Men’s Fitness UK – October 2019

NUTRITIONNEWS

Photography

Shutterstock | 1.

The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology

2.

Nutrients

3.

Annals of Internal Medicine 4. Lancet Planetary Health

5.

Cell

Make the Cut

Reducing your daily calorie intake by just 300

can improve your biomarkers for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and boost your

general metabolic health.

(^1) After a two-year study
involving 143 participants, the half that cut their
daily calories by 300 lost an average of 16 pounds.
Speaking to
The Lancet
, study lead Dr. William
Kraus said, “These findings suggest the potential for
a substantial advantage for cardiovascular health
of practising moderate calorie restriction in young
and middle-aged healthy individuals.”
MF
’s verdict:
focus on quality – fresh, minimally-processed,
nutrient-rich – rather than quantity, before
considering potentially performance-hampering
calorie control.
Chilli Concerns
An extensive 15-year study of 4582 Chinese
adults a ed over 55 has hinted at a link between
a spicy diet and dementia.^2 The study found
evidence of faster co nitive decline in those who
consistently ate more than 50 grams of chilli a
day. Althou h capsaicin the active component in
chilli has beenshown to fire up the metabolism
and aid fat loss this was the first study to look at
its relationship with cognitive function. Howeve
before you smash up your bottles of sriracha it’s
worth noting 50 grams is the equivalent of an
entire red chilli. Every single day. For 15 years. So
don’t quote us but you’re probably safe with your
monthly tikka masala.
Sub-Standard
Supplements
A wide-ranging analysis of 277
clinical trials has found that
nearly all nutrient supplements
cannot be linked to longer
life or protection from heart
disease.^3 "e magic bullet
people keep searching for in
dietary supplements isn't
there," senior author of the
study Erin D. Michos told Science Daily. "People should focus
on getting their nutrients from a heart-healthy diet, because the
data shows that the majority of adults don't need supplements."
Climate Crisis
Rising C02 levels over the next 30 years will
dramatically reduce the availability of nutrients
worldwide, according to a recent study.^4 Signicantly,
protein will suer a 19.5 per cent reduction, as rising
C02 reduces the concentration of key micronutrients
in crops. "We've made a lot of progress reducing
undernutrition around the world recently, but global
population growth over the next 30 years will require
increasing the production of foods that provide
sucient nutrients," explained Timothy Sulser, Senior
Scientist at the International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI). “ese ndings suggest climate
change could slow progress on improvements in global
nutrition by making key nutrients less available than
they would be without it."