Regarding Diet
This week, I’ll be answering some queries on multivitamins, maintaining good blood sugar levels, and resources for switching to a DASH or Mediterranean diet from my reader (e)mailbag.
I recently learned that multivitamins didn’t work, according to a new study. Do I have to quit taking one now?
You’re most likely thinking about the study published in JAMA Network Open on June 26. It concluded that taking a multivitamin every day for an extended period of time didn’t make people live longer than, well, other people. This particular study was observational in nature and used data from three ongoing studies with a total enrollment of 390,124 participants. At the beginning of the trial, participants had a median age of 61.4 and were in good health, with no prior history of cancer or other chronic illnesses. The multivitamin status of the 164,764 individuals who passed away over the course of the more than 20 years of follow-up was unaffected.
If you were hoping to live a long life, this study might have disappointed you—that is, if you weren’t already aware of one of several other studies that came to essentially the same conclusion. However, it is also evident from these research that taking a daily multivitamin won’t harm you.
It is ideal for us to obtain our nutrients from food, since it provides us with nourishment that is more complex and synergistic than what dietary supplements can provide. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, poultry, and fish. But there may be nutrient deficiencies due to things like a restricted diet or restricted access to fresh food. Many people use multivitamins as nutrition “insurance” since they can help close the gaps in certain situations. Speak with a certified nutritionist or your doctor about your specific needs.
In order to enjoy my post-retirement years, I wish to maintain my health. Specifically, how can I promote normal blood sugar levels?
Getting moving is one of the first things I recommend to anyone who ask similar inquiries. in particular, making time for movement during the day. While taking a long walk, dancing class, or working out at the gym is fantastic, spending the rest of the day sitting down is bad for our blood sugar levels and general health.
I brought up the concept of “movement snacks” or microworkouts in last week’s column. Including brief bursts of activity every 30 to 60 minutes, particularly after a meal, has been shown to improve the body’s utilisation of the glucose (sugar) from that meal. In contrast to extended sitting, sporadic short bursts of light walking significantly decreased the postmeal spike in blood sugar, according to a 2022 meta-analysis of seven research. After dinner, some individuals like to take a quick stroll, but other alternatives include body-weight squats and aimless pacing around the house or yard.
Controlling your stress is also crucial since stress causes your body to generate hormones that increase blood sugar, giving you more energy to fight off dangers. In essence, your body is unable to distinguish between stress resulting from being pursued by a saber-toothed tiger and stress stemming from a breakup with a family member.
In terms of nutrition, don’t forget to prioritise hydration, varied meals, and fibre. When we combine carbohydrates with a source of protein and healthy fat (the so-called “mixed meal”), the rate at which we digest carbohydrates is slowed down and the amount of glucose released into the bloodstream is regulated. High-fiber carbohydrates can be found in fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and whole grains. It also seems that daily consumption of adequate water may contribute to the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels, albeit this is not proven.
I’m considering giving the DASH or Mediterranean diets a try. Please provide any resources that would be useful to me so that I can succeed and have fun with this.
I suppose that one of your worries is maintaining appropriate blood pressure, and all of the diets you suggested are excellent choices for eating in a way that promotes cardiovascular health in general. In addition to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan, studies have shown that vegetarian and Mediterranean diets can also help lower blood pressure.
In addition to including a few portions of dairy products, fish, lean meat or chicken, beans or lentils, nuts and seeds, and vegetable or olive oils, all three eating plans place an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Both the DASH and Mediterranean diets restrict added sugar, with the DASH diet particularly capping sodium at 2,300 mg daily, or 1,500 mg daily for a more notable drop in blood pressure.
The DASH diet is related with lowered blood pressure because it is high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fibre. Because the food groups in the two diets are similar, they can be compared. On its website, the National Institutes of Health lists the DASH eating plan’s suggested daily servings of each food group and provides recipe links. Oldways is my first choice for information on the Mediterranean diet; they have a tonne of resources, such as downloads, a helpful introduction, and a colourful Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
That’s a fantastic place to start, but tailoring one of these eating programmes to your preferences and way of life is essential for fun and long-term success. You’ve got an advantage if you cook the majority of your meals at home from scratch. If not, making little changes in that direction will be important, as will learning to eat more fruit and vegetables if you don’t already eat much of either. Both diets have a plethora of cookbooks available, some of which even claim to be a hybrid of the two. It will be easier if you can find a few with recipes that both suit your ideal recipe complexity and appear appealing.