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Diet Choices for Your Best Health

DIETARY PATTERNS AND RISK OF DEMENTIA – (05-26-08)

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Dietary patterns and risk of dementia

While some information about dietary links to altered mental capacity has come out, the strength of these associations just hasn’t been given the press it deserves.

In this study, a protective effect of fruits and veggies as well as fish intake was seen for both dementia and Alzheimer’s. Even more important, an increased intake of omega-6 fatty acids that wasn’t balanced out by increased omega-3s (aka the Western Diet) more than doubled the risk! There is no doubt that neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are strongly lifestyle related. However, if we don’t get the word out NOW, it will be at least 2 generations before we can see a decline in the incidence of these disorders.

Read entire article here

ASSOCIATION OF DIETARY INTAKE OF SOY, BEANS, AND ISOFLAVONES – (08-04-08)

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Association of Dietary Intake of Soy, Beans, and Isoflavones With Risk of Cerebral and Myocardial Infarctions in Japanese Populations.

As I’ve mentioned before, there is no shortage of “deadly soy” articles all over the internet. Unfortunately, this just does NOT agree with the medical literature. Again, in this study we see some very drastic reductions for women in heart attacks and strokes with higher intakes of soy. With soy intakes greater than 5 times per week, the reduction in stroke risk was 36%, heart attacks 45% and for cardiac death 69%.These are massive reductions.

Compare this to the statin class of drugs, with huge costs and serious side effects, and NO reduction in cardiac mortality. It is also likely that the intake of soy in this study really correlates with the adoption of a more plant-based diet.

Read entire article here

EARLY PROTEIN INTAKE AND LATER OBESITY RISK (08-04-08)

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Early protein intake and later obesity risk: which protein sources at which time points throughout infancy and childhood are important for body mass index and body fat percentage at 7 y of age?

We have a perception in this society that the foods we eat today will have an effect on us in a few days, weeks or months, but the association with our health years down the line is very poor. Unfortunately, the choices we make today have massive implications for future health.

In this particular study, animal based proteins at 12 months led to an increased risk of being overweight at 7 years. And yes, dairy was particularly bad.

Read entire article here

SKIP THE AHA DIET AND ADOPT THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET – (11-17-08)

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Daily Consumption of a Dark Chocolate Containing Flavanols and Added Sterol Esters Affects Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Normotensive Population with Elevated Cholesterol

A few comments on this study. At first glance, it’s wonderful to see components of dark chocolate and plant sterols (found in things like rice and soy) help lower cholesterol and blood pressure as effectively as many medications.

Looking deeper into the study, we find that these patients were all put on an AHA style diet in addition to the nutrient bar containing the flavanols and sterols. Regular readers of updates will know I am not in favor of the AHA guidelines and that they fall short of benefits obtained with a Mediterranean type diet. So why not skip the bars and the AHA diet and adopt the Mediterranean diet in the first place??

Read entire article here

INDIGESTIBLE CARBS IN THE EVENING MEAL IMPROVES GLUCOSE TOLERANCE, LOWERS INFLAMMATORY MARKERS – (11-17-08)

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Including Indigestible Carbohydrates in the Evening Meal of Healthy Subjects Improves Glucose Tolerance, Lowers Inflammatory Markers, and Increases Satiety after a Subsequent Standardized Breakfast

The concept of increasing intake of low glycemic index foods as having a positive impact on glycemic control is not new. Society still seems slow to incorporate this, promoting high glycemic, low nutrient breakfast cereals and refined carbs throughout the rest of the day. While we know that refined carbs for breakfast increases caloric intake the rest of the day, the relationship between an evening meal and subsequent breakfast has not been greatly explored.

This study finds that low glycemic index evening meals will promote low caloric intake in the morning meal. Interestingly, the authors suggest that this relationship may be mediated through the action of intestinal bacteria’s action on the fiber present in whole grains.

Read entire article here

BASIC LIFESTYLE CHANGES DRAMATICALLY REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR BURDEN – (11-17-08)

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Angina Pectoris and Atherosclerotic Risk Factors in the Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program

In 12 wks, 74% of patients in this study that started with angina were angina free. 74%. These are all patients who likely would’ve had cardiac catheterization and stent placement. Many of these patients would then go on to open heart bypass surgery.

Again and again we see studies proving that basic lifestyle changes dramatically reduce cardiovascular burden. And we’re not talking about taking Vit E and checking for heart attacks in 4 years. We’re talking about lifestyle changes that include multiple plant-based dietary changes, exercise, non-smoking and stress management. And these changes will have impacts across other disease states as well, unlike cardiovascular procedures and medications.

Read entire article here

DO YOU KNOW THAT SOY PROTECTS AGAINST BREAST CANCER RISK? – (03-08-10)

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Adolescent and adult soy food intake and breast cancer risk

Ok…another article talking about the benefits of soy. And trust me when I say it’s not alone–the positive research on soy is strong. So why do we continue to see this demonization of soy on the internet? I can only think that some group with lots and lots of money is contributing to these anti-soy websites. Of course, we are talking about non-GMO soy and taken in unprocessed forms (tofu, soy milk, edamame–NOT veggie burgers).

In this particular study, the evidence of soy protecting against breast cancer is strong, especially when used as an adolescent (greater than 59% reductions). Where are the Susan Komen and the American Cancer Society on this? Do we really have to wait until the evidence suggesting its protectiveness is so massive that we can no longer deny it in good conscious?

Read entire article here

FARMED VS WILD CAUGHT FISH–WHAT’S THE DEAL??

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Fish is frequently ordered because it is perceived as a health conscious choice. However, very frequently, this is not the case and the situation is only getting worse.

Fish can absolutely be a part of a healthy lifestyle (for you, of course–not the fish…) but there are some details you need to be aware of. 

First is the mercury content of fish. Mercury is one of the most potent neurotoxins on the planet, so keeping our exposure to the smallest levels possible is a good idea (don’t ask me WHY anyone thought it was a good idea to put mercury into amalgam fillings…). Since it is pretty much present everywhere in the environment, including your can of soda (which you shouldn’t actually be drinking) that contains mercury-laden high fructose corn syrup, we need to steer towards fish with lower content of mercury. This means eating younger fish who have not had time to accumulate mercury in their life span (think chunk light tuna instead of the older albacore) and fish that are vegetarian (mercury bioaccumulates, so as each fish gets eaten by another fish, the prey fish’s mercury is added to the predator). The FDA has a great resource for determining which fish are higher in mercury.

The next factor is wild caught vs farm raised. This is probably the largest determining factor you should use in deciding whether or not to eat a particular fish. For a variety of reasons, farmed raised fish should be avoiding in almost all cases. They are higher in pesticide residues, antibiotics and parasites present only in farm raised salmon escape into the wild salmon and actually destroy the wild salmon.

But arguably the largest difference in farm raised vs wild caught in the fats contained in them. In the wild, fish like salmon will eat smaller fish and algae. This is the source of the “fish oils” in wild caught fish. DHA is the ultimate source and comes from marine plant and algae life. But what about farm raised?

I remember having dinner at a small restaurant in Phoenix recently and the chef was present. When I asked whether the salmon was farm raised or wild, he mentioned that he does not like wild caught because the taste can vary.  When I mentioned that we only do wild caught, he went on a mini-tirade talking about how he’s knows FDA inspectors and all the information about the living conditions and antibiotic use and pesticide levels were not true. I mentioned to him that they were fed primarily a corn based diet and he said that wasn’t true. At this point, my dinner mates were telling me to shut up under their collective breaths.

So, apparently, if the chef and restaurant owner does not even understand the difference, you better be that much better informed as the consumer. Yes–they ARE higher in pesticides and other chemicals because they are typically kept in a tighter environment in non-flowing water so they are more likely to rub against one another and create lesions and sores that need to be treated. Yes–they are fed a corn based diet. Even though some of the conditions are changing (Whole Foods carries a line of farmed raised seafood that is unquestionably higher quality, but I still have concerns over the omega-6 content), the safest bet is to avoid farm raised.

Remember that our health is better served by increasing the content of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets and reducing the amount of omega-6 (think corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, peanut oils) fatty acids in our diets. If farm raised fish are being fed a corn based diet, guess which fatty acid is going to dominate?

This particular article, I fear, may be used to support the use of farm raised fish.  Basically, researchers looked at the omega-3 content of farm raised vs wild caught fish. For starters, the farm raised fish had twice the fat of their wild counterparts, but given their restricted environment, we’d get fat too. Next, they confirmed that a “substantial” amount of the oils from the feed make it into the farm raised fish (not a good thing–after all, are any of the oils named above part of a wild salmon’s diet??). 

BUT, the authors state, the omega-3 content of farm raised was slightly higher than that of the wild caught fish.  Sounds like a great marketing ploy if you just take this line. Consider the entire picture…More chemicals. More excess fat. More omega-6 fatty acids. All on top of the other negative aspects of farm raised fish.

Are you willing to risk your health on the finding that there is a slightly higher omega-3 content over the boatload of negatives?