7 Surprising Nutrition Facts Scientists Learned In 2022

• Many nutrition studies were published in 2022, with some surprising findings.
• Insider has selected seven of the most interesting discoveries of the year.
• Butter might not be as unhealthy as we thought, and red wine drinkers were found to have less fat in a study.

Scientists published countless diet and nutrition studies in 2022, bringing to light surprising connections between what we eat and drink and our health.

As it turns out, butter might not be as unhealthy as we thought, people who drink red wine have less stomach fat than liquor drinkers, and there are even more reasons to eat bread.

Below are seven things we learned about diet and health in 2022.

1. Eating a wide range of proteins can reduce the risk of high blood pressure

Eating a greater variety of protein-rich foods such as beans, shellfish, whole grains, and lean meat may help reduce the risk of high blood pressureAccording to a study published in March in the journal Hypertension.

The researchers compared the eating habits of 12,117 Chinese adults with their blood pressure during a median of six years of follow-up. Insider’s Gabby Landsverk reported.

People who ate four or more protein sources were 66% less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate just one or two.

2. Butter and full-fat dairy may be healthier than previously thought

Foods such as butter have long been considered unhealthy due to their high saturated fat content and its links to poor heart health, but investigate published in Scientific Reports in August suggests that certain types of saturated fats may improve health.

Moderate amounts of a saturated fat called C15:0, found in butter and full-fat dairy, may actually reduce disease risk and improve health and well-being, according to research by Stephanie Venn-Watson, Public health researcher and veterinary epidemiologist.

Years of research on marine dolphins found a similarity between the age-related disease risk of animals and that of humans, leading to the findings on C15:0, landsverk reported.

3. Fiber in whole wheat bread may be better at reducing heart disease risk than fruits and vegetables

Fiber it is an important part of a balanced diet and can be found in a variety of foods.

However, a March study suggests that fiber from whole grains may be even healthier for your heart than fiber from fruits and vegetables. landsverk reported.

Fiber sources such as whole wheat bread, bran, and grains (such as oatmeal) may help reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease, according to a study of 4,125 adults published in March in JAMA Open Network.

4. A Mediterranean-style diet may reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnancy, particularly for black people.

preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy with long-term effects on heart health, characterized by severe high blood pressure and organ damage.

However, a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce risksparticularly in blacks, according to research published in April in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

The Mediterranean diet prioritize fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, nuts, and beans.

5. Eating 2 servings of fish a week is linked to an increased risk of skin cancer

Fish has long been known to have many health benefits, such as lower cholesterol and balance blood sugarbut a to study published in June in the journal Cancer Causes and Control also found an association between eating two servings a week and an increased risk of skin cancer.

Fish like tuna can contain toxic mercury, arsenic, and other chemicals linked to cancer, such as landsverk reported.

But it can still be part of a healthy diet and more research is needed, the researchers said.

6. Red wine drinkers have less stomach fat than liquor or beer drinkers.

Red wine drinkers have less stomach fat than those who drink beer, white wine, or liquor. A study published in the journal Obesity Science and Practice in February suggests.

The researchers found that red wine drinkers had less visceral fat, which wraps around the abdominal organs and is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

However, the health risks of drinking alcohol still outweigh any potential benefits, registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Insider.

7. Vegetarian women are more likely to suffer hip fractures than meat eaters

Vegetarian women are more prone to hip fractures as they age than meat-eaters, according to A study published in BMC Medicine in August.

Researchers studied data on more than 26,000 women ages 35 to 69, collected over a 22-year period, and found that vegetarians they were a third more likely to break their hips than those who ate meat regularly.

Possible reasons include these women having a lower BMI on average or nutritional deficiencies, the researchers said.