Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Nutrition and Women’s Health
Deciphering Fact from Fiction
Nutrition and Health Public Lecture Series
Associate Professor Clare Corish RD PhD FINDI
Topics for discussion
• Evidence: how it is derived and how to separate fact from fiction
• Some common nutritional myths
• The ‘to-do’ to achieve healthy nutrition in women
• Common nutrition-related conditions
Stages of a woman’s life
Stages of a woman’s life
Nutrition is critical at each life stage
Modern lifestyle
• Professional life• Family • Leisure• ‘Me’ time
→ difficult to allocate time to prepare healthy food and to exercise
Deciphering Fact from Fiction
Deciphering Fact from Fiction
What is healthy eating for women?
Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil
Coconut Oil: High in Saturated Fat
86% Saturated Fat<1% unsaturated fat
7% Saturated Fat 93% Unsaturated Fat
Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil
Coconut Oil: High in Saturated Fat
86% Saturated Fat<1% unsaturated fat
7% Saturated Fat 93% Unsaturated Fat
Coconut Oil is not a healthier alternative to
olive oil!
Healthy Fats: Who should you believe?
CanolaCornOlivePeanutSafflowerSoybeanSunflower
vs.
Where else do you find your healthy fats?
Avocado12% unsaturated fat2% saturated fat
Salmon8% unsaturated fat3% saturated fat
Walnuts56% unsaturated fat6% saturated fat
Chia seeds26% unsaturated fat3% saturated fat
Many other nuts, seeds, fish and oils contain high unsaturated fat contents
Low Carb Diets: Good or Bad?
Why Carbohydrate is Important
Dairy: We Don’t Need It
Dairy: We Don’t Need ItThere is no concrete scientific
evidence that cutting out dairy cures or prevents cancer and
other chronic diseases
Dairy ‘alternatives’ contain less protein, calcium and
many other essential nutrients than cows milk.
Many contain a higher sugar content than cow’s milk
No evidence that dairy consumption increases
risk of allergy development
Gluten: The Devil in Disguise
Gluten: The Devil in Disguise
There is no concrete scientific evidence that
gluten causes or is attributable to any
health condition except Coeliac disease
Cutting out foods which contain gluten from the diet increases the risk of
many nutrient deficiencies
Organic better than non-organic?
Organic better than non-organic?
Conclusion: there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient
quality between organically and conventionally produced
foodstuffs.
‘Detox’
Dr Calvin Harris telling us when its time to detox
Nutrition priorities for women’s health• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Increase your fibre intake
• Increase your fruit and veg intake
• Meet your calcium and iron needs
• Get active
• Watch your alcohol intake
• Try to make sure you eat when you are hungry, not because you are feeling sad or stressed
• Check your blood cholesterol and blood pressure
Maintain a healthy body weight• Being underweight or overweight is not good for health• A healthy body weight can reduce risk of breast cancer, heart
disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
Increase your fibre intake
1 in 19 women are diagnosed with
bowel cancer during their lifetime.
Recommended 25-30 g dietary fibre/dWomen: around 17 g dietary fibre/d
Increase your fibre intake
1 in 19 women are diagnosed with
bowel cancer during their lifetime.
Recommended 25-30 g dietary fibre/dWomen: around 17 g dietary fibre/d
Increase your fibre intake
Meal Food Quantity Fibre content (g)
Breakfast Bran flakes 40g 8
1 banana, sliced 100g 1.5
Snack Apple 100g 2.4
Lunch Baked beans 150g 6.8
wholemeal toast (2 slices) 70g 4.7
Dinner Baked potato with skin, tuna mayonnaise 180g 6.5
Salad (lettuce, tomato and cucumber) 138g 1.7
Low fat yogurt 150g 0
with strawberries 100g 1.5
and chopped almonds 13g 1.3
Total fibre intake
34.4
Increase your fruit and veg intakeAt least 5-a-day: chopped dried fruit with breakfast, veggies with lunch and dinner and fruit as a snack will help you to reach that target.
Meet your calcium and iron needsThese nutrients are important for your health.
Calcium: Include dairy products or calcium-fortified dairy alternatives in your diet.
Iron: Inadequate iron intakes in about 25% of women. As well as red meat, iron can be found in beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, fortified cereals, wholemeal bread and dried fruit.
Get active• 10 minute brisk walks can count towards your
weekly 150 minute activity target
Watch your alcohol intake• If you drink alcohol, no more than 14 units/week
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/calories/calories-in-alcohol/
Watch your alcohol intake• If you drink alcohol, no more than 14 units/week
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/calories/calories-in-alcohol/
Try to make sure you eat when you are hungry, not because you are feeling sad or stressed
• ‘Comfort’ eating on a regular basis may lead to weight gain.
Check your blood cholesterol and blood pressure
• Having high blood cholesterol or blood pressure can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Your GP, Practice Nurse or Pharmacist can tell you more
Breast cancer1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.1 in 5 of those will be under 50.Fact or fiction?Dairy foods and breast cancer: What does the science tell us?• Research does not support link between
breast cancer risk and milk and dairy products.• Cows are not injected with hormones to increase their milk
production and the very low hormone levels that milk naturally contains are unlikely to contribute to breast cancer.
• Overweight and obesity (postmenopausal), low physical activity and alcohol are the main diet-related factors that increase risk of breast cancer.
Breast cancerSoy and breast cancer: What does the science tell us?
• Soy contains plant compounds called phytoestrogens-similar in structure to oestrogen.
• Oestrogen can attach to the cells of oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, encouraging them to multiply.
• Suggested eating soy may increase oestrogen levels but this is not the case. Soy phytoestrogens may block oestrogen from attaching to some breast cancer cells.
• Some research suggests that soy intake is associated with a modest reduction in breast cancer risk-too soon to suggest eating more will protect against breast cancer.
Superfoods and breast cancer: What does the science tell us?
• No official definition of a ‘superfood’
• No single food contains everything the body needs to be healthy and function properly
• Evidence from experiments in animals or cells grown in a lab may not be relevant to the average person: finding that a chemical found in goji berries kills cancer cells in a dish in the lab doesn’t mean that eating lots of goji berries will prevent you from getting cancer.
Superfoods and breast cancer: What does the science tell us?
● Even when research is conducted in people, superfood research is limited-tests and extracts in concentrations not reflective of usual dietary intake.● Consuming a narrow range of fruits and vegetables, or consuming
large quantities of one, leads to us missing out on potential benefits of a wide range of nutrients and plant-based compounds.
● Eating a superfood may encourage people to believe that they can balance out unhealthy habits. No single food can compensate for an unhealthy eating pattern.
● Including a superfood does not combat a diet high in calories, saturated fat, sugars, salt and alcohol, or being overweight and having low levels of activity.
Osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose their strength and are more likely to break
• One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 experience fractures, mostly as a result of low bone strength
• Fractures associated with osteoporosis can cause substantial pain and severe disability, often leading to a reduced quality of life
Bone is a living tissue
✔ Up to 90% of bone mass is acquired by 18y in girls and 20y in boys- important to ‘invest’ in bone health at a young age.
✔ Bone mass reaches its ‘peak’ in our late 20s.
✔ Bone mass declines from the age of 35.
✔ In women, fast bone loss in the 10 years following the menopause because of the fall in oestrogen.
✔ Decrease slows but continues post-menopause.
✔ The higher the peak bone mass in young adulthood and the slower the loss of bone mass in later adulthood, the better.
✔ Determined by genetics, diet and lifestyle.
Bone is a living tissue
✔ Up to 90% of bone mass is acquired by 18y in girls and 20y in boys- important to ‘invest’ in bone health at a young age.
✔ Bone mass reaches its ‘peak’ in our late 20s.
✔ Bone mass declines from the age of 35.
✔ In women, fast bone loss in the 10 years following the menopause because of the fall in oestrogen.
✔ Decrease slows but continues post-menopause.
✔ The higher the peak bone mass in young adulthood and the slower the loss of bone mass in later adulthood, the better.
✔ Determined by genetics, diet and lifestyle.
• Take regular exercise
• Not drink alcohol in excess or smoke.
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Other nutrients for bones: protein, vitamins K, magnesium and zinc.
• These nutrients are all available from food as long as you eat a wide range of foods from all the main food groups
• You do not need to take supplements except for vitamin D
To keep your bones strong and slow down
bone loss, you can:
Irritable Bowel SyndromeThe evidence
What effect does alcohol have on IBS symptoms?• Alcohol may trigger or worsen IBS symptoms in some individuals:
don’t drink more than 14 units per week.
What effect does caffeine have on IBS symptoms?• The evidence is inconclusive.
What effect does spicy food have on IBS symptoms?• Spicy food may trigger IBS symptoms (diarrhoea) in some
individuals. • This may be related to the onion and garlic rather than the spice.
• What effect does dietary fat have on IBS symptoms?
• IBS symptoms may increase during or after eating high fat foods in some individuals.• Women should limit their intake of fat to no more 78 g per day.
What effect does fluid intake have on IBS symptoms?• Very little research but we should all aim to drink at least 6-8
glasses of fluid a day.
What effect do eating habits have on IBS symptoms?• Not enough evidence to answer this question: try to eat a healthy,
diet and have a regular eating pattern. • Sit down to eat your meals and don’t rush them.
Can restricting milk and milk products reduce IBS symptoms?• You may experience diarrhoea and bloating if you are lactose
intolerant. • If you think you may be lactose intolerant, speak to your GP or a
dietitian for a diagnosis before cutting milk and milk products out of your diet.
Do particular types of dietary fibre help alleviate or worsen IBS symptoms?• Supplementing the diet with linseeds may help to relieve IBS
constipation in some individuals. • Linseeds can be sprinkled on foods such as breakfast cereal,
yogurt, casseroles or salads. • Supplementing the diet with wheat bran does not seem to help.
Irritable Bowel syndromeWhat effect does gluten have on IBS symptoms?• Not enough evidence to suggest that following a
gluten-free diet will reduce IBS symptoms.
What effect do probiotic products have on IBS symptoms?• A lot of research on probiotics and IBS-but the results are not
conclusive.
• If you find a particular probiotic product which seems to help, try it for about a month then carry on using it if of help.
Can changing the amount of fermentable carbohydrates in the diet improve IBS symptoms?• FODMAPs are small carbohydrates found in some cereals, fruits and
vegetables and sugar-free sweets. • Not digested in the small intestine but pass through to the large
bowel-fermented by gut bacteria. • Fluid and gas production occurs in the large intestine, increases IBS
symptoms in susceptible individuals. • Following a low FODMAP diet may be beneficial.• If you are thinking of a low FODMAP diet, speak to a dietitian to
make sure you are getting the nutrients your body needs.
WHAT IS HEALTHY EATING FOR WOMEN?• Beware of fake ‘nutritionists’ giving false and non-evidence based nutritional advice• The best diet is a balanced diet• Don’t cut out food groups• Remember the importance of breakfast• Take breaks• Have healthy snacks on hand everyday• Consider cooking in bulk• Plant-based meals• Plenty of fruit and vegetables
What Can be Done?
Take a break!
What Can be Done?
Take a break!
- Improves concentration
- Reduces stress- Increases
productivity- Mindful eating
Breakfast at the Desk
It is better to eat breakfast at home to ensure you eat a full nutritionally balanced meal
If you find you don’t have time in the morning, try fruit, overnight oats or wholegrain toast
Lunches: Cooking in Bulk
- Healthy lunches don’t have to be fancy or complicated- Cook in bulk at the beginning of the week- You don’t need to eat salad everyday to have a healthy, nutritionally balanced lunch!
Healthy Snacking Throughout the Day
It is important to keep your energy up during the day
Be careful with sugary snacks you may think are healthy:Granola bars are often very high in sugar!
Protein bars can be useful post-workout.If consumed in excess they may lead to weight gain, and can also be high in sugar.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Ideas
http://www.safefood.eu/SafeFood/media/SafeFoodLibrary/Documents/Healthy%20Eating/101-Square-Meals-Cookbook-Feb-2015.pdf
Lunch and a walk
Where can I find accurate nutritional advice?
