Dietary support of heart and brain health, and related nutritional research, is an increasingly explored field. This week’s Nutrition News looks at how strawberries and olive oil could be the answer to supporting our brains and hearts.
Find out more here with the latest research.
Strawberries for heart and brain health
The nutritional benefits of berries are widely recognised due to their antioxidant content, protecting the body from the free radicals prevalent in modern day to day life. Several studies have linked berry consumption, including acai berries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries to improvements in the gut microbiota, nervous system, cardiovascular health, and immune system support. Adding to the existing evidence, a recent study from San Diego State University, reported by Medical News Today in the article “Could eating strawberries daily improve heart and brain health?”, showcased the cognitive and cardiovascular benefits of eating strawberries regularly.
In the research, 35 healthy individuals aged between 66 and 78 participated in an eight-week study. Half of the participants consumed 26 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder each day, which is the equivalent to two servings of fresh strawberries, while the other half received a placebo powder as a control. At the study's end, those who consumed strawberries exhibited a 5.2% improvement in cognitive processing speed, a 3.6% reduction in systolic blood pressure, and a 10.2% increase in antioxidant capacity compared to the control group.
Dr. Shirin Hooshmand, the principal investigator, highlighted that the study confirmed the positive effects of strawberries on heart health and cognitive function. These results align with previous research demonstrating the cardiovascular benefits of strawberries.
Strawberries are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, and folate, and they are a potent source of vitamin C, meeting the daily intake with just eight berries. Antioxidants like polyphenols and phytosterols found in strawberries contribute to their anti-inflammatory properties and ability to lower cholesterol levels.
Strawberries can be incorporated into the diet in various ways, such as adding them to smoothies, salads, yoghurt, or enjoying them on their own. With its outstanding nutritional profile and numerous health benefits, strawberries are a delicious and accessible addition to a well-balanced diet, promoting overall well-being.
Irregular sleep could lead to poor gut health
New research conducted by King's College London and ZOE, a personalised nutrition company, has shed light on the connection between irregular sleep patterns and harmful gut bacteria. The study, discussed in the Science Daily article “Irregular sleep patterns associated with harmful gut bacteria”, is the first to establish multiple associations between social jet lag, which occurs when our internal body clock shifts due to changes in sleeping patterns between workdays and free days, and diet quality, habits, inflammation, and gut microbiome composition.
While previous studies have focused on the impact of major sleep disruptions, like shift work, this research examines the effects of smaller inconsistencies in sleep timings, such as waking early with an alarm clock on workdays compared to waking naturally on non-workdays. Surprisingly, these subtle variations in sleep were found to be linked to differences in gut bacterial species.
The study involved a cohort of 934 individuals from the ZOE PREDICT study, consisting mainly of lean and healthy individuals who typically got more than seven hours of sleep per night throughout the week. The researchers assessed blood, stool, and gut microbiome samples, as well as glucose measurements in participants with irregular sleep schedules compared to those with routine sleep patterns.
The results revealed that even a 90-minute difference in the midpoint of sleep, which is the halfway point between sleep time and wake-up time, was associated with variations in gut microbiome composition. Those with social jet lag showed lower overall diet quality, higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and lower intake of fruits and nuts, all of which directly influenced gut health.
The study identified three out of six microbiota species that were more abundant in the social jet lag group and had unfavorable associations with health. These particular microbes were linked to poor diet quality, indicators of obesity and cardiometabolic health, as well as markers in the blood related to higher inflammation and cardiovascular risk.
Lead author Kate Bermingham highlighted the significance of regular sleep patterns in maintaining health, emphasizing that even small differences in the midpoint of sleep could encourage the growth of microbiota species with negative health associations. Moreover, previous research has shown that social jet lag is associated with weight gain and negative weight management, chronic illness, and mental fatigue.
Dr. Sarah Berry, chief scientist at ZOE, stressed the importance of maintaining consistent sleep patterns and sleep support as an easily adjustable lifestyle behavior that can positively impact health through the gut microbiome. While the study provides valuable insights, it currently only illustrates a correlation between irregular sleep and gut health, rather than causation, and further intervention trials are needed to explore whether improving sleep consistency can lead to beneficial changes in the gut microbiome and overall health outcomes.
Olive oil could support against dementia risks
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, affects over 55 million people worldwide and affects a person’s ability to think or make decisions. A new study presented at NUTRITION 2023, reported by Healthline in the article “Daily Spoonful of Olive Oil Daily Can Drop the Risk of Dying by Dementia by 28%”, suggests that increasing the consumption of olive oil may reduce the risk of dementia-related death.
The research investigated ways to improve the effects of dementia and support cognitive health through dietary and lifestyle habits. Over a span of 30 years, the team examined dietary questionnaires and death records of more than 90,000 Americans, of which 4,749 died from dementia. The findings revealed that participants who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil daily had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia compared to those who rarely or never consumed olive oil.
Interestingly, the positive association between olive oil consumption and dementia risk remained even after accounting for overall diet quality. Anne-Julie Tessier, the study author and research fellow of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan, highlighted that the study supports current dietary guidelines recommending the use of vegetable oils like olive oil for heart health, but now extends these recommendations to cognitive-related health.
The study also found that replacing just one teaspoon of margarine or mayonnaise with olive oil daily was associated with an 8-14% lower risk of dementia-related death.
Olive oil and olive leaf in general offers a number of health benefits, such as being rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein complexes and tyrosol, that promote good health and cardiovascular function. While the exact mechanisms behind the link between olive oil and brain health are not yet fully understood, researchers believe the monounsaturated fats and antioxidant compounds in olive oil may play a protective role for the brain, possibly by benefitting cardiovascular health and protecting blood vessels in the brain.
Further research is needed to comprehensively understand how olive oil affects brain health, but this study provides promising evidence for its potential benefits in reducing dementia-related risk.
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Alison is Director and Founder of Metabolics who writes about Metabolics updates, events and natural healthcare. Her experience and passion for natural supplements and healthcare comes from her years of experience as a practising osteopath, having founded Metabolics in her search for high quality, natural products in her own work. Alison has been a qualified and practising Osteopath since 1981 and regularly gives seminars on a range of healthcare subjects to the wider practitioner community helping share her knowledge and experience.