09/11/2007 - Vitamin D may help slow down the ageing process, scientists have found, adding further weight to the importance of adequate intake of the vitamin.
Researchers from King's College, London, measured telomeres - part of a chromosome which shortens with age - in more than 2,000 women and found those who had higher levels of the vitamin in their body had longer telomeres.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the scientists looked at 2,160 women aged 18 to 79 years and measured leukocyte telomere length (LTL). LTL is a predictor of ageing-related disease and decreases with each cell cycle and increased inflammation, the scientists said.
Scientists measured concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the 'storage' form of vitamin D) and found a link between increased concentrations and telomere length.
They found that after taking into account the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres.
They wrote: "The difference in LTL between the highest and lowest tertiles of vitamin D was 107 base pairs, which is equivalent to five years of telomeric ageing. This difference was further accentuated by increased concentrations of C-reactive protein, which is a measure of systemic inflammation."
The team concluded that higher vitamin D concentrations, which are "easily modifiable through nutritional supplementation", are associated with longer LTL, which underscores the potentially beneficial effects of vitamin D on ageing and age-related diseases.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.
"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Further studies are required to confirm these findings."
They also found that out of the women tested, 700 already took vitamin D supplements, and had longer telomeres than those who did not.
However, the scientists gave no indication of what levels of supplementation would be needed to achieve these results.
The scientific community has already called for an increase in the recommended level of vitamin D intake.
Currently, the recommended daily intake is set at 400 IU, and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US is set at 2000 International Units (IU), equivalent to 50 micrograms per day. Research, particularly from clinical trials, suggests that this should be raised.
A recent risk assessment by the US-based trade organisation, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) concluded that the UL could be raised to 10,000 IU (250 micrograms per day).
Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive. The latter is derived from plants and only enters the body via the diet.
Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007
12 November 2007
Nutritious Whole Foods compared to Taking Vitamin Supplements
David Jacobs, Ph.D., the principal investigator and Mayo Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota suggests that our approach to healthy eating might be wrong. Instead of focusing on specific nutrients or the amount of fat, carbohydrate, and protein that a food has it should be looked at as food as a whole. The research was reported in the October edition of the Journal of Nutrition Reviews.
Jacobs said that consumers are getting the wrong idea about eating healthy by picking out certain nutrients and it could be maybe be unhealthy. Instead he and co-author Professor Linda Tapsell of the University of Wollongong in Australia said that there should be more education on the entire food product and eating patterns in order to be better educated about nutrition to benefit our health.
One example that the researchers use is orange juice that is marketed as healthy because there is vitamin C and added calcium. In some instances isolated supplements have been shown to be harmful instead of helpful. There have been long term clinical trials that have shown that supplements of beta-carotene and B-vitamins could pose harm and cause cardiovascular events. However, if a person consumed these vitamins in naturally occurring food these same nutrients have been shown to improve long-term health.
By looking at whole food and interactions that are created between other food components it may further explain ways to be healthier. The researchers think that we should be thinking of food as the center focus on our nutritional health and that more research needs to be conducted on whole foods.
Tapsell said to “Think food First,” as the advice for when you want to improve your dietary nutrition and health.
By Mark Barone
Best Syndication News Health Writer
Jacobs said that consumers are getting the wrong idea about eating healthy by picking out certain nutrients and it could be maybe be unhealthy. Instead he and co-author Professor Linda Tapsell of the University of Wollongong in Australia said that there should be more education on the entire food product and eating patterns in order to be better educated about nutrition to benefit our health.
One example that the researchers use is orange juice that is marketed as healthy because there is vitamin C and added calcium. In some instances isolated supplements have been shown to be harmful instead of helpful. There have been long term clinical trials that have shown that supplements of beta-carotene and B-vitamins could pose harm and cause cardiovascular events. However, if a person consumed these vitamins in naturally occurring food these same nutrients have been shown to improve long-term health.
By looking at whole food and interactions that are created between other food components it may further explain ways to be healthier. The researchers think that we should be thinking of food as the center focus on our nutritional health and that more research needs to be conducted on whole foods.
Tapsell said to “Think food First,” as the advice for when you want to improve your dietary nutrition and health.
By Mark Barone
Best Syndication News Health Writer
10 November 2007
Caveman diet found to be the best choice to control diabetes
Thursday, November 08, 2007 by: Keith Heimpel
(NewsTarget) If you watch television, you’re a modern homo sapiens, with at least one sedentary habit. Despite its unhealthy drawbacks, T.V. can be very informative, especially when keeping abreast of pop-culture. The phrase, “It’s so simple a caveman can do it,” is one such example. If you pay attention to this advertisement, you’ll also know how the caveman feels about being labeled a simpleton. Now, in the first controlled study of a Paleolithic (stone age) diet in humans, Lund University, Sweden, heralds the simple diet of the caveman as the “best choice to control diabetes 2”.
This caveman or hunter-gather diet, as it is often called, is nothing new. One of the first suggestions that following a diet similar to that of the late Paleolithic period would improve a person's health was made in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985 by S. Boyd Eaton and Melvin Konner.
Our ancestor, the caveman was consuming fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats and fish over a span of 2.5 million years of human evolution, before the emergence of agriculture. The modern staples: cereals, dairy products, refined fat and sugar, have made up the bulk of our population’s calories for only 10,000 years at the most. The switch from the Paleolithic diet to our modern agrarian foods took place over a mere 2000 years, a relatively brief period of time in the history of our species.
Hunter-gatherers flourished over a 100,000 plus generation span. Agriculture was invented 500 generations ago. 10 generations have lived since the start of the industrial age. Only two generations have grown up with highly processed fast foods. In a subsequent article in 1988, Eaton puts this timeline into prospective, “The problem is that our genes don't know it, they are programming us today in much the same way they have been programming humans for at least 40,000 years. Genetically, our bodies now are virtually the same as they were then."
There are modern human populations today which never made the switch. Dr. Staffan Lindeberg, of the Department of Medicine, Lund University notes from earlier studies by his research group, “A remarkable absence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes among the traditional population of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, where modern agrarian-based food is unavailable.”
In their recent clinical study, the researchers have now compared 14 patients who were advised to consume a Paleolithic diet for three months with 15 patients who were recommended to follow a Mediterranean diet (considered to be the healthiest modern food choice) with whole-grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and refined fats generally considered healthy. All participants “had increased blood sugar after carbohydrate intake (glucose intolerance), and most of them had overt diabetes type 2. In addition, all had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease.” Those in the Paleolithic group were recommended to eat lean fruits, vegetables, root vegetables and nuts, meats, fish, and to avoid grains, dairy foods and salt.
The following results are verbatim from Science Daily, which adapted them directly from a press release issued by Lund University. “The blood sugar rise in response to carbohydrate intake was markedly lower after 12 weeks in the Paleolithic group (–26%), while it barely changed in the Mediterranean group (–7%). At the end of the study, all patients in the Paleolithic group had normal blood glucose.
The improved glucose tolerance in the Paleolithic group was unrelated to changes in weight or waist circumference, although waist decreased slightly more in that group. Hence, the research group concludes that something more than caloric intake and weight loss was responsible for the improved handling of dietary carbohydrate. The main difference between the groups was a much lower intake of grains and dairy products and a higher fruit intake in the Paleolithic group. Substances in grains and dairy products have been shown to interfere with the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat in various studies.”
"If you want to prevent or treat diabetes type 2, it may be more efficient to avoid some of our modern foods than to count calories or carbohydrate," says Staffan Lindeberg.
I enjoy the Science Channel and the National Geographics Channel, especially those programs on early man. Now, I’ll look for them on the Food Network, but until then you can read more about the Paleolithic Diet at wikipedia.org.
Think about this study the next time you see that commercial.
(NewsTarget) If you watch television, you’re a modern homo sapiens, with at least one sedentary habit. Despite its unhealthy drawbacks, T.V. can be very informative, especially when keeping abreast of pop-culture. The phrase, “It’s so simple a caveman can do it,” is one such example. If you pay attention to this advertisement, you’ll also know how the caveman feels about being labeled a simpleton. Now, in the first controlled study of a Paleolithic (stone age) diet in humans, Lund University, Sweden, heralds the simple diet of the caveman as the “best choice to control diabetes 2”.
This caveman or hunter-gather diet, as it is often called, is nothing new. One of the first suggestions that following a diet similar to that of the late Paleolithic period would improve a person's health was made in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985 by S. Boyd Eaton and Melvin Konner.
Our ancestor, the caveman was consuming fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats and fish over a span of 2.5 million years of human evolution, before the emergence of agriculture. The modern staples: cereals, dairy products, refined fat and sugar, have made up the bulk of our population’s calories for only 10,000 years at the most. The switch from the Paleolithic diet to our modern agrarian foods took place over a mere 2000 years, a relatively brief period of time in the history of our species.
Hunter-gatherers flourished over a 100,000 plus generation span. Agriculture was invented 500 generations ago. 10 generations have lived since the start of the industrial age. Only two generations have grown up with highly processed fast foods. In a subsequent article in 1988, Eaton puts this timeline into prospective, “The problem is that our genes don't know it, they are programming us today in much the same way they have been programming humans for at least 40,000 years. Genetically, our bodies now are virtually the same as they were then."
There are modern human populations today which never made the switch. Dr. Staffan Lindeberg, of the Department of Medicine, Lund University notes from earlier studies by his research group, “A remarkable absence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes among the traditional population of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, where modern agrarian-based food is unavailable.”
In their recent clinical study, the researchers have now compared 14 patients who were advised to consume a Paleolithic diet for three months with 15 patients who were recommended to follow a Mediterranean diet (considered to be the healthiest modern food choice) with whole-grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and refined fats generally considered healthy. All participants “had increased blood sugar after carbohydrate intake (glucose intolerance), and most of them had overt diabetes type 2. In addition, all had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease.” Those in the Paleolithic group were recommended to eat lean fruits, vegetables, root vegetables and nuts, meats, fish, and to avoid grains, dairy foods and salt.
The following results are verbatim from Science Daily, which adapted them directly from a press release issued by Lund University. “The blood sugar rise in response to carbohydrate intake was markedly lower after 12 weeks in the Paleolithic group (–26%), while it barely changed in the Mediterranean group (–7%). At the end of the study, all patients in the Paleolithic group had normal blood glucose.
The improved glucose tolerance in the Paleolithic group was unrelated to changes in weight or waist circumference, although waist decreased slightly more in that group. Hence, the research group concludes that something more than caloric intake and weight loss was responsible for the improved handling of dietary carbohydrate. The main difference between the groups was a much lower intake of grains and dairy products and a higher fruit intake in the Paleolithic group. Substances in grains and dairy products have been shown to interfere with the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat in various studies.”
"If you want to prevent or treat diabetes type 2, it may be more efficient to avoid some of our modern foods than to count calories or carbohydrate," says Staffan Lindeberg.
I enjoy the Science Channel and the National Geographics Channel, especially those programs on early man. Now, I’ll look for them on the Food Network, but until then you can read more about the Paleolithic Diet at wikipedia.org.
Think about this study the next time you see that commercial.
Asprin for anti-aging? Try natto instead!
An aspirin a day does NOT keep the doctor away -- The fact that Dr. Roizen includes taking aspirin, which has absolutely no business being on this list is a strong indication that that he is relatively unaware of the true causes of aging. Using aspirin for heart disease has been controversial for years because aspirin is ineffective for heart disease prevention, and fraught with side effects.
A more natural and safer option is to consume natto. Natto (fermented soybeans) is a traditional Japanese food with a thousand year-old history. I have personally started to consume a serving of natto every other day. It contains nattokinase -- a powerful enzyme -- and is very high in vitamin K2, which is essential for building strong bones and promoting heart health.
One serving of natto is actually equivalent to taking eight capsules of the vitamin K2 that we sell, and it’s a fraction of the price, with far more benefits than isolated K2. Ancient Samurai consumed natto on a daily basis to increase their speed and strength. To this day, the people of Japan consume natto regularly, and live longer. That is one of the reasons I started it. It is loaded with a bacteria called bacillus subtilus that may also preclude the need to take a probiotic. I think we all should regularly consume fermented foods and natto is the one that I have chosen to eat.
Remember, even though they are soy beans they are FERMENTED so virtually every negative element associated with soy is neutralized by the fermentation process.
A more natural and safer option is to consume natto. Natto (fermented soybeans) is a traditional Japanese food with a thousand year-old history. I have personally started to consume a serving of natto every other day. It contains nattokinase -- a powerful enzyme -- and is very high in vitamin K2, which is essential for building strong bones and promoting heart health.
One serving of natto is actually equivalent to taking eight capsules of the vitamin K2 that we sell, and it’s a fraction of the price, with far more benefits than isolated K2. Ancient Samurai consumed natto on a daily basis to increase their speed and strength. To this day, the people of Japan consume natto regularly, and live longer. That is one of the reasons I started it. It is loaded with a bacteria called bacillus subtilus that may also preclude the need to take a probiotic. I think we all should regularly consume fermented foods and natto is the one that I have chosen to eat.
Remember, even though they are soy beans they are FERMENTED so virtually every negative element associated with soy is neutralized by the fermentation process.
9 November 2007
Dr Lau's thoughts: Book Writing...
With my thesis on nutrition and scoliosis in the final stages of revision, I want to keep the momentum and start writing a book on Nutrition and Optimal Health. It will be a culmination of all that I have learned from overcoming my own health issues. While a lot of the theories may go against current conventional wisdom "such as eggs are good for cholesterol" and "saturated fats and cholesterol does NOT cause heart disease" I believe that in time science will eventually shine more light to these long held beliefs. Ultimately through my own journey I have discovered that truthful information heals, while deceptions in the form of symptom covering drugs and surgery kills.
8 November 2007
Breast-Feeding is Best for a Brainy Baby
Breastfeeding your children for the first few months of life can boost their IQ by seven points, according to new research. The IQ boost works for nine out of ten children, since it is associated with a common but newly-identified "brain boosting" gene.
A link between breast milk and intelligence was first identified in 1929. Research into the subject has been frequently disputed, however, and many have argued that past research failed to take into account the mother's background and other factors.
However, two recent studies indicate that breast milk helps IQ whatever the family background. A New Zealand study looked at IQ tests and DNA samples from more than 1,000 children, and a British study examined more than 2,000 British twins. Both studies found that the IQs of breastfed children were seven points higher, if they had inherited a particular gene.
The gene, FADS2, affects the way that your body processes dietary fatty acids.
Although breastfeeding has become increasingly accepted in recent years, there is still much controversy over breastfeeding in America. Issues range from how long one should breastfeed to where it is acceptable to do. But one issue that needs no further debate is whether it is healthier to breastfeed or formula-feed your baby--overwhelmingly, the answer is breastfeed! What’s more is that breastfeeding is not only good for the baby--it’s good for mom too.
In addition to raising IQ, breastfed infants also receive added protection against:
* Heart disease
* Immune system cancers such as lymphoma
* Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease
* Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
* Asthma and allergies
* Respiratory infections
* Eczema
* Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Sources:
* Daily Mail November 6, 2007
High Blood Sugar Leads to Colorectal Cancer
Diabetes sufferers with high levels of insulin and glucose in their blood are also at a higher risk developing recurrent colorectal tumors. Elevated glucose levels are the greatest risk factor.
A new study has shown that elevated glucose and insulin increases the chance of tumor recurrence by anywhere from 50 percent to 240 percent!
Even slightly impaired fasting glucose (an early sign of insulin resistance) results in a significantly increased risk of recurrence for the polyps most likely to become invasive forms of cancer.
One of the major benefits of reducing grain carbohydrates is that you will reduce your insulin levels. This research provides more confirming evidence that elevated insulin levels are a major factor that contributes to the growth of all cancers. Anytime you can shift your bread, pasta, rice, cereal or bagel for a serving of vegetables you will take a huge proactive step towards preventing cancer.
Sources:
* Science Daily November 5, 2007
A new study has shown that elevated glucose and insulin increases the chance of tumor recurrence by anywhere from 50 percent to 240 percent!
Even slightly impaired fasting glucose (an early sign of insulin resistance) results in a significantly increased risk of recurrence for the polyps most likely to become invasive forms of cancer.
One of the major benefits of reducing grain carbohydrates is that you will reduce your insulin levels. This research provides more confirming evidence that elevated insulin levels are a major factor that contributes to the growth of all cancers. Anytime you can shift your bread, pasta, rice, cereal or bagel for a serving of vegetables you will take a huge proactive step towards preventing cancer.
Sources:
* Science Daily November 5, 2007
Damp Moldy Conditions Got You Down?
You may notice mold in your home by its musty smell or those unsightly spreading blotches on shower curtains, ceilings or walls. What you might not associate with mold is an emotional problem. But an article in the October issue of American Journal of Public Health makes that connection. It reports on a study that has found a link between mold in the home and an increased incidence of depression.
This association between mold and mood disorder was found by questioning six thousand adults from Germany, Italy, Switzerland and five other countries. They were asked about health and living conditions. Then their homes were visually assessed for prevalence of mold. Even when issues typically associated with depression such as overcrowding and unemployment were factored in, researchers still found more depression among those who lived in moldy homes.
In fact, the study found that among those who lived in moldy surroundings the risk for depression went up approximately 40 percent.
Lead study author Edmond D. Shenassa of Brown University School of Medicine in Rhode Island indicates that it isn’t clear whether the moldy conditions led to the development of depression, or whether people who are already depressed are less likely to combat mold in the home. He’s ready to do more work to pinpoint cause and effect.
Molds are fungi found everywhere as a natural part of the environment. To grow, mold requires water. When a home has excessive moisture these fungi can reproduce rapidly, producing millions of microscopic spores that can become airborne and cause allergies and other health problems. Vulnerable individuals, such as people with preexisting illnesses, are particularly at risk.
A study published in the September issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that a dilute household bleach solution (1:16 bleach to water) effectively kills common mold. Researchers at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center say that dead mold can still precipitate allergic reactions, but they found the bleach solution neutralizes the mold allergens that caused reactions in their test subjects.
Processed Food, Pharmaceuticals Contribute To Declining Health
Earlier analyses, including an NIA-supported study suggests America’s obesity epidemic, which is contributing to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, could be threatening the decline of our health. Furthermore, some of the today’s common diseases didn’t even exist 40 years ago. In this same time frame, we have made enormous advances in medical technology: we have more doctors, more pharmaceutical drugs, and more hospitals. In conclusion, all we have to show for all this is the sickliest generation of Americans in history with ever increasing disease rates.
In the United States, our modern society is so preoccupied and overwhelmed with every day activities of living we have lost contact with what is important. Have you ever contemplated the miracle of the human body functioning in harmony with lungs breathing, heart beating, senses sensing, muscles moving, healing and regenerating itself? Few have the time to think about this until problems develop.
Up until recently people believed each subsequent generation entering into its retirement years would be in better physical shape than the preceding generation. Then in March 2007, Health and Retirement Study research published by the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), revealed the disturbing trend of Americans in their early to mid-50s reporting poorer health, more pain, and more trouble doing every day physical tasks than their older peers reported when they were the same age in recent years.
How can American pre-retirees be reaching retirement age in not as good health as their predecessors? Regrettably, the public is not educated enough about how our food and medical systems work together to keep us ill, thereby making money for themselves at our expense. Undesirable ingredients used in processed foods are part of the reason toward declining health in America. Disappointingly, the pharmaceuticals the medical system uses are no longer fully tested and many times contribute to further health decline instead of curing us while they become wealthy at our expense.
In the United States, our modern society is so preoccupied and overwhelmed with every day activities of living we have lost contact with what is important. Have you ever contemplated the miracle of the human body functioning in harmony with lungs breathing, heart beating, senses sensing, muscles moving, healing and regenerating itself? Few have the time to think about this until problems develop.
Up until recently people believed each subsequent generation entering into its retirement years would be in better physical shape than the preceding generation. Then in March 2007, Health and Retirement Study research published by the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), revealed the disturbing trend of Americans in their early to mid-50s reporting poorer health, more pain, and more trouble doing every day physical tasks than their older peers reported when they were the same age in recent years.
How can American pre-retirees be reaching retirement age in not as good health as their predecessors? Regrettably, the public is not educated enough about how our food and medical systems work together to keep us ill, thereby making money for themselves at our expense. Undesirable ingredients used in processed foods are part of the reason toward declining health in America. Disappointingly, the pharmaceuticals the medical system uses are no longer fully tested and many times contribute to further health decline instead of curing us while they become wealthy at our expense.
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