Research
Four recent studies reveal surprising findings in nutrition and health: the link between soy production and childhood leukemia, selenium's protective effects against environmental toxins, and the true risk factors for long COVID. Equally surprising: why red meat's influence on inflammation is more complex than commonly assumed.
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This week brought some interesting studies. We don't always manage to publish interesting findings as a Science Monday post (our Instagram format). So we're sharing them here today. These new research results are worth knowing about.
In a recent study from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, we find absolutely shocking and concerning figures.
Brazil is traditionally a country with extensive livestock farming. In recent years, there has been a significant shift toward soy production. Under enormous pesticide use.
The researchers found a statistical link between nearly half of all childhood leukemia cases and this exact shift in agricultural practices.
In short: more soy, more pesticides, significantly more childhood leukemia. This needs to be discussed more in the future.
Environmental toxins. A frequent issue here too. Because: you can "do everything right," but if you're chronically poisoned, your body's own biochemistry simply doesn't function.
To test what happens in mouse cells with chronic exposure, researchers administered their test subjects a "cocktail of pollutants" (sic!), which is very common in the environment: a combination of metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury) and pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, flumequin).
While the individual substances caused oxidative stress (free radicals!) in the animals' cells, the combination led to severe overwhelm of the body's own antioxidants—so extreme that biochemical reactions partly came to a complete halt. But there is a solution: selenium. Selenium is a component of a vast array of the body's own antioxidants.
And selenium was able to buffer the severe consequences of this "cocktail of environmental toxins." Worth knowing. How's your selenium level, actually?
We believe: Long COVID is not a myth, but affects a relatively large number of people based on persistent viral infection.
In recent years, there have been repeated warnings that long COVID can occur even after mild infections. Yet it's rarely that simple. This is shown by a recent, major study from the renowned Karolinska Institute—one of the world's leading medical research institutions.
"Those most severely affected were people who had a severe COVID-19 infection, while researchers found no elevated prevalence of long COVID in those who were never bedridden."
In short: the more severely you got sick, the higher your risk. Makes sense, really.
In some nutrition circles, this would immediately and unquestioningly be answered with "yes." But it's rarely that simple.
In a comprehensive study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists examined a range of blood markers in 4,000 participants.
And found... nothing. Because there was only a clear link between red meat consumption—whether processed or unprocessed—and inflammation in those who were overweight.
Overweight causes inflammation. Not red meat. The researchers conclude:
"Recommendations to limit red meat consumption are often based on older studies suggesting that red meat negatively affects inflammation"—newer studies, however, have not confirmed this.
Important note: we're talking about normal portions here (e.g., 100 g per day). Not a daily T-bone steak.
