EGGS AND FISH: POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR ADULTS
A few simple dietary changes may benefit you in big ways. New findings show that eating eggs on a regular basis may help prevent the development of type-2 diabetes. Researchers in Finland have found that eating eggs may benefit blood sugar metabolism. In the past, egg consumption has either been associated with an elevated risk of diabetes or no association has been found. The findings from this new study suggest that some compound or combination of compounds in eggs may help combat diabetes through an anti-inflammatory effect. Researchers looked at men in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, which was started at the University of Eastern Finland in 1984-1989. The Finnish researchers examined the dietary habits of 2,332 men between the ages of ages 42 and 60. During a follow-up of 19.3 years, they found that 432 men were diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Interestingly, egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of type-2 diabetes as well as with lower blood glucose levels. Men who ate approximately four eggs per week had a 37 per cent lower risk of type-2 diabetes than men who only ate approximately one egg per week. This association persisted even after physical activity, body mass index (BMI), smoking and consumption of fruits and vegetables were taken into consideration. The consumption of more than four eggs per week did not bring any significant additional benefits. The investigators theorise that eggs contain many beneficial nutrients that can have an effect on glucose metabolism and low-grade inflammation, and thus help prevent the development of type-2 diabetes.
VITAMIN D AND PAIN IN OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS
If you are overweight and have osteoarthritis, you may
want to bone up on your dairy and other products that
have vitamin D, according to a University of Florida
study. It has found that higher levels of vitamin D may
decrease pain and improve function in obese individuals
with osteoarthritis.
In a study published in The Clinical Journal of Pain,
the investigators report that obese individuals who
suffer from osteoarthritis and have adequate vitamin
D levels could walk, balance and rise from sitting to
standing better than obese participants with insufficient
vitamin D levels.
“Adequate vitamin D may be significant to improving
osteoarthritis pain because it affects bone quality and
protects cell function to help reduce inflammation,”
said lead author Toni Glover, who is an assistant professor
in the University of Florida College of Nursing in Gainesville, Florida. “Vitamin
D maintains calcium and phosphate concentration levels to keep bones
strong. Increased pain due to osteoarthritis could limit physical activity, including
outdoor activity, which would lead to both decreased vitamin D levels and
increased obesity.”
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people
worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of bones
wears down over time, causing pain, stiffness and loss of joint movement. The
researchers analysed blood samples for vitamin D levels in 256 middle-aged and
older adults. Among the 126 obese participants, 68 were vitamin D-deficient
while only 29 of the 130 non-obese participants were deficient, suggesting obesity
is significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults aged 18-70 obtain 600
international units of vitamin D per day and adults over 71 at least 800 international
units of vitamin D per day. An eight-ounce (quarter-litre) glass
of fortified milk contains about 100 international units of calcium. Foods
rich in vitamin D include salmon, tuna, sardines, shrimp, mushrooms and
egg yolks, and foods fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and some cereals,
yogurts and orange juices. The body also produces vitamin D through
sun exposure.
John Schieszer is an awardwinning
journalist and radio
broadcaster of “The Medical
Minute”. He can be reached at
medicalminutes@gmail.com.
