By Dr Lee Ching Li, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the School of Health Sciences, IMU University, Malaysia

Malaysians are known for their love of food, but are we actually getting the nutrients we need? When food is plentiful, the idea of malnutrition may seem illogical. However, malnutrition is a double-sided coin.

Malnutrition is often misunderstood as simply not getting enough nutrients, but the opposite also holds true – those who take excessive amounts are also considered to be malnourished. This is because the term refers to an imbalance – either too little or too much – of nutrients.

Conversely, this means that a person can be overweight or obese and still be malnourished. As one in every two Malaysians falls into this category, it’s clear that malnutrition is a very real problem and one that is often misunderstood.

To help set the record straight, let us to take a closer look at our eating habits.

Too salty, sweet, oily diet

The National Health & Morbidity Survey 2024 revealed that Malaysians consume too much sugar, salt and fatty foods, which contributes to chronic diseases like obesity and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also showed that Malaysians take too little fruits, vegetables and milk, which provide much-needed vitamins, minerals and fiber.

In simple terms, the majority of Malaysians have very poor eating habits. To get us back on the right path, some simple steps are recommended for moving towards healthier, more balanced eating habits.

Choose quality over quantity

How much we eat does not directly translate into how much nutrients we get. This is because some foods are high in nutrients, which are known as nutrient-dense foods, while other foods offer plenty of calories for energy but little else, hence these are often called empty calories. These calories may get used up if you are very active, but many Malaysians are sedentary and take in more calories than they use. These excess calories get stored as fat. Over time, these fats build up and lead to obesity, invade and weaken the muscles, and increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

The key here is diet quality, not quantity, she emphasized. This means eating a wide variety of foods that are rich in nutrients, which should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables of different colors, and lean proteins like fish and chicken.

Healthy eating starts at home

Eating habits are formed early, and children are likely to follow the eating habits of their parents and family members. As the impact of malnourishment can range from stunting to obesity and have a lasting impact on children and adolescents, it is important for parents to play an active role in ensuring balanced nutrition with a variety of foods, to support their child’s growing needs.

Make meaningful changes

It’s one thing to state your grand ambition to eat a healthier and more balanced diet, but putting it into practice can be more difficult.

Changing your eating habits is challenging, because food is not just about flavor. There are social and even emotional elements that influence how we eat, where we eat, what we eat and how much we eat.

Preparing ourselves ahead of time to manage those influences that lead to excessive intake of food and make room for healthier options. For example, eating a piece of fresh fruit with natural sugars and dietary fiber and other nutrients instead of a dessert that is high in carbs, sugar and fat; or asking for less noodles or less rice with more vegetables when eating out. At the mamak, choose a healthier option like naan and tandoori chicken instead of fried chicken and rice drenched in curries that are high in fat and salt.

When in doubt, she advised always to go back to the Malaysia Healthy Plate Concept of quarter-quarter-half (suku-suku-separuh) – fill a quarter of your plate with grains such as rice or noodles, another quarter with protein such as fish, chicken or eggs, and the remaining half with fruits and vegetables.

Basically, every action counts. By having vegetables with every meal, with some fruit for dessert, you get fiber and lots of plant nutrients, called phytonutrients, and antioxidants. These substances work together and complement each other – this synergistic effect is important and cannot be easily replaced by supplements.

Relying on a healthy support system and being kind to yourself

Meanwhile, emotional support is an important aspect that can help make your journey easier. Speaking to your family and even close friends ahead of time that you are making an effort to eat a healthier and more balanced diet, for the sake of your long-term.health; very often, family members are willing to support you once they understand.

A healthy diet must be enjoyable in order to be sustainable, and many people are easily discouraged and give up when they succumb to their favorite treat or don’t see any results.

Having a health goal, like eating a healthier diet or losing weight, is a long-term journey and sometimes that journey can be disrupted. This is only natural. It’s like driving a car – if you happen to make a wrong turn, you just need to find your way back and continue on your journey.

Staying on the journey is more important than meeting rigid goals or fixating on weight, which naturally fluctuates; instead, be kind to yourself and be patient.

Most importantly, you can start making simple yet meaningful changes at any time, and make more changes as you go along.

Leaner weight, lower health risks in midlife

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open on weight loss in Midlife has examined the long-term effects of sustained weight reduction in midlife, looking beyond the well-established reduction in diabetes risk.

The research followed 23,149 adults between the ages of 40 and 50 from three cohorts: the Whitehall II study in the UK (1985–1988), the Helsinki Businessmen Study in Finland (1964–1973), and the Finnish Public Sector study (2000). Participants were tracked for 12 to 35 years and classified into four groups based on body mass index (BMI): those who maintained a healthy weight, those who reduced their BMI from overweight to healthy, those who gained weight from healthy to overweight, and those who remained overweight.

The study found that individuals who lost weight from the overweight range into a healthy range during midlife and maintained it had a lower risk of developing chronic diseases and a reduced risk of death from all causes compared to those who stayed overweight. Importantly, these benefits extended beyond the lowered risk of type 2 diabetes, indicating that sustained weight loss offers broader protective effects on long-term health. While achieving and maintaining weight loss through lifestyle changes in midlife can be challenging, the findings suggest that doing so can significantly improve overall health outcomes over the course of decades.

Heart health and intermittent fasting

A new study published in The BMJ suggests that intermittent fasting can be just as effective as traditional calorie-restricted diets for weight loss and improving cardiometabolic health, with alternate day fasting showing the greatest benefit.

The research, led by Zhila Semnani-Azad of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is the largest systematic review to date on intermittent fasting and analyzed 99 clinical trials involving more than 6,500 participants. Most participants had an average body mass index of 31, with nearly 90% already managing health conditions.

The study compared intermittent fasting diets, including alternate day fasting, time-restricted eating such as the 16:8 method, and whole day fasting such as the 5:2 plan, with calorie-restricted and unrestricted diets.

Results showed that both intermittent fasting and calorie restriction led to meaningful weight loss and better health outcomes compared with unrestricted eating, but alternate day fasting produced superior results. Participants on this plan lost on average 1.3 kg more than those on traditional calorie-restricted diets and showed additional improvements in waist circumference, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and c-reactive protein, an inflammation marker linked to chronic disease.

These findings highlight the potential of weight loss through intermittent fasting to improve not only body weight but also markers of heart and metabolic health. While the researchers caution that most clinical trials were short-term, lasting less than 24 weeks, they say the evidence points to fasting as a promising option for people seeking effective ways to manage obesity and related health risks. At the same time, they stress that fasting is not for everyone and that individuals should consult with healthcare providers to ensure it suits their medical history, lifestyle, and long-term sustainability.

New evidence of cellular-level benefits of weight Loss in obesity

Scientists have produced the first detailed characterization of how weight loss changes human fat tissue by analyzing hundreds of thousands of cells. The study published in Nature, revealed a number of beneficial effects, including the clearing of damaged, ageing cells and an increased metabolism of harmful fats.
Researchers say these findings provide new insights into how weight loss improves health at the molecular level and could eventually guide the development of therapies for diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

The research compared fat tissue samples from people with severe obesity, defined as a BMI over 35, who underwent bariatric surgery, with samples from healthy-weight individuals. For the weight loss group, fat was analyzed during surgery and again more than five months later, when participants had lost an average of 25 kg.

By studying gene expression in more than 170,000 fat cells from 70 individuals, scientists discovered that weight loss unexpectedly triggers the breakdown and recycling of lipids, a process that may help burn energy and reverse the harmful accumulation of fats in organs like the liver and pancreas. While further research is needed to confirm whether this lipid recycling directly contributes to health improvements, it may help explain why weight loss often leads to remission of type 2 diabetes.

The team also observed that weight loss cleared out senescent cells, which are ageing and damaged cells that build up in tissues, cause inflammation, and impair proper function. Removing these cells may play a role in reducing obesity-related complications. However, the study also found that certain effects of obesity on the immune system were not fully reversed, as inflammatory immune cells infiltrating fat tissue persisted even after significant weight loss. This type of immune memory, researchers warn, could have harmful consequences if weight is regained.

According to Dr. William Scott of the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London, who led the study, these results provide a detailed map of the mechanisms driving the health benefits of weight loss at the cellular level.

Fat tissue, he explained, influences much more than weight itself, playing roles in blood sugar regulation, body temperature, hormone balance, and reproductive health. The researchers hope that knowledge gained from this work will contribute to more effective treatments for diabetes and other conditions linked to excess body fat. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Diabetes UK, and Wellcome.

Modest diet change improves pregnancy health

A new study published in Nature Medicine has found that a reduced-calorie diet in late pregnancy is safe for women with gestational diabetes who are overweight or obese, and offers meaningful health benefits for both mother and baby.

The research, led by Professor Claire Meek at the Universities of Leicester and Cambridge, showed that women who followed a 1,200-calorie nutritionally balanced diet from 29 weeks of pregnancy were less likely to require insulin treatment compared with those on a standard 2,000-calorie plan.

Researchers estimate that adopting this approach nationally could help up to 13,000 women with gestational diabetes each year avoid insulin use.

Apart from lowering the need for insulin, modest weight loss of around 3kg in the third trimester was linked to improved blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as a 48% lower risk of delivering a large baby, a factor tied to safer births and reduced risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in childhood.

These benefits continued after pregnancy, with women maintaining better blood sugar control for at least three months postnatally. Since gestational diabetes raises the risk of type 2 diabetes tenfold, the findings suggest that modest weight loss in late pregnancy could play an important role in protecting long-term health for both mothers and their children.

By Dr Alex Teo, Director, Research Development and Scientific Affairs, Asia Pacific, Herbalife

Diabetes is on the rise ¹ in Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the region is expected to become the largest contributor to the global economic burden of diabetes by 2030. Obesity is a major but potentially modifiable risk factor²  for type 2 diabetes. Excessive weight gain can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, triggering a domino effect that leads to insulin resistance — where the body no longer responds effectively to insulin — resulting in elevated blood sugar levels.

In APAC, this risk is heightened by rapidly urbanizing lifestyles that are busy, stressful, and sedentary. Long work hours and the easy availability of fast food often culminate in unhealthy stress eating, with snacks and “sweet treats” frequently viewed as quick, comforting solutions to de-stress. Furthermore, this region is seeing an increase³  in overweight children. Obesity at an early age sets the stage for lifelong health challenges, including type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

It is also important to note that some people can appear to be of normal weight yet carry excess body fat, a condition known as “TOFI” (thin outside, fat inside)⁴ . This is particularly common among Asians and individuals who consume insufficient protein and lead sedentary lifestyles. Type 2 diabetes can be asymptomatic in early stages, meaning individuals may have elevated blood sugar levels without noticeable symptoms.

Addressing “diabesity” — the co-occurrence of diabetes and obesity in an individual — starts with tackling some of the root causes like poor diet and inactivity before they lead to more serious health issues. By making small, mindful choices every day to achieve modest weight loss, individuals can significantly improve their insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Eat smart: How small diet tweaks help

Nutrition plays a crucial role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes.

High-glycemic foods, like white bread and sugary snacks, cause rapid blood sugar spikes that can lead to insulin resistance over time. Reducing sugary drinks like bubble tea can help lower excess sugar intake and improve blood sugar control.

For example, tapioca pearls in the popular bubble teas add calories and raise its glycemic index (GI), contributing to obesity, worsening diabetes, and poor blood pressure control. Healthy alternatives such as whole grains, alongside fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, stabilize blood sugar by slowing sugar absorption while also enhancing satiety and supporting digestion.

By focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods while minimizing processed items, individuals can better manage diabetes and strengthen their overall well-being and metabolic function.

Supporting diet with these 3 important supplements

Protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium are key nutrients that support weight management and metabolic health, particularly for those at risk of type 2 diabetes.

1. Protein helps control appetite by increasing satiety and boosting metabolism, requiring more energy to digest, and burning more calories.

2. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fishlike salmon, reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and reducing the risk of obesity-related diseases.

3. Magnesium supports insulin function and glucose metabolism, enhancing insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management, while also maintaining healthy blood pressure and supporting muscle function, making it easier to stay active and manage weight.

Adopting healthier lifestyles

Lifestyle choices are equally critical in managing and preventing type 2 diabetes. Regular physical activity, such as 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, helps regulate weight gain and improves insulin sensitivity, both key factors in diabetes prevention and management. If finding time for exercise during a busy workday is challenging, simple alternatives like desk yoga or taking short walks before and after meals can still have a significant impact on stabilizing blood sugar levels. This not only strengthens the body but also contributes to overall well-being, enhancing energy levels and supporting long-term health goals.

Poor sleep and chronic stress can disrupt metabolic functions and increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Prioritizing rest and stress management is vital to maintaining a healthy balance. Practical stress-reduction techniques like meditation and deep-breathing exercises can regulate stress hormones. These methods promote healthier metabolic outcomes and can support overall well-being.

Managing your health can feel daunting amidst the demands of a busy lifestyle. However, simple, and consistent adjustments to daily habits, combined with preventive care and early detection are some of the key factors to bring about better outcomes in diabetes prevention.

Sources:
1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168822723004813#bb0010:~:text=Diabetes%20is%20prevalent%20and%20has%20high%20morbidity%20and%20mortality%20rates%20in%20the%20Asia%2DPacific%20(APAC)%20region.

2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2579635/#:~:text=Obesity%20is%20the%20major%20potentially%20modifiable%20risk%20factor%20for%20type%202%20diabetes.1%20Intervention%20studies%20in%20which%20modest%20weight%20loss%20has%20been%20achieved%20by%20lifestyle%20interventions%20in%20overweight%20subjects%20with%20impaired%20glucose%20tolerance

3. https://www.unicef.org/eap/blog/child-obesity-crisis

4. https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/if-you-think-that-thin-people-dont-get-diabetes-think-again

The study, which was supported by an American Heart Association Strategically Funded Research Network Grant to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, examined the electronic health records of approximately 550 adults aged 18 and older who were followed for six years. It went on to say that eating fewer large meals and eating less overall may be a more effective weight-loss strategy than restricting meals to a specific time window, such as intermittent fasting.

Although intermittent fasting is popular, rigorously designed studies have not yet determined whether limiting the total eating window during the day helps to control weight, according to senior study author Wendy L. Bennett, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

This study looked at the relationship between the time between meals and weight change. Participants in the study had at least one weight and height measurement taken in the two years preceding the enrolment period, which ran from February to July 2019.

The research team developed Daily24, a mobile application that allows participants to track their sleeping, eating, and waking times for each 24-hour window in real time. Participants were encouraged to use the app as much as possible during the first month and again during “power weeks” — one week per month for the six-month intervention portion of the study.

Researchers were able to measure the time from the first meal to the last meal each day, the time lapse from waking to the first meal, and the interval from the last meal to sleep based on the timing of sleeping and eating each day recorded in the mobile app. They calculated an average for each participant based on all data from completed days.

During the six-year follow-up period, meal timing was not associated with weight change, according to the data analysis. Over a six-year period, the total daily number of large meals (estimated at more than 1,000 calories) and medium meals (estimated at 500-1,000 calories) were both associated with increased weight, while fewer small meals (estimated at less than 500 calories) were associated with decreased weight.

The average time between the first and last meal was 11.5 hours; the average time between waking up and the first meal was 1.6 hours; the average time between the last meal and sleep was 4 hours; and the average sleep duration was 7.5 hours.

The study found no link between meal timing and weight change in a population with a wide range of body weight.

According to Bennett, while previous research has suggested that intermittent fasting may improve the body’s rhythms and regulate metabolism, this study in a large group with a wide range of body weights did not establish this link. Large-scale, rigorous clinical trials of intermittent fasting on long-term weight change are extremely difficult to conduct; however, even brief intervention studies may be useful in guiding future recommendations.

According to lead study author Di Zhao, PhD, an associate scientist in the division of cardiovascular and clinical epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, while meal frequency and total calorie intake were found to be stronger risk factors for weight change than meal timing, the findings could not prove direct cause and effect.

The study has limitations, according to the researchers, because it did not evaluate the complex interactions of timing and frequency of eating. Furthermore, because the study was observational in nature, the authors were unable to determine cause and effect. Future studies should aim to include a more diverse population, as the majority of the study’s participants were well-educated white women from the US’s mid-Atlantic region, the authors wrote.

Researchers were also unable to determine whether study participants intended to lose weight prior to enrolment and could not rule out the possibility of any pre-existing health conditions.

The study concluded that the number of daily meals was related to weight change over a six-year period. In addition, the findings did not support the use of time restricted eating as a long-term weight loss strategy in a general medical population.

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A study in Australia shows how the Mediterranean diet, rich in in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and low in processed foods, can reduce symptoms of depression in young men as well as improve their quality of life. Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) report a significant reduction in points on the standard depression scale in participants of the study, thanks to the dietary change – increased consumption of fresh whole foods and reduced consumption of “fast” food, red meat, and sugar.

Depression affects about one million Australian adults in any given year. The mental disorder can present differently from person to person through several different symptoms. In general, depression is characterised by feelings of unhappiness and loneliness, hopelessness, and/or low self-esteem; it can also alter cognitive function and manifest physical symptoms.

According to data, roughly 30% of patients fail to respond to treatments for major depressive disorder which includes psychotherapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and antidepressant medications. Researchers have since started looking into diet and lifestyle changes to bring about a lasting reduction in depressive symptoms.

Building on observational evidence where the Mediterranean diet was seen to reduce the risk of developing depression in older men, UTS researchers studied the effects of dietary manipulation on young adult male participants over 18 months.

This time, it was observed that participants shifting to the Mediterranean diet experienced a mean reduction of 20.6 points on the depression scale at the end of the study; around 36% of the participants also reported low to minimal depressive symptoms and improvements to the physical quality of life.

“There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects mood. For example, around 90% of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis,” said Dr. Jessica Bayes from the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, UTS.

While the researchers are aware that adhering to a specific diet can be daunting and very difficult for people experiencing severe depression symptoms, such that any interventions will require careful planning, Dr. Bayes has advised medical doctors and psychologists to refer “depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression.”

Read: Switching to plant-based diets may help manage weight issues better

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Some diabetics grapple with proper management of blood glucose, especially keeping to a diabetes-specific diet, which might lead to the onset of complications such as blindness, kidney disease and heart disease. A survey by Abbott Nutrition Malaysia, part of global healthcare giant Abbott, found that 96% of its 158 respondents also experience “diabetes burnout,” essentially a state of emotional or physical exhaustion caused by feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the burden of diabetes self-management; these people want to be empowered over their diet.

Diabetes burnout has been shown to result in poor adherence, reduced self-care and poor glucose control in diabetes patients. Most survey respondents were frustrated with maintaining a healthy weight and following a healthy diet, admittedly, following a diet suitable for people with diabetes (72%) and keeping count of calories or carbohydrates daily (73%) were the biggest stressors in dietary management.

This unfortunately contributes to an increasing disease trend among Malaysia’s currently 3.9 million adult diabetes patients.

“Poor glucose control is a major problem among people living with diabetes in Malaysia, as many of them lack knowledge on how dietary behaviour and even slight changes in their eating plan can negatively impact diabetes management ,” said associate professor Dr. Norlaila Mustafa, consultant physician & endocrinologist, and head of department, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Read: Smart jewellery concept design helps monitor blood glucose levels

Professor Dr. Winnie Chee from the department of nutrition & dietetics, International Medical University, offers another perspective on the subject: “Knowing the ‘right’ foods to eat that will not raise their blood sugar is a formidable challenge for most individuals, additionally, stress can affect diabetes control, therefore managing the emotional and psychological state is as important as managing glucose readings.”

Dr. Chee suggests a multidisciplinary healthcare team which includes a dietitian to assist people with diabetes learn how to eat well and better manage their stress and disease.

As for those who want to be more empowered over their diet, survey respondents found that convenient and affordable diabetes-friendly meals (88%) and diabetes-specific supplements to replace meals or snacks (91%) would greatly help to reduce the stress of disease management.

According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults receiving an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosis in the country each year increased from 2 million in 1999 to 3 million in 2015. New research suggests that this increase of IBD may be due to higher fructose (refined sugar) consumption in the US in recent times and changes in gut bacteria, which worsens the effect. IBD includes conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Dr. David Montrose and his colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City sought to investigate whether fructose worsens inflammation in three different mouse models of IBD and if changes in the community of microorganisms (microbiota) living in the gut mediate these inflammatory effects.

In the first model, which uses a chemical called dextran sodium sulfate to provoke the kind of inflammatory response that occurs in IBD, a high fructose diet was seen to increase the severity of inflammation while a high glucose diet did not.

The second model involved infecting mice with a bacterium called Citrobacter rodentium, which also mimics the inflammation that characterises IBD. Feeding these mice lots of fructose promoted the growth of the bacteria and worsened inflammation.

Finally, in a third, genetic model of the disease which recreates an immune response that can make some people more susceptible to inflammation of the colon, eating large amounts of fructose was seen to exacerbate and prolong colon inflammation in the animals.

Along with this, the researchers noted several differences due to the changes in gut microbiota: transplants of faecal material from mice fed a high fructose diet exacerbated inflammation in otherwise healthy mice that received them; the layer of mucus protecting the cells that line the colon of mice fed a high fructose diet was found to have thinned and left harmful bacteria in direct contact with the cells; and the high fructose diet also changed the prevalence of several species of bacteria living in the gut, boosting populations of a species known to degrade mucus and is linked to inflammation of the colon.

The holiday brings along a wave of festivities and long celebrations. It is that time of the year for numerous family gatherings, parties, long holidays and other events marked by drinking and eating of rich, festive food.

While it is a season to celebrate in the company of family and friends, over-indulging can become a nightmare for your health, particularly your liver.

Common liver health risks

The liver is an organ your body can’t live without. It serves as the body’s food laboratory and filtering system, removing impurities and toxins harmful to the body while combating infections. If your liver suffers inflammation or is damaged in any way, it can interfere with these essential functions and lead to poor health overall.

Lifestyle habits like lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, smoking, and routine alcohol consumption are some of the habits which can hamper the liver’s function.

Lack of exercise can cause fat to accumulate in the liver cells, which can then lead to fatty liver disease (FLD). FLD occurs when fats exceed the 10 per cent of the total weight of the liver. If not treated or managed, the fat accumulation can lead to severe inflammation.

Too much stress can also harm your liver as it impairs blood flow and increases natural killer cells, resulting to liver cell death. A diet that is rich in saturated fat and trans fatty acid, meanwhile, promotes the accumulation of fat in the liver. Excess fat can lead to enlargement of liver cells.

Excessive alcohol consumption is another culprit. Excessive drinking – whether beer or wine – can destroy your liver cells. Drinking everyday for a number of years can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver which can ultimately lead to organ malfunction.

Smoking, while commonly associated with lung diseases, is also damaging to the liver. Some of the toxic chemicals of the cigarettes are extremely harsh on the liver, causing tumours, cancer, and inflammation.

Essential Tips for a Healthy Liver

Fortunately, there are simple ways to mitigate liver health risks. It only takes a few lifestyle modifications:

Eat right

For proper functioning of the liver, you need to take a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits and proteins. Eat small meals as they can easily be digested and is less of a burden to the liver. Studies have shown the correlation between a diet high in fat and fatty liver, so minimise the intake of fatty foods.

Booze in moderation

Minimise intake or stop drinking alcohol. Too much alcoholic beverages – beer or wine – can destroy your liver cells. If you can’t restrain yourself from drinking, then drink responsibly.

Limit your alcohol intake to 12 oz. of beer or wine cooler, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Take medicines as prescribed and do not exceed recommended doses

Even seemingly harmless medicines can damage the liver. If you have diabetes and high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, strictly follow your doctor’s prescribed treatment.

Exercise!

There is good evidence that gradual weight loss coupled with increased exercise will reduce the fat deposits in the liver.

Try aerobics. Since it involves rhythmic and large muscle movements, the increase in the amount of oxygen and the change in breathing pattern actually speeds up the delivery of oxygen to the vital organs, including the liver, helping it function better.

Nutritional supplements as a daily habit

Make it a habit to take supplements which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as essential phospholipids (EPL), to keep your liver in good shape. Taking liver supplements daily can bring sustained vitality and help you deal with daily stress.

The key to enjoying the holidays to the fullest is ensuring you’re healthy. Throw a cheerful outlook in the mix and you’re sure to have the most wonderful holiday celebration.

This article was contributed by Sanofi – a global and diversified healthcare company specialising in the development and distribution of therapeutic solutions for patients’ needs

Source: YourHealth, AsiaOne

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said that they had conducted a study showing how nitrate, found naturally in spinach and several other vegetables, tones up muscles.

For the study, which will be published in the Journal of Physiology, the research team had placed nitrate directly in the drinking water of a group of mice for one week and then dissected them and compared their muscle functions to that of a control group.

“The mice that had been on consistent nitrate had much stronger muscles,” they said in a statement.

The nitrate used “was equivalent to a human’s consumption of about 200 to 250 grammes of spinach a day, so it’s a very easily obtained amount,” one of the researchers at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Andres Hernandez, told AFP.

“Well, it is if you eat spinach. For people who don’t eat their vegetables it will be more tricky,” he added.

While no effect could be seen in the so-called slow-twitch muscles used for moderate exercise and endurance, the scientists saw a clear change could be seen in the fast-twitch muscles used for strength and more high-intensity exercises, Hernandez said.

The tricky question, he said, was determining why this happened.

The researchers discovered that the nitrates had prompted an increase in two proteins, found naturally in the muscles, that are used for storing and releasing calcium, which is vital to making muscles contract.

The protein increase in turn led to higher quantities of calcium released in the muscles, Hernandez said, pointing out that “if you have more calcium released, you have a stronger contraction.”

Translated into human terms, consuming nitrates from for instance spinach increases the muscle strength available for things like lifting weights or sprinting up a steep hill.

It could also increase endurance, Hernandez said, pointing out that when stronger, the fast-twitch muscles, which fatigue faster than other muscles, do not need to contract as frequently.

This is not only good news for exercise buffs looking to improve their performance.

“The really exciting part is to go ahead and look at people with muscle weakness, with muscle diseases, and even aging, and see if this can actually improve their muscle function,” Hernandez said.

He said the research team aimed to conduct a few more studies on mice but hoped to also carry out studies on humans soon