Fat in your diet likely to give you colon cancer!

New genetic evidence could strengthen the link between the role of dietary fats with colon cancer progression. 

Because this cancer occurs in the digestive tract, scientists have often considered important links to diet. Now new evidence verifies a connection to dietary fats, such as those found in processed meats, butter, beef and pork fat, shortening, and margarine. Dr. Raymond DuBois, of Arizona State University, has identified a molecule, called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPAR delta), which, when deleted in mice with colon cancer, stopped the progression of tumor growth.
The study was published in the April 21 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The DuBois research team has been in pursuit of uncovering the links between inflammation and colon cancer for the past two decades. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

Diet and cancer
Known risks for colorectal cancers — tumors affecting the colon and the rectum are commonly grouped together as they affect the digestive tract — include family history, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, and type 2 diabetes.
Foods high in saturated fats may also increase risk and so general advice to help you avoid colorectal cancer is to focus on your diet. Recent, large studies, for instance, suggest that fiber, especially from whole grains, may lower colorectal cancer risk. Doctors also recommend you limit your intake of red and processed meats, eat more vegetables and fruits, watch your weight (especially watch for gains around the midsection), avoid excessive alcohol and get recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D, which may work together to prevent these cancers.

The facts about fat

There are numerous types of fat. Your body makes its own fat from taking in excess calories. Some fats are found in foods from plants and animals and are known as dietary fat. Dietary fat is a macronutrients, along with protein and carbohydrates, that provide energy for your body. Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of your body's functions. Some vitamins, for instance, must have fat to dissolve and nourish your body.
But there is a dark side to fat. Fat is high in calories and small amounts can add up quickly. If you eat more calories than you need, you will gain weight. Excess weight is inked to poor health.
Research about the possible harms and benefits of dietary fat is always evolving. And a growing body of research suggests that when it comes to dietary fat, you should focus on eating healthy fats and avoiding unhealthy fats. Simply stated, fat is made up of varying amounts of fatty acids. It's the type and amount of fatty acid found in food that determines the effect of the fat on your health.

Harmful dietary fat

There are two main types of potentially harmful dietary fat — fat that is mostly saturated and fat that contains trans fat:

• Saturated fat. This is a type of fat that comes mainly from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.
• Trans fat. This is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods in small amounts. But most trans fats are made from oils through a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. By partially hydrogenating oils, they become easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than do naturally occurring oils. Research studies show that these partially hydrogenated trans fats can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Most fats that have a high percentage of saturated fat or that contain trans fat are solid at room temperature. Because of this, they're typically referred to as solid fats. They include beef fat, pork fat, butter, shortening and stick margarine.

Healthier dietary fat

The types of potentially helpful dietary fat are mostly unsaturated:

• Monounsaturated fat. This is a type of fat found in a variety of foods and oils. Studies show that eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. Research also shows that MUFAs may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
• Polyunsaturated fat. This is a type of fat found mostly in plant-based foods and oils. Evidence shows that eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. PUFAs may also help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. One type of polyunsaturated fat is made up of mainly omega-3 fatty acids and may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3, found in some types of fatty fish, appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. It may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels. There are plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the body doesn't convert it and use it as well as omega-3 from fish.

Foods made up mostly of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and corn oil. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring. Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed (ground), oils (canola, flaxseed, soybean), and nuts and other seeds (walnuts, butternuts and sunflower).

Tips for choosing foods with the best types of dietary fat

So now that you know which types of dietary fat are healthy or unhealthy, and how much to include, how do you adjust your diet to meet dietary guidelines?
First, focus on reducing foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Then emphasize food choices that include plenty of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). But a word of caution — don't go overboard even on healthy fats. All fats, including the healthy ones, are high in calories. So consume MUFA-rich and PUFA-rich foods instead of other fatty foods, not in addition to them.
Here are some tips to help you make over the fat in your diet:

• Use the Nutrition Facts label when selecting foods. Read food labels and look for the amount of trans fat listed. By law a serving of food containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fat can be labeled as 0 grams. Therefore, it is important to also check ingredient lists for the term "partially hydrogenated." It's best to avoid foods that contain trans fat and those that have been partially hydrogenated.
• Prepare fish, such as salmon and mackerel, instead of meat at least twice a week to get a source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Limit sizes to 4 ounces of cooked seafood a serving, and bake or broil seafood instead of frying.
• Use liquid vegetable oil instead of solid fats. For example, saute with olive oil instead of butter, and use canola oil when baking.
• Use olive oil in salad dressings and marinades.
• Use egg substitutes instead of whole eggs when possible.
• Select milk and dairy products that are low in fat.

Sources: http://www.eurekalert.org/, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.mayoclinic.org/

Strawberry extract protects skin against UV rays

Strawberries and cream have long been a winning combination. But according to new scientific research, these two fabled constituents of summer could also come together in a more useful way - by protecting us from harmful UV rays.
The fruit has been discovered to work well against sunburn - and could be used to create more effective suntan lotions.

 "We have verified the protecting effect of strawberry extract against damage to skins cells caused by UVA rays," said Maurizio Battino, researcher at the Universita Politecnica delle Marche in Italy, who led the joint Spanish and Italian study. UVA and UVB are two types of ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun, which penetrate the earth's atmosphere. They cause premature aging or wrinkling of the skin. Other damaging effects are cataracts, weakening of the immune system, and skin cancer, the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry reported.

The study
The research involved preparing human skin cell cultures and added strawberry extract in different concentrations. Using ultraviolet light, the samples were then exposed to a dose "equivalent to 90 minutes of midday summer sun in the French Riviera."
Data confirm that the strawberry extract, especially at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml, had photoprotective properties in those skin cell cultures exposed to UVA radiation. It also increased cell survival and viability and decreased damage in the DNA.

"These aspects are of great importance as they provide protection for cell lines subject to conditions that can provoke cancer and other skin-related inflammatory and degenerative illnesses," said Battino. He said the results recognised that this was the "first step in determining the beneficial effects of strawberries in our diet or as a possible compound source for 'food integrators' or cosmetics for instance."

But what molecules give strawberries their photoprotective properties? Scientists suspect that it could be the anthocyanins, which are pigments that give leaves, flowers and fruits their red colour. Analyses have confirmed that extracts are rich in such substances.
"These compounds have important anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumour properties and are capable of modulating enzymatic processes," explained another of the authors, Sara Tulipani from the University of Barcelona. She said: "At the moment the results act as the basis for future studies evaluating the ‘bioavailability’ and ‘bioactivity’ of anthocyanins in the dermis and epidermis layers of the human skin, whether by adding them to formulations for external use or by ingesting the fruit itself."

How Food Texture Affects Your Calorie Intake

Creamy butter or ice cream versus a crunchy granola bar: a new study suggests that the texture of foods influences people’s dieting choices.

“We studied the link between how a food feels in your mouth and the amount we eat, the types of food we choose, and how many calories we think we are consuming,” wrote study authors Dipayan Biswas and Courtney Szocs, both from the University of South Florida, and others.

The study

In one experiment, participants were asked to sample foods that had soft, smooth, hard or rough textures and then estimate their calorie amounts.

In another test, volunteers were asked to watch and rate a number of television ads, thinking that was the test. But they were also given cups with bite-sized brownies as a “thank you” for their time. Half of the participants were also asked about the amount of calories in the brownies.

Some of the participants received softer-textured brownies while the other half got crunchier brownies. People who had been asked about the calories in the brownies which forced them to focus on caloric intake — ate more of the crunchy brownies than soft. On the other hand, those whose minds weren’t focused on calories tended to eat more of the soft brownies, the investigators found.

The researchers believe this is due to "oral haptics–calorie estimation," which is the relationship between how much you chew a food and how you perceive the calories. The more you chew, the fewer calories you believe a food has.

Bottom line

As a general rule most people would agree that raw veggies, i.e. a hard food, are low in calories. But maybe the reason you find it difficult to put down your fork (or spoon) down when eating mashed potatoes or ice cream isn’t only the taste that does it, but also the texture.

Interesting, but not all soft foods are high in calories. For example, oatmeal and yogurt are excellent meal choices. Similarly, not all hard foods are low in calories—pretzels, rock candy, and licorice all come to mind for me. As a general rule, though, people eat slower when consuming hard foods, which could lead to less consumption and fewer calories by default.

Really, this area of research needs to be further explored. As the study authors conclude, "Understanding how the texture of food can influence calorie perceptions, food choice, and consumption amount can help nudge consumers towards making healthier choices."

Compound in spinach may help people feel "fuller" and eat less

Mom was right when she said to eat spinach to be healthier and now researchers in Sweden find an extract from the green plants may make people thinner.
Professor Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson at Lund University in Sweden said thylakoid, a compound in spinach and other green leaves, slows down food digestion and therefore makes people feel fuller.

How it works
Erlanson-Albertsson and colleagues said thylakoids are believed to slow down fat digestion, meaning the whole intestine has time to get involved. Once food enters the distal intestine, satiety hormones are released and sent up to the brain, telling people they are full. However, processed food tends to only utilize the upper intestine, so the key hormones are not released.
"I like to say our intestines are unemployed," Erlanson-Albertsson said in a statement.

Thylakoids are essentially small pouches located in the chloroplasts of green leaves that have the ability to trigger satiety signals in us. However, eating spinach fresh as is doesn’t necessarily release the thylakoids. First, it must be crushed, filtrated, and centrifuged, which would release the compounds from the cells, turning it into a natural water extract of sorts. "Our bodies can't break it down from fresh spinach directly," the university said. It may be time to make some spinach smoothies --find a recipe below.

The findings
In her research, Erlanson-Albertsson discovered that when humans were given a shot of the spinach water extract in the morning, they experienced less hunger and fewer food cravings throughout the day. The participants who received the shot had higher satiety hormones in their blood, in addition to more stable blood glucose levels.
In another Swedish study conducted by Dr. Rickard Kohnke at the Department of Experimental Medicine at Lund University, eleven health participants were given a high-fat meal. Some of the pesto sandwiches contained thylakoids, and some did not. According to the results, the people who had eaten the pesto sandwiches containing thylakoids showed a reduction in ghrelin, which is an appetite signaling hormone. There was also an increase in leptin, another satiety signal, and lower insulin levels. What this showed was that thylakoids were able to suppress people’s appetites for longer, which could be useful for those who are trying to lose weight while battling constant hunger pangs.

Popeye’s super-food
Erlanson-Albertsson said the powerful effect of thylakoids couldn't be traced to just one active ingredient. "It contains hundreds of substances -- galactolipids, proteins, vitamin A, E, K, antioxidants, beta-carotene, lutein, and so on," she said.

Interestingly enough, though Popeye made healthy foods popular and spinach sales rise, spinach nutrition facts - based off during the early 1900s - were not entirely accurate. In the late 1800s, a German chemist by the name of Erich von Wolf incorrectly wrote down the amount of iron in spinach in his notes. He recorded that spinach had 35 milligrams of iron per 100-gram serving, when it really only has 3.5 milligrams. This tiny decimal misplacement led to the belief that spinach was the top super-food for almost 70 years, and it’s how Popeye’s favorite food came to be.
Even though the amount of iron spinach contains is much lower than previously believed, it’s still highly rich in antioxidants and nutrients. One cup of spinach contains only 27 calories, but it is made up of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and folate. Magnesium assists in maintaining heart rhythm, a solid immune system, and blood pressure along with muscle and nerve function. Spinach has also been shown to lower blood pressure, improve bone health as well as skin and hair.

Do you want your food to taste better ? Put on the right music

Comfort foods get even more comforting if you eat them with the right kind of musical ambiance, according to a new study on the effects of different background music on the taste of foods. Similar earlier research showed genres of music can also elicit different emotions and some foods can be more enjoyed with emotions.

The recent study has taken one more step ahead and tries to find out how the music can affect the perception of food.
“Little has been known about the influence of background music genre on food perception,” explained Han-Seok Seo of the University of Arkansas. “Most of the studies investigating influences of background music have focused on eating and shopping behaviors.” 

Seo is the co-author of the study that is published in the Appetite journal. He mentioned in the paper when German or French music was played in a wine store, it was seen wines from the same country outsold other.

The study
Seo and his team rearranged one music piece (Air on the G string) into four different genres: classical, jazz, hip-hop and rock. Each version was arranged as a solo performance and with multiple performers. A total of 99 study participants were seated in individual sensory booths and given headphones. Each participant listened to either the solo performances or the group performances of all four genres of music. At 45 seconds into each song, the participants were presented with either chocolate or bell pepper and asked to rate the flavor and intensity of the food from 0 (extremely unpleasant or weak) to 15 (extremely pleasant) or strong.

Among their findings was the discovery that jazz made the chocolate taste measurably better and hip hop did not. The same effect wasn't seen on the bell peppers. Classical music didn't change the participants' impressions at all.

But Seo cautions restauranteurs from rushing to switch music stations.
“This study showed that background music genre can modulate flavor pleasantness and overall acceptability of chocolate,” Seo explained.

They also found that the background music-induced food perception varies by music performer, type of food, consumers’ demographics, experience and culture. “Thus, to strengthen the current findings, further studies with diverse musical and food stimuli must be conducted.”

Bottom line
The study underscores how much more there is to eating than just putting food in your mouth. “When we eat it is clearly not only the palate that determines what we eat and how much we eat,” said Thomas Hummel of Technische Universität in Dresden, Germany. “The acoustic environment also plays a big role, it let's us eat faster, leaves us hungrier, changes the pleasantness of foods, turns regular food into something special. I also can imagine that this may change the depth of our social contacts.”

Sources: http://news.discovery.com/, http://www.thealmagest.com/, http://www.reuters.com/

Eating rice boosts diet quality, reduces body weight

Want to improve your diet? Just add white or brown rice to your daily meal. Eating rice can boost diet quality, reduce body weight and improve markers for health, a new study has found.

The study
In a study published online in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences, lead author Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, of Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets from 2005-2010 and evaluated the association of rice consumption with overall diet quality and key nutrient intakes in a nationally representative sample of 14,386 U.S. adults.

"Our results show that adults who eat rice had diets more consistent with what is recommended in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and they showed higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber while eating less saturated fat and added sugars," said Nicklas. "Eating rice is also associated with eating more servings of fruit, vegetables, meat and beans," she added.

The truth about rice
Americans enjoy some 27 pounds of enriched white and brown rice per person per year with the majority (70%) of rice consumption coming from enriched white rice. Americans eat a variety of grain-based foods, but rice stands out because it is eaten primarily as an intact grain that is naturally sodium free and has only a trace amount of fat, with no saturated fat. Consumers can control adding fat, salt and flavors at their discretion.

This research builds on two previously published studies that showed the positive contribution of rice to diet quality. A 2009 observational study found that rice eaters consumed significantly less fat and saturated fat and consumed more iron, potassium, fiber, meat, vegetables and grains.
A follow-up study in 2010 included children in the study group and further confirmed that rice consumption was associated with greater intake of a range of healthier foods and nutrients. The majority of rice consumed is white rice, indicating that rice, when consumed with other foods, such as fruit, vegetables, meat and beans, can provide valuable nutrients and boasts beneficial effects on consumer diets.

In addition to the positive results in cross-sectional studies linking rice consumption with healthier diets, a human clinical trial found that having white or brown rice at a meal increased satiety and feelings of fullness more than a calorically equivalent glucose solution control.

Considering the cross-sectional and clinical findings, both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice should be recommended as part of a healthy diet. 

Rice is a nutrient-rich carbohydrate
Rice is a quality carbohydrate. Rice is a naturally nutritious grain that provides about 100 calories per half-cup cooked serving and is naturally free of gluten. Brown rice is a 100% whole grain food and white rice is enriched with important nutrients, including folic acid and iron. 

Both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice are considered nutrient-rich quality complex carbohydrates and can be part of a sustainable, plant-based diet that promotes optimal health.

Enriched white rice contributes more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folate and other B vitamins, iron and zinc to the diet. Brown rice is slightly higher in dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus, but lower in B vitamins and iron than enriched, fortified white rice. Rice is naturally low in sodium and cholesterol free and contains traces of fat and no saturated or trans fats.

The research was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture and the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, and it was funded in part by The Rice Foundation.

How To Make Grilled Meats Better And Healthier - A Beer Marinade

Rather than simply enjoying a good beer alongside the BBQ this summer, we should be using our cans to marinade the meat, scientists have said.
As well as adding some extra taste, basting the meat in beer before it hits the grill reduces the chance of potentially cancerous chemicals being formed during cooking, researchers suggest. They say pilsner and black beer are most effective, halving the amount of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to colorectal cancer.

The study
To carry out the study, researchers marinated pork for four hours (by which time chemical reactions on the surface of the meat had stopped) in three different types of beer - lager, non-alcoholic lager and a black beer.
The meat was then cooked to well done on a charcoal grill.
The results found that all of the beers reduced the levels of eight types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a chemical linked with cancer which forms when meat is cooked at very high temperatures.
The black beer proved most effective, cutting the levels by more than half, the researchers said. The non-alcoholic beer was the least effective, although it did still reduce levels.

Bottom line
“Thus, the intake of beer marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy,” the team concluded, suggesting that the antioxidants in the beer make the surface of the meat resistant to PAHs.

Past studies have shown an association between consumption of grilled meats and a high incidence of colorectal cancer.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances that can form when meats are cooked at very high temperatures, like on a backyard grill. And high levels of PAHs, which are also in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, are associated with cancers in laboratory animals, although it's uncertain if that's true for people. Nevertheless, the European Union Commission Regulation has established the most suitable indicators for the occurrence and carcinogenic potency of PAHs in food and attributed maximum levels for these compounds in foods. Beer, wine or tea marinades can reduce the levels of some potential carcinogens in cooked meat, but little was known about how different beer marinades affect PAH levels, until now. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Stop sipping coffee! Gulp it down to best savour the flavour - study found

Coffee lovers who want to get the best flavour from their favourite brew should gulp the drink down rather than sip it.

Scientists say taking big slurps of a coffee releases much more aroma compared to merely drinking it slowly. They said: ‘The findings could be useful to understand the factors which contribute to attract consumers to the pleasant aroma of coffee.’
However, the advice goes against that for other drinks, such as wine, where people are advised to take small amounts in their mouth to get the maximum flavour and aroma.

The study
The study looked at ‘sip volume’ when drinking coffee and found larger sips have a ‘higher aroma release’.

It also considered different sipping amounts and the impact they had on the smell of coffee. It was found that different coffee brewing techniques appeared to affect aroma release and that the bigger the sip taken, the more fragrance was released.

The researchers, from the University of Naples, said it was well known that smell and taste are related and that one can have a significant impact on the other. They said the varying levels of aroma from different sized sips or gulps could be explained by the amount of saliva in drinkers’ mouths.

The researchers tested four different types of coffee brews - American, Neopolitan, moka and espresso. Espresso coffee - the one type of coffee usually sipped - was identified as giving off the most aroma when bigger rather than smaller sips were taken.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the journal 'Food Research International'.

So, while gulping down your coffee, read also how many health benefits this super-beverage can give its lovers: Health Benefits of Coffe

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.worldcoffeepress.com/, http://www.business-standard.com/

Green tomatoes may help build bigger, stronger muscles

Want to grow bigger, stronger muscles? Eat green tomatoes!

Natural compound from green tomatoes stimulates muscle growth, improves muscle strength and endurance and protects against muscle wasting, research reveals.

Using a screening method, University of Iowa scientists discovered that tomatidine, a compound from green tomatoes, is potent for building muscle and protecting against muscle atrophy.

Muscle atrophy, or wasting, is caused by ageing and a variety of illnesses and injuries, including cancer, heart failure, and orthopedic injuries, to name a few. It makes people weak and fatigued, impairs physical activity and quality of life, and predisposes people to falls and fractures.

"Muscle atrophy causes many problems for people, their families, and the health care system in general. Exercise certainly helps, but it is not enough and not very possible for many people who are ill or injured," said Christopher Adams, an associate professor of internal medicine and molecular physiology and biophysics.

The study

In the study -published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry-, Adams searched for a small molecule compound that might be used to treat muscle atrophy. He zeroed in on tomatidine using a systems biology tool called the Connectivity Map.

Adams discovered that tomatidine generates changes in gene expression that are essentially opposite to the changes that occur in muscle cells when people are affected by muscle atrophy.

After identifying tomatidine, Adams and his team tested its effects on skeletal muscle. They first discovered that tomatidine stimulates growth of cultured muscle cells from humans.

"That result was important because we are looking for something that can help people," said Adams.

Their next step was to add tomatidine to the diet of mice.
They found that healthy mice supplemented with tomatidine grew bigger muscles, became stronger and could exercise longer.
And, most importantly, they found that tomatidine prevented and treated muscle atrophy.

"Interestingly, although mice fed tomatidine had larger muscles, their overall body weight did not change due to a corresponding loss of fat, suggesting that the compound may also have potential for treating obesity," Adams noted.

Bottom line
"Green tomatoes are safe to eat in moderation. But we still do not know how many green tomatoes a person would need to eat to get a dose of tomatidine similar to what we gave the mice. We are working hard to answer this," Adam explained.

 Sources: http://now.uiowa.edu/, http://www.redorbit.com/, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, http://www.thehindu.com/

Why Eating Less May Make You Live Longer

Australian scientists have claimed that eating sporadically, like animals in the wild, could make people healthier and live longer.

Scientists know an extreme diet does not appeal to many people but say their discovery could lead to ways of mimicking its effects and pave the way for an "anti-ageing pill".

Evolutionary biologist Dr Margo Adler, who led the research, said that cutting back on food leads to increased rates of "cellular recycling" and repair mechanisms in the body.

Dr Adler, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, believes this evolved to help animals continue to reproduce when food is scarce. Their bodies adapt by recycling and reusing nutrients stored in the cells.

She said: "This is the most intriguing aspect from a human health standpoint. Although extended lifespan may simply be a side effect of dietary restriction, a better understanding of these cellular recycling mechanisms that drive the effect may hold the promise of longer, healthier lives for humans."

Low nutrient diet restores cells

Researchers have indentified pathways that respond to nutrients, and particularly protein, by dialling up cell growth rate and reproduction, and turning down some important cellular recycling processes.

"One of them is called autophagy, which is literally means self-eating. What they do is they allow the animal to recycle nutrients that are stored within its own cells," Dr Adler said.
"And so an animal that's dietarily restricted might increase its rates of cellular recycling mechanisms so that it can get more of its own stored nutrients, so it needs fewer nutrients from the environment."

However, she says the diet may allow the body to reproduce more in the short-term.

"But the benefit is that these cellular recycling mechanisms actually kind of clean up the cells and they reduce rates of cancer and reduce rates of cellular deterioration and so animals live longer and they have lower rates of cancer when they have higher rates of cellular recycling processes," she said.

Bottom line
Dr Adler says while the development of the drugs for human use is still a fair way off, further study of cellular recycling mechanisms may help find interventions for humans.
"The best suggestion is have a fairly low-protein diet, do exercise and you're probably doing well," she said.

In 2012, a study found that a low calorie diet can slow down ageing and ward off diabetes, cancer and dementia. Other studies have pointed to the need to cut food intake by about 40% to live 20 to 30% longer.

Sources: http://www.abc.net.au/news/, https://au.news.yahoo.com/, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, http://www.express.co.uk/

Sweet News: Dark Chocolate May Prevent Obesity And Diabetes

If you’re going to munch on chocolate, choose dark chocolate. It’s something that has gained popularity as growing research points out the various health benefits of eating dark chocolate in moderation.

Antioxidants and flavonoids make it so good
Studies have shown that dark chocolate, which is rich in flavanols — a type of healthy antioxidant — can improve your cardiovascular system. Chocolate is also filled with other types of antioxidants and flavonoids, the latter of which are found in various fruits and vegetables. Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid in cocoa, and have been shown to improve vascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, as well as boosting the clotting properties of blood platelets.

Not all chocolate is created equal
In fact, that strong bitter taste in really dark chocolate comes from flavanols. That’s why processed chocolate — which goes through plenty of steps to reduce that bitter taste — is sweeter and contains far less flavanols than pure cocoa.

How dark chocolate can help in weight loss?
Andrew P Neilson of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University led a mouse study where the researchers placed lab mice on a high fat diet rich in flavanols.
Lab mice were divided into various groups and given specific diets over a limited period of time. According to a result published in American Chemical Society’s “Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry”, it was demonstrated that flavanols known as Oligomeric Procyanidins (PCs) seemed to have a protective effect on health. Mice consuming a diet rich in PCs were able to maintain their weight and blood sugar low, even when the overall substance of their diet was high in fat.  

Oligomeric PCs appear to own the greatest antiobesity and antidiabetic bioactivities of the flavanols in cocoa. It promotes heart health, lowers blood sugar, and decreases body fat.

Oligomeric PCs helped in regulating blood glucose levels and hence, prove useful in treating diabetes. In the study, the mice eating a OPCs rich diet had the lowest fat mass and lower body weight at the conclusion of the study. Besides, they were least likely to develop impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, all of this despite eating a high fatty diet.

Bottom line
“Oligomeric PCs appear to possess the greatest antiobesity and antidiabetic bioactivities of the flavanols in cocoa, particularly at the low doses employed for the present study,” the researchers state. So before reaching for that bag of processed candy chocolate on the shelf, choose dark chocolate — the higher percentage of dark chocolate, the better.

Junk food makes you lazy, not just fat, study shows

Regularly chowing down into the succulent, high saturated fat foods — often main culprits of heart disease — can affect our physical and mental health more than previously thought. According to a recent study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, eating junk food, not being overweight, makes people lethargic and fat.

“Overweight people often get stigmatized as lazy and lacking discipline,” said Aaron Blaisdell, leader of the study, and professor of psychology in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) College of Letters and Science, and a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute, in a news release. Blaisdell and life scientists believe that the commonly portrayed idea in the media that people become fat because they are lazy, is false. High-fat diets have been known to cause metabolic and cognitive effects, often attributed to the diet’s high content of fat when compared to unrefined low-fat diets. However, little is known about the impact of refined versus unrefined food on cognition.

The study
Two groups of female rats were fed different diets by researchers at the University of Los Angeles for a six-month period. One group ate unprocessed foods such as corn and fish meal while the other ate a diet aimed to mimic junk food; high in sugar, and lower in nutrients.
While understandably the group eating the ‘junk food’ diet gained more weight than the other, they also suffered from fatigue and became more sedentary and less motivated- ie: more lazy. In fact, those rats fed junk food took twice as many, and longer breaks during tasks than the rats eating a healthy diet, even tasks which generated rewards.

What is even more concerning is that switching these rats back onto a nutritious diet at the end of six months for nine days didn’t seem to reverse their weight gain or their ‘learnt’ laziness.

Bottom line
This could suggest that while an occasional binge of bad food – say on holiday, will not have too much of a negative effect if you generally eat a good diet and lead a healthy lifestyle,
But those who eat a poor diet over the long term may actually become lazy and fatigued, as well as gaining weight and suffering the health consequences associated with being overweight.
The research shows that switching to a healthy diet in the short term, for example a fad or pre-holiday diet, is unlikely to be sufficient to reverse any of the side effects of a diet high in junk food.
Blaisdell said “We interpret our results as suggesting that the idea commonly portrayed in the media that people become fat because they are lazy is wrong. Our data suggest that diet-induced obesity is a cause, rather than an effect, of laziness. Either the highly processed diet causes fatigue or the diet causes obesity, which causes fatigue.”

With over 25% of Americans consuming fast food every day, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and close to 50,000 fast food chains across the U.S., doctors must warn their patients about the serious complications of a high-fat diet. The efficient service, low prices, and casual atmosphere can become more than you bargained for when it comes to your health.

Sources: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.sciencedaily.com/, http://www.cbsnews.com/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Planning to detox your body? Eat a handful of... Pringles!

According to a clinical trial led by University of Cincinnati researchers, a snack food ingredient called olestra has been found to speed up the removal of toxins in the body.
Results are reported in the April edition of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The trial demonstrated that olestra—a zero-calorie fat substitute found in low-calorie snack foods such as Pringles—could reduce the levels of serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in people who had been exposed to PCBs.

Persistent Organic Pollutants and you

Every day we unknowingly ingest a multitude of pesticides, industrial pollutants and other unwanted toxic chemicals. These persistent organic pollutants (POPs), make their way into our fat cells and tissues. They build up over our lifetime because our bodies cannot get rid of them. 

These man-made compounds resist decomposition even in our environment, and research findings indicate that they have many more negative effects on us than previously suspected. The primary means of POP transport and human exposure are thought to be through the air, through the food chain (primarily in animal fats) and through our water.

When we eat foods that are contaminated with POPs (some are contaminated more than others, but most foods contain some quantity of POPs), they are digested, then stored in our fat cells—where it becomes difficult to get rid of them for a couple of reasons. First, POPs like fat, so they want to stay where the fat is. Second, if they are released from fat cells during weight loss they are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and eventually returned to fat cells in the body. In other words, POPs can get in, but they cannot get out. And since they are always coming in, we’re always going to accumulate more and more of them, which at some point can begin to cause serious problems.

POPs have been widely accepted as being associated with cancers, diabetes, neurological, and reproductive problems in humans and animals. Wikipedia has done a good job of citing sources and studies for those who would like more detailed information about POPs, including the “dirty dozen” listing of the most notorious offenders and related health effects.

Olestra to the rescue

Armed with information about POPs, the important question becomes: how can we rid ourselves of these almost “ungetridable” compounds? One simple answer: Fat-Free Pringles! Pringles, while not considered a “health food,” do contain the fake fat olestra, which has been found to stimulate the excretion of toxins from the body.

Twenty-eight residents Anniston, Ala., who had known high levels of PCBs participated in the yearlong study. Half of the participants consumed 12 Pringles a day made with vegetable oil, and the other half consumed 24 Pringles a day made with olestra. The serving sizes varied to control for calorie count. According to the results, the half who ate the olestra chips had a PCB rate of decrease of 8%, an eight-fold increase in the rate of removal prior to the study compared with those who ate the chips with vegetable oil, who had a 1% increase in the rate of removal.

The Olestra Detox Diet
 "Olestra's effect on PCB removal is apparently the result of solubilizing fat-soluble compounds like PCBs in the intestine and the solubilization reduces absorption of these compounds into the body," says Jandacek. The researchers note that fat-soluble pollutants such as PCBs are widespread and known to ascend the food chain, meaning that everyone tested has measurable levels.

Your prescription for reducing the amount of POPs in your body? Take 20 Pringles per day, exercise regularly, reduce your intake of foods containing animal fats and drink plenty of purified water.

Sources: http://medicalxpress.com/, http://www.sciencenewsline.com/, http://www.sciencedaily.com/, http://www.changemagazine.net/

Looking for an easy way to lose weight? Study shows exposure to bright light linked to significantly lower BMI

Wanna lose a few pounds? Get yourself out of bed as early as possible and bathe in the morning light for 20 to 30 minutes. Sure, you’re thinking, another ridiculous weight loss tip! But this one, believe it or not, is backed by science.

A new study from Northwestern University finds that the timing, intensity, and duration of your daily light exposure is linked to your weight. In fact, the researchers discovered that participants who had most of their exposure to even moderately bright light in the morning had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than those who had most of their light exposure later in the day. “Light is a powerful biological signal and appropriate timing, intensity and duration of exposure may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for the prevention and management of obesity in modern societies,” wrote the authors in the conclusion of their study.

The study
Participants in the study -26 men and 28 women, with an average age of 30- were asked to log their mealtimes and sleep times and were asked to wear a wrist device that monitored their movements.
Those who were exposed to daily light above 500 lux in the early part of the day had lower BMIs.
Room light is between 150-500 lux while outdoor light is more than 1,000 lux, even on cloudy days.
“The earlier this light exposure occurred during the day, the lower the individuals’ body mass index,” wrote co-lead author Dr. Kathryn Reid. “The later the hour of moderately bright light exposure, the higher a person’s BMI.”

Significantly, the influence of morning light exposure on body weight was independent of a participant's physical activity level, calorie intake, sleep timing, age, or season. Plus, it accounted for about 20% of a person's BMI. “Our results suggest that the relationship between light and BMI is not simply a function of the accumulated minutes of light during the day, but more importantly the temporal pattern of light exposure above a biological threshold,” the authors wrote. 

Our internal body clock
“Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance,” explained Phyllis C. Zee, M.D., director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Program at Northwestern. “If a person doesn’t get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and can lead to weight gain.”
According to Zee, the crucial hours we should be aiming to see bright light are between eight 8am and midday. No need to overdo it though; about 20 to 30 minutes of this early light is enough to affect BMI.

It isn’t just people who get up late who are at risk of upsetting their metabolism. The fact that most of us work indoors in poorly lit environments also contributes to the problem. The results of the study showed 500 lux to be "the magic number"  in lowering BMI. This is about 200 to 300 lux higher than the artificial lighting provided in an average office.

Bottom line
The researchers believe that their findings could lead to a break-through in approaches to weight management, with the manipulation of light providing a whole new avenue in the treatment of obesity. In addition, lifestyle changes such as taking lunch breaks outside (weather permitting), could help get society in shape.  Zee suggests that we should cultivate a good relationship with our body clocks from a young age, and is convinced that improved lighting and outdoor breaks in schools could “prevent obesity on a larger scale”.

Sources: http://www.eurekalert.org/, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.independent.co.uk/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Heart disease risk slashed by handful of beans - new study

They are one of our favourite convenience foods. And now it seems that adding a handful of beans, chickpeas or lentils to your diet every day can cut 'bad' cholesterol and slash the risk of heart disease. Researchers have found by eating one small serving a day of pulses, it is possible to cut low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 5%. This would translate into a 5 to 6% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

All it takes it a daily portion of pulses - 4½oz, the equivalent of a small apple - said the report for the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
However most people eat less than half that a day. That's because legumes have been tied to flatulence, bloating and discomfort, although this side effect subsided after a while, said lead researcher Dr John Sievenpiper from St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto.

“Pulses are generally considered healthy, but they’re not traditionally part of current guidelines,” Sievenpiper said. “They have a lot of amazing things in them. They are a whole food, they have wonderful vitamins and minerals – magnesium, calcium, sticky fibres that lower cholesterol, plant protein, a low glycemic index,” Sievenpiper said. Consuming more pulses could also cut down on trans fats or processed meat because you’re reaching for plant protein over animal protein.

The study
In the research, Sievenpiper and research coordinator Vanessa Ha conducted a meta-analysis of more than 3,000 studies. They narrowed down their search to 26 studies that looked at any benefits pulses had to offer to 1,037 people over the course of at least three weeks.
The results showed that men had a greater reduction in their bad cholesterol levels than women. But the researchers said men's diets tended to be poorer and cholesterol levels higher, which was why they benefited more markedly.
Most of the trials involved people already on heart-healthy low-fat diets, which also produce a 5-10% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, said the researchers.

Bottom line
Oats, plant sterols in margarine, soy, nuts and other products offer the same benefits, yet pulses haven’t received the same FDA approval claims.
“Our study can hopefully influence those guidelines so they can potentially consider pulses alone as a viable way of lowering bad cholesterol and improving cardiovascular risk,” he said. That means official health organizations could approve and promote pulses to those with or at risk of heart disease. Beans, chickpeas and lentils could have labels that remind consumers of their cholesterol-lowering properties, too.

Urging people to eat more pulses, Dr Sievenpiper said: “We have a lot of room in our diets for increasing our intake to derive the cardiovascular benefits. As an added bonus, they’re inexpensive.”
Sievenpiper suggests that people could increase the cholesterol-lowering benefits by building their diets around these groups of foods. Have some oatmeal in the morning, nuts as a snack and bean salad for lunch, for example. Each food would take on about a 5% decrease in bad cholesterol.
“You could build a portfolio of foods that could actually give you cholesterol-lowering that could rival drugs. That’s how diet could have a benefit in terms of heart disease risk in a way that’s meaningful and comparable with [statins],” Sievenpiper said. “Pulses are a superfood as they offer a lot of different potential benefits for people,” he said.

Toss the Salt and Spice Up Your Life

Here's a crazy stat: only 3% of Americans consume the Institute of Medicine's recommended 1,500 mg or less of sodium per day (the upper limit, FYI, is 2,300). That's a bad thing, since high sodium consumption can raise blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
"It is difficult to adhere to guidelines for sodium intake because sodium is very common in the food supply," said Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., of the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine's Division of Preventive Medicine. "To meet guidelines, it is recommended that Americans prepare and consume fresh foods instead of packaged or processed foods." Which, let's face it, is way easier said than done.

So a new study from Anderson and her team of researchers is promising: they tested out an intervention focusing on teaching participants to flavor their food using herbs and spices, and found that by the end of the study period, compared to a control group, the intervention group was taking in significantly less sodium.

The study
The study, which was presented at an annual conference hosted by the American Heart Association, followed 55 volunteers involved in a two-phase experiment spanning 24 weeks. At the start of the study, more than 60% of them had high blood pressure, and about 18% reported diabetes or weight problems.
For the first four weeks, all participants followed a low-sodium diet with foods flavored with herbs and spices. For example:

• Meat flavored with a rub made from olive oil, coffee extract, cherry extract, smoke paprika and smokehouse pepper
• Spreading olive oil flavored with garlic powder on unsalted bread before making grilled cheese
• A marinade made with lime juice, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder and honey

For the remaining 20 weeks, participants were either asked to lower their sodium intake on their own or partake in a behavioral intervention program designed to educate them on low-sodium eating. The sessions focused on ways to substitute salt with herbs and spices when cooking. Anderson and her colleagues found that, although sodium intake went up for both groups following the initial four-week intervention, those participating in the behavioral sessions ate significantly less salt over the 20-week period. On average, they consumed nearly 1,000 daily milligrams of sodium less than the control group.

"People in the intervention group learned problem-solving strategies, use of herbs and spices in recipes, how culture influences spice choices, how to monitor diet, overcoming the barriers to making dietary changes, how to choose and order foods when eating out and how to make low-sodium intake permanent," Anderson explained.

Spice it up - for better overall health
The results backup a number of other studies highlighting the benefits of bringing a more diverse range of spices into your cooking. One example is a recent paper from the University of Kentucky, in which researchers show that curcumin — a compound occurring in curry — may slow the growth of breast tumors.
With some development, the education model outlined in the study could prove a valuable tool for health officials working to sodium-related health complications like hypertension, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. "Given the challenges of lowering salt in the American diet, we need a public health approach aimed at making it possible for consumers to adhere to an eating pattern with less salt. This intervention using education and tasty alternatives to sodium could be one solution."
Large-scale interventions, including increasing access to fresh foods and whole grains, will likely be necessary to help people achieve lower sodium levels nationwide, according to Anderson.
"We need to be mindful of food access issues and how they are playing out for some of our most vulnerable citizens..." Anderson said. "Spices and herbs are a wonderful message, because from an access perspective, people can grow herbs and spices relatively cheap; people could get to them relatively easily if they have a supermarket somewhere close by. But we need to be mindful of how the message of ‘eat more herbs and spices’ reaches everyone, not just those of us who have more access or means."




 Sources: http://newsroom.heart.org/, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.self.com/, http://www.foxnews.com/