Healthy eating for older adults Archive

In the journals

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People who make an effort to lose weight can help their partner do the same, according to a study published online Feb. 1, 2018, by Obesity.

The study tracked the weight-loss progress of 130 couples over six months. The couples were divided into two groups. In one group, one member of the couple was enrolled in a Weight Watchers program that provided in-person counseling and online tools to assist with weight loss. In the second group, one member of the couple received a four-page handout with information on ways to lose weight, like healthy eating, exercise, and weight-control strategies.

Dermatologists tell us what ingredients to look for in a skin serum to treat a variety of skin conditions.

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As you get older, you might start to look a little more intently at the rows of lotions and potions at the drugstore and the beauty counter. You may wonder which ones can really help your skin look more like it used to — minus the wrinkles, dark spots, and other signs of aging.

One word that's showing up on labels a lot these days is "serum" — typically on products that promise to brighten and smooth your skin and help roll back the clock. These little glass bottles contain a host of impressive-sounding ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and L-ascorbic acid. But do they really work?

The right combination of components is essential to get the results you hope to see.

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Serums can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including brown spots, wrinkles, and dry or acne-prone skin. Below are the ingredients that Harvard dermatologists Dr. Abigail Waldman and Dr. Maryam M. Asgari recommend for various skin conditions.

Problem: Dry or sagging skin

If your skin is dry, tight, and flaky, look for serums that contain vitamin E, niacinamide, and glycolic acid. Also look for ceramides, which are fatty molecules that help hold the skin together and keep moisture from escaping. Other good options are serums that contain hyaluronic acid, or those with collagen peptides, epidermal growth factors, or stem cells.

Eating these selections often will pack more nutrients into your diet for better overall health.

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You don't need a whole-life overhaul to improve your health. Sometimes it's small changes that make the biggest difference. This is definitely the case when it comes to your diet. Eating better shouldn't require you to purge your refrigerator and subsist on kale shakes. Simply adding a few nutrient-rich foods to your regular rotation can give your body a boost without making you miserable in the process.

We asked Teresa Fung, adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, what foods you should try to squeeze in every day — or at least every week — for better health.

Research we're watching

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If your food is more likely to come out of a bag or a box than from a tree or the ground, you may be putting yourself at higher risk for cancer. A study published online Feb. 14, 2018, by The BMJ found that people who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher overall risk of cancer than those who don't. In fact, when the proportion of ultra-processed foods in a person's diet increased by 10%, the risk of cancers increased by more than 10%.

The researchers came to their conclusions after reviewing data from more than 100,000 people, on average 42 years old, based on their usual consumption of 3,300 different foods. The foods were classified according to their level of processing. Ultra-processed foods included things like

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Slivers of this vibrantly colored vegetable, also known as purple cabbage, are sometimes added to cabbage salads and coleslaw. But why not add red cabbage to any salad — or even make it the star ingredient?

Red cabbage contains substances called anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red-orange to blue-violet colors found in many fruits and vegetables. Population-based studies have linked a higher intake of anthocyanins and other so-called phytochemicals to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.