Avocados Could be Key in Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome, Numerous Ailments

Did you know that in past studies, avocado-eaters have been shown to be healthier than non-eaters? Chowing down on the fruit (yes, avocados are technically berries!) is associated with a lower body weight, a lower body mass index (BMI), a lower intake of added sugars, higher nutrient levels, and a better-quality diet overall. It makes perfect sense, then, that a new review of medical literature shows that eating avocados may help you avoid metabolic syndrome.

Dubbed the “new silent killer,” metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together and put you at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. [1]

These conditions include:

• Abdominal obesity


• High triglycerides


• Low HDL “good” cholesterol


• High blood pressure


• High blood sugar [2]

Some 23% of U.S. adults are affected by metabolic syndrome. [3]

For the review, Iranian researchers looked at 129 previously published studies that examined the effects of avocado consumption on the different components, or conditions, of metabolic syndrome. The majority of the reviewed studies examined the fleshy part of the avocado that people normally eat, but some also looked at the leaves, peels, oils, and pits of avocados. [1]

Avocados were shown in the studies to have the most beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that avocado consumption can influence LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and phospholipids. Phospholipids, along with protein, are major components of cell membranes.

The authors, who recommend eating avocados on a daily basis, wrote:

“The lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic, and cardioprotective effects of avocado have been demonstrated in several studies.” [1]

So, to translate, there isn’t really any aspect of metabolic syndrome that avocados can’t fight, and there isn’t any part of the avocado that doesn’t have these abilities. The creamy fruit even “melts” belly fat, considered the most dangerous type of fat to carry on the body.

Source: Mercola.com

Yes, metabolic syndrome has been dubbed the “new silent killer,” but avocados have been deemed a “perfect food” because of their countless health benefits. Avocados are a reliable source of vitamin E, which is vital for protecting brain health and preventing Alzheimer’s disease. They’ve even been shown to reduce the signs of aging by combating free radicals.

So whip up a batch of guacamole, throw some avocado slices on a sandwich, or cut one in half and bake an egg inside of each half. This is one food you should make a part of your daily routine.

Sources:

[1] Time

[2] American Heart Association

[3] Medical News Today

Mercola.com

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

If You Want to Get Pregnant, Avoid Soda, New Study Suggests

New research shows that women who regularly consume sodas may be lowering their chances of getting pregnant.

For the study, researchers interviewed 524 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment about their food and beverage consumption. They found a link between low-calorie sweeteners, such as saccharine and sucrose, and reduced fertility rates. [1

Source: Time

The study was presented on 17 October 2016 at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine congress in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Diet sodas are considered by many women to be “healthier” than sugary ones, but the findings indicate that both natural and synthetic sweeteners raised the risk of an embryo having at least one deformity. The authors wrote:

“The general population believes that artificial sweeteners are healthier than regular sugar, and is not aware of the dangers hidden behind the promise of reduced calorie food and beverages.” [2]

A leading British fertility expert called the findings “highly significant” and cautioned women not to underestimate the effects of food additives on their chances of conception. [1]

Let’s take a look at some of the study’s other findings:

• Reduced rates of pregnancy were most closely linked with the consumption of soft drinks made with artificial sweeteners, in addition to coffee with added artificial sweeteners.

• Sugary soft drinks and coffee were associated with poorer egg quality and poorer pregnancy chances.

• Unsweetened coffee did not affect egg quality or the odds of becoming pregnant.

Said Professor Adam Balen, Chairman of the British Fertility Society:

“This is a very interesting study that suggests the false promise of artificial sweeteners that are found in soft drinks and added to drinks, such as coffee, may have a significant effect on the quality and fertility of woman’s eggs and this may further impact on the chances of conception.

These findings are highly significant to our population. There should be more scrutiny of food additives and better information available to the public and, in particular, those wishing to conceive.” [3]

Some experts have been slow to accept the findings, however, because they say obesity could have been a factor in the findings, noting the study’s lack of body-weight information, as well as the use of data from IVF patients. [1]

Furthermore, a spokesman from the British Dietetic Association said the study made no attempt to distinguish the impact on fertility outcomes of the body-weight of the women in the study from the impact of artificial sweeteners and sugar in their diets.

Professor Richard Sharpe, Group Leader of Male Reproductive Health Research Team, University of Edinburgh, noted that some of the women the researchers studied may have been drinking diet soda in an effort to lose weight. [2]

Unfortunately for these women, diet soda has been linked to weight gain. As a matter of fact, a study published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks was associated with “escalating abdominal obesity.”

Over the course of the 9-year study, regular drinkers of diet soda added more than 3 inches around their middle, compared with those who didn’t drink diet soda. And the occasional diet soda drinkers increased approximately 1.8 inches around their midsections.

There is debate over whether diet soda literally causes this weight gain, or whether people who drink diet soda wind up consuming too many calories because they believe drinking diet soda means they can eat more.

Past studies have shown that excess weight can interfere with a woman’s estrogen levels and cause polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. [2]

However, it’s important to note that past studies have also shown that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the gut’s delicate microbiome, which can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome – a group of conditions that include high blood pressure and high blood glucose (sugar) levels that overall increase the risk of heart disease. [2]

Source: Gut Health Project

Sources:

[1] The Telegraph

[2] Medical Daily

[3] Newsweek

Time

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.