How Related Are Weight And Health?
August 14, 2008
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The conventional wisdom is that if you are normal sized you are healthy and if you are overweight you are unhealthy. However, a recent analysis has suggested that it is not that simple and that weight and health may not be related in a straightforward way.
More data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) suggests that some “normal weight” people are unhealthy and that some people considered overweight do not have signs of cardiac disease or other diseases that have been conventionally associated with obesity.
Of course being thin has never necessarily meant healthy. For instance, my mother who suffers form Crohn’s disease is thin due to her disease. However, in this analysis of the NHANES surveys, of those with normal weight there were a significant proportion who had what the authors called “metabolic markers of obesity”.
What were considered to be metabolic markers of obesity? They included high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, high fasting blood glucose, high levels of C reactive protein (hsCRP) and low levels of HDL (the good) cholesterol.
The proportion of normal weight people with these markers increased with age, from 10.3% for ages 20 to 24 years , 16.9% between 35 and 49 years, 41.7% between 50 and 64 years, 54.7% between 65 and 79 years, and 56.2% 80 years and older.
Conversely, for those considered overweight and would be expected to have the metabolic markers, there were many who were in the optimal range. Healthy levels of the markers decreased with age, but represented a substantial proportion of the survey participants. The ranges were 47.7% between 20 and 34 years, 31.1% between 35 and 49 years, 20.4% between 50 and 64 years, 14.3% between 65 and 79 years, and 22.1% 80 years and older.
This sort of goes against what we are told. It will be interesting to see how the discussion of the data develops. The data does suggest that you need to go and get tested for cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides etc, whatever your size. Find out what your numbers are, then go from there.
Technorati Tags: weight, metabolic, obesity, NHANES
Popularity: 11% [?]
Low Fat vs. Low Carb vs. Mediterranean Diet
July 19, 2008
A new study compared low fat, low carb and Mediterranean diets. The findings were that those on the low carb and Mediterranean diets, lost more weight and had more improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels, than those on the low fat diet.
The study was conducted at a remote nuclear facility in Israel, so there was control over the diets of the participants. There were many more men than women in the study, so the findings for women may be less general. The low fat and Mediterranean were calorie restricted, the low carb diet was not calorie restricted.
All dieters lost weight, but those on the low fat diet lost the least. Men lost most on the low carb diet, whereas women lost most on the Mediterranean diet.
HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) increased most on the low carb diet, closely followed by the Mediterranean diet and the worst was the low fat diet. LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) decreased the most on the Mediterranean diet, the low carb diet was intermediate and there was only a small decrease on the low fat diet. Triglycerides dropped most with the low carb diet, the Mediterranean diet had a slightly small drop and the low fat diet had a much smaller drop.
These results suggest that low carb and Mediterranean diets may be more effective than a low fat diet both for weight loss and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Since the low carb and Mediterranean diets are almost equally effective, then choosing the diet that suits your tastes and lifestyle, is going to be what is most successful.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine 359:229-241, 2008.
photo credit: sethschoen
[tags]low fat, low carb, Mediterranean, diet, weight, cholesterol, triglycerides[/tag]
Popularity: 34% [?]
Vitamin D: Bones, immunity and heart
July 17, 2008
This from Science Daily. It says it all. Make sure you are getting enough of the sunshine vitamin
“Vitamin D is essential to strong bones. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, a brittle bone disease. Recently, researchers have found that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of other diseases.
Fall prevention: With age, decreasing muscle strength can increase the risk of falls and bone fractures. Several studies have found that vitamin D supplements may benefit muscle strength and balance, helping older adults stay steadier on their feet.
Cancer prevention: Observational research indicates that low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of some cancers — including those of the breast, colon, rectum, ovary, kidney, lung and uterus. Although unclear why, vitamin D in adequate amounts appears to help regulate cellular growth, potentially preventing cells from becoming cancerous.
Chronic pain prevention: Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognized as an important cause of muscle pain and weakness.
Protection against autoimmune diseases: Evidence is mounting that vitamin D may offer protection from type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation and strengthening the immune system. In one study, researchers found a 40 percent lower risk of multiple sclerosis in women who supplemented their diet each day with at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: Some research indicates that lower vitamin D levels are associated with a number of factors that affect cardiovascular
Recommendations from medical groups vary, but a daily intake in the range of 800 to 1,000 IU is likely to benefit most adults. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet rays, but many people need a supplement to reach recommended levels. Many multivitamins contain vitamin D. This nutrient also can be purchased alone or combined with calcium.
The July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource reports further information and guidelines on how much vitamin D is enough”
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/07/080714162515.htm
Technorati Tags: vitamin D, immunity, cancer, heart disease
Popularity: 31% [?]
Off To Drink Red Wine And Eat Red Grapes
July 14, 2008
Even more reasons to drink red wine and eat red grapes. The compound resveratrol found in the skins of red grapes and hence red wine has been suggested to have even more health benefits.
Resveratrol has been suggested to have a wide range of health benefits in mice. How many of these results extend to humans will be interesting to see. However, the French Paradox suggests that resveratrol may have health benefits.
The French Paradox is, that though people in the south of France consume of high quantities of animal fat, the level of cardiovascular disease is quite low. One suggestion has been that the regular consumption of red wine was the explanation.
Research then suggested that humans did not consume enough resveratrol in wine or grapes to have an effect. Early research suggested that very large quantities of resveratrol needed to be consumed for any effect. This led to flood of supplements, most which contained Japanese knotweed, another source. (Note: Consumer Labs tested a large range of brands and found that the resveratrol content ranged from high to almost non-existent, and that price had no relationship to the content. Buyer beware.)
Recent research in mice, which previously had shown that only very high levels were effective, has shown that lower amounts improved health. Improvements were reduced cataract formation, better bone health, and improved balance and coordination. Further there was less inflammation in hearts, a sign of heart disease, in those mice whose diets included resveratrol. Let’s hope that studies in humans find the same thing!
Did you know that frozen red grapes make a great snack? Buy red grapes when they are cheap. After washing and letting dry, pull the grapes off the stems. Throw them in a Ziploc style bag and put them in the freezer. Just remove as many as you want for a snack. The freezing gives them a subtle change in taste.
photo credit: Zesmerelda
Technorati Tags: resveratrol, red wine, red grapes, French paradox
Popularity: 21% [?]
Artichoke Leaf: The Next Wonder Food!
July 8, 2008
Expect to hear quite a bit about artichoke leaf and artichoke leaf extract, which is often abbreviated to ALE. I predict that supplements containing artichoke leaf will soon be popping up everywhere. A search of PubMed using artichoke brings up a number of studies on a wide range of potential benefits. The most recent is lowering cholesterol.
The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a perennial thistle and is closely related to the cardoon. Other types of thistles have been suggested to have a range of health benefits. These include milk thistle for treatment of liver diseases and burdock, which is said to be a blood purifier.
Artichoke leaf extracts are widely available in Europe. They have been sold primarily as a treatment for indigestion, some urinary problems (hyperuricemia) and gout. Recently they have been shown to have positive effects on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Globe artichokes, of course, have antioxidants. I suspect that there is not a single plant that does not have some form of antioxidant. In particular artichokes have been suggested to protect the liver from oxidative stress. Artichoke leaf extract has also been shown to limit damage form oxidative stress in high intensity physical activity.
The most recent study looked at the effects of the leaf extract on moderately increased cholesterol levels. Those that consumed 1280 mg of artichoke leaf extract for 12 weeks saw a decrease in total cholesterol. I wonder how many artichokes I would have to eat to get the equivalent amount. Probably all the butter and mayo would counteract the good effect.
photo credit: Dylan Parker
[tags]artichoke leaf, artichoke leaf extract, ALE, globe artichoke, cholesterol, antioxidant[tags]
Popularity: 26% [?]
Worms: The Answer To Immune Problems?
July 3, 2008
There have been several articles recently about how worms may be good for you, not the kind in the soil but those that are parasites in the human body. The idea is that worms (helminths) may help calm the immune system.
What makes the perfect parasite? For those that want to survive in the body, it is stopping the body responding and attacking you, or trying to get rid of you. A happy parasite wants a happy host.
Further some organisms end up in a symbiotic relationship. Symbiosis is often defined as a relationship where there is benefit to both participants.
So what do immune-dreived health problems have to do with worms?
In order to stay in the digestive tract many worms suppress parts of the immune system. This way the body does not try to attack the worms. So when infected with worms the body will turn down some (but not all) immune responses. This is not a new idea, it has been known for quite a while.
What is new is the suggestion the body got used to having the worms and was in balance with them. So that in modern times with improvements in sanitation and medication, when we lost our worms our immune systems got out of whack and in some people got revved up. In other words perhaps it was of a symbiotic relationship, beneficial to all.
Why has this new idea been proposed?
One thing that everybody agrees on is that in recent times there has been a huge increase in immune diseases ranging from hay fever to inflammatory bowel disease. These are all diseases where the immune system becomes more active.
So, of course, this leads to the question, why has there been this very sudden increase in a wide range of immune diseases?
There are all kinds of theories. One is the hygiene hypothesis. The idea is that being no longer exposed to certain bacteria, fungi, worms etc., that our immune systems are not trained properly, and may in many people get out of control.
One of the first demonstrations of role of worms was the experimental infection of 29 patients with active Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) with pig whipworm. An amazing 23 patients showed improvement, with 21 of these going into remission. Gut 54:87-90, 2005 (PubMed). Later studies have shown good results with ulcerative colitis, another inflammatory bowel disease.
Are we going to be getting worm egg prescriptions in the future? Unlikely. There is now a push to find the range of mechanisms that the worms use to suppress the human responses. It is very likely that drugs based on this knowledge will be tested for use on many diseases that have an inflammatory component. These will include hay fever, asthma, eczema, multiple sclerosis and the inflammatory bowel diseases. It will also include diseases that you might not realize involve immune responses such as diabetes and atherosclerosis (blocking of arteries).
photo credit: moneydick The image is of Caenorhabditis elegans a harmless roundworm that lives in the soil.
Technorati Tags: worms, helminths, parasite, allergy, inflammatory disease, Crohn’s
Popularity: 38% [?]
Foods You Should Be Eating?
July 1, 2008
The NY Times today has a list of 11 foods that you should be eating, but likely are not. How many do you eat?
They are 1) beets, 2) cabbage, 3) chard, 4) cinnamon, 5) pomegranate juice, 6) dried plums (newish name for prunes), 7) pumpkin seeds, 
turmeric*, 9) sardine, 10) frozen blueberries and 11) canned pumpkin.
I didn’t do very well. I regularly eat cabbage, chard, pomegranate juice, frozen blueberries and canned pumpkin. I loathe beets, so maybe for me the list should be 10. I am not very keen on sardines but will eat them. Perhaps I can find some way to disguise them a bit.
I started to buy canned pumpkin for the dog. It is good for dogs to get a dollop a day, particularly when they are getting old and/or have a significant part of their diet as raw meat, offal etc. They benefit from beta carotene too. So I usually have a dish of canned pumpkin (don’t leave in the can) in the fridge and often add a human dollop or two, to stews etc.
Wasn’t too keen on chard until one day I tried removing the stems, chopping them into about 1 inch lengths and frying them for a good few minutes before adding the wet leaves. Shame it is not cheaper.
Pomegranate juice and vodka is pretty good.
Between them these foods have a whole range of benefits such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, lower cholesterol, improve diabetes, etc. See the article or more info.
So, I guess next time I go to the store, I might buy some prunes and pumpkin seeds and at home will cook with more cinnamon and turmeric. Will have to think about the sardines.
* I have no idea where the happy face came from and why it replaced number eight. Deleting and retyping the text surrounding it does not help, it pops back up again instead of 8). I usually type the posts in Word and then copy and paste. Probably some weird piece of code that came from Word.
Technorati Tags: beets, pomegranate, chard, canned pumpkin
Popularity: 45% [?]
Eat Food With Herbs And Spices; Many Contain Beta-Caryophyllene
June 27, 2008
Food that is well seasoned with herbs and spices is probably good for you. A large number of herbs and spices including oregano, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, clove and black pepper contain significant levels of beta-caryophyllene. Additionally many plants that are used in “folk medicine” throughout the world are often high in beta-caryophyllene.
Beta-caryophyllene is a volatile aromatic oil. This means that it evaporates (dies up) easily and it has a strong smell. It is used in the perfume industry, and also as a food additive. It is described as smelling like spicy pepper, woodsy with a citrus background.
Researchers have found that the compound beta-caryophyllene has several beneficial properties. Several years ago application to the skin was found to be somewhat numbing, so it may have use as a local anesthetic. There is also data for some antibiotic effects and anticancer effects, in particular, in combination with some anticancer drugs. It may also help slow osteoporosis. Another important property is this compound is that it is an anti-inflammatory. Recent research has investigated the mechanisms of the effects of beta-caryophyllene in the body.
The anti-inflammatory properties of beta-caryophyllene, may help reduce the development of inflammatory diseases. One important inflammatory disease is atherosclerosis (blockage of the arteries). Once atherosclerosis starts there is an immune cascade that causes the lesion to grow and change. It is possible that a significant intake of foods containing beta-caryophyllene may have an anti-inflammatory effect and slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Other inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis may also be slowed by beta-caryophyllene.
Beta-caryophyllene is also found in some fruits including mango, guava, grape, raspberry and black currants. It is also found in cannabis, though it is not psychoactive.
So eat foods that are well flavored with herbs and spices, it may help your cardiovascular system.
Technorati Tags: beta-caryophyllene, atherosclerosis, herbs, anti-inflammatory
Popularity: 50% [?]
Leptin Might Be The Key To Weight Loss and Maintenance
June 25, 2008
One of the problems when dieting is that after the while the body adapts to the lower calorie intake. After a period of restricted food intake the body starts to make changes in some of its systems.
When calories have been in short supply for a while, the body increases the feelings of hunger. This is a basic survival mechanism and would make our prehistoric ancestors go out and find some berries or go hunting a woolly mammoth. We need to eat to survive. Unfortunately dieting also triggers this survival mechanism, and stimulates an overfeeding response.
Additionally, after a period of restricted calories our metabolism slows down. This, too, is a survival mechanism. In times when there is a shortage of food, if the amount of energy that the body uses can be reduced, we are more likely to survive until there is adequate food again.
These two changes in the body result in it becoming harder to lose weight after dieting for a while. Importantly, it also makes it harder to maintain the weight loss after losing the desired weight.
Leptin is a hormone that is secreted by fat cells. It is involved in a number of processes in the body including energy regulation. During fasting, the levels of leptin circulating in the body drop. This drop in leptin levels has a range of effects that include reduced energy expenditure and the stimulation of overfeeding.
Several studies suggest that a potential treatment option for weight loss and maintenance may be leptin or some future drug that increases the levels of leptin. The studies looked at both energy expenditure and brain activity in response to food stimuli.
The first studies compared markers of energy expenditure, with and without, an injection of leptin under the skin for those on a weight loss program. The leptin injection increased the circulating leptin levels to those pre-diet, and at the same time increased the levels of the markers of the body metabolism. So increasing the levels of leptin reversed the slowing of the body metabolism. This is likely to increase the rate of weight loss, and be important for weight maintenance.
The second study looked at brain activity. In certain areas of the brain after being on a diet for a while there is increased activity, which correlates with an increased appetite. In those who received leptin, the brain activity decreased to the level found prior to dieting. This suggests that increased leptin levels may decrease the feelings of hunger and make overfeeding episodes less likely.
These studies have several potential implications. As stated above, would treatments that increased leptin levels be useful in the latter stages of weight loss and for weight maintenance? (Note: The majority of obese individuals have high levels of leptin and are leptin-resistant so treatment is unlikely to work for them, unless they are on long term calorie restriction. For those who are obese and have low leptin levels, it certainly could be a treatment option.) Additionally, do low levels of leptin predict obesity later in life? Would measurement of leptin levels help target those who have a high likelihood of gaining weight?
It is likely in the future that some form of leptin therapy may be of benefit to a significant number of people, particularly for weight maintenance.
The research has been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and is authored by Rosenbaum et al. For more details there is an excellent free access commentary in the issue as the most recent article.
Technorati Tags: leptin, weight loss, weight maintenance, slow metabolism, appetite, overeating
Popularity: 37% [?]
High Carb, High Protein Breakfast For Weight Loss?
June 23, 2008
Should breakfast be a high carb, high protein meal and then the remaining meals low carb, low calorie? A new study suggests that this might be the way to lose and maintain weight loss.
Carb restriction has been shown to be an effective method of dieting. However, there are two common problems. First, it is hard to maintain for extended periods of time, due to the intense carb cravings that most people get. Secondly, once a low carb diet is stopped, there is often a rapid weight gain.
The idea of high carb, high protein breakfast diet is that it reduces the cravings for carbs and increases the sense of fullness. This will then make sticking with the diet easier and not lead to the rebound effect of “carb cramming” after stopping dieting.
A yearlong study compared a low carb diet (not the high protein, high fat Atkins-style) with a diet that had a high carb breakfast. The focus for the first 8 months of the study was weight loss, the next 4 months focused on weight maintenance.
The results are very interesting. After 4 months the low carb only group had lost an average of 28 lbs and the high carb breakfast group had lost an average of 23 lbs. However, at 8 months the low carb group had regained an average of 18 lbs, whereas the high carb breakfast group had on average lost another 16.5 lbs!
The authors suggest that “The big-breakfast diet works because it controls appetite and cravings for sweets and starches. It also is healthier than an extremely low-carbohydrate diet, because it allows people to eat more fruit and therefore get enough fiber and vitamins.”
Sounds worth a try since the usual low carb diet does not seem to work long term for the majority of people.
This study was presented last week at the annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society. The press release gives more details including the number of calories, carbs, proteins and fat.
Technorati Tags: low carb, high protein, breakfast, weight loss
Popularity: 43% [?]
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