tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53910941757861363602024-03-07T20:24:39.174-08:00Feed Your MindA summary of research from the field of Mind-Body Medicine, plus tips for achieving a calm mind and healthy bodyDr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-28080850865837262962013-05-02T17:01:00.002-07:002013-05-02T17:01:26.961-07:00Meditating affects your Genes<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;">A new study by Dr. Herbert Benson, author of The Relaxation Response, found that meditation affects how your DNA expresses itself.</span></div>
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In a new Harvard study, both experienced meditation practitioners and those new to the practice were taught a simple meditation technique, which I teach in my book How to Give Clients the Skills to Stop Panic Attacks: Don't Forget to Breathe. The meditators had blood test results that proved that the meditation changed how the genes expressed themselves, but those who had meditated longer had more profound results. </div>
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The exciting part is that genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and telomere maintenance were turned on, while those involved in inflammation were turned off. In other words, meditation turns on gene expression that foster the body's natural self-repair mechanisms, helping to prevent and treat aging and disease, while shutting off gene expression that predisposes the body to illness. Pretty cool!</div>
</span>Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-53048417338934631412011-08-25T14:46:00.001-07:002011-08-25T14:46:35.000-07:00Are Chemicals Making You Fat?Many people say the obesity epidemic could be solved if we just got off our butt to hit the gym and stopped eating so many Big Macs. Diet and exercise do play a huge role in what we weigh, of course, but there’s one glitch with this theory: Over the past quarter century, the incidence of obesity has risen most markedly—by a whopping 74 percent—not in adults or children, but in infants.<br />
<br />
In fact, six-month-olds today are fatter than they were in 1980, despite the fact that birth weights overall have been decreasing—a finding that makes some scientists wonder whether environmental chemicals could be causing babies to rapidly gain weight after birth. Bruce Blumberg, Ph.D., a biologist at the University of California-Irvine, is so concerned that these chemicals play a significant role in the rise in obesity that he considers them “obesogens.” “Not too long ago, no one would’ve believed there was such a thing as an obesogen and that anything except eating too much could make you fat,” he says. But in Blumberg’s research, TBT, a common chemical used to make PVC plastic (of the sort found in some shower curtains), caused mice to develop extra fat cells. And when Blumberg exposed pregnant mice to the chemical, their pups grew to be up to 15 percent fatter than mice that hadn’t been exposed.<br />
<br />
Now, this is animal research, and no one knows just how widely humans are exposed to TBT, which hasn’t been tested extensively in humans. But last year researchers at the University at Albany in New York found traces of the chemical in every single sample of house dust they analyzed.<br />
<br />
BPA and phthalates, chemicals used to make plastic flexible, may also impact your weight. Boston University research found that teen girls with greater levels of a certain phthalate in their urine were at higher BMIs than those without. Another study found that Americans who were most exposed to both chemicals were more at risk of developing diabetes. As a double whammy, BPA and some pesticides may even disrupt our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and hunger—two key factors in losing weight. “For me, there’s no doubt common chemicals are playing a role in obesity and related diseases,” says Richard Stahlhut, M.D., an environmental health scientist at the University of Rochester in New York. “Some overweight people have been taking a beating for diseases that are not their fault.”<br />
<br />
The good news, some researchers say, is that we may be able to lose weight not by starving ourselves but by avoiding obesogens. While researching his book The New American Diet, journalist Stephen Perrine asked 400 people to cut their obesogen exposure for six weeks. “We had them swap out foods that tended to be high in obesogens, such as canned foods and grain-fed meats, for versions of these foods with lower chemical loads,” Perrine says. They were still allowed to eat burgers and pork chops, just ones that were free-range and hormone-free. After six weeks, the subjects had lost, on average, 15 pounds. Filling your plate with (organic) green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, which are high in folate, also helps.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-14924895944325374462011-08-23T20:31:00.000-07:002011-08-23T20:31:42.695-07:00Ginger and Lentil SoupThis anti-inflammatory, healing soup is perfect for a cool fall day. As we transition from summer to fall, try adding warming foods to your diet.<br />
<br />
<b>Healing Ginger and Lentil Soup</b><br />
<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 large onion, chopped small<br />
3 to 6 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 to 4 tablespoons ginger, grated or<br />
nely diced<br />
3 cups water<br />
3 to 4 carrots, sliced<br />
1 pound French lentils<br />
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth<br />
2 teaspoons ground cumin<br />
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to<br />
taste)<br />
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
grated Gruyere cheese for serving<br />
(optional)<br />
cooked quinoa for serving<br />
<br />
Sift through the lentils for rocks and pebbles. Place in a colander and rinse with cool water. Set aside.<br />
Chop onions and garlic, grate ginger, and chop carrots.<br />
Place a large pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onions. Cook until transparent and slightly browned. Add garlic, ginger, carrots and cook, while stirring,for 1 minute. <br />
Add cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds.<br />
Add the water to the hot pot and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot as the liquid sizzles. <br />
Add lentils and broth and simmer for about 45 minutes, until<br />
lentils have softened.<br />
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Finish with lemon.<br />
Serve with grated cheese and/or quinoa.<br />
The soup will last in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. It’s also great to keep in the freezer.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-78966908298589363092011-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:002011-08-18T20:10:16.430-07:0010 ways to help your child grow their best brain1. Help your child learn to sing or play music or learn a second language. <br />
2. Make sure he or she has plenty of physical activity; whenever possible, outdoors is best. <br />
3. Cut down on sugar, especially soda and diet soda. <br />
4. Make sure they get plenty of protein. <br />
5. Be consistent about hours for eating, sleeping and waking. <br />
6. Help your child set goals and respect limits. <br />
7. Feed various ways of learning. Take them to a science fair one weekend and an art fair the next. Take them to a sports competition another week and a play the next. <br />
8. Provide opportunities for social interaction with people of all ages. <br />
9. Remember that one-third of the brain is set up to execute and two-thirds, to receive information. Make room for quiet time. <br />
10. If your child studies or reads all the time, plays computer games all the time, or plays sports all the time, know that too much of anything is too much. The brain needs balance and harmony. <br />
<br />
<br />
Lee Gerdes<br />
Author of <i>Limitless You:<br />
The Infinite Possibilities of a Balanced Brain<br />
<br />
</i> <br />
Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-90328665845651211822011-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:002011-08-16T17:23:56.166-07:00More muscle mass can protect against insulin resistance and prediabetes.In a cross-sectional study, every 10% increase in the ratio of skeletal muscle mass to total body weight was associated with an 11% reduction in risk of insulin resistance and a 12% drop in risk of transitional, prediabetes, or overt diabetes. Over 13,000 people were studied via an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III data. The findings point to the importance of gauging muscle mass, in addition to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, when assessing a patient's metabolic health, the researchers said.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-65406538370677853342011-08-12T20:04:00.001-07:002011-08-12T20:04:21.251-07:00Foods for Colon HealthA new study from a California research team suggests that eating more legumes (dried beans, dried peas and lentils) at least three times a week can cut the risk of developing colon polyps (which can lead to cancer) by 33 percent. Brown rice reduces the risk, too, by 40 percent. Researchers at Loma Linda University also found that eating cooked green vegetables at least once a day, and dried fruit at least three times a week offers additional protection. The researchers analyzed data from more than 2,800 adults in the Adventist Health Study-1 performed in 1976-77, including information on participants who responded to a follow up study 26 years later. The first study asked participants how often they consumed specific foods. The investigators also considered other factors that could influence colon cancer risk, including family history of the disease, education, physical activity level, and constipation. They also checked alcohol intake, how often the participants ate sweets, used pain medication and took multivitamins. The study was published in the May 2011 issue of Nutrition and Cancer.<br />
<br />
Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-27567754606561476882011-07-26T19:53:00.001-07:002011-07-26T19:53:16.547-07:00Vitamin D Reduces Diabetes RiskHigher levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be associated with a reduced risk of diabetes among people at high risk for the disease, according to a new report. In a study of over 2,000 people with prediabetes, it was seen that the higher the level of vitamin D in the blood, the lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. <br />
<br />
Dr. Pittas of Tuft's University says that vitamin D might play a role in diabetes by improving insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. Though this has been seen over the years in a few other studies, this is the first one that reflects the benefit of a long-term vitamin D status.<br />
<br />
The research showed that for every 5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) increase in vitamin D levels, the risk of developing diabetes dropped by 8%.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-36546145488976539422011-07-26T19:48:00.000-07:002011-07-26T19:48:21.302-07:00Thyroid Health Affected by Nutritional Status and Stress HormonesI recently had the privilege of hearing Dr. Chris Meletis at an Advanced Hormone Module sponsored by the Institute for Functional Medicine, According to Dr. Meletis, "the clinical evidence is clear that prior to offering thyroid replacement, identifying underlying triggers for thyroid dysfunction is a must. The First Approach ideally incorporates ensuring that the adrenal function is sufficient as defined by adequate cortisol levels, along with DHEA sulfate and pregnenolone levels. Relative to specific nutritional supplements ensuring that there are sufficient ferritin levels of at least 70 to 100 is a must, along with adequate serum selenium of at least 90 mcg/L. In addition making sure that zinc status is optimal is foundational, as low zinc can also lower both T4/T3 levels. Iodine is certainly a must as well, with a minimum of 150 mcg daily, with at least 1000 mcg per day a common initial therapeutic dosing. It has also been noted that 40% of hypothyroid patients are B12 deficient." <br />
<br />
It is essential to ask the clinical question of why a tissue or gland has become insufficient. Optimizing nutritional status is always the first step, while making sure that an acute or chronic adrenal stress response has not down-regulated the TSH and Free T4 and Free T3 is an absolute consideration. In addition, thyroid hormone levels are dynamic as reflected in the 2007 survey published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,which showed that values spontaneously returned to normal in more than 50% of patients with abnormal TSH levels when the test was repeated at a later date. <br />
<br />
So the bottom line is have your physician check adrenal functioning and nutritional status first before putting you on thyroid replacement hormone. Once on a replacement hormone, such as Synthroid, the thyroid may shut down, which necessitates being on thyroid replacement therapy for life.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-88228262853843048422011-07-20T19:23:00.000-07:002011-07-20T19:23:25.411-07:00What's the Best Way to Do a Dietary Cleanse?Faddish juice fasts can shed pounds speedily … but experts agree that a slower, whole-foods approach to cleansing is healthier and more sustainable <br />
<br />
One thing’s for certain. The juice cleanse has gone mainstream. <br />
<br />
Celebrities like Julia Roberts and Beyoncé have gone public with their affection for juice delivery services like NYC’s Blueprint Cleanse and that old dieting stalwart, the Master Cleanse. <br />
<br />
But are they effective? Depends on the goal. <br />
<br />
“The motivation for these cleanses is typically weight loss,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a NYC-based nutritionist and author of Read It Before You Eat It, who points out that most people who lose weight on trendy cleanses tend to gain it back. <br />
<br />
For those looking for more of a digestive tune-up – following, say, an overindulgent summer barbecue – the experts are split when it comes to endorsing the recent spate of pricey juice and raw-food cleanses to get back on track. <br />
<br />
But they’re all in agreement that easy lifestyle fixes (read: inexpensive) can be just as effective. Here are 5 simple expert-endorsed tips to cleansing and getting your systems back on track. <br />
<br />
1) Find the right time to do it. <br />
Timing is everything, and that applies to cleansing as well. Don’t pick the week a big work project is due to focus on detoxing. <br />
<br />
Dr. Ron Stram, Director at the Center for Integrative Health and Healing, cites a low-stress environment as being necessary for optimal results. “Activity level should be moderate and you should feel relaxed,” he says. <br />
<br />
And let’s not forget sleep. Pamela Salzman, a holistic health counselor based in Los Angeles, states that sleep is when detoxification and physical restoration occurs. Plus, “people who are under-rested are more susceptible to illness and tend to make poor dietary choices,” says Monica Reinagel, nutritionist and author of Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet. <br />
<br />
Taub-Dix agrees, saying, “You end up reaching for a cookie instead of a nap.” She also says sustained wellness comes from practicing the trifecta of exercise, healthy diet, and sleep: “Think of a 3-legged stool. Take away one of those legs and the stool won’t be stable.” <br />
<br />
2) Create a sustainable cleanse. <br />
Most experts who aren’t fans of juice cleanses point out it’s not feasible to sustain them and their effects for a prolonged period of time. <br />
<br />
“Healthful cleansing has just as much to do with moderation as overeating,” says Taub-Dix, who suggests taking an overall look at your diet and eating habits to assess what’s missing and what you really need to add for good health. <br />
<br />
Set goals that can be integrated into your life, such as planning, shopping for, and eating a well-balanced breakfast for a week to combat the mid-morning slump. “The reality is that fad diets are based on some sort of truth that go off the deep end,” she says. <br />
<br />
Apply common-sense principles, such as eliminating processed foods and caffeine or eating more raw food. Avoid extremes and look for sustainable change. <br />
<br />
Reinagel also says that a 24-hour fast may be useful for people who are overly dependent on food and need to “break the cycle,” adding that a fast has “little to do with resting the digestive organs, but can reduce inflammation and improve immune response.” <br />
<br />
No matter what, fasting for a prolonged period of time or drastically reducing your caloric intake aren’t good ideas. “Your body actually needs food to cleanse and won’t be able to function properly while fasting,” says Salzman. <br />
<br />
3) Up your intake of fruits and vegetables.<br />
Certain powerhouse fruits and veggies will offer more benefits on a cleanse than others. Salzman favors dark green, leafy vegetables, like kale and parsley, as they’re “rich in chlorophyll, one of nature’s natural detoxifiers.” She also recommends adding lemon juice to your water and food, as it “breaks up and draws out stagnant mucus in the body.” <br />
<br />
Dr. Stram advocates consuming cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy, all of which contain compounds that help the liver detoxify. “Fruits and vegetables promote healthy colon function,” adds Reinagel, meaning that they help flush out toxins. <br />
<br />
4) Chug more water. <br />
The easiest, fastest way to jumpstart a cleanse is to properly hydrate. “Water hydrates the cells and helps flush your circulatory and lymph systems,” says Dr. Stram. <br />
<br />
Translation: Your internal system of checks and balances won’t function at its best unless you’re drinking enough water. <br />
<br />
Plus, “cleansing is about eliminating toxins,” says Salzman. “Once your body releases toxins, you must up your intake of water to dilute them and flush them out.” <br />
<br />
5) Give it time to kick in. <br />
Most people find the first few days the most challenging. “Sometimes you feel worse before you feel better,” says Salzman. “Many people experience symptoms of withdrawal from sugar, caffeine or chemicals in foods. Headaches and irritability are very common as toxins enter the bloodstream.” <br />
<br />
Dr. Stram will advise patients combating caffeine withdrawal to switch to green tea for a few days. <br />
<br />
If you’re sticking to healthful, “clean” foods, drinking lots of water, aiming for adequate sleep, and still feeling rotten, give your body the time needed to expel the toxins first, before turning to more drastic, less balanced fad cleanses. <br />
<br />
Written by by Teri Tsang Barrett for Vital Choice NewsletterDr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-91185265450409065982011-07-20T13:31:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:31:43.481-07:00Does Menu Diversity Lead to Overeating?Repeatedly being offered the same foods may lead to food ‘boredom’ and decrease energy intakes in women, but variety may actually increase caloric intake, suggests a new study.<br />
<br />
A study with obese and non-obese women showed that, when macaroni and cheese was offered daily, the energy consumed decreased by about 100 calories a day. When the mean was provided only weekly, caloric intake increased by about 30 calories per day.<br />
<br />
Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the University of Vermont report their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .<br />
<br />
The findings support dietary advice for people to try to eat the same food every day, “in which case habituation may develop that would reduce the likelihood of overeating and subsequent obesity”, according to the researachers.<br />
<br />
Led by Buffalo’s Leonard Epstein, the researchers note that monotony is known to reduce food acceptability and consumption, but their study “provide[s] the first evidence in humans that habituation may provide a theoretical explanation for why repeatedly consuming the same food will lead to reduced consumption.<br />
<br />
“Long-term habituation, in terms of a faster rate of habituation and reduced energy intake, was observed for the daily group but not for the weekly group.<br />
<br />
“Repeated presentations once a day compared with once a week provide a reference point for the interval between food presentations that could lead to long-term habituation,” added Epstein and his co-workers.<br />
<br />
Results showed that women in the daily group consumed less calories per day, whereas the weekly food exposure increased the caloric intake, and the results were the same for both obese and non-obese women.<br />
<br />
“It is of interest that obese subjects and non-obese subjects showed similar long-term habituation to daily presentations of the same food<br />
“These results suggest that repeated presentations of the same [main meal] over days would equally effective for obese and non-obese women,” wrote the researchers.Commenting on the study, Avena and Gold said the work was “very important” but limited due to only including women.<br />
<br />
“Thus, it will be important to further explore whether the findings obtained in the present study extend to men.”<br />
<br />
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition <br />
Volume 94, Pages 371-376<br />
“Long-term habituation to food in obese and nonobese women”<br />
Authors: L.H. Epstein, K.A. Carr, M.D. Cavanaugh, R.A. Paluch, M.E. Bouton<br />
<br />
Editorial: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<br />
Volume 94, Pages 367-368<br />
“Variety and hyperpalatability: are they promoting addictive overeating?”<br />
Authors: N.M. Avena, M.S. Gold<br />
<br />
<i>Now tell me what you think? Does diversity in food choices lead to overeating? Maybe it depends upon what's being served. I could eat dark chocolate 365 days a year.</i>Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-91872478731772025022011-07-19T19:47:00.000-07:002011-07-19T19:47:06.982-07:00Deficiency in D major: Did vitamin deficiency led to Mozart’s untimely death?A lack of exposure to sun and the resulting deficiency in vitamin D may have been behind the early demise of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, suggests a new analysis.<br />
<br />
All work and no play (outside), made Wolfgang a sick boy<br />
Mozart passed away at the tender age of 35 having suffered from a list of infectious diseases throughout his lifetime, including pneumonia and sepsis, heart disease, and kidney disease, all of which have a link to vitamin D deficiency, according to a letter to the journal Medical Problems of Performing Artists.<br />
<br />
William Grant, PhD, from the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) in San Francisco and Stefan Pilz, MD, from the Medical University of Graz in Austria report that weak sunlight for six months of the year in Salzburg and Vienna would have made it impossible for a person to make vitamin D from sun exposure.<br />
<br />
Add to this that Mozart did the majority of his composing at night – and therefore slept during the day – and you have a new hypothesis to explain Mozart’s death.<br />
<br />
“While understanding the causes of Mozart’s death cannot bring him back,” wrote Grant and Pilz, “it does have an important lesson for those living at higher latitudes in Europe and elsewhere regarding the importance of vitamin D.<br />
<br />
“Emerging science indicates that the serum 25(OH)D level [the storage form of vitamin D in the body] for optimal health is 75 to 100 nmol/L or slightly higher. Mainly attributable to reduced sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis in the skin, the population mean value for those living at mid-to-high latitudes is between 40 and 65 nmol/L.<br />
<br />
“To increase serum 25(OH)D levels to over 100 nmol/L could take 2500 to 5000 IU of vitamin D per day.”<br />
<br />
Source: Medical Problems of Performing Artists <br />
June 2011, Volume 26, Number 2, Page 117 <br />
“Vitamin D deficiency contributed to Mozart's death”<br />
Authors: W.B. Grant, S. PilzDr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-48599066649293924982011-07-11T20:10:00.000-07:002011-07-11T20:10:34.952-07:00"Chemical Calories" May Be Making Us FatHair-raising theory: Scientists say chemicals in beauty products can make us put on weight by altering our hormone balance<br />
<br />
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2013283/Is-shampoo-making-FAT-The-truth-chemical-calories-beauty-products.html#ixzz1RqpBRWQE<br />
<br />
By Peta Bee<br />
<br />
When it comes to losing weight, most of us are aware of the three factors at play: genetics, the number of calories we consume and the energy we are prepared to expend sweating our way into shape. <br />
<br />
We can’t choose our parents but, according to the dieting mantra, eat healthily, exercise regularly and the pounds will eventually drop off. <br />
<br />
But what if your body stubbornly refuses to remove excess fat, despite concerted efforts to shift it? Emerging evidence suggests that a more sinister reason than food and activity could be contributing to weight problems and that so-called ‘chemical calories’ lurking in everyday beauty products such as shampoo, body lotions and soap could be to blame. <br />
<br />
Doctors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York claim that phthalates, chemical ingredients in 70 per cent of cosmetics as well as many household cleaning products, have been shown to throw the body’s natural weight control system, a delicate balance of hormones, off kilter. <br />
<br />
They suggest that exposure to phthalates through daily use may be linked to childhood obesity and weight problems in adults. <br />
<br />
In their long-term study on girls living in the inner city area of East Harlem, the Mount Sinai team measured exposure to phthalates by analysing the children’s urine. <br />
<br />
‘The heaviest girls have the highest levels of phthalates in their urine,’ says Professor Philip Landrigan, a paediatrician and the study author. ‘It goes up as the children get heavier, but it’s most evident in the heaviest kids.’<br />
<br />
Phthalates have been widely used as gelling agents in cosmetics, cleaning products and to make plastic bottles for more than half a century, but it has only just come to light that there may be possible health risks.<br />
Another substance, Bisphenol-A (BPA), also present in containers and bottles, has also been found to provide ‘chemical calories’. <br />
<br />
It’s the fact they are absorbed into the body that causes most concern. Billed as ‘endocrine disruptors’, they are known to affect the glands and hormones that regulate numerous bodily functions. <br />
<br />
Studies on animals have shown consistently that the chemicals depress testosterone levels, known to be a risk factor for weight gain. They have also been found to mimic the effects of oestrogen, which have been linked to weight gain and early puberty.<br />
<br />
Further research on humans linked phthalates with poor semen quality in men and with subtle alterations in the reproductive organs of male babies. And now come the latest revelations that they may also influence weight. <br />
<br />
In numerous studies, mice exposed to such ‘endocrine disruptors’ became obese. But could the same effect occur in people?<br />
<br />
Zoe Harcombe, nutritionist and author of the Obesity Epidemic, says that even the slightest disruption to hormone levels ‘is very bad news’ for someone trying to lose weight. <br />
<br />
‘In men, phthalates and other chemicals have an anti-testosterone capacity that has been linked to obesity,’ she says. ‘In women they mess up our basic genetic hormone balance so that you get disruptions similar to those that might occur during the menopause or at puberty.’ <br />
<br />
Using phthalate-containing cosmetics when you are dieting could make matters worse. ‘Women who follow a low-fat diet are likely to suffer the most from adverse side-effects to these chemicals,’ says Harcombe: <br />
‘By reducing the fat they consume, they also reduce the fat-soluble vitamins in their body. That often leaves them with dry skin. They slather on moisturisers to rectify that problem without realising they are unwittingly causing another by supplying chemical calories through the skin.’<br />
<br />
Among those at the forefront of tackling obesity, the influence of chemicals is a hot topic. <br />
<br />
<br />
Tam Fry, a spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, says many obesity doctors accept that the hormonal disruption caused by exposure to chemicals does play a part in weight problems. While under-activity and over-eating remain the major causes of obesity, Fry says more work needs to be done to confirm the links. <br />
<br />
‘There is particular concern about whether these chemicals with an oestrogenic effect are contributing to earlier puberty in girls,’ Fry says. <br />
<br />
<br />
‘Girls reach puberty when they are at a weight that can support the reproductive cycle and this is getting earlier and earlier. Whether that’s a result of straightforward over-eating by a generation of young girls or whether there is an additional chemical effect, we don’t yet know.’ <br />
<br />
It’s not just girls who seem susceptible to the phthalate effect. In 2007, researchers at the University of Rochester school of medicine in New York found the same class of chemicals were contributing to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, in men.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-16142313120353596202011-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:002011-06-30T21:07:59.163-07:00Adding Soluble Fiber to the Diet May Reduce Abdominal FatIncreased soluble fibre consumption may reduce the amount of deep belly fat that we accumulate, according to new research.<br />
The study, published in Nature’s journal Obesity, found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, deep belly visceral fat, known to be more dangerous than subcutaneous fat found near the skin, was reduced by 3.7 per cent over five years.<br />
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In addition, the authors reported that increased moderate activity resulted in a 7.4 per cent decrease in the rate of visceral fat accumulation over the same time.<br />
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“Our study is valuable because it provides specific information on how dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, may affect weight accumulation through abdominal fat deposits,” said Dr Kristen Hairston, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.<br />
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In the longitudinal study, Hairston and her team examined whether lifestyle factors, including diet and frequency of exercise, were associated with a five-year change in abdominal fat of African Americans and Hispanic Americans – populations who are at a disproportionally higher risk for developing high blood pressure and diabetes and accumulating visceral fat.<br />
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Central obesity has been associated with hypertension, blood lipid imbalances, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and type-2 diabetes.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-57623560090897306602011-06-19T15:35:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:35:22.586-07:00Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease<b>The growing culprit behind liver disease<br />
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</b>By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Producer<br />
June 17, 2011 6:22 a.m. EDT<br />
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(CNN) -- The first time Wilson Alvarado got lost on the way to a neighborhood park, he told his wife, Patricia, not to worry about it -- he was 62, he told her, and just getting a little forgetful.<br />
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Patricia thought it was strange, considering the park was only a half-mile away, and he'd driven there every week for more than 30 years. Then Wilson got lost again on the way to the park. A few months later, he called Patricia from the supermarket, asking why he was there.<br />
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"I thought, well, maybe he really is just getting old," Patricia recalls. "My mother has Alzheimer's, and I thought maybe that was it."<br />
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It was easy to overlook the little memory lapses until several years later when the situation reached a head. While her husband was visiting relatives in Puerto Rico, Patricia received a phone call from his cousin saying they'd taken Wilson to the hospital because he "wasn't making any sense" and was acting so aggressive the hospital put him in restraints.<br />
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"It was really horrifying," she says.<br />
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Patricia had him put back on a plane to Buffalo, near their home in Cheektowaga, New York. His doctors explained that liver disease was behind Wilson's memory lapses and erratic behavior.<br />
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"When you think about this kind of thing, you think about dementia or Alzheimer's," she says. "You don't think about the liver."<br />
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Wilson had cirrhosis, just like alcoholics get, but in his case, fat, not alcohol, was the culprit. At 5 feet 8 inches and 185 pounds, Wilson is overweight, and too much fat in his liver eventually caused it to malfunction.<br />
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of Americans are either overweight or obese, and doctors say they're seeing more and more patients like Wilson Alvarado.<br />
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"It's overwhelming how many patients we're seeing with this problem," says Dr. Naim Alkhouri, a hepatologist at the Cleveland Clinic.<br />
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Dr. William Carey, also a hepatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, adds, "This is huge. We didn't even know this disease existed 30 years ago. Now it's the most common liver disease in America."<br />
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'We won't have the ability to treat all these patients'<br />
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About a third of the U.S. population has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to Dr. Michael Curry, a hepatologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.<br />
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Curry said most of those people -- about 80% -- will not develop significant liver disease. The other 20% will develop a disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. Of those, about 20-30% will go on to develop cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, where the only real treatment is a liver transplant.<br />
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"That's about 6 million people. We won't have the ability to treat all those patients," Curry says. "If we even have a fraction of that number of patients, it will overwhelm liver transplant programs."<br />
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Laundry in the refrigerator<br />
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NASH is often silent, according to the National Institutes of Health. While some people have pain in the right side of their abdomen, most do not. Liver enzyme tests are sometimes normal, and even ultrasounds and CT scans don't always pick up on the disease.<br />
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"Symptoms are few and far between," the Cleveland Clinic's Carey says.<br />
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"It can sneak up on you," says Dr. Kevin Mullen, a hepatologist at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "Even your doctor might miss it."<br />
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Often symptoms don't show up until the disease has progressed. Sometimes, the first sign is a swollen stomach or ankles, or vomiting blood.<br />
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Some patients, such as Wilson Alvarado, develop brain changes called hepatic encephalopathy. As the disease progresses, the liver has a hard time filtering out toxins, which can go to the brain and cause problems such as memory lapses, trouble sleeping at night and lack of coordination.<br />
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"It might start out with minimal changes, like a few more dents in the car," Curry says.<br />
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Later, the changes can become more disturbing.<br />
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"I had a patient who put his laundry in the refrigerator," Carey says. "Another one couldn't remember the family party that had just happened that very day."<br />
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Curry adds, "One of my patients got into the shower and turned on boiling hot water and couldn't figure out how to switch it off."<br />
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Mullen says, "It really can be bizarre. They might try to sell their house for $100 or walking around the neighborhood unclothed."<br />
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Preventing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease<br />
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If a patient loses weight, eats better and exercises, he or she can often reverse the disease in its earlier stages.<br />
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"That's why we like to find these people early," says Alkhouri of the Cleveland Clinic.<br />
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However, by the time the disease has advanced to the point of cirrhosis, it's usually irreversible, he adds.<br />
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Alvarado had to have a liver transplant last month at the Cleveland Clinic, and his wife says his thinking has become more clear.<br />
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<i>Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with <b>sugar intake</b>, not fat.</i>Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-13780165763643298562011-06-16T20:43:00.000-07:002011-06-16T20:43:46.116-07:00Olive Oil Consumption May Lower Risk of StrokeA diet high in olive oil may help protect older people against strokes, which are the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. The findings are in a study published in the journal Neurology.<br />
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A stroke occurs when an artery within the brain, or leading to the brain, becomes blocked by a clot or bursts. The brain becomes deprived of blood and oxygen carried in the arteries and begins to die. Strokes become more common as we age – stroke risk doubles for each decade of life after age 55, according to the American Heart Association.<br />
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University of Bordeaux researchers examined the medical records and olive oil consumption of 7,625 study participants, which included people age 65 and older from the French cities of Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier. None of the participants had any history of stroke when the study began. Olive oil use was classified as “no use”, “moderate use” – meaning using olive oil for cooking or as dressing or with bread, or “intensive use” which means olive oil was used for cooking and as dressing or with bread.<br />
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Participants had follow-up exams at 2, 4, and six years and stroke incidents were recorded and verified. 148 stokes occurred after slightly more than five years. Compared to those who didn’t use olive oil, people who had “intensive use” of olive oil had a 41% lower risk for stroke.<br />
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Many previous studies have reported health benefits from eating a Mediterranean-type of diet. "Olive oil is a component of the Mediterranean Diet which has been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease and stroke. It can be included in a healthy eating plan as one of the oils that contains the least amount of saturated or bad fat,“ according to Dr. Ralph Sacco, President of the American Heart Association.<br />
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However, while numerous studies have linked the eating pattern to health benefits including lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease, Dr. Larry B. Goldstein of the Duke [University] Stroke Center, and a spokesman for the American Heart Association, is quick to note that the findings of the Neurology study show only an association between lower stroke risk and eating a diet high in olive oil, not proof that a diet high in olive oil will lower stroke risk. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t use olive oil paired with other heathy lifestyle behaviors including a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and not smoking cigarettes,” which Goldstein says are known to reduce stroke risk by 80%.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-5713474990562913102011-06-16T08:49:00.001-07:002011-06-16T08:49:57.329-07:00Mindfulness Meditation Helps Hot FlasheslIt takes some training, but practicing mindfulness meditation does seem to help ease hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia in menopausal women, according to study results from the University of Massachusetts. Researchers there taught mindfulness meditation to 55 women between the ages of 47 and 69. A comparable group of 55 women of the same age who had the same symptoms were placed on a "waiting list" for training. The women in the first group attended classes once a week for eight weeks and also had a full day of training in mindfulness meditation, which involves focusing on the present. When the study began, the women reported five or more moderate to severe hot flashes or night sweats daily. After nearly two years of practice, the meditating women reported their symptoms bothered them about 15 percent less than they had at the outset, compared to a decrease of only 7 percent in the women who were on the waiting list. The study was published in the June 2011 issue of Menopause.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-50766181036121931222011-06-15T18:12:00.000-07:002011-06-15T18:12:19.548-07:00Broccoli Extract can Selectively Target Cancer CellsThe safety, and cancer-targeting ability of the broccoli extract sulforaphane, has been backed by a new study finding that it can selectively target cancer cells. <br />
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The research, published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, reports for the first time that sulforaphane – one of the primary phytochemicals in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables – is able to selectively target and kill cancer cells, while leaving normal cells healthy and unaffected. <br />
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“It is well documented that sulforaphane can target cancer cells through multiple chemopreventive mechanisms," said the authors, led by Dr Emily Ho, associate professor at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, USA. <br />
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“Here we show for the first time that sulforaphane selectively targets benign hyperplasia cells and cancerous prostate cells while leaving the normal prostate cells unaffected,” they added. <br />
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The tissue of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, contain high levels of the plant chemicals glucosinolates. These are metabolized by the body into isothiocyanates (such as sulforaphane), which have been suggested to be powerful anti-cancer agents.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-64393033218758276522011-06-14T18:16:00.000-07:002011-06-14T18:16:11.225-07:00Moderate to Intense Exercise May Protect the BrainOlder people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level may be less likely to develop the small brain lesions, sometimes referred to as “silent strokes,” that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease, according to a new study published in the June 8, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). <br />
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“These ‘silent strokes’ are more significant than the name implies, because they have been associated with an increased risk of falls and impaired mobility, memory problems and even dementia, as well as stroke,” said study author Joshua Z. Willey, MD, MS, of Columbia University in New York and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. The research was also completed at the Univerisy of Miami in Florida. “Encouraging older people to take part in moderate to intense exercise may be an important strategy for keeping their brains healthy.” <br />
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The study involved 1,238 people who had never had a stroke. Participants completed a questionnaire about how often and how intensely they exercised at the beginning of the study and then had MRI scans of their brains an average of six years later, when they were an average of 70 years old. <br />
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A total of 43 percent of the participants reported that they had no regular exercise; 36 percent engaged in regular light exercise, such as golf, walking, bowling or dancing; and 21 percent engaged in regular moderate to intense exercise, such as hiking, tennis, swimming, biking, jogging or racquetball. <br />
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The brain scans showed that 197 of the participants, or 16 percent, had small brain lesions, or infarcts, called silent strokes. People who engaged in moderate to intense exercise were 40 percent less likely to have the silent strokes than people who did no regular exercise. The results remained the same after the researchers took into account other vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. There was no difference between those who engaged in light exercise and those who did not exercise. <br />
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“Of course, light exercise has many other beneficial effects, and these results should not discourage people from doing light exercise,” Willey said. <br />
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The study also showed that the benefit of moderate to intense exercise on brain health was not apparent for people with Medicaid or no health insurance. People who exercised regularly at a moderate to intense level who had Medicaid or no health insurance were no less likely to have silent infarcts than people who did no regular exercise. “It may be that the overall life difficulties for people with no insurance or on Medicaid lessens the protective effect of regular exercise,” Willey said.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-14745760319599789302011-06-11T18:12:00.000-07:002011-06-11T18:12:35.145-07:00The Healthy Mind PlatterJust as we now have a Healthy Food Plate, which the government recently released to replace the Food Pyramid, why not also adopt a Healthy Mind Platter. (Courtesy of Dr. Dan Siegel)<br />
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Seven daily essential mental activities to optimize brain matter and create well-being:<br />
<b>Focus Time</b>. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, we take on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.<br />
<b>Play Time</b>. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, we help make new connections in the brain.<br />
<b>Connecting Time</b>. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, and when we take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world around us, we activate and reinforce the brain's relational circuitry.<br />
<b>Physical Time</b>. When we move our bodies, especially aerobically, we strengthen the brain in many ways.<br />
<b>Time In</b>. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, we help to better integrate the brain.<br />
<b>Down Time</b>. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, we help the brain recharge.<br />
<b>Sleep Time</b>. When we give the brain the rest it needs, we consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-89376302889767246422011-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:002011-05-23T19:17:36.691-07:00Social Connections Influence Our GenesScientists are discovering that the environment plays a powerful role in biology, including influencing gene expression. For example, researchers found that social circumstances influenced gene expression in cancer cells. More than 220 genes were turned on in the cancer cells of women with low levels of social support and high levels of depression. These genes were not active in women with good social support. Some of the genes that were turned on were associated with higher rates of cancer spreading from one organ to another. These and other studies are showing that at a molecular level, social and emotional factors relate to physical health. These scientists are studying "the psychology of cells" and proving that genes and the environment are linked. Your genetic capacity can be compared to a sandbox of possibilities, but what kind of castle you build depends upon your experiences.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-86298357741235006962011-05-19T11:04:00.000-07:002011-05-19T11:04:39.083-07:00Carrageenan May Be CarcinogenicCarrageenan, a common and food additive that comes from red seaweed, is used as a thickener and emulsifier in many processed foods, such as ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed food products. Many of these products may be so-called health foods. Based on results of animal studies, it has been tagged by some as an unsafe product that may cause ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. According to Dr Andrew Weil, the evidence is compelling enough to avoid carrageenan in any product, especially if you have GI disorders such as irritable bowel disease.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-51365655884460980362011-05-18T16:15:00.000-07:002011-05-18T16:15:26.205-07:00Omega-3s May Reduce Symptoms of Depression in the ElderlyAccording to findings published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, depressed women who received daily supplements containing 2.5 grams of omega-3 experienced significant reductions in their symptoms.<br />
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In addition, researchers from the University of Pavia also report that omega-3 supplements providing a daily EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) dose of 1.67 grams and a daily DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) dose of 0.83 grams reported improvements in the ‘quality of life’.<br />
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“This [quality of life] observation has never been achieved before and it appears of great value from the clinical point of view, due to the importance of these aspects in the elderly population,” wrote the researchers.<br />
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“The concept of quality of life is defined as a perceived global satisfaction and satisfaction within a number of key domains, with special emphasis on well-being.<br />
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“Therefore, the amelioration of quality of life in depressed elderly patients after supplementation with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids is an important finding,” they added.<br />
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Jury’s still out?<br />
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The link between omega-3 and mood is complex and data to date is contradictory. For example, in researchers from Norway reported that regular and long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acid-rich cod liver oil may protect people from symptoms of depression (Journal of Affective Disorders).<br />
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Moreover, a joint Anglo-Iranian study reported that depression ratings were cut by 50 per cent following daily one gram supplements of EPA, an effect similar to that obtained by the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, according to findings published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.<br />
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Despite this growing number of studies, the science overall is unsufficient to support a link between omega-3 and depression, said the British Medical Journal's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) in February 2007.<br />
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"Despite observational evidence linking depression with reduced intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, there is no convincing basis for using these nutrients as a [means of alleviating] the condition," stated the DTB.<br />
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Commenting on the findings, Harry Rice, PhD, VP regulatory & scientific affairs for the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) welcomed the findings and said that they were not only statistically significant, “but clinically significant in that long-chain omega-3 intake improved quality of life while decreasing the severity of depression in elderly females not taking any antidepressant medication”.<br />
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“The logical next question is ‘Do the results hold up in elderly men not taking antidepressant medication?’<br />
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“While the results are exciting with potential clinical utility, it’s a stretch to conclude that the results support the theory that depression is a manifestation of a decrease in the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio caused by excessive omega-6 intake.<br />
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“For now, what can be concluded is that long-chain omega-3 supplementation reduced depressive symptoms, while improving quality of life, in elderly women. The public health implications of such findings are widespread,” added Dr Rice.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-17800164290410985902011-05-11T10:37:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:28:25.977-07:00L-theanine May Increase Concentration and Promote RelaxationDaily supplements of L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea, may help people with anxiety focus on their daily activities, suggests a new study from Japan.<br />
On the other hand, people with minimal anxiety levels did not experience any benefits from supplementation, according to findings published in the Journal of Functional Foods.<br />
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“Given that L-theanine is a relaxant, it is directly or indirectly involved at the neurochemical level and thus it is impacted by a number of neurotransmitter systems,” wrote the scientists from the University of Shiga Prefecture and Taiyo Kagaku.<br />
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“Therefore, 200 mg of L-theanine intake may help normal people with high anxiety propensity to concentrate on their daily activities.”<br />
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The study used Taiyo Kagaku’s Suntheanine-branded L-theanine ingredient, and the Japanese company funded the study.<br />
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L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves, is thought to help reduce stress, promote relaxation and improve the quality of sleep. L-theanine is found in tea leaves in low concentrations (less than 2 percent), which means that effective dosage levels (of 100 – 200mg/day) cannot be delivered from drinking tea.<br />
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Various health effects have been associated with L-theanine, including relaxation, neuroprotective effects, and improved attention.<br />
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During rest, L-theanine increases alpha activity in EEG models - suggesting greater relaxation. Whilst the amino acid is known to induce changes in alpha activity that indicates increased attentional processing during tasks that require attention.<br />
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The new study confirmed the dose of 200 mg for “enhanced performance in visual attention task, and reaction time response, among the subjects with higher anxiety propensity symptoms”.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-8298462772494874262011-05-05T18:50:00.001-07:002011-05-05T18:50:38.907-07:00Blueberries May Help Reduce Fat CellsThe benefits of blueberry consumption have been demonstrated in several nutrition studies, more specifically the cardio-protective benefits derived from their high polyphenol content. Blueberries have shown potential to have a positive effect on everything from aging to metabolic syndrome. Recently, a researcher from Texas Woman's University (TWU) in Denton, TX, examined whether blueberries could play a role in reducing one of the world's greatest health challenges: obesity. Shiwani Moghe, MS, a graduate student at TWU, decided to evaluate whether blueberry polyphenols play a role in adipocyte differentiation, the process in which a relatively unspecialized cell acquires specialized features of an adipocyte, an animal connective tissue cell specialized for the synthesis and storage of fat. Plant polyphenols have been shown to fight adipogenesis, which is the development of fat cells, and induce lipolysis, which is the breakdown of lipids/fat.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5391094175786136360.post-53049914312609307002011-05-04T12:03:00.000-07:002011-05-04T12:03:06.210-07:00Green Tea May Help MemoryDaily supplements of a green tea extract may boost mental alertness and enhance memory, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study from Korea.<br />
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Milk and sugar? Let me think about it...<br />
A combination of a green tea extract with L-theanine was associated with improvements in immediate and delayed recall, and general memory, according to findings published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods.<br />
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“As a natural ingredient with a long history of consumption, LGNC-07 [ – a combination of green tea extract and L-theanine - ] should be considered as a potential nutraceutical candidate for enhancing cognitive performance,” according to the researchers.<br />
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The majority of science on tea has looked at green tea, with benefits reported for reducing the risk of Alzheimer's and certain cancers, improving cardiovascular and oral health, as well as aiding in weight management.<br />
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Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and is somewhere between green and black tea. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.Dr Scheinbaum's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15625484332292869391noreply@blogger.com1