01/23/24 - #50

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Weight Gain in Children and Adults Linked to 100% Fruit Juice, Study Says

  • New Study Shows People With Evidence of Any Remission of Diabetes From Weight Loss Trial Had a 40% Lower Rate of Cardiovascular Disease and 33% Lower Rate of Chronic Kidney Disease

  • Recent Study Examined How Autistic Job Candidates Receive Better Ratings When Interviewers Are Aware of Their Diagnosis Compared to Those Who Did Not Have This Information

  • Scientists Conservatively Estimated That Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Increases the Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes and Lung Cancer by at Least Around 8%, 5%, 1% and 1%, Respectively. And Other Diseases Like Asthma, and Breast Cancer

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Weight Gain in Children and Adults Linked to 100% Fruit Juice, Study Says

A new study in JAMA Pediatrics has some surprising news about fruit juice. Led by experts like Michelle Nguyen and Sarah E. Jarvis, this research looked at whether drinking 100% fruit juice affects how much we weigh.

The team checked out 42 studies with around 314,000 people, including both kids and adults. Here's what they found: for children, having more fruit juice was linked to a slight increase in Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a way to see if your weight is healthy for your height.

For adults, things were a bit different. When the researchers didn't count all the calories people ate, those who drank more fruit juice seemed to gain more weight. But, when they counted calories, this link wasn't as clear. It looks like the extra calories from fruit juice might be the reason for weight gain.

Some studies where adults were given fruit juice or a no-calorie drink showed that fruit juice didn't really change their weight much. But, the researchers think we need more studies to be sure.

What does this mean for us? The study suggests being careful with how much fruit juice we drink, especially for kids. It's about avoiding too many calories, which can lead to gaining weight. So, maybe think about choosing water or whole fruits instead of juice next time.

WEIGHT LOSS

New Study Shows People With Evidence of Any Remission of Diabetes From Weight Loss Trial Had a 40% Lower Rate of Cardiovascular Disease and 33% Lower Rate of Chronic Kidney Disease

A new study in the journal "Diabetologia" has some good news for people fighting type 2 diabetes. If you're showing signs of getting better from diabetes because of losing weight, your chances of heart disease and kidney problems go down a lot. This study was led by Professor Edward Gregg and his team in Dublin, Ireland.

They looked at people in the Look AHEAD study. This study, from 2001 to 2016, tested if a special 12-year diet and exercise plan was better than just regular advice for diabetes. It included over 5,000 adults who were a bit older, overweight, and had type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that people who showed any signs of diabetes getting better had a 40% lower chance of heart problems. They also had a 33% lower chance of serious kidney disease. They figured this out by seeing who needed less diabetes medicine and who had better blood sugar levels.

Even if people got better from diabetes for just a short time, their health improved. But, keeping the weight off and staying free from diabetes was hard. After eight years, only a few people managed to do it.

Still, this study is really encouraging. Professor Gregg says that even a little success in beating diabetes can lead to big health benefits later. It's a reminder that working on a healthier lifestyle, like eating right and exercising, is worth it for people with type 2 diabetes.

HEALTH

Recent Study Examined How Autistic Job Candidates Receive Better Ratings When Interviewers Are Aware of Their Diagnosis Compared to Those Who Did Not Have This Information

Job interviews can be super tough, but for folks with autism, it's often harder. They might not look into your eyes much or show feelings like most people do. This can make interviews tricky for them.

In a research project, some people watched videos of autistic folks in fake job interviews. These viewers, called "raters," either didn't know the person was autistic, knew they were, or knew and also learned more about autism.

Here's what they found: when raters knew someone was autistic, they gave them better marks on things like confidence and knowing their stuff. But learning more about autism didn't really change their opinions much more.

This is big news. It shows that just telling interviewers someone is autistic can make them think better of them in interviews. This is a great tip for autistic job hunters. Letting interviewers know about their autism might help.

Employers, listen up! This study says that knowing a job candidate is autistic can change how you see them. And it's a reminder to make a workplace where autistic people feel okay telling you about their autism if they want.

So, in your next job interview, remember: understanding and knowing more about someone can be really helpful. It's not just about the right answers, but about valuing everyone's unique ways.

Scientists Conservatively Estimated That Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Increases the Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes and Lung Cancer by at Least Around 8%, 5%, 1% and 1%, Respectively. And Other Diseases Like Asthma, and Breast Cancer

Did you know that secondhand smoke (SHS) is still a big health problem, even though fewer people are smoking these days? A recent study, published in Nature Medicine, looked into how SHS affects our health.

Researchers, led by Luisa S. Flor and team, studied how SHS is linked to health issues like heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and diabetes. They found that SHS does increase the risk of these problems, but not by a huge amount. For example, being around SHS can make your chance of getting heart disease go up by about 8% and lung cancer by 1%.

The study used a special method to really understand the data. They found that even though SHS is harmful, it's hard to show just how much it affects our health. But, this doesn't mean SHS is safe.

This research is important because it reminds us that SHS is still dangerous, especially for people who don't smoke. The study suggests we need better rules and more education to protect people from SHS.

In short, this study shows that SHS isn't something we should ignore. It's a health risk that's still out there, and it's affecting people. Even if the risk seems small, it's something we can prevent. We still have to work hard in our fight against tobacco and the hidden dangers of SHS.

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.