A long-term study from the University of Eastern Finland has concluded that men who consume plenty of fermented dairy products have a lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to men who consume lesser amounts of such products. The study also cautions that very high consumption of non-fermented dairy products, on the other hand, can increase the risk of incident coronary heart disease. 

 

Adjunct professor in nutrition epidemiology and lead researcher Jyrki Virtanen has said that the biological mechanisms underpinning this causal relationship are still not completely known. In his ongoing study, known as the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, researchers provide further evidence on the health benefits that fermented dairy products may have versus non-fermented ones. This latest research builds on earlier studies that have shown that fermented dairy products have more positive effects on blood lipid profiles and on the risk of heart disease than other dairy products. 

 

The study included 2,000 men as participants and their dietary habits were assessed at the beginning of the study during 1984-1989. The researchers followed the dietary habits of these men for an average of 20 years. Participants were divided into groups based on the quantity of different dairy products that they consumed and data from groups with the highest and lowest consumption were compared, while also taking various lifestyle and nutrition factors into consideration. Following up after 20 years, 472 of the 2,000 participants were found to have experienced an incident coronary heart disease event. 

 

Some participants were divided into four groups on the basis of their consumption of fermented dairy products with less than 3.5% fat. The risk of incident coronary heart disease within these four groups was 26% lower in the highest consumption group compared to that in the lowest consumption group. Sour milk was the most commonly used low-fat fermented dairy product in these groups. Furthermore, from the data collected within these groups, the consumption of high-fat fermented dairy products, such as cheese, was not associated with the risk of incident coronary heart disease.

 

However, the researchers found that very high consumption of non-fermented dairy products is related to an increased risk of heart disease. Milk was the most commonly used product in this category and very high consumption was defined as an average intake of 0.9 litres per day. Similarly, lower consumption levels were not associated with the risk.

 

Although the mechanisms are not clearly understood as yet and further study is necessary, some early conclusions can be drawn. Results of this study point to the likelihood that eating lower-fat fermented dairy products reduces the risk of developing heart disease. However, Prof Virtanen has said it is still too early to issue health advice, based on these results. 

 

Paneer lovers are in luck. The findings of a new study suggest that a protein-filled late-night snack, like cottage cheese (paneer), can have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism and overall health. More importantly, for those who have sworn off eating at night, there is no apparent gain in body fat by consumption of paneer. 

 

Generally, nutritionists and weight-loss experts advise staying away from late-night snacking as our metabolic system is least active at night. Traditionally, eating at night has been considered to induce weight gain. However, this new study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, by researchers of the Florida State University (FSU), seems to contradict this belief. In the study, participating active young women in their early-20s were asked to consume samples of cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. The researchers specifically wanted to see if this late-night snack may have an impact on metabolic rate and muscle recovery. 

 

Associate professor of nutrition, food and exercise sciences, Michael Ormsbee, and former FSU graduate student Samantha Leyh, were surprised to learn that consuming protein as a late-night snack might actually be good for your health. This is the first time that participants in a study were asked to consume whole foods, instead of a protein shake or some form of supplement. “Until now, we presumed that whole foods would act similarly to the data on supplemental protein, but we had no real evidence,” Prof Ormsbee said. “This is important because it adds to the body of literature that indicates that whole foods work just as well as protein supplementation, and it gives people options for pre-sleep nutrition that go beyond powders and shaker bottles.”

 

Ms Leyh, who now works with the Air Force as a research dietitian, says the results serve as a foundation for future research on precise metabolic responses to whole food consumption. “While protein supplements absolutely have their place, it is important to begin pooling data for foods and understanding the role they can play in these situations,” she said. “Like the additive and synergistic effects of vitamins and minerals when consumed in whole food form such as fruits or veggies, perhaps whole food sources may follow suit. While we can’t generalize for all whole foods as we have only utilized cottage cheese, this research will hopefully open the door to future studies doing just that.”

 

Prof Ormsbee believes that “there is much more to uncover in this area of study,” and is hoping to lead his research team in examining more pre-sleep food options. The researchers are hoping to conduct longer-term studies in the future to learn more about the optimal food choices that can aid individuals in recovery from exercise, repair and regeneration of muscle and overall health. 

New research published in the scientific journal Clinical & Experimental Metastasis states that a diet rich in marine omega-3 fatty acids helps in slowing the growth and spread of breast cancer cells in female mice. Diets enriched with omega-3 also improved the survival of mice in cases of breast cancer. Reportedly, the fatty acids were said to have delayed tumours from forming and further blocked cancerous cells from spreading to other organs in mice.

 

Research, in the past, has hailed the numerous benefits of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Such fatty acids are generally found in fish, seafood, nuts and seeds, as well as in fish oil, plant oils and some fortified foods. Researchers have explored the link between omega-3 and cancer; their observational studies have linked diets rich in marine omega-3 fatty acids with a lower risk of breast cancer. Recent studies have also suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may stop cancer by activating the body’s natural pain-killers. “Our study emphasizes the potential therapeutic role of dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in the control of tumor growth and metastasis,” explained lead author Saraswoti Khadge, of the University of Nebraska Medical Centre (USA). By conducting experiments in mice, this new study has added to the mounting evidence that dietary omega-3 may have cancer-fighting properties.

 

The research team fed two groups of adult female rodents nearly identical liquid diets for which the calorie count and percentage of fat contained were same. However, the main difference was that one group ate a diet contained plant oils rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats while the other diet contained fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The researchers then injected the mice with 4T1 breast cancer cells which spread quickly to form aggressive tumours in the breast glands. These cells are known to spread spontaneously to other parts of the body, such as bones, the lungs and liver, but less frequently to the heart, kidneys and ovaries. After a period of 35 days, the researchers autopsied the mice to uncover the effects of the two diets.

 

The research team found that, in the group of mice that were fed omega-3 rich diet, breast cancer cells were significantly less likely to have spread to the breast glands. In these mice, the tumours that did develop in the breast glands also grew a lot more slowly which affected their size. Specifically, the tumours in the omega-3 group were 50% smaller than those in the omega-6 group. The likelihood of the cancerous cells growing and spreading to other organs in the omega-3 group was also lower and these mice also had better survival rates. 

 

Furthermore, relatively more T-cells were found in the tissue of the mice in the omega-3 group than in the tissue of omega-6 group; this correlates to dying tumour cells. T-cells are anti-inflammatory white-blood cells that play a crucial role in keeping the immune system strong and healthy. Interestingly, the mice fed an omega-3 diet also had less inflammation. Hence, Ms Khadge has hypothesised that a diet rich in fish oil may help in suppressing the type of inflammation that can trigger the rapid development and spread of tumours as well as promote T-cell responses to tumours. However, she cautions that this does not necessarily mean that the diet would also prevent breast cancer from forming in the first place. 

 

This study was based entirely on dietary consumption during adult life. Its findings, however, are in line with previous studies that showed that eating fish oil-based diets during pregnancy, and as a child, markedly suppress the development and spread of breast cancer.