An ‘Expert Advisory’ from Brock University
Posted January 7th, 2015 on Niagara At Large
St. Catharines, Ontario – If you’re still looking for an achievable New Year’s resolution, a Brock University professor has a nutritious suggestion: eat more fruits and vegetables.
Wendy Ward, Professor in Brock’s Department of Kinesiology, says eating a well-balanced diet based on Canada’s Food Guide is an excellent goal for 2016.
“With New Year’s resolutions fresh in our minds — likely many for improving health – we can start by increasing our intakes of fruits and vegetables, as well as being more mindful of our food choices,” says Ward, the Canada Research Chair in Bone and Muscle Development.
Ward recently published research that showed eating fruits and vegetables may play a role in helping non-smokers heal after they undergo treatment for periodontal disease, which is caused by a buildup of plaque on the teeth.
The research team studied the dietary intake of dental patients who had been diagnosed with periodontal disease and were scheduled for a scaling and planing procedure. Among non-smoking patients, there was an association between better healing and consuming more fruits, vegetables, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. Smokers, who are at a greater risk for periodontal disease, didn’t fair as well.
Ward says patients who consumed five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables showed the strongest association with improved healing with the dental surgery, but she urges people to consume the Canada Food Guide recommendation of seven servings (for those over 50 years of age) per day.
“Unfortunately, more than half of Canadians do not consume this recommended level,” says Ward.
For more information on Ward’s study, read the story in The Brock News.
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