The Diet That Reduces Postmenopausal Weight Gain, Hot Flashes, & More
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In this week’s health news…
A prescription for plants
“Eat plants” may not seem like breaking news, but what’s new here is…
❝Avoiding animal products and instead eating vegan foods including veggie burgers, breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables is a prescription for fighting hot flashes.
Even plant-based foods that are considered ultra-processed—like soy milk and vegan meat and yogurt alternatives—bring health benefits, including weight loss and a reduction in hot flashes.❞
~ Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
In terms of numbers, those who switched to a plant-based diet for the duration of the 12-week study enjoyed:
- 92% reduction in severe hot flashes (compared to no reduction in the control group)
- 88% reduction in moderate hot flashes (compared to 34% reduction in the control group)
- 8 lbs reduction in weight (compared to 8 oz reduction in the control group)
Read in full: Plant-based diet reduces weight and hot flashes in postmenopausal women, finds new study
Related: The Whys and Hows of Cutting Meats Out Of Your Diet
Mediterranean Diet vs IBS
When it comes to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), what’s usually recommended is a low-FODMAP diet. Which works, but it’s a very restrictive diet, and can be difficult to adhere to, especially if one wants to get plenty of fiber (which someone with IBS still needs).
This new study found that the Mediterranean diet (famously rich with plants) resulted in meeting the criteria for IBS symptom amelioration in 73% of cases—compared to 82% in the low-FODMAP group of the same study.
In other words, low-FODMAP is still slightly better for IBS, but a) only slightly better b) much more restrictive
…which may make the Mediterranean diet an option well-worth seriously considering, for many:
Read in full: Mediterranean diet provides symptom relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome in pilot study
Related: Four Ways To Upgrade The Mediterranean Diet
Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths Steadily Rising In The US
Most people know that alcohol is bad for us in many ways, but most don’t know that alcohol causes cancer. Literally, nationwide polling in the US found that only 45% knew this.
While alcohol consumption levels are overall going down on a population level, this is largely due to growing younger generations of non-drinkers or rarely-drinkers, while older drinkers are dying from alcohol-related cancers at an increasing rate:
❝[Dr. Jani et al.] found that between 1990 and 2021, the total number of alcohol-related cancer deaths nearly doubled in the U.S., rising from just under 12,000 deaths per year to just over 23,000.
The burden is especially high in men over 55, who saw their alcohol-linked cancer mortality rise by a bit over 1% every year between 2007 and 2021❞
Furthermore,
❝Among all cancers combined, the percentage of cancer deaths likely due to alcohol consumption increased by nearly 50% between 1990 and 2021.❞
Read in full: Alcohol-fueled cancer deaths are on the rise in the US
Related: How Much Alcohol Does It Take To Increase Cancer Risk?
Take care!
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How Ultra-Processed Foods Diminish Your Ability To Focus
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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have a well-earned bad reputation. And yet, most of us still consume at least some, and many people meet the criteria for ultra-processed food addiction.
Now, some UPFs are healthy in moderation. See for example: Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, whatever you might have heard
But we said the bad reputation was well-earned, and that was true. For example: How Likely Is It That Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) Will Kill You?
…which is quite dire.
So what’s this about ultra-processed foods stealing our focus?
The other kind of “brain drain”
The good news: based on recent research (by Dr. Barbara Cardoso et al.), ultra-processed food intake doesn’t seem to affect memory.
The bad news: it (adversely!) effects every other measure of cognitive function tested, and most of all, diminishes focus.
Dr. Cardoso and her team followed 2,192 people aged 40–70 without dementia to examine the impact of diet on cognitive performance.
The main finding: increasing intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) was linked to a measurable decline in attention span, even when overall diet quality was otherwise healthy.
In particular, a 10% increase in UPFs was associated with noticeably poorer performance on tests of visual attention and processing speed.
❝To put our findings in perspective, a 10 per cent increase in UPFs is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to your daily diet.
For every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person’s ability to focus.
In clinical terms, this translated to consistently lower scores on standardised cognitive tests measuring visual attention and processing speed.❞
~ Dr. Barbara Cardoso
As for how this happens, Dr. Barbara Cardoso explained that ultra-processing can damage the natural structure of food and introduce additives or chemicals, suggesting cognitive effects go beyond simply lacking “healthy” nutrients. We’ve covered that idea before at 10almonds*, too, so it’s nice to see such a lot of new data backing it up as well.
For example:
- The Preservatives That Increase Diabetes Risk
- The Common Food Preservatives That Are Linked To Cancer
If you’d like to read Dr. Cardoso’s paper in full, here it is: Ultra-processed food intake, cognitive function, and dementia risk: A cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older Australian adults
Want to improve your own dietary habits?
First, it’s good to be well-informed. Reading 10almonds is a great start! Of course, we can’t cover every product in your local supermarket though, so check out this:
How Processed Is The Food You Buy, Really? ← includes a huge, free database!
If you prefer a short hit-list, then here you go: Top 10 Unhealthy Foods: How Many Do You Eat?
And if you know which UPFs you want to cut out, but knowing isn’t the problem, then here’s our main feature on how to do that: When It’s More Than “Just” Cravings: How To Beat Food Addictions!
Want to learn more?
You might like this book we reviewed a little while back:
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind The Food That Isn’t Food – by Dr. Chris van Tulleken
…and/or as a next step,
Unprocess Your Life: Break Free From Ultra-Processed Foods For Good – by Rob Hobson ← Rob Hobson is not a doctor, but he is a nutritionist with half the alphabet after his name (BSc, PGDip, MSc, AFN, SENR) and decades of experience in the field.
Take care!
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Why You Might Want To Drink Plain Hot Water
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If you haven’t tried it (or perhaps have, and got out of the habit, or didn’t make a habit), Fumiko Takatsu presents some reasons why you might:
Some like it hot
This’ll be mainly anecdotal today, but things well-worth considering…
She says: it helps cleanse your system like hot water does with oily dishes, especially effective first thing in the morning before food..
We say: water in general allows the body’s system to self-clean, but the aspect of science here is that warm (or hot) water is much more easily absorbed than cold.She says: she drinks a cup of hot water after brushing her teeth to feel clean and energized without needing coffee or tea.
We say: yes, morning hydration is great, and once again, warm/hot water will do that better than cold, plus, on an experiential level, if you enjoy the drink more (hot water can be considered more “entertaining” than cold), then it gets the dopamine flowing, which is a wakefulness-promoting hormone.She says: drinking hot water before bed helps cleanse your system overnight and is less likely than cold water to make you wake up needing the bathroom.
We say: yes, again because of the absorption thing; it actually gets distributed better through all your body’s living cells, rather than just whooshing through the kidneys barely touching the sides (we exaggerate, but you get the idea) and directly into your bladder.She says: she brings a thermos of hot water with her to restaurants or orders it after a meal instead of coffee or tea to feel clean, energized, and relaxed.
We say: this writer very rarely goes to restaurants, but has often taken hot water with her when going on a day-trip to the city for some reason; keeps me hydrated and adds comfort to my journey as well as health! I won’t lie; I go through phases of taking hot water or black coffee, but it’s always one or the other.She says: adding lemon is fine during the day, but not before bed as lemon is acidic and may harm your tooth enamel—plain hot water is better at night!
We say: agreed! This writer often adds lemon in the morning or when cooking/eating (which also increases iron bioavailability from food), but in the evening, it’s hot water or spearmint tea (or sometimes one and then the other, if I’m feeling decadent, because I’m such a party girl like that).In short: aside from anecdote and personal enthusiasm of the video creator and this writer, the main scientific takeaways today are twofold:
- hot water (or even warm, but seriously, try hot if you haven’t; you might like it, and it is almost always good to try new things) is absorbed more easily than cold, and is thus more hydrating, and thus also less likely to just pass straight through you.
- hot water does not have the drawbacks of a number of other hot drinks for being either acid, stimulant, calorific, tooth-staining, or a combination of the above.
So, give it a try!
For more on much of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Things Many People Forget When It Comes To Hydration
Take care!
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Exhausted To Energized – by Dr. Libby Weaver
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
There are very many possible causes of low energy; some are obvious; some are not.
Dr. Weaver goes through a comprehensive list that goes beyond the common, to encompass also the “not rare” options—how to test for them where appropriate, and how to improve/fix them where appropriate.
Thus, she talks us through the marvels of mitochondria (including how to keep them happy and healthy and how to promote the generation of new ones), antioxidant defense mechanisms, coenzyme Q10 and friends, B vitamins of various kinds, macronutrients, the autonomic nervous system, sleep and its many factors, blood oxygenation, digestive issues, what’s going on in the spleen, the gallbladder, the liver, the kidneys, the adrenal glands, our thyroid goings-on in all its multifarious wonders, minerals like iodine, iron, magnesium, zinc, our epigenetic factors, and even psychological considerations ranging from stress to grief. In short—and we have shortened the list to pick out particularly salient points—quite a comprehensive rundown of the human body to make your human body less run-down.
The style is on the very readable pop-science, and/but she does bring her professional knowledge to bear on topic (her doctorate is a PhD in biochemistry, and it shows; a lot of explanations come from that angle).
Bottom line: if you are often exhausted and would rather be energized, this this book almost certainly address at least a couple of things you probably haven’t considered—and even just one would make it worthwhile.
Click here to check out Exhausted To Energized, go from exhausted to energized!
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Okra vs Onion – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing okra to onion, we picked the okra.
Why?
Of these two mildly pungent vegetables, there is a clear winner in every category:
In terms of macros, okra has nearly 2x the fiber and protein, while onion has very slightly more carbs. An easy win for okra.
In the category of vitamins, okra has more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, K, and choline, while onion is not higher in any vitamins. A complete win for okra.
When it comes to minerals, okra has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while onion is not higher in any minerals. another overwhelming win for okra.
Adding up the sections makes for easy arithmetic; okra wins the day. Still, by all means enjoy either or both—it would surely be sad world if all onions were replaced with okra!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
What’s Your Plant Diversity Score?
Enjoy!
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Metabolical – by Dr. Robert Lustig
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
The premise of this book itself is not novel: processed food is bad, food giants lie to us, and eating better makes us less prone to disease (especially metabolic disease).
What this book does offer that’s less commonly found is a comprehensive guide, a walkthrough of each relevant what and why and how, with plenty of good science and practical real-world examples.
In terms of unique selling points, perhaps the greatest strength of this book is its focus on two things in particular that affect many aspects of health: looking after our liver, and looking after our gut.
The style is… A little dramatic perhaps, but that’s just the style; there’s no hyperbole, he is stating well-established scientific facts.
Bottom line: very much of chronic disease would be a lot less diseasey if we all ate with these aspects of our health in mind. This book’s a comprehensive guide to that.
Click here to check out Metabolical, and let food be thy medicine!
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Dates vs Prunes – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing dates to prunes, we picked the prunes.
Why?
Both have their merits, but on balance, there is a winner!
First let’s note: we’re listing the second fruit here as “prunes” rather than “plums”, since prunes are dehydrated plums, and it makes more sense to compare the dried fruit to dates which are invariably dried too. Otherwise, the water weight of plums would unfairly throw out the nutrient proportions per 100g (indeed, upon looking up numbers, dates would overwhelmingly beat plums easily in the category of pretty much every nutrient).
So let’s look at the fairer comparison:
In terms of macros, dates have a little more fiber, carbohydrates, and protein. This is because while both are dried, prunes are usually sold with more water remaining than dates; indeed, per 100g prunes still have 30g water weight to dates’ 20g water weight. This makes everything close, but we are going to call this category a nominal win for dates. Mind you, hydration is still good, but please do not rely on dried fruit for your hydration!
In the category of vitamins, dates have more of vitamins B5 and B9, while prunes have more of vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, E, and K. An unambiguous win for prunes in this round.
Looking at minerals next, it’s a similar story: dates have more iron, magnesium, and selenium, while prunes have more calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Another easy win for prunes!
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for prunes, but by all means enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
From Apples to Bees, and High-Fructose Cs: Which Sugars Are Healthier, And Which Are Just The Same?
Take care!
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Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
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