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January 10, 2008: A eight-year study of 3,977 people revealed that those who ate the most high glycemic carbohydrates had a 40 percent higher risk of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a retinal disease which destroys central vision.

January 11, 2008: A new study which was published in the January/February issue of General Hospital Psychiatry reported that middle-ages women are more likely to be depressed if they are obese, and vice versa. Study research shows that escalating weight gain goes along with less physical activity, higher calorie intake, and depression.

Researchers at Group Health Cooperative based in Seattle, Washington interviewed 4,641 women health-plan enrollees, ages 40 to 65, by telephone. The women answered questions pertaining to height, weight, exercise levels, dietary habits, and body image. They also filled out a Patient Health Questionnaire which is designed to measure symptoms of depression.

Women with clinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese while at the same time, obese women were more than twice as likely to be depressed. Study lead author Gregory Simon, M.D., a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative commented, "When people gain weight, they're more likely to become depressed, and when they get depressed, they have more trouble losing weight."

January 12, 2008: UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) researchers discovered that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, increases the production of LR11, a protein that kills a protein that forms the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.

LR11 assists in preventing toxic plaques which are thought to harm neurons in the brain. It is believed to be a factor in causing Alzheimer's disease. The LR11 protein is found in low levels in Alzheimer's sufferers.

In laboratory research, low doses of DHA increased the LR11 protein in the brain neurons of rats. DHA also had a helpful effect on human neuronal cells in culture.

The UCLA researchers concluded that high levels of DHA omega-3 fatty acid lead to abundant LR11 which seems to protect against Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, low levels of LR11 lead to the formation of beta amyloid plaques that harm the brain.

Sources:Eurekalert; December 25, 2007Journal of Neuroscience; December 26, 2007, 27(52):14299-14307

January 29, 2008: CNN reported today on a new study which found that exercise is indeed a 'fountain of youth.' Researchers examined the living cells of test subjects who exercised and compared them to those of 'couch potatoes.' The cells of the people who exercised were 9 years younger than those who led a sedentary life.

January 30, 2008: A study published in the journal Circulation found that people who eat two or more servings of red meat a day are much more likely to develop conditions leading to heart disease and diabetes. U.S. researchers say that eating two or more servings of meat per day increases the risk of suffering from multiple risk factors collectively called metabolic syndrome.

The increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome for those eating two or more servings of red meat a day was 25 percent compared to people who ate only two servings of meat per week. Metabolic syndrome includes excessive fat around the waist, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.

February 4, 2008: It seems that there is much more value to the placebo effect than previously thought. Harvard researchers conducted a study to find how beneficial the placebo response really is. Researchers used hotel maids who are much more active than most Americans.

In an interview, 67 percent of the 84 maids felt that their work did not qualify as exercise. The researchers measured the maids' blood pressure and weight and divided them into two groups. One group was told how many calories their daily activity burned while the other group was not informed.

One month later the 'informed' group experienced a 10 percent drop in blood pressure, and an average 2 to 4 pound drop in body weight. The group who was not told how many calories they burned did not experience any reduction in weight or blood pressure.

Study results show that the body and mind are intimately related. The maids who were told the number of calories they were burning perceived their work as 'exercise.' This placebo translated into a beneficial physical result.

February 12, 2008: It has been discovered through studies that milk thistle (Silyburn marianum) can reverse chronic liver inflammation and detoxify the liver. The main compound in milk thistle, silymarin, has also been found to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

People with type 2 diabetes had their fasting blood sugar drop by 20 percent when they were given 200 mg of silymarin. One downside is that not all milk thistle supplements contain an adequate amount of silymarin. Two do: Trader Darwin's (sold at Trader Joe's) and Thisilyn by Nature's Way.

February 13, 2008: Did you know that high blood pressure or hypertension is one of the easiest medical conditions to cure naturally? Chinese doctors have long used celery to reduce blood pressure.

Researchers have discovered that celery contains an oil that relaxes the muscles that regulate blood pressure. The result is easier blood flow and a lowered pressure. Use four stalks a day or drink the equivalent in celery juice.

February 14, 2008: A study has found that eating foods low in nutrients and which are fattening can do more than add inches to your waistline. Researchers from Boston University tracked the diets of almost 1,300 women who were free of heart disease.

The study revealed that the women who ate lots of empty calories (like candy, soft drinks, etc.) had a significant increase in the thickness of their carotid artery walls, a predictor of cardiovascular disease, in comparison to women who ate more nutrient-rich foods.

March 14, 2008: Research has revealed that most of the antioxidants in green tea lose much of their potency in your intestine. These antioxidants are known as catechins. As a matter of fact, nearly 80% are not absorbed!

A solution has been found so that green tea's powerful antioxidants make it through your intestine so that they may be absorbed. Researchers have found that by adding juice from fruits such as grapefruits, lemons, oranges, or limes, absorption is boosted. A 50-50 mixture of green tea with juice from one of these fruits works best.

Juice from lemons had the greatest effect. Lemon is followed by juice from oranges, limes, and grapefruits in that order.

March 26, 2008: Obesity has now been linked to another health issue--dementia. A healthcare organization performed a study on middle-aged men and women and found that obese individuals had a 74% greater risk of developing dementia than people of normal weight; the risk was 35% greater for overweight individuals.

The study involved 6,583 men and women aged 40 to 45 years who lived in Northern California. They had their abdominal fat measured almost 36 years ago. Now in their 70s, 16 percent of them were diagnosed with dementia.

Dementia is a progressive dysfunction of the brain which happens most often late in life. It leads to a restriction of daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia among older adults.

Researchers measured the waists of over 6,500 participants in their early 40s. After they were re-measured 30 years later, those who had gained the most abdominal fat were almost three times more likely to suffer dementia compared to those with the lowest amount of abdominal fat.

Not only that, but study participants with large bellies and were healthy in all other respects, including normal body weight, still had a very high risk of dementia.

March 31, 2008: Sulforaphane, a chemical in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower may assist in restoring the immune system as a body ages. University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers discovered that sufforaphane turns on a set of antioxidant genes and enzymes in specific immune cells which fight the destructive effects of free radicals.

Sources:
Science Daily (March 10, 2008)
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (March 6, 2008)

April 8, 2008: according to a study sponsored by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), choline, an essential found in such foods as egg yolks, is associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of breast cancer. There is a growing body of evidence that points to egg consumption leading to a decreased risk of breast cancer.

This new study involved more than 3,000 adult women. Women reporting the highest intake of choline ate a daily average of 455 mg or more of choline. Most of it was derived from coffee, eggs, and skim milk. Those with the lowest daily intake consumed 196 mg or less of choline.

According to Steven H. Zeisel, MD,PhD of the University of North Carolina, an author of the study and a leading choline researcher, "choline is needed for the normal functioning of cells, no matter your age or gender. Increasing evidence shows that it may be particularly important for women, particularly those of child-bearing age."

April 9, 2008: a study presented at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting whose results were derived from an analysis of adult food consumption data collected in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found that adults who eat apples and applesause and drink apple juice have a significantly reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Also known as Syndrome X or insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome is descriptive for a cluster of health issues linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Victor Fulgoni who analyzed the data looked specifically at the association between the consumption of apples and apple products, nutrient intake and different physiological parameters related to metabolic syndrome. People who consumed apples and its various products had a 27% reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. "We found that adults who eat apples and apple products have smaller waistlines that indicate less abdominal fat, lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for developing what is known as the metabolic syndrome", says Dr. Fulgoni.

Frequent apple consumers also showed a 30% decreased likelihood for elevated diastolic blood pressure and a 36% reduced likelihood for elevated systolic blood pressure. They had a 21% decreased risk of increased waist size, and in addition, had lower C-reactive protein levels. These are all markers for metabolic syndrome.

April 10, 2008: it has been known for a while that a magnesium deficiency can lead to chronic illnesses such as certain cancers, high blood pressure (hypertension), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. What has been a mystery is, why?

Researchers at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California undertook to find the reason. They studied the long-term effects of magnesium deficiency on human fibroblasts (cells that provide a skeletal framework for many of the body's tissues.)

The team discovered that cells survived and divided normally under moderate magnesium depleted conditions, but appeared to age faster than cells grown in adequate magnesium concentrations. "We are now thinking that cellular consequences of magnesium deficiency may be driving long-term chronic disease," said a research spokesperson.

During the study, 2,195 of the men were diagnosed with gallstones. The best way to avoid gallbladder attacks, and resulting surgery, is to eliminate allergy. Making certain to get enough magnesium in your diet is a great idea too. Over half of the United States population is magnesium deficient.

The study looked at 486 seniors aged 60 to 90 who had no form of demetia. Of this group, 134 had experienced at least one episode of depression which led to their seeking medical advice.

Study participants were followed for an average of six years. In that period, 33 developed Alzheimer's disease. Those who had experienced depression were 2.5 times more likely to develop the disease than people who had never had depression. People were almost four times as likely to develop Alzheimer's if their depression happened before the age of 60.

April 14, 2008: Wal-Mart, the largest grocery retailer in the United States, has announced that its store brand milk will now come exclusively from cows not treated with rBGH.

Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association, says, "It's reached the tipping point ... Even Wal-Mart's customers are demanding milk free from genetically engineered hormones."

Wal-Mart has joined other food chains who have already made the switch. The Kroger chain began selling only hormone-free milk about a month ago. Safeway has begun selling in store brand hormone-free milk. It still sells other brands from cows given hormones. The coffee giant Starbucks recently began using hormone-free milk in its stores.

April 18, 2008: The weather is getting warm and that means picnics and barbecues. Be aware that two carcinogens are created when meats are cooked at high temperatures: PAHs and HCAs.

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are created when the meat absorbs the smoke; HCAs are formed in the blackened 'char' when meats are overcooked. Using propane rather than charcoal will greatly reduce the amount of carcinogens produced. Propane produces less smoke and a lower temperature.

Use propane if at all possible and trim all visible fat from the meat. Next marinate your meat in vinegar or lemon juice. This will reduce HCAs by up to 90 percent. Leaner meats will create less drippings which in turn will lessen the amount of smoke produced.

April 23, 2008: the only way a consumer has of knowing what exactly is contained in the packaged food he has purchased is by relying on the nutrition label. However, a general sampling by Good Morning America may mar any confidence the consumer has placed in its accuracy.

The popular ABC show Good Morning America hired a laboratory to test the ingredients in twelve packaged food products. The federal government allows foods to have 20 percent more of an ingredient before any law has been broken.

Good Morning America's test showed of the twelve products tested, all were over the limit in one way or another. David's Sunflower Seeds had 23 percent more saturated fat than what was specified on the label, Ritz Crackers had 36 percent more sodium, and Wonder bread contained 70 percent more total fat.

The ABC morning show did admit that its study was small, and looked at only one sample of each of the twelve products. But according to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), roughly one out of every ten food product labels has inaccuracies.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) checked up on the FDA's 'checking' of 28,000 food labels in a 14-month period. They discovered that rather than finding out of the nutrition label was accurate, the FDA only checked to see if the Nutrition Facts label was on the product!

There are many things which do not have to be listed on the Nutrition Label:

April 29, 2008: more and more, processed food is being made with unknown chemicals which are not required to be listed on the ingredients label; Senomyx has contracts with Nestle, Kraft, Coca Cola, and Campbell Soup to put a chemical in their products which disguises bitter flavors by targeting and turning off bitter receptors in the tongue's taste buds. These companies refuse to disclose which of their products contain this chemical. All that is known is that it is grouped under the general heading of 'artificial flavors.'

Senomyx has received FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approval and the chemical has been categorized as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association. And this was only after a testing phase of merely three months on rats!

According to Dr. Mercola, "Processed foods, by their very nature, do not taste good unless they have loads of artificial colors and flavoring agents, salt, sugar and often MSG added to doctor up the flavors."

May 3, 2008: the results of a study by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) found that an increased dietary intake of vitamin K2 may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent. Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) is bacterially produced while K1 (phylloquinone, a.k.a. phytonadione) is plant-based; K3 is the synthetic form.

Vitamin K has proven to be very powerful in the fight against cancer. These cancers include liver, colon, stomach, nasopharynx, oral, lung, liver, and leukemia. Vitamin K also aids in preventing hardening of the arteries.

Other benefits of vitamin K are:

Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends getting at least 3,000 mcg of vitamin K daily. The exception are pregnant or nursing mothers. They should stay with the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 65 mcg. Also, if you’ve experienced stroke, cardiac arrest, or are prone to blood clotting, don’t take vitamin K without consulting your physician first.

Vitamin K is fat-soluble. That means you need fat to ensure your body absorbs it. I pour extra-virgin olive oil on my vegetables. You might want to do the same.

Following is the vitamin K1 content of some vegetables:

May 5, 2008: despite the claims of the American Dairy Association, dairy products, including milk and calcium, don't help to shed unwanted pounds. Amy Joy Lanou of the University of North Carolina at Asheville and Neal Barnard with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, looked at and evaluated 49 clinical studies from 1966 to 2007 which assessed the effect of milk, dairy products, or calcium consumption on weight and body mass index (BMI), with or without dieting.

Out of the total number of 49 clinical trials considered, 41 showed no effect at all, two showed weight gain, one showed a lower rate of weight gain, and five showed weight loss. The authors of the evaluation which was published in the journal Nutrition Reviews remarked that the association between calcium or dairy intake and weight loss seem in a few observational studies may be due to other factors. These factors include exercise, decreased soft drink intake, lifestyle habits, or increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

According to the authors, "Our findings demonstrate that increasing dairy product intake does not consistently result in weight or fat loss and may actually have the opposite effect."

May 9, 2008: American Crystal and other leading American sugar providers have announced that they will derive sugar from genetically modified sugar beets. American Crystal is based in Wyoming. Half of all of the granulated sugar in the United States comes from sugar beets.

The genetically engineered sugar will join the genetically engineered soy and corn already in use in the United States. Genetically modified or engineered products are also known as Frankenfood to identify it with the famous 'monster' which was created in opposition to God's will.

Genetically engineered sugar beets, along with genetically engineered corn and soy, are designed to remain unharmed by Monsanto's broad spectrum herbicide Roundup. Farmers spraying Roundup Ready for their corn and soy contaminate nearby soil and water. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4 million acres from Oregon to Minnesota.

Not all U.S. companies are on board with genetically engineered ingredients. The giant candy maker Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant genetically modified sugar beets. Consumer surveys in America suggest opposition to genetic modification.

May 13, 2008: new research has shown that many American's pill for an ill mentality is not enough to prevent heart disease. Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina performed a study to see if taking statins (high cholesterol drugs) and blood pressure medication was enough to stop heart disease among overweight or obese baby boomers.

Lead author of the study Dr. Gregory L. Burke, director of the division of public health sciences at Wake Forest said the following, "There is a debate out there about whether this generation is going to live as long as their parents, and the truth is they probably won't."

The study involved 6,814 men and women ages 45 to 84. Depending on the demographics, between 60 and 85 percent of study participants were overweight, and between 30 and 50 percent were obese. The federally-funded study revealed that the heart-related effects of obesity cannot be offset by the treatment of risk factors such as glucose intolerance and high cholesterol.

This latest study proved that lifestyle changes are a must to prevent heart disease! Drugs are no substitute for proper nutrition and exercise.

May 14, 2008: new studies have discovered a new weapon in the war against Alzheimer's disease. It is rosemary, a herb with a wood-like taste. Rosemary is a powerful protector of the brain.

The active ingredient in rosemary, carnosic acid (CA), fights free radicals in the brain. Toxins and free radicals are thought to contribute to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The research was published in The Journal of Neurochemistry and Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Rosemary is also an anti-aging herb, a breast cancer preventative, and a potent liver detoxifier.

Study researchers had 18 participants go on the South Beach, Atkins, and Ornish diets for a month each. Their triglycerides (blood fats), cholesterol levels, inflammation markers, and flexibility and dilation of blood vessels were measured.

The Atkins diet made several key heart disease indicators worse while the other two diets improved them. "It really is the Atkins diet that is the worst," stated lead researcher Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The Atkins diet gets 50 percent of its calories from fat-emphasizing protein and fat from unlimited amounts of meat, butter, and eggs. The South Beach diet gets 30 percent of calories from fat and the Ornish gets 10 percent.

Michael Miller concluded, "We don't recommend the Atkins diet. Why not start out with a diet that will be healthier for you in the long run after weight loss?"

May 15, 2008: a study conducted by the UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) School of Public Health and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and supported by the Association for Dressings & Sauces, discovered that eating one salad a day provides additional health benefits than was previously thought.

People who eat salads and raw vegetables with salad dressing get higher levels of vitamins C, E, B-6, and folic acid. These vitamins are essential for building a strong immune system and reducing risk of obesity, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

"Eating a salad a day is a convenient way to easily improve your nutritional status...Just one salad daily helps to satisfy the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommends eating two and a half cups of vegetables each day for a 2,000 calorie diet," said lead researcher Dr. Lenore Arab, professor of epidemiology at UCLA School of Public Health. The study was entitled "Salad and Raw Vegetable Consumption and Nutritional Status in the Adult U.S. Population."

The study also shows that less than half of the U.S. population meets the government's recommendation for vegetables necessary for healthy living. Clinical trials show that salad dressings increase the absorption of certain nutrients.

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May 19, 2008: a study using laboratory mice has shown that a low intake of fat prevalent in the Western diet helps stop prostate cancer. Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and the Department of Urology conducted the study.

The study used fat from corn oil, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fat common in the Western diet. One group of mice were fed a diet consisting of about 40 percent of calories coming from fat (typical of men in the Western diet.) The other group was fed a diet consisting of 12 percent of calories from fat. There was a 27 percent reduced incidence of prostate cancer in the low-fat group.

Earlier studies in William Aronson's lab revealed that a low-fat diet slowed the growth of aggressive human prostate cancers in mice, and helped them live longer. Aronson is the lead author of the study, and a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher.

The brain produces NPY and scientists thought that NPY was limited to it. However lead author Dr. Kaiping Yang found that abdominal fat in obese rats also produce NPY. NPY is the most powerful appetite-stimulating hormone known to science.

NPY causes fat people to eat in excess in response to the released hormone. It sends signals to the person that he is constantly hungry. NPY also induces fat cell production by stimulating the replication of fat cell precursor cells. Precursor cells change into fat cells around the belly causing a vicious cycle of overeating, getting fatter, getting hungrier which then causes overeating.

May 21, 2008: researchers have found even more evidence about the destructive effects of aspartame. In a review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, aspartame is said to lead to mental and emotional disturbances and learning disabilities.

It seems that aspartame directly and indirectly changes your brain chemistry. It can alter the brain's ability to metabolize amino acids and protein, damage the integrity of nucleic acids, and interfere with the functioning of neurons.

The research team summed up, "...excessive aspartame ingestion might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain mental disorders, and also in compromised learning and emotional functioning."

May 22, 2008: a new study shows that all body fat is not the same. Subcutaneous fat ( fat which lies just under the skin) helped to improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin. It is insulin's job to transport glucose (blood sugar) into the cells of the body.

According to Dr. Ronald Kahn of the Harvard Medical School in Boston, the purpose of the study was to find out why fat in different parts of the body appears to have different risks of metabolic disease such as diabetes.

Fat located in the abdominal region poses a particular threat for diabetes and heart disease. This belly fat is also known as visceral fat. (Read also...)

The research team transplanted subcutaneous fat and placed it in the abdominals of mice. The mice lost weight and their fat cells shrank in size. There was also an improvement in their blood sugar and insulin levels. No changes were made in the mice's diets or activity levels.

The fat that occurs around the hips and rear end is subcutaneous fat. People who carry fat predominately in these areas are known as pear-shaped. Those who carry fat in their bellies are apple-shaped. Belly fat is dangerous because it lies deep inside the body, surrounding internal organs.

May 29, 2008: scientists have discovered that a high intake of vitamin C will slash the risk of having a stroke by 42 percent. United Kingdom scientists tracked over 20,000 people for almost 10 years. Those who consumed the most vitamin C rich foods reduced their risk of stroke.

Vitamin C is water-soluble and it is therefore safe to take 25 times the daily recommended value daily. Some vitamin C rich foods are yellow bell peppers, broccoli, papaya, strawberries, oranges, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe.

May 30, 2008: a recent study has found that young adults who ate omega-3 rich fish were less likely to be hostile. Hostility is a risk factor for heart disease!

June 4, 2008: according to the results of a recent study, women who use mobile phones (cell and wireless) when pregnant are at greater risk to give birth to children with behavior problems. Pregnant women were 54 percent more likely to give birth to children with behavioral problems.

When these same children used cell phones, the study showed that they were:

Sources:
The Independent May 18, 2008
Epidemiology July 2008

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