Why meat is deadly, children never want to eat vegetables

• Middle-aged women who follow high animal protein diet are at higher risk of heart failure, researchers find
• Human brain hard-wired to prefer red food over green

Scientists warn that middle-aged women who follow high animal protein-based diet (an Atkins diet) are at higher risk of heart failure.
A new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016, and first published by DailyMailUK Online insisted it could be deadly since meat-based diets increased the chance of the incurable condition ‘significantly’ in those aged over 50.

While those who consumed more protein from vegetables were found to have a much lower chance of heart failure.The Atkins diet advises followers to cut out carbohydrates for two weeks.

But previous research has found it increases the risk of constipation – a key factor in causing bowel cancer. United States (U.S.) researchers assessed 100,000 women aged between 50 and 79 over the course of five years, who found 1,711 went on to develop heart failure. Participants self-reported their daily diets.

They discovered women who ate more protein were at significantly higher risk compared to those who consumed less meat. While women who ate more vegetable-based protein appeared to have less heart failure.

The findings were true regardless of age, race or ethnicity, level of education, or if the women had high blood pressure, diabetes or coronary artery disease. Researchers said other studies have found a link between increased protein from meat and cardiovascular risk in women.

Meanwhile, according to a new study, humans are hard-wired to choose red food such as meat over green foods like broccoli.Colour helps us decide whether or not to eat something, the research says, because the first bite really is taken with the eyes.

Humans are hard-wired to choose red food such as meat over green foods like broccoli, according to a new study. Colour helps us decide whether or not to eat something, the research says, because the first bite really is taken with the eyes

“According to some theories, our visual system evolved to easily identify particularly nutritious berries, fruits and vegetables from jungle foliage,” said Raffaella Rumiati, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and coordinator of the new study.

The study, by the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, was published in the journal Scientific Reports.“We are visual animals, unlike others, dogs, for example, who depend on their sense of smell. We are particularly efficient at distinguishing red from green. It is mainly the colour of food that guides us, and our experiments show how. To date, only a few studies have been focused on the topic.”

“In natural foods, colour is a good predictor of calories,” added Study author Dr. Francesco Foroni. The redder an unprocessed food is, the more likely it is to be nutritious, while green foods tend to be low in calories.’

Meanwhile, lead researcher Dr. Mohamed Firas Barbour, from Brown University, Rhode Island, said: “Higher calibrated total dietary protein intake appears to be associated with substantially increased heart failure risk.“While vegetable protein intake appears to be protective, although additional studies are needed to further explore this potential association.”

He added: “Our findings should be interpreted with caution, but it appears that following a high-protein diet may increase heart failure risk. While a better understanding of dietary risk is still needed, it appears that heart failure among postmenopausal women is not only highly prevalent but preventable by modifying diet. Heart failure is highly prevalent, especially in post-menopausal women; therefore, a better understanding of nutrition-related factors associated with heart failure is needed.”

Diets based around fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products are recommended to keep the heart healthy. While experts also advise women to try and avoid red meat where they can and to only eat poultry without skin if they do wish to.Researcher Giulio Pergola added: “The participants in our experiments judged foods whose colour tended towards red as higher in calories, while the opposite was true for greens.

A new vegetable has been harvested in time for Christmas as a more appealing alternative to the Brussels sprout. The creations, called ‘Kalettes’ are nutty and sweet tasting and are a cross between kale and the traditional sprout.

The veg, which is sold in mainly 200 gram packs, can be steamed or stir fried in two to three minutes. Farmers have been growing the vegetable for three years and it was previously called ‘Flower Sprout’.