In yet another study showing the benefits of consuming foods high in Omega-3, Akira Sekikawa (MD) and colleagues found that rather than genetic factors contributing to the lower heart disease risk in Japan’s population, the actual Omega-3 content of Japanese diets may be responsible instead.

The study, cited in the August edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, involved 281 men living in Japan, 306 Caucasian American men and 281 Japanese-American men living in Hawaii.

The researchers conducted blood tests to measure total fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Although the total fatty acid levels were similar amongst all three groups, the amount of fatty acids from fish consumption was twice as high among the Japanese men group as compared to both American groups.

The study also indicated that men living in Japan had significantly less atherosclerosis (plaque build up inside the arteries).

Dr. Sekikawa concluded that increasing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids could “…have a very substantial impact on heart disease.”

Source: Sekikawa A., Curb J.D., Ueshima H., et al. Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese-American and white men: a cross-sectional study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2008 Aug., 52(6):417-424

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Who would’ve thought that “The Health People” might advocate the consumption of cookies, huh?Ok there’s a slight catch, these aren’t ordinary cookies, they are enriched with CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid).

As a result of eating these enriched cookies, researchers found these healthy fatty acids to be present in breast milk at a higher level (46% ~ higher) than those who only consumed normal biscuits.

This doesn’t mean necessarily that all women have been given the green light to consume large amounts of biscuits and hence overdose on saturated fat and sugars.

The study aims to show how CLA supplementation can make its way into the breast milk and therefore benefit the child – I think it’s fair to surmise that

CLA is a group of fatty acids that has potential anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.

The study doesn’t show where you can buy these biscuits though!

Maybe you could get a CLA pill and put it in between two cookies, somewhat like a sandwich?!

Or on the other hand, just get rid of the biscuits and take the supplement by itself – yeah…that makes more sense!

Source

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According to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition, fat-build up from fructose consumption may be greater than consumption of other types of sugars such as glucose and sucrose.

The study involved six young, lean participants who had to drink either: 

A soft drink sweetened with 100% glucos

A soft drink sweetened with 50% glucose and 50% fructose

A soft drink sweetened with 25% glucose and 75% fructose

The tests were random and blinded.

The groups who drank the beverages containing fructose gained more fat at a quicker rate than the glucose group.
We have to remember that the participants in this study were young, healthy and lean.

Therefore it is fair to surmise that people who are less healthy, not as lean and maybe older maybe pre-disposed to even easier fat gain and other health related issues.

Lipogenesis (formation of fat in the body) increased as follows:

• 100% glucose, lipogenesis = 7.8%
• 50% glucose and 50% fructose, lipogenesis = 15.9%
• 25% glucose and 75% fructose, lipogenesis = 16.9%

Also the blood triglyceride levels (i.e. fat in the blood) were between 11% & 29% higher after the consumptions of the 50:50 and 25:75 beverages.
I hope people don’t assume that as a result of this study (and various other related studies) that the consumption of fructose in fruit would also have such an effect.
This study was using pure fructose that is isolated from the high fibre, vitamins and various other co-factors that are found in fruits.  Do not misconceive what the study shows.

However, if you are someone who consumes soft drink full of fructose and various other sugars, then this study is a good indicator of what could happen to you.

Sources available upon request.

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Study Info.

You’ve guessed it, yet another study expounding the great benefits of green tea.

So what was the study about and what did it show?

The study investigated the effects of the consumption of green tea for 7 days on biomarkers (i.e. indicators) of oxidative stress in young men undergoing resistance exercise.

Blood samples were taken before and after exercise and were analysed for total antioxidant capacity.

The control group (i.e. those who didn’t drink green tea) had reduced levels of Glutathione (a very strong antioxidant produced in the body). In addition other activities increased in the control group as a result of exercise (i.e. by-products: creatine kinase (CK), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) & xanthine oxidase (XO)).

Green tea reduced the post-exercise concentration of some of the above by-products and increased the values of total polyphenols (antioxidants from Green Tea) and Glutathione. Green tea also inhibited a significant rise in the other by-products, namely CK and XO activities.

Conclusion

	Consumption of GT, a beverage rich in polyphenols, may offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by exercise, and dietary guidance for sports participants should be emphasized.

Source: Journal of Nutrition

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A new study from Finland suggests that a diet rich in berries may boost levels of good cholesterol and improve blood pressure and therefore indicating benefit for heart health too.

Consumption of bilberries, lingonberries, black currants and strawberries led to a reduction in blood pressure as well as an increase in good cholesterol (HDL).

The study involved the use of different berries, so as to maximise the intake and availability of different polyphenols.

Numerous studies have expounded upon the benefits of berry consumption, some of which include lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and protecting against cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The study recruited 72 middle-aged subjects (average age: 58 years -men, 46 years -women) and randomly assigned them to consume a moderate amount of berries or control products for eight weeks.

The berry group consumed 100 grams of whole bilberries and 50 grams of a lingonberry-rich nectar every other day. In addition, they consumed 100grams of purée of blackcurrants or strawberries and a juice of raspberry and chokeberry on the other days. Meanwhile, the control group received one of four different products, including sugar-water, sweet rice porridge, marmalade sweets, or sweet semolina porridge.

At the end of the two month period, levels of HDL-cholesterol rose significantly by 5.2 per cent in the berry group, compared to a 0.6 per cent increase in the control group. Total cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels were not altered, however.

In addition to improvements in blood pressure, the researchers note that consumption of the berry-rich diet was associated with an 11 per cent inhibition of platelet function, compared to a 1.4 per cent augmentation in the control group, as measured with a platelet function analyser.

It’s berry interesting huh?

Source:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
February 2008, Volume 87, Number 2, Pages 323-331
“Favorable effects of berry consumption on platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol”
Authors: I. Erlund, R. Koli, G. Alfthan, J. Marniemi, P. Puukka, P. Mustonen, P. Mattila, A. Jula.

Decisionnewsmedia

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A new risk assessment tool suggests that deodorants, coffee and artificial sweeteners may not be linked to cancer. The tool has been developed through the Cancer Control Program at South Eastern Sydney & Illawarra Health (SESIH) by UNSW researcher, Professor Bernard Stewart.

“Our tool will help establish if the level of risk is high – say, on a par with smoking – or unlikely such as using deodorants, artificial sweeteners and drinking coffee or fluoridated water – or at risk bands in between,” said Professor Stewart.

“The media are filled with reports about possible causes of cancer: most commonly, a new and unexpected exposure to a previously suspected carcinogen.”

“It’s one thing to know that arsenic is carcinogenic – but quite another to distinguish between different methods of exposure. That’s what this approach achieves,” said Professor Stewart. “For instance, smelter workers who are exposed to arsenic emissions are much more likely to develop cancer than children who have played on climbing frames constructed from arsenic-treated timber – but the carcinogen is the same.”

Until now there have only been mathematical risk assessments, which are complicated and of a limited application.

“Our approach can be used whenever carcinogenic risk can be implied,” said Professor Stewart.

In an issue of the journal Mutation Research Reviews, the newly developed procedure has been applied to more than than 60 situations, ranging from active smoking to electromagnetic fields in the workplace – which are all deemed to offer some degree of carcinogenic risk. Consequently, each situation can be located within one of five bands corresponding to proven, likely, inferred, unknown or unlikely risk of carcinogenic outcome.

Surveys suggest that tobacco smoking is correctly identified as the major cause of cancer, but a host of other situations – using a mobile phone, air pollution, exposure to DDT, eating dioxin-contaminated fish, using hair dyes, and drinking alcoholic beverages – are often given similar risk status.

“We now have a means of indicating which carcinogenic risks are comparable by reference to the type of evidence available,” says Professor Stewart. “This risk assessment gives the lie to the attitude that ‘everything causes cancer’.”

Source:

University of New South Wales (2008, February 7). Deodorants, Coffee And Artificial Sweeteners Not Linked To Cancer, New Risk Assessment

Sciencedaily

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A new study from the Journal of Nutrition shows that caffeine has a positive effect on productivity. The study involved testing the efficacy of two antifatigue substances, caffeine and d-ribose.

Seventeen healthy volunteers were randomised to oral caffeine (200 mg/d), D-ribose (2000 mg/d), or placebo for 8 d.

The candidates were subjected to fatigue-inducing mental tasks: subjects performed a 30-min Uchida-Kraepelin psychodiagnostic test and a 30-min advanced trail-making test on four occasions.

During the tasks, the caffeine supplemented group was better than that of the placebo group. However, post-task fatigue was somewhat different. Though the perceived “…fatigue, motivation, or sleepiness was not significantly different…”, the actual amount of “…plasma branched-chain amino acid levels in the caffeine group were lower than those of the placebo group. Administration of D-ribose had no effect.”

When we get tired due to mental fatigue, plasma branched-chain amino acid (amino acid is protein in its lowest form, e.g. carbohydrate in its lowest form is glucose, fructose etc.) levels decrease.

The results show that the administration of caffeine improved task performance through the enhancement of central nervous system activity without increasing the sensation of fatigue. “However, further decreases in branched-chain amino acid levels indicate that caffeine might promote deeper fatigue than placebo.”

“In contrast, long-term fatigue is sometimes irreversible, and the compensation mechanisms that are useful in reducing acute fatigue are no longer effective. In this view, administration of caffeine might introduce unfavourable situations.”

Source:

Ataka, S., Tanaka, M., Nozaki, S., Mizuma, H., Mizuno, K., Tahara, T., Sugino, T., Shirai, T., Kajimoto, Y., Kuratsune, H., Kajimoto, O., Watanabe, Y. (2008) ‘ Effects of oral administration of caffeine and D-ribose on mental fatigue’, Nutrition, 24(3), pp. 233-238.

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According to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, smokers are four times more likely to report trouble sleeping and feeling rested the next day. The study showed that smokers were not experiencing as much deep sleep, a possible side-effect of nicotines effect on the brain.

The researchers screened 6,441 volunteers, with the goal of (ironically) finding a large group of healthy smokers. Due to the difficulties encountered in trying to find “healthy smokers” (I wonder why?), the researchers settled for a comparison of 40 smokers and 40 nonsmokers.

The volunteers were outfitted at home with sleep-study equipment, including a device that continuously records brain activity.

The electroencephalograms (EEGs) showed that smokers on average had faster, higher-frequency brain waves throughout the night – indicating that they weren’t experiencing as much deep sleep as nonsmokers.

This is quite serious as deep sleep is the stage where the body repairs itself, wounds heal, hormones are secreted, growth occurs. This is also the stage at which muscle mass is closely associated!

Does that mean we may see nicotine patches that help smokers sleep?

Source(s):

Zhang, L., Samet, J., Caffo, B., Bankman, I., Punjabi, N.M., Power Spectral Analysis of EEG Activity During Sleep in Cigarette Smokers, CHEST, Volume 133 (2), February 2008.

The Baltimore Sun

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Yet another study and benefit on the use of probiotic cultures has emerged. This time the study focuses on the positive results derived from the use of probiotics by those who suffer from HIV/AIDS.

The study (a joint project by African and Canadian researchers) suggests that taking gut-friendly bacteria may ease suffering from diarrhoea and nausea.

Twenty four participants (from the sub-Saharan region of Africa, all female) with HIV/AIDS were recruited, aged between 18 and 44 and with clinical signs of moderate diarrhoea.

The researchers (University of Benin, Benson Idahosa University, and the Canadian Research and Development Centre for Probiotics at the University of Western Ontario) assigned the subjects either a normal or probiotic yoghurt (approx. 100ml) for fifteen days.

At the end of the study, it was reported that the occurrence of diarrhoea, flatulence, and nausea was resolved in all 12 subjects receiving the probiotic yoghurt, compared to only two out of the 12 in the normal (control) yoghurt.

Before treatment, the average CD4 T-lymphocyte count (the immune system cells that the virus attacks) was over 200. After treatment, the average CD4 count remained the same in 92 per cent of the subjects in the probiotic group, while the level only remained the same in 25 per cent receiving the control yoghurt (i.e. without the probiotics).

Again, before treatment, the white blood cells count of the probiotic – supplemented group was 5.8 billion cells per litre and 6.0 billion cells per litre after. Fifteen days after the study and supplementation had stopped, the white blood cells count dropped to 5.4 billions cells per litre.

Although the study was somewhat small in terms of duration and number of participants, it shows promising signs of probiotic supplementation and its benefits amongst some of the poorest regions in the world affected by these diseases.

Source:

Anukam, K.C., Osazuwa, E.O., Osadolor, H.B., Bruce, A.W., Reid, G. (January 2008) Yogurt Containing Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 Helps Resolve Moderate Diarrhoea and Increases CD4 Count in HIV/AIDS Patients, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Published online ahead of print.

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