University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found that a modified version of a plan called “alternate-day fasting” may be easier to abide and has the added bonus of improving cardio health. The findings appear in the November 1 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“This diet has been around about 20 years, but its effect on weight loss hadn’t really been studied,” said Krista Varady, assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition, who led the UIC research team.

The 10-week trial studied 16 clinically obese people — 12 women and four men — between the ages of 35 and 65 who all weighed more than 210 pounds, had kept their weight stable for the previous three months, and had body mass indexes of between 30 and 39.9. None was diabetic, had a history of cardiovascular disease, was taking weight-loss or lipid- or glucose-lowering medications, or smoked.

The study was divided into three phases:

The first two weeks, participants ate and exercised normally.

Between weeks three and six, participants ate normal meals one day then would fast the next. On fast days, participants ate the equivalent of a three-course lunch prepared by UIC’s Human Nutritional Research Center. The meal provided between 20 and 25 percent of daily energy needs.

For the final four weeks, participants were counseled by dietitians on menu options, but essentially chose on their own what to eat, based on what they had learned about meal sizes and food choices.

“We wanted to see if they could actually do it by themselves — because what’s the point of studying this diet if you have to feed people meals prepared at metabolic kitchens all the time?” said Varady.

Weight loss ranged from 10 to 30 pounds; the researchers expected an average loss of only five pounds. Blood pressure and heart rate were also lowered, along with total cholesterol and circulating fat levels.

Varady hopes now to study the effects of staying on the diet for at least six months, looking for evidence of self-motivation and to see if the diet helps in maintaining proper weight.

“Why are some able to do it but others not? It takes about two weeks to adjust to the diet, after which people don’t feel hungry on the fast day,” she said.

“We need to find out how long they can stay on this diet — and if they go off it, do they automatically regain the weight?”

Co-authors on the study are doctoral students Surabhi Bhutani and Monica Klempel, and Emily Church, clinical coordinator in physical therapy at UIC. The study was supported by UIC departmental funding.

Source
University of Illinois at Chicago

Researchers from the newly founded Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have studied whether health benefit stem from a reduction in specific nutrients or calorie intake in general by manipulating the diet of female fruit flies. The fruit flies were fed a diet of yeast, sugar and water, but with differing amounts of key nutrients, such as vitamins, lipids and amino acids. The scientists were able to show that longevity and fertility are affected by a combination of the type and amount of amino acids; whilst varying the amount of the other nutrients had little or no effect. Furthermore, the researchers found out in previous studies that levels of a particular amino acid – methionine – were crucial to increasing lifespan without decreasing fertility. By carefully manipulating the balance of amino acids, both lifespan and fertility were maximised. For the first time, this indicates that it is possible to extend lifespan without wholesale dietary restriction and without lowering reproductive capacity.

As the effects of dietary restriction on lifespan is evolutionary conserved – observed in different organisms – researchers believe that the essential mechanisms apply to it as well. Even though the human genome has about four times the number of genes as the fruit fly genome, there are many similarities on a genetic level, allowing these results to be of significance for humans as well.

Original work:
Richard C. Grandison, Matthew D. W. Piper & Linda Partridge
Amino-acid imbalance explains extension of lifespan by dietary restriction in Drosophila
Nature, December 3, 2009, doi:10.1038/nature08619

Source: Katharina Möller
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

The research group focused on the function of “orexin” neurons in brain. Orexin is a kind of brain hormones related to sleep/wakefulness and food intake. They found that orexin released in the brain from “orexin” neurons activates glucose metabolism in muscle but not adipose tissue in mice through the preferential activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, they found that a pleasant meal with sweet taste stimulation and its anticipation activates orexin neurons and curbs the rise of blood glucose level by activating muscle metabolism via the sympathetic nervous system.

It is known that orexin plays an important role in the regulation of sleep/wakefulness and autonomic nervous system in human as well as experimental animals. Therefore, this finding implies the strong relationship between habits of diet and our health. Pleasant meal with tasty foods (of course, not high calorie) and with family and friends may prevent hyperglycemia by activating orexin neurons. In contrast, irregular dietary habits, especially eating fast food just before sleeping, may cause hyperglycemia and possibly obesity. “Orexin neurons have been shown to decrease the activity at night. Thus, eating just before sleeping may not be able to activate orexin neurons effectively, then resulting in hyperglycemia”, said Prof Minokoshi.

Source:
Prof Yasuhiko Minokoshi
National Institute for Physiological Sciences

Here are the ’straight goods’ based on evidence provided by dietitians – your trusted source for food and nutrition advice:

Vitamin C

The Facts: Optimal vitamin C status has been identified as important for the immune cells involved in defense against viruses. The main function of vitamin C is to help heal cuts and wounds; keep gums, teeth, and bones healthy; keeps blood vessel walls strong and helps absorb iron from the foods we eat. Despite being studied for over 40 years, there is insufficient evidence to advise taking more vitamin C to prevent colds or the flu. The Recommended Daily Allowance [RDA] is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men (an additional 35 mg should be added for smokers). This is easily obtained by having 1-2 servings of vitamin C rich citrus fruits (such as oranges), or vegetables like sweet peppers and broccoli. Vitamin C is also added to a number of foods that are routinely consumed by Canadians, such as apple juice. A higher dose of vitamin C is not without side effects such as causing digestive problems.

Zinc

The Facts: Zinc is important for the cells involved in defense against viruses. Zinc is also involved in many bodily functions. It supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence. It is also required for a proper sense of smell and taste so that low zinc status can influence your appetite and enjoyment of food. The current RDA for zinc is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men. The best sources of zinc are seafood, meat, seeds, cooked dried beans, peas and lentils. A serving of beef (75 g or 2 ½ oz) provides approximately 4.6 mg of zinc and a serving of lentils (175 mL or ¾ cup) provides almost 2 mg of zinc. Plant sources are less reliable as the level of zinc in plants depends on the content in the soil. As a result, vegetarians who mainly depend on plant sources of nutrients are advised to consult with a dietitian to insure their needs are being met.

Selenium

The Facts: Although selenium is important for a healthy immune system, there is little evidence of a deficiency in the Canadian population or evidence that consuming selenium supplements will reduce the risk of viral infections. Recommended amounts are small, only 55 micrograms daily for adults, readily obtained from nuts, seafood, organ meat, pork and whole grains. Half a cup (125 mL) of cooked brown rice provides 8-10 micrograms of selenium and a serving of mixed nuts (60 mL or ¼ cup) has about 150 micrograms of selenium.

Feed a cold and starve a fever? Not good advice!

The Facts: Viral infections, such as the flu, are often associated with a fever. However, there is no evidence that “starving a fever” by reducing the amount of food eaten will reduce a fever. In fact, a fever is a helpful means used by our own immune system in order to fight off the viral infection. If we stop eating, the immune system doesn’t work as well and all of the nutrients mentioned above, as well as many others, are important to the immune system. “While it may be tempting to eat less when you’re feeling unwell, try to eat smaller, more frequent meals and healthy snacks to support your body’s defenses and drink plenty of water,” says Field.

The Bottom Line - “Optimal health doesn’t require a complicated diet based on a certain number of ’super foods’. The key to good health is eating a well-planned balanced diet that focuses on variety,” concludes Dr. Field. While following these tips alone may not be enough to prevent you from catching the flu this season, they will help your immune system respond to its effects and contribute to life-long health.

Planning a healthy eating pattern can be challenging for busy families and individuals. A registered dietitian has the training and expertise to sort nutrition facts from fiction and to translate the science into easy tips you can use every day. Find a dietitian near you at www.dietitians.ca/find.

About Catherine Field

Dr. Catherine Field PhD, RD is currently a Professor in the Alberta Institute for Human Nutrition in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the role of nutrition and specific nutrients on the function of the immune system in health and disease with a primary interest in characterizing the role of nutrients on the development and function of the immune system both in health and in disease states, including cancer.

Source
Dietitians of Canada

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, was conducted by a scientific team from The Hershey Company, Brunswick Laboratories, and Cornell University, compared the detailed cocoa antioxidant contents of commercially available chocolate and cocoa-containing products sold in the United States.

The flavanol compounds, with the exception of catechin, correlated very well with total polyphenols, the non-fat cocoa solids, and to a slightly lesser degree with the calculated % cacao in the products. “These studies reconfirm that the amount of flavanols, whether large or small, in products like dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder are closely tied to the level of brown cocoa particles in the products.” said David Stuart Ph.D., Director of Natural Products at Hershey’s, who led the research team.

In the study, the top-selling three or four brands of natural cocoa powder, unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup were purchased across the United States. Each product was tested for antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, and individual flavanol monomers and oligomers. These results were compared to the amount of nonfat cocoa solids and total polyphenols in each product, as well as to the calculated percent cacao.

The weaker correlation between catechin (a flavanol monomer present in all samples) and levels of non-fat cocoa solids, total polyphenols and calculated % cacao, was attributed by the researchers to differences in manufacturing processes. It is known from other work that epicatechin, the major flavanol monomer present in the samples, can be converted to catechin during roasting and alkali processing.

When products were classified by their composition, each category, except dark chocolate and semi-sweet baking chips which are very close in formulation, separated from each other. The products with the highest level of flavanol antioxidants were cocoa powders, followed by unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate and semi-sweet chips, then milk chocolate and finally chocolate syrup.

“Being able to fully measure and communicate the levels of flavanol antioxidants in products is increasingly important for studying the potential health benefits of cocoa and chocolate and providing information to consumers,” said Debra Miller, Ph.D., Director of Nutrition at The Hershey Company.

This scientific publication is part of series of papers from the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition® to investigate and communicate to both the scientific community and the public important compositional information regarding typical chocolate and cocoa-containing products.

Source: Debra Miller, PhD
The Hershey Company

The project, entitled “A nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic study in relation to the control of body weight and inflammation,” examines how the individual genetics of obese patients can help or hinder weight loss when dieting and even influence the subsequent long term maintenance of their weight loss.

Some overweight or obese people have mutated or altered genes that initially make it difficult to lose weight and later make it easier to regain lost body weight in a period of six months or a year. This problem occurs similarly in patients who have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their blood.

This genetic predisposition, along with external and personal factors such as inadequate dietary habits or physical inactivity, predispose patients to obesity and the complications that arise from it (diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and high blood pressure) which in turn increase cardiovascular risk.

The future: customized diets

The study, conducted by the Department of Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology has provided new data on the genetic and plasma biomarkers that predict the response of obese patients to specific diets. The goal is to develop customized therapeutic strategies in the near future based on the genetic characteristics of each person.

A bank of biomarkers (genes and proteins) capable of predicting a person’s response to weight loss would enable doctors to know, with a simple blood test, how each patient would react to different types of nutritional intervention.

The study involved 180 overweight or obese patients, who followed a hypo-caloric (low energy) diet for 8 weeks and were evaluated after six months and again a year after the end of the dietary intervention.

Source: Elhuyar Fundazioa

Ukpong Udofia of the Department of Home Economics, at the University of Uyo, has looked at the moisture levels, protein content, and iron composition of the flesh of the giant West African land snail and compared it to beef steak. Snail pie is much more nutritious than a beef pie, she says.

Udofia and her research team baked pies of both varieties and asked young mothers and their children to try the tasty meal. Most of them preferred the taste and texture of the pies baked with the snail Archachatina marginata to those made with beef. The kids and their mothers judged the snail pies to have a better appearance, texture, and flavor.

“Snail pie is recommended as a cheap source of protein and iron for school-age children and young mothers and could contribute in the fight against iron deficiency anemia,” Udofia says.

“The land snail is a readily available and affordable source of animal protein, inhabits a lot of the green forest and swamps of most developing countries including Nigeria,” Udofia adds, “It is also increasingly cultivated, although in the West it is more familiar as an unusual pet than a pie.

Iron deficiency and a lack of protein in the diet affect young mothers and their children in many developing countries including Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization leading to serious health problems. There is no quick fix for the problem of malnutrition in such countries, but alternative to high-cost meat products could help.

Snail meat contains protein, fat (mainly polyunsaturated fatty acid), iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamins A, B6, B12, K and folate. It also contains the amino acids arginine and lysine at higher levels than in whole egg. It also contains healthy essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. The high-protein, low-fat content of snail meat makes it a healthy alternative food.

“Snail (Archachatina marginata) pie: a nutrient rich snack for school-age children and young mothers” in Int. J. Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2009, Vol. 2, 125-130

Source: Ukpong Udofia
Inderscience Publishers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million Americans have foodborne illness annually, leading to approximately 5,000 deaths each year, and Chapman notes that holiday turkey meals have been linked to outbreaks of bacterial diseases caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter.

“The biggest risk comes from undercooking,” Chapman says. “Color is not an indicator of safety or doneness. We see suggestions in recipes about making sure ‘the juices run clear,” but that’s a myth. You also have to worry about cross-contamination which can happen when countertops, sinks or utensils aren’t being cleaned properly between use with raw meats and other foods.”

Source: North Carolina State University

The new survey*, conducted for Siemens in conjunction with The Stroke Association to launch the annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, found that less than half of those questioned (43%) believe they adhere to the GDA (Guideline daily amount) for salt of 6g per day. Also the vast majority (85%) of those questioned failed to take the government recommended 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. This lack of regular exercise, combined with a high salt intake, could lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke.

The research revealed a general lack of awareness about overall salt consumption and the level of salt found in foods. While 92% of those surveyed believe that too much salt is bad for their health, 40% were unable to correctly identify six grams or one teaspoon as the maximum recommended daily salt allowance for an adult and, worryingly, 64% of those questioned are not concerned about their salt intake.

Perhaps surprisingly, those aged under 18 are most conscientious about always looking at the salt content of foods before buying (21% compared to the national average of less than 10%), but this doesn’t appear to lead to a reduction in the amount of ready-made and takeaway meals consumed by this age group. On average under-18s consume more than three of these types of meal per week, the highest of any age group, with 16% consuming seven or more every week.

The under 18s are also the least aware (53%, compared with 76% for all other age groups) that salt present in the food they buy is likely to constitute their main source of salt intake. In common with all other age groups, over three-quarters (78%) of under 18s regularly add more salt to their food during cooking or consumption, leading to a potentially very high weekly salt intake. This, coupled with the fact that 84% of young people exercise fewer than five times per week, means that this group could be increasingly at risk of serious health problems in later life.

Siemens carried out the research as part of the launch of their third annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of stroke and highlight the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise as an effective means of stroke prevention.

Andreas J. Goss, chief executive, Siemens in the UK, said: “Stroke is the UK’s third biggest killer and contrary to popular belief it can affect people of any age. It is imperative that people take regular exercise and modify their lifestyle habits and diet if they are to reduce the risk of suffering from serious health conditions such as stroke.”

Wendy Martinson, Registered Dietician and Sports Nutritionist to the Great Britain Rowing Team, said: “A combination of poor dietary choices and habits, along with lack of regular exercise, could result in serious future health problems. A campaign such as Stroke for Stroke can raise awareness of the importance of taking positive action in your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. The risk of stroke is patently real and these warnings need to be acknowledged.”

Joe Korner, Director of Communications for The Stroke Association comments: “Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK will suffer a stroke. High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke, eating too much salt on a regular basis as well as not exercising can contribute to this. Stroke for Stroke is now in its third year and a campaign like this is integral to raising awareness of how regular exercise and lifestyle choices can help prevent a stroke, which is clearly a message the UK still needs to hear.”

The Stroke for Stroke campaign will run between 25 – 31 January 2010 and will challenge members of the public to row 10km (or more), helping to raise vital funds for the charity. Not having access to a rowing machine is no excuse, as Stroke for Stroke has teamed up with Nuffield Health to offer a free five day pass to their nationwide network of Fitness & Wellbeing Centres for everyone taking part in Stroke for Stroke. The campaign is open to everyone across the UK. The campaign website contains useful information on stroke prevention, including limiting salt intake and taking regular exercise.

Notes

*The research was carried out by One Poll in September 2009 and questioned 3,000 participants. Siemens Stroke for Stroke Week is supported by The Stroke Association. Full details and a link to the justgiving website can be found at http://www.strokeforstroke.co.uk

Source
Nuffield Health
Siemens in the UK
The Stroke Association

Research by Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition, and his doctoral student, Corinna Alper, proves regular peanut consumption helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease without weight gain.

‘Peanuts are the most widely consumed nut in this country,’ Mattes said. ‘They are a rich source of monosaturated fatty acids, magnesium and folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine and fiber, all of which have cardiovascular disease risk-reducing properties.’

Mattes said the findings are consistent with several epidemiological and clinical studies.

‘Peanuts, which are actually legumes, are often viewed as unhealthy because they are high in fat,’ said Mattes. ‘This is the biggest obstacle in peanut consumption.

‘But peanuts are rich in the types of fats that actually reduce cardiovascular disease risk and have strong satiety properties – meaning a person feels full after eating peanuts – so they do not pose a threat of weight gain. People can feel comfortable including them in their diet to take advantage of peanuts’ reducing the risk of heart disease, without adding to body weight.’

Mattes and Alper conducted three trials in the study. The first trial entailed having participants reduce dietary fat intake by 500 calories and replace them with 500 calories of peanuts, so total calories did not change. Only the source of those calories did.

In the second trial, individuals consumed their regular diet and added 500 calories of peanuts, which boosted total caloric intake. In the third treatment, individuals were allowed to incorporate peanuts in their diets in any way they chose.

In all three groups, subjects’ triglyceride level – a risk factor for cardiovascular disease – was lowered significantly.

‘We have learned that regular peanut consumption lowers triglyceride levels by as much as 24 percent – even in the group where peanuts were added to regular dietary intake,’ Mattes said. ‘We also saw no significant change in body weight, despite adding 500 calories of peanuts a day for eight weeks.

‘Of course, we want to know where those calories went. There are three possible answers to that question.’

The first is that peanuts have a high satiety value, and that feeling of being full reduces the amount a person eats. Mattes said this accounts for the largest portion of missing calories.

The second possibility is that the peanuts trigger an increase in people’s resting metabolic rate. The third explanation is that people don’t chew nuts well, so people’s bodies fail to absorb a portion of nuts’ caloric energy.

‘There is great public health significance to work in this area,’ Mattes said. ‘This particular study indicates it may be an appropriate health recommendation to include peanuts in the daily diet.’

The study was funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International/National Development.

Mattes’ team also conducts research in Ghana and Brazil, so he sees the peanut research findings have global value. ‘There is great opportunity for the peanut industry in developing countries,’ Mattes said. ‘Peanuts have a long shelf life and are rich in nutrients.’

Mattes’ study, ‘Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults, ‘ was published in the April 2003 issue of the Journal of American College of Nutrition. In addition to this study, Mattes is doing research on identifying how the energy from peanuts is used and whether the healthful properties of peanuts are due to their oil content.

Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Richard Mattes, (765) 494-0662, mattesr@cfs.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

ABSTRACT

Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults

Corinna A. Alper and Richard D. Mattes

Diets containing nuts reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. This has primarily been attributed to their fatty acid compensation, but other constituents may also contribute.

Peanuts, the most widely consumed nut (actually a legume), are a rich source of monosaturated fatty acids, magnesium and folate, but their effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors are poorly characterized. This study determined the effects of chronic peanut consumption on diet composition as well as serum lipids, magnesium and homocysteine concentrations in free-living subjects under different conditions of peanut intake. Regular peanut consumption lowers serum triacylglycerol, augments consumption of nutrients associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk and increases serum magnesium concentrations.