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Hot Tea, Cancer, Osteoporosis, Vertigo And Vitamin D

Here is a brief round-up of some new items.

Drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer. In northern Iran where they traditionally drink a lot of very hot tea, over a liter (quart) a day, there are high rates of throat cancer. Comparisons showed that in those who drank the hottest tea versus those who drank their tea the coolest, there was an eightfold risk of throat cancer. If you drink really hot coffee or tea perhaps you should let it cool a bit before drinking.

Another reason to get plenty of vitamin D, calcium and exercise. There seems to be a link between vertigo, a type of dizziness, and osteoporosis. Those with osteoporosis had a three times higher risk of vertigo. Vertigo is caused when our inner ear gets disturbed. Benign paroxysomal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one cause. It occurs when calcium crystals in the inner ear get displaced. It is suggested that having osteoporosis makes it more likely that you will get BPPV.

An analysis of a number of previous studies suggests that low vitamin D levels increase the risk of bone fractures. In this analysis increasing calcium intake did not further decreased the risk. Some researchers suggest that the RDA for vitamin D is too low (50 mg per day). There are negative effects when too much vitamin D is consumed, so proceed with caution.

photo credit: Hotplate Arts

[tags] hot tea, throat cancer, steoporosis, vertigo, benign paroxysomal positional vertigo, BPPV, vitamin D[/tags

Camelina?!

So what is the next “superfood”, or are they now called “functional foods”? Who knows? One vote might be for camelina.

So what the hell is camelina?

Camelina has the scientific name of Camelina sativa. It has a number of other names, depending on which part of Europe or Russia you are in. My favorite is “gold of pleasure”.

The plant is a member of the Brassica family. Brassicas include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, brussels sprouts, kale and rapeseed (canola). Like rapeseed (canola), camelina is mainly used for oil. In Europe it has been cultivated for several thousand years.

One major reason for the interest is the high levels of omega 3 fatty acids in the oil. It is important to find more good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The most recent post Should You Consume Less Fish Or Fish Oil? discusses some of the problems of getting omega-3 fatty acids from fish.

Camelina oil is also high in polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants and vitamin E. The oil is described as having a light almondy flavor, and due to the presence of antioxidants has good keeping qualities.

I have no idea what the smoke point is. So who knows how high you can heat the oil (If you want the most stable common oil, use avocado. See post Avocado Oil – An Oil You Should Consume). My search in PubMed did not retrieve a single hit for camelina.

Camelina is starting to be grown in the plains states mainly for use as a biofuel. Several companies have been set up to promote the growing of camelina for biofuels. Apparently camelina is also approved for inclusion in chicken feed up to 10%.

So start to look for foods that contain camelina. They will probably be those that advertise themselves as high in omega-3 fatty acids. I expect it will be quite a while before we can buy the oil in the supermarket for home cooking.

photo credit: ajari

Technorati Tags: camelina, gold of pleasure, omega-3 fatty acids

Should You Consume Less Fish And Fish Oil?

Many nutritional guidelines suggest eating fatty fish several times a week or taking fish oil capsules. Do we really need to eat this much fish, and if so, how long before the world is fished out? This is discussed in an article in an upcoming article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (Jenkins et al.).

In the news, at least once a month, there are stories about topics such as crashes of different populations of fish, dead zones, and reductions in fishing quotas. The numbers of fish were declining rapidly even before this recent push for eating fish or fish products. As more and more people increase the amount of fish or fish oil that they consume, the decline in fish stocks worldwide will be even more rapid.

At what point are there so few of some types of fish that they become extinct? What does this selective removal of parts of food chains do to the oceans and lakes? Algal blooms? Jellyfish swarms? Upsurge in inedible species? Changes in the climate? We can guess, but nobody really knows.

From a health point of view, do we really need to eat fish? I might say no, since I hated fish as a kid. We lived inland and the only fish we could buy was a bit old. I refused to eat it, and did not like to be around anybody eating it. I had to be in my thirties the first time I ate fish, and now probably eat it about 4 times per year. I seem to be healthy enough.

The health evidence for eating fish or fish oil is probably slightly on the positive. There are many reports of lowered triglycerides (a type of blood fat, that is increased in poorly-controlled diabetes, obesity, liver disease etc.), lowered risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack. However, there are also quite a few reports where consumption of fish or fish products made no difference.

The main component in fish that are thought to have benefits are the omega-3 fatty acids. It is now thought that it not the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that are consumed, but the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. The modern diet has increased amounts of omega-6 fatty acids particularly from oils such as corn and soybean, and decreased the amount omega-3 fatty acids from nuts and a range of plants, that we eat.

Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, and flax meal is now widely available, and a number of fruits, such as kiwifruit, and plants, such as broccoli, have reasonable levels of the omega-3 fatty acids. Apparently, omega-3 fatty acids from a brown alga (kelp) are used in infant formula, and yeast are being engineered to make high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Perhaps non-fish omega-3 fatty acid supplements and capsules will soon be widely available.

Should we start to again eat more plant and less fish omega-3 fatty acids, as well as less omega-6 fatty acids?

photo credit: Donna S Rutherford

Technorati Tags: fish, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids

Biological Clock Plays A Role in Aging

All animals including humans have a biological clock. This clock is important for controlling the daily in many of our bodily processes. Recently there has been evidence that the biological clock plays a role in aging.

We all have a circadian (Latin, circa=about, diem=day) rhythm. This is the daily rhythm of our bodies. Our biological clock that gives us a rhythm that lasts about 24 hours. In most people the circadian rhythm is not exactly 24 hours, it can be slightly shorter or longer, but it adjusted by external cues such as light. During the clock period, besides obvious things like sleep, a large number of things vary during the period. For instance did you know the majority of the cholesterol that your body makes, is produced at night?

For humans to maintain optimal health, it is important to follow the rhythms of the clock. Continued disturbances of the biological clock have been suggested to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Short term disturbances can lead to a range of symptoms including mood alteration, fatigue, and insomnia. Think about how awful you feel, and how poorly you function with jet lag, while resetting the biological clock.

As we age our biological clock does not function as strongly as it does when we are younger. This increases the chances of getting insomnia and many of our bodies processes not functioning on a tight a schedule.

In the last couple of years, there has been evidence that the biological clock is also tied to regulation of production of energy. It has been shown that biological clock is involved in the regulation of glucose. Disregulation of glucose and insulin insensitivity is involved in the development of diabetes. This losing of regulation of glucose may play a role in the increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes increases as we age.

Now recent research has linked the biological clock to SIRT1, which is often called the longevity gene. SIRT1 is also linked to energy metabolism in the body. The researchers suggest that energy intake via food can via SIRT1 influence the biological clock and this too may play a role in the aging.

photo credit: robstephaustralia

Technorati Tags: biological clock, circadian rhythm, glucose, aging, SIRT1, diabetes

One Of Those Days

Today is one of those days when everything seems to be too much. Finding a gallon of water soaking into the carpet and floor was the straw that almost broke the camel’s back.

The day started badly. I woke up multiple times during the night and had trouble going back to sleep. Not really aware of anything special that is bothering me, just the usual stresses of life. Tried concentrating on my breathing, but that didn’t work.

Dragged myself out of bed at a reasonable time and went for my usual walk. My butt hurt from yoga class after work yesterday, and I felt like I was walking in thick glue. Didn’t feel any more chipper when I got back. Found some of the pepper seedlings were infested with some fly thingies, so I should probably pitch them. Looking for something else found some leftover soup in the back of the fridge, that was pretty bad. Threw it on my useless (not composting) pile.

Then vacuuming the house, I discovered the water. A one gallon container of water had sprung a leak sometime since last weekend and soaked into the carpet. A gallon of water goes quite long way in carpet. I felt like I wanted to cry when I saw it. I have quite a bit of drinking water stashed around, from the earthquake preparation last year. (The swarm of earthquakes lasted for months, cracked all the concrete outside my house and did some minor damage to the house. See posts and pics, here and here.)

Used half a tree worth of paper towels to blot up as much as possible and then had the window open for a while. This made the house really chilly, and now the winds have picked up to gusts of about 40 mph and we have blowing dust, so I have closed the window. I think in an hour or two I will light the woodstove and get the house really hot tonight, to help dry out the floor. I hope it doesn’t get moldy.

Think, later, after walking the dog, I will go to the store and get a bottle of wine.

photo credit: lepiaf.geo

Technorati Tags: life, days, water, carpet

Lower Salt, More Sleep And Keep Moving

There are quite a few websites that I look at on a regular basis. Some I will forget to check out, and then, like today, find them again. I had forgetten that the American Heart Association website is always a good place to look for cardiovascular-related news and information about heart health and disease.

An estimate of the health effect of consuming a little less salt, 3 grams per day (which is about 1,200 mg of sodium) is there would be a quarter of a million less new cases of heart disease in a decade. This number is quite staggering considering that most people would not even notice a 3 gram per day decrease in their salt intake. Apparently most Americans eat 9 to 12 grams of salt (3,600 – 4,800 mg sodium) per day. The recommendation is 5-6 grams of salt (2,000 – 2,400 mg sodium) per day.

Now that most of us are eating out less due to the economy, reading the labels on foods and choosing more low sodium foods, should make it easier for most people to lower their salt/sodium intake. Many brands of prepared foods will have the American Heart Association check mark on them if they are within the heart healthy guidelines.

Those that routinely get less than 6 hours sleep per night on workdays are at an increased risk of having higher fasting glucose. An increase in fasting glucose levels is an indicator of the beginning of development of diabetes. There was no downside, with regards to fasting blood glucose, to getting more than eight hours sleep. This is yet another study that shows a negative impact on health for those who consistently do not get enough sleep. We all need to get lots of sleep.

Those who exercise after a heart attack improve blood vessel function. Both aerobic and resistance training are effective. Those who did not exercise had very little improvement in the functioning of their blood vessels. The bad news is that for the improvement to be maintained, the exercise program had to be maintained.

So – lower your salt intake, make sure you get your zzzz, and keep exercising.

photo credit: Franck Mahon

Technorati Tags: heart, salt, sodium, sleep, exercise, heart attack

Fear of Falling: Do Yoga Or Tai Chi

Though we tend to obsess about wrinkles, gray hair and the surface signs of aging, there are other facets of aging that affect our lives in a more basic way. One thing that is very aging is the fear of falling.

A deteriorating sense of balance, and at a later stage a loss of muscle strength in the legs are the main causes of becoming frightened of falling over.

Fear of falling over is aging for two reasons. First, it starts to limit horizons, the world becomes smaller and more restricted. Rough ground, steep stairs, and crowded places are examples of places that are avoided. Not being able to be easily able and comfortable going where you want is a feature of the aging process for many people.

Second, in a more obvious way, fear of falling changes body posture and gait. If you are frightened of falling you look down a lot more, which will increase the tendency to get the characteristic curved spine, head down look. Young people look up and around not just in front of their feet, and have straighter backs. Fear of falling also tends to make for a slower, smaller step style of walking. Often, eventually developing a shuffling gait.

There are a number of studies that have shown that yoga, tai chi and similar exercise types can make a significant difference to the elderly in terms of improving their walking abilities and reducing the fear of falling. Statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the leading causes of both non-fatal injury, and admission to hospital for trauma in those 65 years and older, is falling.

So why not start to do a little tai chi or yoga, even before you develop the fear of falling? Yoga, tai chi, etc., definitely will help delay or even prevent developing a strong fear of falling.

Obviously, yoga and tai chi help improve the sense of balance. As we age our sense of balance deteriorates. However, balance training can restore our sense of balance to a level that is similar to when we were much younger. (I will do another post soon on aging and balance since it has several facets.)

One important part of balance is flexibility. If you can flex you are much less likely to fall over. When we are standing, we are balancing on our feet and constantly correcting our balance. If you are very inflexible then it is hard to correct from a wavering away from the center of balance – think ninepin. If you can flex then it is easy to bend the body in a way that will correct the imbalance and remain standing or walking.

Another advantage of these types of exercises is that they strengthen the legs. Aging results in a decrease in muscle mass and strength, called sarcopenia. Often the elderly will develop a shuffling gait, not picking their feet up properly. This is partly due to lack of muscle strength. Look at an elderly person’s legs; they are usually really thin and spindly. Everybody will undergo sarcopenia, and have a decline in muscle mass as they age. Fortunately, exercises that strengthen muscles will significantly slow the decline.

The increase in muscle strength and the movements and postures of these disciplines will also help strengthen the core, chest shoulders and back and improve posture, stopping or slowing the development of an older body shape.

So get a yoga or tai chi or qi gong (or anything that takes your fancy) DVD, book or go to a class once a week. A small amount of time will have a big benefit.

Not only will yoga, or whatever, help with stress, which itself is aging, but it will really slow one aspect of aging, fear of falling.

photo credit: j / f / photos

Technorati Tags: fear of falling, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, sense of balance, sarcopenia, posture, gait

Fashion Magazines And False Perfection

How is your body image? How many people are really even remotely comfortable with their bodies? I was shocked yesterday to find out how much photographs in fashion magazines are manipulated. We are chasing such a false perfection.

The video I saw on changes the faces and bodies of models in fashion magazines was surprising even to a cynic like me.

One retouch “artist” said that there was usually something like 30 rounds of retouching of photographs! Meaning the artist made some changes, the magazine then asked for more changes, and so on, for 30 rounds. By 30 rounds of changes, how much of the original photograph remains?

Everything is changed, usually the models are made thinner, wrinkles removed, eyes changed, hair filled out and probably just about everything else. The people who do the changes are truly artists since you cannot tell the fake from the real. The new bodies have a more idealized androgynous shape, and the hair, face shape and skin are perfection.

The scary thing about this is that original photographs are of models. So if a model needs to be significantly changed, those of us with regular bodies, faces and hair ……

There are many studies about how we evaluate ourselves against the bodies and faces in fashion magazines. We are comparing ourselves to an impossible to achieve perfection. We might as well try to be Barbie.

photo credit: Chesi – Fotos CC

Technorati Tags: body image, fashion magazine, retouching

The Bright Yellow Spice

Is nearly every foodstuff good for you? It seems that every day there is a new miracle food. One spice that there has been much research on is turmeric, the bright yellow spice.

Turmeric is a powder obtained from the rhizome (underground stem) of Curcuma longa which is a member of the ginger family. The ginger that we buy in the produce section of the supermarket is the rhizome of the ginger plant.

The powder from the turmeric rhizome is a bright yellow-orange (aptly described as marigold) color, and as well as being found in Indian and other Asian foods, is often used a coloring in many prepared foods (code E100).

Since turmeric powder is dried minimally processed plant material, it contains many many components. So far the compound, found in high levels in turmeric that has been shown to have many health benefits, is curcumin.

Though there are no strong studies in humans, there are several studies in mice that were fed turmeric and many studies in the “test tube” using purified curcumin. In mice turmeric has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes and reduce the risk of complications of obesity. Diabetes and obesity have a strong inflammatory component and curcumin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is hypothesized that for diabetics and in obesity that curcumin may reduce the levels of inflammation and improving health out comes.

Curcumin has also been shown to have anti-cancer, antibiotic and antioxidant properties in experiments. Evidence of these properties is anecdotal.

One consideration for tumeric, or any other foodstuff for that matter, is uptake in the gut. Studies with curcumin have suggested that it is unstable in the gut and that very little is found circulating in the blood after eating it. This begs the question; does curcumin have to be in the presence of something else that makes it more stable or makes it more readily absorbed? Do we only need vey low levels of curcumin to get an effect? Does the method of preparation of the turmeric powder itself, the food containing turmeric affect levels in the body? Or something else?

To get benefit from the huge range of nutrients in our foods, perhaps we need to eat a varied diet with different combinations of things. This way, at different times we may get more or less uptake and effective distribution in the body of the different nutrients. Good news for foodies?

photo credit: _william

Technorati Tags: turmeric, curcumin, diabetes, obesity, gut, inflammation

Do Blueberries Lower Cholesterol?

When antioxidant foods first got a lot of media coverage, one of the foods that was called a “superfood” was blueberries. All of a sudden we were being told to eat blueberries. I remember reading about some media dermatologist, who said that they ate blueberries and salmon for breakfast every day. Recently it has been suggested that blueberries lower cholesterol. Expect another spike in blueberry consumption.

The main reason for the initial superfood categorization of blueberries was the presence of high levels of antioxidants. Blueberries were found to be high in anthocyanins and other antioxidants. They have the antioxidant, resveratrol, in their skins. Resveratrol is the compound found in red wine that is thought to have a range of health benefits (see this post on resveratrol).

Recently it has been shown that blueberries contain high levels of pterostilbene. This compound is related to resveratrol. It has been demonstrated that one action of pterostilbene is to activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, or PPAR alpha. This receptor is a target for a class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as fibrates (e.g. Tricor, Lopid). The fibrates will lower cholesterol a significant amount in most people.

Though there are not yet any human studies, since pterostilbene is activating PPAR alpha, which is known to decrease in serum cholesterol, it does seem very likely that blueberries will lower cholesterol in humans.

So, add the cholesterol-lowering effect of blueberries to the evidence that blueberries may slow cognitive decline, perhaps have anti-cancer properties, are anti-inflammatory, and a small amount of evidence that blueberries may lower blood sugar. This provides further evidence that blueberries are a good food to eat as part of a balanced diet.

Blueberries for breakfast every day is a bit over the top. Though they are good for you, they are low in a number of essential nutrients. Balance is the key.

photo credit: Jennlang

[tags]blueberries, lower cholesterol, antioxidants, pterostilbene, resveratrol,

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