Organic food boosts nutritional quality of breast milk - August 9, 2007
A new study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that organic dairy and meat products in a mother’s diet positively affect the nutritional quality of her breast milk, markedly increasing beneficial fatty acids, reports Organic Monitor.
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The study, which involved 312 breast-feeding women with 1-month old infants from the Netherlands, showed that a diet in which 90% or more of dairy and meat products are organic resulted in measurably higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid — a type of fat believed to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing effects.
“The study shows that breast-feeding mothers can influence the supply and quality of fatty acids for their infants, by eating a diet with organic dairy,” says Dr Lukas Rist, lead author of the study and head of research at the Paracelsus Hospital in Switzerland.
These findings are supported by Charlotte Vallaeys, farm and food policy analyst at The Cornucopia Institute, who says: “Many consumers know that organic foods reduce their exposure to pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, but this study shows that organic foods also offer superior nutritional quality.”
Source: Natural Products Online
Food Allergies -- Do You Have Unexplained Symptoms? - July 2007
Food allergies, which claim the lives of 100 to 200 people and send another 30,000 to the emergency room each year, are on the rise in the United States. In fact, they’ve doubled in the last 15 years, according to this Washington Post article, and now affect 4 percent of adults, and 8 percent of children aged 2 and under.
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There are many theories about why food allergies are now classified as a public health problem. Among them is the hygiene hypothesis, which contends that growing up in an overly sterile environment can cause our immune systems to overreact when they’re confronted with harmless substances.
Some also blame changes in the way food is processed, genetically engineered foods, or the age when solid foods are first given to infants.
Just eight common foods—milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (like cashews), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat (gluten)—account for about 90 percent of all allergy reactions in the United States. However, you can also be allergic or sensitive to food additives like artificial colors or preservatives.
The Washington Post July 10, 2007Related Articles at Mercola.com (sign up required)
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Is Tea a Powerful Health Tonic? - July 2007
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of scientific papers researching tea, but the results are often split. While one study might find that tea boosts immune function, another often shows no effect. The research is hampered by the fact that most of the studies have examined effects on animals, and little research has been done on the differences between various types of tea.
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Nonetheless, a growing number of studies have suggested potential health benefits from tea, and this has attracted a great deal of interest. Research has indicated that tea could have beneficial effects including:
* Improved mental alertness
* Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
* Reduced blood pressure
* Lower risk of ***, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate cancer, and
* Protection again Type 2 diabetes
In 2006, a Japanese company petitioned the FDA for permission to label green tea as offering protection against heart disease. The agency denied the request, saying that the research on the subject was "supportive but not conclusive."
One component of tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), could help prevent psoriasis, prostate cancer and colon tumours. It is now being used as an ingredient in health foods, beverages and dietary supplements.
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Want to Burn More Fat During Exercise? Take a Break - July 2007
Allowing time for a rest period during your workout burns more fat than exercising for one continuous session, according to a Japanese study that could change the way we look at exercise.
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The unprecedented study compared the workout sessions of seven healthy men with an average age of 25. Their respiratory gas and heart rate were monitored, and blood samples taken, while they performed the following scenarios:
* A 60-minute workout on a cycling machine, followed by a 60-minute rest period (single)
* Two 30-minute workouts on a cycling machine with a 20-minute rest in between, and a 60-minute recovery period at the end (repeated)
* A 60-minute rest period (for control purposes)
It was found that the participants had a greater amount of fat breakdown, or lipolysis, during the repeated session than the single session.
Meanwhile, the repeated trial caused a greater increase in free fatty acids and glycerol, which are released when stored fat is burned, than did the single trial. Also during the repeated session, levels of epinephrine increased and levels of insulin decreased much more than during the single session -- a combination that may have further contributed to fat breakdown.
Current recommendations by The American College of Sports Medicine to exercise for a duration of 45 to 60 minutes may therefore not be the most effective, the researchers say. Splitting up a longer exercise session with a rest period may be more beneficial, helping people to better manage and control their weight.
Journal of Applied Physiology 102(6):2158-64 June 2007Science Blog July 18, 2007Related Articles at Mercola.com (sign up required)
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Good Nutrition Can Overcome Bad Genes - July 2007
Scientists in New Zealand are dispelling the common myth that obesity is caused by “bad genes.” In what is referred to as a breakthrough discovery, scientists from Auckland University’s Liggins Institute have discovered that genetic pre-disposition to obesity can be reversed through good nutrition in early childhood.
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Their research shows that when a mother is undernourished, her child’s body is pre-set to cope with a life of scarcity; therefore, the energy-dense, fast-food diet of the Western world results in children who are likely to become fat.
In laboratory tests, newborn offspring from both well-fed and undernourished rats were given leptin, a hormone that signals to the body when it has eaten enough. When they became adults, the long-term effects were measured by looking at genes that regulate metabolism in the liver. Rats from well-fed mothers reacted to leptin in the opposite way to those from undernourished mothers.
The researchers urge mothers to eat a more balanced diet (with the right amounts of protein and vitamins) during pregnancy. However, if the fetus is under-nourished in the womb, the long-term effects can still be corrected through good nutrition.
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What Happens When Your Cholesterol Goes Too Low? - July 2007
People who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol as much as possible may have a higher risk of cancer, according to a meta-analysis of over 41,000 patient records from 23 statin drug trials.
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The analysis raises concerns about how low cholesterol levels should actually go. Researchers found one extra case of cancer per 1,000 patients with the lowest levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, compared to patients with higher LDL levels.
Past studies have found an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease among people with extra-low cholesterol. Meanwhile, statin drugs may cause damage to the liver and muscles.
The analysis included records from patients taking statins such as Lipitor and Zocor, but did not include newer statins such as Crestor and Vytorin.
Statins, the world’s top-selling drugs, are thought to have a beneficial effect on inflammation in the body, and lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke. They may also decrease the risk of death from influenza, pneumonia and smoking.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology July 31, 2007; 50:409-418
Reuters July 24, 2007
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GM now organic - June 2007
Organic food can now contain almost 1 per cent genetically modified content, thanks to a new ruling by the EU.
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EU ministers voted yesterday to allow a 0.9 per cent limit on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in organic food, whilst retaining the 'organic' label and without a requirement to inform consumers that GMOs are present. Levels below 0.9 per cent are deemed 'adventitious or technically unavoidable'.
The decision has angered environmental groups, who claim that European governments will simply take the 0.9 per cent level as an acceptable standard for GMO contamination, rather than keeping it as a 'buffer' against accidental contamination.
Clare Oxborrow, Friends of the Earth's GM Campaigner, described the situation as 'completely unacceptable':
'EU Ministers have put the interests of the biotech industry ahead of consumers who believe that organic food should be produced to strict environmental standards,' she said. 'Organic farmers will now find it increasingly difficult to protect their crops from GM.'
Friends of the Earth called for tough, new legislation to protect farmers from 'genetic pollution'.
Source: The Ecologist Magazine
Juices 'may cut Alzheimer's risk' - September 2006
Fruit juice - The way to ward off Alzheimer's? Drinking fruit and vegetable juices frequently may significantly cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study suggests. US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years - providing a powerful set of results. They found the risk was 76% lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared with those who drank it less than once a week.
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The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
Alzheimer's is linked to the accumulation of clumps of beta-amyloid protein in the brain. There is some evidence to suggest that this process may be controlled by the chemical hydrogen peroxide. Various studies have suggested that polyphenols - chemicals available in many foods - might disrupt these processes and provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease by neutralising the effect of damaging compounds called free radicals.
Fruit and vegetable juices are particularly rich in polyphenols. Lead researcher Dr Qi Dai, of Vanderbilt University, said: "We found that frequent drinking of fruit and vegetable juices was associated with a substantially decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease. "These findings are new and suggest that fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease."
The research was carried out on Japanese Americans, but researchers said the findings were applicable to the general population.
Cheap treatmentHarriet Millward, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Many scientists believe there is a link between the release of free radicals within the body and early changes to brain cells in people who ultimately go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
"Since fruit and vegetable juices are rich in antioxidants which 'mop up' free radicals, this interesting piece of research adds weight to this theory."
Dr Millward said previous studies had produced mixed results, and some had suggested the benefits of fruit and vegetables were short lived. But she said the results of the latest study were significant because it was long-term, and had followed a relatively large group of people.
"Diet almost certainly plays a part in every person's Alzheimer's risk - and diet is a magnet for research because it could offer a relatively inexpensive way to fight a disease that ruins countless lives and costs the NHS more than cancer, stroke and heart disease put together."
Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said fruit and vegetables might also help cut the risk by helping to lower blood pressure, and keep the blood vessels in good order. Alzheimer's has been linked to poor blood supply to the brain. His colleague Dr Susanne Sorensen said: "This is an exciting study as it helps build the case that for taking action whilst still in good health may reduce the risk of developing the disease in later life. "We hope GPs will be able to use this information and pass it on to people who are deemed to be at high risk." "A Mediterranean diet of lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, some fish and alcohol, and little dairy and meat is recommended, as it is healthy and high in antioxidants.
"It is also important to take exercise and keep mentally active."
Source: BBC News, UK
Abstract
Background
Growing evidence suggests that oxidative damage caused by the β-amyloid peptide in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease may be hydrogen peroxide mediated. Many polyphenols, the most abundant dietary antioxidants, possess stronger neuroprotection against hydrogen peroxide than antioxidant vitamins.
Methods
We tested whether consumption of fruit and vegetable juices, containing a high concentration of polyphenols, decreases the risk of incident probable Alzheimer’s disease in the Kame Project cohort, a population-based prospective study of 1836 Japanese Americans in King County, Washington, who were dementia-free at baseline (1992-1994) and were followed through 2001.
Results
After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratio for probable Alzheimer’s disease was 0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.61) comparing subjects who drank juices at least 3 times per week with those who drank less often than once per week with a hazard ratio of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.31-2.29) for those drinking juices 1 to 2 times per week (P for trend < .01). This inverse association tended to be more pronounced among those with an apolipoprotein Eε-4 allele and those who were not physically active. Conversely, no association was observed for dietary intake of vitamins E, C, or β-carotene or tea consumption.
Conclusions
Fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly among those who are at high risk for the disease. These results may lead to a new avenue of inquiry in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine
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