Nibbles: Ear infections and obesity, belly fat and stroke, and another Olympian fueled by McDonald’s
Link found between infections and obesity
Several studies presented at a conference of the American Psychological Association show a link between chronic and severe ear infections in childhood and obesity later in life. Researchers said they think having lots of infections damages the sense of taste, which could make people who had lots of infections crave sweeter foods. One study showed that those with a history of moderate to severe ear infections were 62 percent more likely to be obese than those with fewer infections, and another said that those who’d had their tonsils removed were 40 percent more likely to be overweight than those who still had tonsils…
Shaking on spices may help diabetics
Experiments in test tubes found that extracts from spices helped inhibit a damaging process caused by having high blood sugar levels. The compounds, which came from herbs and spices like rosemary, sage, cinnamon and cloves, blocked a chemical process that creates AGE compounds, which cause inflammation and tissue damage that can ultimately lead to clogged arteries and heart disease. While the mechanism hasn’t been tested in humans, researchers say there’s no harm in piling on the spices, especially if they replace salt in your cooking…
Belly fat a good predictor of stroke risk
The amount of fat a person carries around his or her belly is a better predictor of stroke risk than having a high body mass index, researchers from the University of Heidelberg report. Thirty percent of the people involved in the study who had a stroke were also obese, but having a large waist (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) indicated a four times greater stroke risk when compared to people with normal sized waists. Those with the biggest ratio of waist to hips were eight times more likely to have a stroke than those with the smallest…
Red Bull gives you blood like a person with heart disease
Australian researchers have found that drinking just one Red Bull energy drink increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, even among young people. An hour after drinking the beverage, participants in the study had sticky blood like a person with cardiovascular disease. Red Bull’s manufacturer says the study doesn’t show any effects that would be different from someone drinking coffee, but it does say that people should drink no more than two of the beverages daily. The drink is banned in Denmark, Norway and Uruguay because of health concerns…
Lochte files on McDonald’s
Finally, we all know about Olympian Michael Phelp’s carb-filled diet that requires consumption of 10,000 calories a day, but he’s not the only swimmer whose diet is getting scrutiny. Fellow American Ryan Lochte, who won his first individual gold in the 200-meter backstroke and took bronze in the 200 individual medley less than half an hour later, says he’s been eating McDonald’s almost exclusively since he got to China. He says he’s not at all worried about nutrition and it’s probably his downfall.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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