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The Mineral That Keeps Your Heart Healthy
You know you need to get your fiber and vitamin C fixes, but there’s one nutrient that may not be on your radar, even though it should be: magnesium. A daily dose of magnesium could lower your risk of coronary heart disease, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers analyzed information from 313,041 patients across the U.S. and Europe to determine the relationship between magnesium levels and heart health. They focused on the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), fatal coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). CHD refers specifically to the build-up of plaque in your arteries, while CVD refers to a broader category of diseases that affect the heart and vessels, including those in the kidneys.
Turns out, patients who took in 200 mg of magnesium a day lowered their risk of CHD by 22 percent. The risk of CVD, however, didn’t appear to be impacted by increased magnesium intake.
Magnesium improves heart health by regulating the endothelium, a thin layer of cells that helps control the dilation of blood vessels. If the endothelium doesn’t receive enough magnesium, blood vessels constrict, which can cause blood flow to slow or stop. Unfortunately, the researchers found that most women don’t get enough magnesium. The women in the study consumed only 261 mg of magnesium per day on average, but the Recommended Daily Allowance is 320 mg.
So, how can you up your intake? Don’t reach for a pill to make up the difference. Nearly all of the magnesium that the study participants consumed came from food rather than supplements, so it’s unclear whether supplements would have the same effects, says lead study author Liana C. Del Gobbo, PhD, a researcher at the Harvard University School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology.
Instead, try incorporating more magnesium-rich foods into your diet. Whole grains, vegetables (particularly dark, leafy greens), nuts and seeds (especially almonds and pumpkin seeds), legumes, and dark chocolate are all high in the mineral.
Need some inspiration for how to work more of these ingredients into your meals? Try one (or more) of these recipes:
Photo: John Kernick
Photo: Mitch Mandel
Photo: Mitch Mandel
Wilted Spinach Salad with Steak and Pasta
Photo: Catherine Sears
Photo: Kana Okada
photo (top): iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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An Avocado a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?
Guacamole lovers, rejoice! People who eat a daily dose of avocado are typically healthier than those who don’t, according to a new survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers asked 17,567 adults to record everything they ate in a 24-hour period, then analyzed their diets and health. The 347 people who ate an average of half a medium-sized avocado reported more balanced diets containing more fiber, good-for-you fats, vitamins, and minerals. What’s more, they also weighed less and had lower BMIs, smaller waists, and healthier cholesterol levels than those who didn’t eat avocados. And the good news just keeps on coming: Avocado-eaters were also 50 less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a collection of health measures that predict your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes.
It makes sense that avocado eaters would get more of the good stuff found in the fruit, like monounsaturated fat, vitamin K, folate, potassium, vitamin E, lutein, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6—but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Avocado-consumers appear to be more health conscious than non-consumers,” says study author Victor Fulgoni, III, PhD, senior vice president of the food company consultancy Nutrition Impact. They tend to eat more fruits, veggies, and healthier fats—in addition to avocados—which leads to better health overall, Fulgoni says.
While loading up on avocados won’t work wonders on its own, a daily serving can give your diet a nutrition (and flavor) boost—all for just 25 calories per tablespoon. Amp up your intake at any meal with these eight recipes:
Photo: Travis Rathbone Egg, Avocado, and Spicy Mayo Sandwich
Photo: Adam Voorhes
Grilled Cheese With Chicken and Avocado
Photo: Melissa Addison
Photo: Con Poulos
Photo: Con Poulos
Photo: Con Poulos
Photo: Mitch Mandel
Chocolate-Avocado Vegan Cupcakes
Photo: Joy Wilson
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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The Smoothie Trick That Keeps You Fuller
Want a sneaky weight-loss trick? Go thick. Thick smoothies will leave you feeling fuller and more satisfied than thinner drinks with the same amount of calories, reports a new study in the journal Flavour.
Researchers at the University of Sussex prepared two yogurt drinks with equal caloric content, but added tara gum—a thickening agent used in cooking—to one of the smoothies. After students sipped both drinks, they reported that they expected the thicker smoothie to leave them twice as full as the thinner blend.
But don’t rush out to the store for some tara gum—just freeze a banana. Frozen fruit will make your average smoothie feel like a thick milkshake, and you’ll be satisfied after consuming fewer calories, says Alexandra Caspero, R.D., owner of weight-management and sports-nutrition service Delicious-Knowledge.com. Even when two foods have the same calorie content, the thicker option makes you feel more satisfied (and eat less) because you tend to associate a thick texture with a full belly, the University of Sussex team explains.
If smoothies aren’t your thing, use the same trick on your entrée by filling up your plate with vegetables. According to a 2012 study, people ate, on average, 153 fewer calories when they chose a pasta dish packed with vegetables and also reported feeling just as full as when they ate an all-noodle version of the meal. That’s because the extra water in vegetables fills up your stomach—and once it’s full, sensors in your digestive system signal your brain to stop chowing down.
Bonus tip: Add a handful of berries to your oatmeal: The added fiber and water increase your satisfaction, and it’ll cost you fewer calories than another cup of oatmeal, says Caspero.
Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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The Hormone That Keeps Him Faithful
Hormonal fluctuations aren’t always a bad thing. Oxytocin, also known as the love or cuddle hormone, actually makes partnered men put physical distance between themselves and attractive women, according to a study recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers asked 57 men (both single and in relationships) to sniff a nasal spray that either contained the hormone oxytocin, or a placebo. Then they instructed the guys to physically approach an attractive woman and stop at a comfortable distance away. The men in monogamous relationships who had been exposed to oxytocin ended up standing farther away from the women than monogamous men exposed to the placebo. The hormone didn’t change single guys’ behavior much at all.
The results suggest that relationship status could crucially influence the social effects of oxytocin, says Dirk Scheele, M.S., study author and researcher at the department of psychiatry at the University of Bonn in Germany. Turns out oxytocin can make a man feel closer to his partner and enhance his attachment to her, even when she’s not physically present. While it’s not entirely clear how oxytocin works, it’s possible that the hormone interacts with other brain chemicals such as dopamine to make love a more rewarding and addictive experience, says Scheele.
“Of course there is no guarantee [it will induce] fidelity, but increased oxytocin levels may keep men from approaching an attractive stranger in the first place,” Scheele says.
Luckily, it doesn’t take a whiff of hormone-laced nasal spray to increase your partner’s oxytocin levels. It’s naturally occurring—here’s how:
Text him at lunch. Simply thinking about you can release oxytocin, even in the absence of physical contact, according to a review of oxytocin studies published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. While you’re both at work, text him about the sexy dream or fantasy you’ve had, or (to keep it more PG) that you’re psyched to see him later.
Give him a (gentle) rubdown. When researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles gave healthy adults either a 45-minute deep-tissue Swedish massage or a light massage of the same length, participants given the lighter massage experienced a higher boost of oxytocin than those who got the deep-digging treatment. Your touch should be more than a tickle but less intense than a workout. Because everyone’s perception of pressure differs, and his back may tolerate more pressure than his other parts, start light and tell him to pipe up if he’d like you to use more muscle.
Be the big spoon. Intimate contact can boost oxytocin levels, but some guys claim not to be cuddly sleepers. If his excuse is midnight sweats, let him sleep on his stomach and sling an arm around his waist. Back pain? Spooning can help him ease pressure on the spine.
Start your day with sex. “Having sex in the morning releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin, which makes couples feel loving and bonded all day long,” says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., author of Because It Feels Good.
Additional reporting by Elise Nersesian.photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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