Friday, March 30, 2012
FDA rules against removing Bisphenol A (BPA)
Steve: The FDA rejected a petition by environmentalists to remove BPA from plastics. They do not see enough scientific evidence. While they have millions of dollars in studies currently underway, many companies have already removed BPA. This is just another example of how the FDA can sometimes move at a snail's pace when an issue could affect big business.
This diet leads to diabetes in men
An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study was to examine associations between breakfast omission, eating frequency, snacking, and Type 2 Diabetes risk in 29,206 men over a 16 year period. Men who skipped breakfast had 21% higher risk of T2D than did men who consumed breakfast. Compared with men who ate 3 times per day, men who ate 1–2 times per day had a higher risk of T2D. Additional snacks beyond the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were associated with increased risk, but statistically insignificant. Men...eat your breakfast and 3 squares daily!
Let them eat dirt
A new study in Science supports the idea that exposure to germs in childhood helps develop the immune system and thereby prevent allergies and other immune-related diseases such as asthma and colitis later on in life.
The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes that early childhood exposure to microbes increases susceptibility to certain diseases by suppressing development of the immune system. The new study not only supports this idea, but may also explain the whys and hows.
However, they investigated mice, so it does not necessarily mean the same results would occur in humans. Researchers bred "germ-free" (GF) mice, that are bred in a sterile environment, without exposure to microbes, and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice raised in a normal laboratory environment, to develop forms of asthma and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and compared their immune systems. They found that the GF mice had more invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in their lungs and bowel, and developed more severe disease symptoms:
When they exposed GF mice to germs in their first few weeks of life, they did not develop high levels of iNKT cells, and they did not develop the more severe symptoms seen in those kept germ-free. The early-life exposure proved to be long-lasting.
This shows the critical importance of proper immune conditioning by microbes during the earliest periods of life and research in humans needs to proceed.
The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes that early childhood exposure to microbes increases susceptibility to certain diseases by suppressing development of the immune system. The new study not only supports this idea, but may also explain the whys and hows.
However, they investigated mice, so it does not necessarily mean the same results would occur in humans. Researchers bred "germ-free" (GF) mice, that are bred in a sterile environment, without exposure to microbes, and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice raised in a normal laboratory environment, to develop forms of asthma and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and compared their immune systems. They found that the GF mice had more invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in their lungs and bowel, and developed more severe disease symptoms:
When they exposed GF mice to germs in their first few weeks of life, they did not develop high levels of iNKT cells, and they did not develop the more severe symptoms seen in those kept germ-free. The early-life exposure proved to be long-lasting.
This shows the critical importance of proper immune conditioning by microbes during the earliest periods of life and research in humans needs to proceed.
The Pine Nut Mystery
"Pine Mouth," a metallic taste that consumers feel after consumption of pine nuts, has been an unsolved mystery until recently. Researchers in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many of the pine nuts on the market contain Chinese pine, a pine nut not usually consumed by humans. As there has been growing demand for pine nuts worldwide, manufacturers have been adulterating the product with cheaper, readily available pine nuts that are not fit for human consumption.
While the researchers cannot accurately pinpoint that the adulteration is to blame for "pine mouth," it is certainly the best hypothesis to date since the decade-old mystery started.
Pine mouth is described as appearing one to two days after eating pine nuts and lasting for one to two weeks.
While the researchers cannot accurately pinpoint that the adulteration is to blame for "pine mouth," it is certainly the best hypothesis to date since the decade-old mystery started.
Pine mouth is described as appearing one to two days after eating pine nuts and lasting for one to two weeks.
Good nutrition = good mood
New research shows there is a strong link between higher levels of nutrient intake and better mental health. In the February issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, researchers observed dietary habits in adults diagnosed with mood disorders. Intake of major nutrients, including carbohydrates, fat, and protein, as well as individual nutrients, including vitamins and minerals were examined. The results showed that the vitamins and minerals in participants' diets were consistently and reliably associated with their mood scores. Significant correlations were found with calories, carbohydrates, fiber, total fat, linoleic acid, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. According to researchers, it was way beyond what you would expect by chance. The consistency and reliability was remarkable.
Is Popcorn Healthy?
Scientists recently reported at a meeting of the American Chemical Society that popcorn contains more polyphenols than some fruits and vegetables. The reason is that the polyphenols are more concentrated in popcorn, which averages only about 4 percent water, while polyphenols are diluted in the 90 percent water that makes up many fruits and vegetables. The researchers discovered that the hulls of the popcorn -- the part that everyone hates for its tendency to get caught in the teeth -- actually has the highest concentration of polyphenols and fiber.
Researchers cautioned, however, that the way people prepare and serve popcorn can quickly put a dent in its healthful image. Cook it in a potful of oil, slather on butter or the fake butter used in many movie theaters, pour on the salt; eat it as "kettle corn" cooked in oil and sugar -- and popcorn can become a nutritional nightmare loaded with fat and calories. Microwave popcorn has its own issues because of the toxic compounds in the packaging. Let's not also forget about the frequency of allergy and intolerance to corn.
Air-popped popcorn with very little sea salt is about the only healthful way to antioxidants from corn. Is it worth it? We would prefer loading up on fruits and veggies instead.
Researchers cautioned, however, that the way people prepare and serve popcorn can quickly put a dent in its healthful image. Cook it in a potful of oil, slather on butter or the fake butter used in many movie theaters, pour on the salt; eat it as "kettle corn" cooked in oil and sugar -- and popcorn can become a nutritional nightmare loaded with fat and calories. Microwave popcorn has its own issues because of the toxic compounds in the packaging. Let's not also forget about the frequency of allergy and intolerance to corn.
Air-popped popcorn with very little sea salt is about the only healthful way to antioxidants from corn. Is it worth it? We would prefer loading up on fruits and veggies instead.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Action Plans - Complete Library
Aging Well Inside and Out
Babies First Foods
Best of the Mediterranean
Blood Pressure
Blood Sugar Balance
Build the Optimal Youth Athlete Nutritional Concepts' Way
Candida
Chronic Fatigue
Cold and Flu Support
Conquering Allergy and Intolerance
Eye-Mazing Vision Protection
Fast Mimicking Diet
Gestational Diabetes
Heal Your Headache
Healthy Bones
Heart Health
How to Eat Well While Dining Out
Improve Your Mood
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Jump-Start PaleoMediterranean Diet
Kidney Stone
MANopause
Natural Fertility
Natural Treatment for PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
Babies First Foods
Best of the Mediterranean
Blood Pressure
Blood Sugar Balance
Build the Optimal Youth Athlete Nutritional Concepts' Way
Candida
Chronic Fatigue
Cold and Flu Support
Conquering Allergy and Intolerance
Eye-Mazing Vision Protection
Fast Mimicking Diet
Gestational Diabetes
Heal Your Headache
Healthy Bones
Heart Health
How to Eat Well While Dining Out
Improve Your Mood
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Jump-Start PaleoMediterranean Diet
Kidney Stone
MANopause
Natural Fertility
Natural Treatment for PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
Nutrition and Lifestyle Strategies for Cancer Prevention
Optimal Pregnancy
Pain Relief Diet
Prostate Cancer Support
Recipes to Live ByOptimal Pregnancy
Pain Relief Diet
Prostate Cancer Support
Reverse Reflux
Salicylate Action Plan
School Age Child, Optimized
Safe Breast Cancer Screening and Optimum Breast Health
Sleep Well
Smart Cleanse (Vegan)
Smart Detox 2-Week
Smart Menopause
Sports Nutrition, Optimized
Take Action Diet Plan
Take Action Gluten-Free Diet Plan
The New American Breakfast
Toxin-Free Home
Vulvodynia/Interstitial Cystitis
Wellness for the "New Senior Male"
To order Actions Plans individually, go to this page.
If you are an NCI Well Connect subscriber, our entire Action Plan library is free upon request. For more information about NCI Well Connect and to see a sample issue, click here.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
These fruits help lower diabetes risk
Eating more blueberries, apples and pears may be linked to lower risk of diabetes due to their flavonoid content, according in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, parallels a study published in the same journal last year associating flavonoid-rich fruits with a reduced risk of high blood pressure. None of the subjects in the study had diabetes at the outset, but about 12,600 of the participants were diagnosed during the research period.
The biggest blueberry consumers (two or more servings per week) had a 23 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate no blueberries. People who ate five or more apples a week also had a 23 percent lower risk compared with those who didn't eat apples.
Bonnie: this study aside, I still do not recommend eating fruit by itself. Always accompany it with a healthy fat or lean protein source.
The biggest blueberry consumers (two or more servings per week) had a 23 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate no blueberries. People who ate five or more apples a week also had a 23 percent lower risk compared with those who didn't eat apples.
Bonnie: this study aside, I still do not recommend eating fruit by itself. Always accompany it with a healthy fat or lean protein source.
Hormone therapy and breast cancer regression
As soon as women quit hormone therapy, their rates of new breast cancer decline, supporting the hypothesis that stopping hormones can lead to tumor regression, according to Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention. As part of the national Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, researchers studied 741,681 woman-years of data on 163,490 women aged 50-79 who had no prior history of breast cancer.
This is the first study to look over time at screening mammography use among individual women by their hormone therapy status linked with their breast cancer diagnoses. Previous research has shown a rapid decline in new breast cancers -- and also in use of hormone therapy and of screening mammography -- since 2002, when the Women's Health Initiative published that breast cancer rates were higher in women taking estrogen and progestin than in those taking either a placebo or only estrogen. Some have suggested that the decline in use of hormone therapy may have caused the fall in the breast cancer rate, perhaps by making tumors regress,
Others have countered that the explanation for the declines in both breast cancer and hormone use might instead be that because former hormone users are less concerned about breast cancer or see their doctors less often, they may get less screening mammography than do women who have never taken hormones. These results refute that hypothesis. Differences in rates of screening mammography don't explain the declines in rates of the incidence of invasive breast cancer among women who've stopped using hormone therapy.
Most do not meet heart health targets
Less than 2% of Americans meet seven recommended heart health targets that could dramatically reduce their risk of heart disease. The number of people has actually dropped. The seven behaviors include:
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Bonnie: the only one we do not agree with is the total cholesterol below 200. There is so much much more to heart health than just total cholesterol. I would have liked to have seen high triglycerides included.
- Not smoking
- Being physically active
- Having normal blood pressure (under 120/80)
- Healthy fasting blood-glucose levels (below 100)
- Total cholesterol levels below 200
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating a healthy diet
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Bonnie: the only one we do not agree with is the total cholesterol below 200. There is so much much more to heart health than just total cholesterol. I would have liked to have seen high triglycerides included.
Warning for strontium supplement users
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use today recommended that the osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate no longer be used in immobilized patients or patients with venous thromboembolism. The committee also recommended updated warnings regarding serious skin reactions with strontium ranelate. It is not approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in the United States but is sold as a dietary supplement.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Want your kid to lose weight?
Then lose weight yourself.
A study appearing in journal Obesity shows that a parent's weight change is a key contributor to the success of a child's weight loss in family-based treatment of childhood obesity. After looking at parenting skills and styles, as well as changing the home food environment, the number one way in which parents helped an obese child lose weight was to lose weight themselves.
The researchers conclude that clinicians should focus on encouraging parents to lose weight to help their overweight or obese child in weight management.
In another study in Pediatrics, low carb diets work for kids, but they are tough to stick to. Obese 7- to 12-year-olds were assigned to one of three eating plans: one that followed the conventional wisdom of portion control; a low-carb diet; or a reduced glycemic load plan that cut down on certain carbs that typically cause surges in blood sugar -- like white bread, sweets and white potatoes. Over one year, all three plans worked equally well in controlling kids' weight gain. The difference, researchers found, was that the low-carb plan was tough to stick with. The reduced portion or reduced glycemic load diets were not.
All three diet groups ended up with healthier cholesterol levels. The low-carb group had a dip in triglycerides, another type of blood fat. And kids who focused on portion control or cutting glycemic load had signs of better blood sugar control.
Bonnie: What you should take away from both studies is that implementing a "family plan" for weight loss is ideal, and, focusing on eliminating high glycemic carbs is a priority.
A study appearing in journal Obesity shows that a parent's weight change is a key contributor to the success of a child's weight loss in family-based treatment of childhood obesity. After looking at parenting skills and styles, as well as changing the home food environment, the number one way in which parents helped an obese child lose weight was to lose weight themselves.
The researchers conclude that clinicians should focus on encouraging parents to lose weight to help their overweight or obese child in weight management.
In another study in Pediatrics, low carb diets work for kids, but they are tough to stick to. Obese 7- to 12-year-olds were assigned to one of three eating plans: one that followed the conventional wisdom of portion control; a low-carb diet; or a reduced glycemic load plan that cut down on certain carbs that typically cause surges in blood sugar -- like white bread, sweets and white potatoes. Over one year, all three plans worked equally well in controlling kids' weight gain. The difference, researchers found, was that the low-carb plan was tough to stick with. The reduced portion or reduced glycemic load diets were not.
All three diet groups ended up with healthier cholesterol levels. The low-carb group had a dip in triglycerides, another type of blood fat. And kids who focused on portion control or cutting glycemic load had signs of better blood sugar control.
Bonnie: What you should take away from both studies is that implementing a "family plan" for weight loss is ideal, and, focusing on eliminating high glycemic carbs is a priority.
Healthy 20s, Healthy 40s
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle from young adulthood into your 40s is strongly associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age, according to a new study in journal Circulation.
According to the study's authors, even people with a family history of heart problems were able to have a low cardiovascular disease risk profile if they started living a healthy lifestyle when they were young. This supports the notion that lifestyle may play just as prominent a role as genetics.
This is the first study to show the association of a healthy lifestyle maintained throughout young adulthood and middle age with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age. The majority of people who maintained five healthy lifestyle factors from young adulthood (including a lean body mass index (BMI), no excess alcohol intake, no smoking, a healthy diet and regular physical activity) were able to remain in this low-risk category in their middle-aged years.
In the first year of the study, when the participants' average age was 24 years old, nearly 44 percent had a low cardiovascular disease risk profile. Twenty years later, overall, only 24.5 percent fell into the category of a low cardiovascular disease risk profile. Sixty percent of those who maintained all five healthy lifestyles reached middle age with the low cardiovascular risk profile, compared with fewer than 5 percent who followed none of the healthy lifestyles.
Bonnie: This is how a preventive study should be structured. Twenty years is the ideal time to gauge the impact of optimal lifestyle adherence. The fact that the study started in young people was key.
According to the study's authors, even people with a family history of heart problems were able to have a low cardiovascular disease risk profile if they started living a healthy lifestyle when they were young. This supports the notion that lifestyle may play just as prominent a role as genetics.
This is the first study to show the association of a healthy lifestyle maintained throughout young adulthood and middle age with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age. The majority of people who maintained five healthy lifestyle factors from young adulthood (including a lean body mass index (BMI), no excess alcohol intake, no smoking, a healthy diet and regular physical activity) were able to remain in this low-risk category in their middle-aged years.
In the first year of the study, when the participants' average age was 24 years old, nearly 44 percent had a low cardiovascular disease risk profile. Twenty years later, overall, only 24.5 percent fell into the category of a low cardiovascular disease risk profile. Sixty percent of those who maintained all five healthy lifestyles reached middle age with the low cardiovascular risk profile, compared with fewer than 5 percent who followed none of the healthy lifestyles.
Bonnie: This is how a preventive study should be structured. Twenty years is the ideal time to gauge the impact of optimal lifestyle adherence. The fact that the study started in young people was key.
Men: Cut out soda. Reduce CVD risk
Men who drank a daily 12-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage had a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to men who didn't drink any sugar-sweetened drinks, according to research in Circulation. The Harvard School of Public Health researchers, who studied 42,883 men aged 40-75 years over a 22 year period, found that the increase persisted even after controlling for other risk factors, including smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use and family history of heart disease. Less frequent consumption -- twice weekly and twice monthly -- didn't increase risk.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Multivitamins improve memory recall
Complementary medicine use is becoming increasingly popular with multivitamins being the most commonly used vitamin supplement. Although adequate vitamin and nutrient concentrations are necessary for optimal health and cognitive functioning, there is no scientific consensus as to whether multivitamin use prevents cognitive decline or improves mental functioning. The aim of the February 2012 Journal of Alzheimer's Disease study was to determine if multivitamins can be used efficaciously to improve cognitive abilities. Results indicated that multivitamins were effective in improving immediate free recall memory but not delayed free recall memory or verbal fluency.
New Pap smear guidelines
The annual Pap smear is now officially a thing of the past, as new national guidelines recommend cervical cancer screening no more often than every three years. The new guidelines, issued on Wednesday by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, replace recommendations last issued in 2003 and use more decisive language to advise women to undergo screening less often. The new guidelines were published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Cost is not a factor in the task force recommendations. Instead, its members focus on the effectiveness of a screening test to reduce cancer deaths, balanced against the potential harms that accompany the screening. The worry about frequent Pap smear screening is that tests can result in a large number of false positives that lead to sometimes painful biopsies and put women at risk for pregnancy complications in the future, like preterm labor and low-birth-weight infants.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Do statins make it tough to exercise?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/do-statins-make-it-tough-to-exercise/?ref=health
Bonnie: All the more reason to take CoQ10 if you are taking a statin.
In Gretchen Reynolds article, "Do Statins Make it Tough to Exercise," she eloquently brought attention to side effects patients must endure while taking statin medication. Statins' effect on mitochondria can be detrimental to muscles, especially in those who exercise regularly. The research she cites, in which joggers saw an extreme rise in free radical production, is well known to the manufacturers of statins as well as health professionals. Unfortunately, Ms. Reynolds missed a golden opportunity to present one crucial aspect of this issue. Co-enzyme Q10, or CoQ10, ensures optimally functioning mitochondria because it quenches excess free radical production. CoQ10 is depleted by statin medication.
Bonnie: All the more reason to take CoQ10 if you are taking a statin.
In Gretchen Reynolds article, "Do Statins Make it Tough to Exercise," she eloquently brought attention to side effects patients must endure while taking statin medication. Statins' effect on mitochondria can be detrimental to muscles, especially in those who exercise regularly. The research she cites, in which joggers saw an extreme rise in free radical production, is well known to the manufacturers of statins as well as health professionals. Unfortunately, Ms. Reynolds missed a golden opportunity to present one crucial aspect of this issue. Co-enzyme Q10, or CoQ10, ensures optimally functioning mitochondria because it quenches excess free radical production. CoQ10 is depleted by statin medication.
Merck, maker of the popular Zocor, applied for patents in 1989 and 1990 for CoQ10-simvastatin combination products. The company’s 1989 patent application states that a combined statin-CoQ10 product might be effective against not only cardiomyopathy, but also elevated levels of the enzyme transaminase, which reflects liver damage. The company has thus far declined to exercise these patents, and the FDA and other major drug manufacturers have yet to acknowledge the risk of CoQ10 depletion from statins.
Many cardiologists recommend CoQ10 supplements to patients taking statin medications because humans do not produce CoQ10. It can only be obtained through meat products and supplements.
Statin medication is currently being considered by the FDA to be sold over-the-counter. The public must know every detail of these medication, even if the truth is not as rosy as we would like it to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
