As this year wraps to a close and we start to welcome in the New Year, it is appropriate to look back at the year that has passed. And what a year it was! With all of the craziness that surrounded the 2016 Presidential Election and other social and political events, science has been often thrown to the wayside. And that just is not fair, because a lot of scientific discoveries have been made in the year 2016.
This article is going to focus on what science found out as it pertains to nutrition. Some rumors were quashed and others were confirmed. It really is amazing how nutrition facts can change from year to year. One year something is deathly bad for you and the next year it is found out that it actually provides great benefits to you.
Let’s delve into what healthy nutritional discoveries in 2016 science found for us!
#1 – Peas, Beans, and Lentils Help You Lose Weight
It turns out your mom was dead right when she always told you to eat your peas at dinnertime. And you should thank her if you actually did eat those peas, because she helped you lose weight or keep weight off.
A reputable medical journal published a study in this year that showed that consuming just three fourths of a cup of peas, beans, or lentils daily can help you lose weight. This particular study looked at the effects of daily consumption after a six-week period and found that the participants lost up to three fourths of a pound after the six-week period.
While not even losing a pound in six weeks might not seem like much, that’s almost 10 pounds lost in an entire year just from eating foods like beans and peas. And keep in mind that this study was conducted on folks who did not make any other efforts to lose weight.
#2 – Honey Is Not Sugar’s Innocent Alternative
Unfortunately, the truth about honey has finally come out. For years it was considered that honey was the healthy alternative to sugar and people sung the praises of the supposedly healthy sweet substance. But, a study published in a reputable nutritional journal squashed that. The study found that honey and sugar do almost the same thing to the body when consumed, which include increasing your levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, insulin, and blood pressure.
On top of that, honey also makes you take on pounds just like sugar. It is really unfair that every sweet substance that our taste buds love turns out to be highly unhealthy, but moderation is key. Sugar or honey in small amounts here and there won’t hurt you.
#3 – Go Nuts!
Turns out that nuts are like, REALLY good your health. A collection of 29 studies was analyzed by nutrition experts and scientists and discovered the shocking benefits of regular nut consumption. And these nuts can be any of your favorites including peanuts and walnuts!
Anyways, the analysis of the studies found that those who regular consume any kind of nut in their diets are 30 percent less at risk for developing heart diseases, 15 percent less at risk for developing cancer, and 22 percent less at risk of dying prematurely than those who do not regularly consume nuts. No more having to feel guilty for having a peanut butter sandwich as a midnight snack.
#4 – Stay Even Farther Away From Salt
From really good news to really bad news. Each year, it seems like the bad news keeps piling on when it comes to consuming salt. And this year is no different. A study was finally published this past October that has been going on for a quarter of a century and its findings landed a fatal blow to salt lovers.
What were the findings? Well, if you increase the amount of salt you consume by even the smallest pinch, you are putting yourself 12 percent more at risk of dying before it is your time. If it is not glaringly apparent already, it is high time to kick salt out of your diet plan. Make a switch to healthier herbs and spices to give your meals a kick.
#5 – Weight Loss Supplements Are Not “Miracle Cures” For Obesity
In fact, they are quite the opposite and may pose a serious risk to your health instead of benefiting it. I have warned many times about the dangers of buying supplements through online sellers but apparently that danger now extends to brick and mortar retail stores like Rite-Aid and CVS. That is right, even weight loss supplements sold at these reputable pharmaceutical retailers can’t even be depended on to be safe.
That is because many of these supplements contain unhealthy ingredients such as harmful bacteria and other substances that lead to nausea and vomiting if you are among the lucky ones. Unluckier folks have experienced severe damage to their liver and even developed heart issues as a result. And of course, some have even died as a result, but those cases are extremely rare.
Many of these negative effects are associated with weight loss supplements in pill form, but I would be cautious about any weight loss supplement if I were you. The industry itself is like the wild West so manufacturers can get away with just about anything.
#6 – 8 Cups of Wwater a Day Is a MYTH
I am sure we all heard this one as kids and even adults. All of these supposed health experts telling us to drop the soda and drink eight cups of a water a day. And while it would be a fantastically healthy choice to stop drinking carbonated beverages, the other half of that statement is a total myth.
Studies conducted this year have proven that your body is very astute at determining when it needs to be hydrated. You will feel thirsty and thus drink something to satisfy that thirst. Forcing eight cups of water down your gullet a day is just ridiculous if your body does not need it, so don’t do it. Only drink when you are feeling thirsty and you will be just fine.
#7 – Saturated Fats Being Unhealthy is Not a MYTH
A lot of people got their hopes up when science favorable to saturated fats was released earlier this year. That study seemed to indicate that we were led to believe about saturated fats being super unhealthy was wrong. Well, it turns out that the only thing that was wrong was that study itself. Studies conducted after that particular study proved what we all knew for years that saturated fats are still just as bad, if not worse as before.
One particular study that was featured in a British medical journal showed a direct correlation between a reduced consumption of saturated fats and a highly decreased risk of developing heart disease. That same study also proved that consuming healthy foods with unsaturated fats, such as the aforementioned nuts as well as avocados and various kinds of seafood, is very good for maintaining a healthy heart. Throw out the butter and spread some avocado on your toast. It may not taste great at first (or it will, who knows how your taste buds will react?), but you will learn to love it. And your heart will, too.
#8 – All Fats Do Not Make You Fat
All fats get a bad rep because well, they are called “fats” and that draws an obvious association with people being fat. But it is not quite that easy of a link. There are obviously bad fats out there (such as the aforementioned saturated fats) that do make you fat, as well as cause a whole bunch of other bad health effects. And on the flip side, there are fats that are really good for you (such as the aforementioned unsaturated fats) that do not make you get fat.
A study conducted this year found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet that had plenty of olive oil ended up dropping more pounds than people who followed a low-fat diet regimen.
#9 – Consuming Refined Carbohydrates Could Lead To Cancer
We are going from good news to bad news again. A study conducted this year made the unfortunate conclusion that following a diet that is rich in refined carbohydrates can increase your chances of developing lung cancer. And if you smoke, your chances of developing lung cancer are even higher. But even those who do not smoke are not safe from these findings either.
Don’t fret just yet though, your diet would have to be like PACKED with these bad carbs to put yourself at a serious risk. So yes, you can eat foods with unhealthy carbs sometimes. Moderation is key. That said, I would start gradually subbing out foods in my diet with high amounts of bad carbs for foods that have healthy carbs such as the aforementioned beans, peas, and lentils. Just to be safe!
#10 – Japanese People Have A Longer Life Span For A Reason
And that reason just might be because of their diet. According to findings from a study published in a reputable medical journal in Britain, it appears that strict adherence to the national food guidelines laid out by the Japanese government can make you live longer.
To be more specific, those that follow the guidelines – which consisted of consuming plenty of products derived from rice, seafood, meat, vegetables, and soybeans – have a 15 percent less chance of perishing than those who do not strictly adhere to those guidelines. Perhaps Japanese restaurants will become more popular than Chinese restaurants in the United States if more studies like this come out.
#11 – Include More Foods Rich With Plant Protein In Your Diet
If you are a massive meat-eater and justify your eating habits by saying that meat is an excellent source of protein, you would be right. However, not all protein is the same. And while protein from meat sources is good in moderation, eating too much has been found to be fatal. This conclusion was reached because of research conducted by an American hospital.
Overconsumption of protein from meat sources – more specifically if most of the protein was derived from processed red meat – puts you at a heightened risk of dying prematurely than the average American. Protein from other meat sources such as seafood and chicken is not nearly as harmful but should still be consumed in moderation. The types of proteins you should be consuming plenty of are plant-based proteins. These proteins can be found in foods such as cereal, pasta, the aforementioned beans and nuts, as well as various kinds of breads.
The same study concluded that people who follow a plant-based protein diet have a hugely decreased chance of dying early than those who eat a lot of red meat. They even have a lower chance of dying prematurely than the average American.
That said, the findings don’t mean a lot because other lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption and lack of exercise most likely contributed to the heightened premature death rate. You still ought to reduce how much processed red meat you consume because it really is not all that good for you. Toss the bacon into the trash and cook up some good ol’ beans.
#12 – Bugs Are Good For Consumption
We saved a real doozy for last here. You did not read the subject wrong – insects have been found to be a highly nutritional snack. In fact, they even trump steak when it comes to be a source of nutrition. More specifically, the study that made this finding found that crickets, buffalo worms, grasshoppers, and mealworms all are a greater source of nutrition than steak.
They offer helpful nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and zinc at much higher concentrations than the slab of meat. What’s more is that it was found that thanks to the higher iron solubility of the insects, the human body is able to take in and utilize the vital mineral much easier when it is consumed through insects than through a slab of steak. Insect shakes might be the new health craze of 2017. I guess the old adage applies here – “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!”
Healthy Nutritional Discoveries in 2016 Conclusion
You might have missed it because of all of the other craziness associated with this year, but it really has been an interesting year when it comes to healthy nutritional discoveries in 2016. And these findings will almost definitely shape the landscape of health trends and crazes for the new year of 2017.
Are you looking forward to trying an insect shake?
