health briefs
Nix Sweeteners to Avoid Spreading Antibiotic Resistance Four widely used artificial sweeteners—saccharine, sucralose, aspartame and acesulfame potassium—promote the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in both environmental and clinical settings, report researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, in The ISME Journal. They found that these four nonnutritive sweeteners promote horizontal transfer of the genes between bacteria, furthering the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes in the intestine. The researchers say the findings provide insight into the spread of antimicrobial resistance and point to a potential risk associated with ingesting the artificial sweeteners.
Cultivate Satisfaction to be Healthier and Happier Older people with high levels of life satisfaction—a favorable attitude toward life—have healthier habits, less depression and pain, better sleep and a longer life, reports researchers from the University of British Columbia. They studied nearly 13,000 U.S. adults older than 50 for four years and found that higher life satisfaction was linked to 26 percent reduced mortality and a 46 percent lower depression rate. People that felt good about their lives had fewer chronic conditions and pain, exercised more often, were both more optimistic and likely to be living with a partner and experienced less hopelessness and loneliness. However, such positive feelings were not associated with fewer health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis or obesity; were not marked by less alcoholic binging or smoking; and were not affected by frequency of contact with children, family and friends.
Eat Five Veggies and Fruits Daily to Live Longer People that struggle to eat the often-recommended nine servings of fruit and vegetables each day can relax: The latest research from Harvard, based on 26 studies of 2 million people from 29 countries, found that two and three daily servings of fruit and vegetables, respectively, were linked to the most longevity. Compared to only two servings of produce per day, five servings lowered the risk of death overall by 13 percent, cardiovascular disease by 12 percent, cancer by 10 percent and respiratory disease by 35 percent. Green, leafy vegetables, including spinach, lettuce and kale, and fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries and carrots, showed benefits.Starchy vegetables, like peas and corn, fruit juices and potatoes, did not appear to reduce the risk of death. 14
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