Current Health News and Studies Concerning Nutrition & Exercise

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December 24, 2009: A ten year study conducted by Dutch researchers concluded that by measuring BMI (body mass index) or the waists of overweight people, you can precisely predict their risk of heart disease. One-half of all fatal heart attacks and one-quarter of all non-fatal heart attacks can be predicted by either measuring BMIs or waists.

It is well known that excessive BMIs or waists are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD.) But this study now shows that heart disease fatalities are predictable.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, heart disease is just about the easiest disease to prevent. But instead of attempting to treat it after it has become an afterthought, you must be proactive. The most common symptom of heart disease is sudden death! It is not, as many people think, sudden chest pains or shortness of breath.

There is one caveat in utilizing BMI measurements to ascertain the risk of sudden death from heart disease. Body mass index looks at your height in relationship to your weight. Pot-bellied sedentary people and weight lifters or bodybuilders can have similar or identical BMIs.

Several years ago, I maintained my weight anywhere from 208 to 214 pounds. Of course I was bodybuilding-- lifting heavy weights 4 days a week. I had a BMI which according to the charts would have made me overweight. But of course I wasn't. I just carried a lot of muscle. I am yet bodybuilding but now maintain my weight around 180 or so pounds.

A protruding belly may indeed indicate a high risk of heart disease, but even an underweight or 'skinny' person could be at risk too. The most dangerous type of fat you can carry is visceral fat. This fat cannot be seen by looking at a person. But if you are sedentary or inactive, you are at high risk for carrying visceral fat. This means that you are just much at risk of having a fatal heart attack as a person with a large belly.
Determine heart health
Women and belly fat

December 26, 2009: Decades ago bodybuilders and weight-lifters were thought to have had brawn at the expense of brains. You've heard the saying 'brain over brawn.' Well, new research is dispelling that notion.

Research and studies peformed by Dr. Patricia Boyle and staff at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have shown that physical strength helps to offset mental decline as a person ages.

In a report published in the November, 2009 edition of Archives of Neurology, participants who ranked in the top percent of muscle strength were 61 percent less likely to develop progressive cognitive degeneration when compared to the bottom 10 percent.

Dr. Boyle's study used 970 men and women ages 54 through 100 with an average age of 80. These participants all had normal memories. They were watched and tested over a period of four years.

Overall, the stronger study participants experienced less mental decline.

Dr. Boyle pointed out two nutrients which are superior to supporting mental acuity-- ALA (alpha lipoic acid) and ALC (acetyl L-carnitine.) ALA converts energy from food and mitochondria for use throughout the body; ALC transports fat throughour the cell membranes into cell mitochondria where it produces cellular energy through oxidation.
Source: stanford.wellsphere.com

December 27, 2009: The Nintendo Wii Fit video game is very popular, and is being advertised as helping families get more fit and active. But according to a new study result, it is not accomplishing its targeted goal.

The study was undertaken by Mr. Scott Owen, associate professor of health and exercise science at the University of Mississippi. He enlisted the help of eight families who were each given a Nintendo Wii Fit video game for the six month study.

Mr. Owens studied the families' physical activity levels for three months without the video game, and for three months with the video game. Each family member was measured as to aerobic fitness, body composition, balance, among other parameters. Their individual profiles were entered into the games' console.

The children developed important aerobic fitness after using the viedo game for three months. However, looking at the families as a whole, there was no measured benefit in the areas of daily physical activity, balance, flexibility, muscle fitness, or body composition.

Not only did the families not physically benefit from having used the game, their interest and time playing decline rapidly too. Use declined from an average of 22 minutes a day for the first six weeks to a low of 4 minutes per day during the second six weeks. That's a total decline of 82 percent!

Kansas State University professor and head of the department of kinesiology David Dzewaltowski provided a writeup on Nintendo's Wii Fit video game in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews in November, 2008. He stated that it is hard to replicate real life physical activity in a small indoor environment.

Professor Dzewaltowski further stated, "Anything that gets people to move more than they have in the past is positive, but if people are trying to replace physical activity that demands more movement with Wii, then that will be negative."
Source: emax.health.com

December 28, 2009: Brand new research undertaken by the Physiology Society in London suggests that older adults may be able to restore the metabolism and muscle-building capacity they had in their 20s. The researchers think that age brings about a slowing down of blood flow to the muscles. It is the blood that transports nutrients to your muscles.

Researchers put sedentary adults over the age of 45 on a strength training program. They trained 3 times a week employing eight exercises. The adults blood flow increased and they gained as much strength as younger weight lifters.

December 29, 2009: According to researchers from the National Eye Institute located at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, approximately 1.75 million Americans and 3.35 millions Europeans have Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) bad enough to obscure their vision. New research published in the December issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nurition showed that people who consumed a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids were 30 percent less likely to progress to the advanced form of AMD over a 12-year period than those who consumed the least.

The study used 1,837 people who had early signs of AMD. All participants were free of advanced AMD in at least one eye.

During the 12-year study period, 20 percent of the participants developed 'dry' AMD (the tissue in the center of the retina disappears); 32 percent developed 'wet' or neovascular AMD. This type of AMD is where abnormal blood vessels grow in the macula.

The study participants who consumed the higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA,) got 11 percent of their calories from the fatty acids. The others got only 1 percent of their calories from omega-3 sources.
Source: Reuters (US edition.)

December 30, 2009: Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas have discovered why it is so difficult to stop eating a reasonable portion of ice cream, potato chips, or so many other goodies which often sabotage even the best of intentions. The culprit is palmitic acid.

Palmitic acid can be found in foods like butter, cheese, milk, and beef. It travels to the brain and causes a disruption in communication between our cells and the hormones leptin and insulin. Leptin tells the brain when you are full.
Source: Muscle & Performance (January, 2010.)

January 2, 2010: Fructose within the confines of nature--the way God created it--is good. Fructose is the sugar found in fruit and vegetables. But it doesn't exist in an isolated state. Fruit and vegetables also contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Man however has perverted God's perfect creation. Before man perverted fructose through food processing, the average consumption of fructose was 15 grams per day. Today, that number has grown to an annual consumption of about 142 pounds per American!

Fructose in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was invented in Japan in 1966. It was introduced to America in 1975. HFCS costs about one-half the price of sugar. Fructose is much more dangerous to your health than table sugar.

During 1977 through 1978, the average American consumed 37 grams of fructose a day; in 1994, that number had grown to 54.7 grams per day. Today the average American consumes about 73 grams of fructose daily-- mostly through soda.

Fructose is 20 times sweeter than sucrose, ordinary table sugar. Just to give you an idea of how the amount of sugar in any form has increased over the years, let's look at Coca-Cola. Remember, prior to 1975, the sweetener was probably sugar.

The size of a bottle of coke in 1915 was 6.5 ounces. In 1955 the bottle had grown in size to 10 ounces. It grew to 12 ounces in 1960 and 20 ounces in 1992.

In a study extending over a period of 10 weeks, 16 volunteers were put on a controlled diet which included high levels of fructose. At the end of the study, these volunteers were found to have new fat cells surrounding their heart, liver, and other digestive organs. They showed signs of food-processing abnormalities too. These abnormalities were associated with diabetes and heart disease.

A second group of volunteers were placed on an identical diet with the exception that glucose (blood sugar) replaced fructose. This group was found not to have the problems experienced by the fructose group.

What makes fructose so dangerous is the fact that it disrupts the hormones ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is your body's hunger hormone and leptin signals the brain of satiety or fullness. In other words, leptin suppresses your appetite.

Fructose fails to allow ghrelin to do its job. It doesn't let it suppress your hunger. And fructose interferes with your brain's communication with leptin resulting in overeating. Glucose on the other hand lets ghrelin suppress your hunger and leptin your appetite.

When 120 calories of glucose are ingested, less than 1 calorie is stored as fat; when the same amount of fructose is ingested, 40 calories are stored as fat. Fructose is metabolized much differently than glucose.

There are other differences too. Your liver is involved in 100 percent of the breakdown of fructose whereas the liver only processes 20 percent of glucose. The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.

Source: Sugar: The Bitter Truth, a YouTube presentation by Robert H. Lustig, MD of the University of California at San Francisco division of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

January 4, 2010: It is recognized that body types in general can be divided into three basic categories: (1) ectomorph (2) mesomorph and (3) endomorph. Although many people possess a mixture, certain features do tend to predominate. These classifications are usually associated with bodybuilding in relation to the difficulty in losing body fat and building muscle.

Ectomorph. An ectomorph is your classic tall and slender person. Typically this individual is referred to as being skinny. The ectomorph has long and slender fingers along with long arms and legs. Their joints and bones are small. Gaining weight is a problem with the ectomorph. He has a very fast metabolism with low body fat.

Yours truly is the classic ectomorph. Although I stand 5'-10", I looked taller before I started lifting weights. In order for me to put on weight--and it was a challenge--I had to consume a huge number of calories. I used to eat ice cream 24/7. I would also eat 1 to 2 pounds of Dannon yogurt daily (lemon or coffee flavored.)

Eventually I managed to push my weight up to a maximum of 214 pounds. Of course I lifted weights too. I would have appeared 'fat' if I didn't.

Mesomorph. The mesomorph is muscular with thick bones and muscles. These individuals tend to store fat evenly over their entire bodies. Mesomorphs have wide shoulders and narrow waists. They are athletic and excel in sports.

I knew several people years ago who were mesomorphs. Being an ectomorph, I was drawn to them, and not a little jealous. Mesomorphs look like they bodybuild but many do not--they just look like they do.

Endomorph. Endomorphs are typically chubby and soft looking. They carry a lot of body fat. Endomorphs are big-boned.

January 4, 2010: It is increasingly becoming apparent that obesity is a risk factor for developing severe H1N1 (swine flu) complications. Sixty percent of Canadians admitted to intensive care for the swine flu were obese; according to statistics, one-third of Canadians are obese.

Less than 2 percent of Japan's citizens are obese. Of all of the Japanese who became infected with swine flu, not one of the leaner became severely ill.

Scotland comprises less than 1 percent of Europe's population, but has the highest obesity rate. Scottish deaths from the swine flu was 20 percent of Europe's overall mortality rate.

Excess fat sets off the body's inflammatory response. This in turn can suppress immunity.

January 6, 2010: SeDS or Sedentary Death Sentence was coined by Frank W. Booth, a University of Missouri-Columbia professor, about two months ago by. His intent is to draw national attention to the typical American who is soft and flabby due to physical inactivity.

According to Mr. Booth, "We knew that there were approximately 250,000 people in the United States each year dying of inactivity-related diseases..."
Source: PreventDisease.com

January 6, 2010: A study which was published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research found that pomegranates help fight breast cancer. Researchers say that a nutrient in the fruit known as ellagic acid helps stop the growth of hormone-fed cancer cells. It does this by inhibiting aromatase, an enzyme that changes androgen into estrogen. The female hormone estrogen helps certain tumors grow.

The researchers say that they have found other fruits such as grapes capable of inhibiting aromatase.

The pomegranate study team leader Shiuan Chen, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, California, was surprised by the study's results. About three-quarters of all breast cancers are fed by estrogen.

The pomegranate seems to perform identically as the pharmaceutical drugs Aromasin (Pfizer), Femara (Norvartis), and Arimidex (AstraZeneca.) These drugs stop estrogen from feeding tumors.

January 8, 2010: The American College of Sports Medicine noted the following benefits of exercise:

January 9, 2010: More and more studies are being published showing the dangers of GM ( genetic modification.) Here are some examples:

Jeffrey M. Smith has studied the genetically modified food program in depth. He has written a book about genetic modification called Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette. Mr. Smith says that the most devastating thing about GM is its surprise side effects.

According to Mr. Smith, the GM side effects reveal themselves in four categories:

Monsanto is the American seed company which produces and distributes toxic GM corn and other GM crops. They have used deceptive tactics to get their products declared safe, and sold commercially.

Whenever Monsanto has conducted studies on their GM products, the tests reveal no dangers. However, when an independent group of scientists study the GM product, they see horrifying results.

A few former Monsanto employees have reported that anything that interferes with advancing the commercialization of their biotechnology is pushed aside. One former Monsanto scientist stated that he knew several Monsanto researchers who were involved in feeding studies. Knowing firsthand the dangers of GM, these scientists secretly switched to drinking organic milk.

The United States has planted more GM crops than any other country in the world since GM crops were first made commercially available in 1996. The United States grows two-thirds of GM crops worldwide.

Currently, the government does not require GM products to be labeled as such. But you can avoid these dangerous products by staying away from corn, soy, cottonseed, and canola products.

Corn is especially present in hundreds if not thousands of processed foods in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Even products like breads, ketchup, soups, and salad dressings contain it.

Also avoid the following: (1) zucchini, Crookneck squash, Hawaiian papaya, and sugar from sugar beets (a new GM crop as of 2009.)

By law, organic products are not allowed to contain any GM ingredients.

The only way we as concerned Americans can stop Monsanto from destroying our health through their GM crops is by not buying them. Once the market is removed, they will have no more financial incentive to produce and market them.

January 9, 2009: A study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine concludes that obesity poses as great a threat to quality of life as smoking does.

The study was conducted by researchers from City College of New York and Columbia University. They analyzed 1993 through 2008 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System which includes interviews with over 3.5 million adults.

The number of adult smokers declined 18.5 percent from 1993 through 2008 while the proportion of obese adults increased by 85 percent. Obesity had a greater effect on disease compared with smoking which had a greater effect on mortality.

Source: USA Today.

January 11, 2010: Startling new evidence points to omega-3 fatty acids being necessary for a healthy nervous system. Low levels of omega-3s have been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia, Huntington's disease and other illnesses affecting the nervous system.

Research backing up this evidence was published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience. The evidence therefore seems to suggest that increasing dietary levels of omega-3s may treat and even prevent the above listed conditions.

The omega-3 acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is good for cardiovascular health, and is an anti-inflammatory. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) comprises over 90 percent of the omega-3s in the brain, retina, and nervous system.

The typical American diet is low in omega-3s and high in omega-6 fatty acids.

January 11, 2009: More people than ever are health conscious. Food manufacturers know this, and many seek to lure this ever-growing market into buying their products through deceptive labeling and advertisements.

This no more apparent than in the whole-grain product category. The term whole-grain signifies the entire grain: bran, germ, and endosperm.

The following are NOT whole-grain:

The following list ARE whole-grain:

Of the whole-grains, whole wheat contains the most fiber; brown rice contains the least.

January 12, 2010: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the world's oceans contain more than 500 million tons of krill. About 110,000 tons are harvested annually for food and medicinal purposes.

Krill is an abundant source of omega-3 fatty acids. The ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s in krill is 10:1. This ratio is important when you realize that the typical American diet contains a ratio of 3s to 6s anywhere from 1:20 to 1:50!

Whereas fish oil relies on triglycerides (fat cells) to transport the omega-3s DHA and EPA, the DHA and EPA in krill is naturally bound to phospholipids (a type of lipid, or fat, molecule that forms much of a cell's membrance) for transport. Your body has to break down the triglycerides and convert them into phospholipids. The body is inefficient at this, and you can lose up to 50 percent of the nutrient value of DHA and EPA.

Krill contains the antioxidant astaxanthin too. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that gives krill and salmon their pinkish color. This nutrient is up to 550 times as potent as vitamin E and 11 times more potent than beta-carotene.

Krill is not plagued by mercury , PCB, and heavy metal contamination like fish. This is because krill is not a predatory creature. It feeds only on algae and plankton. Krill's habitation is the icy cold waters of the Antartic.

Here are some of the benefits of krill oil:

January 13, 2010: The legendary strongman, Joseph (Joe) Rollino, is dead at the age of 104. He was struck by a minivan while crossing Bay Ridge Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. Joe was going for his regular morning walk when he was hit. According to Terry Todd, co-director of the Stark Center for Physical Culture at the University of Texas who knew him for 40 years, pound for pound, Joe was the strongest man in the world at the time.
(Photo right: Joe at his 103rd birthday party in Brooklyn)

Joseph Rollino was born on March 19, 1905. He died just two months shy of what would have been his 105th birthday.

Joe Rollino appeared at the Coney Island Festival in the '20s and '30s being dubbed as the world's strongest man. His feats of strength were astounding. He could lift 475 pounds with his teeth, and raise 635 pounds with one finger. He could bend quarters with his teeth and thumb.

Rollino associated with Harry Houdini, was friendly with Mario Lanza, and had a bit part in the highly acclaimed motion picture On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando.

Joe Rollino was small in stature. He stood about 5'-5" tall and weighed between 125 and 150 pounds in his prime.

Joe worked as a longshoreman and was a veteran of World War II. He was a longtime member of the Association of Oldtime Barbell and Strongmen. Becoming a boxer, Joe toured the United States fighting under the name of Kid Dundee.

Epitomizing a healthy lifestyle, Joe refrained from smoking and drinking alcohol. He also wasn't a meat-eater.

Joseph Rollino died as he lived--living a healthy lifestyle. He was in the middle of his daily 5 mile walk when he was struck down.
Source: New York Times.

January 16, 2010: As time goes on, researchers are learning more and more about the foods we eat. One such food is cereal which is made from one or several of the grains found in nature.

Wheat is a very popular and ubiquitous grain. But due to hundreds of years of breeding wheat for the purpose of getting larger quantities of protein, it may have become a dangerous anti-nutrient.

The chemical in wheat which may be causing negative health conditions in humans is known as wheat germ agglutinin (WGA.) WGA is found in highest concentrations in whole wheat.

According to researchers, WGA is responsible for many of wheat's hard to diagnose ill effects. WGA glycoprotein is able to do direct damage to the majority of tissues in the human body.

God has given all living species a means of protecting themselves against predators. This includes plant life and grains. Seeds of the grass family, i.e., wheat, rice, spelt, rye, have exceptionally high levels of defensive glycoproteins known as lectins. Lectins are resistant to methods like cooking, sprouting, fermentation, and digestion to destroy or reduce their levels of anti-nutrients.

Lectins are extremely small and resistant to breakdown by living systems. They accumulate in human tissue and interfere with normal biological processes. They can also cross the brain/blood barrier.

Dr. Del Thiessen exposed the dangers of eating grain in the article The Awful Truth About Eating Grains. The following quote is taken from this article:

"Lectins, which are proteins that are widespread in the plant kingdom, are recognized as major anti-nutrients of food. Cereal grain lectins are wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). It can interfere with digestive/absorptive activities and can shift the balance in bacterial flora shown to cause problems with normal gut metabolism. The potential to disrupt human health is high."

Specifically, wheat lectins have been found to be:

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, and based upon his experience, 75-80 percent of everyone would benefit by not eating grains. This even includes whole, sprouted grains. In addition to the obvious dangers of lectin, there is the problem with gluten.

January 17, 2010: I believe more and more medical specialists are beginning to realize that America's growing chronic disease epidemic is not a matter of weight loss and choosing the right diet, but lifestyle. Dr. Monte Ladner wrote that many Americans have resolved to begin this new year and new decade by going on a weight loss program, but will wind up heavier at year's end.

Just recenty, Dr. Dana King of the Medical University of South Carolina published two papers about the erosion of American lifestyle habits between the years 1988 and 2006. Following is a summary of his conclusions:

Dr. King has found that declining lifestyles is associated with escalating rates of chronic diseases, and Americans use of prescription drugs to treat these diseases has increased by 121 percent. He has also observed that death rates from coronary heart disease is decreasing, but the prevalence of coronary heart disease is increasing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy lifestyle can prevent 90 percent of all cases of type 2 diabetes, 80 percent of all cases of coronary heart disease, and about one-third of all cancers.

The price of treating chronic diseases is over 75 percent of total healthcare costs. And I am speculating that upwards of 90 percent of healthcare is treatment.

This can change--it must change. The answer to America's healthcare issue is a change in lifestyle. And a change of lifestyle starts with you.
Source: KevinMD.com.

January 19, 2010: It has been estimated that between 2 and 5 million Americans suffer from the agonies of gout. It strikes primarily men 40 years of age and older (approximately 90 percent.)

A joint study by American and Canadian researchers found that men who drank 2 or more sugary soft drinks a day had a 85 percent increased risk of developing gout over those who drank less than one a month. The risk rose significantly among men who drank 5 to 6 servings of sugary soft drinks a week. Fruit juice and fructose-rich fruit like oranges and apples increased risk too. (Fructose inhibits the excretion of uric acid.)

Fructose in the form of high fructose corn syrup is so interwoven into America's processed foods, it is impossible to avoid it unless one completely avoids processed foods, and eats organic. According to biochemist Russ Bianchi, high fructose corn syrup is cleverly hidden by the following names: 'chicory,' 'inulin,' 'iso glucose,' 'glucose-fructose syrup,' 'dahlia syrup,' 'tapioca syrup,' 'glucose syrup,' 'corn syrup,' 'crystalline fructose,' and 'fruit fructose,' or 'agave.'

Since about one-half of all gout sufferers are overweight. Maintaining a normal bodyweight is paramount towards drastically reducing the risk of gout. It is also advisable to eat according to your metabolic type. Doing that will normalize your blood sugar and insulin levels.

Alcohol should be eliminated or limited. It could possibly raise uric acid levels in your body.

January 20, 2010: More and more damning evidence is coming out concerning fructose. As a matter of fact, given the choice between using table sugar (sucrose) or fructose, I'd recommend table sugar hands down.

Fructose is a hepatotoxin--a chemical substance which damages the liver. The metabolism of fructose creates the following bad effects:

The negative health effects caused by fructose consumption proves that a high fructose diet is a high fat diet!

The part of your brain that responds to food is the same part that responds to nicotine, morphine, amphetamine, ethanol, sex and exercise. Fructose distorts the satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin.

Fructose doesn't cause a rise in leptin to signal fullness; it also doesn't suppress ghrelin to cause you not to be hungry.

The bottom line--when all is said and done--minimize your use of sugar in general, and definitely AVOID all forms of fructose. That may be difficult because a common form, high fructose corn syrup, is in condiments, soft drinks (including fruit juices), and most processed food.

If your are overweight, or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, it imperative that all forms of sugar be avoided as much as is humanly possible.

Following is the recommended types of sweeteners you should use occasionally; this is in order of preference:

Whole fruit is preferable to fruit juice, even 100 percent fruit juice. The reason is that the fruit contains fiber and other nutrients. These nutrients slow down the absorption of fructose. It is the processed fructose that causes so much damage.

Exercise is very important for insulin control. Here is what research has shown:

Source: much of the information comes from the work of Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco. It was posted on Mercola.com.

January 23, 2010: One of the substances which gave world class cyclist Lance Armstrong his competitive edge is a bioflavonoid named quercetin. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory. It also strengthens your immune system and increases the mitochondria in your muscles and brain.

A clinical study on quercetin was conducted by researchers at Pepperdine University in California. Study participants were members of the Amgen cyclist team. The results of the double-blind study showed that quercetin provided a 3.1 percent increase in the athletes' timed trial performance.

A study by Arnold School of Health at the University of South Carolina showed quercetin can dramatically increase energy and endurance in active, healthy adults—even if you’re not in an exercise training program.

For general health purposes, Dr. Al Sears recommends 15 to 40 mg of quercetin a day. But for athletes who are looking for peak performance, 500 mg twice a day will do it.

January 24, 2010: Researchers from the University of Groningen in Groningen, The Netherlands performed a study which led to the discovery that vitamin supplementation may help people diagnosed with multiple sclerois. Eighty patients with primary progressive, secondary progressive, and benign MS were used in the study.

The researchers examined 23 nutrients in the dietary intakes of the 80 study participants. Dietary intakes were based on food dairies kept for a period of two weeks.

Study results revealed that patients with secondary progressive MS had lower intakes of magnesium, calcium, and iron compared with other MS patients. Multiple sclerosis patients in general had lower intakes of folate, magnesium. copper, and energy intakes compared to the Dutch population. In comparison to daily recommended allowances, MS patients had lower intakes of folic acid, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
Source: Foodconsumer.org.

January 25, 2010: According to past studies, patients with heart disease who have high levels of omega 3s in their blood have greater survival rates than those with lower levels. A new study shows that omega 3s may slow down the biological aging process in patients with coronary heart disease.

Researchers discovered from previous studies that the length of telomeres was a reliable predictor of death and bad outcomes from heart disease. Telomeres are structures at the end of chromosomes involved in its replication and stability.

Results of the new study showed that the higher blood levels of omega 3s are, the slower the rate of telomere shortening.

Since this new study was based only on heart disease patients, researchers are not sure if the results could be translated into people without heart disease. That was beyond the scope of this latest study.