The Nutrition Post » Front Page

The Truth About Antioxidant Superfoods

JoshNahourai — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:38:16 +0000

Nutritional Facts and Figures

Antioxidants are believed to play a very valuable role in the body. They stabilize molecules known as free radicals, which can cause damage to DNA and are likely the culprit in many diseases. While our cells make some antioxidants, plants contain thousands of antioxidants known as phytochemicals. Therefore, a diet rich in plant foods such as fruits and vegetables will help strengthen the body's natural defenses, making us healthier and less likely to develop disease. Exotic superfruits are marketed as being extremely rich in antioxidants. Antioxidant capacities of different foods are measured through a method known as oxygen radical absorbance capacity, or ORAC. Several procedural factors can influence ORAC tests, resulting in inconsistent results. In fact, when different labs do the same test they will sometimes come up with different numbers.

A Bit About Some of the Exotic Superfruits

Acai is a fruit that looks similar to a grape and is native to Central and South America. Acai is rich in polyunsaturated fats, dietary fiber, calcium, as well as antioxidants like Vitamin E, and certain phytochemicals know as anthocyanins. After harvest, acai berries deteriorate rapidly. Therefore, outside its native region, acai is generally seen as a powder in foods like granola, or sold as a supplement in capsule or juice form.

Goji berry, also known as wolfberry, is primarily grown in China and has long been a part of traditional Chinese medicine. Nutritionally, it has high concentrations of many vitamins and minerals, as well as phytochemicals such as beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lycopene. Goji berries are red-orange in color and look similar to raisins. They are generally sold as dried berries, and can be found in granola and trail mix, as well as in liquid form as a juice.

Mangosteen grows on tropical evergreen trees in Pacific tropics. While the fruit itself is unpigmented and therefore has low nutrient value, the rind is a deep, reddish purple color, which contains phytochemicals known as xanthones. Mangosteen is generally seen as a puree of the whole fruit in either juice or capsule form.

Healthy Food Isn’t Necessarily More Expensive Than Junk Food, Study Finds

hollyjsmall — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:43:59 +0000

An Agriculture Department study released Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

That counters a common perception among some consumers that it's cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced meal.

The government says it all depends on how you measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie – as some previous researchers have done – then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables.

But comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt.

That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than French fries, soft drinks, ice cream or ground beef.

Low Fat Diets Are Grossly Misrepresented

JoshNahourai — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:25:53 +0000

For more than two decades, many commentators have discussed and cussed so-called low-fat diets and gotten away with talking nonsense. It is time to look at some facts.

Virtually all of these discussions are based on recommendations of reports of the National Academy of Sciences during the 1980s when the initial suggestion was made to reduce total dietary fat to 30 percent (from the average of 35-37 percent of calories) — I know because I co-authored the first of these reports on diet and cancer in 1982. Then, during the next decade or so, this 30 percent benchmark became the definition of a low fat diet. A myth was born because this diet did not lead to obesity, as claimed.

During the next 10 years when this low fat myth was growing, average percent dietary fat barely changed — maybe decreasing a couple percentage points to about 33 percent, at best. In reality, the amount of fat consumed INCREASED because total calorie consumption also increased. Furthermore, during this same period of low fat mythology (1980s-1990s), obesity incidence increased.

Now, enter Robert Atkins and other writers who argued that obesity was increasing because of our switch to low fat diets. By going low fat — so the mythical story went — we were consuming more carbohydrate, an energy source from plant-based foods. This was a serious misrepresentation of the facts.

By falsely blaming low fat, 'high carb' diets for the obesity crisis, these writers were then free to promote the opposite: high fat, low 'carb', high cholesterol and high protein diets rich in animal-based foods, a so-called low 'carb' diet. During the initial discussions of this 'low carb' diet, no distinction was made between the refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour as commonly present in processed foods) and the natural carbohydrates almost exclusively present in plant-based foods.

What Your Fingers Say About You

hollyjsmall — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:06:59 +0000

Take a good look at your hands. Your fingers can reveal health risks from heart disease and cancers to anemia and psoriasis. A doctor shares what to look for in your fingernails.

Female Role Models: The Absent Conversation

Dr. Peggy Drexler — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:39:43 +0000

Girls and female role models is a conversation we seldom seem to have.

Part of that is the fact that 80 percent of the single parent families in the U.S. are headed by females. Combined with two-parent families, it's statistically likely that girls will have a female role model in residence.

Still, we're up against powerful cultural and media currents. The great post-feminist irony is that in an age of hard-won female opportunity, media is channeling that opportunity to a place of hyper-sexualized stupidity. It's not who you are — it's how hot you are.

Ask a young girl about the females she looks up to, and chances are good that — after family members — her list will be crowded with celebrities.

Young women at the most emotionally malleable time in their lives will naturally turn to celebrities for cues on everything from love to dress to sexuality. You don't have to spend a lot of time wading around in the media muck to see that young females are represented by a collection ranging from sad to frightening — whose claim to celebrity is becoming a coarse side show.

Can You “Grow Up” During Midlife? Here Are Five Ways!

Douglas LaBier — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:05:23 +0000

Not long ago conventional thinking about midlife held that it's a time for holding on as best you can in the face of steady decline and loss. But if you're a baby boomer, you know that's shifted as fellow boomers show more attention to health and want continued vitality — even new growth – emotionally, sexually and creatively.

Nevertheless, many remain fearful of "going forth" or finding their "true self," partly because they know that illness, tragedy, unpredictable events and death can and do occur. I've written about these themes in some of my previous posts. For example, about depression during midlife. But overall, I find that learning to embrace both the "positive" and "negative" experiences of midlife is the path to growing up into full adulthood. That's especially relevant to the Post 50 years. Read more for the five suggested steps:

Be Active, Eat Well

JoshNahourai — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:57:25 +0000

A report on the town of Colac, Australia, where they're trialling a new initiative to fight childhood obesity.

Top 10 Snacks For Losing Weight

hollyjsmall — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:34:41 +0000

Skip past the chips, chocolate or candy

Eat the delicious alternative snacks described in this video by Marlena of Makeup Geek TV.

Say What? “Flesh-Eating Bacteria” Explained

hollyjsmall — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:07:10 +0000

It sounds like something out of a horror film – a micro-organism that enters through an open wound and begins to consume your body from the inside out.

Unfortunately flesh-eating bacteria, or necrotizing fasciitis, isn't fiction. Aimee Copeland, a 24-year-old graduate student from Georgia, is fighting for her life in an Augusta hospital after contracting one type known as aeromonas hydrophila during a zip line adventure.

Aeromonas hydrophila is found in most, if not all, freshwater or brackish water environments (water that contains salt but is not saltwater), according to the Food and Drug Administration's "Bad Bug Book."

It is sometimes swallowed by swimmers, causing stomach or intestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. It can also be found in fish and shellfish. The severity of the gastrointestinal infection depends on your immune system's ability to fight it off, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Honey Ginger Lemon Tea

Rachael Hutchings — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:52:12 +0000

Honey ginger lemon tea is one of my favorite home remedies when I’m starting to feel under the weather, or one my kids starts to sound a bit sniffly.

It tastes delicious and does wonders for body and soul. The honey and ginger help soothe a scratchy throat, and the ginger and lemon help clear out the sinuses. I made a big batch of tea this morning, after I woke up listening to my girls sniffling, and feeling a bit stuffy myself. As I added the honey to the tea, I reflected on this past weekend, which I spent up in the mountains at Camp Blogaway.

Honey Ginger Lemon Tea

Makes 12 ounces, about 2 servings

2 inches fresh ginger, sliced into thin coins
12 ounces boiling water
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey

1. Put the fresh ginger in a glass jar or pitcher. Pour the boiling water over it and let it steep for 5 minutes.

2. While the ginger is steeping, divide the lemon juice and honey between two mugs.

3. Strain the ginger tea into the mugs and stir to dissolve the honey. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Moms Make the Toughest Patients

Anthony Youn, MD — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:36:10 +0000

I’ve always taken my mom for granted. A lot of us do.

I never realized just how strong and selfless she is.

Then tragedy struck.

In many ways, my mother is the stereotypical Asian mom. Forty-five years ago she immigrated to the United States with my father, a physician. A classic homemaker, she spent her days raising my brother, sister, and me. In the evenings, after my dad returned home for work, she would take care of him.

Growing up, my mom was my protector. When kids would call me racist names and threaten to beat me up, it was my mother who came to my rescue. This 5'1” Korean immigrant, who spoke broken English, would stand up to the biggest bullies in my elementary school.

Several years ago I received a call from my father. My mom had exercised in the early evening and then began to feel short of breath. My dad rushed her to the emergency room. By the time they got there, she could hardly breathe.

The doctors diagnosed her with sudden onset heart failure – one of the valves of her heart had stopped functioning, causing a backup of fluid into her lungs.

Healthy Food = Beautiful Skin

hollyjsmall — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:39:21 +0000

Beauty is not all about makeup. Your health reflects your outer appearance. You are what you eat, from your head to your feet.

Slimming Strawberries For Weight Loss

JoshNahourai — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:27:32 +0000

Red, ripe and delicious, strawberries are a little fruit that work overtime for your health.

Peak strawberry season is just around the corner, so now is the perfect time to add strawberries to your menu for summer weight loss. From farm stands to your local supermarket, these luscious berries are sure to turn up just about everywhere.

And don't forget about the amazing organically grown strawberries that come from California year round.

The exciting research that is being done shows that the special nutritional components in strawberries might be able to stimulate your metabolism and help suppress your appetite. They can control blood sugar and can also help you lose weight.

It is no wonder that scientists across the United States, in Sweden and other countries have been researching the wonders of the strawberry and discovering more evidence of its health benefits. There is no doubt that strawberries have joined the other rock stars of super nutritious fruit such as blueberries, cherries, cranberries and pomegranates.

What Gives Strawberries Their Nutritional Punch?

Strawberries are a healthy food to eat to lose weight, because there are 49 calories in one cup of strawberries. They are also loaded with Vitamin C, 3 grams of fiber, and some calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Strawberries are rich sources of phenolic antioxidants that can help:

reverse inflammation
aid in weight loss
reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Are The Pleasures of Drinking All In Your Head?

Leah Odze Epstein — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:23:50 +0000

In my universe, Thursday night is date night, which usually means having a glass of wine or two with my husband at a restaurant or bar. Often, the mere anticipation of the buzz has me sighing with pleasure throughout the day. So is it the wine that's making me feel good, or is it the positive associations I have with the ritual?

According to a new study by researchers at The Miriam Hospital, our expectations can indeed influence our drinking habits. Lori A.J. Scott-Sheldon, Ph.D., the study's lead author, says, "If you believe alcohol gives you 'liquid courage' or that drinking helps you 'fit in' or be more social, you're likely to drink more."

The researchers aim to reduce college binge drinking by showing students that many of the great things they associate with alcohol are due to their expectations, rather than the alcohol itself.

To this end, they staged social experiments called "alcohol expectancy challenges." Students were taken in groups to a bar-like setting and given either an alcoholic or a non-alcoholic drink. No one knew which drink anyone else was given. Students then engaged in social activities, such as party games, and were asked to evaluate whether other participants were drinking alcohol versus a placebo. In the majority of cases, groups had difficulty determining who actually received alcohol and who did not.

The challenges have been designated by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as one of only three effective alcohol-prevention treatments for college students.

But these findings, published in the journal, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, are not only useful for college students. Head researcher Scott-Sheldon adapted her research for the layperson for The Atlantic Monthly online, and created five do-it-yourself strategies for reducing your drinking and maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol. Read more for her helpful strategies:

A Great Mother’s Day Present… SLEEP!

Harvey Karp — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:58:51 +0000

If you're like most new parents, a good night's sleep shimmers in your weary mind like a mirage in the desert. We all know that when our kids are up all night… we're up all night, and it's nowhere near as fun as the all-nighters we used to have. Before long, life starts to crumble and we morph into cranky, bug-eyed, sleep-deprived zombies. But a good night's rest doesn't have to be an illusion. Whether you've got crying newborns or crazed toddlers, finding effective techniques to help you, your partner and your kids sleep longer each night will have a huge effect on the quality of your life.

So, with Mother's Day rapidly approaching, consider giving the moms you know a deeply treasured gift: SLEEP

Sleep struggles are the number one behavioral grumble of parents. The effects of sleep deprivation are no mere sitcom storyline; they are profound… with real mind and body consequences that touch every aspect of our lives. Many parents are shocked (and relieved) to learn that sleep deprivation is so powerfully debilitating that it's used to train our special forces, like the Navy SEALs, to endure torture. No wonder so many new parents feel pushed to the breaking point.

People who care for new babies (parents and increasingly grandparents) lose on average 200-300 hours of sleep in the first year. And for many, there's not much respite after that first year, either. Half of all toddlers (and a third of all preschoolers) still wake through the night, leaving parents questioning if there's ever a rest stop at the end of the tunnel.

Could Chicken Be Contributing To The Obesity Epidemic?

JoshNahourai — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:55:50 +0000

You're watching your weight, so you opt for chicken rather than red meat as your go-to smart diet choice, right? We all thought of chicken as lean, protein-rich food that's good for weight watching, but the truth is chicken might actually be making us fatter! I wrote in The Lean about overweight chickens bred on factory farms that may be passing their weight problems on to us. It turns out chicken at the grocery can have far more fat than protein!

Here's the skinny (well, not really): Virtually all commercially-available chickens now have what many call the "obese gene," which makes birds gain weight quickly to speed up production from birth to slaughter. That, combined with no exercise and a constant supply of high-energy (caloric) food, makes today's chicken the opposite of lean: The amount of fat in modern chicken may be five or even 10 times what it used to be, according to a UK-based study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. So if you serve a whole chicken to your family like grandma did, you may be serving them 10 times as much fat than the days of yesteryear. That's a whole lotta fat, and big trouble for the waistline.

Nutrition, Where The Rubber Hits The Road To Health

JoshNahourai — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:30:39 +0000

The news of the day is that we are headed toward an obesity rate of 42 percent by 2030. We can't afford to go there! So perhaps it's time to recall that the best way to predict the future… is to create it. We need to create a different future than this — and that means fixing what's broken.

Gertrude Stein famously said "A difference, to be a difference, must make a difference." I'm with her! And for that reason, I tend to spend a lot more of my time — and focus a lot more of my effort and attention — to where the rubber hits the road than to the ivory tower.

When it comes to nutrition and the monumental influence it has on our health, the rubber hits the road wherever people and food come together. Kitchens and cafeterias. Schools and workplaces. Supermarkets and restaurants.

I like to think I am making some contributions there; I am certainly trying. But today, I am delighted to acknowledge some of the excellent work being done to engage with restaurants and promote healthy eating there, courtesy of my friends at Healthy Dining.

Healthy Dining is a California-based organization comprised of a team of registered dietitians and master's-level health, nutrition and communications professionals. The team works with restaurants nationwide, spanning fast food to fine dining, to help promote greater selections of calorically-balanced menu choices emphasizing lean protein, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and unsaturated fats. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Small Business Innovative Research program, Healthy Dining developed an ehealth tool representing a one-of-a-kind restaurant nutrition search engine, HealthyDiningFinder.com.

Some Cancers Caused By Infections

mariahmckenna — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:00:40 +0000

When we think of what causes cancer, what often comes to mind is tobacco smoke, or having a family history of the disease, but now research shows some cancers are linked to certain infections.

How To Starve Cancer Out Of Your Body

JoshNahourai — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:35:32 +0000

The Top Four Cancer-Promoting Foods

Dr. Horner brings up an excellent point, and that is that in order to be effective, you must first STOP doing that which is promoting cancer growth (or poor health in general), and then all the other preventive strategies have the chance to really have an impact. Addressing your diet should be at the top of your list, and rather than adding certain foods, you'll want to eliminate the most dangerous culprits first.

Naturally, processed foods and soft drinks do not belong in a cancer-preventive diet…

Dr. Horner, believes red meat from animals reared in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's) is also a MAJOR contributor to cancer. These animals are given antibiotics, growth hormones and other veterinary drugs that get stored in their tissues. Additionally, cooking the meat over high heat creates heterocyclic amines, which further add to its carcinogenic effect.

While I do recommend eating meat, I agree that there is absolutely NO benefit to eating CAFO beef. The ONLY type of meat I recommend is organically-raised, grass-fed meats. It's hard for a lot of people to grasp the difference between CAFO and organic meat, but truly, they are like two different species in terms of their nutritional content. One is health harming while the other is beneficial.

So when we're talking about the detrimental impact of red meat on your health, especially in terms of feeding cancer, please understand that we're talking specifically about CAFO beef, aka "factory farmed" meat. Next on the list of cancer-promoters is sugar (this includes ALL forms of sugar, including fructose and grains).

"To me, sugar has no redeeming value at all, because they found that the more we consume it, the more we're fuelling every single chronic disease," Dr. Horner says. "In fact, there was a study done about a year ago… and the conclusion was that sugar is a universal mechanism for chronic disease. It kicks up inflammation. It kicks up oxygen free radicals. Those are the two main processes we see that underlie any single chronic disorder, including cancers. It fuels the growth of breast cancers, because glucose is cancer's favorite food. The more you consume, the faster it grows."

Next is the type of fats that you consume. It's important to remember that every cell membrane is made out of fat, as is your brain. According to Dr. Horner, bad-fats in the diet are a major contributor to ill health and cancer. On the list of fats to eliminate are:

Animal fats from CAFO-raised animals

Trans fats

Partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats

Healthy fats of particular importance for cancer prevention are omega-3 and omega-9. According to Dr. Horner, omega-3 in particular serve to effectively slow down tumor growth in estrogen-sensitive cancers such as breast-, prostate- and colon cancers. Fourth on the list of cancer promoters is ANY item that contains xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen). This can become a rather long list once you start including any food contaminated with such estrogen-mimicking chemicals, such as BPA, found in the linings of canned goods and in plastics. The list gets truly unwieldy when you include personal care products that contain such chemicals as well…

"There are case reports of five- and six-year-olds going through secondary sex characteristics because of the shampoo that they were using… There are all sorts of different sources where we're exposed to these chemicals from our foods and from the products that we use.

What we're seeing is younger and younger puberty. Around the world, the average age is about 16 years old. In the United States, it's 10 years old now, and sometimes even younger. The problem is that with each menstrual period there is a surge of estradiol, which is the strongest, most abundant form of estrogen, and the one that's most associated with breast cancer. If you start your period very young, you'll have more periods in your lifetime than what a person would have, obviously, if they started at an older age.

In addition to that, when a girl goes through puberty, her breast cells become really sensitive to environmental toxins, radiation, and so forth. They're considered immature. They haven't differentiated– as a more scientific term for it– so there's a longer period of time that they're exposed to these toxins where they have a greater sensitivity."

Dr. Horner reviews a number of other important factors that influence your cancer risk, so for more details, please listen to the interview in its entirety, or read through the transcript.

Demolish The Food Pyramid!

JoshNahourai — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:58:21 +0000

In the wild, animals instinctively find and consume the foods best adapted to their bodies. Not so for humans. Agribusinesses, fast-food chains, and calorie merchants assail the consumer with edible products designed to maximize revenue, not health. The result is a plague of nutrition-related illness: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer. And contradictory nutritional guidance from popular books and scientific researchers only intensifies our confusion about what to eat.

"It troubles me that the public is not getting the best available information," says Walter C. Willett, M.D., D.P.H. ’80, professor of medicine and Stare professor of epidemiology and nutrition in the faculty of public health. For example, he says the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, ubiquitous on cereal boxes since 1992, is one major source of false intelligence. Since the department’s mission is to promote American agriculture, not public health, Willett asks if it is "the best agency to be giving dietary advice. They have so many conflicts of interest."

Drawing on his own research and that of many others, Willett’s new book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, aims to provide unbiased dietary guidance based on state-of-the-art nutritional science. The base of its "Healthy Eating Pyramid" is daily exercise and weight control, two items overlooked in the USDA version.

Black Pepper Fights Fat!

JoshNahourai — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:17:26 +0000

The same ingredient in black pepper that makes you sneeze may help keep you slim.
A preliminary new study suggests that the pungent component in black pepper known as piperine fights fat by blocking the formation of new fat cells.
If further studies confirm these effects, researchers say black pepper may offer a natural alternative for the treatment of fat-related disorders like obesity.
"Our findings suggest that piperine, a major component of black pepper, inhibits fat cell differentiation … thus leading to its potential use in the treatment of obesity-related diseases," writes researcher Ui-Hyun Park of Sejong University in Seoul, Korea, in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Black Pepper the Fat Fighter
Researchers say the benefits of black pepper and the black pepper plant have been known for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine, in which it is used to treat cholera, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.
Even so, little is known about how black pepper works within the bloodstream that might explain these beneficial effects.
In their study, researchers looked at the effects of piperine on gene expression in fat tissue in the lab and in computer models.
The results showed that piperine interfered with the activity of genes responsible for forming new fat cells.
Researchers say this benefit of black pepper sets up a chain reaction that helps keep the formation of fat in check in other ways as well.
"Overall, our results suggest that piperine could be a lead natural compound for the treatment of fat-related disorders," the researchers write.

Nuts About Having Healthy Nuts?

JoshNahourai — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:38:47 +0000

Nuts are nature's way of showing us that good things come in small packages. These bite-size nutritional powerhouses are packed with heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Here's a look at the pros and cons of different nuts, as well as the best and worst products on supermarket shelves today. Of course, you can get too much of these good things: Nuts are high in fat and calories, so while a handful can hold you over until dinner, a few more handfuls can ruin your appetite altogether. And although nuts are a healthy choice by themselves, they'll quickly become detrimental to any diet when paired with sugary or salty toppings or mixes.

So which is the healthiest nut overall? A 2004 review in the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide tackled this tough question. Luckily, they concluded, we don't have to pick just one. Mixed nuts, ideally raw and unsalted, provide the best variety of nutrients and antioxidants.

(Click Read More to see slide show of Nut types)

Lose Weight & Reduce Cancer Risk

JoshNahourai — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:03:51 +0000

Losing Weight May Help Lower Cancer Risk

Weight Loss Linked to Reduced Inflammation in Postmenopausal Women

May 1, 2012 — For postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese, new research offers more incentive to start shedding pounds.

According to a study published in the journal Cancer Research, losing even a small proportion of your overall body weight significantly reduces inflammation in your body and potentially lowers your risk of developing several different types of cancer, including breast cancer.

"I think the main issue is body fat," researcher Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, director of the Prevention Center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, writes in an email to WebMD. "The more fat one has, the more inflammation-producing cells there are, and therefore the more inflammation … produced and sent into the bloodstream."

Reducing Pounds, Inflammation

For the year-long study, McTiernan and her colleagues recruited 439 women throughout the greater Seattle area who were between the ages of 50 and 75. All of them had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, which meant that they were all considered overweight or obese. They were otherwise considered healthy, with no history of breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or other serious illness. None of them were smokers or heavy drinkers.

The women were split into four groups. The first group dieted, eating between 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day, of which less than 30% were fat calories. The second group exercised 225 minutes per week, both at home and under supervision at a gym. The third group both dieted and exercised. The fourth, the comparison group, did not change either their diet or exercise habits.

After a year, the first and third groups had lost an average of 8.5% and 10.8% of their body weight, respectively. Their reductions in inflammation were even more dramatic.

For example, C-reactive protein levels — elevated levels of which have been associated with lung and colon cancer — dropped by an average of 36.1% for the diet group and 41.7% for the diet and exercise group. Other inflammatory indicators dropped as well.

For Weight Loss, Dieting Is Essential

The key to this study's result, says McTiernan, was diet, especially when combined with exercise. "Very few people can lose significant amounts of weight from exercise alone. We've done several year-long studies testing exercise alone, even large amounts up to an hour a day, and on average it produces

about 3 to 4 pounds of weight loss over the year," she says. "That being said, our strongest effects were primarily in the combined diet and exercise program."

Obesity’s Dollars And Cents

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:13:01 +0000

The incidence of obesity in the United States has soared from 13 percent to 34 percent over the last 50 years, while the percentage of Americans who are extremely or "morbidly" obese has rocketed from 0.9 percent to 6 percent. Although the epidemic of obesity is well-known, the costs are not — and in many cases are significantly greater than estimated even a few years ago. $190 billion in annual medical costs due to obesity, double earlier estimates. …

TOP 10 FOOD SYNERGY SUPER FOODS!

JoshNahourai — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:46:17 +0000

There's more and more evidence that certain components in the foods and beverages we consume (like minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, and fats) interact with each other to give our bodies extra disease protection and a higher level of health. This new nutritional concept is called food synergy, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as more and more baby boomers pass or near the half-century mark (myself included). While writing my new book, Food Synergy, I noticed that 10 particular foods kept popping up in various chapters. I call these the 10 Synergy Super Foods because they have all sorts of synergistic potential going for them.

There are all types of food synergy, from different nutrients that are found together in the same whole food, to nutrients in different foods that work better together, to the synergy in certain dietary patterns (like the Mediterranean diet, Asian cuisine, The Portfolio Plan, etc.).

Tomatoes and broccoli: The combination was more effective at slowing prostate tumor growth than either was alone (from a study in which male rats were given prostate tumor cell implants).Here are a few examples of food synergy in action from recent nutrition research:

Apples with the peel on. It turns out that the bulk of an apple’s anticancer properties are hidden in the peel. The phytochemicals in the apple flesh seem to work best with the phytochemicals in the peel to reduce the risk of cancer.

Cooked tomatoes with the peel on, along with olive oil. Ninety-eight percent of the flavonols (powerful phytochemicals) in tomatoes is found in the tomato skin, along with great amounts of two carotenoids. Absorption of these key nutrients is much greater when the tomatoes are cooked and when you eat some smart fat (like olive oil) along with the cooked tomatoes.

Cruciferous vegetables. Two phytochemicals naturally found in cruciferous vegetables (cambene and indole 3-carbinol) were more active when combined, according to research that tested the compounds alone and together in rats. The researchers found that the two compounds were able to protect the rats against liver cancer much better together. Both cambene and indole 3-carbinol are known to activate important detoxification enzymes that help the body eliminate carcinogens before they harm our genes. Foods rich in cambene include Brussels sprouts and certain varieties of broccoli. And all cruciferous veggies are rich in indole 3-carbinol.

TV Ads May Play Role In Underage Drinking, Obesity

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:02:01 +0000

Kids who recognize fast-food advertisements on TV are more likely to be overweight, and those familiar with TV ads for alcoholic beverages are more likely to drink, according to two new studies from Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

In one study, researchers questioned more than 2,500 young people ranging from 15 to 20 years old about their exposure to alcohol, if they had a favorite alcohol ad, and if they owned alcohol-branded merchandise, among other behaviors.

After being shown 20 images from the most popular TV ads for alcohol and 20 ads for fast food, with the brand names removed, the participants were then asked if they remembered the ads, liked the ads and knew about the products being advertised.

The researchers found that 59 percent of kids drank and 49 had engaged in binge drinking at least once the previous year. Familiarity with TV alcohol advertising was much higher among the drinkers than nondrinkers, and having alcohol-branded merchandise or having a favorite alcohol ad was linked to more hazardous drinking.

The studies were scheduled for presentation Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting in Boston.

"At present, the alcohol industry employs voluntary standards to direct their advertising to audiences comprised of adults of legal drinking age," said study lead author Dr. Susanne Tanski, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, in a news release from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

With Classroom Breakfasts, Some Children May Eat Twice

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:45:01 +0000

The results, seen at urban districts across the country, are striking. Without the stigma of a trip to the cafeteria, the number of students in Newark who eat breakfast in school has tripled. Absenteeism has fallen in Los Angeles, and officials in Chicago say children from low-income families are eating healthier meals, more often.
But New York City, a leader in public health reform, has balked at expanding the approach in its own schools, and City Hall is citing a surprising concern: that all those classroom Cheerios and cheese sticks could lead to more obesity.
Some children, it turns out, may be double-dipping.
The city’s health department hit the pause button after a study found that the Breakfast in the Classroom program, now used in 381 of the city’s 1,750 schools, was problematic because some children might be “inadvertently taking in excess calories by eating in multiple locations” — in other words, having a meal at home, or snacking on the way to school, then eating again in school.
But this week, the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, pushed back against those claims, joining children’s advocacy groups in demanding that New York follow other cities in making in-classroom breakfast available at many more schools with children from low-income families. They say hunger and poor nutrition are serious problems in a city where more than a quarter of residents under 18 are below the poverty line.

Young People’s Health Is Not Keeping Pace

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:28:01 +0000

According to a UNICEF report, 1.4 million adolescents (ages 10-19) die each year from traffic injuries, complications of childbirth, suicide, violence, AIDS and other health-related causes.
And a synthesis of international data for the medical journal The Lancet finds injuries are the leading cause of death (40%) among 1.8 billion young people ages 10-24. About 10% of deaths in the general population are from injuries, researchers say.
"We've done a terrific job in both developing countries and the U.S. at reducing infant and under-age-5 mortality and improving all kinds of things like prematurity, safe deliveries and immunizations, but we haven't seen those same declines with older teens and young adults," says adolescent medicine specialist John Santelli of Columbia University in New York.
The reason: "Young adults and older teens die from very different conditions" than do children. "We haven't done enough thinking about the health behaviors that emerge during adolescence," says Santelli, who will help chair a symposium on the subject in New York this week focused on The Lancet articles.

Migraine Relief: New Guidelines Highlight Natural Options

Unok Nam — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:03:53 +0000

The newest guidelines for preventing migraines focus on prescription drugs, and tout the efficacy of several non-prescription and herbal options in fighting the debilitating headaches.

"Studies show that migraine is under-recognized and under-treated,” guideline author Dr. Stephen Silberstein of Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia said in a statement. “About 38 percent of people who suffer from migraine could benefit from preventive treatments, but only less than a third of these people currently use them.”

More than 35 million people in the U.S. experience migraine headaches and estimates suggest they cost more than $20 billion each year, both in direct medical costs and loss of productivity.

The new guidelines, co-developed by the American Academy of Neurology which will publish them Tuesday, and the American Headache Society, found that several seizure drugs, including divalproex sodium, sodium valproate and topiramate, can be effective at curbing the frequency of migraines, as well as the severity of their attacks.

Marine n-3 Fatty Acids Cut Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Unok Nam — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:26:32 +0000

It's been known that rheumatoid arthritis is linked to cardiovascular disease. Taking dietary supplements like marine n-3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent both health conditions, according to a report in Current Pharmaceutical Design.

G. Rontoyanni and co-authors suggested that the link between rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease is chronic systemic inflammation which leads to joint destruction and disability in rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis in cardiovascular patients.

In the report, the authors highlighted a potential double effect of dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on both cardiovascular risk reduction and disease control in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The authors said studies have already shown that supplementation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids help prevent primary and secondary cardiovascular disease by affecting blood pressure, dyslipidemia, thrombosis and inflammation, which are associated also with rheumatoid arthritis. Vascular dysfunctions and abnormal morphology found in heart patients were also found in arthritis patients suggesting that both conditions are cross-linked.