In most cases I would always say yes. But here is my dilemma. I know we eat too much sugar and I know it has been responsible for many health issues from obesity to Type II Diabetes. While I like Stevia, some don't like the taste. From a scientific stand point, I have to sometimes be practical and go with what I have evidence on and not condemn something just because it is not made directly by nature. When I first began studying nutrition I always thought natural was better, until I learned for example that fats not treated with preservatives become rancid, and that rancid fats produce more toxic effects on the body than the preservatives did. Also, just because something is natural does not mean that it is good for you, nature produces many poisonous substances. Just the same, just because we change the molecular structure of a molecule like sugar, to produce a substance that does not play with our blood sugar, does not mean it's bad. In 8 years of using products in weight loss that use Splenda, I have never seen a bad reaction. A person can be allergic to anything, so some may have issues because of this. That does not make it poison. So, until I see valid studies that indicate Spenda is bad, I have to recommend it over sugar. But by all means, use Stevia first when ever you can, if you think it is better.
Questions people have raised about Splenda and the scientific answers...
"Sucralose is a chlorinated sucrose molecule."
That's correct, but the innuendo is that sucralose is bad because it contains a form of chlorine. Not so. Sucralose does not contain elemental chlorine--it's chloride, the same form of chlorine found in table salt, tomatoes, and many other vegetables and fruits.
"There are few studies that have examined the long-term effectiveness of sucralose."
There are over 70 studies on sucralose published in peer-reviewed journals. None have demonstrated an increase in mutageneticy, miscarriage rates, birth defects, or anything else that would be a cause for concern. Sucralose was approved for use in Canada and some European countries 15 years ago; if there were health challenges associated with sucralose use, they should have emerged by now. They haven't.
"Sucralose caused shrunken thymus glands in rodents."
This accusation about the negative effects of sucralose on the thymus fails to note that the mice were given doses 5,000 times sweeter than a human would ever eat. In fact, the mice refused to eat because the food was too sweet--and since they didn't eat, they lost weight. It was the weight loss that caused the thymus to shrink, not the sucralose. In spite of that, the rats fed the high amounts of sucralose were able to mate successfully; their progeny were also fed the high amounts of sucralose, also experienced the same effects on the thymus, and also reproduced successfully (3).
"Sucralose caused caecal enlargement in rats."
The implication is that this is bad for the digestive system (the caecum is the first part of the large bowel). Two points: first, when rodents eat anything that changes the fluid levels in their gut, they experience caecal enlargement. It happens with many food additives that are given to rodents in amounts thousands of times greater per body weight than a human would ever ingest. Second, and even more interesting, is that sorbitol, one of the approved sweeteners endorsed by anti-sucralose websites, also causes caecal enlargement when given in large doses (4).
"Almost all of the websites critical of sucralose endorse Stevia as a sweetener."
This is an extract of the Stevia rebaudiana plant from Brazil. But did you know that there have been only 92 studies on Stevia? Did you also realize that Stevia may cause infertility (5)? That's the same type of fact-stretching employed by the anti-sucralose websites, but that study was done on Stevia in rodents and those are the results. The point is you can find a negative study on just about any food or food additive, but you don't judge a product on the strength of one study. The sum total of research should be examined in order to come to a conclusion--something the anti-sucralose advocates refuse to do.
"The manufacturer did the research."
True. But who should pay for the research? A competitor? The sugar industry? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration--in other words, our tax dollars? If the research arm of the U.S. government, the National Institutes of Health, funds research on all food additives, who'll decide the order in which things get tested? These websites state the obvious and then imply that it's bad. Fine. They should prove it by showing that the published results were tainted in some way. Better yet, they should raise the money and fund the research. It's easy to sit on the sidelines and take cheap shots.
The Food & Drug Administration has approved the use of this low-calorie sweetener.
The American Diabetes Association accepts the FDA's conclusion that these sweeteners are safe and can be part of a healthy diet. The position of the American Dietetic Association is that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed in a reasonable diet (6). Countries world-wide including Canada and the European Union have approved Sucralose for use in their countries. These associations and countries came to this conclusion based on research and science, not innuendo, misrepresenting the research, and exaggerating anecdotal observations.
References:
1. Putnam, J., at al. U.S. Per Capita Food Supply Trends: More Calories, Refined Carbohydrates, and Fats. Economic Research Service, USDA. Food Review, Winter 2002.
2. Henkel, John. Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite. FDA Consumer Revised December 2004.
3. Kille JW, et al. Sucralose: lack of effects on sperm glycolysis and reproduction in the rat. Food Chem Toxicol. 2000;38 Suppl 2:S19-29.
4. MacKenzie KM, et al. Three-generation reproduction study of rats ingesting up to 10% sorbitol in the diet--and a brief review of the toxicological status of sorbitol. Food Chem Toxicol. 1986; 24(3):191-200.
5. Melis MS. Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 1;67(2):157-61.
6. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104:255-275.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line.
Please pass these on to anyone you want.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Alpha Lipoic Acid found better than drugs...
3 studies came out in July that show just how powerful supplements can be in preventing and treating disease.
The first study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and was authored by Chenchen Wang and associates from Tufts-New England Medical Center. The report showed that Omega 3's from fish oil supplements containing EPA & DHA, had strong heart health benefits. Because there has been controversy on whether Omega 3's are effective in the areas of heart health, they decided to only consider studies that lasted for more than 1 year and that reported Omega 3 intake levels and outcomes after there use. The dosage range was from approximately 270 mgs to 4.8 gms per day. The largest study using 850 mgs of both EPA & DHA, was found to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 21 per cent, cardiac death by 35 per cent, and sudden death by 45 per cent.
Another study, also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that fish oils are more effective than the use of the statin drug Lipitor, in positively affecting the levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol in obese and insulin-resistant men. In the six-week study, fish oils and Lipitor were given to 48 men, both separately and combined. Together both the Liptior & the fish oil greatly lowered plasma triacylglycerols and raised HDL cholesterol levels, but only the fish oil influenced HDL cholesterol in such a way as to improve it's breakdown metabolically from complex molecules metabolically, into simpler ones for removal from the body.
In yet another study, published in the American Diabetes Association Journal, and sent to me by The Life Extention Foundation, showed that Alpha-lipoic acid completely prevents atherosclerosis in diabetic mice.
In this study, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that giving alpha-lipoic acid to mice in whom diabetes was induced prevented the increase in cholesterol, atherosclerotic lesions and health deterioration that the disease would otherwise cause. Alpha-lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant that increases the effects of Vitamin C & E in the body and has been used to treat diabetic neuropathy in the past successfully. However, nobody yet had studied its effects in diabetic cardiovascular disease.
After four weeks on a regular diet, diabetic and nondiabetic mice were given a high fat diet enhanced with alpha-lipoic acid or the same diet without alpha-lipoic acid. After twenty weeks, both diabetic and nondiabetic animals supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid had lower markers of oxidative stress and higher levels of red blood cell glutathione compared to mice that did not receive the compound.
"Remarkably," said the authors write, "alpha-lipoic acid completely prevented the increase in plasma total cholesterol, atherosclerotic lesions, and the general deterioration of health caused by diabetes."
"In summary, our study demonstrates that dietary supplementation of alpha-lipoic acid for 20 weeks completely protects apoplipoprotein E-negative mice from enhancement of aortic atherosclerosis caused by STZ-induced diabetes," the authors conclude. "Our results suggest that dietary alpha-lipoic acid is a promising agent for reducing cardiovascular complications of diabetes."
Please see just how powerful ALA is especially when combined with L-Carnitine.
Understand fats - which ones are really good for you and which are bad.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line.Please pass these on to anyone you want.
The first study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and was authored by Chenchen Wang and associates from Tufts-New England Medical Center. The report showed that Omega 3's from fish oil supplements containing EPA & DHA, had strong heart health benefits. Because there has been controversy on whether Omega 3's are effective in the areas of heart health, they decided to only consider studies that lasted for more than 1 year and that reported Omega 3 intake levels and outcomes after there use. The dosage range was from approximately 270 mgs to 4.8 gms per day. The largest study using 850 mgs of both EPA & DHA, was found to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 21 per cent, cardiac death by 35 per cent, and sudden death by 45 per cent.
Another study, also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that fish oils are more effective than the use of the statin drug Lipitor, in positively affecting the levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol in obese and insulin-resistant men. In the six-week study, fish oils and Lipitor were given to 48 men, both separately and combined. Together both the Liptior & the fish oil greatly lowered plasma triacylglycerols and raised HDL cholesterol levels, but only the fish oil influenced HDL cholesterol in such a way as to improve it's breakdown metabolically from complex molecules metabolically, into simpler ones for removal from the body.
In yet another study, published in the American Diabetes Association Journal, and sent to me by The Life Extention Foundation, showed that Alpha-lipoic acid completely prevents atherosclerosis in diabetic mice.
In this study, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that giving alpha-lipoic acid to mice in whom diabetes was induced prevented the increase in cholesterol, atherosclerotic lesions and health deterioration that the disease would otherwise cause. Alpha-lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant that increases the effects of Vitamin C & E in the body and has been used to treat diabetic neuropathy in the past successfully. However, nobody yet had studied its effects in diabetic cardiovascular disease.
After four weeks on a regular diet, diabetic and nondiabetic mice were given a high fat diet enhanced with alpha-lipoic acid or the same diet without alpha-lipoic acid. After twenty weeks, both diabetic and nondiabetic animals supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid had lower markers of oxidative stress and higher levels of red blood cell glutathione compared to mice that did not receive the compound.
"Remarkably," said the authors write, "alpha-lipoic acid completely prevented the increase in plasma total cholesterol, atherosclerotic lesions, and the general deterioration of health caused by diabetes."
"In summary, our study demonstrates that dietary supplementation of alpha-lipoic acid for 20 weeks completely protects apoplipoprotein E-negative mice from enhancement of aortic atherosclerosis caused by STZ-induced diabetes," the authors conclude. "Our results suggest that dietary alpha-lipoic acid is a promising agent for reducing cardiovascular complications of diabetes."
Please see just how powerful ALA is especially when combined with L-Carnitine.
Understand fats - which ones are really good for you and which are bad.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Please visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line.Please pass these on to anyone you want.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Phytonutrient in the news...
Chilli could boost insulin control, says study...
24/07/2006-
Regular consumption of chilli pepper could improve control of insulin levels after eating, helping obese people and diabetics manage their levels, says research from Australia.Chilli pepper, a rich source of antioxidants, has previously been linked to inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, and has been suggested to cut fat and energy intake when added to the diet.
And now researchers from the University of Tasmania have reported the findings of small human trial, which showed that regular consumption of a chilli-containing meal could improve insulin control by about 60 per cent.
Subjects ate their normal (bland) diet for four weeks, and then crossed over to the chilli-diet for a further four weeks. The chilli blend was provided by MasterFoods, Australia who also reported that the capsaicin content was about 33 mg per 30 grams of chilli blend.
The researchers did not attempt to extract the capsaicin, the active ingredient that gives the chilli its heat, and it should be noted that chilli also contains antioxidants such as lutein, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
It was found that after the chilli diet regime the blood glucose levels increased less that for the bland diet.
Comment: Capsaicin is the ingredient found in different types of peppers, such as cayenne peppers, that makes the peppers hot. You can eat it in raw or cooked peppers or as a dried powder, which you can add to food or drinks. It also is available as a dietary supplement and in topical creams that you apply to your skin.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line.
Please pass these on to anyone you want.
24/07/2006-
Regular consumption of chilli pepper could improve control of insulin levels after eating, helping obese people and diabetics manage their levels, says research from Australia.Chilli pepper, a rich source of antioxidants, has previously been linked to inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, and has been suggested to cut fat and energy intake when added to the diet.
And now researchers from the University of Tasmania have reported the findings of small human trial, which showed that regular consumption of a chilli-containing meal could improve insulin control by about 60 per cent.
Subjects ate their normal (bland) diet for four weeks, and then crossed over to the chilli-diet for a further four weeks. The chilli blend was provided by MasterFoods, Australia who also reported that the capsaicin content was about 33 mg per 30 grams of chilli blend.
The researchers did not attempt to extract the capsaicin, the active ingredient that gives the chilli its heat, and it should be noted that chilli also contains antioxidants such as lutein, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
It was found that after the chilli diet regime the blood glucose levels increased less that for the bland diet.
Comment: Capsaicin is the ingredient found in different types of peppers, such as cayenne peppers, that makes the peppers hot. You can eat it in raw or cooked peppers or as a dried powder, which you can add to food or drinks. It also is available as a dietary supplement and in topical creams that you apply to your skin.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line.
Please pass these on to anyone you want.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Why I recommend people take charge of their own health, and get off drugs whenever possible...
The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine estimates at least 1.5 million adverse drug events are preventable.
The study, "Preventing Medical Errors" found that while some of the adverse drug events that occur each year in the United States are inevitable due to the many side effects of drugs in general, at least one quarter, or 1.5 million of these "ADE"s are due to errors in prescribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications. Even without taking into account errors of omission in prescribing drugs, the authors of the study note that the true number of preventable errors is probably much higher than the 1.5 million figure.
The authors of the IOM report state that on average, a hospital patient is subject to at least one medication error per day (although rates vary across facilities), which increases the cost of hospitalization significantly. One study of Medicare patients estimated a cost of $887 million dollars resulting from the treatment of medication errors each year, which did not include lost earnings or pain and suffering rewards.
To combat this situation, the report recommends a greater partnership between patients and health care providers. Patients need to assume more responsibility by monitoring the effects of their medications, keeping records, and communicating with their physicians. In turn, the health care system needs to provide more and better information to patients concerning the medications they are taking, and offer more opportunities for patients to consult with their providers. Additionally, electronic prescription systems should be implemented which will eliminate errors that arise from hand-written prescriptions. These systems also provide information on the drugs being prescribed and can interface with patient history to determine the presence of allergies, or other drugs in use by the patient, and this information can be transferred along with the patient to other facilities.
Better labeling and packaging of medications by the manufacturer is another area that can be improved to help eliminate medication errors.
The authors of the report conclude that "the current state of affairs is not acceptable." They recommend federally funded studies on the prevention of medication errors, and that more training in medication management be required by accreditation agencies.
Comment: I think that everyone needs to look at what drugs they're taking and see what their side effects are. Then try to see if you can taper down or illuminate some, if possible.
Please review this blog... You may not believe it, but it's true.
http://cwiechert.blogspot.com/2005/03/whats-3rd-leading-cause-of-death-in-us.html
Check your drugs for side effects.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line. Please pass these on to anyone you want.
The study, "Preventing Medical Errors" found that while some of the adverse drug events that occur each year in the United States are inevitable due to the many side effects of drugs in general, at least one quarter, or 1.5 million of these "ADE"s are due to errors in prescribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications. Even without taking into account errors of omission in prescribing drugs, the authors of the study note that the true number of preventable errors is probably much higher than the 1.5 million figure.
The authors of the IOM report state that on average, a hospital patient is subject to at least one medication error per day (although rates vary across facilities), which increases the cost of hospitalization significantly. One study of Medicare patients estimated a cost of $887 million dollars resulting from the treatment of medication errors each year, which did not include lost earnings or pain and suffering rewards.
To combat this situation, the report recommends a greater partnership between patients and health care providers. Patients need to assume more responsibility by monitoring the effects of their medications, keeping records, and communicating with their physicians. In turn, the health care system needs to provide more and better information to patients concerning the medications they are taking, and offer more opportunities for patients to consult with their providers. Additionally, electronic prescription systems should be implemented which will eliminate errors that arise from hand-written prescriptions. These systems also provide information on the drugs being prescribed and can interface with patient history to determine the presence of allergies, or other drugs in use by the patient, and this information can be transferred along with the patient to other facilities.
Better labeling and packaging of medications by the manufacturer is another area that can be improved to help eliminate medication errors.
The authors of the report conclude that "the current state of affairs is not acceptable." They recommend federally funded studies on the prevention of medication errors, and that more training in medication management be required by accreditation agencies.
Comment: I think that everyone needs to look at what drugs they're taking and see what their side effects are. Then try to see if you can taper down or illuminate some, if possible.
Please review this blog... You may not believe it, but it's true.
http://cwiechert.blogspot.com/2005/03/whats-3rd-leading-cause-of-death-in-us.html
Check your drugs for side effects.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter.
Write... add me to your list on the subject line. Please pass these on to anyone you want.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Some tips on losing body fat, faster...
Here are some tips on losing body fat faster. These tips will not include tricks that are designed to lose water weight fast with herbal diuretics, forcing the bowel to empty fast with herbal bowel laxatives and or excess magnesium, nor will it be a faster way to lose muscle by starving for a weekend. These are scientific tips for improving fat lose, especially around the stomach, were the body likes to store it for that rainy day or famine, you will never, ever have. Most of these techniques increase Thermogenesis (heat production metabolically) and Glucagon (a hormone that your pancreas makes that's burns glucose and triglicerides).
1. Eat 6-7 times a day - Eat something with protein in it every 3 hours or so up to 7 times per day. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Between meal snacks should consist of between 6 to 11 grams of protein from a half a protein bar, low fat cottage cheese, a handful of raw nuts or dry roasted peanuts, or plain low fat yogurt etc. If you eat this way, you will burn 40% more calories than if you consumed a high carb alternative. Never allow yourself to be hungry. A recent study found that people who added 3 servings of yogurt a day between meals, lost 61% more body fat and 81% more belly fat, than those that did not. Very soon, your regular meals will become smaller, as you will not be famished.
2. Don't eat dinner after 6pm at night. Protein snack are ok, even if you wake up hungry at night. A University of Minnesota study recently showed that, on a 2,000-calorie diet, those who ate most of their calories earliest in the day, lost weight and those that did the opposite, actually gained weight. The difference was around 2 pounds per week gain or loss.
3. Take a walk 15 - 30 minutes after you eat. Studies show that you have about a 10% increase in your metabolic rate after you eat. By walking, you can perhaps double that rate to 20%.
4. Lower the temperature in your house. You will soon adapt to the lower temps and you will burn more calories in order to keep your body at 98.6 degrees. We are designed to gain weight in spring and summer, so we can burn fat during the cold months, in the form of heat. The more you rely on the thermostat to keep you warm, the less you will burn yourself. Removing some covers at night to cause a slight lowering of your body temp, can allow you to burn 200 more calories during the night. If you sat in a pool at 72 degrees for 1 hour, you will burn about 600 calories. If you ran for an hour, you would burn around 350 to 400 calories. Get the point?
5. Sip ice water during the day. A German study showed that this can boost your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories, by more than 30% for up to 90 minutes after the cold infusion. While were on the subject, just drinking water helps you lose fat, but now I think ice water might be even better. Avoid this with meals though... Just between meals and snacks please.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported other benefits from eating this way.
1. Cholesterol levels were reduced 15%.
2. Cortisol levels were reduced by 17%. Cortisol can increase stress related weight gain and cravings.
3. Insulin declined by nearly 28%. This keeps your appetite down, your cravings under control, and fat away from your middle.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter. Write... add me to your list on the subject line.
Please pass these on to anyone you want.
1. Eat 6-7 times a day - Eat something with protein in it every 3 hours or so up to 7 times per day. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Between meal snacks should consist of between 6 to 11 grams of protein from a half a protein bar, low fat cottage cheese, a handful of raw nuts or dry roasted peanuts, or plain low fat yogurt etc. If you eat this way, you will burn 40% more calories than if you consumed a high carb alternative. Never allow yourself to be hungry. A recent study found that people who added 3 servings of yogurt a day between meals, lost 61% more body fat and 81% more belly fat, than those that did not. Very soon, your regular meals will become smaller, as you will not be famished.
2. Don't eat dinner after 6pm at night. Protein snack are ok, even if you wake up hungry at night. A University of Minnesota study recently showed that, on a 2,000-calorie diet, those who ate most of their calories earliest in the day, lost weight and those that did the opposite, actually gained weight. The difference was around 2 pounds per week gain or loss.
3. Take a walk 15 - 30 minutes after you eat. Studies show that you have about a 10% increase in your metabolic rate after you eat. By walking, you can perhaps double that rate to 20%.
4. Lower the temperature in your house. You will soon adapt to the lower temps and you will burn more calories in order to keep your body at 98.6 degrees. We are designed to gain weight in spring and summer, so we can burn fat during the cold months, in the form of heat. The more you rely on the thermostat to keep you warm, the less you will burn yourself. Removing some covers at night to cause a slight lowering of your body temp, can allow you to burn 200 more calories during the night. If you sat in a pool at 72 degrees for 1 hour, you will burn about 600 calories. If you ran for an hour, you would burn around 350 to 400 calories. Get the point?
5. Sip ice water during the day. A German study showed that this can boost your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories, by more than 30% for up to 90 minutes after the cold infusion. While were on the subject, just drinking water helps you lose fat, but now I think ice water might be even better. Avoid this with meals though... Just between meals and snacks please.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported other benefits from eating this way.
1. Cholesterol levels were reduced 15%.
2. Cortisol levels were reduced by 17%. Cortisol can increase stress related weight gain and cravings.
3. Insulin declined by nearly 28%. This keeps your appetite down, your cravings under control, and fat away from your middle.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Click here if you would like to subscribe to our free HealthBlogger News Letter. Write... add me to your list on the subject line.
Please pass these on to anyone you want.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Great marketing - deceptive advertising...
It's all over the TV. Commercials that claim that you can now have pizza, pasta, burgers and even chocolate everyday day and you can lose weight. How? Through the miracle breakthrough of The Glycemic Index, the ads say. I will not mention the company's name, because I don't want to advertise for them, but I bet you know who I am referring to. The pictures on the ad show packages of food that seems to be like the food you most likely eat already, and yet, you will lose weight. Now when you look at The Glycemic Index, you will notice that all these foods mentioned above are relatively high on the scale and therefore, the only way a diet plan like this can work is if it is designed to be a caloric restrictive program in disguise. Perhaps the chocolate they sell is made with artificial sugar, but the breads & grains will still elevate your insulin levels, which will not be good long term for most of you. Caloric restrictive programs fail 90% of the time within a year and 95% of the time over a 5 year period because it ends up lowering your metabolism to the point where you will be more susceptible to gaining the weight back, once you go back to a normal diet, which you will. Why am I sure of that, because you will not continue to eat their package food for life, it's too expensive and too restrictive. I believe 75% of the worlds population has trouble with grains, cereals, sugar and starchy vegetables. The other 25% can deal very well with most of these foods, without developing health issues. Of the 75% that have trouble, they will develop everything from hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fluid retention, acid reflux, polycystic ovary syndrome, high cholesterol, high tryclerides, to cancer and heart disease. Insulin here is the culprit.
What is the purpose of insulin?
What is the purpose of insulin in humans? Your doctor will say that it's to lower blood sugar, but that it is just a trivial side effect. Insulin's evolutionary purpose is to store excess nutrients, especially body fat.
We come from a time of feast and famine when if we couldn't store the excess energy during times of feasting, we would not be here because all of our ancestors encountered famine at one time or another. We are only here because our ancestors were able to store nutrients, which they were able to do because they were able to elevate their insulin levels in response to any elevation in energy that the organism encountered. Even fruits, honey and berries during the summer eaten along with other high fat foods like nuts and seeds.
When your body notices that sugar is elevated, it is a sign that you've got more than you need; you are not burning it so it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin will be released to take that sugar and store it. How does it do this? With glycogen?
Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscle wouldn't last you through one active day. Once you fill up your glycogen stores, they are carried to the fat cells by tryclerides in your blood and then stored as saturated fat in your fat cells, especially around the abdomen areas.
So the idea of the medical profession recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet as an absolute plan for weight-loss is ridicules. A high-complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing but a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily.
You may be able to have pizza, pasta, burgers and even chocolate once a week for a treat, for say 1 meal, but to tell people otherwise is in my oppinion a marketing ploy that will attract alot of people into the program, but they will not be well served. The only way I know how to lose weight long term is to eat protein often, reduce high glycemic carbs like breads, cereals, pasta, sugar, potatoes, rice, high fructose corn syrup etc to no more than 45 grams of carbs per day or 15 grams per meal. Please read the books Life Without Bread & Protein Power for reference. Proteins and green vegetables can be for the most part eaten in unlimited portions, but even fruits must be thought of as a treat food, for most people wanting to lose weight.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
What is the purpose of insulin?
What is the purpose of insulin in humans? Your doctor will say that it's to lower blood sugar, but that it is just a trivial side effect. Insulin's evolutionary purpose is to store excess nutrients, especially body fat.
We come from a time of feast and famine when if we couldn't store the excess energy during times of feasting, we would not be here because all of our ancestors encountered famine at one time or another. We are only here because our ancestors were able to store nutrients, which they were able to do because they were able to elevate their insulin levels in response to any elevation in energy that the organism encountered. Even fruits, honey and berries during the summer eaten along with other high fat foods like nuts and seeds.
When your body notices that sugar is elevated, it is a sign that you've got more than you need; you are not burning it so it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin will be released to take that sugar and store it. How does it do this? With glycogen?
Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscle wouldn't last you through one active day. Once you fill up your glycogen stores, they are carried to the fat cells by tryclerides in your blood and then stored as saturated fat in your fat cells, especially around the abdomen areas.
So the idea of the medical profession recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet as an absolute plan for weight-loss is ridicules. A high-complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing but a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily.
You may be able to have pizza, pasta, burgers and even chocolate once a week for a treat, for say 1 meal, but to tell people otherwise is in my oppinion a marketing ploy that will attract alot of people into the program, but they will not be well served. The only way I know how to lose weight long term is to eat protein often, reduce high glycemic carbs like breads, cereals, pasta, sugar, potatoes, rice, high fructose corn syrup etc to no more than 45 grams of carbs per day or 15 grams per meal. Please read the books Life Without Bread & Protein Power for reference. Proteins and green vegetables can be for the most part eaten in unlimited portions, but even fruits must be thought of as a treat food, for most people wanting to lose weight.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Healthy lifestyle habits more important than drugs for the health of the heart...
George Bernard Shaw was once quoted as saying...
"Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indespensable for life. But I go marching on".
Well, while some people have contitutions like an ox and can do most things wrong and get away with it, my brother being one on those fortunate people. The rest of us would benefit greatly from diet modifications and getting more exercise. This study published by Reuters is an example of just how powerful lifestyle changes can be. There is no substitute.
cw
Lifestyle trumps drugs for a healthy heart
Eating right, exercising can help cut risk of heart problems by 87 percent
By Amanda Beck
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Even men who take medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol can dramatically cut their risk of heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Middle-aged men on these medications can reduce their chances of heart problems by 57 percent by eating right, not smoking, drinking in moderation and maintaining a healthy weight while exercising regularly, the researchers said.
Those who do not take the drugs can cut their risk of heart ailments by 87 percent if they adopt these lifestyle choices.
"This shows there's no substitute for a healthy lifestyle," said Stephanie Chiuve, lead author of the study to be published in Circulation: Journal of The American Heart Association.
The study tracked 43,000 men between 40 and 75 who were free of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions when the study began in 1986. They completed biannual questionnaires and researchers used the data to tease out correlations between heart disease and lifestyle habits.
The benefits of the healthy habits were apparent even if they were adopted over time.
"In other words, it's never to late to change," said Chiuve. "You can still achieve benefits if you make changes in middle age or later in life."
Men with the lowest risk of heart disease were those who practiced all five healthy habits, but not smoking alone reduced the risk of heart problems by 50 percent, she said.
Comment: While there is controversy on what constitutes a healthy diet, I feel the more you adopt a diet that mimics the Hunter-Gatherer's that have and still do roam the earth, the better of you will be. Also there are alternative approaches to drugs to improve heart disease and type 2 diabetes in those who would prefer taking less drugs.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
"Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indespensable for life. But I go marching on".
Well, while some people have contitutions like an ox and can do most things wrong and get away with it, my brother being one on those fortunate people. The rest of us would benefit greatly from diet modifications and getting more exercise. This study published by Reuters is an example of just how powerful lifestyle changes can be. There is no substitute.
cw
Lifestyle trumps drugs for a healthy heart
Eating right, exercising can help cut risk of heart problems by 87 percent
By Amanda Beck
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Even men who take medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol can dramatically cut their risk of heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Middle-aged men on these medications can reduce their chances of heart problems by 57 percent by eating right, not smoking, drinking in moderation and maintaining a healthy weight while exercising regularly, the researchers said.
Those who do not take the drugs can cut their risk of heart ailments by 87 percent if they adopt these lifestyle choices.
"This shows there's no substitute for a healthy lifestyle," said Stephanie Chiuve, lead author of the study to be published in Circulation: Journal of The American Heart Association.
The study tracked 43,000 men between 40 and 75 who were free of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions when the study began in 1986. They completed biannual questionnaires and researchers used the data to tease out correlations between heart disease and lifestyle habits.
The benefits of the healthy habits were apparent even if they were adopted over time.
"In other words, it's never to late to change," said Chiuve. "You can still achieve benefits if you make changes in middle age or later in life."
Men with the lowest risk of heart disease were those who practiced all five healthy habits, but not smoking alone reduced the risk of heart problems by 50 percent, she said.
Comment: While there is controversy on what constitutes a healthy diet, I feel the more you adopt a diet that mimics the Hunter-Gatherer's that have and still do roam the earth, the better of you will be. Also there are alternative approaches to drugs to improve heart disease and type 2 diabetes in those who would prefer taking less drugs.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Vitamin K is in the news - This one will be big...
Vitamin K under trial
7/11/2006- published in the journal Nutrition (Vol. 22, pp. 845-852), Masao Kaneki from Harvard Medical School.
A growing body of science is linking vitamin K to bone health benefits, as well as potential roles in blood clotting and liver cancer. Many questions remain unanswered however and clinical trials are on-going to cast light on these dark areas of vitamin K understanding. The vitamin is less well known than vitamins A to E, but this increasing body of research, as well as increased marketing and advertising from supplement makers, is raising public awareness of vitamin K.
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. A synthetic form of vitamin K, known as K3, does exist but is not recommended for human consumption.
For the most part, research has focussed on the role of vitamin K in boosting bone health. Indeed, a meta-analysis of human clinical trials using MK-4 supplements for bone health (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, pp. 1256-1261) reported that supplements (45-milligram daily doses) resulted in reductions in hip fractures of 77 per cent, vertebral fracture of 60 per cent, and all non-vertebral fractures of 81 per cent in elderly people.
Reports of the bone benefits for the other forms of vitamin K, most notably MK-7 from natto, can also be easily found in the literature.
A recent representative cohort study (Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136, pp. 1323-1328) reported that postmenopausal women with a dietary intake of more than four packets of natto per week (equivalent to about 1400 micrograms of MK-7) reduced bone mass loss at the top of the thighbone (femoral neck) and in the lower arm (radius) by over 80 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.
The mechanism behind the benefits is proposed to be due to vitamin K’s influence on the secondary modification of osteocalcin, a protein needed to bind calcium to the bone matrix.
Other studies have reported differing results however, like the study from Denmark (Osteoporosis International, Vol. 17, pp. 1122-1132) that reports that vitamin K1 intake had no impact on the bone mineral density and fracture risk of peri-menopausal women.
Evidence is also increasing linking the vitamin to lower risks of atherosclerosis and cancer of the liver. The former is reported to be due to the presence of a vitamin K-dependent protein, MGP, in atherosclerotic plaque. Gene disruption of MGP is said to result in extensive calcification of the aorta.
Comment: Vitamin K1 works just fine, but must be taken in higher amounts than K2. Even newer research is being published lately, that 10 mgs a day of K1 or 1 mg of k2, has the potential to reverse calcium deposits that may exist in the soft tissues of the body like the arteries, or anywhere else it does not belong, and help put it back into the bones, where it does belong.
This may be the most exciting reason to consider taking more of this nutrient or eating large amounts of very green leafy vegetables everyday. I personally take 10 mgs a day, on top of my other supplements for this very purpose.
Vitamin K1
Vitamin K2
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
7/11/2006- published in the journal Nutrition (Vol. 22, pp. 845-852), Masao Kaneki from Harvard Medical School.
A growing body of science is linking vitamin K to bone health benefits, as well as potential roles in blood clotting and liver cancer. Many questions remain unanswered however and clinical trials are on-going to cast light on these dark areas of vitamin K understanding. The vitamin is less well known than vitamins A to E, but this increasing body of research, as well as increased marketing and advertising from supplement makers, is raising public awareness of vitamin K.
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. A synthetic form of vitamin K, known as K3, does exist but is not recommended for human consumption.
For the most part, research has focussed on the role of vitamin K in boosting bone health. Indeed, a meta-analysis of human clinical trials using MK-4 supplements for bone health (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, pp. 1256-1261) reported that supplements (45-milligram daily doses) resulted in reductions in hip fractures of 77 per cent, vertebral fracture of 60 per cent, and all non-vertebral fractures of 81 per cent in elderly people.
Reports of the bone benefits for the other forms of vitamin K, most notably MK-7 from natto, can also be easily found in the literature.
A recent representative cohort study (Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136, pp. 1323-1328) reported that postmenopausal women with a dietary intake of more than four packets of natto per week (equivalent to about 1400 micrograms of MK-7) reduced bone mass loss at the top of the thighbone (femoral neck) and in the lower arm (radius) by over 80 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.
The mechanism behind the benefits is proposed to be due to vitamin K’s influence on the secondary modification of osteocalcin, a protein needed to bind calcium to the bone matrix.
Other studies have reported differing results however, like the study from Denmark (Osteoporosis International, Vol. 17, pp. 1122-1132) that reports that vitamin K1 intake had no impact on the bone mineral density and fracture risk of peri-menopausal women.
Evidence is also increasing linking the vitamin to lower risks of atherosclerosis and cancer of the liver. The former is reported to be due to the presence of a vitamin K-dependent protein, MGP, in atherosclerotic plaque. Gene disruption of MGP is said to result in extensive calcification of the aorta.
Comment: Vitamin K1 works just fine, but must be taken in higher amounts than K2. Even newer research is being published lately, that 10 mgs a day of K1 or 1 mg of k2, has the potential to reverse calcium deposits that may exist in the soft tissues of the body like the arteries, or anywhere else it does not belong, and help put it back into the bones, where it does belong.
This may be the most exciting reason to consider taking more of this nutrient or eating large amounts of very green leafy vegetables everyday. I personally take 10 mgs a day, on top of my other supplements for this very purpose.
Vitamin K1
Vitamin K2
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Vindication!!! Experts are coming around to increasing minimal Vitamin D levels - Finally
Life Extension Update Exclusive
Review finds current vitamin D recommendations insufficient to achieve healthy blood levels
A review published in the July, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which sought to determine the optimal serum levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D [25(OH)D] for several health outcomes concluded that it would be necessary to consume at least 1000 international units of vitamin D per day to elevate blood serum levels in half the adult population to 75 nanomoles per liter, the minimum level that the researchers found to be advantageous for helping to preserve normal bone mineral density and lower extremity function, and aiding in the prevention of periodontal disease, falls, fractures, and colorectal cancer. Although there is evidence for vitamin D in preventing other diseases such as multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, insulin resistance, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and cancers other than colorectal cancer, the authors did not include these diseases in the current review.
H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, along with colleagues at Harvard and Tufts University evaluated clinical trials and meta-analyses involving vitamin D and each of the selected health outcomes. They concluded that the most desirable serum levels of vitamin D began at 75 nanomoles per liter (30 nanograms per milliliter), and optimal levels are between 90 and 100 nanomoles per liter. These levels cannot be reached by most individuals with the current recommended intakes of 200 international units per day for younger adults and 600 international units per day for older adults. To bring vitamin D concentrations in at least 50 percent of the population up to optimal levels, the authors recommend at least 1000 IU vitamin D per day, and they remark that 2000 IU per day may be a safe recommended daily allowance.
“On the basis of this review, we suggest that, for bone health in younger adults and all outcomes in older adults, including antifracture efficacy, lower-extremity strength, dental health, and colorectal cancer prevention, an increase in the current recommended intake of vitamin D may be warranted,” the authors conclude. “Given the low cost, the safety, and the demonstrated benefit of higher 25(OH)D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation should become a public health priority to combat these common and costly chronic diseases.”
Comment: As many of you know, I have been sharing research for many years, that Vitamin D levels are way too low for most people and that I had increased my intake to 4000 IU per day.
I believe all multi- vitamins should be raised from the normal 400 IU's to at least 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's, and for anyone dealing with chronic diseases, 2000 IU's to 4000 IU's would not be too high.
If you want to increase your levels of D, here is a good source.
NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU - 200 Caps
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Review finds current vitamin D recommendations insufficient to achieve healthy blood levels
A review published in the July, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which sought to determine the optimal serum levels of the major circulating form of vitamin D [25(OH)D] for several health outcomes concluded that it would be necessary to consume at least 1000 international units of vitamin D per day to elevate blood serum levels in half the adult population to 75 nanomoles per liter, the minimum level that the researchers found to be advantageous for helping to preserve normal bone mineral density and lower extremity function, and aiding in the prevention of periodontal disease, falls, fractures, and colorectal cancer. Although there is evidence for vitamin D in preventing other diseases such as multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, insulin resistance, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and cancers other than colorectal cancer, the authors did not include these diseases in the current review.
H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, along with colleagues at Harvard and Tufts University evaluated clinical trials and meta-analyses involving vitamin D and each of the selected health outcomes. They concluded that the most desirable serum levels of vitamin D began at 75 nanomoles per liter (30 nanograms per milliliter), and optimal levels are between 90 and 100 nanomoles per liter. These levels cannot be reached by most individuals with the current recommended intakes of 200 international units per day for younger adults and 600 international units per day for older adults. To bring vitamin D concentrations in at least 50 percent of the population up to optimal levels, the authors recommend at least 1000 IU vitamin D per day, and they remark that 2000 IU per day may be a safe recommended daily allowance.
“On the basis of this review, we suggest that, for bone health in younger adults and all outcomes in older adults, including antifracture efficacy, lower-extremity strength, dental health, and colorectal cancer prevention, an increase in the current recommended intake of vitamin D may be warranted,” the authors conclude. “Given the low cost, the safety, and the demonstrated benefit of higher 25(OH)D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation should become a public health priority to combat these common and costly chronic diseases.”
Comment: As many of you know, I have been sharing research for many years, that Vitamin D levels are way too low for most people and that I had increased my intake to 4000 IU per day.
I believe all multi- vitamins should be raised from the normal 400 IU's to at least 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's, and for anyone dealing with chronic diseases, 2000 IU's to 4000 IU's would not be too high.
If you want to increase your levels of D, here is a good source.
NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU - 200 Caps
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Mushrooms
Mushrooms scored big in antioxidant rankings
29/06/2006- Ingredient suppliers have been quick to tap fruits and vegetables shown to have a high antioxidant content, like tomatoes and broccoli. Now new research suggests that mushrooms deserve a place in the antioxidant hall of fame, with an ORAC value almost on a par with red pepper. After almonds, chocolate, ‘super fruits’ and grapes, mushrooms are the latest food to have the antioxidant spotlight turned on them, as researchers from Penn State University measure the activity of two of the most useful antioxidants in different varieties of edible fungus.
The term antioxidants have entered the consumer consciousness as factors that can help reduce the risk of certain diseases and slow the ageing process by mopping up harmful reactive oxygen species known as free radicals.
Although little attention has been paid to mushrooms to date, according to Dr N Joy Dubost of Penn State, eating a variety of mushrooms alongside other veg can help ensure consumption of a variety of different antioxidants.
For her PhD thesis, Dr Dubost measured the content of two antioxidants - polyphenols and erthiotheneine – in mushrooms using the ORAC assay, the most common antioxidant test, and HPLC instrumentation.
She found that portabella mushrooms had an ORAC value of 9.7 micromoles of trolox equivalents per gram, and crimini mushrooms 9.5.
These scores were just shy of that of red pepper, which has an ORAC value of 10, and streets ahead of carrots and green beans, with a value of 5. Broccoli has an ORAC value of 12.
The results of the study showed that the anti-oxidant effect of mushrooms is primarily down to the polyphenols – but Dubost had previously shown that the fungi also have a high ergothionene content.
“Evidence suggests that ergothionene is biologically very important and, even though the assay does not show it contributes to total antioxidant activity in the mushroom, it may significantly contribute to antioxidant activity in the body,” she said.
Dr Dubost stressed that the ORAC assay, which focuses on the prolific peroxl radical, does not show what actually happens in the human body. But further investigations are underway to see how it could predict physiological activity.
The research was presented at the IFT meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week.
Try - Triple Guard Mushrooms
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C. is President of Forever Changes, Inc. - a nevada corporation.
29/06/2006- Ingredient suppliers have been quick to tap fruits and vegetables shown to have a high antioxidant content, like tomatoes and broccoli. Now new research suggests that mushrooms deserve a place in the antioxidant hall of fame, with an ORAC value almost on a par with red pepper. After almonds, chocolate, ‘super fruits’ and grapes, mushrooms are the latest food to have the antioxidant spotlight turned on them, as researchers from Penn State University measure the activity of two of the most useful antioxidants in different varieties of edible fungus.
The term antioxidants have entered the consumer consciousness as factors that can help reduce the risk of certain diseases and slow the ageing process by mopping up harmful reactive oxygen species known as free radicals.
Although little attention has been paid to mushrooms to date, according to Dr N Joy Dubost of Penn State, eating a variety of mushrooms alongside other veg can help ensure consumption of a variety of different antioxidants.
For her PhD thesis, Dr Dubost measured the content of two antioxidants - polyphenols and erthiotheneine – in mushrooms using the ORAC assay, the most common antioxidant test, and HPLC instrumentation.
She found that portabella mushrooms had an ORAC value of 9.7 micromoles of trolox equivalents per gram, and crimini mushrooms 9.5.
These scores were just shy of that of red pepper, which has an ORAC value of 10, and streets ahead of carrots and green beans, with a value of 5. Broccoli has an ORAC value of 12.
The results of the study showed that the anti-oxidant effect of mushrooms is primarily down to the polyphenols – but Dubost had previously shown that the fungi also have a high ergothionene content.
“Evidence suggests that ergothionene is biologically very important and, even though the assay does not show it contributes to total antioxidant activity in the mushroom, it may significantly contribute to antioxidant activity in the body,” she said.
Dr Dubost stressed that the ORAC assay, which focuses on the prolific peroxl radical, does not show what actually happens in the human body. But further investigations are underway to see how it could predict physiological activity.
The research was presented at the IFT meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week.
Try - Triple Guard Mushrooms
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C. is President of Forever Changes, Inc. - a nevada corporation.
Eat your Broccoli, or a hand full of Raw Almonds, your choice...
Antioxidant-rich almonds on a par with fruits and vegetables.
07-01/2006
According to recent research, antioxidant-rich almonds could be the smart choice for people trying to be health-conscious, in a very busy world.
In a new study published last month, almonds, in common with fruit and vegetables, have been found to contain high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants deactivate free radicals – cell-destroying compounds in the body that can cause heart disease, cancer and strokes.
While almonds have long been recognized as an excellent source of magnesium and vitamin E, comprehensive work had yet to be done on the quantity and quality of their antioxidant content.
Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University, said:
“ These new findings, coupled with past results, lay the groundwork for future clinical trials that examine a link between whole almond consumption and the reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
By testing the eight most common varieties of California almonds, researchers at Tufts University in California, discovered that the nuts contained 3 very important antioxidants, which are particularly important in fighting the cell damage that can lead to serious illnesses.
The study also claims that one serving of the nut contains the same amount of the antioxidant flavenoid as an equivalent portion of broccoli.
The next stage of the research will focus on determining how the human body extracts and absorbs the beneficial compounds.
In addition to their high antioxidant content, almonds as an effective means of lowering cholesterol.
Previous research has found that the antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds work in tandem – and are more effective when taken in conjunction with each other – to prevent the oxidization of LDL, ‘bad’ cholesterol.
According to the Almond Board of California, around a handful of the nut reduces LDL cholesterol by 4.4% from baseline.
A single ounce of almonds contains 160 calories, calcium, potassium and iron as well as being a good source of protein and fiber.
Today’s research was partly funded by the Almond Board of California and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
07-01/2006
According to recent research, antioxidant-rich almonds could be the smart choice for people trying to be health-conscious, in a very busy world.
In a new study published last month, almonds, in common with fruit and vegetables, have been found to contain high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants deactivate free radicals – cell-destroying compounds in the body that can cause heart disease, cancer and strokes.
While almonds have long been recognized as an excellent source of magnesium and vitamin E, comprehensive work had yet to be done on the quantity and quality of their antioxidant content.
Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University, said:
“ These new findings, coupled with past results, lay the groundwork for future clinical trials that examine a link between whole almond consumption and the reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
By testing the eight most common varieties of California almonds, researchers at Tufts University in California, discovered that the nuts contained 3 very important antioxidants, which are particularly important in fighting the cell damage that can lead to serious illnesses.
The study also claims that one serving of the nut contains the same amount of the antioxidant flavenoid as an equivalent portion of broccoli.
The next stage of the research will focus on determining how the human body extracts and absorbs the beneficial compounds.
In addition to their high antioxidant content, almonds as an effective means of lowering cholesterol.
Previous research has found that the antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds work in tandem – and are more effective when taken in conjunction with each other – to prevent the oxidization of LDL, ‘bad’ cholesterol.
According to the Almond Board of California, around a handful of the nut reduces LDL cholesterol by 4.4% from baseline.
A single ounce of almonds contains 160 calories, calcium, potassium and iron as well as being a good source of protein and fiber.
Today’s research was partly funded by the Almond Board of California and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Can vitamin C control inflammation and cut heart disease risk?
From The International Health News...
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
Further study on the possible links between vitamin C and ischemic heart disease suggests that vitamin C has antiinflammatory effects and is associated with lower levels of markers for inflammation and hemostasis (blood clotting). Researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School gathered data on 3,258 British men aged 60 to 79 years, who were free of heart disease and diabetes. The men's fruit and vegetable and vitamin C intakes were measured using a questionnaire. Results showed that higher vitamin C levels in the blood plasma, higher fruit intake, and higher dietary vitamin C intake were all linked significantly with lower levels of markers of inflammation and hemostasis - specifically C-reactive protein, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, a marker of endothelial dysfunction (damaging changes to the cells lining the heart and blood vessels). Those in the top quarter for plasma vitamin C had a 44 per cent lower risk of elevated C-reactive protein, and a 21 per cent lower risk of elevated t-PA, compared with the lowest quarter, report the authors. Plasma vitamin C was also inversely linked to fibrinogen concentrations and blood viscosity. The reduction in risk in the highest quarter for fruit intake was 24 per cent for both elevated C-reactive protein and t-PA. Weaker links were found for vegetable intake. Dietary vitamin C was significantly associated with C-reactive protein and t-PA. These results confirm previous findings that plasma and dietary vitamin C levels have are inversely associated with some markers of greater risk of cardiovascular disease among white men. Large randomized trials of the effect of vitamin C supplementation on markers of inflammation and hemostasis would be useful, they conclude. In an accompanying editorial, researchers from the University of California, Davis Medical Center discuss whether vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory agent by considering possible mechanisms behind the effect. They explain that attempts to control inflammation may prove central to the fight against cardiovascular disease, and the antioxidant vitamin C may play a role, although its effects on inflammation remain unclear. They point out several limitations of the UK study, adding that supplementation studies have failed to find reductions in inflammatory markers, and conclude that the effect is far from certain. Wannamethee, S. G. et al. Associations of vitamin C status, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 567-74 Jialal, I. and Singh, U. Is vitamin C an antiinflammatory agent? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 525-26
See Linus Paulings views on what Vitamin C can do...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
Further study on the possible links between vitamin C and ischemic heart disease suggests that vitamin C has antiinflammatory effects and is associated with lower levels of markers for inflammation and hemostasis (blood clotting). Researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School gathered data on 3,258 British men aged 60 to 79 years, who were free of heart disease and diabetes. The men's fruit and vegetable and vitamin C intakes were measured using a questionnaire. Results showed that higher vitamin C levels in the blood plasma, higher fruit intake, and higher dietary vitamin C intake were all linked significantly with lower levels of markers of inflammation and hemostasis - specifically C-reactive protein, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, a marker of endothelial dysfunction (damaging changes to the cells lining the heart and blood vessels). Those in the top quarter for plasma vitamin C had a 44 per cent lower risk of elevated C-reactive protein, and a 21 per cent lower risk of elevated t-PA, compared with the lowest quarter, report the authors. Plasma vitamin C was also inversely linked to fibrinogen concentrations and blood viscosity. The reduction in risk in the highest quarter for fruit intake was 24 per cent for both elevated C-reactive protein and t-PA. Weaker links were found for vegetable intake. Dietary vitamin C was significantly associated with C-reactive protein and t-PA. These results confirm previous findings that plasma and dietary vitamin C levels have are inversely associated with some markers of greater risk of cardiovascular disease among white men. Large randomized trials of the effect of vitamin C supplementation on markers of inflammation and hemostasis would be useful, they conclude. In an accompanying editorial, researchers from the University of California, Davis Medical Center discuss whether vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory agent by considering possible mechanisms behind the effect. They explain that attempts to control inflammation may prove central to the fight against cardiovascular disease, and the antioxidant vitamin C may play a role, although its effects on inflammation remain unclear. They point out several limitations of the UK study, adding that supplementation studies have failed to find reductions in inflammatory markers, and conclude that the effect is far from certain. Wannamethee, S. G. et al. Associations of vitamin C status, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 567-74 Jialal, I. and Singh, U. Is vitamin C an antiinflammatory agent? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, March 2006, pp. 525-26
See Linus Paulings views on what Vitamin C can do...
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)