A new study suggests that eating fish during pregnancy could reduce the risk of a child being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by 20%. However, taking fish oil supplements did not have the same effect.

“This study adds to the growing evidence supporting the safety and benefits of regular fish consumption during pregnancy,” said Dr. Emily Oken, co-author of the study and professor at Harvard Medical School. “Other benefits include a lower risk of preterm birth and improved cognitive development.”

Health experts recommend that pregnant women consume 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood per week to support fetal brain development. Despite these guidelines, the study, led by researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, found that about 25% of pregnant women didn’t eat any fish.

The study analyzed data from 10,800 pregnant women regarding their fish intake and 12,646 women who took fish oil supplements, looking for links to autism diagnoses and autism-related traits. The results showed that 65% to 85% of the participants did not take fish oil or omega-3 supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids, essential for heart, brain, and eye function, are found in fish, walnuts, flax seeds, and leafy greens, but the body cannot produce them naturally. Interestingly, the study found that fish consumption during pregnancy was more strongly associated with a reduced autism risk in female children.

The researchers noted that omega-3 supplements did not show any association with autism diagnoses or related traits. Autism is a complex developmental disorder affecting behavior, communication, and social interaction, and its causes are not yet fully understood.

The findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, acknowledge some limitations, including the inability to specify which types of fish were eaten, the timing of consumption, or the omega-3 content of supplements. The researchers are urging clearer public guidance on the importance of eating fish during pregnancy.

A diet that mimics fasting aids in limiting nutritional intake to produce an unfavorable environment for the proliferation of cancer cells, hence improving the effectiveness of cancer treatment.

Globally, medical professionals and researchers are never-ending in their hunt for cancer prevention strategies. They are always thinking ahead and looking for solutions to deal with the potentially fatal illness. A recent study has demonstrated the enormous potential of a diet that mimics fasting to enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment. FMD, or fasting-mimicking diet, is a dietary pattern that permits a controlled food intake while simulating the physiological effects of fasting.

Scientists at the University of Milan carried out the investigation, and the findings were encouraging. The objective behind the study is to make cancer cells more susceptible to treatment by temporarily limiting their intake of specific nutrients and calories. Nonetheless, safeguarding the healthy cells is another aspect of this process.

Still, fasting as a cancer-fighting strategy is not brand-new. Researchers have been examining how specific nutrients are necessary for the growth and development of cancer cells for many years. Among these is glucose. Therefore, FMD employs the strategy of limiting the intake of these nutrients in order to provide an environment that is unfavorable to the proliferation of cancer cells.

How does FMD function?

A diet that mimics fasting has been found to have the ability to improve the outcomes of cancer treatments like immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted medications. Primarily, it limits the consumption of specific nutrients that enhance the growth of cancer cells. Secondly, it increases the susceptibility of cancer cells to the effects of chemotherapy. Thirdly, it strengthens the immune system’s defenses against cancer, which amplifies the benefits of immunotherapy.

How can a diet simulating fasting be put into practice?

Numerous cancer types can benefit from a diet that mimics fasting. In order to produce an environment that is hostile to the growth of cancer cells, it aids in improving the body’s natural response and reducing nutrition intake. This increases the effectiveness of treatment.

According to a new study published on Wednesday in the academic journal Nature Aging, the human body experiences bursts of accelerated aging rather than aging continuously during middle age. These bursts usually occur around age 44 and again at age 60.

Researchers from Stanford University studied the effects of aging on over 135,000 different kinds of chemicals and microorganisms in samples taken from over 100 persons between the ages of 25 and 75 every three to six months.

As part of the study, more than 5,400 blood, feces, skin, nasal, and oral swabs were collected. This allowed the researchers to track over 135,000 distinct types of chemical compounds, bacteria, and aging-related cell components.

Researchers discovered that rather of changing gradually over time, the abundance of these chemicals and microorganisms grew and shrank quickly at two distinct ages: the beginning of a person’s 40s and again in their 60s.

Although there is evidence that cellular alterations are more likely to happen at these ages, additional research is necessary to determine why.

Co-author of the study Xiaotao Shen, a computational biologist at Nanyang Technology University in Singapore, told The Washington Post that “when people get old, the molecules in your body change.” “What we don’t know is what drives this change.”

According to the study, the results may provide light on age-related disorders and the reasons why certain diseases, like cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, tend to manifest at particular ages—roughly around age 40 and 65, respectively.