes
Spinach
Broccoli
Asparagus
Enriched grains
Beef, seafood, and eggs (for vitamin B12)
Bananas, potatoes, and nuts (for vitamin B6)

Vitamin E, or α-tocopherol

Looking up brain foods will often lead you to nuts and fish. Part of that, as you read above, is thanks to healthy fats. But many nuts also pack an important vitamin payload. They are often packed full of vitamin E.

This powerful antioxidant also has studied links to cognitive performance. One example that sticks out is an association between dipping serum levels of vitamin E and poor memory performance in older individuals.

So, remember to add these good sources of vitamin E to your menu:

Nuts
Plant oils
Green vegetables
Blackberries
Broccoli
Sunflower seeds

Calcium and Magnesium

Your brain works so well because of the interconnectedness of your neurons and their ability to communicate. Two minerals—calcium and magnesium—play a big role keeping communications flowing.

You know them better for bone health benefits. But these minerals help your brain, too. Calcium aids proper functioning of nerve cells and helps control the flow of neurotransmitters. Magnesium plays a role in impulse transmission. And it also helps your brain unlock all the benefits of B vitamins by catalyzing their transition to active forms.

Luckily, these mighty minerals are widely available in your diet. Calcium can be found in dairy products, beans, oranges, cabbage and kale. Magnesium is available in nuts, whole grains, milk, meats, and green, leafy vegetables.

Other Nutrients for Brain Health

Here’s a short list of the other nutrients with researched roles in brain health:

Alpha lipoic acid has been shown to maintain memory and cognitive function.
Caffeine is more than a pick-me-up for your brain. There have been ties between caffeine consumption and the brain’s processing abilities.
Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in the front part of your brain. More study is needed to determine mechanisms, but a lack of zinc has connections to numerous neurological issues.
Curcumin is a strong antioxidant that seems to protect the brain from lipid peroxidation and nitric-oxide-based radicals.
Several gut hormones or peptides—like leptin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) and insulin—have been found to support healthy emotional response and cognitive processes.

Energy Production

The brain runs your body. And it takes a lot of energy to maintain proper operation. Healthy macronutrients are necessary to fuel your brain and provide the energy it needs.

The mechanisms involved in the transfer of energy from foods to neurons are likely to be fundamental to the control of brain function. Processes that are associated with the management of energy in neurons can affect brain plasticity.

Far-Reaching Impacts of Good Brain Nutrition

Lifestyle and diet have long-term effects on your health. That means they are likely underestimated for their importance to public health—especially when it comes to healthy aging.

But those factors are important to your brain.

The gradual and sometimes imperceptible cognitive decline that characterizes normal aging can be influenced by the nutrients you feed your brain through a healthy diet. So, properly fueling your brain to tackle your daily tasks should go hand-in-hand with long-term maintenance efforts. With so many delicious options, the burden of eating brain food shouldn’t be too hard to bear.

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/improve-brain-health-with-the-mind-diet/art-20454746

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324044

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/ccf/media/files/Neurological_Institute/Cleveland-Clinic-Food-for-Brain-Health-Michael-Roizen.pdf

https://www.newsweek.com/feed-brain-top-vitamins-minerals-cognition-495099

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/carotenoids

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5224555/

You’re never alone. Your body is always crawling with trillions of microbial friends. That’s not a bad thing. All of them make up your microbiome—a word you hear a lot, but might not completely understand. Defining microbiome is actually pretty simple. It’s the collection of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses mentioned above. But don’t let the simple definition fool you. The microbiome is an expansive topic to discuss.

If this is your first time hearing about the microbiome, stay calm. There’s no reason to pull out the sanitizer. You shouldn’t feel gross or unclean. And your skin shouldn’t crawl because you’re an ecosystem for trillions of bacteria and microbes.

The microbiome is a normal part of a healthy life. Many studies suggest that your community of microbes could even play a large role in your health.

If you’re still a little uneasy, an introduction to your microbiome might help. So it’s time to go beyond defining microbiome and introduce you to your bacterial buddies.

A Bit of Basic Bacteria Biology

Other microbes live in your microbiome, but bacteria are the most studied, dominant portion. They’ll mostly be the focus of our attention moving forward. And basic information about bacteria is a great place to start the deeper discussion of the microbiome.

The first thing to know about bacteria—there’s a lot of them. Bacteria rule the earth, even though you can’t see them with your naked eye.

They make up the largest percentage of life on earth. Bacteria weigh more in total than all the humans on earth. One estimate puts the total number of bacteria at about five million trillion trillion. That’s a number so big it doesn’t even have a name. But it’s a five with 30 zeroes after it.

Second, bacteria are in the prokaryote domain. They’re single cells with a primitive outer membrane, no specific cellular parts, and no distinct nucleus. All the ingredients for life—DNA, proteins, and more—float around in the cytoplasm (a cellular liquid).

You fall under a different biological umbrella. Humans, animals, and other complex cellular life belong in the eukaryote domain. That’s because we’re multicellular organisms with membranes around our cellular organelles (cell parts with specific functions) and nuclei.

Your Body and Bacteria

Now that the basic biology is out of the way, it’s time to focus on the bacteria and microbes you interact with. Let’s start with the numbers.

While there’s more bacteria than about anything on earth, that’s not exactly the case with your body. Old estimates had microbiome cells outnumbering yours 10-to-1. Recent research suggest the ratio is closer to 1-to-1. That’s a tenth of what was once thought, but that means you’re still living with trillions of bacteria.

And there’s a great variety of bacteria and microbes inhabiting the communities created by your body. For example, your skin, nose, mouth, ears, and armpits all have very different inhabitants. There is even a difference in who is living between your toes versus other parts of the feet. Your gut—the place our mind goes first when say microbiome—can contain 40,000 different strains and species alone. This diversity is important, because it creates competition for space and food.

Like any lifeform, bacteria are selfish. They don’t live with you because they’re heroes and helpers. Bacteria’s biological imperative is to provide for themselves and their descendants. Luckily, your body has evolved to use the selfishness to its advantage. This creates a win-win situation (symbiosis). The bacteria get food and the body uses compounds produced by the bacteria.

These mostly productive relationships make it easy to think of bacteria as good or bad. That’s an oversimplification of the situation, though. There are some black-and-white cases—pathogenic bacteria that are out to harm you. But the majority of fall into a grey area because most are typically harmless or provide a slight benefit.

How you view specific bacteria (good or bad, healthy or harmful) has a lot to do with location. In one area of the body, a strain of bacteria can be beneficial—aiding in digestion or healthy immune function. In another area, that same type of microbe can cause problems. Sheer numbers can also present issues. For example, a weakened immune system can allow a strain of bacteria to multiply and grow to a population that’s problematic.

And the bacteria don’t suddenly decide to turn from heroes to villains. That’s not how they work. Bacteria act about the same all the time. They’re always selfish. And they’re always trying to multiply. But when they’re in the wrong place—where condition aren’t favorable for symbiosis—or they grow to large numbers, the microbes can wreak havoc.

But if bacteria are mostly harmless, and we shouldn’t call them good or bad, what’s the deal with probiotics? There are certain strains of bacteria that research has shown to provide benefits in certain situations. But in the context of your total bacteria—the trillions of cells and thousands of strains—those are rare, specific cases. That’s why it’s important to get probiotics that are tested and proven to survive in the right bodily environment and demonstrate benefits.

Finding Your Microbiome

Most people hear “microbiome” and think about the gut. Your lower digestive tract is packed with microbes. But it’s not the only place you can find different communities of diverse bacteria.

Let’s go through them:

Gut: Your stomach doesn’t contain much bacteria. High acidity creates an uninviting environment where few can survive. Your intestines are a different story—mostly because that’s where food stays for the longest time. The gut microbiome has been extensively studied, so we can name many of the bacterial categories you’d find in your intestines.
Both the small and large intestines are packed full of a variety of microbes, but Bacteriodetes (another category of bacteria) are very prevalent. And you’ll find distinct populations of bacteria in the small intestine and the large intestine, with different strains dominating each.
Skin: Your body’s largest organ has its own community of bacteria and microbes. If you’re a germaphobe, this confirms your worst fears. You really are covered with bacteria. All the folds, nooks, and crannies of your skin provide ample space to develop diverse microbial communities. Remember, the vast majority are harmless in normal circumstances. And most of them can be categorized as Actinobacteria (a category of bacteria).
Mouth: Your teeth, tongue, cheek, lips, and palate provide habitat for mostly harmless or beneficial bacteria. Almost 300 different species have been found in the mouth alone. And those are just the ones that have names so far.
Ear, Nose, Sinuses, and Throat: Each of these regions contains bacteria that can thrive in that particular environment. But they’re mentioned together because they’re all connected. And they intersect with the mouth, as well.

This is not a comprehensive list of your body’s bacterial communities. They’re in your sex organs, lungs, and about any hospitable place they can find. The gut gets most of the attention, but researchers are looking more closely at other areas. That research will help us get to know our microbiomes better, and help us meet more of our bacterial buddies.

The Making of a Microbiome

You’re shaped by the ecosystem in which you live. Your microbiome is the same. But in this case, you’re the ecosystem.

That’s why everyone’s microbiome is unique. Yours is shaped by the experiences you have—starting at birth. Natural birth or Caesarean section will impact an infant’s microbiome. Your diet and environment impact your body and the bacterial friends that live with you. Age is also an important differentiating factor.

With the array of variables and huge variety of bacteria in your body’s ecosystem, it’s difficult to identify every strain of bacteria “normal” or “healthy” people will have. Mapping out your specific microbiome regularly over time is time consuming and overwhelming. And doing it once doesn’t tell you much. But talking more generally provides the information you need without listing thousands of bacterial strains.

Basically, the bacteria that coexist with you are the ones able to find a biological niche. They’re best able to adapt and survive in your specific conditions. In this way, you’re somewhat in control of your microbiome. And somewhat is the keyword. It’s not as easy as selecting your preferred bacteria, because you can’t control everything. We do know that good habits— sleeping well, exercising, and eating a healthy diet—encourage a beneficial microbiome.

But bacteria are living things. They’re competing with trillions of others for space and food. You can influence the results of this competition, but you can’t totally fix the game. And for those same reasons, your microbiome is constantly changing.

What Can the Microbiome Do for You?

The simple answer—your microbiome does a lot. And research is revealing more and more about what it does for you and your health.

This example tells you quite a bit: Mice raised without a community of bacteria—born and raised in a sterile environment—don’t exhibit the same type of growth as mice with a microbiome. Germ-free mice also show deficiencies in behavior and other health issues not seen in normal mice.

In general, your microbiome helps with digestive processes, immune function, maintaining a healthy weight, nervous system function, and more. But that’s another story. You can dive deeper into the ways your bacterial buddies help out your health in the next article in our microbiome series.

You’ve heard it before: you can get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat. Well, maybe you can. It’s certainly possible. But it’s unlikely.

We all know that vitamin supplements are no substitute for a healthy diet. But nobody is a perfectly healthy eater. It’s hard to get everything you need if you’re ill, a picky eater, dieting, or have food allergies. For those on restricted diets it can be particularly challenging.

Research has shown that deficiencies also vary by age, gender, or ethnicity. And deficiency may soar to nearly one third of certain population groups. In addition, many people are too busy to take the time to eat well or cook at home.

Luckily, there’s something you can do to help prevent deficiency. New research shows daily multivitamin/mineral supplements may be a nutritional insurance plan.

A new study in the journal Nutrients analyzes data from 10,698 adults age 19 years and older. The data comes from the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Surveys (NHANES). This provided reliable 24-hour dietary interviews—including the use of dietary supplements. An in-person health examination also collected blood samples to analyze markers of nutritional status.

They found the daily use of multivitamin/mineral supplements helped prevent shortfalls in important nutrients necessary to support overall health. There were a few exceptions: calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. But those are still important nutrients everyone needs to get enough of.

“Regrettably, there appears to be a great tenacity to old ways of thinking, e.g., you can get all the nutrition you need if you just eat a healthy, balanced diet—and then ignoring how most people actually eat and what they actually require,” lead author Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD said. “… Also, as our understanding about higher nutrient requirements of optimal health and wellness grows, particularly among older adults, it is clear that it can be quite difficult to achieve these intakes of selected nutrients from commonly available food choices.”

Now when someone says, “you can get everything you need from your diet,” you can point them to this study.

Health Benefits of Nutritional Supplements

Blumberg JB, Frei BB, Fulgoni VL, Weaver CM, Zeisel SH. Impact of Frequency of Multi-Vitamin/Multi-Mineral Supplement Intake on Nutritional Adequacy and Nutrient Deficiencies in U.S. Adults. Nutrients. 2017;9(8)

Children require optimal nutrition during growth years to maximize their growth potential. Protein needs are significantly higher per pound of body weight for children compared to adults.

Adequate protein is essential for maintaining protein stores and keeping many bodily functions performing efficiently. It’s also needed for developing and growing:

the brain
immune system
muscles
collagen
hair

The protein source also appear critical for maximizing growth potential.

A 2012 meta-analysis found that children who consume dairy products daily grow taller than those who do not. Other published studies have found that cow-milk proteins (i.e., casein and whey) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) contribute to gains in linear growth.

A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated the connection between childhood height and the type of milk consumed. This study included 5,020 healthy children between 24-72 months old living in Toronto, Canada.

Questionnaires collected age, sex, BMI (in kg/m2) Z score, maternal ethnicity, income, and maternal height. Neighborhood income was used to account for socioeconomic status. The researchers also analyzed the daily volume of milk—both cow and non-cow.

The results show an association between height and milk type consumed, depending on the dosage. And there was no statistically significant data to support that the consumption of non-cow milk improved childhood height. Non-cow milk was actually associated with decreased height gains during childhood.

On average, one cup of non-cow milk was associated with a 0.4 cm shorter stature. Interestingly, three-year-old children that consumed 3 cups of non-cow milk in comparison to those that drank 3 cups of cow milk were approximately 1.5 cm shorter.

Further research is needed to understand the causal relations between non-cow milk consumption and childhood height. This study suggests it is important to consider which type of milk is best for children to consume.

Different nutritional content (energy, protein, fats, and minerals) is one possible explanation for the results. For example, two cups of cow milk provides16 g of protein, which is 70 percent of the daily protein requirement for a 3-year-old. Two cups of almond milk provide 4 g of protein—only 25 percent of the daily protein recommendation.

What does this mean?

If your child is vegan, vegetarian, or has dairy allergies, reading labels and doing comparisons is important. This may help parents find the alternative that is nutritionally best for their child to support healthy growth and development.

Morency ME, Birken CS, Lebovic G, et al. Association between noncow milk beverage consumption and childhood height. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;106(2):597-602.

Mixing fables and Internet fallacies blurs the line between fact and fiction. And that’s damaging because you can’t make smart decisions without accurate information.

Having the facts is especially important when you’re making choices that impact the health of your children. But sorting through so-called facts about children’s nutrition is hard.

We’re here to help. Below, are discussions of children’s nutrition topics so you sort fact from fiction.

Statement: Juice is as Healthy as Whole Fruit

There’s a reason you’re supposed to get 2-4 servings of fruit per day. Study after study tells us how fruit promotes good health. That’s why your doctor has probably told you to eat more fruit.

If fruit is good for you, then shouldn’t fruit juice be just as good? People have long thought whole fruit and its liquid counterpart were nutritionally equivalent. But new evidence disagrees.

A new study published in Nutrients—and done by USANA scientists—found a significant difference that goes down to your DNA.

Study subjects who consumed whole fruit showed different epigenetic signatures on specific regions of their DNA than juice drinkers. (Epigenetic signatures are the chemical codes that switch your genes on and off.) Those who ate whole fruit saw enrichment near pathways involved in immune function, chromosome integrity, and telomere maintenance. Those who drank juice showed enrichment near pro-inflammatory pathways.

The study points to fiber as the main driver of these differences. And it’s well known that fiber consumption impacts your microbiome and, in turn, the absorption of some nutrients.

Juice is convenient and tasty. But the amount of sugar in most juices, the lack of fiber, and differing epigenetic impacts make whole fruit the healthier choice.

Verdict: False

Statement: Carrots Can Help You See in the Dark

For decades—maybe even centuries—parents told kids that carrots can help them see in the dark. It’s an obvious ploy to increase interest in eating veggies. But there may be some truth to it.

Obviously, carrots (and basically any other substance) aren’t going to give your children super powers. Life doesn’t work like a comic book. That doesn’t mean carrots aren’t linked to eye health. They are. And it’s largely due to the beta-carotene that helps provide their orange color.

Beta-carotene is a pro-vitamin A carotenoid—a plant pigment in fruits and vegetables that also acts as an antioxidant molecule. While zeaxanthin, lutein, and lycopene re from the same family of carotenoid antioxidants, they do not promote vitamin-A activity. But beta-carotene’s ability to convert to vitamin A in the body plays an important role in supporting good vision.

While carrots can’t give your kids the power of night vision, they do contain nutrients that help maintain good eye health.

Verdict: Somewhat True

Statement: Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day

This old adage seems to be falling on deaf ears because about half of American families don’t eat breakfast on a regular basis.

They’re missing out. Studies have linked breakfast to academic performance, memory, healthy weight, mood, and more.

And there’s something to be said for starting the day off with a balance of healthy foods. Getting protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and whole grains (with healthy fiber) provides a good foundation for the day and can keep your kids full. The healthy, balanced approach also avoids crashes that could be caused by sugary cereals.

Your children’s morning meals are important. But they can’t make up for poor choices later in the day. So breakfast is important, but eating a healthy, balanced diet all day is what’s most important.

Verdict: Mostly True

Statement: Kids Just Don’t Like Vegetables

Nobody’s born hating vegetables. But pop culture and friends’ anecdotes might have new parents believing all kids automatically hate healthy foods, like broccoli.

Some children—and adults—are picky eaters. And this pickiness can result in kids lacking dietary balance and getting more calories from sugar than they should. But early exposure to vegetables and other health foods can make a big difference throughout a child’s life.

One study even suggests vegetable flavors in a mother’s breast milk might improve an infant’s receptiveness to those flavors later on. More research is needed into this connection. But we know parental behavior—like healthy eating habits—rubs off on children.

Your child isn’t predisposed to vegetable hatred. But tastes developed early can have long-term consequences. Palates can change throughout life, but it’s vital to help your children acquire a love of healthy foods, like vegetables, early on.

Verdict: False

They’re smaller. They eat less. But, as most parents know, that doesn’t mean it’s easier to get children all the nutrients they need.

And it’s very important to provide children with what they need to support their growing minds and bodies. Focusing on a healthy, balanced diet—full of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and fiber-rich whole grains—and proper supplementation are key. They help provide a foundation of good health and develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

Numerous observation and epidemiological studies have shown solid relationships between certain healthy eating patterns and longevity.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that improving overall diet quality by consuming less sugar-laden beverages, red and processed meats, and consuming more vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and whole grains may significantly reduce the risk of premature death. It is the first study to show that improving diet quality over at least 12 years is associated with lower total and cardiovascular mortality, and further highlights the importance of maintaining healthy eating patterns long-term.

The study analyzed the association between changes in diet quality of nearly 74,000 adults over a 12-year period and the risk of dying over the subsequent 12 years using data from two long-term studies- the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study.

Diet quality was assessed using three different scoring methods: the 2010 Alternate Healthy Eating Index, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet score, and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet score. Each of these scoring methods assigns scores to various types of food or nutrients; less healthy foods or nutrients have lower scores and healthier foods or nutrients have higher ones.

These researchers found that improved diet quality over a 12-year period was associated with reduced risk of death in the subsequent 12 years, no matter which score was used. Food groups that contributed most to an improvement in diet quality were fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish or omega-3 fatty acids.

“Our results highlight the long-term health benefits of improving diet quality with an emphasis on overall dietary patterns rather than on individual foods or nutrients. A healthy eating pattern can be adopted according to individuals’ food and cultural preferences and health conditions. There is no one-size-fits-all diet,” said Frank Hu, professor and chair of the Harvard Chan School Department of Nutrition and senior author of the study.

These results are not surprising, and continue to show that your diet does matter.

Sotos-prieto M, Bhupathiraju SN, Mattei J, et al. Association of Changes in Diet Quality with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(2):143-153.

About 15 percent of your body weight is skin. If that seems like a lot, remember that skin is your largest organ. And one of your most important. Understanding your skin’s structure is the first step to maintaining the health of your armor against the outside world.

The Purpose of Your Skin

Your skin comprises a large portion of the integumentary system. This organ system also contains hair, nails, and glands that produce sweat and oil. The three main functions of the integumentary system are protection, regulation, and sensation.

Skin’s primary function in this system is to act as a barrier. It provides protection from various environmental elements—temperature, bacteria, chemicals, the sun, and more. But the blood vessels in the skin also help it regulate your body temperature. And skin is where your body uses sunlight to manufacture vitamin D.

Layers of the Skin

Your skin performs a lot of important functions, and each of its three layers play a role.

Epidermis

The epidermis is the top layer of your skin. It’s made up of millions of skin cells held together by lipids. This creates a resilient barrier and regulates the amount of water released from your body.

The outermost part of the epidermis (stratum coreneum) is comprised of layers of flattened cells. Below, the basal layer—composed of proteins in column-like arrangements—makes new skin cells. That’s because this layer is the only one of the epidermis’ five parts that perform mitosis (division of the cellular nucleus). So your older skin cells flake off the very top layer, and the newer ones push up from the basal layer to take their place.

Your epidermis contains four different types of cells. The majority are keratinocytes, which form your water-proof, protective barrier. Melanin—or skin pigment—is produced in the epidermal melanocytes. Langerhans and Merkel cells deal with immune response and sensation, respectively.

Dermis

The next layer of skin is the dermis. It lies beneath the epidermis, and is responsible for a variety of functions.

This layer contains hair roots, nerve endings, blood vessels, and sweat glands that help regulate body temperature and remove waste products. The dermis also contains oil (sebaceous) glands that keep your skin looking soft and smooth, but also help with waterproofing.

Your dermis has two parts—papillary and reticular. The papillary dermis contains the interlocking connections that help supply blood and nutrients to the epidermis. The reticular dermis is the thicker, deeper portion that contains building blocks like collagen and elastin which give skin its flexibility and strength. Your hair follicles and glands also reside in the reticular dermis.

Hypodermis or Subcutaneous Tissue

The subcutaneous tissue is the lowest layer of the integumentary system. It’s used mainly for fat storage. The hypodermis contains the connective tissue that attaches the dermis to your muscles and bones. It also provides support to the blood vessels, nerves, and glands in the dermis.

Key Elements of the Skin Matrix

The skin matrix is a collection of proteins, fats, and peptides that provide resilience and stability. Here are the main components of this support structure:

Elastin – protein that forms elastic connective tissue, found in the dermis
Keratin – key structural protein that makes up the outermost layer of the skin
Collagen – long-chain amino acid that makes up the majority of protein found in your skin
Lipids – the natural ‘mortar’ that helps lock in moisture and bind the cells together
Peptides – chains of amino acids that signal our cells to let them know how to function

The More You Know

Learning these basics will help you gain a greater understanding of how to take care of and maintain your skin properly. Now that you know the basics of your skin’s structure, learn more about the important role nutrients play in healthy-looking skin.