Scientists have found that consuming large amounts of olive oil suppresses genes which cause inflammation and can lead to problems like heart disease.
The Mediterranean Diet has long been linked to good health by scientists.
The diet typically includes plenty of olive oil, fish, fruits and vegetables, as well as small amounts of red meat and dairy products.
Scientists have found that eating food with olive oil represses several genes which trigger inflammation in the body. You should not cook with olive oil as it oxidizes rather easily. Instead cook with coconut oil and drizzle olive oil over the food after it has been cooked.
Inflammation can trigger conditions such as atheroscierosis or furring of the arteries.
As well as reducing heart problems, studies have also suggested that adhering to a Mediterranean style diet can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and even depression.
The study found that phenols-a micronutrient of olive oil-'dampened down' genes that cause inflammation. That's important as inflammation is linked to the development of cardiovascular disease.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sugary Foods Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Risk
People with diets high in sweets and other foods that cause rapid blood sugar spikes may have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who eat less of those foods, a new study suggests.
In a study of nearly 1,000 Italian adults with and without pancreatic cancer, researchers found that those whose diets were high in so called "glycemic index" showed a greater risk of the cancer
than participants whose diets were relatively low glycemic index.
Glycemic index refers to how rapidly a food causes blood sugar to rise. High glycemic index foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to spur a quick elevation in blood sugar, while low glycemic index foods, such as lentils, beans, yogurt and many high fiber grains, create a more gradual increase in blood sugar.
In a new study, researchers found no relationship between the total carbohydrates in participants' diets and their risk of pancreatic cancer. And when they focused on fruit intake, higher consumption was related to a lower risk of the disease.
In contrast, there was a relationship between increased pancreatic cancer risk and higher intakes of sugar, candy, honey and jam. This suggests that sugary, processed carbohydrates rather than carbs like fiber rich grains, grains, and vegetables may be particularly liked to pancreatic cancer, the researchers report in the Annals of Epidemiology.
Pancreatic cancer is a relatively uncommon but particularly deadly form of cancer, with only about 5 percent of patients surviving for five years. Early on, the disease causes no symptoms, or only vague problems like indigestion, so it is rarely caught before it has advanced.
In a study of nearly 1,000 Italian adults with and without pancreatic cancer, researchers found that those whose diets were high in so called "glycemic index" showed a greater risk of the cancer
than participants whose diets were relatively low glycemic index.
Glycemic index refers to how rapidly a food causes blood sugar to rise. High glycemic index foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to spur a quick elevation in blood sugar, while low glycemic index foods, such as lentils, beans, yogurt and many high fiber grains, create a more gradual increase in blood sugar.
In a new study, researchers found no relationship between the total carbohydrates in participants' diets and their risk of pancreatic cancer. And when they focused on fruit intake, higher consumption was related to a lower risk of the disease.
In contrast, there was a relationship between increased pancreatic cancer risk and higher intakes of sugar, candy, honey and jam. This suggests that sugary, processed carbohydrates rather than carbs like fiber rich grains, grains, and vegetables may be particularly liked to pancreatic cancer, the researchers report in the Annals of Epidemiology.
Pancreatic cancer is a relatively uncommon but particularly deadly form of cancer, with only about 5 percent of patients surviving for five years. Early on, the disease causes no symptoms, or only vague problems like indigestion, so it is rarely caught before it has advanced.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Heart Disease Can Be Prevented
Harvard researchers examined the results of 20 different studies involving 1.2 million people. They found that eating unprocessed meat (think steak or unprocessed pork or lamb) was NOT associated with any increased risk of heart disease, BUT eating processed meats (like cold cuts, sausage and bacon) was linked to a 42 percent increased risk of heart disease and 19 percent increased risk of diabetes. They specifically looked at the saturated fat content between the unprocessed and processed meats and didn't find much of a difference. The bottom line of this study is that saturated fat from meat does not increase heart disease if the meat is unprocessed.
Nitrates and salt might account for the disparity. Also the fact that processed meats are cooked at very high temperatures. This can cause some of the fats to oxidize. Oxidized fats tend to cling to the inside of arteries.
All it takes to increase heart disease is to eat a typical serving a day (Like a hot dog or some sliced cold cuts in a sandwich) to reach this risk. When you consider the number of people who have bacon for breakfast most days of the week or have a ham sandwich for lunch every day, the impact of processing is impressive.
Many Americans tend to accept processing, antibiotics and hormones in their food without much of a fight-these additives may make our food more flavorful and likely cheaper as well. But it seems as though processing may come at a price-an increased risk of heart disease. You can take some steps to reduce your risk by avoiding bacon, sausage and deli meats, and try to focus on eating real food.
Nitrates and salt might account for the disparity. Also the fact that processed meats are cooked at very high temperatures. This can cause some of the fats to oxidize. Oxidized fats tend to cling to the inside of arteries.
All it takes to increase heart disease is to eat a typical serving a day (Like a hot dog or some sliced cold cuts in a sandwich) to reach this risk. When you consider the number of people who have bacon for breakfast most days of the week or have a ham sandwich for lunch every day, the impact of processing is impressive.
Many Americans tend to accept processing, antibiotics and hormones in their food without much of a fight-these additives may make our food more flavorful and likely cheaper as well. But it seems as though processing may come at a price-an increased risk of heart disease. You can take some steps to reduce your risk by avoiding bacon, sausage and deli meats, and try to focus on eating real food.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Do You And Your Family Eat Toxic Food Dyes?
Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives. While the European Union has recently placed regulations on labeling food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks, the United States has no such requirement.
Here are some of the most common food dyes used today, according to the Food Freedom Network:
BLUE #1 (BRILLIANT BLUE) An unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice. What it's in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powers, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products.
BLUE #2 (INDIGO CARMINE) Causes a statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. What it's in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food.
CITRUS RED #2 It's toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary ladder and possible other organs. What it's in: Skins of Florida oranges.
GREEN #3 (FAST GREEN) Caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. What it's in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetic products except in eye areas, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet, ingested drugs, lipsticks, and externally applied cosmetics.
RED #3 (ERYTHROSINE) Recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. What it's in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, candies.
RED #40 (ALLURA RED) This is the most widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice. It also causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in some consumers and mighty trigger hyperactivity in children. What it's in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powers, candies, cereals, foods, drugs and cosmetics.
YELLOW #5 (TARTRAZINE) Yellow 5 causes sometimes severe hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. What it's in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powers, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts.
YELLOW #6 (SUNSET YELLOW) Caused adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. What it's in: Color bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powers, candies, gelatin deserts, sausages,cosmetics and drugs.
In CSPI's summary of studies on food dyes, you can see that some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer. CSPI reported: "THE THREE MOST WIDELY USED DYES, RED 40, YELLOW 5 AND YELLOW 6 ARE CONTAMINATED WITH KNOW CARCINOGENS. ANOTHER DYE, RED 3, HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR YEARS BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO BE A CARCINOGEN, YET IS STILL IN THE FOOD SUPPLY."
Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U S foods-and that amount only factors in eight different varieties, according to the Center for Science in the Cublic Interest (CSPI).
These dyes are so common in U.S. foods-especially kids' foods-that parents don't think twice about giving their children rainbow colored cereal or fluorescent blue "juice," and adults don't consider bright orange cheese puffs out of the ordinary.
Take one carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal, The Lancet. It concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate-found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings-do in fact cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.
THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT THE E-NUMBERED FOOD DYES DO AS MUCH DAMAGE TO CHILDREN'S BRAINS AS LEAD IN GASOLINE, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN IQ.
The diet should include a range of vibrantly colored foods, but these foods should be the ones that are NATURALLY rich in color. Red bell peppers, purple eggplant, green spinach, blueberries, and rainbow chard are all examples of healthy foods whose bright colors are signs of the important nutrients they contain.
These are the food colors you need in your diet, not the man made varieties found in most processed foods. The good news is avoiding artificial food dyes is incredibly easy-just stick to whole fresh foods and avoid the processed ones!
Here are some of the most common food dyes used today, according to the Food Freedom Network:
BLUE #1 (BRILLIANT BLUE) An unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice. What it's in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powers, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products.
BLUE #2 (INDIGO CARMINE) Causes a statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. What it's in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food.
CITRUS RED #2 It's toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary ladder and possible other organs. What it's in: Skins of Florida oranges.
GREEN #3 (FAST GREEN) Caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. What it's in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetic products except in eye areas, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet, ingested drugs, lipsticks, and externally applied cosmetics.
RED #3 (ERYTHROSINE) Recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. What it's in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, candies.
RED #40 (ALLURA RED) This is the most widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice. It also causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in some consumers and mighty trigger hyperactivity in children. What it's in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powers, candies, cereals, foods, drugs and cosmetics.
YELLOW #5 (TARTRAZINE) Yellow 5 causes sometimes severe hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. What it's in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powers, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts.
YELLOW #6 (SUNSET YELLOW) Caused adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. What it's in: Color bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powers, candies, gelatin deserts, sausages,cosmetics and drugs.
In CSPI's summary of studies on food dyes, you can see that some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer. CSPI reported: "THE THREE MOST WIDELY USED DYES, RED 40, YELLOW 5 AND YELLOW 6 ARE CONTAMINATED WITH KNOW CARCINOGENS. ANOTHER DYE, RED 3, HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR YEARS BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO BE A CARCINOGEN, YET IS STILL IN THE FOOD SUPPLY."
Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U S foods-and that amount only factors in eight different varieties, according to the Center for Science in the Cublic Interest (CSPI).
These dyes are so common in U.S. foods-especially kids' foods-that parents don't think twice about giving their children rainbow colored cereal or fluorescent blue "juice," and adults don't consider bright orange cheese puffs out of the ordinary.
Take one carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal, The Lancet. It concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate-found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings-do in fact cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.
THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT THE E-NUMBERED FOOD DYES DO AS MUCH DAMAGE TO CHILDREN'S BRAINS AS LEAD IN GASOLINE, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN IQ.
The diet should include a range of vibrantly colored foods, but these foods should be the ones that are NATURALLY rich in color. Red bell peppers, purple eggplant, green spinach, blueberries, and rainbow chard are all examples of healthy foods whose bright colors are signs of the important nutrients they contain.
These are the food colors you need in your diet, not the man made varieties found in most processed foods. The good news is avoiding artificial food dyes is incredibly easy-just stick to whole fresh foods and avoid the processed ones!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Cut Your Risk of Death from Breast Cancer in Half
A healthful diet, regular physical exercise, appropriate sun exposure or oral supplements to optimize your vitamin D levels, and an effective means of managing your emotional health are the cornerstone of just about any cancer prevention program, including breast cancer.
Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer, as well as decreasing your chances of dying from it by 50 percent, once diagnosed.
It is also important to watch out for excessive iron levels. Elevated iron is actually quite common once women get older. The extra iron works as a powerful oxidant, increasing free radicals in your body and thereby increasing your risk of cancer.
The best way to monitor your iron is to have your ferritin level draw. Ferritin is the iron transport protein and should not be above 80. If your is elevated, you can reduce it simply by donating your blood.
The following lifestyle strategies will help you to further lower your breast cancer risk:
OPTIMIZE YOUR VITAMIN D Vitamin D influences virtually every cell in your body and is one of nature's most potent cancer fighters.This is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from cancer.
Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis (cell death). When JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, injected a potent form of vitamin D into human breast cancer cells, half of them shriveled up and died within days! The vitamin D worked as well at killing cancer cells as the toxic breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, without any of the detrimental side effects and at a tiny fraction of the cost.
GET PLENTY OF NATURAL VITAMIN A There is evidence that vitamin A also plays a roll in preventing breast cancer. It's best to obtain it from vitamin A rich foods, rather than a supplement. Your best sources are organic egg yolks, raw butter, raw whole milk, and beef or chicken liver.
AVOID CHARRING YOUR MEATS Charcoal or flame broiled meat is linked with increased breast cancer risk. Acrylamide-a carcinogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted or fried-has been found to increase breast cancer risk as well.
AVOID UNFERMENTED SOY PRODUCTS. Unfermented soy is high in plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, also knows as isoflavones. In some studies, soy appears to work in concert with human estrogen to increase breast cell proliferation, which increases the cancer for mutations and cancerous cells.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It's important to lose excess body fat because fat produces estrogen.
GET PLENTY OF HIGH QUALITY ANIMAL BASED OMEGA-3 FATS Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
CURCUMIN This is the active ingredient in turmeric and in high concentrations can be very useful in the treatment of breast cancer.
Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer, as well as decreasing your chances of dying from it by 50 percent, once diagnosed.
It is also important to watch out for excessive iron levels. Elevated iron is actually quite common once women get older. The extra iron works as a powerful oxidant, increasing free radicals in your body and thereby increasing your risk of cancer.
The best way to monitor your iron is to have your ferritin level draw. Ferritin is the iron transport protein and should not be above 80. If your is elevated, you can reduce it simply by donating your blood.
The following lifestyle strategies will help you to further lower your breast cancer risk:
OPTIMIZE YOUR VITAMIN D Vitamin D influences virtually every cell in your body and is one of nature's most potent cancer fighters.This is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from cancer.
Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis (cell death). When JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, injected a potent form of vitamin D into human breast cancer cells, half of them shriveled up and died within days! The vitamin D worked as well at killing cancer cells as the toxic breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, without any of the detrimental side effects and at a tiny fraction of the cost.
GET PLENTY OF NATURAL VITAMIN A There is evidence that vitamin A also plays a roll in preventing breast cancer. It's best to obtain it from vitamin A rich foods, rather than a supplement. Your best sources are organic egg yolks, raw butter, raw whole milk, and beef or chicken liver.
AVOID CHARRING YOUR MEATS Charcoal or flame broiled meat is linked with increased breast cancer risk. Acrylamide-a carcinogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted or fried-has been found to increase breast cancer risk as well.
AVOID UNFERMENTED SOY PRODUCTS. Unfermented soy is high in plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, also knows as isoflavones. In some studies, soy appears to work in concert with human estrogen to increase breast cell proliferation, which increases the cancer for mutations and cancerous cells.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It's important to lose excess body fat because fat produces estrogen.
GET PLENTY OF HIGH QUALITY ANIMAL BASED OMEGA-3 FATS Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
CURCUMIN This is the active ingredient in turmeric and in high concentrations can be very useful in the treatment of breast cancer.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Astaxanthin Supplements reduce chances of Dementia
Daily supplements of astaxanthin, the pigment that gives salmon its pink color, can reduce the abnormal accumulation of compounds associated with dementia, says a new study from Japan.
Astaxanthin supplements were associated with significant reductions in levels of compounds called phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH), known to accumulate abnormally in the red blood cells (erythocytes) of people with dementia, compared with a placebo.
Most astaxanthin is derived from the algae, Haematococcus pluvialis, which is commonly consumed by fish and crustaceans and is responsible for their pink coloration.
Astaxanthin's main health benefits are eye and skin health although it has been linked to joint health and central nervous system health and is said to have an antioxidant payload 500 times that of vitamin E.
It is interesting to note that taking astaxanthin supplements for as short of time as twelve weeks can reduce PLOOHs in the blood by as much as 40 to 50 percent.
Astaxanthin supplements were associated with significant reductions in levels of compounds called phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH), known to accumulate abnormally in the red blood cells (erythocytes) of people with dementia, compared with a placebo.
Most astaxanthin is derived from the algae, Haematococcus pluvialis, which is commonly consumed by fish and crustaceans and is responsible for their pink coloration.
Astaxanthin's main health benefits are eye and skin health although it has been linked to joint health and central nervous system health and is said to have an antioxidant payload 500 times that of vitamin E.
It is interesting to note that taking astaxanthin supplements for as short of time as twelve weeks can reduce PLOOHs in the blood by as much as 40 to 50 percent.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Health Benefits of Curcumin-the Pigment in Curry Spice
In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common US cancers-colon, breast, prostate and lung- IS TEN TIMES LOWER. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in US men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric.
Numberous studies have looked into this potential cancer fighting link, with promising results. For instance, cucumin has been found to:
Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth
According to researches from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.
The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to commit suicide by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.
CURCUMIN RELIEVES PAIN AND INFLAMMATION FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS
A study shows that curcumin can relieve pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis. It can also reduce a series of inflammatory markers.
100 patients with osteoarthritis were divided in two groups. The first group was given the best available treatment and the second group was given the same treatment plug 200 mg of the curcunin formulation each day.
According to IFT: "The results showed that the curcumin treated group had a reduction in pain and increased mobility.
Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated inflammation.
Numberous studies have looked into this potential cancer fighting link, with promising results. For instance, cucumin has been found to:
Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth
According to researches from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.
The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to commit suicide by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.
CURCUMIN RELIEVES PAIN AND INFLAMMATION FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS
A study shows that curcumin can relieve pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis. It can also reduce a series of inflammatory markers.
100 patients with osteoarthritis were divided in two groups. The first group was given the best available treatment and the second group was given the same treatment plug 200 mg of the curcunin formulation each day.
According to IFT: "The results showed that the curcumin treated group had a reduction in pain and increased mobility.
Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated inflammation.
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