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Lack of sleep increases the risk of type II diabetes

Adults who get just three to five hours of sleep a night have a greater risk of developing type II diabetes, a new study has shown. The findings also show that chronic sleep deprivation cannot be compensated by healthy eating alone.

As part of the study, a team of researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden analysed data from one of the largest population databases in the world, the UK Biobank, in which nearly half a million participants from the UK have been genetically mapped and responded to questions on health and lifestyle. They followed the participants for over 10 years and found that a sleep duration of between three and five hours was linked to a higher risk of developing type II diabetes. In contrast, healthy eating habits led to a lower risk of developing the disease, but even people who ate healthily but slept less than six hours a day were still at higher risk of type II diabetes.

Type II diabetes affects the body’s ability to process sugar (glucose), hindering insulin absorption and resulting in high blood sugar levels.

Christian Benedict, Associate Professor and leading researcher behind the study, said: “Our results are the first to question whether a healthy diet can compensate for lack of sleep in terms of the risk of type II diabetes. They should not cause concern, but instead be seen as a reminder that sleep plays an important role in health.”

The results were published in JAMA Network Open.

Study highlights reduced omega-3 consumption among pregnant women

Results from a new study have revealed that 25 per cent of participants reported rarely, or never eating fish during pregnancy, with fewer taking omega-3 supplements.

The study was led by researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and was published in Public Health Nutrition. The study team analysed information on fish consumption reported by 10,800 pregnant women as well as supplement intake information from 12,646 pregnant women. The results showed that nearly 25 per cent of participants reported not eating fish or eating it less than once per month, and only 16 per cent took supplements. Contrary to expectations, supplement use was less common among those who consumed less fish, putting that group at even higher risk for insufficient omega-3 fatty acid intake.

“Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients for supporting positive health outcomes,” said the study’s lead author Emily Oken. “Getting enough of these nutrients during pregnancy is vital for preventing preterm birth and promoting optimal child health and neurodevelopment.”

Study raises concerns over sweetened drinks

Consuming sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks is associated with an increased risk of irregular heart rhythms, a new study has found.

An analysis of health data from over 200,000 UK adults found a 20 per cent higher risk of irregular heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, among people who said they drank two litres or more per week of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks. The risk was 10 per cent higher among people who said they drank similar amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages. Drinking one litre or less of pure juice per week, such as 100 per cent orange or vegetable juice, was associated with an 8 per cent lower risk of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly, increasing the risk of stroke by five-fold.

The observational study could not confirm that sweetened drinks cause irregular heart rhythms. Lead study author Ningjian Wang, M.D., Ph.D, said: “Based on these findings, we recommend that people reduce or even avoid artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages whenever possible. Do not take it for granted that drinking low-sugar and low-calorie artificially sweetened beverages is healthy; it may pose potential health risks.”

The findings were published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Healthy diet linked to lower dementia risk

A new study has revealed that a healthier diet is linked to a reduced risk of dementia and a slower pace of ageing.

Researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center worked together on the study. The researchers analysed data from the Framingham Heart Study, originating from 1971. Participants were aged 60 and older, were free of dementia and had available dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up data. They were followed up approximately every 4 to 7 years whereby data collection included a physical examination, lifestyle-related questionnaires, blood sampling and neurocognitive testing.

Of the 1,644 participants included in the analyses, 140 of them developed dementia.

To measure the pace of ageing, the researchers used an epigenetic clock which measures how fast a person’s body is deteriorating as they grow older. The research determined that higher adherence to the Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet (MIND) slowed the pace of ageing and reduced risks for dementia and mortality. The researchers are now calling for additional studies to be carried out into the links between specific nutrients and brain ageing. The results were published in the Annals of Neurology.

Did you know?

According to data from the climate action NGO WRAP, 60,000 tonnes of household food waste could be prevented every year if produce was sold loose and not packaged. That’s the equivalent of over 8.2 million shopping baskets full – enough to fill 6,500 waste trucks.