Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and fish will reduce your risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study.
"We found that eating a largely plant-based diet with higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and low-fat dairy in women and fish in men was associated with a reduced risk of colorecal cancer,"says Paige Miller, PhD, a researcher at Pennsylvania State university.
Eating in this healthful way reduced the risk of colon cancer by 65% in women and by 62% in men, she days. "Why fish was a part of the protective dietary pattern only in men and low-fat dairy only in women is not know at this time," says Miller.
Miller and her team evaluated the diets of 431 men and women with colorectal cancer and the diets of 726 healthy men and women who didn't have colon cancer.
They categorized the participants into a fruits-and-vegetables diet pattern and a meat-potatoes-refined grains pattern. In men, a third pattern--a diet rich in alcohol and sweetened beverages--was found.
In addition to finding the reduced risk of colorectal cancer for people eating the diet heavy in fruits and vegetables--62% reduced risk for men and 65% for women--Miller found that the more closely men and women adhered to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid recommendations, the lower the cancer risk.
The diet pattern associated with higher cancer risk in her study included greater intakes of red and processed meat, poultry, fried and white potatoes, high-fat diary, sweets, salty snacks, butter, mayonnaise, gravy, and refined grains.
Experts speculate that a diet emphasizing fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains moves waste through the colon more quickly, giving harmful substances less time to damage cells there.
Smoking, being very overweight, and excessive alcohol use have also been linked to a higher colorectal cancer risk.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sugar is Cancer's Favorite Food
Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, according to a study that challenges the notion that all sugars are the same.
Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways. This could explain why other studies have previously linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
According to MSNBC: "Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods. Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy."
This study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discoverd tha cancer cells have a fundamentally different enery metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic buldup.
This is a very inefficent pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tied and undernurished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so may cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decrease the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways. This could explain why other studies have previously linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
According to MSNBC: "Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods. Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy."
This study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose). However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may surprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discoverd tha cancer cells have a fundamentally different enery metabolism compared to healthy cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic buldup.
This is a very inefficent pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting" energy, which leads you to become both tied and undernurished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so may cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from glucose and sucrose significantly decrease the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Cancer's Favorite Food-Found in Everything you Eat?
Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, according to a study that challenges the notion that all sugars are the same.
Tumor cell fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways. This could explain why other studies have previously linked fructose intake with pancratic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
According to MSNBC: " Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods. Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high furctose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy."
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose. However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may suprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentallty different energy metabolism compared to healty cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting energy", which leads you to become both tired and undernurished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from gucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Tumor cell fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways. This could explain why other studies have previously linked fructose intake with pancratic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.
According to MSNBC: " Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods. Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high furctose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy."
The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer because they found that tumor cells do thrive on sugar (glucose. However, the cells used fructose for cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.
Controlling your blood-glucose and insulin levels through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. These factors are also crucial in order to prevent cancer in the first place.
It may suprise you, but the theory that sugar feeds cancer was born nearly 80 years ago. Even more shocking, most conventional cancer programs STILL do not adequately address diet and the need to avoid sugars.
In 1931 the Nobel Prize was awarded to German researcher Dr. Otto Warburg, who first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentallty different energy metabolism compared to healty cells.
Malignant tumors tend to use a process where glucose is used as a fuel by the cancer cells, creating lactic acid as a byproduct. The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to your liver. This conversion of glucose to lactic acid generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.
This is a very inefficient pathway for energy metabolism, which extracts only about 5 percent of the available energy in your food supply. In simplistic terms, the cancer is "wasting energy", which leads you to become both tired and undernurished, and as the vicious cycle continues, will lead to the body wasting so many cancer patients experience.
Additionally, carbohydrates from gucose and sucrose significantly decreases the capacity of neutrophils to do their job. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help cells to envelop and destroy invaders, such as cancer.
In a nutshell, ALL forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer, but in slightly different ways, and to a different extent. Fructose, however, clearly seems to be one of the overall most harmful.
Friday, August 20, 2010
E-Nose Sniffs Out Cancer for Quick, Painless Detection
A team of Israeli scientists has developed a breathalyzer that can diagnose and diffrentiate between at least four different common types of cancer. The devise, which uses nanotechnology, could revolutionize the detection and treatment of cancer.
According to the team's paper published this month in The British Journal of Cancer, cancer kills more than 7 million people annually worldwide. The most common cancers in the developed world, which cause half of all cancer deaths, are lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers. When cancer is localized and detected early, a patient's prognosis greatly impoves. Unfortunately, the symptoms of cancer often go unnoticed and the disease frequently is diagonosed at late or often fatal stages.
The new device, nicknamed an "electronic nose," is capable of distinguishing between the breath of a healthy person and a person with cancer. It can even distinguish between lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. The devise is especially promising because it is able to detect cancer before tumors become visible in X-rays.
The e-nose is equipped with cross-reactive nanosensors, made from an array of gold nanoparticles and gas chromatography. The nanosensor array is able to detect volatile organic compounds, gases emitted from cells due to the genetic and protein changes that cancer cause. "The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to cancer," the scientists write, "is a new frontier in medical diagnostics because it is non-invasive and potentially inexpensive."
In the study, researchers tested the breath of 177 participants, ranging in age from 20 to 75 and including both cancer patients and healthy volunteers. The results revealed that the e-nose is successful in diagnosing the presence of cancer and determining its type
According to the team's paper published this month in The British Journal of Cancer, cancer kills more than 7 million people annually worldwide. The most common cancers in the developed world, which cause half of all cancer deaths, are lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers. When cancer is localized and detected early, a patient's prognosis greatly impoves. Unfortunately, the symptoms of cancer often go unnoticed and the disease frequently is diagonosed at late or often fatal stages.
The new device, nicknamed an "electronic nose," is capable of distinguishing between the breath of a healthy person and a person with cancer. It can even distinguish between lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. The devise is especially promising because it is able to detect cancer before tumors become visible in X-rays.
The e-nose is equipped with cross-reactive nanosensors, made from an array of gold nanoparticles and gas chromatography. The nanosensor array is able to detect volatile organic compounds, gases emitted from cells due to the genetic and protein changes that cancer cause. "The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to cancer," the scientists write, "is a new frontier in medical diagnostics because it is non-invasive and potentially inexpensive."
In the study, researchers tested the breath of 177 participants, ranging in age from 20 to 75 and including both cancer patients and healthy volunteers. The results revealed that the e-nose is successful in diagnosing the presence of cancer and determining its type
Monday, August 9, 2010
Waist Size Linked With Longevity
Even if you don't need to watch your weight, you still need to watch your waist. That's the conclusion of a new study from the American Cancer Society, which tracked the health of more than 100,000 people over nine years. Having a large waist size doubled the risk of dying from any cause during the study period compared to those with smaller waists, according to the report, which was published in The Archives of Internal Medicine. Having a larger waist was associated with a higher risk of death whether the person was normal weight, overweight or obese.
The researchers reported a particularly striking finding for women. They noted that the association between waist size and mortality risk was stongest among women who were at a normal weight.
"The take-home is that it's important to watch your waist as well as your weight," said Eric J. Jacobs, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. "Even if your weight is normal for your height, if your waist size is increasing, if you're moving to a bigger pant size, that's a warning sign that it's time to start eating better and exercising more."
A thick waist has long been considered a risk factor for heart disease, but the new study found it also increases risk for dying from cancer, respiratory failure and other causes. Having a large waist is associated with large amounts of visceral fat around the abdominal organs, which cause inflammation, high cholesterol, insulin resistance and other problems linked with poor health.
In the study, Dr Jacobs and colleagues tracked 48,500 men and 56,343 women over 50 from 1997 to 2006. A total of 9,315 men and 5,332 women died during the study period.
A waist size of 47 inches or larger for men and 42 inches or larger for women doubled the risk of dying during the study period, compared to those with smaller waists (35.4 inches for men and 29.5 inches for women). Among normal-weight women, the risk of dying increased about 25 percent for each additional four inches of waist size.
For the study, waist size was measured by taking a tape measure and running it around the waist just abouve the navel.
Dr Jacobs notes that while it can be difficult to reduce waist size, small changes can have a meaningful effect on health. "There is clear evidence that eating better and exercising more will reduce waist size and burn off belly fat," he said, "Even a modest reduction in waist size, an inch or two could be quite helpful."
The researchers reported a particularly striking finding for women. They noted that the association between waist size and mortality risk was stongest among women who were at a normal weight.
"The take-home is that it's important to watch your waist as well as your weight," said Eric J. Jacobs, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. "Even if your weight is normal for your height, if your waist size is increasing, if you're moving to a bigger pant size, that's a warning sign that it's time to start eating better and exercising more."
A thick waist has long been considered a risk factor for heart disease, but the new study found it also increases risk for dying from cancer, respiratory failure and other causes. Having a large waist is associated with large amounts of visceral fat around the abdominal organs, which cause inflammation, high cholesterol, insulin resistance and other problems linked with poor health.
In the study, Dr Jacobs and colleagues tracked 48,500 men and 56,343 women over 50 from 1997 to 2006. A total of 9,315 men and 5,332 women died during the study period.
A waist size of 47 inches or larger for men and 42 inches or larger for women doubled the risk of dying during the study period, compared to those with smaller waists (35.4 inches for men and 29.5 inches for women). Among normal-weight women, the risk of dying increased about 25 percent for each additional four inches of waist size.
For the study, waist size was measured by taking a tape measure and running it around the waist just abouve the navel.
Dr Jacobs notes that while it can be difficult to reduce waist size, small changes can have a meaningful effect on health. "There is clear evidence that eating better and exercising more will reduce waist size and burn off belly fat," he said, "Even a modest reduction in waist size, an inch or two could be quite helpful."
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
12 Rules to Reduce Heart Attacks by 92 Per Cent!
The latest study in Archives of Internal Medicine shows that women who eat loads of veggies, fruit, whole grains, fish and legumes, exercise; maintain a healthy weight; and don't smoke have a whopping 92 per cent DECREASE risk of having a heart attack compared wih women with less healthy diets and habits.
KNOW YOUR HEART HEALTH NUMBERS
Establish a baseline to help plan every preventive step for the rest of the year. "You need to know if you are at risk before you can take action to lower your risk," says Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and author of Heart to Heart: A personal Plan for Creating a Heart-Healthy Family. Know your HDL or "good" cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressue, weight, and body mass index (BMI) numbers.
TARGET YOUR TRIGLYCERIDES
Shoot for a level of 150 or lower, says Peter H Jones, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Doctors usually talk about good and bad cholesterol and most folks will have that down, but triglyceries are a better marker for for high risk of diabetes and heart disease," says Jones. Triglycerides are also much more responsive to lifestyle changes than other types of blood fats. "Your triglycerides can drop 30% to 50% just by reducing saturated fats and reducing your weight," Jones says.
GO FOR NUTS AND PLANT STEROLS
Your heart will love you if you eat six walnuts before lunch and dinner, according to Michael Roizen, MD, the chief wellness officer for Cleveland Clinic and chairman of the clinic's Wellness Institute. Why? Because "walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to decrease inflammation in the arteries surrounding your heart, so they keep your heart functioning longer and better," promises Roizen, co-author of the best-selling You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending your Warranty. "Walnuts will also make you feel fuller faster so you are less likely to overeat at meals." Other nuts such as peanuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds are a rich source of plant sterols, which block chelesterol absorption in the intestines. Studies have shown that eating foods enriched with plant sterols lowers LDL cholesterol. Eating 2-3 grams a day lowers LDL cholesterol by 6-15 %, without affecting HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. Sterols are found in all plant foods, but the highest concentrations are found in unrefined oils, such as vegetable, nut and olive oil. Some foods have also been fortified with plant sterols, including milk, juices and spreads.
DE-STRESS YOUR HEART
Stress raises blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Learn ways to relax and take it easy during the day
VOLUNTEER TO FIGHT HEART DIEASE
People who volunteer tend to live longer than people who don't. It's that simple, Mosca says. "We think this is because volunteering reduces isolation and increses social connectivity." Find a charity that means something to you and donate your time
DO NOT SMOKE
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disese. Secondhand smoke counts too. A recent study found that people who are exposed to other people's smoke increased their risk of heart attacks by 69%, strokes by 56% and peripheral artery disease (PAD)by 67%.
STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART WITH WEIGHT TRAINING
"Strength training reduces your percentage of body fat, keeps your weight down, and increase your muscle mass and endurance for aerobic exercise." says Goldberg. "Do some weight training with free weights twice a week, making sure to focus on both your upper and lower body," she says. "As your aerobic capacity improves through strength training, your HDL cholesterol levels will increase."
MEASURE YOUR WAIST SIZE TO GAUGE YOUR HEART HEALTH
"Take a tape measure and measure your middle," Goldberg says. "If your waist size is more than 35 inches in women or more than 40 inches in men, this tells you that you are at increased risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes." The best way to reduce your waist size is to get active and reduce the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet.
REDUCE YOU BLOOD PRESSUE BY RDUCING YOUR SALT
High blood pressue is a major risk factor for heart disease, and reducing salt intake can help lower blood pressue. Cook with herbs in place of salt, and make sure you read food labels to see just how much salt is in prepared foods. Aim for less than 2.3 grams (about a teaspoon) of salt per day.
SLEEP TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT
People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night have higher blood pressure and higher levels of the stress harmone cortisol, making the arteries more vulnerable to plaque buildup. In fact, the latest research shows that people who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely as others to die of hear disease
KNOW YOUR HEART HEALTH NUMBERS
Establish a baseline to help plan every preventive step for the rest of the year. "You need to know if you are at risk before you can take action to lower your risk," says Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and author of Heart to Heart: A personal Plan for Creating a Heart-Healthy Family. Know your HDL or "good" cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressue, weight, and body mass index (BMI) numbers.
TARGET YOUR TRIGLYCERIDES
Shoot for a level of 150 or lower, says Peter H Jones, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Doctors usually talk about good and bad cholesterol and most folks will have that down, but triglyceries are a better marker for for high risk of diabetes and heart disease," says Jones. Triglycerides are also much more responsive to lifestyle changes than other types of blood fats. "Your triglycerides can drop 30% to 50% just by reducing saturated fats and reducing your weight," Jones says.
GO FOR NUTS AND PLANT STEROLS
Your heart will love you if you eat six walnuts before lunch and dinner, according to Michael Roizen, MD, the chief wellness officer for Cleveland Clinic and chairman of the clinic's Wellness Institute. Why? Because "walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to decrease inflammation in the arteries surrounding your heart, so they keep your heart functioning longer and better," promises Roizen, co-author of the best-selling You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending your Warranty. "Walnuts will also make you feel fuller faster so you are less likely to overeat at meals." Other nuts such as peanuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds are a rich source of plant sterols, which block chelesterol absorption in the intestines. Studies have shown that eating foods enriched with plant sterols lowers LDL cholesterol. Eating 2-3 grams a day lowers LDL cholesterol by 6-15 %, without affecting HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. Sterols are found in all plant foods, but the highest concentrations are found in unrefined oils, such as vegetable, nut and olive oil. Some foods have also been fortified with plant sterols, including milk, juices and spreads.
DE-STRESS YOUR HEART
Stress raises blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Learn ways to relax and take it easy during the day
VOLUNTEER TO FIGHT HEART DIEASE
People who volunteer tend to live longer than people who don't. It's that simple, Mosca says. "We think this is because volunteering reduces isolation and increses social connectivity." Find a charity that means something to you and donate your time
DO NOT SMOKE
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disese. Secondhand smoke counts too. A recent study found that people who are exposed to other people's smoke increased their risk of heart attacks by 69%, strokes by 56% and peripheral artery disease (PAD)by 67%.
STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART WITH WEIGHT TRAINING
"Strength training reduces your percentage of body fat, keeps your weight down, and increase your muscle mass and endurance for aerobic exercise." says Goldberg. "Do some weight training with free weights twice a week, making sure to focus on both your upper and lower body," she says. "As your aerobic capacity improves through strength training, your HDL cholesterol levels will increase."
MEASURE YOUR WAIST SIZE TO GAUGE YOUR HEART HEALTH
"Take a tape measure and measure your middle," Goldberg says. "If your waist size is more than 35 inches in women or more than 40 inches in men, this tells you that you are at increased risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes." The best way to reduce your waist size is to get active and reduce the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet.
REDUCE YOU BLOOD PRESSUE BY RDUCING YOUR SALT
High blood pressue is a major risk factor for heart disease, and reducing salt intake can help lower blood pressue. Cook with herbs in place of salt, and make sure you read food labels to see just how much salt is in prepared foods. Aim for less than 2.3 grams (about a teaspoon) of salt per day.
SLEEP TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT
People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night have higher blood pressure and higher levels of the stress harmone cortisol, making the arteries more vulnerable to plaque buildup. In fact, the latest research shows that people who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely as others to die of hear disease
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Coconut Oil reduces Diabetes
A diet including coconut oil, a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA), helps combat insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the inability of cells to respond to insulin and take in glucose for energy. The pancreas tries to compensate for insulin resistance by producing even more insulin, but eventually glucose accomulates in the bloodstream. Over time, insulin resistance and obesity can lead to pre-diabetes or full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Dr Nigel Turner and colleagues at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Darlinghurst, Australia, compared fat metabolism and insulin resistance in mice and rats fed diets rich in coconut oil (a medium chain fatty acid) or lard (a long chain fatty acid). (The lard-based diet was similar to the diet eaten by people in the Western world.)The findings were published in the journal Diabetes.
MCFAs, like coconut oil, were found to reduce fat accumulation while maintaining insulin action in muscle and fat tissue. "Dietary supplementation with MCFAs may therefore be beneficial for preventing obesity and peripheral insulin resistance', said Dr Turner in the study conclusions.
American farmers several years ago tried to put fat on their beef cattle by feeding them coconut oil, but to their dismay the cattle did not gain weight and in many cases lost weight.
The saturated fats present in coconut oil also have antimicrobial properties that help combat various bacteria, fungi, and parasites that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in the absorption of other nutrients such a vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
The MCFAs in coconut oil are more like carbohydrates than other fats. They are more water soluble and are broken down more quickly. THEY ENTER THE BLOODSTREAM FASTER AND ARE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE LIVER, WHERE THEY ARE USED AS AN IMMEDIATE SOURCE OF ENERGY.Medium chain fatty acids, unlike long chain fatty acids, are small enough to enter the cells' energy powerhouses, the mitochondria, directly, where they can be conveted to energy. Be warned, however, that medium chain fatty acids can also lead to fat build-up in the liver.
Fat storage is balanced by how much fat is taken in by cells and how much is burned for energy,. When people eat a high fat diet, their bodies attempt to compensate by increasing their capacity to oxidize fat. THE MEDIUM CHAIN FATTY ACID (COCONUT OIL) DIET WAS MORE EFFECTIVE AT INCREASING THE OXIDATIVE CAPACITY OF MUSCLE THAN THE LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS, LEADING TO LESS FAT STORAGE IN MUSCLE AND BETTER INSULIN ACTION.
Keeping in mind the potential for excess fat accumulation in the liver, substituting oils containing medium chain fatty acids for other oils in the diet may be beneficial. But make sure to include other fats as well. The fatty acids in fish oil, for example, are thought to improve fat oxidation in the liver.
Dr Nigel Turner and colleagues at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Darlinghurst, Australia, compared fat metabolism and insulin resistance in mice and rats fed diets rich in coconut oil (a medium chain fatty acid) or lard (a long chain fatty acid). (The lard-based diet was similar to the diet eaten by people in the Western world.)The findings were published in the journal Diabetes.
MCFAs, like coconut oil, were found to reduce fat accumulation while maintaining insulin action in muscle and fat tissue. "Dietary supplementation with MCFAs may therefore be beneficial for preventing obesity and peripheral insulin resistance', said Dr Turner in the study conclusions.
American farmers several years ago tried to put fat on their beef cattle by feeding them coconut oil, but to their dismay the cattle did not gain weight and in many cases lost weight.
The saturated fats present in coconut oil also have antimicrobial properties that help combat various bacteria, fungi, and parasites that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in the absorption of other nutrients such a vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
The MCFAs in coconut oil are more like carbohydrates than other fats. They are more water soluble and are broken down more quickly. THEY ENTER THE BLOODSTREAM FASTER AND ARE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE LIVER, WHERE THEY ARE USED AS AN IMMEDIATE SOURCE OF ENERGY.Medium chain fatty acids, unlike long chain fatty acids, are small enough to enter the cells' energy powerhouses, the mitochondria, directly, where they can be conveted to energy. Be warned, however, that medium chain fatty acids can also lead to fat build-up in the liver.
Fat storage is balanced by how much fat is taken in by cells and how much is burned for energy,. When people eat a high fat diet, their bodies attempt to compensate by increasing their capacity to oxidize fat. THE MEDIUM CHAIN FATTY ACID (COCONUT OIL) DIET WAS MORE EFFECTIVE AT INCREASING THE OXIDATIVE CAPACITY OF MUSCLE THAN THE LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS, LEADING TO LESS FAT STORAGE IN MUSCLE AND BETTER INSULIN ACTION.
Keeping in mind the potential for excess fat accumulation in the liver, substituting oils containing medium chain fatty acids for other oils in the diet may be beneficial. But make sure to include other fats as well. The fatty acids in fish oil, for example, are thought to improve fat oxidation in the liver.
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