The missing ingredient you should be adding to your protein shakes to build more muscle
Chock full of nutrients that fuel the body after a sweat session and feed muscles to recover and build strength.
However, those simply watering down their post-workout protein powder are missing out on major potentials of the shake.
Experts recommend swapping the water for milk, which, aside from adding even more protein, gives the shake an added boost.
Water may be calorie-free but the extra calories in milk - about 120 per cup of two percent milk - are worth it to reap the benefits of muscle building and recovery. That is because it also contains 8g of protein.
Roughly 80 percent of the protein in cow's milk is called casein, which is a gold standard when it comes to essential amino acids that the body needs for muscle building, but doesn't produce on its own.
Casein is digested slowly, which means it keeps delivering those muscle-building amino acids over a longer period of time. So, the body is being fed proteins for longer than it would be with watered-down shakes.
And a 2020 review in Physical Activity and Nutrition found consuming 40g of casein 30 minutes before bed can boost muscle repair, reduce muscle breakdown, and relieve soreness and inflammation.
To gain those well toned abs, or sleeve ripping biceps the body must gain lean muscle. To put on muscle the body undergoes protein synthesis, the process by which cells build protein.
The goal is to increase synthesis while decreasing protein breakdown -or keeping protein in the body as much as possible.
Casein is a muscle-sparing protein that is released in the bloodstream at a slow rate, and has a powerful effect on reducing protein breakdown, which makes it a highly potent muscle building supplement when taken at the right times.
For night-owl exercisers, protein shakes with casein can prove even more potent.
A slow releasing protein is much more beneficial to muscle repair and re-growth during your sleeping hours.
Casein is a slow-digesting protein that takes three to four hours to reach peak levels in blood amino acids and protein synthesis. It also takes seven hours to become fully absorbed.
So by working out in the evenings and following exercise with a milk protein shake, you're setting your muscles up for their best potential.
A Baylor University study found that men who drank a casein protein shake (mixed with whey protein) during a 10-week span gained considerably greater muscle mass than those who consumed a whey protein shake without casein.
For athletes focusing on stamina, adding milk into the protein keeps muscles from getting sore and keeps the body from feeling depleted after a long run or workout.
An added plus is that casein may help to protect against colon cancer, a second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States, according to the CDC.
Researchers in South Dakota found colon cancer cells could be targeted using derivatives of casein, and it could be used as a promising anticancer drug with minimal side effects.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, casein may also be an answer to weight loss because of its slow releasing effects. This keeps you feeling fuller for longer, leading to less calorie intake thanks to the leucine found in casein - another essential amino acid.
Milk also provides about 15 percent of your daily vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium and supports your immune system. It is also a good source of B vitamins, which support metabolism and help keep skin, muscles, and the brain healthy.
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Medical News Today
2 hours ago
- Medical News Today
Mediterranean or plant-based diets may reduce constipation risk with age
Chronic constipation happens when a person has difficulty passing stool for at least three months or more. While people can have chronic constipation at any age, it is more common as people get older.A new study has found that following the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet may help lower the risk of chronic constipation in middle-aged and older adults. Researchers estimate that about 15% of the world's population lives with chronic constipation, where constipation lasts for three or more months and has a profound impact on a person's daily you can have chronic constipation at any age, it is more common as we get older. Past studies show that between 15%-30% of adults ages 60 and older have chronic constipation.'Chronic constipation is highly prevalent in older adults and significantly impairs quality of life,' Kyle Staller, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Medical News Today. 'It also imposes a substantial burden on the healthcare system, with millions of outpatient and emergency department visits and increased medical costs. As aging is one of the largest risk factors for chronic constipation, identifying accessible, preventive strategies … (are) essential to reduce both personal suffering and healthcare utilization.' Staller is the senior author of a new study recently published in the journal Gastroenterology that found following the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet may help lower chronic constipation risk in middle- and older-age adults. 5 dietary patterns and their impact on chronic constipationFor this study, researchers analyzed health data for nearly 96,000 adults with an average age of 72.5 from three cohorts — the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), Nurses' Health Study II, and the Health Professional Follow-up Study (HPFS). Chronic constipation was defined as having symptoms for at least 12 weeks in a year. Researchers assessed study participants' adherence to five dietary patterns: Empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) (a tool used to measure how inflammatory a person's diet might be)Low-carbohydrate dietMediterranean dietPlant-based dietary index (PDI) (scoring tool used to determine how much of a person's diet is plant-based)Western diet'The study aimed to capture a wide spectrum of real-world eating patterns that might influence gut function,' Staller explained. 'The five dietary patterns were chosen because they represent evidence-based dietary guidelines with known cardiovascular benefits (Mediterranean diet), popular health-conscious choices (plant-based and low-carb diets), typical modern diets (Western diet), and a diet with evidence showing inflammatory potential (inflammatory diet), thus allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of dietary impacts on constipation risk.'— Kyle Staller, MD, MPHMed diet, plant-based diet helps lower chronic constipation riskUpon analysis, Staller and his team found that study participants following the Mediterranean or plant-based diets had a lower risk for developing chronic constipation.'This finding highlights the potential for long-term adherence to diets rich in vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats to lower the risk of chronic constipation, independent of total fiber intake,' Staller said. 'It supports using whole dietary patterns, not just isolated nutrients, as preventive strategies. These diets may work by modulating the gut microbiome, increasing short-chain fatty acid production, and reducing systemic inflammation — all of which contribute to improved gut motility and function,' he researchers discovered that participants who followed the Western or inflammatory diet were more likely to develop chronic diets increase risk of constipation? 'Our data suggest that diets high in processed foods, red meats, and refined grains — common in Western and inflammatory diets — may increase the risk of chronic constipation. Although the mechanism by which these effects occur was not studied, these diets may promote gut inflammation and negatively affect gut microbiota, emphasizing the importance of limiting such dietary patterns for better gastrointestinal health.'— Kyle Staller, MD, MPH'We have hypothesized that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet may be mediated through its impact on the gut microbiome,' Staller continued. 'We would like to examine the microbiome profile among those consuming a Mediterranean diet who do not develop constipation with aging and compare it to those consuming a Western diet who do develop constipation. If these studies support a mechanistic rationale for the Mediterranean diet, we would pilot a feeding study to see if the Mediterranean diet can treat older adults who have already developed chronic constipation,' he added. More constipation as we ageMNT had the opportunity to speak with Ashkan Farhadi, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, and author of The Rhymes of Happiness: Weaving Science, Art and Poetry in the Pursuit of Happiness, about this study, who commented this research helps validate what doctors know what to be right with data to back it up. 'When we get older, most of the movement in the body gets slower, and that does not exclude the colon,' Farhadi explained. 'Many studies have shown as we grow older, the transit time in the colon is reduced in speed and frequencies. And it's not surprising that people get more constipated as they get older.''The other factor that is also important in this equation is [a] busy lifestyle,' he continued. 'One of the most common factors for constipation [i]s when you are busy, basically you ignore the urge, and after a while the colon gets tired sending messages and people get constipated.' 'To counter that, there are a couple of measures — one of them that is very important is diet,' Farhadi added. 'And this study is a strong, important, fact-based piece of information that we can use to help to counter that constipation.' How to encourage 'regular' bowel movementsMNT asked Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, for her top tips on how readers can keep their bowel movement more 'regular' and help lower their risk for chronic constipation. 'Constipation isn't just about fiber — it's about rhythm, hydration, movement, and microbiome love,' Richard explained. 'Meeting with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can also explore the variables that could be addressed, including gut bacteria composition and metabolic pathways, as well as nutrient depletion, hydration status, and other physiological interference.'For general tips in reducing constipation, Richard recommends: Incorporating a variety of three to five servings of whole grains daily, such as oats, amaranth, quinoa, millet, rice, buckwheat, and four to six servings daily of varying fruits and vegetables based on what's local and in season. Hydrate throughout the day with water, herbal, or black and green healthy fats when cooking, as snacks, or as toppers to a meal, such as olive oil to a saute, nuts, or nut butters with fruit for a snack, or topping a salad with sesame seeds or toasted walnutsNourish the gut microbiota with foods rich in polyphenols such as berries, cocoa powder, and herbs and spices such as oregano, peppermint, sage, clove, and rosemary. The intestinal tract thrives with fresh oxygen flow and blood exchange — go for a walk, practice yoga, or participate in movement that you enjoy and can participate in on a regular basis, to help keep you magnesium intake is associated with constipation, especially in older adults. Incorporate foods rich in magnesium, such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, dark leafy greens, avocado, and and kiwi can be a delightful way to prevent constipation — add a couple for a snack with some nuts or seeds. Make a meal with beans a few times a week; add lentils to sides and main meals; snack on roasted garbanzo beans or consistent with meal time — bodies thrive on a schedule that lets them rest and digest with plenty of time in between to clean up and disseminate nutrients. Try to keep mealtime around the same times every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and plenty of time for rest between dinner and bedtime.'Real food, regular meals, and rest are non-negotiables in supporting gut health and effective elimination,' Richard added. 'The quality of input affects the output and everything in between.'
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Nursing homes struggle with Trump's immigration crackdown
Nursing homes already struggling to recruit staff are now grappling with President Donald Trump's attack on one of their few reliable sources of workers: immigration. Facilities for older adults and disabled people are reporting the sporadic loss of employees who have had their legal status revoked by Trump. But they fear even more dramatic impacts are ahead as pipelines of potential workers slow to a trickle with an overall downturn in legal immigration. 'We feel completely beat up right now,' says Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, which operates three nursing homes in the Atlanta area, with one-third of the staff made up of foreign-born people from about three dozen countries. 'The pipeline is getting smaller and smaller.' Eight of Cateau's workers are expected to be forced to leave after having their Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, revoked. TPS allows people already living in the U.S. to stay and work legally if their home countries are unsafe due to civil unrest or natural disasters and during the Biden administration, the designation was expanded to cover people from a dozen countries, including large numbers from Venezuela and Haiti. While those with TPS represent a tiny minority of A.G. Rhodes' 500 staffers, Cateau says they will be 'very difficult, if not impossible, to replace' and he worries what comes next. 'It may be eight today, but who knows what it's going to be down the road,' says Cateau, an immigrant himself, who arrived from Trinidad and Tobago 25 years ago. Nearly one in five civilian workers in the U.S. is foreign born, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but as in construction, agriculture and manufacturing, immigrants are overrepresented in caregiving roles. More than a quarter of an estimated 4 million nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides and other so-called direct care workers are foreign born, according to PHI, a nonprofit focused on the caregiving workforce. The aging of the massive Baby Boom generation is poised to fuel even more demand for caregivers, both in institutional settings and in individuals' homes. BLS projects more growth among home health and personal care aides than any other job, with some 820,000 new positions added by 2032. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies and other such businesses were counting on immigrants to fill many of those roles, so Trump's return to the White House and his administration's attack on nearly all forms of immigration has sent a chill throughout the industry. Katie Smith Sloan, CEO of LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit care facilities, says homes around the country have been affected by the immigration tumult. Some have reported employees who have stopped coming to work, fearful of a raid, even though they are legally in the country. Others have workers who are staying home with children they have kept out of school because they worry about roundups. Many others see a slowdown of job applicants. 'This is just like a punch in the gut,' she says. Rachel Blumberg, CEO of the Toby and Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences in Boca Raton, Florida, has already lost 10 workers whose permission to stay in the U.S. came under a program known as humanitarian parole, which had been granted to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. She is slated to lose 30 more in the coming weeks with the end of TPS for Haitians. 'I think it's the tip of the iceberg,' says Blumberg, forecasting further departures of employees who may not themselves be deported, but whose spouse or parent is. Blumberg got less than 24 hours' notice when her employees lost their work authorization, setting off a scramble to fill shifts. She has already boosted salaries and referral bonuses but says it will be difficult to replace not just aides, but maintenance workers, dishwashers and servers. 'Unfortunately, Americans are not drawn to applying and working in the positions that we have available,' she says. Front-line caregivers are overwhelmingly female and a majority are members of minority groups, according to PHI, earning an average of just $16.72 hourly in 2023. Long-term care homes saw an exodus of workers as COVID made an already-challenging workplace even more so. Some facilities were beginning to see employment normalize to pre-pandemic levels just as the immigration crackdown hit, though industry-wide, there is still a massive shortage of workers. Some in the industry have watched in frustration as Trump lamented how businesses including farming and hospitality could be hurt by his policies, wondering why those who clean hotel rooms or pick tomatoes deserve more attention than those who care for elders. Beyond rescinded work authorizations for people living in the U.S., care homes are having difficulty getting visas approved for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses they recruit abroad. What used to be a simple process now stretches so long that candidates reconsider the U.S. altogether, says Mark Sanchez, chief operating officer of United Hebrew, a nursing home in New Rochelle, New York. 'There are lines upon lines upon lines,' says Sanchez, 'and now they're saying, 'I'm going to go to Canada' and 'I'm going to go to Germany and they're welcoming me with open arms.'' Looking around a facility with a majority-immigrant staff, the son of Filipino immigrants wonders where his future recruits will come from. 'I don't have ICE coming in my door and taking my people,' Sanchez says, 'but the pipeline that was flowing before is now coming in dribs and drabs.' Long-term care workers are routinely lured away not just by hospitals and doctors' offices, but restaurants, stores and factories. Half of the average nursing home's staff turns over each year, according to federal data, making the attraction and retention of every employee vital to their operation. Robin Wolzenburg of LeadingAge in Wisconsin began working to place an influx of people from Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out its final troops four years ago and thousands of refugees arrived in her state. Care homes began hiring the refugees and were so delighted with them, some facilities began hiring refugees who arrived from Ukraine, Somalia and Congo. Though many homes had employee retention rates around 30%, Wolzenburg said the figure was above 90% with refugees. Trump has halted most refugee admissions, meaning Wolzenburg's successful outreach program has no new arrivals to target. 'It's been really devastating,' Wolzenburg says. 'Our communities that were actively working with the resettlement agencies are not seeing those referrals to long-term care like we were. There's no refugees coming in.' Lynne Katman, the founder of Juniper Communities, which runs 21 facilities across five states, says it's hard enough to find the right workers with a passion for older adults. Now, just as homes gird for an influx of residents brought on by the country's demographic shift, they're facing another challenge to a stable workforce. 'The work is hard. It's not always been the highest paying job that one can get,' she says. 'But many of the immigrants who actually have chosen this work consider caregiving a noble profession.' ___
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a longevity expert, here's three things I'm doing that will mean I'm living to 100
After a tiring week at work, a weekend lie in and a slap up brunch seem like a no-brainer—but could a few extra hours and a healthy breakfast do more than simply restore your energy levels? Mounting research suggests that sleeping in on our days off, eating a diet rich in healthy fats and protein, and making time for regular exercise can seriously reduce the risk of developing a number of conditions, from dementia to obesity. Now a leading longevity expert has gone one step further, telling MailOnline that living by these simple pillars could help turn back the biological clock—and even help you reach a very grand old age. Dr Naheed Ali, a Harvard-trained lifestyle expert, believes that living to 100 isn't just down to luck and genetics, and there are easy ways to give ourselves a helping hand to reach our centenaries. 'From a medical standpoint, we encounter three distinct spurts of ageing,' he said. 'Infancy, the teen years and after 60—and each phase carries its own metabolic demands.' As adults, there isn't a lot we can do to influence the first two stages, but we do have the luxury of taking preventative steps to prepare for the final one, and Dr Ali says that it is possible to reverse our biological ages in just six months. The final spurt when we are officially entering old age, comes with an acceleration in muscle wastage, brain shrinkage and skin decline—all things that make us appear older. With this in mind, longevity experts suggest it might be time for us to stop seeing ageing as a steady decline marked by an increasing number of candles on a birthday cake, but rather a series of instalments that can potentially be waylaid. Support for this theory can be found in research published by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge. Their scientists found that up until the age of around 70, most people are able to make new blood cells, which are vital for supplying the body with oxygen. But after 70, our blood cell count drops significantly, raising the risk of anaemia, immune disorders and cancer. This is because red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. Fewer blood cells means there's less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to our internal organs and skin and this causes poor tissue regeneration—triggering visible signs of ageing, like loose, papery, sallow skin and deep facial wrinkles. This age is regarded as a tipping point because it is when our body finally succumbs to the damage which has been accumulating at a cellular level for decades, which is why it's crucial to prioritise our health and reduce this inevitable damage right now. According to Dr Ali, it is possible to reverse biological aging by focusing on neural health—and he says 'it's never too late to start'. 'Protecting the brain starts with blood supply, so I emphasise a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in olive oil, legumes and brightly coloured vegetables', he explained. Dr Ali shared this as one of three key tips to help increase your chances of living for a century. He said: 'These foods deliver polyphenols that keep blood pressure in check and maintain the delicate vessels feeding cortical tissue [the outer protective layer of our internal organs].' Polyphenols are a nutrient found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and spices which help reduce inflammation and have been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. His second tip was to incorporate movement and exercise throughout the day. This could be as simple as switching to a standing desk, or taking the stairs rather than the lift to boost activity levels. It has long been thought that those who get up and move more tend to live longer than those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle. 'This is because movement helps the body respond better to insulin, reducing glucose spikes that can damage cells and tissue in the body,' he said. Frequent or prolonged spikes in our blood sugar levels can lead to the formation of harmful molecules which form when excess sugar binds to protein or fats in the body. These compounds are known to damage cells in the body, especially in sensitive areas like the brain, contributing to ageing and increasing the risk of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia diagnosed in the UK. Dr Ali added that people should aim for a 'brisk thirty-minute walk five days a week', to ward off the cognitive decline associated with dementia. Experts have previously found that people aged between 45 and 65 who increased their activity levels to around two and a half hours a week were less prone to one toxic protein— amyloid —spreading in the brain. Significant clumps of this protein can form plaques in the brain which are thought to be behind the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The longevity expert added that exercise also helps preserve volume in the part of the brain linked to thinking and memory. 'Good sleep completes the triad,' Dr Ali added. 'Seven to nine hours in a cool, dark room with minimal caffeine after midday allows the body to do its nightly cleansing job.' 'Patients who improve their sleep often notice crisper attention within a fortnight', he added. Studies show that consistently failing to get enough shut eye can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and even dementia. Some studies have suggested that even just one night of restless sleep can increase inflammation in the body, contributing to the effects of ageing. However, too much sleep can also be bad for you. Researchers now say that consistently sleeping for longer than nine hours a night can fuel brain ageing that leads to memory problems in later life. Concluding, Dr Ali said: 'When someone combines activity, nutrient dense meals, and restorative sleep we often see epigenetic movement markers move in a younger direction within six months. 'This evidence of biological reverse is a powerful motivator and reminds patients that it is never too late to start caring for their nervous system.' More and more Britons are living to 100, and beyond. At the age of 115, Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, is the oldest living person in the UK. Dr Daniel Glazer, a clinical psychologist, agrees, stating: 'In late adulthood, those with a clear sense of purpose often report sharper memory and greater satisfaction than age-matched peers. One of his top tips is finding time to meditate every day. 'Brief daily sessions of paced breathing or mindfulness meditation drop stress levels that erode tissue in the brain,' he said. 'Emotional regulation keeps the biochemical environment hospitable.' Lower cortisol levels—the stress hormone—also helps to reduce inflammation, protecting blood vessels around the body. 'The practice is simple yet biologically potent, giving clients something tangible they can control,' the psychologist added. Physical activity, a diverse diet packed with wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, love, companionship, and a sense of purpose make up the backbone of so-called 'Blue Zones,' or areas of the world where people typically live to 100 and beyond.
