Plant-Rich Diet, Longevity Linked Again

New evidence backs up the advice of generations of moms (“eat your vegetables”) and journalist/food activist Michael Pollan, who has told the world to “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” A population-based observational study conducted in England found a “robust inverse association” between fruit and vegetable consumption and death from all causes, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The largest benefits were seen in people who ate seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day compared with those who ate less than one serving, with the higher level of consumption associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality, lead researcher Oyinlola Oyebode of University College London, and colleagues, reported online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Consumption of seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables was associated with reduced cancer mortality, and CVD mortality. The association with reduced mortality risk was slightly stronger for vegetables than for fruit.

1 in 3 American Children Has High Cholesterol

One of the largest studies of its kind finds that nearly one in three Americans children between the ages of 9 and 11 has either high cholesterol or borderline high cholesterol, raising their risk for developing cardiovascular diseases later in life and underscoring the need to screen kids? cholesterol levels. Researchers with the Texas Children?s Hospital analyzed data from 12,712 pediatric medical records and found that a full 30 percent of these children had elevated cholesterol levels. Boys were more likely to have higher levels of harmful cholesterol than girls and obese children were also more likely to have higher cholesterol. The young age at which these children are forming high cholesterol levels is concerning because it could lead to heart conditions later on in life. For instance, atherosclerosis ? a hardening of the arteries ? has been found to take root at a young age among certain patients. ?We know that higher levels of, and cumulative exposure to, high cholesterol is associated with the development and severity of atherosclerosis,? said lead study author Dr. Thomas Seery. ?If we can identify and work to lower cholesterol in children, we can potentially make a positive impact by stalling vascular changes and reducing the chances of future disease.? The higher cholesterol levels are even more dangerous for children with obesity. Although a recent report indicated that childhood obesity rates dropped significantly over the last decade, some experts have suggested that the findings are overblown and pointed out that overall American obesity rates remain quite high. The study authors say that their findings underscore the need for screening children?s cholesterol as a preventative measure, and emphasize that a healthy diet and exercise are the two best ways for children to preserve their heart health.

New York City Disposable Bag Ban Moves Forward

The New York City Council recently introduced?legislation that would charge customers 10 cents for plastic or paper bags at most city stores. The fee would apply to grocery stores, bodegas, street vendors selling fruits and vegetables, as well as clothing, drug, and department stores. New Yorkers currently throw away 5.2 billion plastic bags per year, which costs the city $10 million a year to transport the waste to landfills. Plastic bags are also guilty of clogging up city storm drains, which exacerbates flooding.The bill is aiming for a 90 percent reduction in single-use bags. This is not the first time such a ban has been proposed. Last August, council member Brad Lander sponsored similar legislation but that measure only garnered the support of eight council members and so never even made it to a vote. The current proposal? differs from previous attempts because store owners will keep the proceeds from the bag fee ? which changes the measure from a tax to just another product being sold in stores. The fee on paper bags is being included to encourage changes in consumer behavior. If no bags are free, supporters of the measure, hope customers will learn to bring their own. So far 19 council members are already behind the measure. 26 are needed to send it to Mayor Bill de Blasio for approval. If New York City does go ahead with the charge, the city will be in good company. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. have similar measures in place. This measure would be a victory for the environment. In the U.S. alone, plastic bags take about 12 million barrels of oil to produce each year. We hope to see similar measures take place beyond major cities.