Spilling the Tea
A 10-year study out of Flinders University in Australia that looked at bone density in post-menopausal women found tea drinkers had slightly stronger bones than those who didn’t enjoy teatime. Researchers followed 10,000 women aged 65 and older for a decade and monitored whether tea and coffee influenced bone mineral density (BMD), which is a marker that assesses osteoporosis risk. Their findings, published in the journal Nutrients, showed that women who had at least one cup of tea a day had slightly higher hip BMD than women who did not. This could be due to the catechins in tea (especially green tea; they’re antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties and help to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease) that promote bone formation. High BMD can mean fewer fractures in the long run, which is why researchers concluded a daily cup of tea could make a difference over time. Coffee, on the other hand, wasn’t associated with the same benefits. In fact, drinking more than five cups a day was linked to lower BMD.
Speaking of Coffee
It might not directly benefit bone density, but a study from Harvard University that studied more than 47,000 women showed those in their 50s who drank one to three cups of java a day were more likely to make it to age 70 free from a slew of major chronic diseases, without physical limitations or mental health issues and with no memory complaints. Published in Current Developments in Nutrition, the study says the link to healthy aging in mid- to late life was in caffeinated coffee, not colas or other caffeinated drinks. Researchers followed participants for 30 years, and while they took other lifestyle behaviours and factors into consideration in their findings, they ultimately validated other studies that also show a link between coffee drinking and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Booze Clues
You might want to consider reaching for a tea or coffee instead of an alcoholic beverage, according to researchers at Brown University’s School of Public Health and Alpert Medical School, which found even a short hiatus from alcohol can “lead to meaningful physical and psychological improvements.” Those who cut out booze for a month (think Dry January) not only reported better sleep and mood, but they also showed benefits when it came to weight loss, concentration, blood pressure, energy level and liver function. Perhaps this research comes at a good time for Canadians: According to Statistics Canada, there’s a trend toward adults drinking less in 2015, 80 percent of us reported drinking alcohol at least once a month; by 2024, that number dropped seven percent.
Not Another Fad Diet
Yes, the Mediterranean diet has been touted as the GOAT of healthy-aging diets, but now scientists are looking into a diet that comes from Europe’s colder climates. A study from Aarhus University in Demark found that those who followed the Nordic diet – a primarily plant-based diet filled with fish, berries, root veggies, rye and canola oil, and low in processed foods, alcohol, red meat and poultry – had a lower risk of early death. Researchers monitored more than 76,000 people for decades and reported that those who stuck closely to the Nordic nutrition recommendations had fewer cases of cancer and heart disease.
Say Cheese
Is whole-fat dairy better for brain health? That’s the question researchers in Sweden asked when they looked at the association between dairy intake and the risk of dementia, as well as whether low-fat or high-fat dairy made a difference when it came to the disease. Of the more than 27,000 participants studied over 25 years, 3,200 cases of dementia were recorded. Consumption of high-fat cheese was associated with a reduced risk of brain disease. And when compared with people who didn’t eat dairy at all, those who consumed high-fat cream had a 16 percent lower risk of dementia. People who ate low-fat versions of their favourite dairy ingredients (like cheese, milk, butter and cream) didn’t show a lower or higher risk. Still, don’t go stocking your fridge with super-fatty dairy products just yet (everything in moderation, right?) – high-fat cheese isn’t great for cholesterol.
Here’s to EVOO
Extra-virgin olive oil is a huge part of the Mediterranean diet, which we know supports brain and metabolic health. But according to a new study from Spain’s Universitat Rovira i Virgili recently published in the journal Microbiome, there’s also a link between the oil, gut bacteria and boosting cognitive function. Scientists tracked the diets of 656 overweight participants between the ages of 55 and 75 for two years and found those who regularly used virgin olive oil had improvements in brain health and a more diverse gut microbiome. (Cold-pressed extra-virgin is tops – it’s better in quality, nutrients and flavour.) Those who consumed refined olive oil (which is made with damaged or overripe olives via a process involving mechanical filters and solvents) showed a decline in their microbiome over time. Chalk these findings up to more evidence that the quality of fat we consume is very important, and when it comes to EVOO, it can protect both the heart and the brain.
Get Cracking
Recently published in the Journal of Nutrition, a study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center in California found eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s in older adults. People who ate at least one egg a day for five or more days a week had a 27 percent lower risk of the illness. Eggs are full of choline, which is key for communication between brain cells and memory, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids linked to healthier cognitive health. (Yes, eggs are also high in cholesterol, but most experts agree that for healthy folks, one or two a day won’t affect your LDL “bad” cholesterol.) More than 40,000 people participated in the study, and researchers say eggs eaten on their own (boiled, fried, scrambled – however you prefer) as well as those found in baked goods were equally beneficial.
