Getting your protein from plants instead of animals could prolong your life, a study suggests. Researchers followed 70,696 Japanese men and women for an average of 18 years. They found that compared with the one-fifth of the group who ate the least plant protein, the fifth who consumed the most had a 27% lower rate of cardiovascular death, a 28% lower rate of death from heart disease and a 28% lower rate of stroke. Those who ate the most plant protein, abundant in spinach, broccoli and legumes, had a 13% lower all-cause mortality rate than those who ate the least. "Our study suggests that plant protein may provide beneficial health effects," the said in JAMA Internal Medicine, "and that replacement of red and processed meat protein with plant or fish protein may increase longevity."
'Extreme grooming' not tied to STD risk
Women who remove their pubic hair do not increase their risk for sexually transmitted diseases, a report suggests, despite a common belief and some research suggesting they do. Researchers studied rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia among 214 female university students. Some studies have suggested that shaving all pubic hair could cause cuts in the skin that could increase the risk for the diseases, and about two-thirds of extreme groomers reported such injuries. But after controlling for parental income, race, year in school and sexual frequency, the researchers found no association between extreme grooming and infections. The results appear in PLoS One.
Scopes need to be replaced, FDA says
Companies that make reusable, snakelike cameras to examine patients internally should begin making disposable versions, because the current models cannot be properly sterilized, the Food and Drug Administration said. In the meantime, hospitals that use the instruments, called duodenoscopes, should start to transition to models with disposable components, the agency said. Duodenoscopes have been implicated in sickening hundreds of patients.
Aerobic capacity outmuscles strength
Stamina may trump strength for improving metabolic health, said a study of the molecular effects of different aspects of fitness. These results, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that aerobic capacity affects metabolism more than muscular strength does, said Dr. Urho Kujala, a professor of medicine and sports science at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland. Or, in practical terms, it hints that running may outmuscle weights, if you are concerned about your metabolic health.
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