Women who eat more white bread, white rice, pizza and other carbohydrate rich foods that cause blood sugar to spike are more than TWICE AS LIKELY TO DEVELOP HEART DISEASE than women who eat less of these foods a new study suggests.
Men who eat lots of these carbohydrates-which have what's known as a high glycemic index-do not have the same increased risk, however, perhaps because their bodies process the carbs differently, the researchers found.
Only carbohydrates with a high glycemic index appear to hurt the heart. Carbs with a low glycemic index-such as fruit and pasta-were not associated with an increased risk of heart disease, which suggest that the increased risk is caused "not by a diet high in carbohydrates, but by a diet rich in rapidly absorbed carbodydrates," says the lead author of the study, Sabina Sieri,of the Fondiazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tunori, a national institute for cancer.
The glycemic index ranks on a scale from 1 to 100 how quickly (or slowly) carbohydrates affect your blood sugar levels. (White bread scores 100) Foods that rank below 55 are considered to have a low glycemic index and produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels: foods that rank above 70 are said to have a high glycemic index and tend to cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar.
There are many benefits to limiting foods with a high glycemic index, Price adds. People who do so "will find their appetite easier to control, making weight control easier in turn", she says. "They will help to keep energy and mood steady over the day, and they reduce their risk of several chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and cetain cancers."
According to Price, the best low glycemic index foods are whole grain breads, barley, quinoa, beans and chickpeas, low fat dairy products, fruit and sweet potatoes.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Seven Foods That Help Prevent Cancer
Before we talk about the seven foods we need to talk about weight. Being overweight not only causes heart disease and diabetes, but it also causes cancer such as breast cancer, edometrial cancer and colon cancer.
GARLIC: STINKY BREATH, BUT SUPER HEALTHY
The same sulfur compounds causing that odor may also stop cancer causing substances from forming in your body, speed DNA repair, and kill cancer Cells. Garlic also battles bacteria, including H. pylori (the one connected to some ulcers and stomach cancer), and it reduces the risk of colon cancer. To get the most benefit, peel and chop the cloves and let them sit 15 or 20 minutes before cooking. That activates enzymes and releases the sulfur containing compounds that have the most protective effect.
BROCCOLI: PHYTOCHEMICAL POWERHOUSE
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale and cauliflower contain photochemicals called glucosinolates, which produce protective enzymes that are released when you chew the raw veggie, rupturing the cell walls. Broccoli and its cousins are most protective against cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, according to a review of hundreds of clinical studies conducted for the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
TOMATOES:POTENTIAL WEAPONS AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER
The red color of tomatoes comes from a phytochemical called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. To get the most benefit from lycopene, eat cooked or processed tomatoes, including tomato juice and pizza sauce.
STRAWBERIES: RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Research shows that all berries especially strawberries and black rasberries protect against heart disease, memory decline as well as cancer. Blueberries, blackberries and cranberries are top cancer fighters and should be included in the diet.
CARROTS: BEST EATEN COOKED
Carrots contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant scientists believe protects cell membranes from toxin damage and slow the growth of cancer cells. Some studies suggest carrots protect against cervical cancer, perhaps because they supply antioxidants that battle HPV (human papilloma virus), the major cause of cervical cancer.
SPINACH: A SUPER CAROTENOID COURCE
Spinach is rich in lutein and zdaxanthin, carotenoids that remove unstable molecules called free radicals from your body before they damage it. You can substitute kale, collard greens, swiss chard or romaine lettuce, but spinach is the best.
WHOLE GRAINS: GOOD FOR THE WHOLE BODY
Whole grains are much superior in preventing disease than white or more processed grains. Whole grains contain more fiber and thus take longer to digest, thus lowering your blood sugar level.
GARLIC: STINKY BREATH, BUT SUPER HEALTHY
The same sulfur compounds causing that odor may also stop cancer causing substances from forming in your body, speed DNA repair, and kill cancer Cells. Garlic also battles bacteria, including H. pylori (the one connected to some ulcers and stomach cancer), and it reduces the risk of colon cancer. To get the most benefit, peel and chop the cloves and let them sit 15 or 20 minutes before cooking. That activates enzymes and releases the sulfur containing compounds that have the most protective effect.
BROCCOLI: PHYTOCHEMICAL POWERHOUSE
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale and cauliflower contain photochemicals called glucosinolates, which produce protective enzymes that are released when you chew the raw veggie, rupturing the cell walls. Broccoli and its cousins are most protective against cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, according to a review of hundreds of clinical studies conducted for the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
TOMATOES:POTENTIAL WEAPONS AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER
The red color of tomatoes comes from a phytochemical called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. To get the most benefit from lycopene, eat cooked or processed tomatoes, including tomato juice and pizza sauce.
STRAWBERIES: RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Research shows that all berries especially strawberries and black rasberries protect against heart disease, memory decline as well as cancer. Blueberries, blackberries and cranberries are top cancer fighters and should be included in the diet.
CARROTS: BEST EATEN COOKED
Carrots contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant scientists believe protects cell membranes from toxin damage and slow the growth of cancer cells. Some studies suggest carrots protect against cervical cancer, perhaps because they supply antioxidants that battle HPV (human papilloma virus), the major cause of cervical cancer.
SPINACH: A SUPER CAROTENOID COURCE
Spinach is rich in lutein and zdaxanthin, carotenoids that remove unstable molecules called free radicals from your body before they damage it. You can substitute kale, collard greens, swiss chard or romaine lettuce, but spinach is the best.
WHOLE GRAINS: GOOD FOR THE WHOLE BODY
Whole grains are much superior in preventing disease than white or more processed grains. Whole grains contain more fiber and thus take longer to digest, thus lowering your blood sugar level.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Cheap Vitamin B (Niacin) Beats Cholesterol Drug in Clearing Arteies
In a study reported by the New England Journal of Medicine, Niacin reduced the plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries. Those using the drug Zetia has a 20 percent reduction in LDL, but a slight worsening of the plaque build up in the arteries. Niacin is available at Walmart and other stores for a modest price and has been shown to be effective in reducing the buildup of plaque in the arteries that leads to heart attacks.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Fasting Could REduce Risk of Heart Disease
A study at Intermountain Medical Center shows a link between fasting and a lower rate of heart disease. Researchers are now conducting another study to determine why.
The first study was conducted to find out why people who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have a lower risk of heart disease. Initially, researchers believed it was because of their non-smoking lifstyle. But upon closer examination they learned there was another factor, fasting. Dr Benjamin Horne, the director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at IMC says "there was something else and we deduced from potential factors that were shared by Ladder Day Saints that it was probably fasting.
Members of the LDS faith fast once a month. More research showed fasting has a dramitic impact on the heart. Those who fast have a 40 to 45 percent lower risk of coronary disease, and doctors think thay know why. "When you are in a fasting state, the cells in your body go into a self protection mode to survive until foods starts coming again. They produce these proteins to protect themselves."
The proteins released when people do not eat change and regulate the metabolism, also controlling diabetes. "In our initial study we not only found that fasting was assoaciates with lower coronary risk but also lower prevalence of diabetes."
Scientists also want to measure the impact of fasting on other risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, diabetes and obesity. The results of fasting will be measured with blood tests over a two day period. Researchers hope fasting is another tool to prevent the number one killer in the United STates.
The first study was conducted to find out why people who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have a lower risk of heart disease. Initially, researchers believed it was because of their non-smoking lifstyle. But upon closer examination they learned there was another factor, fasting. Dr Benjamin Horne, the director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at IMC says "there was something else and we deduced from potential factors that were shared by Ladder Day Saints that it was probably fasting.
Members of the LDS faith fast once a month. More research showed fasting has a dramitic impact on the heart. Those who fast have a 40 to 45 percent lower risk of coronary disease, and doctors think thay know why. "When you are in a fasting state, the cells in your body go into a self protection mode to survive until foods starts coming again. They produce these proteins to protect themselves."
The proteins released when people do not eat change and regulate the metabolism, also controlling diabetes. "In our initial study we not only found that fasting was assoaciates with lower coronary risk but also lower prevalence of diabetes."
Scientists also want to measure the impact of fasting on other risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, diabetes and obesity. The results of fasting will be measured with blood tests over a two day period. Researchers hope fasting is another tool to prevent the number one killer in the United STates.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
How to Live Longer
Common denominators among the people who've lived the longest include:
Eating a plant-based diet. Eating foods that give you a low blood sugar level.
Getting regular physical activity such as walking.
Living in societies where friends and family encourage a healthy, natural, active lifestyle.
Having effective stategies for coping with stress, such as prayer, meditation, strong social networks, and napping daily.
Take your antioxidants from foods. Antioxidants have been shown to have anti-aging effects. Good sources include blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberies, strawberries, cherries, beans, and artichokes.
Use coconut oil. Another excellent anti-aging food is coconut oil. It can be used in place of other oils, margarine, butter or shortening and can be used for all your cooking needs. It can help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your cholesterol among other things.
Get your resveratrol naturally such as grape juice, raspberries, mulberries and peanuts.
Take your animal based omega-3 fats. Krill or fish oil is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet.
Maintain the proper weight. Most people who live the longest keep themselves slim and trim.
Eating a plant-based diet. Eating foods that give you a low blood sugar level.
Getting regular physical activity such as walking.
Living in societies where friends and family encourage a healthy, natural, active lifestyle.
Having effective stategies for coping with stress, such as prayer, meditation, strong social networks, and napping daily.
Take your antioxidants from foods. Antioxidants have been shown to have anti-aging effects. Good sources include blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberies, strawberries, cherries, beans, and artichokes.
Use coconut oil. Another excellent anti-aging food is coconut oil. It can be used in place of other oils, margarine, butter or shortening and can be used for all your cooking needs. It can help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your cholesterol among other things.
Get your resveratrol naturally such as grape juice, raspberries, mulberries and peanuts.
Take your animal based omega-3 fats. Krill or fish oil is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet.
Maintain the proper weight. Most people who live the longest keep themselves slim and trim.
Friday, March 12, 2010
More Health Benefits of Vitamin D
59 percent of the population is vitamin D deficient. In additon, nearly 25 percent of the population has extremely low levels of vitamin D.
There is a clear relationship between vitamin D deficiency and THE AMOUNT OF STORED BODY FAT.
Recent research carried out at the University of Copenhagen has revealed that vitamin D activates the immune system by "arming" T cells to fight off infections.
This new research, led by Professor Carsten Geisler from the Department of Internatioanl Health, Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen, found that without vitamin D, the immune system's T cells remain dormant, offering little or no protection against invading microorganisms and viruses. But with vitamin D in the bloodstream, T cells become "armed" and begin seeking out invaders that are then destroyed and carried out of the body.
Vitamin D, in other words, acts a bit like the ignition key to your car: The car won't run unless you turn the key and ignite the engine. Likewise, you immune system won't function unless it is biochemically activated with vitamin D. If you're facing the winter flu season in a state of vitamin D deficiency, your immune system is essentially defenseless against seasonal flu. That's why all the people who get sick are the ones who live indoors, work indoors and exist in a chronic state of vitamin D deficiency.
That's also why virtually all the people who died of H1N1 were chronically deficient in vitamin D. They had virtually no immune system protection at all and were thus easy targets for the swine flu.
The only significant "side effect" of a proper level of vitamin D is that it PREVENTS 77 percent of all cancers.
What's becoming increasingly clear from all the new research is that vitamin D deficiency may be the common denominator behind our most devastating modern degenerative diseases. Kidney failure patients are almost universally deficient in vitamin D and diabetes patients are usually in the same category. People suffering from cancer ALMOST ALWAYS demonstrate severe vitamin D deficiency, as do people with osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.
NINE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D
1. The vast majority of the western population is deficient in vitamin D.
2. Vitamin D deficiencies promote cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, depression, obesity and heart disease.
3. Vitamin D deficiencies can be corrected with vitamin D supplementation or through sensible sunligh exposure.
4. Sunscreen products block the production of vitamin D in the skin, causing further vitamin D deficiencies.
5. Correcting widespread vitamin D deficiencies would greatly reduce degenerative disease across the population.
6. Vitamin supplements are extremely affordable. Preventing diseas through vitamin D supplementation is a low cost investment in heath.
7. Vitamin D is extremely safe. There is vitually no negative side effects from deficient peiple taking vitamin D supplements, even at the seemingly high doses such as 4000-8000 international units (IU) per day.
8. Vitamin D deficiency is caused, in a large part, by modern society's indoor lifstyle. People live, work, and play indoors under artificial light. This causes severe deficiencies in exposure to natural light (sunlight) through which vitamin D is usually generated.
9. Vitamin D dramatically reduces susceptibility to infectious desease such as seasonal flu and H1N1. It "activates" the immune system and allows it to function more aggressively in defending against viral invasions.
There is a clear relationship between vitamin D deficiency and THE AMOUNT OF STORED BODY FAT.
Recent research carried out at the University of Copenhagen has revealed that vitamin D activates the immune system by "arming" T cells to fight off infections.
This new research, led by Professor Carsten Geisler from the Department of Internatioanl Health, Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen, found that without vitamin D, the immune system's T cells remain dormant, offering little or no protection against invading microorganisms and viruses. But with vitamin D in the bloodstream, T cells become "armed" and begin seeking out invaders that are then destroyed and carried out of the body.
Vitamin D, in other words, acts a bit like the ignition key to your car: The car won't run unless you turn the key and ignite the engine. Likewise, you immune system won't function unless it is biochemically activated with vitamin D. If you're facing the winter flu season in a state of vitamin D deficiency, your immune system is essentially defenseless against seasonal flu. That's why all the people who get sick are the ones who live indoors, work indoors and exist in a chronic state of vitamin D deficiency.
That's also why virtually all the people who died of H1N1 were chronically deficient in vitamin D. They had virtually no immune system protection at all and were thus easy targets for the swine flu.
The only significant "side effect" of a proper level of vitamin D is that it PREVENTS 77 percent of all cancers.
What's becoming increasingly clear from all the new research is that vitamin D deficiency may be the common denominator behind our most devastating modern degenerative diseases. Kidney failure patients are almost universally deficient in vitamin D and diabetes patients are usually in the same category. People suffering from cancer ALMOST ALWAYS demonstrate severe vitamin D deficiency, as do people with osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.
NINE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D
1. The vast majority of the western population is deficient in vitamin D.
2. Vitamin D deficiencies promote cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, depression, obesity and heart disease.
3. Vitamin D deficiencies can be corrected with vitamin D supplementation or through sensible sunligh exposure.
4. Sunscreen products block the production of vitamin D in the skin, causing further vitamin D deficiencies.
5. Correcting widespread vitamin D deficiencies would greatly reduce degenerative disease across the population.
6. Vitamin supplements are extremely affordable. Preventing diseas through vitamin D supplementation is a low cost investment in heath.
7. Vitamin D is extremely safe. There is vitually no negative side effects from deficient peiple taking vitamin D supplements, even at the seemingly high doses such as 4000-8000 international units (IU) per day.
8. Vitamin D deficiency is caused, in a large part, by modern society's indoor lifstyle. People live, work, and play indoors under artificial light. This causes severe deficiencies in exposure to natural light (sunlight) through which vitamin D is usually generated.
9. Vitamin D dramatically reduces susceptibility to infectious desease such as seasonal flu and H1N1. It "activates" the immune system and allows it to function more aggressively in defending against viral invasions.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Omega-3 May Boost Brain Function
Supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)may alter the function of the brain associated with working memory, according to results of a new study with healthy boys.
Scientists from the Unversity of Cincinnati showed for the first time using neuro-imaging that supplementation with DHA alters the functional activity in cortical attention networks in humans.
"The present findings add to an emerging body of evidence from preclinical and clinical imaging studies that suggest that dietary DHA intake is a robust modulator of functional cortical activity," wrote lead author Robert McNamara in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study follows hot on the heels of, and vindicates, backing from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for DHA related brain and eye health claims for infants.
EFSA's Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allegries (NDA) said DHA levels of 100 mg per day were appropriate for 7-24 month-old infants along with 200 mg per day for pregnant and lactating women.
Another shorter chain, omega-3 fatty acid, ALA (alpha linolenic acid), was affirmed as important for the normal brain development of children up to the age of 18, but no levels were specified.
Scientists from the Unversity of Cincinnati showed for the first time using neuro-imaging that supplementation with DHA alters the functional activity in cortical attention networks in humans.
"The present findings add to an emerging body of evidence from preclinical and clinical imaging studies that suggest that dietary DHA intake is a robust modulator of functional cortical activity," wrote lead author Robert McNamara in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study follows hot on the heels of, and vindicates, backing from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for DHA related brain and eye health claims for infants.
EFSA's Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allegries (NDA) said DHA levels of 100 mg per day were appropriate for 7-24 month-old infants along with 200 mg per day for pregnant and lactating women.
Another shorter chain, omega-3 fatty acid, ALA (alpha linolenic acid), was affirmed as important for the normal brain development of children up to the age of 18, but no levels were specified.
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