Group items tagged

"Scientists have proved for the first time that fructose, a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of food products and soft drinks, can damage human metabolism and is fueling the obesity crisis. Fructose, a sweetener usually derived from corn, can cause dangerous growths of fat cells around vital organs and is able to trigger the early stages of diabetes and heart disease. Over 10 weeks, 16 volunteers on a controlled diet including high levels of fructose produced new fat cells around their heart, liver and other digestive organs. They also showed signs of food-processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease. Another group of volunteers on the same diet, but with glucose sugar replacing fructose, did not have these problems."

Inositols prevent and reverse endothelial dysfunction in diabetic rat and rabbit vasculature metabolically and by scavenging superoxide. Nascimento NR, Lessa LM, Kerntopf MR, Sousa CM, Alves RS, Queiroz MG, Price J, Heimark DB, Larner J, Du X, Brownlee M, Gow A, Davis C, Fonteles MC. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 3;103(1):218-23. Epub 2005 Dec 22. PMID: 16373499 doi: 10.1073/pnas.0509779103

Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. onsson T, Granfeldt Y, Ahren B, Branell UC, Palsson G, Hansson A, Soderstrom M, Lindeberg S. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2009 Jul 16;8(1):35. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19604407 doi:10.1186/1475-2840-8-35

"MedWire News: Zinc supplements could increase the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy people by decreasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, researchers claim. Initial findings from a meta-analysis in 14,238 participants from 20 trials suggested no impact of zinc supplements on plasma lipoprotein levels. But a secondary analysis in healthy individuals showed that zinc was associated with a significant decrease in plasma HDL concentrations. Furthermore, zinc was linked with a significant decrease in HDL cholesterol levels among participants with Type 2 diabetes or those undergoing hemodialysis. The researchers suggest the result in patients with diabetes may relate to the action of zinc in determining insulin levels. The meta-analysis included 33 interventions investigating the impact of zinc on lipid levels. The mean dose of elemental zinc used was 58 mg per day, which the researchers note is beyond the recommended upper level of intake of 40 mg."

Hara hatchi bu, the Okinawan people's habit of eating only till they are 80 percent full, is thought to be one of the secrets of their extraordinary health and longevity. In addition to one of the highest percentages of people in the world who live past 100, Okinawans appear to be less prone to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Indeed, ever since it was discovered in the 1930s that laboratory rats fed a caloric-restricted (CR) diet lived almost twice as long as their well fed counterparts, scientists have pursued caloric restriction research in the hopes of finding novel strategies for extending human life and preventing disease. Given the growing older population at risk for memory problems and the rising rates of obesity, the role of diet in maintaining peak brain performance has taken on added importance.

Vitamin D may not just be good for you, it may help save your life. Recent research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that higher amounts of vitamin D in your diet decreases your likelihood of dying. Studies found that a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of death by 26 percent, and vitamin D decreases the mortality rate from almost every type of cancer including breast, colon and prostate. Research also suggests that vitamin D helps prevent diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-free diet kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds

Vitamin D in preventive medicine: are we ignoring the evidence? Zittermann A. Br J Nutr. 2003 May;89(5):552-72. Review. PMID: 12720576 Vitamin D is metabolised by a hepatic 25-hydroxylase into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and by a renal 1alpha-hydroxylase into the vitamin D hormone calcitriol. Calcitriol receptors are present in more than thirty different tissues. Apart from the kidney, several tissues also possess the enzyme 1alpha-hydroxylase, which is able to use circulating 25(OH)D as a substrate. Serum levels of 25(OH)D are the best indicator to assess vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, hypovitaminosis, adequacy, and toxicity. European children and young adults often have circulating 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range during wintertime. Elderly subjects have mean 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range throughout the year. In institutionalized subjects 25(OH)D levels are often in the deficiency range. There is now general agreement that a low vitamin D status is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Moreover, vitamin D insufficiency can lead to a disturbed muscle function. Epidemiological data also indicate a low vitamin D status in tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, hypertension, and specific types of cancer. Some intervention trials have demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin D or its metabolites is able: (i) to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients; (ii) to improve blood glucose levels in diabetics; (iii) to improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The oral dose necessary to achieve adequate serum 25(OH)D levels is probably much higher than the current recommendations of 5-15 microg/d.

Biochemical effects of consumption of eggs containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ohman M, Akerfeldt T, Nilsson I, Rosen C, Hansson LO, Carlsson M, Larsson A. Ups J Med Sci. 2008;113(3):315-23. PMID: 18991244 Addition of one regular egg per day to the normal diet had no negative impact on blood lipids or inflammation markers. Consumption of omega-3 enriched eggs resulted in higher levels of ApoA1, lower ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and lower plasma glucose. These effects have been associated in previous studies with a reduced risk for cardiovascular mortality and diabetes.

Dec. 1, 2008 -- Getting too little vitamin D may be an underappreciated heart disease risk factor that's actually easy to fix.\n\nResearchers say a growing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of heart disease and is linked to other, well-known heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

The vitamin D craze has been building over the last few years, with low levels of the supplement being the blamed as a source of many of our ills. Depression? D can ease it. Chronic pain? Take D. It is said to prevent kidney disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, or even the common cold. Recently, a study linked low vitamin D levels to the rise in Caesarean births.

"What Are Nutritional Diseases? In their book, The Modern Nutritional Diseases, Fred and Alice Ottoboni, retired Public Health Service scientists, list the following. * Obesity * Diabetes II * Cardiovascular Diseases * Stroke. * Cancer. Modern nutritional diseases are just that. They haven't always been the ugly part of our life. They were introduced when people had to get their food from grocery stores, when people traded their whole foods from the family farm for those manufactured by the food processing industry. "

"(CBS) Your daily cup of java may deliver some unexpected health benefits. Studies have shown it may lower your risk for Type II diabetes and certain types of cancer (colon, mouth and throat), and protect against heart disease and cavities. Dr. Alanna Levine, a primary care physician, said on "The Early Show" researchers aren't sure exactly why coffee has these benefits, but speculated that perhaps the coffee has antioxidant properties. "

Coenzyme Q10. Bonakdar RA, Guarneri E. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Sep 15;72(6):1065-70. Review. PMID: 16190504 Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance used in the treatment of a variety of disorders primarily related to suboptimal cellular energy metabolism and oxidative injury. Studies supporting the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 appear most promising for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and certain encephalomyopathies for which coenzyme Q10 has gained orphan drug status. Results in other areas of research, including treatment of congestive heart failure and diabetes, appear to be contradictory or need further clarification before proceeding with recommendations. Coenzyme Q10 appears to be a safe supplement with minimal side effects and low drug interaction potential.

"Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and Coptis chinensis, usually in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark. Berberine is strongly yellow colored, which is why in earlier times berberis species were used to dye wool, leather and wood. Wool is still today dyed with berberine in Northern India Berberine (BBR) is a natural compound with up-regulating activity on both low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and insulin receptor (InsR). This one-drug-multiple-target characteristic might be suitable for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.[12] Berberine has been tested and used successfully in experimental[13] and human diabetes mellitus.[14][15][16] Berberine has been shown to lower elevated blood glucose as effectively as metformin.[17] The mechanisms include inhibition of aldose reductase,[18] inducing glycolysis,[19] preventing insulin resistance[20] through increasing insulin receptor expression[14] and acting like incretins. Berberine has drawn extensive attention towards its antineoplastic effects.[43][44] It seems to suppress the growth of a wide variety of tumor cells including breast cancer,[45] leukemia, melanoma,[46] epidermoid carcinoma, hepatoma, oral carcinoma, tongue carcinoma,[47] glioblastoma, prostate carcinoma, gastric carcinoma.[48][49] Animal studies have shown that berberine can suppress chemical-induced carcinogenesis, tumor promotion, tumor invasion,[50][51][52][53][54] prostate cancer,[55][56][57][58] neuroblastoma,[59][60] and leukemia.[34][61] It is a radiosensitzer of tumor cells but not of normal cells

Biochemical effects of consumption of eggs containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ohman M, Akerfeldt T, Nilsson I, Rosen C, Hansson LO, Carlsson M, Larsson A. Ups J Med Sci. 2008;113(3):315-23.P MID: 18991244 Today, eggs with an increased content of -3 fatty acids are available but there are few publications on the effects of consumption of such eggs on the lipoproteins and acute phase markers in humans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of consumption of standard eggs and -3 enriched eggs on lipoproteins, glucose and inflammation markers. Nineteen healthy volunteers consumed one extra egg per day of either standard eggs or omega-3 enriched eggs in a double-blind, cross-over study. The duration of each period was 1 month. The effects of the different egg diets on apolipoprotein A1 and B (Apo A1 and B), lipoprotein (a), creatinine, cystatin C, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid protein A, interleukin 6, triglycerides, glucose, total-, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipo-protein cholesterol concentrations were analyzed. Addition of one regular egg per day to the normal diet had no negative impact on blood lipids or inflammation markers. Consumption of omega-3 enriched eggs resulted in higher levels of ApoA1, lower ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and lower plasma glucose. These effects have been associated in previous studies with a reduced risk for cardiovascular mortality and diabetes.

What is C-reactive protein (CRP)? It is a blood-borne protein that originates in the liver and serves as an index of the body's inflammatory state. It is triggered by yet another inflammatory signal molecule, interleukin-6. What triggers this cascade of inflammatory markers? Any inflammatory stimulus, such as being overweight, lack of exercise, vitamin D deficiency, viral illness no matter how trivial, any inflammatory disease like arthritis, small LDL, high triglycerides, poor diet rich in processed foods, resistance to insulin, any injury, incipient diabetes, hidden cancer, lack of education (no kidding), etc.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2009) - Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term. "Our latest study shows you have a better chance of achieving all these goals if you follow a diet that is moderately high in protein," said Donald Layman, a University of Illinois professor emeritus of nutrition. The research was published in the March Journal of Nutrition.

A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB, Manson JE, Ascherio A, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Spiegelman D, Speizer FE, Sacks FM, Hennekens CH, Willett WC. JAMA. 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1387-94. PMID: 10217054 CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that consumption of up to 1 egg per day is unlikely to have substantial overall impact on the risk of CHD or stroke among healthy men and women. The apparent increased risk of CHD associated with higher egg consumption among diabetic participants warrants further research.

Paradigms and Paradoxes Last month Dr. Armin Zittermann of Ruhr University, Germany, published the best vitamin D paper of the month. He reviewed the mounting evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of heart disease. Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Koerfer R. Putting cardiovascular disease and vitamin D insufficiency into perspective. Br J Nutr. 2005 Oct;94(4):483-92. Before we start, let's talk about paradigms and paradoxes. A paradigm is a set of assumptions, concepts, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality. The current paradigm is that heart disease is caused by a combination of genetics, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking, obesity, inactivity, and diet. A paradox is a fact that contradicts the paradigm.